I was sitting at a table with my sister, a younger friend, and four older ladies at the ladies’ Christmas party at my church, and being much more of a listener than a talker, I enjoyed hearing the older ladies swapping accounts of holiday life. There was talk of Thanksgiving and how their meals had … Continue reading Christmas Longing
After some thought and prayer on the subject, I have decided to move my Gratefully Single series to substack and an instagram account. If this a topic that you would like to continue to hear from me about, you are welcome to subscribe to my substack. I will be sharing some posts for free and … Continue reading Gratefully Single Update
I wrote in my last post about the grief that comes from singleness, but just because singleness is a loss that can hurt acutely at times does not mean that our lives should be dull and dreary and hopeless. We are told in Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord always,” (Phil. 4:4), and it is … Continue reading Gratefully Single: Strategies for Joy, Part 1
I always sort of squirm inside when confronted with the idea of grieving singleness. It seems inappropriately wimpy to shed tears over not having someone you’ve never had and who may not even exist when others have lost real, breathing people who were such a vital part of their lives. It feels like it would … Continue reading Gratefully Single: Dealing with the Grief
Working in childcare, I have learned that one of the big challenges for a lot of kids is transitions–those times when we are moving from one activity to another or from one location to another. If children do not have a routine or if you deviate from the established routine, it can create a lot … Continue reading Transitions
Sometimes when we’ve been single for a long time, we can get to this place where we’re just kind of numb. For as long as we can remember we’ve had a desire to be special to someone, to belong to someone, to be chosen by someone. There is, of course, familial love and friendship, but … Continue reading Gratefully Single: The Steadfast Love of the Lord
Recently, I read Psalm 124 in my Bible reading. It is the testimony of those who would not have made it if the LORD had not been on their side, and it spoke hope to the weakness and weariness that often overwhelms me. It also reminded me of the line "Were not the right Man … Continue reading A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
One of the challenges of singleness is dealing with our natural longing for marriage. This longing is something built into us by our Creator, and it is a good desire--although it may feel anything but good when we are caught in the tension between God's good design and His sovereign plan for our individual lives. Temptation … Continue reading Gratefully Single: The Gift of Deprivation
There is an idea going around in our culture that pursuing what is right for me as an individual is the greatest good. I ought to make decisions based on what I consider to be best for myself. I can do and be anything I want as long as it makes me happy. But if … Continue reading The Lost Virtue of Humility
Gratefully His 