If a man wants you nothing can keep him away. If he doesn't want you nothing can make him stay. Stop making excuses. Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache. Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that is not meant to be.

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You are worthy, precious, valuable, and beautiful. Do not settle for less than God's best for your life. What God has for you it is FOR YOU. No one can take what God says is yours.

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Slow down. Wait on the Lord. Breathe. Rest.

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"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)."

Sisters

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot, humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter "Don't forget your Sisters,'"she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass.

"They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do."

"What a funny piece of advice!" the young woman thought. "Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!"

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors...
Careers end.

BUT...Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.

A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

I thank God for my Sisters!

Imagine if all your conversations for the past week had been recorded, then played back over a bullhorn for the entire world to hear. Would you be proud? How about God? What comes out of your mouth reveals who you really are and where your heart is. …for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

Denise

The Real Secret!

"Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33)

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Denise

Singles Searching for Love

By KATHY GAILLARD

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Reality shows are part of today’s pop culture. There are reality shows on dating, relationships and families. There are reality shows about survival, dancing and becoming an American Idol. There is, however, one reality that seems to have escaped this phenomenon—the reality that it is possible to be single and satisfied. Believe it or not, there are women (and men) who have jobs, homes, families and friends, who are not looking for relationships to define, enhance or "complete them."

Here’s a bit of reality: Nothing on the external—relationships, money or material possessions— can make you happy, if you are not happy with yourself. Too many singles are allowing the world to define their happiness. They watch soap operas and reality shows, and use those unrealistic portrayals about life, happiness, relationships and marriage as a gauge of success. Too often, these same individuals are the ones who, when their reality short-circuits, or doesn’t live up to the hype, end up in divorce court, or miserable in marriages.

Marriage or being in a relationship does not make or define a person. In this hi-tech society there’s the acronym GIGO, which means garbage in, garbage out. Simply put, if your personal house—mental, physical and spiritual—is in shambles, no one or nothing will change that. You get out of life, what you put into it.

Marriage should be rooted in biblical principles. It can be a wonderful experience when it is what God intended it to be, but it’s not for everyone. There’s a rude awakening awaiting those who enter into marriage with the expectation that "someone" will make them happy.

The center of a person’s joy can come from having and nurturing a personal relationship with God. The joy of salvation is an untouchable, unfathomable, unspeakable happiness that supersedes the reality of any earthly relationship. It’s a joy and happiness that allows one to fellowship and enjoy friendship, in the face of adversity. It enables a person to remain grounded and rooted, when his world may appear to be turned upside down with trials and circumstances. Relationships fail, people disappoint, possessions dwindle or depreciate, but faith and a personal relationship with God can provide that ever elusive joy.

Christians who are waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right should relax. Instead of throwing pity parties or putting life on hold with the expectation that joy and happiness come only with marriage, do what needs to be done to make yourself happy! Don’t allow the world to define happiness for you. Don’t miss out on the pleasures of life by going through it searching for love, but rather, learn to give love and love yourself. Don’t buy into the hype!

Kathy Gaillard is a Christian writer for examiner.com. Visit Kathy’s home page for more great articles at http://www.examiner.com/x-16376-Norfolk-NonDenominational-Christian-Examiner

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Who am I...

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

Stay Marketable!

In the July issue of Black Enterprise Magazine, Kevin Warren, CEO of Xerox Canada, offers advice on staying professionally marketable through this economic downturn.

Three-point attack plan:

Results: Consistently deliver outstanding results. If you cannot do that, the conversation ends there.

Behaviors: Recognize that corporations are social institutions. How do you interact with your manager? How do you interact with your colleagues? Do you make the work-place a better place to work? Do you add to the organization?

Competencies: Manage your portfolio of skills. Add to your skill set. Go back to school. Make a commitment to lifelong learning.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)