New Name and New Look

It's the end of the year.  It's a time of year of reflecting on the past year and focusing on the year to come.  For me personally, 2013 has not exactly been a headlining year.  Nothing major has happened, good or bad and I still have yet to accomplish some of the big goals I have set for myself.  In other words, I'm not sad 2013 is over. 

One goal I have set myself for the new year is to research, write, and use social media more.  I am on Twitter more and I am really enjoying the information that you can obtain in a single sitting, as well as sharing great articles on relationships, singleness, and my faith (you can follow me @kelliemk2).  One thing to help obtain that goal is to improve the look of this blog.  One of the ways to do that is to have the name match the URL.  Though the phrase "Such a time as this" is dear to my heart, I believe it is more of a personal statement rather then a name to write under. 

"My Heart of Clay" is a phrase that was inspired by Jeremiah 18:1-6.

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: ² “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” ³ Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. ⁴ And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. ⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ⁶ “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!"

These verses bring me comfort.  Knowing that the difficult process of life is not an easy one, but it can turn out beautiful.  The greatest comfort in these verses though, is that God, the creator of the universe, takes care of me and that He has a plan and when it comes down to it, the best place in the universe is to be in His hands.

Though I have already received some bumps and bruises in this adventure called life, I know it's really only the beginning.  There is much more molding to take place, more heartache, as well as accomplishments, and then so much more that only God knows.  So now that 2013 is over, take a look back but only to learn from it.  It's time to move forward and though we never know what to expect, the Potter has some great plans ahead and He will always protect us and loves us.  Happy New Year!

Wait on the Lord?!

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!  -Psalm 27:14

Waiting sucks.  Yes, I am aware that this is a very juvenile statement, but sometimes that is just the best way to describe it.  Waiting sucks.  The definition of the word wait, is "to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens."  What?!  Who wants to do that?  No one.  

Especially in today's culture, waiting is just not something we do well.  I sometimes believe that is one of the reasons I am late for everything.  I hate being early and having to wait on something or someone.  So when I received my email telling me what the "Verse of the Day" was, I couldn't help but sigh.  "Wait on the Lord." 


When you are single, "waiting" is a word that you learn well. I see my friends and peers around me get married and have families and there is a part of me that grows in frustration because for the first time in my life, I want that, but I am no where near it.  There are countless times that this bothers me. There are moments where I want to be that annoying kid that just lies on the ground and screams and hits my fist to the ground until my parent just gives in and gives me what I want.  But that was never something that worked for my parents, so I know it definitely would not work on my heavenly Father.

As I grow older though, I am realizing more and more the value of waiting.  It's usually a quiet time when you can sit and reflect on thoughts, events or even just a few moments of peace where you don't have to think about anything.  It's in those moments that you really get to know yourself better.  For myself, these are the moments when I realize there are goals that I want to accomplish.  Goals that I have a habit of pushing aside when there is a man in the picture, but when I'm 100% on my own, then there is nothing to distract me.

I can't forget the rest of the verse though, "...be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart." My strength is given to me by the One that created me, as well as the rest of universe.  It will never run out, no matter how many times I feel it has.

Oh and just in case I forget (which I usually do), there it is again..."wait, I say, on the LORD."

Accepting Love.

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

When I heard this, it struck a cord.  I believe it to be true.  We think we deserve a type of love and care, so we settle for it, or we go from person to person looking for it.

The truth I find hope in though, is that God already gives us the love that HE believes we deserve.  He sent HIS Son to die for us.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  

It's the ultimate love, love in it's truest form.  A love that has no selfish ambitions because it is a love that gives up everything.  It's a love that leaves perfection behind, goes to Earth where there is evil, hate, lost of innocence and so much more, dwells there for 30 some years, and then goes through the most horrible torture and death, for everyone that has ever and will ever be alive.  God's love for us is the truest, purist love that has and will ever be.  He even loves us knowing there would be some that would never reciprocate that love as well.  Jesus died for all.

So yes, we accept the love that we think we deserve.  The thing is, what we deserve is not what God has given us (we'd be in trouble if that were the case).  He has given us something infinitely better.  The creator of the universe has already given us the type of love through Jesus Christ, that only He can give... true, pure, unbiased, everlasting, forgiving, grace-filled love.  If we accept that kind of love into our lives, then we might be able to begin to understand what love really is.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting live.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that would through Him might be saved." 

One sacrifice.

I am reading the old testament, to be specific, right now I am reading Leviticus.  A lot Leviticus is setting up laws and rules for the Israelites now that they are no longer under Egyptian rule and now that they have a covenant with God to go to the promised land.  While reading this, though I find it all very interesting (God thinks of everything!), I also find it exhausting.  There is so much for Moses and the priests to remember! There are sacrifices for almost every sin, and then the sacrifices are done a different way depending on who committed the sin, what the sacrifice is, and then of course how bad the sin was.  It's no wonder they wrote it all down, I mean remembering that all of that would be crazy.  

While I'm reading all of this, thinking how many different ways you can make a sacrifice and how many rituals they had to remember, I realized the amazing truth, that Jesus did all of that for us.  Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice so that we would not have to go out and find the perfect goat or bird or lamb every time we lied (could you even imagine what that would be like today, I mean health code regulators would have a field day).  

He was the perfect lamb of God.  He was the ultimate and perfect sacrifice, so much so that we no longer have to remember what sacrifice goes with what sin, we just have to realize and remember His sacrifice and then ask Him for forgiveness.  That's amazing!  What a loving, wise and wonderful Father, that He would provide one perfect way for us to be completely forgiven. 

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Hebrews 10:1-10
10 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. ³ But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

⁵ Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’”

⁸ Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), ⁹ then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.”  He takes away the first that He may establish the second. ¹⁰ By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Singles have feelings too...

Some day's are just good days.  You feel good, you feel confident, you don't think about being single, you are focused and ready to conquer whatever life throws at you.  And then BAM!  Someone comes up to you, asks you if you have someone special in your life, then when you say no, they say something like, "Oh...  Well someone will come along soon, it'll happen when least expect it."  Well thank you married person, I probably would be able to not except it so much if people would just stop asking me about it!

Ok, so that's not really a good response to the comment, but lets be honest, that is what you would like to say (well that's at least what I would like to say...).  

Though many people mean the best when they are making comments like that, as singles it doesn't always feel like it.  I know for me, one of the most dreaded questions is, "are you seeing anyone?" (unless an attractive single guy is asking that, then it's a great question...)  I have literally told some of my friends that if the answer to that question changes, I promise I will let you know, but until then, please don't ask. 

An article on this subject was recently published in my favorite online/print magazines, Relevant Magazine.  The article was titled, "What Not to Say to Singles."  The list of three comments sounded very familiar, and honestly there could have been 30 more comments to talk about, but nobody has time for that.  It was a great article and it was nice to read that I am not alone, and almost 6,000 other people seemed to agree.  Below is one of my favorite quotes from the author, Debra Fileta, that really encouraged me, and will hopefully touch a cord on people that view singleness as an unfortunate event.

"Rather than try to make singles forget about their singleness, we need to challenge them to keep it in mind, yet not allow it to cause them to lose sight of all else. Embracing singleness has nothing to do with forgetting the destination toward marriage and everything to do with enjoying the ride."

Fileta recognized how needed information like this is and went ahead and wrote a fantastic article on "How to Love on Singles" on her website, truelovedates.com.  I would really like to encourage singles and non-singles alike to read it.  It helps us all recognize that there are other ways to encourage, and that we really are all in this together, single or not.

Thank God for brilliant friends!

Happy July 5th!

What can I say, sometimes we just need to keep the excitement going even though the holiday is over (especially if it's a work day).

Well if you follow this blog, then you noticed that it has been a little while since I last posted.  Ok you got me, a long while.  With the combination of me having writers block, not being able to focus easily, and this being probably the busiest year of my life, I have not been able to sit down and think of something legible to post.  I have had little thoughts here and there though, thoughts about my faith, my life, singleness and whatever else pops into my head (don't worry I won't bore you with half of it).  Most of it I have either kept to myself or shared on Facebook. 

One of my brilliant friends had a suggestion though; to start posting my thoughts and opinions here on the Such a time as this blog.  I say she is brilliant because of two things: 1.  She is and 2.  I hadn't thought of that and I think it's a great idea!

So thank you friend(s) for giving me ideas, inspirations, and motivation.  I am going to start working on posting more and just sharing my thoughts/things I learn from life and God.  They will not be very long, but since almost everyone is A.D.D., that's preferred anyways.  ; )

There is more to come with Such a time as this.  One of those things is a Twitter account.  I will let you know when I come up with the name, but it will be something along the lines of the blog name and then "single" worked in there somehow.  It will mainly be quotes, articles, Bible references, and then of course my own touch of sarcasm that relates to being single.

Thank you again for your continued support and please be praying for me as I continually try to be obedient to God's will for my life.  Thanks!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Esther 4:14

"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

One Day

Well congratulations!  You have survived Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day, and President's Day weekend.  Though the last holiday is not even close to as tough as the other holidays, for someone that is single each holiday is a reminder that you are in fact, single.  You see all of the couples buying gifts for each other, spending special evenings together to celebrate, putting on Facebook pictures of the first (but of course not the last) holiday together, and then usually proclaiming to the world how amazing the other person is.  

And then there is us singles.  We put on our best face to be happy for our friends, admire their new pretty gifts, as we sit at home cursing every new engagement we see on Facebook of people that are usually at least three to four years younger than us.  I even considered this year to send out Christmas cards with a really good picture of just myself, and maybe my dog.  To sum it all up, it's just a difficult time of year for singles.  

I saw a movie recently that was about a couple, a couple that wasn't even a couple until the end part of the movie.  Emma and Dexter were two people that met in college, and over the next 20-30 years they showed us a journey of becoming best friends while almost becoming more than that at least once a year.  Then finally after failed relationships, life changes, career changes, failures and accomplishments, they figure out that they are the only ones for each other.  For most of the movie you end up frustrated at them for the fact that they didn't figure it all out sooner and get their lives together, but that is the exact reason they didn't get together sooner, they had to get their lives together.  Thinking on the movie after it was over, I realized how true it is for real life.  Though movies always dramatize and romanticize the story to make them more enjoyable for us viewers, there are still portions of real life that we see in them.  For this one, it was that timing is everything.

If these two characters would have "finally" gotten together any sooner, the relationship would have been a disaster and it would not have worked.  They had to experience life on their own before they would finally settle down with the one that they were meant to settle down with, their best friend.  I believe and am still learning, that this is just how it is.  Though we may think we are ready, we most likely are not.  Though we think we are mature enough, most likely we're not.  Even that time when we think that we are unselfish enough to handle a relationship, we most definitely are not.  Timing is everything.  

The most difficult part is we can't control it, we really just don't know who, when, or where that certain someone will come along.  What we can do though, is continue to live our life.  Continue to pursue our dreams, our ambitions, make new friends and spend lots of times with our current friends, and keep our focus on where it is meant to be.  If we do that, then one day we just might be ready to meet them, that one person we were meant to be with.

So once again, congrats on making it through the holidays in one piece.  Being single means that you still have a lot more to accomplish on your own, which is always an adventure.  This life adventure is to be enjoyed, so put on a real smile and get ready. 

Because wedding and baby season is just around the corner...