Guy/Girl Friendships Series – The Lowdown

Hello!  I've been thinking a lot about this series, and though I've already started writing the first post, I decided to make an introductory post to explain what I hope to address.  I'm going to try and fit things into four posts which will roughly be the following:

• Desire, Downfall, & Duty – This post will set the foundations for the rest of the series.  It will explain where things stood between man and woman when God created the world, how sin twisted our desire for the opposite sex, and how it can be redeemed.
• What Guy/Girl Friendship Should Look Like – In this post, I'll look to a couple books and much wiser people to explore what pure, God-glorifying friendship between guys and girls should look like. 
• When Our Emotions Get in the Way – Especially for us as women, our emotions can majorly trip us up when we're trying to go about the whole guy/girl friendship thing in a way that will keep those relationships friendly and sisterly.  Sometimes though, we allow our hearts to go nuts and despite our best intentions, guys can occupy our minds, our heart skips a beat when one walks by, or in an effort to keep the friendship platonic, we can even come off as indifferent.  In this post, I'll offer some solutions for when our emotions run away and for when we need to adjust our focus. 
• What's the Point? – In the final post of this series, I'll attempt to answer a question I've always had to re-ask myself about the purpose of guy/girl friendships. 

All of the things I'm going to write about are things I have specifically struggled with or need some work on.   I'm super excited about it!

I hope you have an awesome Christmas this week!

2 Corinthians 11:2

Hello and happy December!  We're a few days in and I'm feeling the Christmas vibes like crazy over here.  Between listening Christmas music non-stop and secretively planning gifts to get (though that's no longer secret now), I just need the snow and I'll be all set!

Enough about impending holidays... onto the verse!  This is one of my favorite verses right now.  I guess what gets me about it is the jealousy part.  To know that God is jealous for me because He has promised me to Christ really hits me.  It also prompts me to evaluate my position.  Am I being faithful to Christ?  Am I upholding my end of the bargain?  To know that God desires me and is jealous for my affection and my heart motivates me to make sure that I am being purposeful in my quiet time and that I am keeping my heart for one person – Christ.  I am promised to Christ; am I keeping my focus on Him?

I'll be writing my first post of a series on guy/girl relationships very soon.  Have a great Friday tomorrow!  xo, Ella