For Single People Who Complain

Lately, there have been a lot of engagements, weddings and new relationships. Being a single guy I look on my Facebook, post a "Congrats!" on respective walls and move on. Occasionally, I like to think about getting into a relationship myself and if I feel really depressed, throw a pity party or self loathing social. I'm pretty sure a lot of single people out there feel jealous or envious when they see their friends end up in one of the three categories mentioned. Let's be honest single people, envy got to you at least once. This is not going to be a very long rant or anything but I really hope that you continue to read and soak it all in.

First of all, GET OVER YOURSELF!

Hold on...that seemed a little harsh to start off. Let's try this again.

Get over yourself...

There! Not as bad when it's not in all caps right?

Second, stop listening to those sappy love songs, watching those romance movies (that make you binge on ice cream) and for goodness sake quit trying to make other people feel sorry for you on Facebook/Twitter

Singleness is not a sentence, it's a season. 

It does not last forever (unless God called you to a lifetime of singleness like a couple of people I know).

Third, stop settling for Mr. or Miss. Right Now.

He's not gonna put a ring on it and probably won't change his ways.

She's gonna be end up being someone's baby mama or yours if you don't watch yourself.

Adopt some godly standards. Look up the Bible and read up on what that entails.

Fourth, work on the relationships you have going on right now! You have friendships, family ties and/or church family. Get closer to them! 

Lastly, get active outside and not on your Facebook or Twitter. Get involved in a ministry, do those hobbies you love so much and/or learn something new! Understand that you are single right now and if God has marriage in store for you, then you better go to the store, pick up some groceries and start learning how to cook. This goes for both guys and girls.

Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy yourselves and the time that is set apart right now to grow as a person. Start saving up on a ring fellas and in general. Love doesn't pay the bills so get yourself a job and get out of debt. I can tell you one thing will be certain. She's not gonna want to live in a run down apartment, sleep on your college futon and eat ramen noodles for dinner for the rest of her life. And if she becomes the bread winner in your family, that's fine. But you are still the priest of your family. You are the spiritual head of the household so you better start studying up on Jesus. Why? Easy. That's what a real man looks like.

Ladies, the guys you attract depend on the bait you throw out. Be careful about how you dress and the pictures you post on Facebook. I'm not saying you should wear winter clothing all year round.

I get that it is extremely hard to stay fashionable and be modest. Believe me, I work in retail. I get it. But, you can be modest and still look/feel good about yourself. You don't want a boy, you want a man. Let him be attracted to what really matters. You're not gonna look this good forever so put away those duck faces and understand that one you'll get wrinkles like your mom.

Most importantly, your relationship with God is the most important part of this whole equation. It's easy to say but really think about it. The God of the universe wants a deeper relationship with you. Marriage is supposed to show us what our relationship with God is supposed to look like. Why do you think the Bible refers to the church as the Bride of Christ? Think about adultery. If you were to get married right now with Mr. or Miss Perfect, how much would it hurt if after your honeymoon they cheat on you with someone else? Hurt won't even begin to describe it right? You would be absolutely devastated! To lust is to commit adultery. We have all cheated on God and deserve to be stoned to death! One of my favorite lines from Chris Tomlin is this:

You see the depths of my heart and you love me the same.

Let that soak in. He sees you for the cheating bride that you are and it DOES NOT CHANGE how much he cares for you and it didn't change his mind to die for you. It doesn't seem so harsh now for you to get over yourself right?

One last thing to leave you with is that marriage with another person is only temporary. This does not mean that you shouldn't love them with everything you got and work on your marriage until you die. What I am saying to you single people is that marriage is only a glimpse of what true paradise will be like when we are in heaven. Your first marriage is with God and everything else is second. I know that it hurts right now to be waiting and staying patient. I get it. It sucks. But you know what, it is humbling to understand that what you're going through may be of help for someone else. How does this help you? Well, when you get married, you will understand what sacrifice will really mean. Better to get it through your mind now that it's not all about you and what you want.

Get your stuff together people...

One more time for emphasis.

GET YOUR STUFF TOGETHER!

For People Who Pray

Hey God,

What's the deal?

Why are people so crazy?

Why do they lie, cheat, kill and steal?

Why is life so hard?

Why can't I hear you?

Why do I have a tough time believing that

What you say is true?

Right now I'm questioning

Doubting

And even complaining about your plans

But what I hate the most is that while I'm complaining

I go to church, take communion

And thank you for your blood stained hands.

I feel like a hypocrite

But I'm still really upset

When you told me to follow you

I didn't expect this much pain and regret

But I don't regret you or

The choice I made to follow

It's just that sometimes I'm jealous

Because I'd rather be shallow that what I am now,

Hollow...

Tomorrow I want to try harder

And be better than before

I mean at least I'm not the one breaking in

With a gun trying to rob a liquor store

My sin isn't as bad as

Some celebrities we all know

At least I'm not lying to get into a woman's pants

And recording it on video

But seriously God 

I can't complain to you

Because you walked with me

You carried me through

I'm trying to understand grace

And forgiving other people

Even when I see them

Entering the same white steeple

Call me immature or childish

Because God I'm not quite there yet

It's hard for me to live a life in which

I forgive and forget

I have my scars but

You also have your own

I still can't believe you've forgiven me

Instead of throwing the first stone

Even though there's so much hurt in the world

So much pain that time can't heal

I want to be a person of change

And show-off a God whose love is real

When people leave me and

And I have to start over again

I can always count on you

To stick around until the end

Even though I'm not perfect

It's not an excuse to not strive to be holy

People can judge me all they want

Only your opinion matters to me

So God here I am

The real me

The new me you've created

Ready to be who I was meant to be

I know that our society has problems

And everywhere else does too

But you have overcome the world

And paved the way for us to love you

So God I'm sorry

I know this life of mine is borrowed

But if I happen to live another day

Then help me to try harder tomorrow

For the Wedding

I stand mystified at the sight of truth
Staring at the grandiose of all that is real
The well of sensibility and rationality becomes dry
And what is left is what I feel
The sensation of the senses achieving their maximum capabilities 
Causes each one to be jealous for attention
Demanding me to listen as they plead their case
But I focus on sight and leave the others in suspension
The solitary thought of disbelief becomes engrossed by its counterpart
Clarity becomes a synonym for reality
Dreams are finally awakened
And even though the future is shrouded in mystery
The best friend named fear has lost his way,
Forever wandering in a desolate wasteland of past regrets
All that is left is to finish painting the portrait
Priced so high that 7 worldly wonders would be in debt
Please grant me a few more seconds
Allow the mind to comprehend and the paint to dry
Nothing in life has ever been more beautiful than right now
Walking down this aisle is my lovely bride

For the Grieving Couple

To have anything worth losing

To value something means bondage

To be attached or connected

Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually

causes the heart to grow fond

The body adapts and becomes tolerant

The mind transforms

The soul carries a new burden

Anything can become a great relationship

Anything can become a hidden obsession

And when either one occurs

Dependency is virtually inevitable

Jealousy cracks what is unbreakable

And fear feels as natural as love

Life is a risk

Love is accompanied by hope

Loss is as likely as gain

But the scale is never balanced in life

To lose something and gain the exact amount is impossible

One side is always

Something is always neglected

Something is always gained

A great loss can mean great gain

And vice versa

Beauty truly lies in

The will to and the will to be

Knowing that the scale may never tip in one's favor

When love is involved

In any shape or form

Something will be lost

Something will be gained

But love requires the will to lose or gain

And the will to be loved in return

Otherwise, love's purity becomes parasitic

Lust and loneliness go hand in hand

Hope is no longer helpful

And unpaid debt can lead to death

So cherish, value, and savor life with all its risks

Anything worth loving is worth losing once

For the Newlyweds

Strands of love become
An indestructible cord
When tested by
The sands of time
To lose its value
None can afford
So let it cry
A joy of life
For to love is to live
And to live is to love
As two become one
Let one love rise above
With radiant hearts
And gleaming eyes
May the mirror reveal
The prize you hold inside

Extravagantly Common

It started with a thought
And ended with a kiss goodbye
On the forehead
Even though I have sought
For most my life 
A certain direction
It led me straight to you
There has always been a sign
An unrelenting feeling
Of fate and destiny
This overwhelming sensation
Of an incomplete story
A cliff hanger ending
Heart rendering tales of 
Lost romance and unrequited love
Dare to strip mere mortals of Dreams, infinite portals into
A world above, a world of perfection
Where hearts fly like doves and
Sing with no hint of deception
But this story is not a tale because
It is not over
There is no ending but simply preparation for an extravagantly common ending
Common in the world of perfection
Common in a world where
Dreams are reality and 
Reality is but a dream
There is no ending to the story
For when that day comes
Out hearts and minds will become
Romanticized with sweet illumination
We will wake up to
A new chapter,
Starting with a thought
And ending with a kiss goodnight

Let's get back to poetry

Sandy Hook Shooting
By: Houth Som

Color the heart with lines of justice
Paint the soul with brushes of peace
Let the spirit dance in rivers of mercy
Let the mind be filled with works of grace
For love is infinite and eternal
It is warm, kind and personal
So color the streets with lines of justice
Paint the cities with brushes of peace
Let the nations dance in rivers of mercy
Let the people be filled with works of grace
For God is infinite and eternal
He is warm, kind and personal