Cramming For Life

Growing up I loved Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel and all the rest of the Disney Princesses! I couldn't wait to meet my Prince Charming that would rescue me and protect me from all the bad in this world. These young women were my role models and I just knew that one day when I met that man of my dreams life would be easier!

As years progressed I began to feel frustrated. If I didn't meet HIM soon my timeline of engaged, married and children would be impossible! I remained optimistic and assured myself that I was empowered and used the following quotes to keep plunging ahead!

These held me over for a while and encouraged me to be patient. Friends had always told me you'll meet the man of your dreams when you least expect it, so I tried to focus on me and doing things I enjoy with the hope that he would just come along (can you say conceited!). Well Prince Charming never showed and guess what....he never will!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!! Hold up a moment you say! What about Buffalo Bleu??? That's the problem ladies. Buffalo Bleu is awesome, he's kind hearted and Godly. He is humble and genuine but guess what....he is going to disappoint me, fail me and let me down when I need him the most. Why? Because he's flawed and he's a sinner. Just like me. What kind of future wife would I be to Buffalo Bleu if I were to hold him on an unrealistic pedestal and was only setting him up for failure. There are important traits that we should and shouldn't look for in our future husbands and The Porch at Watermark Community Church recently did a blog and podcast to help guide men and women in selecting their future spouse. Check it out below!

10 Signs You Are Dating the Wrong Guy

In no particular order. Girls, avoid marrying a guy who is:

Unknown. To make dating simpler, remember that the pool of people available for you to date is probably a relatively small group. If you don’t know who they are and what they are about, you can’t consider whether they have the important characteristics you are looking for. (Proverbs 18:17)
Sexually immoral. Basically, this means he is not willing to set boundaries and wait until marriage for the pursuit of sexual pleasure. If he appears to be a godly guy until he gets you alone, he may just be a good actor. (Ephesians 5:3)
Arrogant. Is he willing to admit when he is wrong? Does he listen to and respect your opinion? (Psalm 119:21)
Insecure. Does he focus on his inadequacies or the inadequacies of others? Does he put others down in order to feel better about himself? (2 Timothy 1:7)
Dishonest. I don’t think this one really needs any explanation. (Luke 16:10)
Passive. Does he let you know where you stand, or leave you guessing about the relationship and his intentions? Does he even know what his intentions are? Guys, this is a big part of that ambiguous “leading well” term you keep hearing about. (1 Timothy 3:12)
Selfish. Does he focus mostly on what he has and what he wants? Is his status or reputation his primary motive? If he is focused on self and does not consider the needs of others, he will fail miserably at loving his wife as Christ loved the church. (Ephesians 5:25)
Unforgiving. Does he hold grudges? We have all been forgiven much and should therefore be willing to forgive others. (Matthew 18:21-22)
Angry. Does he “blow up” at little problems? Trust me, there are going to be a lot of little problems in marriage. And let’s go ahead and institute a “one strike” rule: if he strikes you once, he’s out. (Proverbs 22:24)
An unbeliever. If you are following Christ, then this is non-negotiable. Put away your excuses or justifications. We’re talking about contrasting worldviews that are (or should be) at the heart of everything you do in life. If you are a believer and are willing to marry someone who does not believe in God, then you need to ask yourself what you are a “believer” in. (2 Corinthians 6:14)

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10 Things a Woman Should Look For (And a Man Should Be)

In no particular order. You want to marry a guy who is:

Submissive to authority. Rebellious guys might grab your heart for a moment, but they will not lead you or themselves well. You want someone who will admit that he is not always right, and be willing to change when others point that out to him. Does he listen to others and yield to wisdom? (Hebrews 13:17)
Honest. Does he say what he means and do what he says? Does he go out of his way to speak with whole, complete, and concentrated truth? Without honesty, you cannot trust what he says—including when he says he will commit to you in marriage. (1 Corinthians 13:6)
Kind. Is he nice to others around him? Don’t expect him to be consistently kind to you long-term if he is not kind to others. (2 Timothy 2:24)
Selfless. Does he think of your needs, and the needs of others, ahead of his own? Is he generous and willing to share his possessions and time with others? Husbands are called to love their wives selflessly and sacrificially, “just as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25).
Patient. Is he willing to wait for good things? Does he value you enough to wait for you? “Patient” is the very first word used to describe love in the famous “love chapter” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
Courageous. Will he stand for what is right when it is difficult, embarrassing, or unpopular? Will he stand up to protect you? (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Gentle. Can he control his strength, and balance it with grace? (1 Timothy 3:2-3)
Diligent. A diligent person can be counted on to provide. Does he work hard? (Proverbs 12:24)
Faithful. This insinuates a reputation. Anyone can fake the things on this list when trying to impress a girl. Does he have a reputation consistent with these character traits? (Proverbs 20:6)
Committed to Christ. Christ should be the focus of his life. This looks like yielding to His word, being prayerful, living in community, and being committed to a body of believers. If this is there, #1-9 will be too. (Galatians 5:22-25)

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Still feel like you need a quote to live by? Try this one.

A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man needs to seek Him in order to find her.

Focus on God. Not you, not boys. Just God. Be his disciple and let him use you however that may be. But remember, that may be as a single woman. God has placed us on this Earth to be a prophet for him and if you're more beneficial as a single woman God will ensure that you stay that way.

"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:76-79

Stop believing the lies and seeking your happily ever after because it's only exhausting and frustrating Our happy ever after is unachievable in our Earthly forms. Our happily ever after can and only will be when we are united with Jesus Christ.

Yay for good news! Buffalo Bleu moved to Colorado and we are no longer living miles upon miles apart! Buffalo Bleu has always had roommates though and moving into a 2 bedroom house left him with a lot of space and little decor, so I made this wall hanging using a barn wood frame and the letter E as that's what his last name starts with.

Isn't it CUTE! (Don't tell Buffalo Bleu I called his gift cute.)

Here's what you need:

A frame without glass and backing (check thrift stores, garage sales, etc.)

Your letter

Acrilyc paint (if your letter needs painted)

A paint brush (if you're painting your letter)

String, twine or I used leather suede lace to keep that rustic, manly look!

Hot glue gun

Heavy duty stapler

I bought a wood stain pen in white for my letter, not thinking about the fact that Buffalo Bleu's walls are white and the "E" wouldn't show up.....duh! Fortunately for me I was over at EllBee's house and she has a basement full of crafting supplies. I used a deep red color that I selected for the simple fact it was called wine.

Now comes the tricky part...fastening your letter to your frame. I cut approximately a 3 foot long piece of the leather suede string and tied two knots about 9" in from each end.

That is a knot.

Now staple the leather suede string to the back of the frame right underneath the knot with the loose end hanging out on the top. Do the same on the other side to make a loop that hangs down inside of the frame.

Now for the tricky part....try to stretch the string using a pen to find the middle of the loop. Put a dab of hot glue on your letter in the middle then stick your loop down. I did this a few times before I figured out exactly how the "E" was weighted and where the center was.