Valentine's Day ♥

 aka "Single Awareness Day". ;) I'm not one of those people who hates this holiday because I'm single, I don't mope around and act like my world is terrible, I usually just act sarcastic about it and joke with my single friends. That said, I don't exactly love Valentine' Day yet, either. I can celebrate it with my family/friends, and apply the love to them, but to be honest, Valentine's Day is advertised as a holiday for couples, and I'm ok with that. My day will come!

Sometimes, it's not the most fun thing to do, wait. I can't say it's not easy, because really, what's to waiting? You just go on with your life and you hope someone shows up (sooner rather than later, if we're honest). It's not FUN, but it's not HARD. 

One of my favorite quotes recently has been "If you're not happy single, you won't be happy taken. Happiness comes from within, not from men."

There are so many girls and boys who search for someone to date. My dad calls it "shopping", and that's pretty much what it is. They go from boyfriend to girlfriend, through breakups, to love, and all over again because their definition of love is warped. Love is one of the greatest gifts God gave us. I personally don't think a 14 year old girl really knows if she's "in love" with a 15 year old boy. Love, true love, is a mature emotion that grows and deepens with time. That's why I'm ok with waiting. When the time comes for me to be in love, I want it to be real, and I don't want anyone to have to question or wonder at the depth of that love.

I once had a Sunday School teacher use the illustration of a paper heart. He described dating around like this: When you meet and "fall in love" with someone, you're giving them a piece of your heart. He tore off a little piece of the paper and threw it away. What if that relationship doesn't work out? Your heart is no longer whole. You meet someone else, the same thing all over again. Another little piece of your heart, thrown away. The more times this happens, the more of your heart that's gone. Then one day, finally, you meet The One. You fall in love - real love - and you get engaged. On your wedding day, you officially give him/her your heart. But it isn't whole. There's only a small part of what once was. 

Someday, I will give my whole heart to someone. There will be no missing pieces, just one strong, beating heart, ready to be placed in the hands of a man I love and trust.

For the girls that read my blog, I have a list of books that have helped/encouraged me. I might not agree with every single little thing in every single one in them, but for the most part, they're very good books. I would love it if you would get one/all of them, read them, and let me know what you think. I LOVE talking about books!

Lady in Waiting: Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right  by Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones

For Young Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice
This book isn't as much about being single as it is practical advice for unmarried girls. Pretty much a lot of stuff that my dad has been telling me for years, this book just put it all in perspective. It's full of surveys and questions they asked a bunch of guys, and you'd be surprised at how helpful it is!

Preparing to be a Helpmeet by Debi Pearl
You may have heard of her book "Created to be a Helpmeet". This book is for younger, newlywed or unmarried girls.

Praying for your Future Husband: Preparing You Heart for His by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer
I'm going to go ahead and say that this one is my favorite, and yes, it probably has something to do with the fact that Robin Jones Gunn is one of my all-time favorite authors. This is an amazing book that teaches us how to pray for our future husbands, what to pray, and why we should be praying it.

I hope this blog entry wasn't too weird! I'm beginning to think I fail at blogging (it's been 10 days since my last post!) but I had a few minutes during work this morning and this was the result. This is me, and I'm always nervous putting stuff like this out there, but this time I really wanted to. I hope everyone - single or not - has a FANTASTIC Valentine's Day! I'll be spending my evening with three little boys, how are you celebrating?