Believe in yourself first
Are you wondering if online dating is for you as a Christian woman or man? Have you almost given up hope of finding that perfect partner for your life?
As a Christian, it is important to remember that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives (Jeremiah). He wants far more for us than we want for ourselves.
The Bible says “Love your neighbour as yourself” – which clearly means that we have to love and care for ourselves first, before we can truly love anyone else.
Traditionally, Christians, and often women, have had a priority list that looks something like this:-
1. God
2. Husband/wife
3. Kids
4. Family/parents
5. Work
6. Church
7. Myself & my own needs
Don’t be fooled – this may feel like the “Christian” thing to do – but this is not God’s model for success.
Yes, we are called to serve, but not at the cost of sacrificing ourselves utterly. Jesus met his own needs for food, shelter, quiet times away with God – he didn’t try to go all out without making time for the important things which enabled him to carry on.;
A Christian priority list should read more like this:-
1. God
2. Myself
3. Husband/wife
4. Kids
5. Family & friends
6. … you get the idea!
Don’t let any man or woman define you – instead, know who you are in Christ.
If you are looking for meaning & purpose, you will not find it in any one person, except in Jesus alone.
These priorities will help you when you find your marriage partner. So often in marriage, mistaken priorities can lead to the destruction of a marriage. Your ministry and your job should come after your husband or wife. Don’t put your ministry or career before your partner – they don’t depend on you anyway – they depend on God. Your partner and children need you today, your ministry or career will wait tomorrow. (Remember, no-one is every known to have said on their deathbed that they wished they’d spent more time at the office!)
Remember, “be kind to yourself” . Be involved in activities outside of your work and relationship, keep your friendships, have interest, care for other people.
If you can be confident that you are loveable, then you will have the confidence to be yourself in a relationship and still expect to be loved. This is the first step to starting a successful and lasting relationship.
You can sign up for free dating tips at 1st Christian Dating Services
This article was submitted by Jennifer Carter, owner of 1st Christian Dating Services
Jen has been involved in online christian dating for over two years and has first hand experience of finding that someone special on the internet.
To read more about christian dating services, visit christian dating services
Writer’s block. That traumatizing, frustrating moment that has paralyzed nearly every writer who has ever put the pen to paper. We sit at our desk and suddenly can’t think of a word to write. Our minds go blank. Our shoulders grow tense. A thin bead of sweat appears on our brow. Our confidence as a writer flies out the window. The harder we try to summon the muse, the worse the condition becomes. We get up and leave our workstations in an effort to clear our minds. We meditate. We pray. We discuss it with our writing counterparts. But is it even real? Does writer’s block exist or is it an excuse not to fasten our seats to the chair and produce?
I believe writer’s block exists only as far as I believe the fear of the dark exists.
Writer’s block is a product of fear. Fear of an inability to produce. Fear of publication. Fear of success. For the majority of us, it is the fear of that blinking cursor on the computer screen, telling us we will never be the writer we know deep down we are capable of becoming.
Like any fear, writer’s block can be overcome as soon as we recognize it for what it is and face it head on.
First, we must decide that nothingreal or imaginedis going to keep us from reaching our goals. Whatever that goal is; achieving a daily word count, finishing that term paper, or publication of a book, we will finish the job no matter what.
Second, the best antidoteor better yet, prevention of writer’s blockit to make it a point to write something on a consistent basis. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do. It is easy to talk ourselves out of writing. Wouldn’t we rather talk about it than actually do it? We like to imagine ourselves at our desks, fingers flying over the keyboard, through no apparent effort on our part, while the world looks on, in awe of our brilliance. But the truth of the matter is writing is hard work. It’s lonely. It’s scary. And it’s tempting to use any excuse available to avoid it.
Third, after we’ve decided that we aren’t going to let fear beat us, and writing the story on our hearts is worth the blood, sweat, and tears that go into it, we write. Writer’s write. We don’t give into adversity. Believe me, there’s plenty of it out there.
Our spouses and children vie for our attention. Our jobs take up too much of our time and sap our creative energy. Our critics remind us that the odds are stacked against us. Everyone knows there’s no money in writing, and if you don’t know anyone in the big New York publishing houses, you don’t have a chance of getting published anyway.
All those things make us vulnerable to writer’s block.
But when all is said and done, the choice is ours. We can work through all the outside forces that thwart our creative urges. Or we can give in to that little voice that says we’ll never make it in this business so what’s the point of writing another word.
The point is, I can’t stop writing even if I wanted to. I can’t wait to get the stories in my head down on paper. Even if no one reads another word I write, I’ll continue doing it and I won’t be defeated by something that’s totally within my control.
Teresa Slack’s first novel, Streams of Mercy, received a coveted 5-star rating in the prestigious Christian Library Journal. Her latest novel, A Tender Reed, has already received international acclaim. She has two more books scheduled for release in 2006 and hopes to continue to write two books per year. Find out more about Teresa and her writing at http://www.teresaslack.com.