After I finished high school I really didn’t feel the Lord was leading me to attend college.  Though college is definitely a good option for some, I don’t feel college is for everyone.

But if I don’t go to college what should I be doing? This is a question I had to ask myself; maybe you are wondering the same thing.  Well, I knew I couldn’t sit around and do nothing, just waiting for Mr. Right to come along.

A key to maintaining a purposeful, God-honoring life is to keep busy with goals, projects and responsibilities.  Just because you are not pursuing a degree doesn’t mean you should stop learning and working towards things.  The years after high school and before marriage is a special gift from God.  We can take this time to work towards growing our relationship with God, serving others and learning life skills.

“There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.”

1 Corinthians 7:34

There are many ways which a girl can learn and serve the Lord but I’d like to share with you some of the things I’m doing.  By no means am I suggesting you follow me exactly, but perhaps this will inspire you with some ideas that you can tailor to your own life.

Deepening your relationship with the Lord is by far the best thing you can do in whatever stage you are in life.  Though I am certainly not perfect (I often fail miserably), I try to be faithful in my Bible reading, Scripture memorization, prayer, reading good books and listening to deep songs.

During this stage in life I am trying to learn all the necessary homemaking skills I can so when the time comes for me to have a family of my own I will be well prepared.  I try to glean information from my mother on housekeeping, cooking and how to be a godly wife and mother.  Not only has this been a sweet bonding time for me and my mother but these skills will be beneficial to me whether or not I marry in the near future, years from now or never.  Learning these skills will never be wasted.

I think it can be a very good thing to learn some type of occupation and how to wisely handle the money that comes with it.  Though college is one way this can be done, that is not the only option to consider.  I personally enjoy being an entrepreneur.  I took an interest in cake decorating and I have been able to use these skills to start my own business.  I enjoy writing and in this stage of life I’ve had the time to write a book and experience what it’s like to go through the process of publishing and selling it.  Blogging has become my newest passion.  I’ve begun teaching myself how to create and maintain a website.  I also love babysitting and I do this on a weekly basis.

Again, everyone’s life will be diverse and that’s a wonderful thing, but I’d encourage every girl to use this special time of singleness to learn, study homemaking/life skills, and most of all deepen her relationship with Christ.

By Ashley Schnarr, Stay-At-Home Daughter

Would you like a FREE copy of of Keeping House While Keeping Sane?

I thought you might. Ashley would like to give FIVE copies away to Raising Homemakers readers for FREE. To enter for a chance to win:

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