Hello and welcome to Engage, my name is David Asscherick. 00:00:19.84\00:00:23.79 Our program today we are going to be connecting with 00:00:23.82\00:00:27.09 someone who is connected with Christ who then is 00:00:27.12\00:00:30.40 connected with his community. 00:00:30.43\00:00:32.31 And in our particular program today we are going to be 00:00:32.34\00:00:34.59 taking a look at the topic Securely Single. 00:00:34.62\00:00:38.41 So with me today is my co-host, Shandra Ban and so 00:00:38.44\00:00:42.56 we would like to introduce Shandra and she will be 00:00:42.59\00:00:44.49 introducing our guest a friend of hers. 00:00:44.52\00:00:46.48 An old friend of hers and a new friend of mine so thank 00:00:46.51\00:00:49.18 you for joining us today and welcome to the program. 00:00:49.21\00:00:51.45 Thanks David, will welcome back Tyler we had you on 00:00:51.48\00:00:54.77 a episode before and we are so thankful you are here. 00:00:54.80\00:00:57.40 Tyler has come from Sardinia Ontario Canada and 00:00:57.43\00:01:00.66 I am a fellow Canadian and that is why we go back to 00:01:00.69\00:01:03.07 our days at Canadian university College, 00:01:03.10\00:01:06.35 so thank you for being here Tyler. 00:01:06.38\00:01:07.75 I'm happy to be here. - the last time you were here 00:01:07.78\00:01:10.25 Tyler we were talking about hockey and about sport and 00:01:10.28\00:01:13.94 spirituality, not just about hockey but about sport and 00:01:13.97\00:01:16.58 spirituality and this time we are going to be talking 00:01:16.61\00:01:19.84 about being single but being secure in that singleness. 00:01:19.87\00:01:23.65 I hope you won't mind if we ever so, slightly poke 00:01:23.68\00:01:29.02 a little fun at you occasionally. Is that all right? 00:01:29.05\00:01:32.08 That's perfectly fine. - it seems like you can take it. 00:01:32.11\00:01:33.59 It's part of my French Shandra that she pokes fun of 00:01:33.62\00:01:37.35 me on a regular bases. 00:01:37.38\00:01:38.43 - It's is just part of the program okay. 00:01:38.46\00:01:39.73 It should come naturally. 00:01:39.76\00:01:41.42 - it'll come naturally for you maybe. 00:01:41.45\00:01:42.69 He's a little bigger than me so I'm a little nervous. 00:01:42.72\00:01:43.97 Oh he's a teddy bear. 00:01:44.00\00:01:45.30 Now before we get into the program itself what I would 00:01:45.33\00:01:47.16 like to do for our viewers and for us in the house here is 00:01:47.19\00:01:49.52 to set this up a little bit. 00:01:49.55\00:01:51.03 We would like to do is sort of look at a couple passages 00:01:51.06\00:01:54.69 that appear from a biblical perspective, maybe to some 00:01:54.72\00:01:58.39 being a kind of tension. 00:01:58.42\00:02:00.31 The first I will bring to your remembrance Genesis 1 00:02:00.34\00:02:04.02 and that is the creation account. 00:02:04.05\00:02:06.42 God creates there 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 days and in each 00:02:06.45\00:02:10.83 of those days He has this repeated phrase, and God saw 00:02:10.86\00:02:13.93 that it was good, God saw that it was good, God so that 00:02:13.96\00:02:16.64 it was good, and then we come to verse 31 it says, God saw 00:02:16.67\00:02:21.15 that it was - very good. - very good. 00:02:21.18\00:02:23.29 So we find in the very beginning in Genesis chapter 1, 00:02:23.32\00:02:26.16 not just good but even very good. 00:02:26.19\00:02:28.77 Then there is something in Genesis 1 and 2 that was not 00:02:28.80\00:02:31.85 very good and I were just read that for us here. 00:02:31.88\00:02:34.69 It says they are inverse 18, Tyler I hope you are paying 00:02:34.72\00:02:38.37 attention, it says, "and the Lord God said it is not good 00:02:38.40\00:02:43.46 that man should be alone, I will make him a helper 00:02:43.49\00:02:46.85 "comparable to him. " 00:02:46.88\00:02:48.31 So the one thing there that was not good man's was aloneness, 00:02:48.34\00:02:53.59 non-partnership with someone of his own kind. 00:02:53.62\00:02:56.86 When we come into the New Testament however we have Paul 00:02:56.89\00:02:59.74 saying, I wish that all men were just like I am, and that 00:02:59.77\00:03:03.35 is in the context of his singleness. 00:03:03.38\00:03:05.13 So I am married, Shandra you are married, 00:03:05.16\00:03:08.32 - and I am not. - you are not married. - I'm big fan of Paul. 00:03:08.35\00:03:13.52 As am I, the same Paul that said husbands love your 00:03:13.55\00:03:18.40 wives as Christ also loved the church. 00:03:18.43\00:03:20.11 What is exactly, I think we are all comfortable with the 00:03:20.14\00:03:23.17 notion here that the Bible is obviously very much in favor 00:03:23.20\00:03:26.27 of marriage, but they're also does seem to be this element 00:03:26.30\00:03:28.84 of a sanctified singleness as well. 00:03:28.87\00:03:32.74 Jesus there in Matthew chapter 19 speaks about those 00:03:32.77\00:03:36.93 that our UNIX or single that are able to receive this 00:03:36.96\00:03:39.63 command, let them receive it. 00:03:39.66\00:03:41.41 In the conversations we've had Tyler I'm not hearing you 00:03:41.44\00:03:43.98 say that, but what we do want to get her fingers wrapped 00:03:44.01\00:03:47.26 around here, not just for Tyler sake, for my sake, or 00:03:47.29\00:03:50.17 for Shandra sake, but it especially for our guests sake. 00:03:50.21\00:03:52.85 That is how can we find, how can we be content in the 00:03:52.88\00:03:59.13 situation which we find ourselves, of course that could 00:03:59.16\00:04:01.07 applied to economics, a could comply to where you live, 00:04:01.10\00:04:04.43 location, but today in the context of singleness. 00:04:04.46\00:04:08.09 So Tyler I'm going to turn the program over to Shandra 00:04:08.12\00:04:12.36 who knows your story a little better 00:04:12.39\00:04:14.39 than me and sort of set this up for us Shandra. 00:04:14.42\00:04:17.02 A question I have for you Tyler is that you are not 00:04:17.05\00:04:22.25 married now, doesn't necessarily mean you don't want to 00:04:22.28\00:04:24.54 be married, but I know for myself a lot of my view of 00:04:24.57\00:04:27.21 marriage came from my childhood. 00:04:27.24\00:04:29.59 I know a lot of people don't want to get married 00:04:29.62\00:04:32.06 because maybe they have a tainted view of marriage as 00:04:32.09\00:04:35.83 that maybe the case. 00:04:35.86\00:04:36.88 What has been your view on marriage, you are a lawyer 00:04:36.91\00:04:39.67 and what can you think of that? 00:04:39.70\00:04:44.00 - Is that your view, is that what you are implying Shandra? 00:04:44.03\00:04:45.95 - well it could, just asking? 00:04:45.98\00:04:48.22 No, I basically have two contrasting views of marriage. 00:04:48.25\00:04:55.32 Like you said your parents is where you get a lot of your 00:04:55.35\00:04:58.44 view, for me my parents had a fantastic marriage. 00:04:58.47\00:05:01.68 - oh praise God. - I really attribute a lot of my new 00:05:01.71\00:05:09.84 conversion to the fact that I have seen true love 00:05:09.87\00:05:12.03 in action, through my parents marriage. 00:05:12.06\00:05:14.88 It's one where they are truly are one, they have become one. 00:05:14.91\00:05:19.72 They make decisions together. 00:05:19.75\00:05:21.68 Every Christian book I read on marriage, when you are 00:05:21.71\00:05:26.34 single, people in church throw at you on a regular basis 00:05:26.37\00:05:30.74 I have all of them I think. 00:05:30.77\00:05:33.04 Everything I read my parents have modeled, have modeled 00:05:33.07\00:05:37.88 that picture of marriage and it is something 00:05:37.91\00:05:40.27 I have wanted for a long time. 00:05:40.30\00:05:42.20 But also with wanting it there is, you know I have no 00:05:42.23\00:05:47.25 desire whatsoever to settle for something less than what 00:05:47.28\00:05:51.23 they have, something truly God ordained that 00:05:51.26\00:05:55.69 is such a beautiful thing in the way God meant it. 00:05:55.72\00:05:58.39 - okay so where is the contrast? 00:05:58.42\00:05:59.65 That's the good side, first of all I would say that is 00:05:59.68\00:06:03.89 beautiful to hear, praise God. 00:06:03.92\00:06:06.19 I realize that I am blessed with that and I thank God for 00:06:06.22\00:06:08.58 it often, the contrast is at work. 00:06:08.61\00:06:12.88 I work at a law firm, we have a pretty general practice 00:06:12.91\00:06:17.71 and I try to stay away from divorce law. 00:06:17.74\00:06:20.57 I am a new lawyer so there is a temptation to do what ever 00:06:20.60\00:06:23.77 comes in the door, but I get a call almost once a day from 00:06:23.80\00:06:29.56 somebody asking whether I handle divorces. 00:06:29.59\00:06:32.66 Because it is so prevalent, I'm from a small town and it 00:06:32.69\00:06:36.42 is happening over and over again. 00:06:36.45\00:06:38.05 Once in a while, while actually during practical training 00:06:38.08\00:06:41.69 with a divorce lawyer so I was sitting in on these 00:06:41.72\00:06:45.34 meetings and hearing the stories and seeing these lives 00:06:45.37\00:06:48.48 completely torn apart. 00:06:48.51\00:06:49.73 It affected children, it affected extended families, 00:06:49.76\00:06:55.35 and it was really, really terrible and obviously that is 00:06:55.38\00:06:58.30 not something I want so there is definitely a contrast in 00:06:58.33\00:07:02.15 my views and feel pretty well-informed on the two 00:07:02.18\00:07:07.15 different diverging ways a marriage can go. 00:07:07.18\00:07:09.60 Just getting back to the fact that you state your parents 00:07:09.63\00:07:12.85 have this beautiful marriage, I find that so thrilling. 00:07:12.88\00:07:16.70 I would love to believe that someday my son, my two boys 00:07:16.73\00:07:21.28 7 and 9 will be able to say something similar. 00:07:21.31\00:07:23.13 My wife and I. we pray for them. 00:07:23.16\00:07:24.44 We say Lord make our relationship with one another 00:07:24.47\00:07:29.04 attractive to our children and attractive to those around 00:07:29.07\00:07:31.31 us, and is so resonate with that. 00:07:31.34\00:07:34.57 It warms my heart as a father to hear you say that about 00:07:34.60\00:07:39.33 your parents. Can I ask you how old you are? 00:07:39.36\00:07:42.75 May I do that? - I'm 28. - okay 28 years young which 00:07:42.78\00:07:46.94 knew it may you a whippersnapper compared to me, 38. 00:07:46.97\00:07:49.59 - old man. - so referred to me or them here on out as 00:07:49.62\00:07:52.68 your elder or eldership, the patriarch. 00:07:52.71\00:07:55.08 But you are 28 years old and not married, not by choice. 00:07:55.11\00:08:01.86 Talk to us about that, I hate to be so personal but 00:08:01.89\00:08:04.38 we are trying to engage with you and maybe in the process 00:08:04.41\00:08:07.89 will get you engaged! 00:08:07.92\00:08:10.45 - I'm kidding, I'm kidding. 00:08:10.48\00:08:11.99 Kind of kidding, true. 00:08:12.02\00:08:15.06 No, you said is not by choice well obviously there is a lot 00:08:15.09\00:08:18.22 of choice involved, there is a choice not to settle, and 00:08:18.25\00:08:21.46 there is a choice of meeting people and the situations 00:08:21.49\00:08:24.70 you put yourself in and all that stuff but for me there 00:08:24.73\00:08:27.43 is a whole lot of reasons why I am single. 00:08:27.46\00:08:30.64 My history of relationships is filled with laughter for 00:08:30.67\00:08:36.45 friends, tears for some people but basically what 00:08:36.48\00:08:42.63 ends up happening is that after going to college 00:08:42.66\00:08:44.92 a lot of people will get married. 00:08:44.95\00:08:47.04 I think the last year of college I was actually in 00:08:47.07\00:08:49.08 Shandra's wedding party and I was in 4 or 5 other ones 00:08:49.11\00:08:54.05 just when college was ending. 00:08:54.08\00:08:56.02 At the time God hadn't brought somebody into my life that 00:08:56.05\00:09:00.60 I was going to marry, that I saw was going to be compatible 00:09:00.63\00:09:06.42 person with me. You hadn't found your Eve yet? 00:09:06.45\00:09:09.21 Yeah and God hadn't cut my rib out and made one for me. 00:09:09.24\00:09:12.99 Then I went on to professional school afterwards, 00:09:13.02\00:09:18.89 I went on to law school. 00:09:18.92\00:09:19.89 I think then with a lot of Christians, they will go on 00:09:19.90\00:09:24.11 to college and there are I lot of peers around. 00:09:24.14\00:09:26.72 That is a great opportunity to meet people but once 00:09:26.75\00:09:32.81 you're away from that peer group where there is a lot 00:09:32.84\00:09:36.58 a round it's difficult, you don't have as many people 00:09:36.61\00:09:40.24 that you are meeting on a regular basis. 00:09:40.27\00:09:42.52 So I was all of a sudden in a church, first in eastern 00:09:42.55\00:09:46.70 Canada where there was some lovely Adventist women but 00:09:46.73\00:09:49.95 none of them there was that romantic connection with 00:09:49.98\00:09:54.22 I guess and now I am actually back in Sarnia which was 00:09:54.25\00:09:58.52 my original home church and there's not one regular 00:09:58.55\00:10:03.77 attending member whose woman is in her 20s. 00:10:03.80\00:10:07.33 So it's, it's as if there's not a whole lot a round. 00:10:07.36\00:10:11.02 No, for lack of trying. 00:10:11.05\00:10:12.20 Right, terrible, terrible that is not what I meant. 00:10:12.23\00:10:15.83 What I meant was, you are not a college campus. 00:10:15.86\00:10:18.92 - I am not at a college campus. 00:10:18.95\00:10:20.53 - and you feel called to be practicing law in this town. 00:10:20.56\00:10:25.26 I definitely do, I go into church sometimes and there's 00:10:25.29\00:10:30.33 people who I really respect as Christian people. 00:10:30.36\00:10:33.82 Usually the women, but men in the church don't say as much 00:10:33.85\00:10:36.43 to me, but the women who have a niece who lives on the 00:10:36.46\00:10:39.44 other side of the continent, or some friend they know, 00:10:39.47\00:10:43.12 or something like that but they are always saying 00:10:43.15\00:10:45.47 you have to move, you have to move. 00:10:45.50\00:10:46.72 At this moment I have prayed very hard about where I am 00:10:46.75\00:10:49.72 supposed to be, I'm supposed to be in Sardinia right now. 00:10:49.75\00:10:52.79 That is my situation and I guess that is a roundabout way 00:10:52.82\00:10:58.06 of saying why I am single, avoiding embarrassing details. 00:10:58.09\00:11:02.40 Well I think that too, and there's some sort of humor here 00:11:02.43\00:11:07.34 but I think there is something, really I think you're at 00:11:07.37\00:11:10.85 the guts of the thing here, the nucleus of the thing. 00:11:10.88\00:11:13.24 That is if you are in the place that God has you to be, 00:11:13.27\00:11:17.10 and whatever condition in which you find yourself, that is 00:11:17.13\00:11:22.52 the condition that God wants you to be in right then. 00:11:22.55\00:11:24.54 Right? So what comes to my mind is Philippians 4, 00:11:24.57\00:11:28.50 "not that I speak in regard to need for have learned that 00:11:37.36\00:11:40.64 "in what ever state I am to be content. I know how to 00:11:40.67\00:11:44.13 "be abased and I know how to abound everywhere and in all 00:11:44.16\00:11:46.73 "things I learned both to be full and hungry, both to 00:11:46.76\00:11:49.22 "abound and to suffer need. " Then he says in verse 13 00:11:49.25\00:11:52.06 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. " 00:11:52.09\00:11:54.42 Now in this context Paul is talking about then I can go 00:11:54.45\00:11:57.26 to the wealthy house, I can go to the poor and I can have 00:11:57.29\00:12:00.36 lots of food and I can have no food. 00:12:00.39\00:12:01.96 What he is saying is that if I'm on God's plan whatever 00:12:01.99\00:12:04.28 condition I find myself I'm content. 00:12:04.31\00:12:07.76 Are you comfortable saying then, that you are contented 00:12:07.79\00:12:11.80 in a situation in which you find yourself right now? 00:12:11.83\00:12:14.28 Um, it is a really good question, um because I'm not 00:12:14.31\00:12:19.34 always content, right at this moment I can say yes I am 00:12:19.37\00:12:22.99 content, I'm content in where I am but there has been 00:12:23.02\00:12:28.48 a lot of times where I have been frustrated. 00:12:28.51\00:12:30.62 Where I have felt lonely, where I have questioned God. 00:12:30.65\00:12:35.26 God you show me this great marriage through my parents and 00:12:35.29\00:12:39.79 You know it is very important to me. 00:12:39.82\00:12:41.71 The things that are the most important to you are the 00:12:41.74\00:12:44.24 hardest to answer and hand over to God. 00:12:44.27\00:12:45.77 Throughout my life I have handed so many things over to Him 00:12:45.80\00:12:48.88 and He has always handed them back in such a more amazing 00:12:48.91\00:12:54.56 way than I had planned for myself. 00:12:54.59\00:12:57.96 So would you say then that this contentedness is a 00:12:57.99\00:13:00.69 Presque, for lack of a better term, to getting married? 00:13:00.72\00:13:05.00 To be happy with how you are before you can actually 00:13:05.03\00:13:07.14 be happy, happy with someone? 00:13:07.17\00:13:09.31 It seems to be the way it goes with other people, 00:13:09.34\00:13:12.28 I don't know because I haven't experienced it. 00:13:12.31\00:13:14.48 I think it is something that God is having me work 00:13:14.51\00:13:22.12 through, He knows this is something like the rich young 00:13:22.15\00:13:25.32 ruler the thing he held onto, the thing that was so 00:13:25.35\00:13:27.60 important to him - literally that was on the tip of 00:13:27.63\00:13:29.77 my tongue. - I can really relate to the rich young ruler 00:13:29.80\00:13:35.13 because his money was what was so important to him. 00:13:35.16\00:13:37.39 Now in terms of other things I say I went to law school 00:13:37.42\00:13:40.56 so I have a good job now, I did well in sports, 00:13:40.59\00:13:45.25 I have done a lot of things that are seen as successful 00:13:45.28\00:13:48.09 in the world and that some people strive for, 00:13:48.12\00:13:50.00 but those things aren't what it's really on my heart, 00:13:50.03\00:13:53.40 what I really care about. 00:13:53.43\00:13:54.94 What I care for the things that were instilled in me by 00:13:54.97\00:13:57.47 my parents and that God wants for people and from the 00:13:57.50\00:14:01.42 verses you've shown, it's not good for man to be alone. 00:14:01.45\00:14:05.66 It is something that I have wanted for a long time and 00:14:05.69\00:14:08.84 like I said there have been a lot of times where I have 00:14:08.87\00:14:11.77 been very frustrated with being single. 00:14:11.80\00:14:16.36 With being in a place where there didn't seem like there 00:14:16.40\00:14:19.66 where any possibilities of me finding someone. 00:14:19.70\00:14:24.34 Not doubting God, but having a real difficulty of handing 00:14:24.38\00:14:30.36 that part of my life over to Him. 00:14:30.40\00:14:32.95 I love what you say they are, to me there is such 00:14:32.98\00:14:35.70 sublimity bear and such profundity. 00:14:35.73\00:14:37.65 The hardest thing to turn over to God is a thing 00:14:37.68\00:14:41.20 that is the most important and dear to me. 00:14:41.23\00:14:42.65 There are many things, getting back to the rich young 00:14:42.68\00:14:45.38 ruler, the rich young ruler would have been perfectly 00:14:45.42\00:14:48.09 happy to have done for Jesus, or even given to 00:14:48.12\00:14:51.19 Jesus and His cause, but he wants what is the 00:14:51.23\00:14:54.27 hardest for us to give. 00:14:54.30\00:14:55.68 To care that part over, I appreciate you being 00:14:55.71\00:14:59.14 vulnerable and being honest by saying that is hard, 00:14:59.18\00:15:02.59 that's frustrating. You know sometimes we sort of go 00:15:02.63\00:15:05.18 through the religious life, and let's be honest, 00:15:05.22\00:15:07.73 this is for our listeners as well. 00:15:07.77\00:15:10.05 We pretend that all is well, when all is not well. 00:15:10.08\00:15:12.75 I'll say Oh you know Tyler how are you doing. 00:15:12.78\00:15:15.51 Oh I'm doing great, and maybe that is just okay and 00:15:15.54\00:15:18.90 a nice conversation but the reality is that 00:15:18.94\00:15:21.41 we don't hear things like I'm lonely, 00:15:21.45\00:15:23.88 or I'm frustrated. 00:15:23.92\00:15:25.55 We don't hear those kinds of things enough because, 00:15:25.58\00:15:27.47 I don't know why I sure there's a variety of reasons, 00:15:27.50\00:15:30.40 but to hear that you say that is a source of difficulty 00:15:30.44\00:15:33.30 and frustration for you, frankly it is refreshing. 00:15:33.34\00:15:37.12 Thank you for that. 00:15:37.16\00:15:39.17 For me on coming on the show like you said the title today is 00:15:39.21\00:15:42.55 Securely Single, I was invited to come down here and 00:15:42.58\00:15:44.85 Shandra said there was going to be a couple of shows 00:15:44.89\00:15:47.21 but it has been recently that she says we're going to do 00:15:47.24\00:15:49.59 a show called Securely Single from a male perspective. 00:15:49.63\00:15:53.12 I felt a little ambushed, - thank you for that Shandra 00:15:53.15\00:15:57.89 - I meet the criteria, I am single but in terms of 00:15:57.92\00:16:01.79 secure it has been something that has been more 00:16:01.83\00:16:06.68 recent. - and I have watched Dave grow and shape 00:16:06.72\00:16:11.54 the show around you. - right! 00:16:11.58\00:16:13.66 But it is something I am really thankful for God doing 00:16:13.70\00:16:17.00 and I feel that it is a providential that he would have 00:16:17.04\00:16:20.31 me on the show as time like this. 00:16:20.34\00:16:21.89 We had some conversations before about being secure and 00:16:21.92\00:16:26.80 kind of pressures outside, because we are talking about 00:16:26.83\00:16:31.29 being content, were talking about being content in God 00:16:31.32\00:16:35.74 and handing things over to Him. 00:16:35.78\00:16:37.43 That is great and I love doing that because 00:16:37.47\00:16:42.55 He has always handed it back to me. 00:16:42.59\00:16:43.91 What I find is difficult is the social pressures, 00:16:43.94\00:16:49.11 with family pressures, it sometimes makes it so that 00:16:49.14\00:16:54.64 you lose sight of that, you lose sight of what God wants 00:16:54.67\00:16:58.54 us to hand over to Him because He has a better plan for us, 00:16:58.57\00:17:02.41 when the pastors wife, who I love dearly would say. 00:17:02.44\00:17:06.78 - she's got a plan for you too. 00:17:06.81\00:17:08.44 You know she says come to this church or there's this person 00:17:08.47\00:17:12.11 here and all that kind of stuff which usually turns into 00:17:12.15\00:17:15.75 being awkward. - oh, I can just imagine. 00:17:15.78\00:17:19.34 I've gone into churches where I actually remember one time 00:17:19.38\00:17:24.13 I went with my mom to a church up by our cottage. 00:17:24.17\00:17:26.10 I had never been there before and it was a very small 00:17:26.13\00:17:27.99 church and my mom has come to church with me once or twice 00:17:28.03\00:17:31.86 to the Seventh-day Adventist church. 00:17:31.90\00:17:33.98 Your parents are not presently Adventist? Right. 00:17:34.01\00:17:37.47 They attend a Catholic church, so my mom came with me and 00:17:37.50\00:17:40.24 I really liked that she did and it was a great sermon. 00:17:40.27\00:17:43.06 As soon as I walked in I had a quick look around and there 00:17:43.09\00:17:45.84 was one woman that was probably 25 or 26 at the time. 00:17:45.88\00:17:49.40 I'm not very good with age but I think she was in her mid- 00:17:49.44\00:17:53.47 30s but the elders of the church you can see light bulbs 00:17:53.50\00:17:57.50 going on over their heads. 00:17:57.53\00:17:59.50 Looking at them and looking back and whispering, so at 00:17:59.54\00:18:03.62 the end of it I avoid those situations. 00:18:03.66\00:18:06.87 They were ready to perform the wedding? Probably? 00:18:06.91\00:18:09.74 Yeah I thought I saw them tying bows to the end of the 00:18:09.77\00:18:12.57 altar, or to the edges of the pews so that was all 00:18:12.61\00:18:15.13 decorated. - so you touched on something there 00:18:15.17\00:18:17.62 I think needs to be said, our viewers need to hear it. 00:18:17.66\00:18:21.99 That is this idea of social pressure and even parental 00:18:22.02\00:18:26.01 pressure, you're 28 years old and that is not exactly old. 00:18:26.05\00:18:30.01 I wasn't married till I was 27. 00:18:30.04\00:18:31.46 But there is pressure and how do you keep clear in your 00:18:31.49\00:18:37.91 mind this is where God has me, other people have 00:18:37.95\00:18:41.00 expectations of me, other people want ABC for me but 00:18:41.03\00:18:44.05 I am really on God's plan. 00:18:44.08\00:18:46.21 How do you keep that, what would you say to our viewers? 00:18:46.25\00:18:50.10 even more than that, you say you feel God's leading in 00:18:50.13\00:18:53.23 your life but yet you would like to be married so where 00:18:53.27\00:18:56.33 do you balance, God's leading verses how much do 00:18:56.37\00:18:59.59 I initiate? Do I go out to these churches and look for 00:18:59.62\00:19:02.73 woman, do I look on the online sources that are available? 00:19:02.76\00:19:05.84 How do you balance, how is God leading 00:19:05.87\00:19:09.13 and what should I do? 00:19:09.17\00:19:10.88 There are sort of two things there. 00:19:10.91\00:19:13.21 Yeah, so yours was more - other people have expectations 00:19:13.24\00:19:17.65 of you, how do you keep this is where God has me right now? 00:19:17.69\00:19:22.06 Shandra's ties in with that right now - initiation 00:19:22.10\00:19:25.19 I'm waiting on the Lord? 00:19:25.23\00:19:27.92 Maybe you can put some... what does that mean to you? 00:19:27.95\00:19:31.45 Put some flesh on it for us. 00:19:31.49\00:19:32.57 It's difficult like I said sometimes those social 00:19:32.60\00:19:37.46 pressures and family pressures. Back home it is not 00:19:37.50\00:19:40.70 too hard because a lot of my friends are secular where 00:19:40.73\00:19:44.17 I think the average age for marriage is around 28, 00:19:44.20\00:19:47.60 so some of my friends are getting married and 00:19:47.64\00:19:50.07 I don't get so much from thence but I do feel it in the 00:19:50.10\00:19:52.20 church and my family somewhat because 00:19:52.23\00:19:54.59 they know how I feel about it. 00:19:54.62\00:19:56.27 So it wasn't so bad with my mom I always expected, 00:19:56.30\00:19:59.18 but when my dad started giving me a hard time that is 00:19:59.21\00:20:03.03 when, those kind of things are to take your mind off of 00:20:03.07\00:20:06.30 it and basically what I need to do is take a step back 00:20:06.34\00:20:09.65 once in a while and realize that God is looking after it. 00:20:09.69\00:20:12.97 Now in terms of initiation, I don't know the answer, 00:20:13.01\00:20:18.08 I wish I could say okay this is exactly what you have 00:20:18.12\00:20:23.16 to do to find somebody if you are looking. 00:20:23.20\00:20:25.60 But in my situation, I really believe that right now 00:20:25.64\00:20:28.87 I am in a place were I'm probably not going to meet 00:20:28.91\00:20:33.10 somebody in the near future, but like I said it is 00:20:33.13\00:20:37.25 something that God is working on my heart and for me to 00:20:37.28\00:20:39.99 be able to hand it over to Him, even to say I'm securely 00:20:40.02\00:20:42.69 single and if that is the way God wants me to be, 00:20:42.72\00:20:44.91 that is how I'm going to be. 00:20:44.95\00:20:46.41 I guess when I'm talking it's been more recent that 00:20:46.44\00:20:51.70 I have been okay with this. 00:20:51.73\00:20:54.50 I recently had a situation, I'll go long periods of time, 00:20:54.54\00:20:57.59 the world will say all you have been on a date in a month 00:20:57.62\00:21:00.64 that is crazy. 00:21:00.68\00:21:01.90 You'll see sometimes on television you haven't been on 00:21:01.93\00:21:05.22 a date are you getting by in life? 00:21:05.26\00:21:07.39 We go long periods of time that I'm without having 00:21:07.43\00:21:11.04 a romantic relationship, or going out to meet somebody 00:21:11.07\00:21:14.65 for a date because of where I have been. 00:21:14.69\00:21:18.45 But I had a situation, I met a person recently that it 00:21:18.48\00:21:24.43 happened after prayer and me saying God show me somebody 00:21:24.46\00:21:30.11 that I am very attracted to, that I see could possibly 00:21:30.15\00:21:34.16 be a match, I'm not saying we have to end up together. 00:21:34.20\00:21:38.44 Right now I feel discouraged so if You could just show 00:21:38.47\00:21:42.68 me somebody that will encourage me. 00:21:42.71\00:21:44.71 The prayer was answered very directly, and very exactly 00:21:44.75\00:21:49.39 because God showed me somebody that I found very 00:21:49.42\00:21:52.35 attractive, that was a great spiritual person, that was 00:21:52.39\00:21:56.83 interested in missions, was beautiful in every way. 00:21:56.87\00:22:00.75 Beautifully and wonderfully made as true as ever been. 00:22:00.79\00:22:06.41 But it wasn't a situation where she was ready to be 00:22:06.45\00:22:11.43 involved romantically I guess, in a jokingly way 00:22:11.46\00:22:16.04 she shut me down is what happened. - oh no, no man 00:22:16.08\00:22:20.63 your being very honest and I love it. 00:22:20.66\00:22:23.00 She did and for whatever her reasons were, bad breath, 00:22:23.03\00:22:29.03 something about the way I looked, or something like that. 00:22:29.06\00:22:34.32 I don't know exactly what those reasons are but at the end 00:22:34.36\00:22:39.14 of the day I was sad. She was a great person and she will 00:22:39.18\00:22:43.93 continue to be a great friend because she acted so 00:22:43.96\00:22:46.35 honestly towards me through the whole thing. 00:22:46.38\00:22:48.27 It was very encouraging to have that prayer answered and 00:22:48.31\00:22:53.05 to meet somebody that I was attracted to. 00:22:53.09\00:22:54.92 It was like God was answering the prayer, not in the full 00:22:54.95\00:22:57.82 sense but it He gave you a sign, sometimes were afraid to 00:22:57.86\00:23:00.69 say that word, but it was from Jesus. 00:23:00.73\00:23:02.43 And so at the end of the day I was thinking our God can 00:23:02.46\00:23:06.34 cause me to have these kinds of feelings so quickly and 00:23:06.38\00:23:10.68 unexpectedly, how can I doubt if I handed it over to Him 00:23:10.72\00:23:14.98 that He is going to take care of me? 00:23:15.02\00:23:17.82 Something that we have to touch on here and that is are 00:23:17.85\00:23:22.11 you tempted, you are young, you're handsome, is that true 00:23:22.15\00:23:26.37 Shandra? - she's married too. And - I don't really 00:23:26.41\00:23:29.72 know, your not ugly. So here's where I'm going with this. 00:23:29.76\00:23:33.40 You are young, you are good looking guy, 00:23:33.43\00:23:35.29 and you have a job, what about the temptation to just 00:23:35.33\00:23:41.40 say I'm going to settle? 00:23:41.43\00:23:42.67 You mentioned a good spiritual person, what about the 00:23:42.71\00:23:45.60 temptation to, now listen we are kidding ourselves if we 00:23:45.63\00:23:48.83 think our viewers by the hundreds and thousands don't 00:23:48.87\00:23:52.03 face this very temptation to just settle. 00:23:52.06\00:23:53.63 She's sweet, she's nice, she's kind, she's what ever. 00:23:53.66\00:23:57.29 She's not a Christian yet but is the temptation there to 00:23:57.33\00:24:00.92 just marry outside of the faith? 00:24:00.95\00:24:02.30 I would be lying to save there was no temptation to go on 00:24:02.34\00:24:06.51 dates with people to just hang out with girls that don't 00:24:06.55\00:24:10.48 share my beliefs because I get the question all the time. 00:24:10.52\00:24:14.57 I am living in an environment that is very secular with 00:24:14.61\00:24:18.21 my friends and they will ask the question, do you need to 00:24:18.25\00:24:21.81 date someone who is not your religion? 00:24:21.85\00:24:25.09 Or do you need to date somebody who is your religion? 00:24:25.13\00:24:27.84 What if the morals were the same? 00:24:27.87\00:24:31.74 What if you were attracted and all these different ideas 00:24:31.77\00:24:36.43 except your Christian faith? 00:24:36.46\00:24:38.76 It is a difficult question because actually what they are 00:24:38.80\00:24:43.06 getting at is how judgmental I am, but also wanting to 00:24:43.09\00:24:47.06 know about my faith so it is the chance to witness too. 00:24:47.09\00:24:52.18 Usually what I will say is it is the truth that for me 00:24:52.21\00:24:57.26 my Christianity and my belief and my faith in 00:24:57.30\00:25:01.40 God is not a once a week thing. 00:25:01.44\00:25:03.76 It is not a compartmentalized part of my life, 00:25:03.79\00:25:08.44 it is something that affects everything. 00:25:08.48\00:25:10.63 It is how I view everything, it's how I view plants 00:25:10.67\00:25:14.89 growing in the ground. 00:25:14.93\00:25:16.01 It's how I view how children should be raised and how 00:25:16.05\00:25:19.79 I view eternity so it's not a situation where I could, 00:25:19.83\00:25:23.52 And when we talk about settling, settling for something 00:25:23.55\00:25:27.21 less than the ideal. 00:25:27.24\00:25:28.76 Not settling for a person because they don't believe 00:25:28.79\00:25:30.95 they are less of a person by any means. 00:25:30.98\00:25:33.08 Thank you, I love that clarification. 00:25:33.12\00:25:35.15 But it is settling for something less than God's ideal 00:25:35.18\00:25:40.27 for me, and whatever that is. 00:25:40.30\00:25:41.63 It could be God's ideal for me is to stay single and 00:25:41.67\00:25:45.49 to take up some kind of ministry that He needs me to be 00:25:45.53\00:25:48.95 single for and I know from past experiences what He has 00:25:48.99\00:25:52.23 done in other parts of my life that He is going to take 00:25:52.26\00:25:55.47 care of it and that He has something better 00:25:55.50\00:25:59.39 in mind than I do. 00:25:59.43\00:26:00.61 If God's providence is calling you to that then 00:26:00.65\00:26:03.08 God's grace will sustain you and empower you in that. 00:26:03.12\00:26:06.48 In other words the story is quickly told where a woman 00:26:06.52\00:26:09.37 goes up to Dwight Moody and says oh I wish I had the faith 00:26:09.40\00:26:12.22 that you had, I wish I had a martyr's faith. 00:26:12.25\00:26:13.73 He says will I don't have a martyr's faith. 00:26:13.77\00:26:15.18 What a great evangelist and Moody doesn't have a martyr's 00:26:15.21\00:26:17.74 faith? No, but if God called me to be a martyr then 00:26:17.77\00:26:21.41 He would give me the faith to do that. 00:26:21.45\00:26:23.43 So you said something there about, even the way the grass 00:26:23.46\00:26:27.11 grows and the way you view marriage relationships and 00:26:27.15\00:26:29.88 eternity, that is a great point because if you see 00:26:29.91\00:26:32.61 a flower or you see a tree, you see that in 00:26:32.64\00:26:35.60 a fundamentally different way than a person who doesn't 00:26:35.64\00:26:38.31 share your most basic core of spiritual perspective. 00:26:38.34\00:26:40.98 At the creation ahh, thank you Jesus for these beautiful 00:26:41.01\00:26:43.54 flowers is different than oh those are nice flowers. 00:26:43.57\00:26:46.52 If you don't share that most fundamental thing with 00:26:46.56\00:26:48.89 somebody really how could you be connected with them in 00:26:48.93\00:26:52.31 the most intimate, significant, meaningful things in life? 00:26:52.35\00:26:55.70 Yeah and that is exactly the point. 00:26:55.73\00:26:59.17 From that view of marriage that I have from my parents, 00:26:59.20\00:27:03.32 it's that they are on the same page about everything, 00:27:03.35\00:27:07.43 about every aspect of life. 00:27:07.47\00:27:09.15 If they have any differences they can work through it 00:27:09.18\00:27:12.77 together, but because they are viewing it the same way, 00:27:12.80\00:27:18.70 and because I had such an ideal in seeing exactly what 00:27:18.73\00:27:22.96 God meant when he said it was not good that man be alone. 00:27:22.99\00:27:27.18 If you would see my dad by himself he is useless. 00:27:27.22\00:27:29.23 Not in every way, but he needs my mother. 00:27:29.27\00:27:33.93 And my mom loves being needed by him, and the exact 00:27:33.97\00:27:38.15 opposite is true, the same thing is true the same 00:27:38.18\00:27:42.33 as my mom and dad. 00:27:42.37\00:27:43.50 Well thank you so much for being on the show here in 00:27:43.54\00:27:46.04 the thing that I have really taken away and that I want 00:27:46.07\00:27:48.54 our viewers to take away is that whatever state 00:27:48.57\00:27:50.85 you are in, be content there and thank you for turning 00:27:50.89\00:27:55.18 in, check us out or send us an e-mail at: 00:27:55.21\00:27:57.23 thank you for joining us today. 00:28:00.13\00:28:01.99