​Last year when our family of ten was living in a camper volunteering at a ministry in Flagstaff, Arizona, after five months of living in the same camper on a horse ranch—Sermon on the Mount—in Oklahoma, I finally had this wonderful opportunity to use a full-sized kitchen which was located in the welcome center next to where we parked our camper. With more thankfulness than ever, I resumed the daily task of feeding my large crew.

After you breathe your last breath, two things happen.

First, if you are a Christian, you will be welcomed into the arms of a loving Heavenly Father who has been waiting for your arrival. Second, your family will start trying to sum up your life by writing the epitaph for your tombstone.

And they may have to do it in just one sentence. One sentence to describe your achievements. Your victories. Your joys and maybe even your sorrows. It is a chance to tell what made you YOU. A chance to leave a legacy in stone that will stand the test of time.

One sentence to describe what you did with the life God gave you.

If you died tomorrow, what do you think it would say?

​Stop reading for a moment and think about that. What does it say now? What do you want it to say?

“Brrrrring!” As the phone echoed through the house, there was a clatter of feet on the stairs, and within seconds an enthusiastic little voice was calling, “Margaret! It’s for you!”

Laying down the napkins she’d been folding, Margaret hurried over. “Thanks, Joseph,” she smiled, before saying into the phone, “Hello, this is Margaret.” Her face lit up with pleasure as she recognized the voice of her friend Jennifer—a phone call from her was a once-or-twice-a-year affair.
For perhaps fifteen minutes, the girls talked about the various little events since their last chat some months before, but Margaret could tell that something was on her friend’s mind. At last, Jennifer burst out:

​“My sister Annie is engaged to Thomas Craddock from church!”

​I always have an anxious excitement when I am about to buy a plane ticket. You are planning for a fun trip, but at the same time you are spending a lot of money on something you can’t return. As I was doing this a few weeks ago, I was meticulously going through my itinerary to make sure I had everything right. Finally I clicked to finalize the purchase, but it came up with an ‘ERROR’ screen. It appeared that it hadn’t gone through, but it wouldn’t let me purchase the tickets when I tried again. I was feeling a little frustrated, because I really wanted to get them finalized before prices went up. With no other option, I waited until the next morning to try again. And lo, and behold, it ended up that the tickets were cheaper! As I sat there thanking the Lord, I felt like the Lord saying, “If I can orchestrate your circumstances to save you a little money, how much more can I provide for you in the area of marriage?’ I was humbled. ‘Oh.  Yes,  Lord. You are able to work out my future in Your perfect timing and in Your perfect way.’ God used a small daily experience to remind me of His goodness and care.

​What a great joy it is to be a woman! God certainly had a marvelous plan in mind when he created each of us. We are born into a family and we normally grow up there with love, protection and provision. Our direction in life is usually very clear.

​My oldest sister married not too long after she graduated from high school; therefore her direction in life was very obvious. Not all of us, however, will marry quite so young. If we don’t marry right after graduation, does this leave us with no purpose in life? Has God abandoned us? Of course not! (Hebrews 13:5b...“I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”) 

It can be challenging to maintain a cheerful attitude and a vision for a future family when that future family seems so elusive. If you’re like me, the prospect of marriage may appear slim. Mr. Right isn’t around and he’s not even on the horizon or over the horizon. It’s easy to wonder if he died at birth and the possibility of becoming an old, grouchy spinster continues to loom bigger and bigger. While your friends get married and raise their children, you are still waiting and waiting, and waiting some more. Your overflowing Hope Chest becomes more of a Hopeless Chest and you wonder if life has passed you by. 

In this world that we live, society screams out that we are to be given what we think will make us happy now. There is no thought of waiting until the time is right, until you have enough money saved, or until the Lord brings it to pass. We must help out. The flesh desires and wants it now. There is no encouragement in anything to be content where you are and wait. This life misses out on the blessings we have, worrying about what the future holds. "But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6)

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)
 
True words indeed! The shattered remains of once-beautiful hopes...the memories of things past...the crushing grief of an arrow that pierced our tenderest and dearest desire (Lamentations 3:12). The path seems so painful and narrow that we can barely breath (Lamentations 3:7). Will the pain of this dark night ever pass? 

​First of all, I would like to start by saying that I will be preaching to myself. If you happen to benefit from it, that’s great. I most certainly have not “arrived,” and my guess is that I will not be arriving anytime soon.
 
Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to be married and have a family. When I was around 10 years old, I figured I would be married by 20, so I just had to wait 10 more years!!! Well, I just had my 32nd birthday, and no Prince Farming…(Yes, I meant that. I’d rather have a farmer than a charmer.) Needless to say, singleness has been, and continues to be, one of the greatest struggles of my life. So I’m going to share with you a few thoughts that I hope will turn your eyes (and mine!) back to the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ…