Welcome to The Unfading Beauty! Ideas centering around being single well while waiting for a spouse are ones that have occupied my thoughts and discussions for the better part of two decades. Finally, at the promptings of several friends, I am hoping to open up a space to invite others into that place of thinking with me about a godly life leading to a godly marriage.

I have had a rough go of the relationship space over the years, and it has led me to have some pretty intense discussions with God about what his design and desires are for his people, what a wife should look like, the beauty of the differences between men and women, how to live life fully before he fulfills the desires in our hearts, submitting to his timing, and so much more.

While the Bible is full of rich commentary and instruction for all these things, two passages of Scripture have deeply focused my way of thinking about living well as a single person when the desire is to not be single.

One of those passages is Proverbs 31:10-31. If you’ve been around the church for a while, seen basically ANY women’s devotional study, or joined a singles group at one time or another, you’ve probably heard someone talk about the “Proverbs 31 Woman.” This closing passage of the book of Proverbs gives an almost intimidating (at times!) explanation of the qualities of a wife who has noble character. I deeply believe that we can be women (or men, if there are any guys reading this!) of noble character even before we meet our spouse. And in fact, if we learn to embody the qualities this wife possesses before we even meet our future spouse, how much better could we make our transition into married life!

The other passage of Scripture I find myself constantly going back to in the midst of this discussion is 1 Peter 3:3-4, which teaches wives what delights God’s heart and is considered beautiful to him: “…the unfading beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”  

So, I invite you into this discussion of what it looks like to be single well and consider marriage appropriately. Let’s explore what the quiet and gentle spirit is. Let’s talk about the attributes of noble character. If you are living in a place of hope deferred, I resonate with you deeply. If you are unsure if marriage is right for you, I hope this will help you consider God’s design with a fresh perspective. If you’ve been hurt in a relationship, I want this to be a safe place to heal. Let’s take this journey together, friends!