June 19, 2018 Issue #147

What's your purpose in life?

In this month’s feature article, I’ll argue that it’s neither of those things. It’s something simpler but much more challenging.

We singles sometimes confuse our dream with our purpose. Here’s a secret: You can go through several dreams during your lifetime, but your purpose remains constant, from the time you’re a young child old enough to reason until the time you draw your last breath.

I wanted to be a successful comic book artist. When that dream died, I wanted to be a bestselling novelist. When that dream died, I decided I wanted to retire from my regular job early, as my father had. I did manage to do that, then I started www.inspiration-for-singles.com, and that has been my dream ever since.

Of course, I also dreamed about being happily married, as many of you do. That hasn’t happened. However, I have learned how to enjoy my life as a single person. In fact, I’m enjoying life now more than I have in decades.

Along the way, my purpose in life never changed. I still pursue it today as I did in grade school. I hope I’m getting better at it.

But enough of the lead-in, already! Here’s the shocking truth about your purpose in life.

Another chance

But broken dreams
can hold you back
and shackle you inside.
You mourn your loss
and count the cost
as if a friend had died.

When you focus
all your thoughts
on something that is gone,
you cannot see
the path ahead
that you must travel on.

Don’t limit life
to just one road.
Though that’s how it may seem.
If you want
another chance,
then find another dream.

Put your passion
back to work
on something you desire.
Give your hopes
another chance
and you’ll regain your fire.

~ Jack Zavada, 2018 ~

The next time your life stinks...

In it, you’ll find answers to the toughest frustrations single people encounter. You’ll discover options you didn’t know you had. And the best part is you’ll find solutions that have proven to work over time. You’ll learn how to anticipate consequences so things don’t go sideways a month down the road.

See for yourself. Just click Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges. That will take you to the book’s sale page. Then click the cover of the book to open amazon.com’s "Look Inside!" feature. You’ll be able to read several sample pages and check out the Table of Contents.

This is problem solving stuff! You’ll get proven methods for dealing with things like:

• Loneliness
  
• Shyness
  
• Rejection
  
• Depression
  
• Self-esteem
  
• Fear
  
• Bitterness
  
• Peace of Mind
  
• Faith

This isn’t about dating. It’s about those emotions that drive you up a wall. It’s about a calm, peaceful, contented existence. Think that’s not possible for a single? Think again, friend!

Whether you’re looking for that special someone or not, Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges will simply help you enjoy life more. And who doesn’t want that?

Follow this link at amazon to look inside Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges. It’s $10.99 you’ll be glad you invested.

June’s QOTM comes from Thomas Aquinas

I like to think, foolishly, that I love God above everything else. The truth is that I love myself more than I love God.

I think about myself most of the time and how I can make things easier and better for myself. That’s pretty depressing, except I don’t believe I’m alone in that mindset. No, I don’t think other people are thinking about me most of the time; they’re thinking about themselves too.

We’re a sinful and self-centered species. The flabbergasting part is God still loves us in spite of ourselves.

Astounding!

If we love flattery and compliments, what does that say about us? If we love money and security, what does that make us? And if we love our shiny car, nice clothes, and impressive bling (Does anybody even use that word any more?), what does that tell us?

I’m not asking for a show of hands, but if you’re like me, you need to work on your priorities. I have a long way to go, but I am making some progress. I know what I have to work on. How about you?

Some important reasons to live

I don’t want to speculate on why either of them ended their life, but I think these deaths do speak loudly to single people like you and me. Both those celebrities suffered from depression. Most single people know what it’s like. Occasionally a feeling of hopelessness overwhelms all of us. Satan (and he is real) whispers that there’s nothing to live for.

But there is! Every day is a new beginning, a new chance, as the poem above points out. Life is frustrating at times, but with God’s help, it’s worth living. God gives us the strength to carry on. The more you depend on him, the better you can weather the storms of life. As the apostle Paul said, "When I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10) Single friends, this works. I’m living proof of it.

If you’re depressed and haven’t spoken with your doctor about it, now is the time to make that appointment. Don’t put it off any longer.

For some genuine, powerful reasons to live, see what to do when you’re barely hanging on…

Change, change, and…no change

After 19 years, my car finally quit on me in June. I replaced it with a 2017 Dodge minivan. Even here, thousands of miles away, I can hear some of you saying, "Ewwwww." But I like it. Luckily it doesn’t have a lot of complicated electronic gizmos I have to learn, but a few things are different. After 19 years of familiar knobs and controls, this seems like a big change.

Something that never changes, thankfully, is God’s love for us. You and I can count on it every day. It’s the life-giving force when we get weary. It’s encouragement when we feel down. It’s the comfort in knowing we are deeply and passionately loved, just as we are.

In a world that blasts us with something new to cope with almost hourly, we can enjoy this heartwarming affirmation of our worth with no worries. God is always there. He’s on your side, fellow single, and he has a whopping-big love for you!

If you feel like sending me an email, you have a pipeline straight to my inbox. It’s our easy-to-use contact form.

Type in the box or write your message in a text edit app then copy and paste it into the box. I’ve set it up so your email is forwarded directly to my personal inbox.

Thanks to the black hats out there, I can’t post my email address here or on the site because their evil bots scour the Web, looking for email addresses they can capture, then they pester you with slimy spam. Even worse, they sell your address to their sleazy buddies. Foo on spammers!

That winds up our June issue. I hope something in it spoke to you. Until July, stay out of the sun and soak up God’s love instead. There are no dangerous rays, just pure joy!

Jack Zavada