"Love" post #2

In my last post I shared thoughts on what love really is. True love. Now I have been thinking about different ways we express love or use the word to explain an interest or like in something. I don't think that using the word for such things is bad, really. I think it's just good to know the difference between what love really is and where it comes from, and lust, selfishness, etc. So when I say I LOVE ASPARAGUS... obviously I don't care for asparagus as I do say, my sister. ha! I think the word probably does get thrown around too much, but what bothers me is when people use it when they are really expressing something that they FEEL, as we see demonstrated in most of our entertainment these days. There was more on that in the last post.
Does any of that make sense? I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

And please, don't think I'm not a romancy (I just made it a word) sort of person. Ooooh, I am. I just don't want to get lost in the middle of love and lust. I know that what the world thinks of as love is usually not real and doesn't deserve the word.

Here are some odd facts, trivia, and quotes on "love" and such...


Women can talk longer with less effort than can men. That has been proved repeatedly. Why? Because the vocal cords of women are shorter than those of men and so release less air through them to carry the sound. It's all a matter of breathing. 


A team of medical experts in Virginia contends you're more likely to catch the common cold virus by shaking hands than by kissing.


The average woman uses up approximately her height in lipstick every five years.


Scholars recently returned from New Guinea said they noted a lot of elderly natives there had missing fingers. Research revealed that it was the custom some years ago for a young fighting man to give his lucky girlfriend a finger cut from the hand of an opponent. And said girlfriend wore that finger on a string around her neck.


One hundred years ago, a woman thought herself to be particularly gifted if she were one of those who grew a faint moustache. That light down on the female face was considered most attractive then.


It's commonly believed a man picks out a wife who reminds him of his mother while a woman picks out a husband who reminds her of her father. But that's not right. Recent research indicates both the man and the woman are most influenced in their selection of matrimonial mates by their mothers. If a woman regards her mother as stern, she's likely to go for a stern husband. If she thinks of her mother as gentle, she looks for a gentle husband. The father of the bride or groom just doesn't have all that much to do with it, poor fellow.



It's reported that more than 10,000 marriages a year now are directly traceable to romances which begin during coffee breaks.  

King Ferrand of Portugal was held captive from 1213 to 1226 by the Turks. They demanded ransom, but Portugal's Queen Jeanne refused to pay for her husband's return. She had beaten him in a chess game, and he had therefore hit her on the nose with his fist. It upset her considerably. (Perhaps this is why many women don't play chess, and why we need to deal with pent-up anger before the game begins.)

The longest kiss listed in the Guinness Book of World Records lasted an incredible 417 hours. 

* 2 out of 5 have married their first love.

* Only 4% asked the parents' approval for their bride's hand.

* 1 in 5 men proposed on his knees.

* 6% propose over the phone. (And what percent said yes?) 


Florida law forbids a housewife there to break more than three dishes a day. 


In men the hypothalamus (small organ near the brain stem) is larger than in most women. When provoked, the hypothalamus heightens rage, thirst, hunger and desire; possibly explaining boys' more rambunctious behavior. 


Psychological studies show conclusively that, while emergencies tend to upset a woman more, in a real crisis she is likely to remain calmer than the average male. 


What does "getting a Valentine" mean in criminal jargon? Receiving a one-year jail sentence. 


Well, that was enlightening. Ha!


I just have to say that I love Valentines day. My parents have always made it a special, fun holiday and I have no bitterness towards the day. And it kind of bugs me when people do. Seriously? Stop being selfish and go love someone. 


Happy Valentines Day!


-J


"True love begins when nothing is looked for in return."
--Antoine De Saint-Exupery

True Love- the real one.

Here begins the Love themed month. I'm looking forward to it, really.

I'm going to share a journal entry on LOVE from earlier this year, I think. As I am not editing as I go, please excuse the incorrect use of words, irrelevant facts, and anything else that seems weird :)


    April 13th, 12:51 a.m.


Love is a choice, not a feeling.


For a while now I've known that the way we use the word love is very incorrect and what people think of as love (feelings, desires, etc.) isn't really love. But, I've just had somewhat of a revelation! I was reading the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13) and as I was reading what love is, I suddenly thought something like, "This is not the love I'm used to hearing about!" But that's just it. By telling someone you love them- in the real meaning, is like saying, "I'm patient with you, I'm not keeping track of your wrongs, I will not get easily angered by you... etc. etc." It doesn't mean, "I think you're hot, I feel good when I'm with you, You please me... etc. etc."- Which is usually what it means in our culture. A beautiful attribute of God has been twisted into a selfish pleasure of man. What's new!? I was struck with shame and regret as I read what love really is, which is something I don't show and live, CAN'T show and live in my own power. I am asking God, "Please love through me! Give me the power to love your way." Everything else comes out of that. That's sort of how I see it. Martyrdom, Faith, Prophecy- all these things count as nothing without Love. I desperately want to love- God's love.

1 Corinthians 13 (New International Version)

Love

 ¹If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.

 ⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
 ¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.




So good, yes? YES! Of course. 


:)


LOVE.

Lazy blogger as of late...

SO.
Wow, what a horrible way to start a post.
Back to business. I've been thinking for a long time that I want to write more specifically and intentionally. Does that make sense? My friend Jessica told me that it would be cool to do themes or subjects and I've seen other people who've done that and I like it. (Thanks Jessica! :) So, taking her advice (and attempting to be like other people,) I'm going to give it a try. My posts probably won't seem much different really, maybe just in my head they'll be more organized and purposeful. ha.

As I am inspired by certain concepts, objects, songs, stories, adventures, people, books, subjects, movies etc... I am hoping to write and post about only that thing, (which could come out in many different ways,) for a certain amount of time not yet determined. Actually, the time given will probably vary depending on the topic.

My hope is that i will be inclined to post more often and more creatively. Who knows what really will happen.

Any ideas or suggestions of topics would be great. I'd love to share my thoughts on something that would interest any reader I might have.

With all that said, I think that I will take the month of February to post anything concerning Love. You know with Valentine's Day and all, it seems appropriate <3

I will start the next time I post.

Now I'll leave you with a good tune.
I've been listening to this one a lot lately. It's beautiful and the words are so simple and honest- the only problem with it is that it's too short. bummer.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.




peace and blessings,

J

Who I am.

I realized something a while back and was reminded of it again just yesterday.
We are who we are because of those around us. And obviously because God made us the way we are... blah, blah, blah. Yes that's a no-brainer. Really though, I am the person I am because of my family. I guess because they are the people I'm around the most, which I love! :)
I am so thankful and blessed to live life with these precious people who love me for who I am, which is not always an easy task, I'm sure.
I think of this especially with my dear sister. We are so alike and share the same ideas, dreams, and experiences. It's weird, really. I say that we are twins and somehow time got mixed up and I was just a few years late. You know, like some crazy movie. But, of course no one believes me. Seriously, though we have something special and I just love it. My family is really close and I'm glad that my parents made family a priority when we were younger. It definitely has paid off. And because of that, I plan to do the the same some day if God sees fit to gift me with a family.
Back to what I was saying... I am who I am because of them.
I see it in the words I use, the faces I make, and more importantly the decisions I make about life.
Yesterday, I had just gotten dressed and looked in the mirror, adjusted my shirt, and tilted my head. BAM. That was such a Lana! I instantly saw her in my mind doing the same thing and laughed to myself. I will always make toffee like my mom does, like her mom did. I am a physical touch person, like my dad. I talk weird sometimes and my words don't always make sense... thanks to Matt :)
These are just trivial, silly things. But there are also life changing decisions I have made because I look up to my siblings and trust my parents and I have seen the importance of honesty, the reward of faith, and the freedom of forgiveness by watching them live. And for that I am truly grateful.

haunting.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."- Luke 12:34
So short, so challenging.


My words are no good today...

Some words are not meant to be spoken, but kept inside to remain a mystery. Only one knows them. And that's how it should be.

Words are powerful. Be cautious with them. 

I'm trying not to use so many these days. 

Good day.

Where does one start?

Well as anyone who reads this blog (which is not many, though i'm not complaining) knows... It's been a while. Due to a few reasons. But not anymore :) I'm ready to start writing much more, a new years resolution perhaps? Nah, just one more thing i'm aspiring to. I really don't know what to even write about at this point. When so much life happens and you don't really know who all you're talking to and what they know and don't know, it's quite difficult. Maybe I will reflect on the last year, since that's a recent happening ;) Well here goes, let's see what happens...


Peter Pan and Aladdin. Two shows I was in last year. Those were really testing, good times. What's amazing about being in a production is that before it starts you know there will be challenges, but you don't really know what they will be yet, only that they will come. And then, then you get into rehearsals and things aren't always as you want and were thinking they would be, and you have that Ah-ha! moment. "THESE are the challenges I knew would come!" And with plenty of sisterly and motherly advice you get through them one by one, from a horrible costume, difficult people or maybe the fact that your co-actors are a group of 30 eight year olds. Yes, it happens. But even through all of the problems and trials there is something about being apart of a group of people with a common purpose that is just wonderful and exciting and makes me happy just thinking about it.

Alaska. Another family vacation. I think it's probably safe to say that some of, if not most of the best moments in my life have been in a far away place, on an adventure, with my family. Some of our extended family was a part of this trip, which was so much fun! (I'll still pretty convinced that I have the best family in the world.) Before, I didn't really know much about Alaska besides the fact that Sarah Palin was the governor and that is was full of coldness, bears, and whales. And though Alaska is known for those things for a reason, it also has much more to offer, which I discovered while spending time there. I believe a previous post has more on my Alaska adventure if you're interested.

Then, a few weeks after we returned home from Alaska, my dad decided the cruise was just a teaser and stole my mother away onto a romantic, month-long, motorhome trip to... yes, Alaska. My cousin flew here from AZ and we had a wonderful visit and I didn't think about them being gone. Then after she left, it was kind of a weird time for me; living without parents, having to do stuff I'm not used to doing without them. It was really good for me. Some people think that there is a magical age when you have to grow up or become mature and maybe for some there is, but I think it comes when you don't expect it (cliche, I know.) And for me, I grew a lot during that month, because I had to take responsibility for things I wasn't used to being in charge of.  I love my parents and I'm so glad they were able to take that trip, and I'm glad I learned a lot by them being gone... but I have to say, It's really nice having parents. Around :)






And now I'm looking ahead, hoping for a year with exciting adventure, more knowledge, new creations, continued friendship, and a deeper understanding of Christ Jesus, my Lord.


-J

Wonderful Weather this Wednesday

Ok, so I guess I've had writer's block, actually, it's more like the opposite of that. So much happens in life and I think about so much and have so many random ideas and dreams and hopes that I don't even know where to start... so lately I've just put off writing. Lame, I know.

This post will most likely consist of nothing in particular. Just random bits of me coming out in text form.

One thing I love is the faithfulness of God. He is always and will always be there. This is a wonderful thing, people.

Recently He showed me that Love is sooooo much stronger than other emotions, like hate, bitterness, anger... yeah that was an incredible realization and very personal in my case. My advice to you, life is too short to be stupid and hold stuff against people. Love really does conquer all. I am so thankful for the times that God shows me in my life how sayings and verses and ideas are really real, not just stuff I know in my head. When they really come alive to me, ahhhh yes that is such a blessing.

So much more has happend in my life so, hopefully, I'll write again soon, with better clarity and reason, but for now, as I have only 5 minutes left on "AARON #50" at the library, I should go.

J

here is a nice song to fit the mood...