True Love

 Like in the fairytales, true love is real.

     However, it is not so commonly occuring or easy as eyes meeting across a ballroom or a magical kiss. While I woke up this morning a few thoughts approached me and I began to ponder: love is not found through lust and true love requires work. 

                                     

     Sometimes we attempt to find love through the expression of physical intimacy but that is not how it is found. Instead, physical intimacy can squelch true love.

Love is not easy; however, it is not a complicated ten-chalkboard-long math equation either.

        We can definitely pray for love, have hope for love, and be grateful for love, but to feel and show true love takes action.

Prayer is always the first step—to get on our knees is the foundation for success, but we will have only a foundation unless we pick up the tools provided for us by the Saviour and start building Love.

True love takes time.

In his article “Love Takes Time” Marvin J. Ashton shares a relatable story: “Upon returning home from his day’s work, [a] father greeted his boy with a pat on the head and said, “Son, I want you to know I love you.”

     The son responded with, “Oh Dad, I don’t want you to love me, I want you to play football with me.” Here was a boy conveying a much-needed message.”

Marvin J. Ashton also states the importance of building love: “True love is a process. True love requires personal action. Love must be continuing to be real. Love takes time. Too often expediency, infatuation, stimulation, persuasion, or lust are mistaken for love. How hollow, how empty if our love is no deeper than the arousal of momentary feeling or the expression in words of what is no more lasting than the time it takes to speak them.”

In dating relationships and even at times in marriage, love is sometimes sought for in the expression of physical intimacy. How mistaken are we if this is where we think we will find it. This “arousal of momentary feeling” inevitably pushes love farther from the heart and replaces it with lust. Self-esteem is lowered, confidence in ourselves and in each other dwindles. Trusting smiles are replaced with regretful silences or angry words of blame and our hearts become impenetrable with barriers of distrust and guilt. Giving way to selfishness and greed opens up a Pandora’s Box.

Little do we realize that in these unfortunate moments the expression of inappropriate physical intimacy pushes us farther away from the one we say we love. Trying to save a relationship through physical intimacy slowly but surely destroys it; lust is like the silent yet deadly carpenter ants which burrowing and feeding creates weaknesses in our foundation. The structure of the relationship becomes precarious and if not corrected will crumble and fall.

Lust mocks love. How Satan laughs and rejoices as he succeeds in confusing us with his imitation and steals the light from our eyes. We are blinded to true love as we willingly give up our agency in the expression of lust in the search for love.

Lust is a poison. Lust destroys. Rather than uniting and saving, inappropriate physical intimacy causes a relationship to fail. The only thing that succeeds, the only thing that lasts is Charity. Charity is the greatest of all, the pure love of Christ, and the only thing that cannot fail. It is the only thing we can rely on. Everything else must and will fail.

Don't wait for love--create love.

True love must be developed with kindness, service, patience, respect, prayerful understanding, and all of the little acts of time spent, genuine concern, patient listening and sincere repentance and forgiveness.

True love doesn't go missing. Like a car that hasn't had an oil change in years and has remained unused rusting in the ditch, or a plant without sunlight or water which then dies, love, if not provided with maintenance and nurturing, will get rusty, sick or die. Love takes work.

 

Being intimate can be one of the most beautiful expressions of love, but when it is used to find love, or even rediscover a love that once was there, it becomes sickening. Nevertheless, I believe the more we truly love one another the more exquisite and beautiful the expression of physical intimacy—not the other way around. Inasmuch as love and lust are polar opposites, moving towards one separates us from the other. Physical intimacy can be a beautiful way of expressing true love, but only when that love is built and established on a sure foundation.

With true love, like in the fairy-tales, we can live happily ever after.

Little Droplets

    One of my joys is how a rainy day can transform the world outside and allow things to be seen from a different perspective. The tone and mood shifts; the indoors becomes a cozy refuge for those who love to stay warm, or, outside is a chilling attraction, for those who love to get wet and dance in the rain.



     I love how the rain paints every single thing it touches, deepening each shade, and how leaves and petals become rest stops for little droplets.

    These images are some of others that I have captured on one rainy day.

And, I'm not sure how this relates but when I thought of "deepen" I thought of the following quote by Ezra Taft Benson (so I just thought I'd throw it in here):

“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.”

     Heavenly Father created this world, and He created you. He knows what to do, how to care and comfort you, even if you feel like you've been beaten, robbed and thrown in a ditch, friendless and comfortless, without hope and waiting for death.

   Like the good Samaritan, He will rescue you.

I am Beautiful, and so are You

     Hello! I just wanted to share a picture I took today and absolutely loved and to share my thoughts that stem from it.
     I know that it may look or sound vain to upload a picture of myself but I think to understand the concept that to love how one looks on the outside does have an impact on how one feels on the inside. Yes, it is true that, "what is on the inside is what counts", but, honestly, to look in the mirror and not like what you see can have a huge impact on self-esteem. Part of not liking what you see is in part not seeing the beauty or not believing that the image seen is beautiful and is perpetuated by the individual's current level of self-esteem or mood. Therefore, this problem is cyclical in some ways; thus we can say that both parts, that is, the maintenance of the body, as well as the soul is neccessary to heal and balance both aspects and cultivate the beauty that has always been there and will always be there.
     I have to say, I love it when I take the time to "do myself up" in the morning and see someone fresh and clean smiling before me in the mirror - this make me smile on the inside as well as the outside. However, think of those days when the thoughts come, "you are ugly", or "I hate myself", and "nobody would be happy with me or want to be with me, or even be happy being my friend". Ugly is among those negative, self-esteem destroying adjectives and phrases. One's self-image is very important and to feel beautiful is an extreme confidence booster. I believe maintenance of the body and the soul are both important. I often see a light that shines through the eyes of those I meet; that beauty of soul meets the body through the eyes and enhances the beauty of the individual.
     Everyone is beautiful. Sometimes you just have to see with a new pair of eyes. Find the beauty, cultivate it, and say,

I am beautiful.

Closer

      I don't always know what I would like to say but I mostly would like to share my pictures with others. Here is some more of my photography:

     

     I love the sound of the waterfall, and especially how you can hear it before you can see it. Standing in the mist of these powerful waters is rejuvinating. I love to sit  and eat my lunch while watching the  water fall.

     The orange leaves are so pretty all hanging together like golden medallions, a symbol of nature's achievements.

 

I love seeing the sun filter through, highlighting the veins.

     Seeing things like this, I cannot fathom the imagination and creativity and detail of our creator. I feel closer to the creator when I spend time with His creations and so then,  I also feel closer to Him and I feel freed and energized.

Precious Treasures

      I am grateful for the beauty of the world. One of the reasons I love photopgraphy so much is because I love seeing and capturing the precious treasures found in nature. The minute detail that the Lord has done in creating this world is marvelous and is a testimony to me of his gentility, generous nature and the sweetness and greatness of His love for us. Why would He, when making this home for us, bother with the infinity of colour and combination that brings joy to the eye, nose, ears, mouth and soul, unless He loves us?

Search Ponder and Pray

      For me the warm glow of the sun, most specifically during sunset, helps me to feel calm and reassured. The exhaustion from the day is eased as I feed and fill myself on the beautiful moment of light. The worries and the frustrations and the doubts of the day are lessened and the emptiness that has gathered is filled. My mind empties and then I simply breathe and bask in this little comfort. This moment is the time when a little bit of hope returns. Hope is an anchor. Hope is the only thing that keeps one holding on. Once that hope is lost, that is the time of surrender. That hope, no matter how small must be kept within the heart, or else, if surrendered, like a ship cut from its anchor, the ship of the heart will be lost.