Listening is My Favorite

I don't know about you, but I love to listen.

Don't get me wrong I will do my fair share of talking (to those that know me: I can see you rolling your eyes!!) but to be able to listen - in class, at church, at a comedy club, to a 3 year old - is captivating to me. So today's post is a listening post.

Cheryl Fletcher is a woman who loves Jesus. She will make you laugh and think deeply as she walks you through her take on being single and glorifying the Lord. Click on the link to listen:

{"Thriving, Not Just Surviving"}

by: Cheryl Fletcher

-GG

You've Got Male

I have long said that the movie "You've Got Mail" is one of the best movies to illustrate what it looks like to trust the Lord with your heart. I know, I know - Elisabeth Elliott would definitely raise an eyebrow at me, but, if explained properly, I think even she would get where I was going with it.

Think back to the movie... from Meg Ryan’s character’s perspective, Tom Hanks’ character - the billionaire bookstore guy - and Tom Hank’s character - her e-mail pen pal - are two totally different guys. So let’s use these two men as a visual for what it looks like to wait on the Lord and to also pray for a husband.

See, Kathleen Kelly (Meg) knows that she is supposed to end up with her e-mail pen pal, but, at the same time, she is beginning to fall for Joe Fox - the bookstore billionaire. In the end, when they meet in the park, and she realizes that email pen-pal and bookstore billionaire are, in fact, the same person her response is "I hoped it was you - oh how I hoped it was you"

That’s how our hearts should respond as we are, during the dating process, “falling” for a guy. Until the Lord has called us into marriage, we need to continue to focus on our potential husband - pray for our potential husband - choose our potential husband... and be reminded that there is a huge chance that even while dating one guy, we have yet to meet our husband.

One night, two months ago, something made me turn back in my prayer journal to read what I had prayed on that exact date for the past fourteen - yes, fourteen years. Every day, on that day, I had prayed, in some form or fashion, for my husband.

My eyes filled with tears as I realized how long I have been longing for him and how faithfully and frequently he has been placed on my heart. But something else hit me in that moment as well - how lax I am, in praying for him, when I am dating someone else.

Why is it that when a guy comes into our lives, we immediately have to decide whether he is or isn’t The ONE? What is it about our generation that has forgotten that the definition of a date is not to decide whether this guy is “til death do us part” material, but instead “date two” material. What is it with us?? (I include myself in this kooky lot) Why do we stress ourselves out trying to answer a question that, at this point, NO ONE is asking us?

{SIDENOTE: If they are asking you to marry them on the first date, and, yes, in my life, that has happened, that is a whole new set of issues for a whole ‘nother day.}

But, if they are a seemingly sane and stable guy, if the dating process is going well, then why can’t we wait? Wait on the Lord to reveal where He is leading us in His time and in His way? Why can’t we daily pray for the man that is currently in our lives and also for the one that we pray always will be? If we choose the guy we are dating and the guy we are going to marry simultaneously and separately - we immediately fix two possible problems:

{Problem 1} Making stupid mistakes that you will later regret.
How many of us have given more than we wanted to give to/with the one that wasn’t The One? BUT… you thought he was the one. I know, I know, I did too, but he wasn’t. And, until you are at that alter and a ring is on your hand, he isn’t. If you choose your husband at the same time - if they aren’t the same person until they actually are the same person, why would you risk taking something away from the right one to give to the wrong one?  You wouldn’t.

{Problem 2}  Staying in a relationship too long.
We’ve all done it.  If you haven’t, I would like to meet you, shake your hand and give you a trophy. I’m betting I don’t have to buy too many trophies… because too often we immediately make the one in our lives, The One. Simultaneously adjusting (i.e. lowering) our list of what we have always hoped and prayed that our husband would be.  

Now, the list is a whole new set of issues for a whole ‘nother day, but I am not referring to hair color, eye color and what kind of shirt he does or does not wear. I mean “the list” that states, at his core, what kind of person he is and what kind of heart he has. We immediately throw away (or slowly erase) what we know we actually need because… well, here’s the one and he is none of those things. Has it not occurred to us that the list may not be the wrong… he might be?

This brings me to another line, from this ingenious flick...

Think back to when Kathleen Kelly is breaking up with her boyfriend (Greg Kinnear - dorky, type-writer obsessed guy). During the break-up, he asks, "Is there somebody else?" She laughs - because remember she hasn't met email guy (her “one”) yet - and says, "No, but there is the hope of somebody else."

This hit me and hit me hard. Sweet friends, why don’t we say the same thing? (Maybe not to the guy’s face, but most definitely in our hearts… to our girlfriends… as a status update on facebook).

It is a commonly stated “truth” that we will never be fully "over" one person until the next person comes along. For some reason that has never set well with me... something in that doesn't line up with actual Truth.

I couldn't fully put my finger on what it was until I realized... it's trust. We don't want to let go of what we know now until we know where we're going. Why? For me, it's usually because I want to make sure that what is coming is better...

So, we continue to date the person we should have broken up with eons ago or continue to pine over a total jerk, who could not possibly be God’s best for us, because we don’t yet know who God’s best is…

But, to be frank, what more do you need to know about God’s best, other than the fact that it is best? See, if we truly acknowledge that God is good and that He loves us and, if we choose to trust our completely good and completely loving Lord...if we choose to truly trust Him...in our gut...to the depth of our being... with our hearts... with our future... with our lives... then we know what’s coming is better... or rather, best.

I want to hold out for the day when that God suddenly opens my eyes and allows me to realize that the man that is standing before me and the man that I’ve been praying for all these years are, in fact, the same person. I want to have held onto the hope of “somebody else” long enough to be overwhelmed by the hope that the man that is in my life is the one that God has been leading me towards. I want to follow God until the bitter end. I don’t want an ounce of this story to have “my name” on it. I want the only markings to be the markings of God’s gracious guidance and my blind faith and trust.

Ladies, we have something worth hoping for and it is a hope better than the hope that Kathleen Kelly spoke of because we have a God worth hoping in.

"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." {Romans 5:3-5}

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess because He who promises is faithful”  {Hebrews 10:23}

The dating world is one crazy roller-coaster, but hold on because it can also be one heck of a ride. And just think, whether your “e-mail guy” - your “one” - is another version of a man that you have already met or a man that you have yet to meet... if you trust God with anything, you trust Him with everything. He has you, He will not let fail you and He will never leave you. Hold onto that hope. And, on nights when you wish you had someone tangible, maybe you do... you just haven’t met him yet (or have you?).

-Biblically Blonde

Sing It, Doris

Doris Day.  

If that name means nothing to you, please immediately Netflix the following: Calamity Jane, Pillow Talk, Glass Bottom Boat, Please Don't Eat the Dasies, With Six you get Eggroll, and of course, The Pajama Game.

I love her, the characters she plays, and the messes she gets herself into. It's highly probable that I love her because I am, myself, a huge mess... hopefully, those around me find it "endearing."

Over the weekend, for about the 137th time, I rented & sang along to The Pajama Game. Now, I have come to grips with the fact that not everyone loves & adores musicals the way I do - but every now and then there is a scene that is too good not to share.  

{Scene Set-up: Babe (Doris) works in a pajama factory and there is a new superintendent in town. Her chatty (and slightly ding-y) co-workers have decided that these two need to get together. Babe vehemently disagrees. Please forgive her haircut...Sing it, Doris.} 



Haven't we all found ourselves in this situation?!? Well, if you haven't I certainly have. Well-meaning friends try to push you in to dating/falling for someone (who hasn't really asked, anyway) and you trying to keep you cool - stay aloof - hold expectations loosely - maybe even demand that you are "not at all" interested. With an eye-roll I have often dismissed my friends proddings.

But there's something else going on here, too... her friends are right. Babe's
interests have been sparked and she can't quite admit to herself that she might really be interested, because what if he isn't...?

Friends, when we find ourselves anxious about feelings that we don't know what to do with - or that don't seem to be reciprocated -  instead of hiding, dismissing, concealing those feelings "...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." {Hebrews 10:22-23}

He is faithful. Let's remember to put our hope in Him when a guy comes along - because to be in relationship with people is good and to be in relationship with God is ultimate. Hope in the Lord, day-dream about his kingdom, take in the beauty that he has painted around you. 

{Side-note: I have a friend, let's call her Cloud Girl, who waves at sunflowers to remind her of God's beauty... I laughed at her when she first told me this (not with her - at her). She knew it was a nutty move, but I think she understands the Lord's beauty more deeply than anyone I know. I'm hoping she will be a contributor to this little site very soon.}

If our heart lies with Him, there is no need for self preservation, hiding our feelings, or being stubborn. (I might have to repeat that sentence to myself as a daily mantra....) So, shout aloud, laugh with friends and wave at sunflowers -we've got nothing to hide.

-George's Girl

He May Not Love Horses

As I was walking back from having lunch with a dear friend, we'll call her Hardin House... I couldn't help but chuckle at the dating questions that had just been hurled at me. "Will I ever find someone? What if he asks me why I don't pray for a full hour (or heaven forbid more) every day? What if he thinks my family is weird? I must marry a manly man... what if {GASP!} he doesn't love horses?"

Yes, Hardin House was being a little nuts, but let's just throw it out there that all girls have a bit of crazy living inside of them. (The first step ladies, is admitting we have a problem.) But regardless, haven't we all been scared, even if for a moment, that "God's best" will somehow leave us disappointed? That as Christians we will be called to commit our lives to someone that will leave us wishing they were somehow different. A question that always comes up is, "How do I know when I've found the person that God has for me?" Paul states in 1st Corinthians, "For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion." Aflame! That's what our desire will be for our spouse- if it's not, then they are not.

My friend, PBP, proposed that maybe a good "How do I know if it's him" test may be to pit him up against what you've always thought you wanted. It's my guess that you won't care if he has horses, or if staying in Austin prevents you from getting your dream job, because you will get to be with that person. Your expectations will change, the dreams that you had for your life will turn into the dream that you share for a different future. If you're not ready to relinquish control of every decision being about you, consider that you aren't ready for your life to revolve around someone else. And that's ok too.

Friends, living life in partnership with someone is not an easy thing, but that's why we have Christ. He enables us to love like we never have and die to self on a daily basis for a life time. Remember, that our God is the one who said that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18) He might not love horses, but he will love you... and you won't be disappointed.

-George's Girl & PBP

"Singled Out..."

Had I any vague premonition of my present plight when I was six, I would have demanded that Stephen Herbison (incontestably the catch of the second grade) put his marriage proposal into writing and have it notarized. I do want this piece to be practical, so to all you first-graders: CARPE DIEM.

Over the past several years I have perfected the artistry of escape regarding any singles functions—cookouts, conferences, Sunday school classes, and my personal favorite, putt-putt. My avoidance mechanism is triggered not so much by a lack of patience with such activities as it is by a lack of stomach for the pervasive attitudes. Thoreau insists that most men lead lives of quiet desperation; I insist that many singles lead lives of loud aggravation. Being immersed in singles can be like finding yourself in the midst of "The Whiners" of 1980's Saturday Night Live—it gives a whole new meaning to "pity party."

Much has been written in Christian circles about singleness. The objective is usually either to chide the married population for their misunderstanding and segregationism or to empathize with the unmarried population as they bear the cross of “Plan B” for the Christian life, bolstered only by the consolation prizes of innumerable sermons on I Corinthians 7 and the fact that you can cut your toenails in bed. Yet singles, like all believers, need scriptural critique and instruction seasoned by sober grace, not condolences and putt-putt accompanied with pious platitudes.

John Calvin’s secret to sanctification is the interaction of the knowledge of God and knowledge of self. Singles, like all other sinners, typically dismiss the first element of the formula, and therein lies the root of all identity crises. It is not that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but that life has no tragedy like our God ignored. Every problem is a theological problem, and the habitual discontent of us singles is no exception.

Can God be any less good to me on the average Tuesday morning than he was on that monumental Friday afternoon when he hung on a cross in my place? The answer is a resounding NO. God will not be less good to me tomorrow either, because God cannot be less good to me. His goodness is not the effect of his disposition but the essence of his person—not an attitude but an attribute.

I long to be married. My younger sister got married two months ago. She now has an adoring husband, a beautiful home, a whirlpool bathtub, and all-new Corningware. Is God being any less good to me than he is to her? The answer is a resounding NO. God will not be less good to me because God cannot be less good to me. It is a cosmic impossibility for God to shortchange any of his children. God can no more live in me apart from the perfect fullness of his goodness and grace than I can live in Nashville and not be white. If he fluctuated one quark in his goodness, he would cease to be God.

Warped theology is at the heart of attempts to "explain" singleness:
*"As soon as you’re satisfied with God alone, he’ll bring someone special into your life”—as though God’s blessings are ever earned by our contentment.

*"You’re too picky”—as though God is frustrated by our fickle whims and needs broader parameters in which to work.

*"As a single you can commit yourself wholeheartedly to the Lord’s work”—as though God requires emotional martyrs to do his work, of which marriage must be no part.

*"Before you can marry someone wonderful, the Lord has to make you someone wonderful"—as though God grants marriage as a second blessing to the satisfactorily sanctified.

Accepting singleness, whether temporary or permanent, does not hinge on speculation about answers God has not given to our list of whys, but rather on celebration of the life he has given. I am not single because I am too spiritually unstable to possibly deserve a husband, nor because I am too spiritually mature to possibly need one. I am single because God is so abundantly good to me, because this is his best for me. It is a cosmic impossibility that anything could be better for me right now than being single, The psalmists confirm that I should not want, I shall not want, because no good thing will God withhold from me.

Such knowledge of God must transform subsequent knowledge of self-theological readjustment is always the catalyst for renewed self-awareness. This keeps identity right-side-up with nouns and modifiers in their correct place. Am I a Christian single or am I a single Christian? The discrepancy in grammatical construction may be somewhat subtle, but the difference in mindset is profound. Which word is determinative and which is descriptive? You see, we singles are chronic amnesiacs—we forget who we are, we forget whose we are. I am a single Christian. My identity is not found in my marital status but in my redemptive status. I 'm one of the "haves," not one of the "have-nots."

Have you ever wondered at what age one is officially single? Perhaps a sliding scale is in order: 38 for a Wall Street tycoon; 21 for a Mississippi sorority girl; 14 for a Zulu princess; and five years older than I am for me. It is a relevant question because at some point we see ourselves as “single,” and that point is a place of greater danger than despair. Singleness can be a mere euphemism for self-absorption—now is the "you time." No wife to support? No husband to pamper? Well, then, by all means join three different golf courses, get a weekly pedicure, raise emus, subscribe to People.

Singleness is never carte blanche for selfishness. A spouse is not a sufficient countermeasure for self. The gospel is the only antidote for egocentricity. Christ did not come simply to save us from our sins, he came to save us from our selves. And he most often rescues us from us through relationships, all kinds of relationships.

"Are you seeing anyone special?" a young matron in my home church asked patronizingly. "Sure," I smiled. "I see you and you’re special."

OK, my sentiment was a little less than kind, but the message is true.
To be single is not to be alone. If someone asks if you are in a relationship right now, your immediate response should be that you are in dozens. Our range of relational options is not limited to getting married or to living in the sound-proof, isolated booth of Miss America pageants. Christian growth mandates relational richness.

The only time folks talk about human covenants is in premarital counseling. How anemic. If our God is a covenantal God, then all of our relationships are covenantal. The gospel is not about how much I love God (I typically love him very little); it is about how much God loves me. My relationships are not about how much friends should love me, they are about how much I get to love them. No single should ever expect relational impoverishment by virtue of being single. We should covenant to love people— to initiate, to serve, to commit.
Many of my Vanderbilt girls have been reading Lady in Waiting, a popular book for Christian women struggling with singleness. That’s all fine and dandy, but what about a subtitle: And Meanwhile, Lady, Get Working. It is a cosmic impossibility for God to require less of me in my relationships than he does of the mother of four whose office is next door. Obedience knows no ages or stages.

Let’s face it: singleness is not an inherently inferior state of affairs. If it were, heaven would be inferior to this world for the majority of Christians (Mom is reconciled to being unmarried in glory as long as she can be Daddy’s roommate). But I want to be married. I pray to that end every day. I may meet someone and walk down the aisle in the next couple of years because God is so good to me. I may never have another date and die an old maid at 93 because God is so good to me. Not my will but his be done. Until then I am claiming as my theme verse, “If any man would come after me, let him. . . "

Singled Out by God for Good
by Paige Benton Brown
http://www.pcpc.org/ministries/singles/singledout.php

Been There, Girlfriend.

When you are answering the door and praying that the date you are about to go on is not terrific, just tolerable, call me - we can talk. When you are taking regular hiatuses from dating to maintain sanity and some semblance of hope, call me - we can talk. When you are hearing your friends, at the end of every relationship you’ve been in, say, “I’ve never heard of this happening before?!” or “Have you ever considered writing a book?” call me - we can talk.

But until then, take my word for it… your stories will not shake me, frazzle me, or rock my boat. Been there, done that, gotten drinks with… him.

I don’t know what God is preparing me for, but I have recently found myself asking Him if we can make this little exercise, that the world refers to as dating, into two-a-days so as to speed up the process…

He has yet to get back to me.


So, again, I’m not saying it’s bad, but I'm saying it ain’t easy. I’m saying that I get tired - I get discouraged - I get frustrated - I get fearful. Maybe you're there too. It’s ok, my dear, you’re human, you’re female and, if you’re anything like me, you hate unanswered questions.

We were never taught to live with questions… we were always taught to seek answers. Just think about it - when was “I don’t know” ever esteemed as the answer to a question? And yet, the older I get, the more I see that that is exactly how the Lord commands us to live. 

Trust me, I GET your frustration… there have been times in my life when I thought, “If I hear the word “wait” one more time, I really, truly, quite honestly, might lose my ever loving mind.” But, girlfriend, you better pull up a seat and get comfortable because the thing about our dear Lord is He isn’t on our timetable. He isn't worried that this will be the fifth Saturday night in a row that you have sat at home and needle pointed while watching a chick-flick that you have memorized. He doesn’t appear to be phased by the fact that you could outfit an army with the number of bridesmaid’s dresses that you own. He doesn't seem to fret over the fact that this will be your tenth bad date in a row. And He isn't surprised that the candles on your cake could now warm a small country. What He cares about is your soul and His glory - period.

So, it is His way or His way. Psalm 115:3 states that “our God is in the Heavens and He does whatever pleases Him.”  Trust me - it’s true - we might as well get used to it.


But while we’re getting used to it, let me remind you how much He cares about you. Baby girl, He loves you. He loves you so, so very much. Do not forget that we love only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)… before you had done anything right or wrong… before you feel you had earned or unearned any type of affection… He veraciously loved you as much as He will ever love you. The entire Bible, in fact, is His plan to reconcile you with Him. He LOVES you. He loved you first - He will always love you best.

And He gets you because, well, He made you! I am far from perfect, but I am perfectly made by a flawless Father, who knew every day before there was one, who knows every hair that is on my head, who knows every quirk, and every good and terrible thing that I have done (Psalm 139) He gets me - He gets you. (And I think we can both admit that that is no small feat)

Plus He has a plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11) and a specific purpose for the place that you are at the time that you are there (Acts 17:26).

He is not messing around with your life or with your heart.

I don’t know who has let you down.  But I promise you one thing, God won’t… He will not fail you. (Joshua 1:5)

What else do I know…? Well, that I’ll reveal over time, with a few funny anecdotes here and there. But for today, let me leave you with one thing that I am quickly learning: Our man Paul might have been on to something when he said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "for I choose to know nothing…  except Christ and Him crucified."

See, it would be great if I could tell you today why you’ve gone through what you’ve gone through or why you are where you are, or if I could tell you how it’s going to get better or what good is going to come from it, or where your dream guy is hiding or when he is going to arrive. It would be amazing if I could paint a really pretty picture of how all the puzzle pieces of your life and of mine will one day fit together, but I can’t.

I can only tell you the Who and that is Christ. He will show up. In fact, He is already here - already working - already orchestrating - already comforting.   Lean on Him - run to Him - wait for Him.

Elisabeth Elliot has a quote that I come back to often, “I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts”

So, that’s what I know… and what I am choosing to un-know is everything else.

I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m a blonde. There has long been a saying (supposedly originated from a Clairol ad in the 1940s) that blondes have more fun. Having always been one myself I can’t attest to the validity of that statement, but I do wonder if it has anything to do with another well known stereotype - that blondes are just… well, dumb.

Now stick with me, all you blondes out there… if we just quit trying to figure everything out - if we really surrendered - if we really trusted that God would grant us the wisdom that we would need at the moment that we would need it - wouldn’t this life be a lot more fun??  Now, I don’t think this is where Paul was originally going with his verse, but I don’t think He’ll mind. Because see, if we really played dumb (let’s face it, compared to Christ, we are) - if we really became “blonde” to all concerns other than Christ and Him crucified - if we really trusted the Originator and Orchestrator of our faith to drive this thing called our lives - we could find ourselves on the most thrilling and exciting of rides.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of me in the driver’s seat. I’m ready to take my hope (and my highlights) out for a spin and see what the Who can do.

Anyone coming with me??

-Biblically Blonde

Valentine's Day

When I woke up this morning, I made a decision: I am not going to be the sad, bitter single girl today. So I got up and began to get dressed for church.

I started with a red ensemble with a heart necklace. Then I thought, "Nah, looks like you're trying too hard to be into Valentine's Day when everyone knows you can't like it that much when you're single."

So I put on all black. Then I thought, "Nah, looks like you're the bitter, single girl trying not to be into Valentine's Day. Let's not be Her."

So I added a pink necklace. Then I thought, "Perfect. This says, 'I sort of hate Valentine's Day, but not really cause I still get to eat sugar.' "

Dressed, I headed to church. I soon realized I wasn't wearing my contacts, but I wasn't going to be deterred from my happy day, so I put on some pop music and continued, whether or not I couldn't read the road signs.

As it turned out, the Austin Marathon was blocking my exit onto MoPac. For several minutes I remained stuck in detour traffic alongside the Marathoners. They looked miserable, so I thought, "I'll encourage them!" Naturally, I  rolled down my window, turned on "Go For It" from the pill-popping episode of Saved By the Bell,  and yelled "You can do it!" at the passers-by.

No one looked at me.

Oh well.
      
So now, kind of hurt and realizing that my detour had ended, leaving me nowhere helpful, I began actively searching for a way onto MoPac by driving through residential streets. After 10 minutes, I found the next MoPac exit also blocked by Marathoners. Incredibly frustrated, I rolled down my window and asked the police officer how to get onto MoPac.

His response? "I don't know." My response? "Ok. Thanks." My non-verbal response? "Die. I hate you."
      
At this point, after very purposely rolling up my window, I began yelling expletives that normally only come out of my mouth when I don't want to censor myself while singing along to certain songs from Rent and Spring Awakening. And "Forgot About Dre."

I thought about giving up and going home, but then I thought, "NO! If you go home, THEY win. Do NOT let them win!" So I kept driving and searching. After a second police officer at another location told me he didn't know how I could get on MoPac, I started crying. He felt awkward, which made me feel good.

As I continued driving, I wanted to roll down my windows and blast, "I Hate Everything About You" by Ugly Kid Joe at the Marathoners. I didn't. I'd like to say it was because I knew that that would not be glorifying to the Lord. My restraint, however, was more probably due to the fact that I didn't think they'd understand the lyrics, which would just further frustrate me.

I cried and cussed for another 10 minutes or so until I finally found a way onto MoPac. I was going to be at least 30 minutes late to church, but I was still going to be there, so I realized that I needed stop cursing and channel my anger into something  less destructive, ya know, in order to prepare my heart for worship.

Solution! Yes, this was it. Celine Dion screams without cussing, so if I scream-sing along with her, I can vent my anger without further blackening my soul.

Ipod> artist> Celine Dion> shuffle songs.

This was working. Yes, this would do.

About a minute in, I realized: I am crying and shouting the words to, "All By Myself." On Valentine's Day.

I wasn't going to be that girl, but I got tricked.

Congratulations, Universe. You win.  

-Bleh Dahling

What's Bizarre?

Years ago, before blogs could be cute (and believe me, ours looked like it was for a funeral home), my then-roommate and I decided we wanted to "revolutionize the way Christians thought about dating."  From our sorority dorm room we started to pen a blog called "Walking Around Naked." (Recommendation: Don't google this... ) We used true experiences (our own & some borrowed) to humorously introduce the topics of christian dating norms that we were hoping to "call in to question."  Well, that lasted all of 3 real posts and 1 brilliant poem by Shel Silverstein.

So, here I am again - 5 years later still longing for a place to stash all the great wisdom I've taken in from others and have a venue to question whether typical "Christian" advice is truly scriptural or just pious platitudes... I also have some really funny friends, who will be regular contributors.

What this is: A  place for funny, scriptural, logical, & wise arguments to be made about about what a dating-life should look like.

What this is not: A Pity Party or collection of Sob-Stories.

DISCLAIMER: It is not the intention that "Bizarre Interactions" is the final authority on when, where, how, and who people should date. This is a place to encourage dialogue about the norms that have evolved in the Christian subculture, store shared wisdom and perhaps make you laugh along the way.

More to come, in the mean time, enjoy some Shel... 

-George's Girl

My Rules
by Shel Silverstein

"If you want to marry me, here's what you'll have to do:

You must learn how to make a perfect chicken-dumpling stew.

And you must sew my holey socks,

And soothe my troubled mind,

And develop the knack for scratching my back,

And keep my shoes spotlessly shined.

And while I rest you must rake up the leaves,

And when it is hailing and snowing

You must shovel the walk and be still when I talk,

And... hey-where are you going?"