3 Reasons to Not Rush Into Dating

It seems like everywhere you look you see another couple in love, while you remain alone. Every day one (or more) of your Facebook friends proudly boasts that they are "in a relationship" while you probably feel like your status will forever be "Single" or ''in a relationship with Netflix."

However, despite how you may feel, and maybe what those around you have been telling you, being single is a blessing! Being in a committed relationship is indescribable, but so is not having a partner! Both experiences can be the ultimate life lesson, designed by God to teach us more about Him and ourselves. 

As a single person you may feel lonely, while you should be feeling empowered, or unloved while you should be feeling unstoppable! Here's why:

You Have Time to Learn About Yourself - While you are single you can take time to explore your interests as an individual. Many people continue to do this while in a relationship, but a single person has the advantage of personal free time. It is completely appropriate to go to the movies alone, or switch hobbies 5 times a month, because you are learning about you. What you like to do, what you like to listen to, who you choose to hang out with; those are all important things to know when you eventually do start a new relationship. If you get to know yourself (and love yourself!) you will feel complete and you will have more of yourself to give.

You Can Move Quickly Towards Your Goal - Once you find out what you are passionate about, you have all the time in the world to pursue that passion! At this point, you can put 100% of your effort into doing whatever it is that motivates you, and into working towards your overall life goal.

You Have the Freedom to Practice Financial Responsibility - By freedom I mean you can make mistakes with few consequences, which only affect you. You are one person! It is easier to practice financial responsibility because you have less expenses. This may sound technical and unimportant, but knowing how to handle your money is vital. You can learn to set a budget for travel and the things you want. You can learn the difference between want you want and what you need. You can also learn that money isn't everything, and that wealth is meant to be shared. No one wants to be with someone who doesn't know the value of a dollar. 

There are many different kinds of love! 

Learn to enjoy the form of love in your life, whether it be towards yours Creator, your friends, your family, and especially yourself.

Don't miss out on a special form of love by constantly craving another.

4 Everyday Outfit Ideas For Young Moms

Before I had Nico fashion was a big part of my life. I didn't shop everyday, but I had a pretty good collection of versatile pieces that I loved to mix and match! I loved to look good; who doesn't? But during the course of my pregnancy, through the morning sickness, bloating, and changes in my body, I lost sight of my style. 

As a young mother, the changes of motherhood were sudden; one moment I find out I'm pregnant and the next thing I know, I'm blowing up like a balloon, hardly able to recognize myself. 

I was fortunate to return to my normal size a few months after Nico was born, but inside, I had completely changed. I realized that the things I used to wear no longer expressed how I viewed myself; a young mother with large goals who wanted to be taken seriously while still feeling young and beautiful. 

It took me a while to be comfortable in my own skin as the person I became when Nico was born, a Kul Mom. 

 I can finally proudly say this is my style as a 20 something mommy! 

4 fabulous everyday outfit ideas for young moms:

The Classic T-shirt and Flowy Skirt.

Comfortable white Keds because it's hard to chase a 2 year old in heels!

Jean Jacket, White fitted Cami, & Navy Striped Skirt

Sheer Black Quarter Sleeve, Loose Fitting Black Cami, & Gray Skinny Jeans 

Accessories: Long Tangled Necklace, Sterling silver Ear Cuff

  
Checkered Navy and White Button Down Shirt Dress, Print Fitted Cami, & Black Leggings

I LOVE mixing patterns! It adds an interesting twist to an outfit!

5 Lovely Ways to Celebrate LOVE

Love comes in many forms. It can be romantic, platonic, familiar, religious, or directed at the self.

Despite popular belief, one can celebrate this love EVERY DAY and in many different ways! 

=) With friends - This is always one of the most fun! Who says love has to be about romantic one-on-one occasions? Cheers to the people who are getting together with a few friends to have a good time! Spread the platonic love with little goody bags filled with candy! Nothing says I appreciate your friendship quite like chocolate.

 

<3 With significant other - You can take the traditional route and have a nice date with that "special someone." Get all dressed up and have dinner and watch a movie! I hear Jupiter Ascending was good. Try springing for a thoughtful or practical gift, something they can use for a while that will remind them of you!

>:) With family - They may drive you crazy, but at the end of the day you care a lot about your family. There is nothing wrong with spending the day with your parents, or with your children (pets count). There is no love more pure than that! The smiles of your toddler when you get to their favorite park will be well worth the trip. The laughter of your loved ones is better than any material present on Earth!

;) Alone - If you find yourself by yourself and maybe feeling a little down, stop those lonely thoughts right now! STOP! If you are going to find love you must first learn to love you! So today is a good day to get a manicure and a massage. Or get your favorite take out and watch all your favorite movies!

+ With Christ - When you think about it, there is no greater love than Christ has for his church,why not celebrate that? Dedicate part of your day to reading your bible and praying and then maybe find a way to volunteer. Jesus' second command was "Love your neighbor as yourself." 

Above all, remember the most important commandment given:

As I have loved you, love one another. John 13:34

What Is Love?

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, the pressure is on for many, if not all of us. 

This is a special time of year when images of "love" are suddenly everywhere, shoved in our faces in every store we step foot in.

It seems that everyone is aiming to manipulate us into think that the color of love is red, pink, and white. Or that putting hearts everywhere and buying chocolates and flowers is the grandest gesture a person can  make to declare their passion and commitment to their fellow human being.

 

The bible teaches: 

That is absolutely beautiful, and it should be every person's person goal to strive for a love like the bible describes, but it is describing a perfect love (God's love), and we are far from perfect. 

While it is wonderful to give and receive gifts and candy, during Valentine's Day it is important to remember what loves truly is. 

In my opinion, true love is sacrifice.

It is about putting your needs aside and elevating the needs of those around you; this could be extended to strangers, or simply family and friends. For example; true love is waking up every 2 hours to feed your new born, or letting your spouse rest for an hour while you do the chores or make dinner. True love can also be dedicating your weekends to spending time visiting lonely strangers in the hospital. 

No matter what you do, don't forget that love means being humble and respectful and kind to all in everyday situations. 

Sometimes the best Valentine's Day gift can be the most simple.

5 Simple Steps for Shaking Off The Funk

 Many of us are probably feeling a little burnt out by now. The holidays are over and all of those happy Christmas feelings are long gone. The motivation we had to achieve our New Year's Resolution has dissipated, and we are back to the same tired routines of the year before. 

Those are just a few of the many causes of the build up of negative emotions that make up what I like to call The Funk. 

It is not quite as easy to overcome as the Winter Blues, and it is not as intense as depression, but it certainly is unpleasant. The Funk has a variety of symptoms including lack of interest, body soreness, apathy, fatigue, and a general hopeless feeling that nothing will ever make you smile again. 

A common belief is that the cure to The Funk is finding happiness. I don't think that is accurate. Yes, happiness can relieve some of those symptoms for a while, but it is a fleeting feeling that eventually wears off. Soon you will find yourself looking for the next happy high to pull you above the surface just long enough to catch a few deep breaths.

There is a more permanent solution to eliminate The Funk for good and I believe that solution is finding the joy within you. Joy runs deeper than happiness. It is a lasting emotion that leads to inner peace and psychological rest.

According to dictionary.com the definition of joy is the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.

What if I told you that "something exceptionally good or satisfying" could be found in your own mind? 

Many times, the key to lasting joy is trapped in our thoughts, but can be brought out by following a simple defunkification  process. 
(Yes I just made up a word)

 DeFUNKification:
 

Step 1: Kill all incoming negative thoughts. It is much more simple than it sounds. Whenever you have a thought that produces a discouraging emotion, counter it with a thought that produces a positive emotion. For example, if you are mentally putting yourself down for not sticking with you resolution, challenge that by remembering a time when you actually did follow through with something. Consider how good you felt and remember that one failure in no way defines who you are.

Step 2: Get some fresh air. It may be cold out there, but being inside, staring at the same walls you've been staring at for weeks, months, or even years, can be depressing. So is browsing Facebook, stalking people who are enjoying their lives more than you happen to be at the moment. Go for a walk and take 10 deep breaths. Every time you inhale, imagine yourself sucking up a bit of your Funk, and every time you exhale, imagine yourself letting it out. 

Step 3: Occupy yourself. Chose a few new goals; pick something long term and then plan a short term goal that will help you achieve the long term one. Get a new hobby, maybe something that you have always wanted to do. Plan an exciting vacation to a new country and learn a new language to help you prepare! Some times we can fall in to The Funk because our spirit is telling us that we are not making progress. Human beings are meant to do amazing things! If you are doing the same thing as last year, something's gotta give. 

Step 4: Take a break. You are back to school, the Christmas decorations at work have come down, and life is pretty much back to business as usual. So take a break from life. If you can afford to take a mini weekend vacation do that, but taking a break doesn't have to mean going away. If you have a flexible schedule, try taking a nice comfortable nap in the middle of the afternoon! If you are shackled to consciousness by your responsibilities, make time before going to sleep at night to get wrapped up in an exceptionally good book. (I recommend Liars Like Me by yours truly!)  

Step 5: Count your blessings. I mean this in the most literal sense. If you tried everything on this list and you are still trapped in the suffocating fog of sadness, start to make a list of your own. We all know that life is unfair, and, if we are being honest, we tend to realize that fact even more when we are not enjoying it. Life kicks you when you are down, so the best thing to do is get up as quickly as possible. On a piece of paper start to write down things that you are truly grateful for, even if it was a long time ago. Better yet, start a blessing jar, or jug, or bowl; pretty much any empty container you have around the house will work for this. Everyday write down something that you are grateful for, or a blessing that you have experienced and put it in the jar. If you can't think of one, start with the fact that you are alive and able to read this post! 

 

Bible Coming To LIFE!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story of the great flood, it is a very old story about a man named Noah who was the only person on Earth, literally, who did what was good in the eyes of God. God was displeased with the world He created and the evil people who lived there, so He told Noah to build an ark, a GIANT boat, in preparation for a big storm that was coming. 

God was going to make it rain! 

Not only that, but He was planning on flooding the entire planet. God simply told him that He loved him and that Noah would need to prepare. 

Unlike many of us, Noah got straight to work building the ark with his sons. Though the task at hand seemed ridiculous and impossible he was obedient. Noah didn't wait for a sign, he didn't doubt that it would rain so profusely, he didn't try to convince others that he was right; bottom line is that Noah did not WASTE TIME!

 

When God asks us to do something, we tend to procrastinate, or ignore the task all together. We think, "God would never talk to me." or "Why in the world would He tell me to do that?" The truth is, He talks to all of us everyday. We should open our ears to listen, not just hear, and once He reveals our destiny to us, we need to get started! 

A few amazing people are doing just that in Williamstown, Kentucky. The makers of the Creation Museum are working on constructing a life size Noah's ark! Their goal is for the Ark to stand as a reminder of the biblical story of Noah. Soon, we will be able to know how hard Noah and his family worked to do the same thing thousands of years ago with the guidance of God. 

Finally, we will be able to witness what happens when we fully commit to our calling from God!

3 Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship

Life in 2015 is moving at warp speed! 

There is just so much to do in a day and it seems like the hours are falling away. Working, cleaning, keeping up with friends and family can all be exhausting. Not to mention, school will be starting again for many of us. With a schedule that is bursting at the seams, it is no wonder we often feel overwhelmed when we try to add a serious relationship to the mix.

Everyone knows that spending time with each other is an important part of being a healthy and happy couple. But, when we do find time to spare to be together it is usually spent dealing with the situations that present themselves in life. You argue, you plan, you contemplate, you reason, and still you might find your relationship is not as strong as it was when all you did was talk on the phone for hours about nothing. Relationships need regular maintenance. It is important to not let it fall beneath other things in your life that are far less meaningful.

When you feel interference with your emotional connection there are a few things you can do to mend the weakening bond.

1. Read the bible LOUD & PROUD - I know I have said this before, and I will probably say it again, because IT WORKS! You don't have to read the entire gospel of John, but do take the time to read a few verses out loud. For a steamy bible reading I recommend passages from Song of Songs.  Not only does reading aloud help adults fully understand the material being read, it also can improve our focus on other tasks. Paying attention to each other as you read makes you both feel important, understood, and it encourages positive communication. 

2. Take the same "chill pill" - Spend time cuddling and kissing, knowing that it will not escalate to sex. When you first started dating you used to do that all the time! You made out for the joy and excitement of kissing, there was passion and freedom behind it. Make out in the back of a dark movie theater, or before you leave for work! On your day off, lay together for a hour, kiss, and  occasionally talk about random passing thoughts.

 3. Define the relationship - Oh, the dreaded DTR. Most of you are probably cringing, thinking about relationship status conversations that have gone horribly wrong, and some of you probably can't stop smiling about the ones the didn't. For each milestone you and your significant other have passed, you have had a moment when you sit down to discuss the next step. This is not what I mean when I say DTR. You don't necessarily need to talk about life changing decisions. Simply tell each other your current feelings about the state of your relationship. If you are blissfully happy, share that! If you feel like you are headed in the right direction, the other person has a right to know! It can be encouraging to hear that your partner is feeling secure and satisfied. On the other had, if there is a problem, this can be a way to find a solution without it escalating into a fight or argument.

The important thing to keep in mind is that relationships are not always perfect. There are high highs and low lows, but fortunately you have the rest of your lives to find a balance and to create a nearly perfect harmony. 

A Night To Remember: Joy & Max

Yesterday, January 10th, 2015,  I had the privilege of attending the wedding of a beautiful young couple, Max and Joy!

 I can't think of a better way to celebrate a new year in love than a wedding! 

The venue was absolutely beautiful; everyone who decorated did an amazing job.

 

  

  

 

Every detail was perfect, the team left nothing out!

 

  

 

Nico and I had a blast!

 

 

He looked dashing in his sweater-vest and homemade bow tie! 

  

 

And I made plenty of new friends! 

 

As a bridesmaid I want to wish Joy and Max all of the blessings the Lord has to offer!

There is no better feeling than knowing that He led you to the person He made to complete your heart...

 

You are soul mates, anyone with eyes can see that! 

 

Always remember these wise words...

 

You guys will go through many trials together, more than you have already been through, things that you probably can't even imagine!  But the most important thing is that you are together, helping each other grow to be better people.

 May you become a stronger unified soul forever!

I wish you nothing but harmony and peace.