L. O. V. E

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”  ― Lao Tzu

source:https://tenor.com

This year I choose to celebrate love...

The love unforgettable, love undeniable, love unconditional, the selfless love, love un-regrettable, tough love, the forever love.

I celebrate the love unconditional..

that enabled me to  run back to it whenever life hit me hard,

the love that put food on my table and a place called home,
the tough love that made me want to break away.

I celebrate love unforgettable,

that kept me up with late-night phone calls and pink cheeks,
the love that brought family and friend together for special moments,
the love that held me together when everything seemed to fall apart,

I celebrate the love undeniable...
the  love that put fire in my eyes and passion in my heart,
the love that brought with it great ideas and renewed hope,
the love that died before its time,
the love that left me curled up in tears with great lessons.

I celebrate selfless love...

that love that enabled me to pour myself into another soul,
because that is what love does,
the love that enabled me to look myself in the mirror and accept who i am.

I celebrate forever love...

the ever constant, never changing love
that has been before the beginning of time..

UNLOVING ME

“You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you, but if you yourself don't know it, all of that doesn't even matter. ― C. JoyBell C.

LOVE- A very difinitive word. i do not even know if there is a true definition for this. Its four letters put together that have so much power, its an emotion you cannot describe enough with any word or action.

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We love, We are loved. But how do you unlove yourself?
An article i read recently from my favorite webpage thoughtcatalog.com inspired this post:

UNLOVING ME..

I will unlove me,
I will put away all the regret and past hurts,
And remember that you know my future better
I know my own past,

I will Put away those lonely thoughts and hurtful dreams,
And remember that my name is inscribed on the palm of your hand.
I am never alone because you promised never to leave me,

I will forgive those who hurt me and created monsters out of me,
Because your were always there with me, Standing by me,
even when i put them before you, loving me still..

I will stop obsessing over my social media pages,
And comparing my life to everybody else's,
Because your have a great plan for my life,
That gives me hope and a good future

I will put down my phone often,
And pick up your word,
Because your word is always true,
Everything you say you mean,

I will not let another human have power over me,
Because are you are my source,
And they are just resources from you,

I will unlove my self and love you more,
Because you can't unlove me.

PRODIGAL SON ... COME HOME.

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; [just] make me like one of your hired servants.²² But the father said to his bond servants, Bring quickly the best robe (the festive robe of honor) and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet. - Luke 15:11-32

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 I first heard the story of the prodigal son from Sunday school as a little girl. I always thought about the son, the father never quite crossed my mind.
How pained was this man to give his son his inheritance before his time? He knew he was not ready for it, but because he loved his son dearly, he gave it to him. /O\
The young lad went ahead and wasted everything. Partying all day and all night, Buying luxury products at will, road trips... At NO point did investing cross his mind. lol.
His wealth vanished just in time for a famine. How timely. right?
He had nothing on him all his "friends" were no where to be found. He sought help from one of the locals who gave his the job of feedings his hogs. And feeding the hogs and with the hogs he did.

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At his wits end, he chose to return back to his father as a servant not a son. His father receives him not as a servant but as a son.

²¹ And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son [I no longer deserve to be recognized as a son of yours]! ²² But the father said to his bond servants, Bring quickly the best robe (the festive robe of honor) and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet.²³ And bring out ^[e]that [wheat-]fattened calf and kill it; and let us ^[f]revel and feast and be happy and make merry,

In today's world, we may not exactly ask for "our inheritance" but we may ask of God things that we are NOT prepared to receive. Things that time has not yet come.
It could be that high grossing salary or that cozy home or that car you have been dreaming of or that life partner or that dream job or the baby your soul has been longing to hold. The list is endless.
God knows that if he gives us these things before time, they will destroy us. Just like the prodigal son.
Where are you at this point in time?

1. Thinking about asking for your "inheritance".
2. Already asked for your "inheritance".
3. Looking for that far away land.
4. Already packing to leave for that far away land.
5. Already on your way to that far away land.
6. Already settling in the far away land.
7. Just about to start squandering your "inheritance"
8.  Already wasted all your "inheritance".
9. Feeding the hogs
10. Preparing to go back home.

Whatever your situation, there is still a second chance. :))

LESSONS FROM THE PRODIGAL SON....

I stumbled upon an article from saintsnotsinners.org

1. The father was never angry at the Prodigal Son.
The first is that the father was never angry at the prodigal son. Not even when the son took his inheritance and squandered it on all those porno mags and Marilyn Manson albums . There’s no sign that the father ever got vindictive and said, “That dirty-rotten-sinner son! I need to judge him! I need to banish him from the family!”
2. He started as a son, ended as a son, and was a son everywhere in between.
The son was a son from the start. He wasn’t a stranger and then a son. He woke up as a son, took all of his inheritance as a son, blew all of his inheritance as a son, ate with the pigs as a son, and finally returned to his father, welcomed home as a son. In fact, it was only the prodigal son who declared himself unworthy to be called a son—the father never did!

3. He was never banished from the father by the father; he left on his own.
This story doesn’t show a prodigal son who was banished from the house by an angry father, it shows a son who willingly left and abused all he had been given. And the father waited. Patiently and full of hope.