Have yourself a Mary little Christmas! And find a man like Joseph.

Mary is blessed.  She is.  She was honored and chosen to be the Mother of Jesus.  She was a humble servant and, although she questioned, she said, “May it be unto me as you have said.”

When Mary visited Elizabeth, John leapt for joy in Elizabeth’s womb.  Elizabeth proclaimed the greatness of the child Mary was carrying.

And when the shepherds came to see all that they had heard, Mary pondered and hid their proclamations in her heart.

Mary is the mother of Jesus.  And, if you have a mother of your own, you know how important that role is.

Your mother may have been a good example for you.  Your mother may have not been the best example for you.  But, no matter what, you grew, as a child, feeling the weight of that role.  The role of your Mom.

And Mary was a mother with a BIG role!

But Joseph…

This is what I type to you today.

I hope that you find yourself a Joseph.

Let’s take a look at him for a moment.

Joseph is from the City of David.  And he was pledged to marry a young virgin Mary.

And then, one night, an angel appears to him and throws all of his beautiful plans into the air.

No longer is he only going to marry Mary, he is going to be a father to a baby boy that will eventually be wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger…

Oh, and this little boy is the Son of God.  The Messiah.  The one that prophets have spoke of forever. Literally like forever.

And he, Joseph, he was going to be the earthly father of the Most High.

No pressure, Joseph.  No pressure.

Joseph had the opportunity to not take Mary as his wife.  He had every right to refuse the rather large job set before him.  And he could have asked for someone else to come alongside of Mary and help her with this baby whose name means God Saves.

But he didn’t.  He accepted the job.  He humbly stood next to Mary.  He took care of her.  He blessed Jesus.  And he allowed the story of Jesus to be HisStory (Get it?  God’s story.  History).

Joseph, not a lot is said about him.

Ladies, it is because he was humble.

But more than that.

He was also strong.

There’s more.  Joseph willingly raised a child that was not his own.

And, most importantly, Joseph put God first.

Lastly, Joseph remained faithful to the Word of God, bringing Jesus to the Temple to be blessed.

Ladies, it’s a simple answer, I know.  But let’s take a look at it again.

Humble.  Strong.  Willing.

God first.

Protector and provider.

Do-er not just hear-er of the Word of God.

All characteristics of a great man.

And, so, to all the single ladies—I encourage you.  Hold on.  And ask yourself:  Is this man my Joseph?  Because, if he is, then you know he’s God’s best for you.

You deserve him.  Just wait and see.

Caution. Don’t eat raw chicken—even for a man!

“I will do anything for love…”

Richard and I had barely started dating the month before.  So, to this point, our relationship included awkward conversations, competitive tennis matches, fumbling kisses, basketball games of P-I-G, and getting to know one another.

And then that big red day hit—Valentine’s!

My husband is a total romantic.  How he ever asked out such a tomboy, I’ll never fully understand.  Perhaps I once did my hair?  And my makeup?  Perhaps I once DIDN’T wear sweats?  Who knows.  It’s all foggy to me.

Due to his romantic nature, I should have expected him to do something phenomenal for Cupid’s Day.

And he did.

A beautiful setting, under a gazebo, near a small creek.  Flowers.  Balloons.  Rich in a suit.  China place settings.  And raw chicken?

Raw chicken?!

A million thoughts were swirling through my mind.

First and foremost—oh no!

You see, my husband’s family is full of mega-watt healthy eaters.  Like Raw Foodists (not nudists), Vegans, Vegetarians (are there any more categories?).

Yes.  I know chickens are not vegetables.  But I didn’t know if eating “Raw” chicken was a new way to “Go Green” (on your plate).  You see, I am a meat and potatoes (meaning—hamburger and french fries with an XL Coke, please) type of gal.  And I really evaluated, mentally,  “How much do I like this guy?  Enough to eat one small piece of raw chicken?”

Seriously…Eating raw chicken literally crossed my mind.

Crazy?

Perhaps in love???

Back to the chicken.

So, as my “date” was serving up the food—all of it raw vegetables (again—family of raw food eaters), he got to the chicken. That’s when he asked, “How much chicken do you want?”

And I gulped, said a silent prayer, and also made a mental note to myself, “Remember, Brooke, if you get salmonella poisoning, let the ER know immediately that you ate raw chicken…All for a man.”

Then I looked up into his green and sparkling eyes, his bright and beautiful smile, and I said it, “One, please?!”

Slip.  Slide.  Raw chicken meat now on my plate.

Gulp.  Sigh.

“I will do anything for love…???”

He sat down across from me—so happy and proud.  And we held hands while he prayed.

Well, at least I think he was praying because I was busy in my own mind hollering, “Dear Lord God—save me from salmonella.  I know I am foolish to eat raw chicken, but I REALLY like this guy.  He went to all of this work for this beautiful Valentine’s dinner.  SAVE ME, LORD!”

I think I heard an “Amen”.  So I looked up and smiled sweetly (probably batting a few eyelashes as well).

Where do I start?  Perhaps I can nibble on a raw carrot while I see HOW he eats his chicken?  Perhaps I can eat all of my raw veggies, requesting more, and then “filling” up on raw veggies and discreetly toss my raw chicken over my shoulder when he isn’t looking?  Perhaps I can…

Wait.  What’s that?  What is he doing…

He’s pulling out a lighter.

He just lit something on fire.

And then I noticed something on the table that SHOULD HAVE been quite obvious before.

A fondue pot.

Slap my head and call me insane.  I was about to eat raw chicken.  For a man.  On Valentine’s Day.

I remember being in a Tom Sawyer play as a 5th grader, and one of Tom’s lines was, “I’ve been such a fool, Becky.  Such a fool.”

Well, I think that I can officially rephrase those lines today, “I was nearly such a fool, World.  Such a fool!”

A fool for love…

“I would do anything for love…even eat raw meat!”

And fly in small tarp planes with new pilots.

Crazy Brooke!  Keeping it real…for love.

xo for your big red day of love,

b

***

Picture is Richard as a new pilot prepared to fly Brooke, the reluctant passenger, in the Piper Super Cub.  Anything for love?! 

I gave up on dating…and that’s when I found the perfect man!

I was in my 20s and I felt God urging me to do something completely outside of my nature.   He asked me to shelf dating.

Say what?

“Ummm…surely, God.  You know me better than that!”

After all, I am the gal that was chasing the boys on the playground in kindergarten, K-I-S-S-I-N-G them.

And first grade.

And second.

And you get the idea.

I was a boy crazy child!  Teenager!  And even mildly as an adult!

But it was as clear as day.  And I think God a rather wise creator, so I said, “Say what?”  And listened again…Confirmed!

Give.up.dating.

Hmmm.  Now I was in a predicament.

Listen to His request?

Rebel?

After all, I was in college.  Young!  Having fun!  Fun involved dating, right?!

But it was as if His mantra was on a broken and scratchy record, “Give up dating.  Give up dating.  Give up dating.”

And as annoying as that sound is, the broken, scratchy, record…Its message stuck.  And I said, “Okay, God!”

I probably shouldn’t have thrown in an exclamation mark.  I am not sure that I was happy about it.  But I did it.

Guess what happened…I had a couple of the BEST years of my life!

I enjoyed my final years of college with my girlfriends.  And we had a blast—girl trips, adventures, nights out together.  Simple and pure fun!

And I did something else too…I spent more time with God.  And it was the best thing to happen to me because it was in my senior year of university that I was told I had a tumor at the base of my brain.

That’s a lot to take in when you are NOT a university student.

I had so many doctors’ appointments that I started missing quite a bit of schooling.  And I started slacking on my schoolwork.  One evening I had a professor actually CALL me.  Whoa!  Wake up call.

“Brooke!  Your project is 3 weeks late.”

“Oh.”  I said.  What else could I say?  I hadn’t told any of my professors what was going on.

“I will give you until Monday to turn it in for 2 grades lower.”

“Wow!”  What else could I say?  That was generous beyond measure.  And that’s when I realized I needed to get my act together.

I finished my project and received a C.  Bummer, eh?  Could have had an A.  Ah well.  Sometimes life happens.

And it was around this same time, at the end of my senior year of university, that I heard something else from God.

“Permission.to.date.”

He must have said it because one day an extremely good-looking man asked me out!  How COULD I say no?

And then another guy, named Richard, asked me out for the very next weekend.  Hmmm…don’t know him well.  Should I go?  Tempted to say no.

But said “Yes” to both dates.

Wow—what a way to get back in the game, eh?

And this is what I quickly learned…

Just because a man is good looking does not mean he is interesting.  It was the most boring date of my life.  And we went skiing.  How can skiing be boring?  I love skiing.  And, yet, it was.  Boring.

And he wasn’t a solid Christian.  And he was a bit chauvinistic.  Seriously—had the guy NOT met me before we went on our first date?  Heck.  Not just me…any woman!

I think he was looking for a wallflower.  Umm…got the wrong woman, good-looking man.  Got the wrong woman.

My next weekend’s date, the one that I had not originally planned on going on—was fantastic!  After skating circles with this guy named Richard (ice skating)…and then sitting and talking with him for hours after, I realized that there are quality guys out there.  Richard?  Ah.  He wasn’t for me.  But he was a good man.

And that began the year-long friendship of Brooke and Richard.  It came about after 2 years of not dating anyone.  And then realizing that you don’t need to go on a date with JUST anyone.  No matter how attracted you are to them.  And it took going on a date with someone that I had initially dismissed.

The rest is HisStory!

You know…God’s.

Giving up dating.  It sounded impossible, and it turned out to be the best!

And, along the way, I discovered God’s best…Difficulty and triumph in my personal life.  And Richard-God’s perfect man for me.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.  And I wouldn’t trade those years of not dating for any other time.

God.  His ways are good.  And, despite our skepticism, we just have to listen to His direction.

I’m glad I did.