September 2023 Issue 210

Don't believe your circumstances;
YOU are precious to God

Millions of singles feel miserably alone. As our snowball of sadness rolls downhill, getting bigger and bigger, we conclude that except for our family, we are unloved.

The truth is quite the opposite.

You, my friend, are precious to God. No matter how bad your situation is, the Creator of the Universe has adopted you as his child and has proven his love by the sacrifice of his Son. You can say, "Yeah, but…" a hundred times a day, but God's love for you is unconditional and never ending.

This month we're going to explore your true worth, not the false judgment the world imposes or even your own misconceptions of your value. Let me show you why you are precious to God.

You can't believe your eyes

This charm bracelet of heartaches
tries its best to drag you down,
and yet you keep on looking
'cause you're sure it can be found.

And then you see it
and you know
this love is meant for you.
Your life starts changing overnight,
and everything's brand-new.
His tender touch brings freedom
and you finally realize
His love is real,
it's here at last.
You can't believe your eyes.

You heard that it could be this way,
but doubted it was true.
You started to admit defeat;
what else could you do?

He's like a bolt of lightning
when it strikes an iron rod.
A blinding flash of mercy;
He is Christ the Son of God.

And then you see it
and you know
this love is meant for you.
Your life starts changing overnight
and everything's brand-new.
His tender touch brings freedom
and you finally realize,
His love is real.
It's here at last.
You can't believe your eyes.

~ Jack Zavada, www.inspiration-for-singles.com, 2023 ~

"Why did I write this book?"

Years ago, I asked myself, "I wonder if any single people would like to avoid that pain and learn from my 50 years of experience in the single life?" It turns out some did.

But what does Hope for Hurting Singles tell you that you can't find on www.inspiration-for-singles.com?

First, the problems—like loneliness, anger, rejection, depression, and more—are covered in much more depth than the articles on the web site.

Take loneliness, for example. You can read the entire first chapter of Hope for Hurting Singles about loneliness right here. That's the kind of detail you'll find in the book.

Second, of course, the book is handy. Instead of searching on your phone or computer, you can simply page to the section you need. Books: primitive but still convenient.

Third, Hope for Hurting Singles brings everything together in one place so you get the Big Picture of the single Christian's life. Reading it through cover to cover will make sense to you in a way the huge web site just can't.

It's $10.99 for the paperback, and $3.99 for the Kindle edition.

September QOTM: God is looking

I'm 72 years old, but there are moments when I feel like I'm still in high school. You know what I mean?

Fifty-five years ago I was one of those geeks who didn't fit in, watching all the good-looking, popular kids and wondering when my turn would come. When God tapped me on the shoulder, he did something amazing. He turned me into a superhero: Loved-Man. But you can use this superhero name too, Loved-Man or Loved-Woman.

Your super power is simple. You ward off all the lies the world says about you, and instead you accept the all-healing love of God. You are beautiful in his sight. You are saved. You, Loved-Man or Loved-Woman, are precious to God.

Be patient with yourself when you make mistakes

We singles have a habit of beating ourselves up. Our alone-time gives us plenty of opportunities to second guess our decisions, stewing over what we could have done or should have done. Ironically, we can be a lot kinder to others than we are to ourselves.

Learn to be patient with yourself. We're all works-in-progress. Sanctification, God's means of making us holy, is a lifelong process. If God doesn't expect instant success, why should we?

Even God can't change our past, but he can change the way we interpret it. Mistakes are lessons, bearing the seeds of wisdom within them. When an important choice comes up again, we dig into our collection of lessons-learned and ask, "How can I use my experience to make a better decision this time?"

Here are a few tips I learned over time on how to be patient with yourself.

The crazy-effective way to get in the black

Now that you've gotten back in your chair from falling off it laughing, here's what paying with paper will do for you:

• Turns money into a real thing, instead of just numbers.
• Makes you appropriately scared, as resources go down.
• Forces you to stay on budget.

If you've managed to quit laughing, you're probably saying, "Oh, Jack, don't be stupid. Nobody pays with currency any more."

My point exactly. And look at how much most people owe. Drastic problems require drastic solutions. You have to make a choice: Do I want to worry about what others think or do I want to regain my peace of mind?

Look, if the thought of carrying a wallet and currency terrifies you, then you're not grown up enough to run your own life yet. You'd rather let corporations control you.

When you're in a financial hole, continuing to charge things just digs you in deeper. Here's the ugly but true side of what debt is doing to you.

Try the 4, 7, 8 countdown to bring on sleep

Inhale through your nose for a silent count of four. Hold that breath for a count of seven. Then exhale, blowing the air out lightly through your lips, for a count of eight. Repeat that cycle about ten times.

I hope you'll get the same relaxation benefits from it I'm getting. Pleasant dreams!

That, single friend, is the September Inspire-O-Gram. I hope you found something helpful in it. Here in Illinois, in the middle of the United States, it was a scorchingly hot summer. I look forward to cooler weather.

Before you know it, Christmas will be upon us. Time seems to speed up after the first of November. I hope you'll be able to take a few minutes to read the Inspire-O-Grams in the upcoming months.

And, if you injured yourself falling off your chair laughing at my budgeting advice above, I'm not responsible. You should wear a seat belt when you read these newsletters. As usual, our contact form will send your emails directly into my personal inbox. I will write back to you: Promise.

Until October then,

Jack Zavada
PS: Not a Christian? Find out how to become one!