The Yarboros in 2016

Family and Friends, 

            What a year it has been for us! God has certainly filled it with many blessings. There were many changes and adjustments to be made in 2016, some easier than others, but God has been good through it all. We truly feel that we have experienced the wonders of God’s love as we have started our own journey of love in marriage this year. We hope and pray that God has been good to you as well in 2016 and continues to be as we enter into this New Year!

           

As you know, we got married on March 19^th. We were thrilled that many of our family members from both sides were able to make the trip to New York to celebrate our big day with us. Even my (Lindsey) cousin and his wife who live in Laos and had just made it to the States a few days before showed up and surprised us! The day was a whirlwind of love, friendship, and happiness but we were blessed by each other and everyone who made our wedding so beautiful. We left from our wedding and immediately drove down to Baltimore (stopping at Burger King on the way so we could actually eat something!) We stayed the night in the Hyatt Regency on the inner harbor and then boarded our cruise ship the next morning, spending ten days on a Western Caribbean cruise over the course of our spring break. We visited St. Thomas, St. Kitts, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. We had a great time! Two of the other three couples at our table got married on the same day as us! We had a blast connecting with them at meals. Our honeymoon was a wonderful getaway before heading back to mid-semester reality! We came back from honeymoon and dove right into getting moved, setting up the apartment with all of our stuff, and catching up on school work.

Lindsey graduated from Davis College on May 7^th with her bachelors of religious education in teaching English as a second language and Christian counseling. Through the summer she continued her work on a full time basis with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Broome County (where she had been working part time through school) as the Summer Ministries Coordinator. She was in charge of scheduling 5-Day Club programs for kids in the area and helping teens to lead those clubs. She also started working for our church as the Ministry Assistant in July several hours a week. Once the summer ended she went back to working for CEF part time, increased her hours at the church, and also picked her morning babysitting job back up. She is definitely busy but enjoys all three jobs very much.

Patrick is in his third year at Davis College getting his bachelors of religious education in pastoral studies. Patrick worked as the evening and weekend chef for the Davis kitchen until May but then went back to working at Panera full time for the summer. Between work and homework he stays busy volunteering at our church. Most recently, he has been helping our church to begin a Christian recovery program for the church’s community. It’s still in the beginning stages but he is excited to be a part of it as it is something he is very passionate about. In November, our pastor gave him the opportunity to preach his first sermon in service. He did great for his first sermon and looks forward to being able to continue to sharpen his preaching skills and getting practice for the future.

We were able to spend three weeks travelling in May. We spent one week visiting Patrick’s family in Wilmington, NC, one week visiting Lindsey’s family in Pittsburgh and having a wedding reception there, and then travelling to Nebraska to visit Lindsey’s extended family and attend to her cousin’s wedding. We were also able to take several weekends and day trips exploring New York in places like Syracuse, the Finger Lakes, and Niagara Falls. We are blessed to have flexible jobs that allow us to get away from it all and spend some quality time with each other once in a while!

2016 has been a year of blessing! We pray that you have a wonderful Christmas to wrap the year up and a wonderful year of similar blessings in 2017. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

-The Yarboros-

One a Day: Bible Challenge

I want to give testimony which means that I also need to be transparent and honest…

I really suck at reading my Bible regularly.

It is and always has been a struggle of mine. I so easily get caught up in the busyness of life, the busyness of ministry even, that I feel like I'm doing good if I can even manage to take 2 minutes out of my day to read a quick YouVersion devotional. And not that there’s no merit at all to that, but it definitely doesn’t impact my life with the word of God. Let me tell you, I felt the impact of this in my spiritual life.

I have definitely been in a spiritual dry spell for some time.

Recently we got a desk/bookshelf together and so I finally got around to organizing some of the boxes we had just left in storage in our second bedroom/office. In one of those boxes was an extra journaling Bible that was the result of an ordering mishap for our wedding. (We used one as a guest book but ended up with a second one because Patrick’s friend, Andy was concerned the one he ordered online wouldn't come in time). So we had this extra one lying around the house. As I picked it up and thumbed through it, I thought how convenient such a Bible made doing devotions because there was room to journal right next to the word, which is ideally how I like to have my devotions. So I decided to start using it for my personal devotional Bible.

This is how I know my brain is a weird place…

Just the idea that I could journal right in Bible was enough motivation for me to actually get into the word again. Knowing that I could hold one book instead of both my Bible and my journal made it seem easier. It makes no sense, because it still takes just as much time and sometimes I still write a reflection in my journal, but whatever… it works for me.

As I picked it up to decide which chapter I wanted to start in, Patrick suggested, “Just start in the beginning…” Immediately my brain starts coming up with excuses, “I already know so many of the Genesis stories…” “But I could be reading something from the New Testament…” But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that the beginning did in fact seem like a pretty good place to start.

Would you believe I made it through 5 years of Bible College, and I still have not read the Bible entirely?

It’s somewhat embarrassing actually, though I know many Christians are in the same boat as me. I actually had a non-Christian ask me one time, “How can you be sure you believe it if you’ve never read the whole thing?” Now of course I still have read much of it and know the themes and meaning of the Bible as a whole, but I have always known reading the Bible in its entirety is important.

I’m not a fan of one-year Bible reading plans.

They don’t work well for me and they often make me feel like I’m reading just to accomplish a goal of reading it. Plus it usually has me reading so much at a time that I have a hard time applying and gaining the meaning out of it. So I decide to make a simple goal for myself…

Read straight through the Bible at least one chapter a day, every day.

I know it may not be the most practical plan. I know it will take a long time (3.25 years). But I want to soak in the word of God. I want to take it one chapter at a time and truly meditate on that chapter. I don’t want to read it just to finish it in a certain amount of time, but read it to truly learn it on a personal level and to know God. I know there will be long days and short days. I know there will be painfully boring books and really exciting ones. But it’s all in the Bible for a reason, so I want to read it.

I’ve missed a few days already.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t been perfect so far. But I have done SO, SO, SO much better than before. So far I am on Genesis 5. And guess what, already I am noticing the power that being in God’s word on a regular basis has made in my life. I feel like I am hearing from God again. I am gleaning more from speakers of God’s word and I have a passion for living life for God again. I don’t feel like I am just going through the motions but rather that I am passionately living life for God. I’m actually finding that I want to spend time in the word and I look forward to reading the next chapter.

And that’s only after a few days.

Not only that, I am getting so much out of it. I mean I’ve read stories like the creation account, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel… all stories that I’ve heard time and time again. And with every chapter I read, I have gained something new out of it. I have been able to pull out an application for my own life from the Word of God. I feel like God is truly speaking to me through his word as I step out in obedience and challenge myself in this way.

At first I didn’t want to tell anyone about this challenge…

I was nervous to tell anyone that I had challenged myself to do this because I didn’t want people to know if I failed. Tonight, I changed my mind. On my own, I will most certainly fail. I need the help of others to hold me accountable. I need people to ask me how my Bible reading plan is going. I’m not going to prepare for failure but rather set up and plan for success. So please, hold me accountable. Ask me how the plan is going. Ask me where I’m at in the Bible. This is at least a 3 and a quarter year journey I am embarking on. I know I may miss days here and there, but I know I’ll stop altogether if no one helps me.

And maybe… MAYBE I’ll do blog updates as I continue on this journey.

If God has done this much work through just 5 chapters of his word, I’m interested to see what other changes I will see in myself as I continue reading. There truly is power in God’s word. It is definitely living and active. I wonder what it will activate in me.

Please join me in this.

Hold me accountable and ask me about it. Maybe you need to challenge yourself to read a chapter a day all the way through too. And you can also subscribe to a Daily Bible Message that I send out. I have been writing these daily devotions based on my reading for the day and based on my personal reflection of the word. And look for blog updates about what God continues to do in me as I stay in his word.

The Magic Forest

Dedication: To my parents, Andrew and Stacy Sutton, for our many journeys through the Magic Forest. For always encouraging my creative spark and for allowing my imagination to be out of this world. 

The Magic Forest

Lucy had been on countless trips in the car back and forth from her house and her grandparent’s house. She would watch from the window of her seat as there were many sights to see along the way. They would take the bridge that took them over railroad tracks. Sometimes, if there was a train to see, mom and dad would slow the car down so Lucy and her brother could watch it. They would pass by the building that had fountains that shot up water. But when the trees became a bit denser and the road a bit curvier, Lucy knew they were coming close to her favorite part of the trip: the Magic Forest.

The forest that lined the edges of the curvy road had at one time just been a normal forest. But one day, Lucy saw something completely out of the ordinary. “I see a green elephant!” Lucy exclaimed. All of a sudden, time seemed to slow down and Lucy forgot all about the car she was in. She found that she was standing on the forest floor and the magnificent green elephant was standing high in front of her. “H-he-hello,” Lucy stammered nervously, “I’m Lucy.” She had never been so close to an elephant before. But the elephant spoke in a deep friendly voice, “Hello, pleased to meet you Lucy!” Lucy calmed down a bit, this seemed like a very friendly elephant. “What’s an elephant like you doing in a forest like this?” The green elephant smiled, “Well don’t you know? This isn’t a normal forest. This is the Magic Forest.” “The Magic Forest?” Lucy asked a bit confused. “Yes!” The green elephant explained, “In here you will find all sorts of different animals of all sorts of different colors.” “That’s amazing!” Lucy exclaimed. “It surely is,” Green Elephant said, “But for now, you ought to get back to the car to make it the rest of the way home. I’m sure you’ll be able to visit again another time.”

Lucy could hardly wait for the next trip to her grandparent’s house! She wondered if she would meet the green elephant in the Magic Forest again. On the way back she waited excitedly as they crossed over the bridge and passed the fountains. And when the trees became a bit denser and the road a bit curvier, Lucy knew she was back in the magic forest! Lucy’s eyes were wide open as she looked around as the car zoomed over the curvy road that took them through the Magic Forest. She was so hoping to see Green Elephant again! She looked all over for him, but that’s when she saw something else! “I see an orange kangaroo!”  she called. Time seemed to slow and once again Lucy forgot all about the car she was in. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the orange kangaroo. 
She was less afraid this time so she spoke up confidently, “Hello! I’m Lucy!” The orange kangaroo smiled at Lucy. “Pleased to meet you, Lucy!” “Do you know Green Elephant?” Lucy asked. “I surely do!” Orange Kangaroo said, “Come let’s go find him!” Lucy glanced behind her, “Shouldn’t I get back to the car?” Orange Kangaroo smiled, “I am sure it will be there when you get back.” So Lucy bounded through the forest following close behind Orange Kangaroo. 

They soon found Green Elephant and Lucy was thrilled when they met up with even more friends! She got to meet Pink Hippo and Rainbow Flamingo. She was a little nervous when she met Purple Crocodile and Rainbow Tiger, but Orange Kangaroo assured her that they were very nice animals. Lucy stayed and played with all of her new friends! She went swimming with Pink Hippo and Purple Crocodile. She played hopscotch with Orange Kangaroo! And she even swung through the trees with Red Striped Monkey. She played until she could play no more. “Thank you for playing with me!” she said, “But I should probably get back to my car now.” “I’ll walk you there!” Green Elephant said. They walked together to the edge of the forest where the road ran through. Lucy turned to Green Elephant before getting back in her car and asked, “Can I come play with you all every time we drive through the Magic Forest?” Green Elephant smiled, “If you’d like us to be here, we will be.”

Every time Lucy was able to take a trip back or forth from her grandparent’s house she would look forward to seeing the magic forest! She would hold her breath in excitement as they crossed over the bridge and passed the fountains. Lucy could barely sit still when the trees became a bit denser and the road a bit curvier and she was back with her friends in the Magic Forest. She would stop and play with all of her animal friends. It seemed like each time she went she would meet someone new. Her mom and dad had even started helping her to spot new animal friends in the Magic Forest! Throughout the years, she went on too many adventures to count in the Magic Forest.

But as Lucy started getting older, something seemed to change.  Her parents would still drive the car through the Magic Forest, but Lucy didn’t see her friends as often anymore. When she did see them, she didn’t stay to play as long. In fact, the older Lucy got, the less and less she stopped to play at all. Some of her animal friends would still come to road as the car drove past. But Lucy found that she didn’t always want to stop and play. As Lucy got even older, she saw less and less of her Magic Forest friends until one day, she didn’t see them at all anymore. On day years later, as her and her family were driving through the forest, her mother said with a laugh, “Look Lucy, do you see Green Elephant?” Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. “Mooommmm!” she said, “I’m too old for the Magic Forest game.”

Lucy continued to grow up. She finished high school, went to college, moved away, got married, and even had kids of her own. It had been many, many years since she had been in the Magic Forest. But one day when she was on her way back from visiting her parents, she found herself driving over the bridge and passing by the old fountains. Her memory stirred when the trees became a bit denser and the road a bit curvier. Lucy smiled to herself as she started to drive down the curvy road of the Magic Forest. She turned her head and looked at her own children sitting in the backseat. With a smile she said, “Did you know this is a magic forest?” Their eyes grew wide and her daughter asked, “It is?” “Yes! See over there?” Lucy said, “I see a green elephant and an orange kangaroo!” Lucy looked towards the forest. She was a bit surprised but very glad when she saw her two old friends smiling and waving at her. She remembered the words Green Elephant had said to her many years ago, “If you’d like us to be here, we will be.” Lucy decided she would never be too old to go on another adventure in the Magic Forest.

The End

Scammer Awareness and Other Facebook Safety Tips

I've received fake duplicate friend requests five times now from scammers pretending to be someone I know. This scamming technique is incredibly handy because it doesn't require any hacking. Scammers take your name and your profile picture to pretend they are you on Facebook. Then they go through your friends list to friend and message your friends posing as you to tell them about some too-good-to-be-true deal if you just click such-and-such link.

Here's some instruction on what to do if you receive a friend request like this and how to keep scammers from targeting you. You can see picture instructions below if you're unsure of how to do any of these things.

What to Do when you Receive a Scammer Friend Request

If you receive a friend request from someone you are already friends with (IE a duplicate profile) you have a couple options on how to react.

1. Don't accept the request and report the fake profile. (See how to report below)
2. Notify your friend and their friends by posting on their timeline and letting them know that the scammer account is out there.
3. If you're unsure if it's a scammer or not, you can accept the friend request. But if they message you almost instantly with "big news" it is more than likely a scammer. 
4. Don't ever click on a link that a profile like this sends you. As soon as you're sure, report the profile and notify your friend.

To Keep Scammers from Targeting You

The best way to make sure you're not targeted is to adjust your privacy settings. Changing your password won't actually keep scammers from using your Facebook identity because they are not hacking your profile to impersonate you. They're just taking your name, picture, and friends list which usually anyone on Facebook can see and using it to make a duplicate account. To keep this from happening, you can change your privacy settings so that only your friends can see this information.

1. Set your friends list privacy so that only you or your friends can see it so that spammers can't friend request and message your friends. 

   

   On your profile, go to your friend's list under your profile picture.
   Hover your mouse over it and select the pencil emblem and click on "Edit Privacy"

   

   Select the "Friends" option to ensure that only your friends can see your friends list.

   
   
2. Make sure all of your personal information can only be seen by your friends as well so that scammers can't use it to impersonate you.

   

   Scroll down to the about section on your profile which
   will be on the left side of the screen. Hover over a section so that the
   pencil appears. Click on it to edit the about section.

   
   

   

   In the right corner of each section there will be a symbol that indicates the privacy of the section.

   
   

   

   Click on that symbol to change the privacy of that section of "About."
   Repeat this process for the different sections of the About section to make
   sure your information is private.

3. Don't ever accept friend requests from people that you do not know personally. 

Pass along and share this message to raise awareness about this new scamming technique. The more people that are aware of this technique, the less effective it will be. 

Stay cyber safe fellow Facebook users!

See how to report account on Facebook here: 

Go to the profile and click on the three dots to the right of the page.
Select the "Report" option.

Click "Report this Account"

Select the "This timeline is pretending to be me or someone I know" option.

Select the "Someone I know" option.

This window will pop up. "Submit to Facebook for Review" option.

This option will appear and you can type the name of the friend that is being impersonated here.

The Post that's NOT about the Syrian Refugees

No, I’m not going to get into details of the Syrian refugees debate. Yes, I have my opinion on it. Feel free to ask my opinion privately. But I prefer to use my blog for encouraging or exhorting (okay yeah... ranting) rather than to discuss politics.

What I want to talk about are the Christians that I have seen using the Syrian refugee debate as an opportunity for the ultimate Jesus juke: “Jesus said to care for the least of these- the Syrian refugees are the least of these. Jesus would let the refugees into the country, how could you disagree? That’s an extremely unbiblical attitude! Jesus told us to love and care for others. Think about that before you make your opinion on foreign policy, etc. etc. etc.” The best is the people that even go so far as to make statements that assert that the Christians who don’t support bringing the Syrian refugees into the country are just cherry-picking what they like and don’t like out of the Bible.

Okay, really quick, just for the record so you can read this without judging me or labeling me as a hateful and greedy racist bigot and actually listen to what I have to say. Let me assure you that I agree that the Syrian refugees are the least of these and that we should help them in some way. That’s all the more I’m hinting at my opinion, really!

But here’s the thing, more so than Christians “cherry-picking from scripture,” I find it interesting that some Christians only choose to quote this passage of scripture about caring for the least of these when it applies to their government and not to them individually. If you are a Christian who is caring for the needy in some way, then this post isn’t for you. This post is for those that quote that passage but feel no burden to apply it in the same way to their personal lives. I’ve even seen defensive posts saying the scripture applies to the situation in the broader sense and whether they as an individual apply it to their life or not doesn’t take away from the truth of scripture.

There are two main issues with this logic: 

Practice what you preach and pay attention to the plank.

Practice what you Preach 

If you personally are not living out that passage of scripture, if you are not caring for the homeless, the hungry, the poor, the hurt, the widows, the orphans, the sick, the needy (take your pick!) in some way, shape, or form then you have no platform to say that anyone else should be doing that. You have no right to try to Jesus-juke other people with a passage of scripture that you aren’t following. How can you tell someone to do something if you aren’t leading by example? Paul wrote many instructional letters to churches in his time telling them what to do. But his witness was so pure and he was able to tell people to follow his example (Philippians 3:17). He practiced what he preached. Practicing what you preach is important because otherwise no one listens to what you are preaching. If you think caring for the least of these is important, get out there and do it! 1 John 2:5-6 even says, “By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” If you say you follow Jesus then you’d better be living like him not just talking like him. If you are claiming to be a follower of Christ and even go so far as to say that a government or group of people should live by a certain passage of scripture then you must first make sure you are living by it first. 

Your actions (or lack thereof) don’t hinder the truth of that scripture but your actions do hinder your ability to quote it for others.

Pay Attention to the Plank

Not only does lack of action hinder your ability to quote it for others, it especially hinders you from being able to suggest that other Christians are the ones cherry-picking scripture. How can you suggest that Christians are only applying parts of scripture that they like or that support their political beliefs if you aren’t applying the passage you’re using to judge them to your own life? There’s a passage of scripture that you might have conveniently ignored yourself- Matthew 7:3. It says, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Why are you so quick to suggest that the Christians not supporting Syrian refugees coming to the USA don’t believe parts of the Bible if you have no problem not applying the ones above or this one? If you are not actively applying a scripture to your life but you’re going to accuse someone of throwing away parts of scripture, then you’re guilty of doing the exact same thing with this one. Don’t tell someone that you don’t think is applying scripture to their political beliefs that they are cherry-picking if you’re not applying it to your everyday life. Look at the plank in your own eye before you point out the sawdust in someone else’s.

It’s not wrong to discuss matters like these, in fact I think it would be wrong NOT to discuss matters like these. But what sort of witness are we leaving for nonbelievers that just see arguments back and forth about who’s a bad Christian? 
Imagine the witness we would have if we argued less about who’s supporting it in their political views and actually did something to care for the least of these in our personal lives. If believers spent more time doing that we might actually make an even greater impact on our government and world than we would by arguing about it.

So I leave you with a challenge, be the example. Pay attention to the plank in your own eye before your find sawdust in someone else’s and practice what you preach. If caring for the least of these is a command of Jesus, then actually go do it! 
Practice what you preach, don’t just preach about it. 
Examine yourself before you tell someone else how to improve.

Wherever you are, go and be the example Jesus in this hurting world.

The Beautiful Bare Tree

Romans 1:20 NIV “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

God created the world so creatively and magnificently as to remind us of his greatness. 

I was observing my surroundings on a gray autumn day in New York State as I waited for my fiancé in my car. There were cars rushing past on the busy street and buildings and signs to look at but what caught my eye the most, was a bare tree.

I noticed that this tree was almost completely devoid of its leaves. As it has been an unusually warm fall, some of the trees still had a lot of their leaves. But this tree had dropped most of its leaves and was holding onto just a few. 

At first this bare tree just reminded me that winter was on the way and most of the trees would soon look this same way. But second to that thought, I began to notice how intricate the shape of the tree was. The tree was shaped in intentional curves and its branches and twigs popped out in all the right places to form the tree just right so that even without leaves, it was beautiful.

Most people wouldn’t consider a bare tree to be beautiful. Trees are beautiful in the spring as they blossom. They’re beautiful in the summer when they color streets and neighborhoods in a lively green. They are even beautiful in the fall when they turn shades of orange, red, and yellow. But very few people think bare trees in the winter are beautiful. Usually those bare trees turn our hillsides gray and make us think of death and the cold more than beauty.

But as I studied the curvature of the tree and the way it was shaped just so, I was reminded that God made that tree. The same God that knows how many hairs are on my head (Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7), knows exactly when that tree was planted and how long it had been there. The same God created that tree and intentionally gave those branches the curves and bends it needed to be beautiful. The same God placed each of those tiny twigs in their place and knew the leaves that fell off of them and the blossoms and leaves that have yet to spring out of them. 

The fact that God could know each of those innumerable twigs on just that tree alone, not to mention every other tree in the world, is mind-blowing in and of itself and gives testimony to God’s omniscience and omnipresence. The fact that God cared enough about the world and about his people, to not only create it all with a spoken word but to make it beautiful to the eye as well is a testimony to his creativity and omnipotence. 

But the fact that God put that much time and effort into creating and knowing a bare tree is a testimony to how much he loves you. If God cares that much about a bare tree that most people don’t care about or even perceive to be ugly, how much more does he love you? He put even more time and effort into creating you. He chooses to know even more about you. He has far greater plans for you. The fact that God’s greatness is seen so clearly in a bare tree means that his greatness can be seen infinitely more through you.

My prayer is that as the leaves continue falling off trees and the hillsides turn gray, you would take the time to notice some of those bare trees. When you do, remember that the same God who cares about and knows that tree, cares so much more about you. 

Luke 12:27-31 NIV “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

Dancing with God

Why "Dance with God and he will let the Perfect Man cut in" 
isn't good dating advice.

Picture Source

Let’s talk about that quote: “Dance with God and he will let the perfect man cut in.” It’s on a happy picture with a joyous couple sharing their first dance at their wedding with big grins plastered on their faces. The girl in the picture is clearly enthralled with her new husband. The picture and the quote work perfectly together to convey the wonderful spiritual message to young single girls, “Just dance with God and spend time with him until he brings your soul mate into your life!” Sweet and endearing right?

Wrong.

Let’s take a deeper look at what it actually says.

Dancing with God: There’s not a problem with the metaphor of dancing with God. In fact, it’s a beautiful metaphor. You “dance” through life just as you dance to music in many different paces, steps, and phases. The idea of dancing with God, allowing him to take the lead and guide you through those many stages of life, adds a lot of meaning to that metaphor. In and of itself, the idea of dancing with God is a great metaphor. BUT the point of dancing with God is not to wait for a spouse. The point of dancing with God is to allow him to lead you through life while growing closer to him, learning about his heart, and experiencing his love. Dancing with God is not about personal gain but a love for God. Dancing with God is an amazing experience. But don’t dance with God expecting that after a few years of dancing with him, he’ll bring the perfect man to you. Dance with God because his love is the greatest you will ever experience. Dance with God even if it means that no man ever comes along. Because when you dance with God, you learn that it’s not about what you will get but who you will become. When you dance with God you’ll find that he is all you need to be satisfied anyway.

The Perfect Man: Let’s be honest, there aren’t many women, young or old, in this society that aren’t out there dreaming of their perfect soul mate. This soul mate will have all the perfect qualities that will compliment hers just right. This perfect man will be handsome, sensitively love her, love the Lord even more than he loves her, bring her flowers on a weekly basis, and will either be a pastor, youth leader, or at least play the guitar and sing lovely worship songs. The problem is that this man doesn’t exist. There are wonderful godly men in the world that deeply love their wives and the Lord. But there is no perfect man. There isn’t even a man out there that is perfect for you. There are probably plenty of people that make great matches for you but there are no perfect couples. Even the happiest of couples will have their disagreements and arguments. This quote suggests that if you just hang in there long enough, God will send the perfect husband for you. But girls will be kept waiting a long time only to be disappointed when this perfect man never shows up. The truth is that a soul mate is not God’s perfect match for you. A soul mate is a godly mate that you make the choice to love for the rest of your life. Stop waiting for the perfect guy and keep your eyes open for normal guys that love the Lord and have a desire to serve him with their lives.

Cutting In: Whoever came up with this quote must not have understood how a relationship with God works or didn’t understand what it means to cut in. Cutting in on a dance floor presumes that you stop dancing with your current partner in order to start dancing with a different partner. The idea of stopping your dance with God in order to dance with someone else is idolatry in its purest form. A relationship with God is not a substitute for a relationship with a man. A relationship with God should be something that you commit every aspect of your life for the rest of life to. A relationship with God doesn’t end when a man comes into the picture. Even if you start dancing through life with another person, you should never stop dancing with God. When you do find a mate, as you submit to God and to each other, the two of you will find satisfaction as you each dance with God, not only individually, but as a couple.

I’m sure the author of this quote meant well but when it comes down to it, this quote is more like a warning of what not to do when searching for a spouse. When looking for a spouse, dance with God for no other reason than you desire to be close to him, keep your eyes open for good God-loving matches, and don’t ever stop dancing with God. Perhaps the quote should have been, “Dance with God, even if a good match never comes along, you will still be wholly satisfied in his presence.”