I heard this from a friend the other day and it just really hit me. I feel like this is very valuable advice to people who are single and people who are dating. So here it is!

To quote Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend:

People who are good for you are going to have a threefold effect over time:

1. You end up closer to God. This person does not take you away from God. This does not mean that he seems himself as a spiritual giant. It means that he shows you more of who God is – God’s love and God’s nature – as a result of your relationship. He lives God’s ways, and you can experience God together.

2. You end up closer to others. You are a more relational person and grow in your capacity to relate to others. You trust more, not less. You are more open, not shut down or kidnapped to just this relationship. You have grown in your relational capacities as a fruit of being with this person.

3. You become more of yourself. Instead of a person causing you to lose parts of yourself to be around her, the relationship helps you find more of who God created you to be. You expand, grow, stretch, and become a better and more whole “you,” not less of you.

So, hold on to your heart in dating. Learn, experience, and have fun. Only give your heart to someone who deserves it. It is a precious commodity. As Jesus, says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs” (Matt. 7:6) They will trample your treasures under their feet.
Good people do the opposite. They are a “safe deposit box” for the treasures of your heart. Only store them there, with good characters to whom you can trust your treasures. If you do that, not only will your treasures be safe, but their value will grow. That is the person you are looking for, the one to whom you can give your heart.

Courage to Encourage

Life Rule #5 “The Courage to Encourage”- By Andy Stanley

· Life Rule: If you see a friend that is about do something really stupid it becomes your business
· Society Rule #1: Mind your own business
· Society Rule #2: When you see a friend about to make a bad decision talk about them. Christians will sometimes call this “Prayer Request”
· “Don’t anybody talk to Frank, we will just talk about his situation and pray for him”
· You have the potential to head someone off at the pass and save them from a decision they could regret for the rest of their life.
· Hebrews 3:12-13 “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called TODAY, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
· God sees us not as individuals, but as a community therefore we are accountable to each other.
· Sinful, Unbelieving Heart= There is a sequence to a drifting heart
· We stop behaving before we stop believing.
· People will think their experience is unique and it’s not it is a pattern of the World.
· Deceitfulness of Sin means we think we can control the outcome
· “Oh me and God our just at odds right now that’s why I am acting this way and separating myself from God and from the church but I wont stop believing” But that’s road we are on!
· Encourage One Another =Appeal, Beg, Urge, and Exhort
· Not about Praying it’s about Saying!
· Excuses to not engage
#1 Its awkward-> It will always be awkward when approaching someone about their life!
#2 My life is not perfect with God, I am not Perfect-> NO ONE on this earth on their own merit can talk, that is why we are assigned by God to reach out!
· If you are praying or talking about them, you better be talking to them!
· 2 Questions we should ask
#1-> Who do I know that has started down that path, who have I prayed for or talked about?
~You don’t know what they are praying about, they could be asking God to let them know if it is not in His will.
#2-> Who in my circle of friends feels empowered to come rushing in if they see me drifting?
· Christianity was not designed to be Private!

Runaway Love

Runaway love

Now little lisa is only 9 years old

Shes tryin to figure out why the world is so cold

Why shes all all alone and they never met her family

Mamas always gone and she never met her daddy

Part of her is missin and nobody will listenin

Mama is on drugs gettin high up in the kitchen

Bringin home men at different hours of the night

Startin with laughs--usually endin in a fight

Sneak into her room while her mamas knocked out

Tryin to have his way and little lisa says 'ouch'

She tries to resist but then all he does is beat her

Tries to tell her mom but her mama don't believe her

Lisa is stuck up in the world on her own

Forced to think that hell is a place called home

Nothin else to do but some get some clothes and pack

She says shes bout to run away and never come back.

Runaway love [x8]

Little nicole is only 10 years old

Shes steady tryin to figure why the world is so cold

Why shes not pretty and nobody seems to like her

Alcoholic step dad always wanna strike her

Yells and abuses, leaves her with some bruises

Teachers ask questions she makin up excuses

Bleedin on the inside, cryin on the out

Its only one girl really knows what she about

Her name is lil stacy and they become friends

Promise that they always be tight til the end

Until one day lil stacy gets shot

A drive by bullet went stray up on her block

Now nicole stuck up in the world on her own

Forced to think that hell is a place called home

Nothin else to do but some get some clothes and pack

She says shes bout to run away and never come back.

Runaway love [x8]

Little erica is eleven years old

Shes steady tryin to figure why the world is so cold

So she pops x to get rid of all the pain

Cause shes havin sex with a boy whos sixteen

Emotions run deep and she thinks shes in love

So theres no protection hes usin no glove

Never thinkin bout the consequences of her actions

Livin for today and not tomorrows satisfaction

The days go by and her belly gets big

The father bails out he aint ready for a kid

Knowin her mama will blow it all outta proportion

Plus she lives poor so no money for abortion

Erica is stuck up in the world on her own

Forced to think that hell is a place called home

Nothin else to do but get her clothes and pack

She say shes about to run away and never come back.

Runaway love

*Ludacris and Mary J Blige*Check out the Video *

The other day I was getting a pedicure. There was two women in getting their nails done...it was pretty late so it was just us three in the spa. They had families waiting outside for them to finish up. I was bored so I just started to observe the situation. The one woman had a black eye and the other looked like she had had a rough day (which is probably why they were at the nail place becuase thats where women go when things arent going their way lol). Well the woman that had the black eye had this little boy who kept coming into the spa and checking out the progress on his moms nails. I thought to my self "awww how cute he is fasinated by nails...a boy after my own heart!" Well I guess mom did not think that was as cute as I did because each time he came in she would yell and scream and smack this kid on the head. I have no idea what there situation is, but I did start to wonder "Man if this lady can do that in public what does she do in private." The situation just started to make me really sad. Im not a parent so I cant really say how I would act. But I want to believe that I wouldnt treat my child like that..while I do believe in discipline I dont believe in roughing the kids up. So its been a few weeks since I encountered this situation. I heard this song and it made me really think about what kind of world some kids live in and how they are running. Some are not treated and valued the way they should be. Some are beaten and abused by the people that are supposed to support and love them. Some live in broken homes. Some dont have a home at all. I came from a broken home, I remember what it was like and what issues my sister and I still deal with. I cant imagine what others go though and what kind of scars they have.....it makes me really sad. BUT I also know that there is a God who loves them and that gives me a sense of hope. It also gives me a drive to make sure the people in my life (especially the younger ones) know that they are loved and that an unconditional love is out there no matter what experiences they have had previously.