Reproach...psalm 69

5God, you know every sin I've committed; My life's a wide-open book before you. 6Don't let those who look to you in hope Be discouraged by what happens to me, Dear Lord! God of the armies! Don't let those out looking for you Come to a dead end by following me— Please, dear God of Israel! 7Because of you I look like an idiot, I walk around ashamed to show my face. 8My brothers shun me like a bum off the street; My family treats me like an unwanted guest. 9I love you more than I can say. Because I'm madly in love with you, They blame me for everything they dislike about you. 10When I poured myself out in prayer and fasting, All it got me was more contempt.

From Lauren F. Winner
"...the Christian story leads us to relate to each other in a way that is distinctively Christian. Christian dating is chaste, communal, and oriented toward marriage. It partakes of Christian love, a cruciform love that should be very different from the love described in the pages of Maxim and Cosmo."

Rejoice in Trials

Since we have Christ we have peace; and because of our faith He has brought us into the place of highest privilege where we now stand with confidence, looking forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice in trials, they are good for us. They help us learn to endure. And endurance leads to strength of character and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us because we know how dearly He loves us because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. (Romans 4)
pic by: Chris Haman