Love is Patient

     It's such a strange feeling, writing what's on my mind and making it available for other people to read. I'm not sure if anyone is actually reading this, and what they think of it, but I've been wanting to do something like this, and I felt ready to start, so here we are. Let me know if you're reading this, because i'm curious!

     Lately I've been starting to feel some of the same feelings I used to experience before I went to Honduras and found my self confidence, and I do not enjoy them. Spring is around the corner, and many of my female peers are starting to talk about "getting in shape". For a while I started worrying about my appearance like I used to, until I was reminded how stressful it is to constantly have that on my mind. I am working on not getting sucked into those kinds of feelings again, now that I know how great it feels not to have them.

     Another worry I have had on my mind, and this is embarrassing to admit, is the fact that I am almost 19 and have never had a boyfriend. At times I get really concerned over that fact, imagining myself years down the road still single and living with 32 cats. I'm not even that fond of cats, can I be the crazy dog lady instead? Yes, I am an expert worrier with a great imagination, and it's pretty ridiculous.

     Recently someone suggested that I "expect to much" from guys. I was quite taken aback by this, and began to evaluate my expectations, to see if I should lower them. After this evaluation, I have decided that I'll just continue to wait for the right guy for me. My father always treats me very well, so I know that good guys do exist, they're just rare.

So what are these crazy expectations that I have for guys? Well, for the thousands of eligible bachelors that I'm sure are reading this, (kidding!), here's what I'm waiting for.

1. Someone who shares my faith, who prays for and with me and helps me grow in my relationship with God, and who I can discuss my faith with, and who will discuss his with me.

2. Manners, manners, manners. They're just so attractive to me! If you don't hold the door for me, I'm pretty much done.

3. You have to listen to my Honduras stories. Honduras changed my life, and I can find a way to work a Honduras story into almost any conversation. Also, when 10,000 Reasons comes on the radio, I'm gonna get all choked up, even if I just heard it 5 minutes ago. Mission trips do that to people. You've been warned.

4. I don't want to be your everything. That phrase annoys the heck out of me. I want to be a big part of your life, but God should be first, not me.

5. Friendship. Maybe I've been watching too many movies, but it seems to me that people who are in love are also really close friends

So there you have it, the things I'm looking for. Do I have high standards? Maybe, but I don't plan on changing them. The Bible says that love is patient, and I feel like I should also try to be patient and wait for the right person, instead of lowering my expectations.