A Jeep In Summer

i believe #3 was a maybe later/maybe never... no sense in making matters worse.

and i thought #5 was more of a history lesson/reasons to be too freaked out to "look" any more. could just be semantics, though. =)

#4 (not least of which is closer to clarks summit than current geographic location.)

this is totally hear-say, but i've heard it said that one only needs ONE Reason to call off such a search....

maybe you're right. maybe it is just semantics.

This is almost on topic--

Different people are called to different things. And there are so many different ways to serve in the kingdom of God...

This I know. There is a plan. God is weaving this huge tapestry, and we only see our little part of the back of it, the part that looks really confused. So our perception isn't of the whole. While we may have discernment and/or clear direction about a lot of things, there are some things which should be respected as being personal and subjective. And if someone says, 'You know, I just don't want to get married' and there's no clear evidence to counteract that personal feeling, heck, nobody should put any pressure on them to get married.

I also know this. Somebody who doesn't want to get married shouldn't!

Oh, and this too. I think God gives us some flexibility in life choices. I think that what it's going to boil down to is that we served God, not necessarily all the roads we could follow.

And if someone looks down on someone for that choice...well that's being judgemental in a bad way. There are moments to be accepting and pluralistic. And maybe postmodernist. Hmm. Go figure.

agreed about the different roads & the idea of no pressure. agreed about not getting married if you don't want to - but the tapestry also has different patterns for different periods for different periods of life.

for then there's the converse personality that exerts itself at wedding ceremonies in the form of "wow, it would be swell to get married (like tomorrow)!" is that a female thing? to have two such strongly opposing sides to one's self?

re: ONE reason, how much time should be spent pursuing that reason - if there even is one?

Regarding momentary desires--yep, I go to weddings and want to be getting married. Part of it is that a wedding is a really powerful ceremony, reflecting the reality of Jesus' love in a concrete way. And I just want to be loved like that. In a concrete, dancing, celebratory, specific, amazing way.

And I am.

He has shed his own blood for my soul. It don't get more specific than that.

and the one reason--

Well, I've changed my focus. From my own estate to my Lord. He's pretty much the only reason to do anything.

and celibacy allows for hospitality.

re: #4, they have the best philly cheese steak sandwiches (even in the airport)! this coming from a non-redmeat consumer. =)