Give Love a Chance

I look at the world and feel depressed.  There is so much anger and cruelty.  Middle school girls stab each other in the back over and over again.  Gang members constantly battle one another.  Families fall apart, people divorce and fall outs happen.  Friends leave you high and dry, the church fails and lovers break hearts.

It seems as though there is no one trustworthy but God.  So why do we put our trust in other people?  Why do we try so hard to love others, only to be let down, rejected and alone?

My heart yearns for this earth to be covered in love and happiness.  My head is in a fairytale place; it sees the ideal instead of the real.  This is as much a blessing as it is a curse.  The cruel realities of the world are forever breaking my heart.  People treat others in horrible ways, sometimes without even knowing it.  We are a broken, angry, and hurt world.  The only way out is heaven.  But what do we do until then?

Inevitably we will experience pain.  But if there were no pain we would not be truly living.  Are we fully feeling life if we only experience the good parts?

Give love a chance.

"3 Feet"

Adventure in the heart
adrenaline pumping veins
fill up your soul
or function through the plains

Ocean waves surround her now
Sun shines freely
shake it all off
become who you see in the distance

Pray for your soul, darling
Pray for your soul.
See that if finds it's route
Don't let it hydroplane.
Life has to be lived.

The air beneath your wings
nothing stops a sailor.
Keep on fishing
don't drop anchor.
Carry on through the deep
carry on through the depths
Rise again to see the beauty of it all.

Pray for your soul, darling
Pray for your soul.
See that if finds it's route
Don't let it hydroplane.
Life has to be loved.

The lights are behind you now.
The chains are gone.
Let your skin release
and find your home.

No metal
no more
no high buzz
sit and see
what all it was

Pray for your soul, darling
Pray for your soul.
See that if finds it's route
Don't let it hydroplane.
Life has to be lived.
Life has to be loved.

Vulnerable Beauty in a Perfect World

I often ponder how God would like the world to be.  I mean he knows we are imperfect and he never expects that but "in a perfect world" what would he like that to look like?

I think we were designed to live in nature.  God created beautiful mountains and trees and rivers--all for our enjoyment, yet we spend 90% of our time indoors looking at a screen or a wall.

He created us to eat from the dirt we come from and will return too.  All those nutrient rich foods come straight out of the ground and they take lots of hard work and tending in order to mature to perfection.  God didn't create cardboard burgers and wax-infused candy.  He created the good stuff.  The stuff a man can live on.

"Poncho Love" Haley Hoover, 2014

I think he designed us to be married young.  The natural inclination of body maturity, hormones and emotional growth make sense to cling to a spouse around the late teens age.  I think society and careers and other such goals get in the way of this.

I also believe He would want us all to live vulnerably through creating and being.

Everyone would dance.  How many verses in the Bible do you see people "dancing before the Lord"?  People don't dance because they are embarrassed or afraid of what others will think.  Yet dancing, it every form, is a most intimate form of communication.  It is an outward reflection of the heart.  When the Spirit really gets a hold of you, there is no more natural thing than to let go of the fear of the world and set your spirit moving throughout the body.

Like dancing, singing would feel the earth.  Singing is also an act of vulnerability.  I believe we can all sing beautifully, but again it is fear that holds us back.  Fear holds us back from singing beautiful songs all day long as we go about our work.  Many years ago they sang while they worked in the fields.  But who would ever sing passionate worship songs in the middle of the office or at the plant?

All of these man made things have stripped us of our sensitivity and ability to sincerely communicate with God and with each other.  I've written before about the theory that we are all creators in some way or another.  Everyone was born with a passion and everyone can use that passion to create a beautiful contribution for the world.  Wether its painting, woodworking, singing, cooking, teaching, or anything else that is creative, all of those things come from a heart eager to give love to others.

Perhaps we are all full of beautiful talents and just don't know it.  We let the shame of others keep us from living out of our deepest depths.  Maybe we all have secret lives where we do what we would rather do all day long.  Maybe we hide our beauty because it threatens a broken world.  Beauty is vulnerable.  Beauty is captivating.  It heals, creates change and demands love in the deepest parts of our souls.

Yes, I think we all have the ability to share love.  I think God would have us all sing, dance, pray, write, cook, love, eat, care and build in a perfect world.  Perhaps each of us are better at intimacy in our own specific love language to the world.  But then, maybe we were meant to embrace all forms for the sake of a wonderful Father.

Love the world today.  Show them how you share your passion.

Gypsy

This morning I have a powerful connection with an old song.  I have often loved this song, but today my love discovers new depths through it.

I often times feel like plastic.  I am shiny and positive and talkative and productive.  I am energized by people and so I nearly always find myself at the mercy of other's.  I love people and interaction.

Yet deep down there is still this whole other person.  This deep intellectual who has always felt shunned and scared.  She is a child, a small girl who must be cherished and nourished and drawn out.  Perhaps it is my inner artist-child as Julia Cameron suggests, or maybe it is just the softer me.  The softer me does not beg for attention or ask to be seen.  She knows she is worthy and her heart waits patiently to be sought after.

It is this woman that leaks out in my early morning walks, my extended painting sessions, and in the pages of my journal.

How must I draw her near?

Solitude.  

Some have been introduced before.  They laugh or they judge or they accept.  All of it hurts.

I've wrote about her before.  I want her to blossom!  It's hard to draw her out when there is no trust or stability.  She is not open to other people yet.  She has to be comfortable first with me and then with herself.  When time has passed she might eventually warm up to others.  It's hard to say why she is so timid.

I think she is timid because she is valuable.  Her demeanor holds depth.  She is beauty and truth.  She has thoughts and opinions and deep concerns--concerns that, we often overlook.  She has dreams and desires and goals that aren't apparent to the on-looker.  She wants to create and sell and give.  Her purpose is to bring her great joy to the world's great need.
But how will she do that?

This lady is tender and sweet.  She loves relentlessly, always pouring out herself.  She bleeds on paper, in the air and on to the unknown.  It's the heart that bleeds.

So magnificent, yet only a child.  The child's only question is directed at me.  She sings, "Am I enough, enough for you to love--enough to love?"

I look up and she is dancing away, away with wind and into the sky.  The tender young woman never had her chance.

She was only a wish.
Just a wish.
She was just a wish.

Only a memory...but it's up to me to rescue her.

It's About Love

Dear, sweet, child--never forget that you are loved.  Don't forget you are wanted, sought after and valued.  The God of all the universe designed you intricately and lives to watch you bloom.  He poured his heart into your creation and his eyes never leave your delicate face.  Sweetheart, you are perfect just the way you are.  You don't need affirmation from friends, media or boys.  The great affirmer has called your heart wonderful.  You mustn't fret when the attention withers, but rejoice in the companionship of the Lord.

The Lord who loves you sent himself in human form to prove this to you.  He's showing off so that you will notice the depth of his love for you.  Jesus stretched his arms far and wide and he thought of you when he said, "Sweet child, come home.  Run into these arms of mine and rest in my love.  I need you to need me.  I want you to want me.  It hurts me when you turn away, but all the while I have never stopped loving you and I never will.  You are my precious child and I desire to show you more of my passion for you and all the earth.  Come near to me and I will never forsake you."

It's the love of the father that changes lives.  It's the power in his whisper and the undeniable strength in his voice.  Easter pageants aren't the cure.  10am isn't the magical time.  I cannot help you.  Only Jesus.  Jesus is love and love endures all things.  Love never fails.

Love him.  He first loved you.

Love him.  He will never leave you.

Love him, because you need something constant in this life and the next.

Love him so you can be full of life and vigor and meaning.  Everything else is just a chasing after the wind.  Sadly, even your success and degrees and fortune cannot go with you when you leave this world.  Only your soul and what you left behind in the lives of others.

Live a life of love.  Love the Lord your God with your total heart, soul and mind.  Then turn around and pour that love into other people.  Those are our two commandments, the ones that speak truth and shatter lies.
Love. endures. all. things.

Christ is risen, and he is alive.  Easter Sunday is about the remarkable love he showed for us then, and now and continues to show us.

It's about love.

Who Can You Serve Today?

It is often said that love is a choice, not a feeling.  When you chose to love someone, you are choosing to love them regardless of their attitude or reactions.  You are voting yes for them, in their darkest hour and in their roughest patch.  I am not asking you to reward temper-tantrums, but to encourage and lift up, in whatever way possible.

This morning in my quiet time I received some inspiration from my late Grandma.  I noticed that from the time she was my age till the day she died at 92, she was as faithful to her husband as a woman can be.  She spent all their days together, right by his side.  After his death in '89, she eventually dated other guys, but all the while she never quit talking about Earnest and how she longed to be with him again.  In fact, a small circle of us believe he came to get her the night she flew into heaven.

I pray that I could be a woman with that kind of love and loyalty.  I see opportunities to exercise this quality when I look at my friends.  Once I get past my own self-filled bubble of exciting achievements, I can see into the lives of others and understand all of their hopes and disappointments.  This is my window of opportunity.  Jesus tells us to "encourage one another daily," and "love our neighbor as ourselves."  But do we really live up to that calling?  When others slip away or encounter something devastating, do we step up or back out?

Love is hard.  It is asking the most vulnerable part of you to take a stand.  This raw love is beautiful; breathtaking.  In fact, it looks nothing like the pop-culture version we see on TV.  Hollywood glamorizes this messy, all-open, sex-centered affair of a relationship called "lust."  We call it love, but that is a lie.  It is an unfaithful web of lies.  Instead of looking to magazines and movies to inspire your character, why not look to those quiet couples around you who have been happily married for years?  You'll find them sitting right next to each other, worshiping and serving the Lord.  

No couple is 100% perfect, but there are always loyal ambassadors to learn from.

Who can you serve today?  Take a look around. 

Degreeism & The Call to Love

Don't you love the part when you think you're past something, then find out you're not.  At the beginning of this semester I thought I was going in for a graduation check, but instead found out I needed another three hours to graduate.

Already a month into the semester, my chances of finding a 3 hr credit that fit my specific needs were slim.  I ran home and frantically searched the online database looking for some goofy class to satisfy my degree requirements.  Fortunately, God is good and he led me to an 8-week online course, Intro to Human Relations.  I'll take it!  

Although the class required minimal effort on my part, I still learned a few things.  I learned on my own that Rachel Carson is an awesome role-model (a woman with several degrees,) and I definitely want to read more about her. 

I also learned about the Little Rock 9 and Rosa Parks.  

My eyes were opened to the reality of homelessness and the stereotypes that do NOT match with that.  

The entire class was about social injustice and stereotyping.  From feminism to racism and beyond...we learned the error of judging and how that only separates us and causes unnecessary hate.

For our final discussion in the class, we were asked to describe a social problem that we would like to see changed and describe how we would go about fixing it.  After only a few seconds of thought, my passion blazed with something I had been wanting to write about for a long time.  My post generated so much discussion within our class that I decided to share it here:  

Degreeism

I have a social problem that has bothered me for quite some time now.  I would like to start off by saying that I am obviously not against college or degree programs (as I am in them and have them,) but I am against the value people put in others who have or do not have a degree.

I feel like there is a huge social stigma against people who do not have college degrees.  It is as if we instantly deem them "unworthy" or less in the eyes of degree holders and business corporations.  While a degree can be quite helpful and make one feel accomplished, I in no way think that this deems someone worthy.  A person's worth, ideas, intelligence and integrity does not depend on a million dollar investment in a piece of paper.

A little over a year ago I decided to take some indefinite time off from school.  All I knew was that I needed to be in southwest Oklahoma, waitressing, because that was what God said.  So I moved south with only one semester left in my Bachelor's degree program.  

My family accused me of being on drugs.

My friends from OU dropped me completely and still do not talk to me hardly.

The community I grew up in shunned me and said I was no longer an example to their children.

Professors which I had strong ties with quit replying to my emails.

What hurt me the most out of all this was that I couldn't understand why me being at school changed who I was to other people.  This drove me nuts because I as a person hadn't changed any.  I still read my Bible everyday, I still painted and laughed and watched the same movies.  I loved the same people and ate the same foods, but for some reason I wasn't good enough for anyone anymore.  It really hurt me to see the shallow side of so many people I loved and trusted.  I still cared about all of these people and tried to assure them of this, but they didn't seem to want to hear it.

My parents eventually came around and then some time later I decided to come back and finish my degree.

What's funny is that several other relationships were "miraculously healed" when I made this decision.  

I don't associate with these relations anymore.  I've seen the injustice in the truth.

To fix this problem I think you need a lot more than a campaign informing people that no college is okay for some people, but that would be a good start.  I met so many wonderful people without degrees while I was working.  I consider these people more loyal and closer friends than any friends I have made at college.  I hate people for looking down upon these service industry individuals.  They have more character in one sleeve than thousands of people with money, degrees and fancy jobs.  And as our book pointed out, who isn't one phone call away from being homeless?


I am now 5 days away from graduating.  People ask me if I am excited, and the answer is yes.  Yes, I am excited to be done with school and yes I feel a level of accomplishment for sticking it out and receiving my degree.

But on the other hand I have learned a lot about the value of this thing since my year off.  I have learned that a degree isn't the answer to all my problems.  It is not what gives me value.  A degree doesn't fuel my passion or give me integrity.

This piece of paper will not change who I will end up marrying.
While it may open many doors for me, it doesn't change where I have come from.

I know that I work just as hard without it as I do with it, and my past employers aren't going to treat me any differently because I now have one.  I proved myself by being me. A degree didn't get me that.

I know that when I mention the phrase "bachelor's degree" in reference to me, I am now gaining a whole new level of respect from others.  I will have more job opportunities and I will statistically receive a much higher salary than someone without it.  I will probably gain friends and rewards because of it.  But, thankfully I was reminded about what is important in life when I stepped out of this circle for a year.

I am beyond grateful that I can say I have a degree.  I am blessed beyond measure with parents who paid for and pushed me to finish my schooling.  I treasure the friends I have made at school.  I loved the experiences and had some really fun times.

Norman is a great town and OU is a fantastic, top-tiered university.  If I had to do it all over again I'd do it the exact same way.  Plus, I'd hate to be on the other side of bedlam this year.  Joking.  But seriously.

I'm not complaining, I'm not harboring any anger, and I'm not looking for apologies, sympathies or envies.  I'm just writing.

I write to clear my head and I write to use my voice.

Call it what you want, but "Degreeism," as I casually call it, is a social injustice, just like racism or feminism.
No I'm not going to start a campaign or riot.

I'm just sayin' is all...

I'm sure if you're black you don't like people treating you differently because of it.  If you're a female you probably would be angry if you were refused a position based on your sex.  Stay at home Mom's, do you like it when people think you don't have a "real job"?

My point is that we all must unite in love.  It's like this awesome meme my cousin shared on Facebook the other day.  It points out that we are really all the same on the inside.  We all have feelings, goals, hurts, desires, longings, beliefs, etc.

So let's drop all the titles and love as Jesus does!  You see, greater than our choice of belief, major, or religion, is the call to love.

Mark 12:31

"The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no commandment greater than these.

Colossians 2:2

"My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love,
so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding,
in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ. 

John 13:34

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
 just as I have loved you,
 you also are to love one another."

How to Love Americans

I think this song is so powerful.  How many people are you surrounded by that just need a little love?

I'm willing to bet you don't even know.

Classmates, friends, siblings..you see them everyday but do you really know what they are struggling with deep down?

Because of the society we're raised in, we hide the mess and look pretty on the outside.  We all know this because we all do it.  But what happens when the outside caves and we need someone there who really cares?  What happens when we need love--the real kind--the kind that heals?

Forgive us father, for we are so arrogant that we can't admit our own faults.  Forgive us for trying to be people we aren't.  Forgive me for trying too hard.  Forgive me for not showing weakness.  Because of my selfishness I know there are others who share the same struggles as I do, but I can't witness to them because then they would know my messy secrets.  I'm sorry father.  It is a disgusting sin to swallow.  Pride.  Why do we do this to ourselves?

I was handed a Billy Graham pamphlet at church last Sunday..inside I found information about Americans.  In a typical American neighborhood you can expect to find this:

• 7 of your neighbors struggle with depression; some consider suicide
• 14 feel crippled or trapped by fear and anxiety
• 7 abuse or addicted to drugs or alcohol
• 8 are struggling with the loss of a job
• 3 are grieving the death of a loved one
• 60 don't profess to be born again.

I do love the campaign Mr. Graham has going and I encourage you to follow the link and participate in your own church, but right now I want to focus on those statistics.  Some of you may find them hard to believe, but the more I see of the world the more I see truth in these numbers; we just hide them so it doesn't look so bad.

I thought a girl in my art class described it perfectly when she painted this picture:

It's about our hidden flaws.  The guy on the left is suicidal, the woman in the middle is anorexic and the girl sitting down on the far right struggles with depression.

I love this painting because I could just stare at it all day long and get so much meaning from it.  I particularly like the woman in the middle, because from the outside you know she is beautiful.  I'm sure everyone thinks she has a lovely life full of parties, romance and sophistication--but until you look closer you wouldn't know that she's a broken soul who desperately needs love and acceptance from someone who really cares.  Yes Jesus, but also a friend.  Not the kind she has who talk about jewelry and make-up all the time, but a true friend who loves her for her and doesn't care what size she is.  She doesn't need a religious weirdo trying to save her so they can feel better about themselves.  She needs someone she can trust.  Someone who says it's okay to be real.

This is the perfect portrait of America.

We are hurting and dirty and dieing.  We are bruised, broken and ashamed.  We need help.  We know about Jesus, we have him..but now we need each other.  Real friendship.

I came to this conclusion after watching October Baby for the fifth time.  The girl on there seems crazy, dependent and annoying--but she found healing through Jesus and a true friend.

I thought about that for a long time...

We try to make acting like Jesus this big huge thing where we have to start a non-profit organization and change the world with free Bibles and hot meals for everyone.  But really, "You can't boil the ocean."  We have to start small and we have to start with ourselves.  Me.  You.  Individually.

What would Jesus do?

He would love everyone! Everywhere! Forever!!

Right.  So what does that mean we should do?

Love everyone!  Everywhere! Forever!

Okay so let's break this down.  Instead of trying to "boil the ocean" let's look at your life.  Actually, let's look at mine since I don't know "you."  I have been blessed with a Mother, a Father, a Brother and about 5 or so friends who mean the world to me.  These are the people who mean the most to me.  They are the ones I laugh with, cry with and share my dreams with.  These are the people who won't leave me--for better or for worse.  

After watching October Baby, I feel like the Lord personally challenged me to look closer into these 8 lives and see what I can do to love them more like Jesus.  I can't be everyone's best friend no matter how hard I try..but I can love deeply 8 people.  That's doable for me.

So I made a list of these names, and next to each of their names I wrote out how I could personally help them feel the love of Jesus more through my life.  For my Brother it is being there to cheer him on.  For my crazy Mexican friend it's just being supportive of his new dream.  It's small things that add up to large things.

If we all purposely loved the small group of people in our lives better, I think we could make a huge change. Then someone would be there for the girl who secretly struggles with anorexia.  And when our small group meshes well and overflows love for one another, eventually we can reach out and add another soul to our love group.

BUT, let us not forget that this begins with humility.  I had to first realize that I need help, love and support from friends.  I had to realize that I was wrong. I am a sinner and I am broken and I will always be that way no matter how hard I try.

It first takes me getting uncomfortable and sharing my real struggles with my real friends and family in order to hear their side of the story too.

Also, I have to remember how imperfect I am and not judge them for their sins.  Just because I sin differently than they do, doesn't make me a better person.  We all fall short.

I guess I'm reinventing the wheel here.  Read Acts for more ideas and follow the life of Christ in John.

Semester Reflections: Dorothy

At the end of every semester I like to reflect and pick at least three big themes God has helped me mature in during the previous season.  Many times this takes the form of an essay, journal entry, or blog post.  Today I journaled and now I am blog posting, hopefully you can relate and respond to my lessons as well.

Without going into much detail, the three big themes I picked out for Fall 2012 are Dorothy, Grace, and Money.  I plan to go into more detail on each theme in separate posts.  First, I shall conquer Dorothy.

Hopefully you all know the lovable character Dorothy from the movie "The Wizard of Oz."  Dorothy is a young girl searching for who knows what when she finds herself in the middle of a tornado that whisks her away to a magical city of munchkins, witches and a large yellow brick road.  After landing in this city, Dorothy's mission is finding her way back home.  Along her journey to find the Wizard of Oz, whom has all the answers, she picks up three friends who are also in search of something.  Throughout their journey together they encourage each other, laugh together and cry together.  The group of four find themselves fighting evil monkeys, begging gatekeepers to let them pass, and all sorts of other exciting things.

The reason I have titled this post "Dorothy" is because I heard a sermon once about doing discipleship "Dorothy style."  It really helped put discipleship in perspective for me, and when my roommates and I watched "The Wizard of Oz" about a month ago, it hit home to me what Dorthy-style discipleship was all about.  In fact, I realized that had been a huge theme of my semester here.

Dorothy did two things that capture the essence of discipleship.  First she entered in.  Dorothy was on a journey when she met Scarecrow.  She had one task to fulfill and she knew how to get there.  Very easily could she have dismissed Scarecrow and went on minding her own business, making the journey alone and deceivingly much faster.  I see most of us today doing just that.  We are very task-oriented individuals, and we are also very aware of the ever ticking time-bomb.  Therefore our society tends to think the "me first and me only" mentality is the fastest and easiest way to go about a job.  When in fact, this is a lie from Satan.  "Me first and me only"  leaves you lonely, confused, and destroyed by Satan.  Dorothy understood this, and so she chose to enter in.

Follow this link to see a clip from the movie:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yejtZgzB5Ik
(I apologize there was no embedded option on this video.)

Dorothy could have easily kept going, ignored the scarecrow, and  focused on her desires, but instead she chose to enter in to a relationship with Scarecrow.  As you saw in the video, first she asked him a few questions about himself, then she introduced herself, and soon she was helping him down off of the pole and inviting him to journey with her to the Emerald City.  THAT is what discipleship is about.  Entering in.

The same process is repeated when she meets Lion and The Tinman.  Dorothy is quick to invite others along for the journey, despite the fact that she herself has not much clue of what to expect or what to do.  That's where her second inspiring action takes place, she journeys with.  Discipleship isn't about knowing everything then pouring out to others when you think you know enough, it's more about journeying with others and finding out TOGETHER what it takes to achieve the dreams and goals God has put before each of you.  You don't have to know everything and you definitely don't have to lead...you need only to lay everything before God and take each day one step at a time--you and your teammates.

The biggest blessing of this fall has been living with two of my sheep.  I've seen and lived discipleship on a deeper level than I've ever seen.  It's been extremely hard, it's been very humbling. and its been very encouraging.  The growth and beauty I've seen come from these two girls has been more of a lesson for me than anything else I've experienced.  I've seen first hand how one person can't go in the journey alone, and the value that close Christian community brings to a family.  This was how the church was designed to live.  This is how the Acts Christians did life.  Discipleship was life.  Life was discipleship.  Today we separate the two, when in fact it was meant to be one sanctity.

At times during the semester I tried to hard to focus on my outward ministry, and it was during those times that our household was rocky and tense.  It took a great roommate and friend talking frankly with me to pull me back in.  The truth is, God blessed us all with the community of each other, and first and foremost that is our focus..."to build one another up in love."  It may have took several months for me to understand the opportunity at hand, but living and breathing discipleship daily gives believers the perfect opportunity to serve God by "not giving up meeting together...encouraging one another daily..etc." (Hebrews 10:23-25)

What a huge blessing this Dorothy Discipleship semester has been.  God has really humbled me and taught me throughout it all, but I am forever grateful for the opportunity and praise my God for his goodness.

If you have a chance over this break, I'd like to encourage you to watch "The Wizard of Oz."  Study Dorothy and how kind and gentle she is while she invites others to join her on her journey.  However, she realizes the journey isn't about her at all.  It's about helping others find what they are looking for too.

Discipleship.

A Woman's Heart

"...at the heart of every woman you will find that she wants three things: to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty...most of our addictions as women flare up when we feel that we are not loved or sought after."
--from the book Captivating

 Psalm 45:11 "The King is enthralled by your beauty."

How many of you have ever felt unloved?  Are there any women in your life whom you look at instantly sense their dire need of attention?  Are they..or you..addicted to a secret sin?  Perhaps it's not because they are crazy.  Not because they want to be annoying, clingy, witchy, etc.  Perhaps it is because they have not once in their life felt loved and wanted.

Often times we are all too quick to judge the quirkiness of others.  At the same time, we are much to slow to diagnose the problems of our own addictions.

I've read Captivating, by John and Staci Elderedge five times in my life.  I am now starting and round six.  I love it.  It is and forever will be, my most favorite book.  It has changed and shaped my life over and over again.  Each time I read it I learn something new about women, myself, and God.  Did I mention I never reread books?

As I am reading it tonight...I can't help but stop and think of all the women in the world who feel unloved.  I think the truth is that most of these women are loved, but do they feel it?...no.  That sounds like something very small and trivial, and of course it is something we (women) all downplay to excessive degrees.  In fact, if you were to ask most women if they felt unloved, I bet the majority wouldn't even admit it.  Why?  Because we are STRONG,  INDEPENDENT, Rosie the Rivoter type of women who wouldn't dare confess a need or a want, much less one that depends on a man.

I've asked a few married women in my life if they felt like their husband was leading them spiritually.  In both cases the women teared up and shook their head no, admitting to a lifetime of pain.  Now I sit and think of how many women--young, old, married, widowed, single--who walk around this life feeling unloved.  There must be millions!  What do they do?  How do they cope?  Superficial relationships with men?  Do some cover up the pain with cosmetics? Others might fill the void with food, alcohol or illegal substances even.  Then there are the select few that turn to the Lord and lean on him for their strength and fulfillment.  That of course works, but I know there still must be painful nights when those women need a strong pair of shoulders to lean upon and call "daddy" or "husband."

Please don't take this post as a bashing on the men in our lives.  There are many things women fail at too, and I would never put down men just to be mean.  I know 90% of the men I've met try very hard to be who they need to be for their women...I think they just don't know exactly what they need to do.  Anyhow, the point of my post is to point out the issue so that women and maybe even a few men, can understand more about the heart of a woman.  Once we understand a woman's heart, then we understand her hurts, and when we understand someone's hurts we understand their annoying habits.  Put all this together and you have a recipe that can only add up to help, healing, and freedom.

Think about it.  Every woman wants to be pursued by a man.  When we are little it's daddy, and when we grow older it's a man...but not just any man.  It's the man we can call husband.  I think many young women would argue that it doesn't have to be a husband that pursues them, but when you break it all down, it truly is.  Think of Jennifer Aniston's role in "He's Just Not That Into You."  She lives with a man she has dated for 7 years.  They love each other and are very faithful to one another, yet her heart aches and aches because he refused to marry her.  Why?  Because we are women and we were designed to be married, to be someone's helper, and to be the wife of a specific man God picked out for us.  Don't buy what I'm sellin'?  Read Genesis 2-4.

The heart of a woman screams commitment by a steady, faithful, forever man.  Daddy to husband, nothing in between or temporary.  Yet when we live too long without being pursued by one or the other we tend to get lost in the temporary pain-numbers many call "losers", or "bozos."  Ahh...this must be why we date.

Woa.  Did I just say that?   Can't wait to hear the controversial comments on that line. :)

Anyhow, I have a friend who loves his kids a whole lot.  He always says he's "taking them on an adventure." What adventure are ya'll going on today?  I'll ask him when I know he has a day off.  Oh, the zoo...a museum...mountain climbing...a strange restaurant.  He always replies with some fascinating answer and a jam-packed agenda for the day.

I love, love, love this action-packed form of fathering he has goin' for him. I told him the other day something he never even realized.  By keeping those kids in the middle of an adventure, you are doing them a huge favor.  When they grow up and become teenagers they won't have to rebel and look for adrenaline and excitement, because they will know in their hearts that their whole life has been an exciting adventure.  Why? Because Daddy showed them so.  He taught them how to live life to the fullest without sneaking out, experimenting with drugs, or doing harmful things to their body.

A woman wants to be a part of an adventure...with a forever man.

Life--with all it's surprises, demands and gifts--is definitely an adventure.  Facing the hard stuff head on is always a well-worth it challenge that definitely counts as adventure.  So men, lead us through it instead of running.  Women, trust that he will get you to the other side, hang on, and love every minute of the adrenaline-packed adventure.  I promise you, you won't be bored.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord..."

Jeremiah 29:11

Unity starts with "U"

“I plead with Eudia and I plead with Syntche to agree with each other in the Lord.”

Philippians 1:2

In the Bible, Paul reminds us over and over again to have unity in the body of Christ.  This verse is one example of his heart on the issue.  He pleads with two women who are arguing.  He begs them to stop so that peace may fill the body again. 

This is just one tiny little fight, yet Paul (and GOD) made it a point to include it in the Holy Word of God for our instruction.  If this small issue was such a concern to the Lord, then what must he think of the fighting in the body that goes on now?  Church of Christ and Baptists can’t worship together.  Catholics and Pentecostals refuse to break bread together.  Everyone stick with your denomination and don’t wonder into anything else or you will be shunned.

Hmm…this doesn’t seem right to me.  Aren’t we supposed to all be in search of TRUTH that comes from the Word of God?  Ephesians 4:4-6 says, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

ONE.

Not several, not two, not hundreds. 

We are to be all one body of believers who function, act, and worship together in oneness.  Unity.

So you probably agree with me up to this point, right?  Well, what are you going to do about it?  How does this concern you personally?

“If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

Romans 12:18

As far as it concerns YOU.  Be at peace with all men.

Who do you judge for going to a different church?

Why is it a competition to see how many people we can fit in our pews versus how many are in the pews across the street??

That’s not love.  That’s not unity.  That’s business and numbers, jealousy and dissention.  Satan wins when we fight over numbers and people rather than fighting for each other and working toward the common goal of complete fellowship with God and ALL his people.

You have been brainwashed by society, and now you need to let the Word of God wash over your mind and cleanse it (Romans 12:2.)

Perhaps you don’t go to church because you are fed up with the fighting, the hypocrisy, and the judgment (much like my last few posts.)  Well in that case you need to know something very important.

There is no perfect church.

There are no perfect people.  No perfect worship service, nor pastor, nor doctrine.

We’re all broken and we’re all doing our best, yet we fall desperately short, including me.  Hebrews 10:25 tells us to not give up meeting together with other believers.  The book of Acts displays what the church should look like, and that is a body of people meeting together regularly to lift each other up closer to the Lord.  1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to encourage one another daily.  That means we all need a TIGHT group of close Christians to lift up and to lift us up.  Note: the verse says “daily.” 

Yes, that means it is a lifestyle.  Not a once a week social event.  Do you realize how much happens in a week?  What if Sunday you see Sally and she’s on top of the world in love with Jesus, but Wednesday she finds out her husband is having an affair and her kids are failing classes in school. 

Is she supposed to wait until Sunday to ask for prayer and encouragement?  Are you supposed to wait until the Sunday meeting to hold her hand as she cries and walk her through the situation at hand?

NO.  O course not, because by the next Sunday she will have done what we all seem to do oh so terribly well: stuff in down deep, smile, and keep going.  By doing that she gets no healing, no encouragement, and no help.  Satan wins again and the church keeps a squeaky clean image.  Everything’s fine.

Yet on the inside our hearts are breaking and our pews are slowly murdering us. 

We weren’t meant to live this way.  We were meant to live in community with other believers…despite the well known fact that THEY TO ARE HUMAN, and they too will hurt us and disappoint us, leaving us bruised and broken at times.  But they will also pick us up when we need it too.

How do we start this revolution?

One person at a time.  Be the Christian you want others to be.

Help people the way you want to be helped.

FORGIVE EACH OTHER!! 

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

Do not hold others to impossibly high standards and you won’t be held to the same judgment.  (Matthew 7:2.)

Love in spite of everything.  Love cancels out fears. (1 John 4:18.)  Love never fails.  Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13)

Have you been loving your neighbor lately?

Functioning as a Body

Christians don't know how to help Christians.

This is my new soap box topic.  I have talked to a few different friends about this lately.  They all agree.  These are strong, solid, God-seeking Christians I'm talking about.  They admit that they don't feel comfortable opening up at their churches and asking for support or forgiveness for sins...yet this is what the Bible asks of us.

Why do they feel this way?

Because an open moment with church family often turns into a gossip scandal or a hateful glare down the end of someone else's nose.

Then there are those who think they are helping when they offer advice from their own pocket book. "It's a shame you got caught up in that mess.  You know what the Bible teaches about those kinds of sins..I'll pray for God to help you."

But that isn't really helpful at all.  It's actually a nice way of judging and throwing the person off as someone else's problem, namely, God's.  However, the Bible teaches over and over again that we are to be the BODY of Christ.  His hands, his feet, his love.  The power to heal, raise up, forgive and anoint lies within us.  Jesus gave us that power when he sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In fact, he said it is BETTER that we have the Holy Spirit because of all the power it bestows upon us.

So when people come in a vulnerable moment asking for prayer and help...there is a whole heck of a lot more we can and should be doing besides just throwing a verse at 'em and saying "I'll pray for you."  

No, we are called to walk them through the healing process.  Connect on their level.  Get to the root of the problem.  Why do you act this way?  What led you into that sin?  Where did the pain start?  What do you need to heal from?  How can I walk with you towards the comforting arms of Christ?

The book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands really takes this idea and breaks it down into detailed steps.  I recommend reading it if you want to be a Christian that truly helps others.

It's more than just listening.  It's understanding.

It's moving closer to that person not only in spite of their sin, but in order to help walk them through it.  Ephesians 4:16, Romans 12:4, and Colossians 2:19 all speak of the role of the BODY.  We go through stuff together..not as individuals.

Ephesians 4:16

"From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

"Builds itself up in love."  In love.  

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

Love does not envy.

Love does not boast.

Love is not proud.

Love is not rude.

Love is not self-seeking.

Love is not easily angered.

Love keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil.

Love rejoices in truth.

Love ALWAYS PROTECTS.

LOVE ALWAYS TRUSTS.

LOVE ALWAYS HOPES.

LOVE ALWAYS PERSEVERES.

Love never fails.  Love never gives up.

Where would you be if God gave up on you?  Where would you be if you were surrounded by a body of believers who walked with you through the sickness of your soul as well as the joy of your deliverance.

Forgive us world, for we aren't perfect, and we haven't done our job.  Forgive us church, for we aren't moving and breathing as we ought.  Lord, give us a second chance.

Psalm 34:18

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

The Vow: Book Review

In February of this year I posted an article called "Sacred Secrets Behind the Vow," in which I posted my review of the movie and my anticipation to read the book afterwards.  In that post I mentioned a Fox News article that interviewed the real life couple from The Vow.  In that interview the couple mentioned that their story had been nothing short of an act of God, and they gave all due credit to him, despite the layout of the Hollywood film.

Lucky for me, I have a dear friend who bought me the book for my birthday, and in three days I finished the entire thing and fell much further in love with the couple's story.  As I had suspected, the couple was much more grounded in faith than the movie mentions.  In fact, the book is categorized as Religion/ Christian Life/ Inspirational.  It's a Christian book.

Praise God that this story has made its way into the mainstream literature and film industries.  Spread the word that Jesus is King! 


The story in the book is told from the husband's point of view, Kim Carpenter, which I think makes it all the more powerful.  First, he starts out by explaining how Kim and his wife, Krickitt met each other.  (You have to read this because it will definitely surprise you.)  Their meet-cute displays nothing less than God's sovereignty.  God knows who you will marry, when you will meet them and how.  You don't have to go looking for a mate, because God already picked them out.  Even in the oddest of places and the farthest of cities, if God wants you to be together, it will happen.  Remember that.


After walking through the dating process, engagement, and wedding, Carpenter goes on to explain what happened in the first three months of their married life, and how those events changed their lives forever.  A devastating car wreck left Kim and Krickitt in critical conditions soon after their big wedding day.  While Kim was injured badly, he healed much easier than Krickitt, who had to spend many months in therapy and rehabilitation.  Kim describes his struggles, faith, persistence, and endurance as he fights for his wife, juggles medical bills, and helps coach Krickitt back to normal.

Finally the book shares the story of Kim and Krickitt's second courtship, engagement, and wedding, and how the media quickly became another huge entity in their lives.  The book ends with the present day story; filming the movie with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, raising kids, and growing closer to God and one another every day.

Throughout the story Kim continuously gives praise and thanks to God, the real author of the story.  I was surprised to find out that the story took place almost 14 years ago, and yet God is still using it for his glory. In fact, the couple published their first book of this story in the year 2000.  It is twelve years later and they just published an updated version--how beautiful!  

Kim and Krickitt's story is one of God-honoring perseverance and commitment.  It shows us the true depths of promising to love someone forever and hold on to that love as long as both shall live.  It models the metaphor of Christ and his love for the church, and the beautiful shower of grace and forgiveness that comes with that.  The Vow is not just a love story, it's a God-story.

For a quick read, a heart-warming story and a faith-filled adventure, I highly recommend this book.  I also suggest watching the movie too and making your own comparison between the two.  Both are fantastic and both are God-inspired.  If you've read the book or plan on doing so, comment your thoughts below!

Article first published as <a href='http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-the-vow-the-true/'>Book Review: The Vow: The True Events that Inspired the Movie</i> by Kim Carpenter, Krickitt Carpenter, with Dana Wilkerson (</a> on Blogcritics.

More Than Happily Ever After

Here's another post inspired by Gary Thomas' book Sacred Influence.  In the ninth chapter you will find this paragraph:

"For some women, marriage is the ultimate life goal--once attained, what's to try for?  When you stop trying to please your man, eventually, by degrees, you lose him; or at the least, you lose the intimacy that leads to influence.  You become someone other than the person he married, and the two of you begin to drift apart."

I agree, and I'd take the first like a step farther.  I would say most women think marriage is the ultimate goal, especially single women.  For proof of this, look at what our brains feast on--

happily ever after...

You see the three dots at the end of that statement?  That line always follows the wedding of the princess, and the three dots give us a signal that the rest doesn't matter.  The important thing is that she won the guy and got a ring on her finger, after that who cares right?

Wrong.  Just like our marriage to Christ through salvation is not the end but the beginning, so is your marriage to your husband.  Don't go too far to think that your life won't begin until marriage, just think realistically.  In married life, life still happens.  You still have crazy roller-coaster days.  You still have nights that you can't sleep.  You still get stressed out with work, and you still want to be alone at times.  Part of marriage is learning to take these challenges head on and love another person through the difficulties anyway.  

As single women, we have got to get our heads out of the sky when it comes to fantasizing about marriage.  It will be fun don't get me wrong, but it will be hard too.  We have to prepare ourselves for a life-long journey of patience, trust, and forgiveness.  This journey starts at salvation, and is taken to a new level with marriage.  

How many people have you seen get saved at a camp or rededication service who get extremely emotional and excited about what God is doing, they make big promises and buy fancy Bibles, all in celebration of this new lifestyle they are choosing, only to fall off the face of the earth a few months later?  Why did this happen?  Because they were caught up in the fluff and not prepared for the real stuff.  Life is tough sometimes.  

King Solomon says we all go through different seasons of life.  "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.." (Ecclesiastes 3)  Godly wisdom tells us to expect all things, and Jesus was very straightforward when he told us the life of a Christian was full of persecution, trials, and tribulations.  So why wouldn't you expect that?  Why wouldn't you definitely expect that in a union of two sinful souls, namely a marriage?

So what can you start doing now to prepare for life?  Maybe it's time to realize it's not all about you, it never was, and it never will be.  Life is about God, plain and simple.  This is the hardest thing a human can accept, but the most rewarding when he does.  Don't let pride and fantasy get in your way, count the costs before you build your house (Luke 14:28.)

Marriage, much like salvation, is something we will always have to work towards.  We are constantly trying to improve our relationships both with God and men, that is what our calling is (Matthew 22:37-40)!  Philippians 2:12-13 tells us we must do this with our salvation: "Therefore, my dear friends, as yu ohave always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

Work out your salvation.

You have to work at it.  That's why without a daily quiet time Christians perish.  That's why life without a community causes us to wilt.  Those kind of actions are active, they are passive, and it's just like telling the devil he can roll over on us while we raise our white flags.  That's cowardly and childish.  Anything worth having is worth fighting for--daily.  It's like Noah says in the movie The Notebook:

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day."

The same guy that uttered those words spent the last part of his life trying to win the heart of his wife--every single day.  Despite her memory loss, Noah spent each day reminding Allie of the love they once shared and how much he wanted to take care of her and be with her forever and ever.  That's what marriage is about, and that's the stubborn intensity we must approach it with.  

2 Corinthians 2:11 

"...in order that Satan might not outwit us.  For we are not unaware of his schemes."

Forsaking God: Like a Postcard from Paris

Last November I did a short series on my "Holiday Theory," which goes to say that Satan seems to tempt us more when we are off-schedule, on-break, and relaxed.  Although I forgot to mention it in the previous post, the theory applies for Summer break as well.  We all seem to stumble a bit at the beginning of a break, and since it is June, I thought I would offer some encouragement on getting back up and "finishing the race." (2 Tim 4:7)

My inspiration?  A country song of course, The Band Perry's hit song, Postcard From Paris.  The song describes the story of a girl who meets a guy while hanging out with her boyfriend.  Because this guy happens to be "the real deal," she realizes that she is "ruined" from dating any other guy.  This "ruining" is caused by the true love she tasted, therefore everything else is just artificial--like a postcard from Paris when you've seen the real thing. 

As I have murmured the lyrics to myself over and over again, I have seemed to catch a greater glimpse of God's grace and the unfailing love he deserves from me.  As a human, I stumble and fall constantly.  Just when I think I have a firm grip on my spiritual life, I mess up--even though I have been warned of this pitfall (1 Cor 10:12.)  The interesting thing about falling is that the closer I walk with God, the more quickly my heart aches when I bring him dishonor.  I think this is because I realize that the sin-causing idols in my life are absolutely garbage compared to the loving relationship I have with my Father.

Before I walked with God I was miserable and I didn't know it.  Now that I walk with God I feel more misery from messing up than ever.  Why? Because I've tasted and I've seen fresh, pure love from the faucet of all love--therefore no idol, no man, no drink, no drug, no object, can ever begin to come close to the real thing.  It's all artificial sweetener.  

John talks about this type of relationship in his letter to the church of Ephesus in the book of Revelation:

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love."

It is interesting that John says this, because the beginning of the letter is full of gratitude and encouragement for how well the church has done.  "Yet," John says, "I hold this against you."  Why is forsaking your first love of Christ such a big deal?  Because the Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8), and that the first and greatest commandment we are given is to love him with all of our hearts, minds, and strength (Matthew 22:37.)

When we stumble we turn our backs on God for some quick taste of artificial love; an unfulfilled gratification of our fleshly lust.  Fortunately, if you walk closely with God at all, you know that this taste of ignorance is disgusting compared to what you have been raised with.  This leaves your idols quickly looking like:

"... a postcard from Paris
when you've seen the real thing.
Like finding out your diamond
is from her old promise ring,
a call back from the fortune teller
she read your cards upside down...

The meanest thing you ever did was come around.
Now I am ruined."

How delightful it is to know that God has utterly and completely ruined us from enjoying any kind of fake love after having tasted and seen his goodness.  1 John 4:19 reminds us that "we love him because he first loved us."  That, in essence, is the most powerful love drug there is.  Don't forsake God for an idol...it will let you down every time and it's not worth it. 

Loving Through Gifts-pt. 2

Today's post is from a wonderful young woman that you may have heard of before.  Last September I ran a series of posts telling her story of dating, finding Christ, and breaking barriers.  You can find that series here. (When you get to the end of that post click "newer post" to go through the entire series.)

As you can imagine, Alisson has came a very long way since September.  I have had the joy of watching her grow and blossom, and because of this I asked her to share with us insight on her love language..GIFTS!  Check it out below.

"Anyone close to me can tell what my love language is. It’s not necessarily a love that someone has to search for. My love language is blatantly obvious. I love people by giving gifts! Often love languages can almost be genetic by being passed down by the ones you love or look up to. I received mine from my nana who shares the same love by giving gifts as well.

I discovered my love language probably about six months ago. I never knew there was a test one could take to discover how you love others. However, discovering it and containing it are not the same at all. You can still obtain a gift or love language without realizing what it is.

 I soon discovered my love language after I made Jesus Lord over my life. As for those around me, once I discovered my love language it didn’t come to shock them. I love people!! I always have. But once I started loving people as Jesus does, my love language grew exponentially.

I love to give presents!! I love to surprise people and show them I care about them. Due to the fact that I pay close attention to details, I plan in advance. For most people I know what I’m getting them months in the future. The person on the receiving side has to know without a shadow of doubt that I care about them. I often buy things for people for no reason at all. 

Some of my friends get frustrated, but I’m thinking about them and it’s how I show them my love. I would much rather be on the giving end than the receiving end however. I’ve been blessed beyond words and I just want to share it with anyone around me. I love the exhilarating feeling of putting a smile on others faces. It’s often a way that I encourage people.

Taking it further…

As I just stated, my love language comes from giving gifts. However, I've come to realize giving comes in different forms depending on the person. 

The explanation of the word giving encompasses many of the other love languages as well. As I mentioned before, giving can be used as encouragement!

I’ve soon discovered when loving someone, for it to mean anything to them it has to be done in their love language. Giving gifts might be my strong suit, but ultimately that might be not what they need. 

When loving someone, it needs to be done in their love language to grasp the full effect. That’s when people really know you care, because it’s not about the one showing the love anymore. The focus switches to the one you’re trying to love.

Giving can also mean giving time up and making yourself available to the ones that need you. If you don’t search deeper beyond fights people might not understand how you’re trying to love them. They might start to think your just trying to love them by swiping a card and then." 

What are your thoughts on this language? 

 Do you see some of this in yourself, or a friend?

Perhaps this is your main language for receiving love...

Loving Through Gifts-pt.1

Do you love to share gifts with people?  Perhaps you feel the need to buy things for people when you are out and about throughout your day.  Well, today's post is from a brilliant young woman who loves through gifts, and loves well.  I have a big heart for her, and I think you will too after hearing her heart for giving.  Here is Katherine's story.

"My love language would definitely be... gifts! I love giving people presents, and picking things out for people. Gifts can let people know that you’re thinking about them, and pay attention to them. Every time I get someone a present for a holiday or birthday, I ALWAYS end up giving it to them like, 2 weeks early because I’m so excited for them to have it. 

I love getting gifts as well, but I am so shy I hate opening them in front of people! If I am in a room by myself though, and there’s a present just waiting for me, I’m all over it!


 My second result was words of affirmation. I love hearing people tell me they love me. One new thing I have been trying to do often is telling people how much I appreciate them – and I’m really enjoying that! You never know what some simple words can do to change a person’s day. Some people’s love languages is definitely NOT words though, and feel uncomfortable when people shower them with praise, so I try not to go overboard. 


When I told my mom about how I was writing this post for Haley, she told me something that I find so cool. She had 5 kids – 2 boys, then 3 girls. I’m the youngest of them. She read the love languages book when she had her first couple kids. She said that each of her 5 kids had each of the 5 love languages – how cool is that? We are all so different. 


She said she discovered what we each were from the time we were little. It started when she miscarried after her fourth child. She said she was in pain, and her three oldest kids showed her so much love in their own way. 

The oldest was always doing things for her like taking out the trash, and cleaning up messes – hospitality. The next was always saying “I love you, mom. I love you” – words of affirmation. And the third child was always there for her and with her – quality time. The fourth was too young, and I was yet to be born. As we grew though, she figured my sister and I out as well. My fourth sibling was a “clinger”, as my mom put it. She was always hanging on to her leg, and hugging – touch.


 And me, I was always bringing her things. I would go pick weeds from the yard and bring some to her every fay, because I thought they were pretty flowers. She said if I found a puppy, I would force my mom to take it, because I was trying to show her my love by giving her things. 


Our love languages all continue to shine through in the same ways today. God did an amazing thing with my family, and I am so beyond unbelievably blessed to have such loving brothers, sisters, and in-laws, too. I think I could continue for so long about this, but I think I reached my word limit. (; Thank you Haley for allowing me to write this – it really forced me to think about it all more closely and I am so glad!"

How cool it is to think that God can give each of us different ways of loving each other.

I'm sure Katherine's mom has learned so much about being versatile in giving and receiving love throughout her years of family raising.  This is an interesting concept in itself...learning to give and receive for others benefits.  Thanks Katherine!