Help Me Believe

So my cousin tells me about an [apparently popular & free] online dating network and I was like "oh OK - that's cool" [clearly uninterested]. Maybe another week later, another girlfriend mentions that she just joined the same site and how another one of our friends is on it. Hmmmmmmmm.... Then I found some people who told me that they have Match.com & eHarmony accounts. I had no idea that online dating was for more than ugly Internet losers. But I know these people and they're pretty normal, attractive, and overall great catches. So what the heck, I just let curiosity kill the cat and signed up.

Not so bad so far. You enter a little bit of info about yourself (height, likes, body type, upload a few pics, etc.) and then people can cruise through your page and send you messages if they so choose. So "Religion" is also one of the bits of info that's displayed on your dating profile. Craziest thing is that a good number of people are attractive but in the same light a lot of them have claimed themselves as being "Non-Religious."

I've had a very brief difficulty in my past time with a crush of another religion but it was just that - "brief." I found out that he wasn't a Christian and I let it go immediately. I was just floored at the fact that I had been crushing on him for a week or so (I was young) and then we're praying over food and I noticed his prayer posture...***ding ding ding*** But I respected him for his beliefs, it just isn't who I want to be the head of my household so its not even a consideration as far as dating. I honestly respect a lot of the Muslim community as being a Muslim in America requires great discipline (i'm not sure how young African-American Muslims deal with dating as most of the black community is Christian).

Either way, believing in something whole hearted (Christian or Muslim) is much better than believing in NOTHING (there wasn't a n/a option so I'm glad that the site makes you choose). Although there are large differences in our religions, I believe that there is only one God and there is no way that the God that Muslims are worshipping could be any different from my God. I have Muslim friends who say that they love Jesus but their take on Him is much different than mine. I still can't get over how many people have "non-religious" on their profiles and they're out there searching for a relationship - Clearly the wrong relationship. The relationship with God should be sought out first before we can even consider having a relationship with another person (Just my personal thoughts).

When I got to my desk this morning I hit play on the iTunes and the first song that came up was....



Although I'm far from a perfect Christian, I am a believer in Christ until my last breath and I pray that he strengthens my mind and heart and touches the hearts of the "Non-Religious"/Non-believers out there. Help them believe!

Kissed by a Frog

Have you ever seen a couple so beautiful and say WOW they belong together? But was it just because they 'looked' like they belonged together? Or maybe you even knew a little bit about them and felt like they were a power couple. Both intelligent, bound to produce beautiful kids, great families, blah, blah, blah... I've been a party in one of those couples but guess what? We only looked like we belonged together! Three years of trying because we both did the match maker calculations in our head and we 'thought' we belonged together. Consequently everything about us went wrong. He wasn't my prince charming.

After a not so recent heart to heart with a dear friend and a recent reminder blog, I realized that the ones that we calculate up to being 'our type' aren't always the ones to make us happy. Your Prince charming could truly be a frog. Not in that he's not good looking or intelligent, he just isn't or wasn't the one that you thought you would end up being with or falling head over heels for. Not tall enough, not dark or light enough, little bit of a belly, not in the profession of your choice, family doesn't like you, different religion, different races, different habits, different hobbies but nonetheless he is what your heart desires.

We are blessed in mysterious ways with the people that are brought into our lives and sometimes we have no choice in matters of the heart. Being kissed by a frog is no small thing in that who knows who that frog may be, if he will ever come, and/or if he will ever truly be your prince charming. All we can do is sit back and let God write our love story and be thankful for the opportunity to have loved and be loved.

Kisses