For the Guys....

First of all, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who read my blog within the past week.  My last post got over 100 views, and I was completely shocked.  I'm sorry for taking so long to write this follow up to the last post, but here goes....

In my last post, I talked about my own personal reflection and beliefs a bit but also referred you to Donald Miller's post about living a great love story.  (Again, here's the link in case you missed it.)  I agreed with most of what DM had to say about the topic but I feel as though it lacked some depth and understanding into the mind/heart of a woman. I would be REALLY interested to read his fiance's perspective on the same topic as far as how women can prepare to live a great love story.  DM is a man, so he will always be somewhat limited in how to relate to or explain the way women are.

This brings me to the second part of his post which is directed toward the men.  I'll admit.. I'm a little jealous of what the girls got based on all he had to say to the guys.  I feel like he had some great insight and while I will never claim to understand men (you guys are confusing), I genuinely HOPE a lot of what DM had to say is true. Maybe I've watched too many chick flicks, but I really like the idea of guys approaching a relationship like this....

That said, though, men were designed by God to live a great love story.

But there’s a difference between men and women, here. Men were not designed to have love stories “happen to them” as much as they were designed to “make a love story happen to a woman.” Do you understand. You’re the writer of the story. You’re the guy who initiates and has the character to follow through. You’re the one responsible for how the love story turns out.

-Donald Miller

All the Single Ladies (Put Your Hands Up)

I don't mean to alienate any of my male readers, but I just wanted to share some quick thoughts with my girls..... Guys, it can't hurt for you to hear it too.

I have a lot of single friends.  Mostly girls.  As someone who was single the majority of her young life with the exception of the past year or so, I can completely relate.  It is incredibly hard and can be completely lonely at times to be constantly single.

I remember the turning point for me as far as my mindset was concerned.   The message at church for weeks had been about relationships and love and was based on Song of Solomon.   I was at a 20-somethings group at church which was breaking down the topic and applying it to unmarried/single young people.  The speaker had someone pass out these tiny little circular mirrors as well as markers.  The talk that day was great and while the exact message didn't stick with me... one phrase did.

It was the phrase I chose to write on my mirror so that when I looked in it at my own reflection, I would be reminded..."BECOME THE ONE".  Every time I looked in that mirror, I was reminded that while I couldn't control which guys were attracted to me or which guy asked me out, I COULD control the person I was becoming.  I could focus on making myself the best version of me possible, and for the first time in my life realized that I would attract the right guy when I became the right girl.

Let me be the first to say that I am no expert here... but I do know I have a lot of friends who may need to be reminded of the same thing I was taught two years ago.

Donald Miller (author of Christian books such as Blue Like Jazz and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years) wrote a blog post today about living a great love story.  He is recently engaged and is what I consider to be a great man of Christ.  I would strongly suggest that all my single girl-friends read his blog post from today (http://donmilleris.com/2011/08/02/how-to-live-a-great-love-story/).  Tomorrow he'll be speaking to the guys, and I'm excited to read that as well.

His blog did focus mostly on girls not being "easy" so I tweeted him to ask what he would say to the good girls who were still managing to attract the wrong guys... He actually responded (I was even more excited than when I realized Justin Bieber was following me on Twitter as I actually care what DM has to say).  His response was simply, "they have to turn them down.  Guys know when they aren't wanted".

So girls, don't waste your time on the wrong ones... even if you're lonely.  Donald Miller says so!