Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: Kirsten Neumann

I was reading a book a couple of weeks ago, and in it a character quoted Song of Solomon 8:6 “Place me like a seal on your arm and like a seal upon your heart.” This led me to listen to the song You Won’t Relent by Misty Edwards. 

For the last few years-since grade eight, really, God has been working in me and teaching me about love. It actually all started out because a guy I really, really liked kind of led me on and then told me he didn’t reciprocate the feelings after a few months.

So, God started showing me what love is. And not just Love, but how He saw me. He started giving me verses like Psalm 103: 17 “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.” Or leading me to books that really helped me see he loves me just the way I am.  

As an unmarried young lady, I’d like to get married someday. I have the whole white picket fence, two and a half kids and perfect husband who is completely romantic while working a good steady job and will never let me down. Unfortunately, even I know that it’s an unrealistic dream.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Rosie Awori

I was in a relationship for a long time. And I was the relationship had its ups and downs, but overall, I was happy with it. Then I began to pursue God seriously. I waded out of the waters of stagnation and let Him into every aspect of my life.

But when I decided to let Him guide me through everything, He touched on my relationship. I coiled like a porcupine shooting spines to protect MY relationship.

Then I took a step back and let God show me why He needed me to be isolated. For the longest time I put everything into this relationship to make it look perfect. Even though I consulted God in everything, I never consulted Him when it came to this relationship. It was mine, and although we were both Christians, I was not living up to my full potential--always concerned what the other party would think. Risks were barely a part of my choices and nowhere close to being in my vocabulary.

We prayed and professed to putting God first, but there was an unequal yoking where we were not helping each other to grow. Soon, we realized that we were crowding each other and a single pursuit of God was necessary for growth.

When I did finally, wholly trust God, I walked into a whole new kind of a life--one in which my choices are single handedly drawn by Him, and every decision I take I know I am backed by the Alpha and Omega. It is not easy, but it is worth it because I trust Him as the potter moulding me for my purpose in His plan. I will wait on Him to perfect me for my destiny.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Emily Posch

There are a million reasons to put something off. We tell each other all about the “signs that God sent us” to do a particular thing, but only when it’s convenient. Only when it’s something we want to do…and more than the other things we’d like to do.  

So after I had spent weeks with one thought in the back of my mind—“why are there no ministries for single Christian women?”—I discovered She is Set Apart via Instagram. And I did nothing.  

Oh, I sure said I would. I told all of my close girlfriends all about it. “They need people to contribute! Let’s share our testimonies!” And I’d pull open Word and start typing…and then realize that it was absolutely necessary to go buy avocados or run the laundry that very second.  

I think my biggest hang-up was wondering how I would convince you, dear reader, how valued and loved you are by your Father. How cherished you are by your Savior. How to not make the same mistakes I did.

The Big "V"



Photo Credit: Arielle Estoria Chroniclesofalioness.com

Had that “no new friends” bandwagon that people have been jumping on left and right come out a few years ago, I would be sitting front row and center. Even though I’m a very friendly person, I’m also private and it wasn’t until a few years ago that I also used this as an excuse not to let people in. I talked to a lot of people but my interactions for a long time were limited to courteous ‘hellos’ and ‘how’s your week been?’ I was content with my handful of close friends, and my family who were my support system and  accountability partners.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Laly Elgueta

There are days when you wake up and you don’t know your life will change forever. In my case it was an autumn sunshiny day when my future made a turning point to a new direction, pointed by God himself.  I didn’t know a simple pure hearted promise would shape the years to come. 

I was only 21 years old and like any other girl I wanted to experience love and romance. I had been praying about this amazing young man who was interested in having a relationship with me, but since he was not a Christian, I was hesitating. The Father had already made me know His disapproval and during that morning I was going to let this boy know about my final decision too.

Despite having an answer, I was not happy about it. I was fighting in my heart with the Father about his negative whensomething amazing happened. The Father asked me to keep myself apart for Him until marriage. I agreed because I thought I had no more choices. Now I think how little I knew God to think that. As soon as I gave Him my response He made me a question it would change my whole life story. He wanted to know if I was willing to be faithful to my future husband even before we met. That moment was a turning point in my life. An overwhelming feeling of love invaded my heart and I was able to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice saying this was the kind of romantic love I would one day experience. The only requirement was faithfulness to God and to my future husband.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Bernadette Muinga

I'm two days into a new position (as a write this) at my old job and I'm already being stretched! Not only is my role different, but my relationships with coworkers are shifting, my responsibilities and accountability are different and boy oh boy, I'm working harder than ever before... and I already thought I worked hard!

So today at lunch, as I'm walking out, I remember I've forgotten something and quickly run back to my desk. It's like they smelled me open the door because before I could get to my desk, a ‘big boss’ pulls me into her office and shares that there are a few things that need managing before I could go to lunch. An hour and a half later, I'm peacefully seated, fed and still have a few minutes to spare. I found myself reviewing/praying on the day’s events thus far and like a bomb, it hit me: "To whom much is given, much is required." 

 

Selah... I had to chew on that for a bit!

 

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Chioma Anyanwu

Before I used to think that being single was something to be ashamed of. I felt that I was permanently stamped with an unwanted sign and that my worth was measured by what others thought of me. I believed being single was not something to celebrate or be spoken about. If you were single and in conversation about singleness, it wasn't enough to just say "I'm single" it had to be followed by "Oh actually there is this guy that I like..." As soon as I said that, people were interested in me and what I had to say. God forbid you would just say that you were just single as people would automatically think "What is wrong with her?"

I went to an all girls school and I felt all kinds of pressure coming from my peers who already had boyfriends and we having pre-marital sex. I just didn't understand why nobody wanted me. I remember a girl saying to me that if you want to be noticed you have to make yourself available, really available. How you dress, how you talk, how you

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Aurelie Mukendi

I was never truly aware of how beautiful the season of singleness is, until I was in a relationship. I fell in love, right guy at the wrong time and not at all how God wanted it to happen.  I went through with it partly because I was young but mostly because I was broken. Broken girls like me grew up watching Disney fairytales, meeting Prince Charming is something we look forward to.  Someone to rescue us from all the pain we’ve endured, someone to laugh at our horrible jokes, someone who will accept and love our families and hopefully he loves dogs too...that’s how it goes right? The longer I remained in that relationship, the louder I could hear God telling me that I had awakened love before it was time. I had pulled myself away from His plan for my life and stepped into a season, where His word had told me to wait. I sought rescue in man and the wounds that I hadn’t yet allowed God full access to, were destroying not only me but a man who till this day, I will always love and cherish.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Kaye Olivar

I used to sit inside my high school gym watching students practice for a wrestling match. It’s not like the WWE we see on TV where they’re situated inside a ring, where there are no rules and chairs are being thrown out of nowhere. WWE is just an illusion that I believed was true when I was growing up. But the wrestlers I watched at school used their bodies to put down their opponents or to get them out of the drawn circle. It looked simple, but the sport required great strength, endurance and a willful mind.

Jacob wrestled with the angles for the blessing he was praying for and he didn’t stop until God decided to bless Him. Waiting on God and His promises can sometimes feel like we’re being wrestled, not by Him but by ourselves. Oswald Chambers said we are not to wrestle with God, but with things in front of God.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Courtney Stewart

I'm a huge advocate of real talk, so let me be real with you all for a minute: I hate cliche's. 

I've. Heard. It. All.

"Guys are intimidated by your independence!"

"They must be intimidated by your height." (I'm just under 6 feet tall)

"Guys are intimidated by women in ministry."

"As soon as you stop looking, you'll find him!"

"You need to be more extroverted to snag a man...put yourself out there!"

"It's all in God's timing, don't try and go outside of His plan. Be patient!"

"You're way too mature for the guys around here."

"I just don't understand while you're single...you're so GREAT!"

"Maybe if you prayed more...you know?"

And so on. And so forth.

I'm sure you ladies can relate to me when I say that these conversations are neither soul-filling or encouraging. 

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT ft. Neeta Manohar

My Life never turned out as I expected it to. And boy, am I glad that it didn’t. To many today  I come across as a person who don’t know what it is to feel pain, to feel broken , to feel unworthy or to feel alone , I guess the constant smile on my face gives me away! (Praise God for the smile today)

As I look back at my life, I feel God’s hand on it to turn every plan of mine into a purpose to help me get closer to Him. I was a person to have it all planned. I was blessed to be a natural at tennis and be good at it, so I planned to play in the Wimbledon one day. That was more than a plan, it was a dream , a desire I worked toward . Unfortunately, it didn’t work out because God had bigger plans for me.

I learned that when I saw God using me in my friends lives and using me as a vessel.  I went to college and studied , something that wouldn’t happen if I played tennis professionally. I would not be able to attend college regularly and miss out on life’s teachings that enabled me to be the person I am today.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: Liv Migenes

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about singleness, it’s this:

Singleness is out of my control.

Much of my life, I’ve been boyfriend-less with no possible prospects in sight. It’s always left me wondering, Has God forgotten about me? Relationships are supposed to be a rite of passage. High school meant going to the prom, the ultimate show of coupledom. College was meeting that sweetheart you’d never forget and possibly even marry. But I only went to the post-prom party (which was pretty lame) and had crushes in college.

Maybe I didn’t put myself in places where I would meet people. As an introvert, I prefer a quiet afternoon with a good book to loud parties.  But was that really the reason for my singleness?

After I became a Christian, I wondered when the time would come when I’d meet that great man of God and we’d fall in love. But instead, I fell into the wrong relationship after praying for the wrong prayer. I prayed that God would turn his heart toward me and that’s exactly what He did. Only, after a few months of dating, I finally came to understand why God had not done it in the first place.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: Laura Toeniskoetter

I've been single for all my life, minus five or six weeks in high school where I dated a guy. Needless to say, the whole thing was kind of a disaster (we both made it much more worse than it needed to be when we broke up) and relationships have just had a sour taste to me.


Isn't it funny the things we expect out of our life? The world seems to tell us that life isn't as complete when you're single as it is when you share it with someone? Being single is supposed to be lonely, and yes, I'll admit there's moments where it is - but being single is such a blessing too. 

Not that I won't be open to a relationship when it's time, but it's not the time and I am completely okay with that. So many people think life begins when you fall in love, but I totally disagree. 

I'm not in love with any man, but in my twenty years, I've built a career that includes a successful blog, self-publishing a book in the beginning of the year, and so many other things. Sure, we can all wait around for Mr. Right to come around, but life is so much more complete and fun when you make it yourself. 

When I do meet Mr. Right, I know that I'll be everything I want to be for him, independent and able to take care of myself because I've been through so much to get to that point, but because I can take care of myself, it's not the end of the world if he never shows up. When the time comes, I don't want a relationship that completes me, but one that compliments both of us. 

Laura is a college junior, life style blogger, and award-winning author. On her

blog, The Laura Way, she blogs about college, life, trying to organize and her journey on prepping her book, THE ASSASSIN, for publishing.

Set Apart Spotlight: Victoria Olaniyan

 A while back, I went through a season of feeling alone and constantly feeling that I needed more because something was missing.  There was emptiness in me but I felt like I couldn't talk to anyone about it. I would pray and read my Bible and I'd still feel better but very soon after, I'd go back to square one.

While praying one day, I felt God ask me what exactly it was I wanted, however I didn't really pay attention to it. I carried on like this for a while, still smiling, socializing and putting on my "all is well" mask at church meetings. I kept on filling my days with mundane and unnecessary tasks.  Then one day I came across a song by The Planetshakers called 'Healer', I immediately connected with the song and God started speaking to me through it.

"I believe You're my Healer

I believe You are all I need

I believe You're my Portion

I believe You're more than enough for me

Jesus You're all I need"

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: Dephne Madyara

There just had to be more for me... The clubbing, drinking and partying no longer fulfilled me, it just didn't suffice. My heart began to search for more, there had to be a greater joy, peace and fulfilment that is not found in things, substances or people. Would you believe me if I told that God began to speak to me before I knew Him? This is because He is an awesome God and He does what He wants and wills for all things were made through Him and for Him! 

My loss of interest began when I saw the Holy Spirit in a dream. My heart began to search for more...there just had to be more for me in this life. In a dream I was seated in a

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: S'ambrosia Wasike

I always knew I was different, set apart. I didn’t fit in with the other kids at school, and I didn’t really care to. All I wanted was God. Now that may sound overly religious to some of you, but it was my reality… at least I thought it was.

At the age of 4, a major crush on the Italian heartthrob known as Carman and fervent prayers that he come to my hometown in Kansas brought me to the day when God answered my prayers and I accepted Jesus as Lord of my life. Under the tutelage of my mother, I grew in the knowledge of God and began to excel in biblical studies. Throughout my teenage years I engaged with the Lord often through dance and song and spent hours beside the lake just soaking in His goodness.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: Lauren Ashley Gilmore

Goodness me! What an honor to be asked to share "my story". The Lord is still writing, editing, highlighting, tweaking and refining this story, but I'm pleased to be asked to share it. It's perfectly imperfect and any glint of lovely was placed by His hand.

So here goes... I was born into a Pastor's home in the Deep South some 20 odd years ago. I was home schooled, christian schooled and public schooled all by the time I turned 8. My parents truly set Godly examples of what it means to "walk the walk" not just "talk the talk". Something I didn't learn until much later in life (but more about that soon). My Dad always told me "Your walk talks, and your talk talks , but your walk talks louder than your talk talks". He's the master of turning a life lesson into a catchy phrase.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: Caitlin Williams

My story started as a little girl. I have been going to church all my life and was baptized at the age of eleven. Unfortunately, I never knew really how to have a relationship with Christ. I spent all of my junior high and high school years feeling like I was inadequate.  I allowed the words of others to control me. 

It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I got so tired of dealing with the sadness and decided to call on God. That was the best decision ever but my fight wasn't over yet. 

I headed to college with my new relationship with God but still wasn't fully invested in Him. My freshman year of college, I was so pressed for a relationship that I was the one pursuing the guys!

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: Ariel Richardson

         

I always start my testimony with before I was conceived.  All of my life the doctors told my mother that she would not be able to have children.  So when she became pregnant with me it was evident that the Lord saw fit for me to be here regardless of human thoughts.  Growing up the first five years of my life I really don’t remember but from looking through photos I would say I was a pretty happy child.  Starting kindergarten I was mean and violent, much so that I was expelled from my elementary school.  I believe this behavior was a mirror of what was actually going on in my home.  Around this age my mother and father filed for divorce and my father left my mother to raise my brother and me by herself.  This put a lot of pressure on my mother and this is when abuse started to happen.  Patience wasn’t present in our house thus as young children and even teenagers when my mother would lose patience it was brutal punishments, emotional and verbal damage.  So here I was during the most critical time of nurturing development left to find that somewhere else.

Set Apart SPOTLIGHT: Joy Pedrow

My story is a story of failure and redemption.

I tried to gain fulfillment on my own, and every time I was left searching. I was a happy person, and I had great friends and parents who loved me, but I just felt like there had so be something more. I tried to become the person I thought others would like, but nothing was enough.

Once I realized that my story was not about me, but was about Jesus, only then did I find satisfaction.

At the time, I did not know that God was calling me to be set apart from the world. I believe he had been calling me for a while, but I was to consumed in the world to notice. I was the queen and life was about me.

I was failing, yet Jesus kept pursuing me.