Favorite Nicholas Sparks Quotes Part II

I am a quote collector. I collect quotes from famous people, from television shows, movies, books, etc.. One of my all time favorite people to collect quotes from is Nicholas Sparks. The romantic in me loves the cheesy factor of the quotes, but at the same time there is a very great message that comes from them as well. I know I have made a post before about some of my favorite quotes of his, but recently I have stumbled upon a few more that should be added to that list... :)

"Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.
~The Last Song~

"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Remember that."
~Message In A Bottle~

"I have faith that God will show you the answer, but you have to understand that sometimes it takes awhile to be able to recognize what God wants you to do. That's how it often is. God's voice is usually nothing more than a whisper, and you have to listen very carefully to hear it. But other times, in those rarest of moments, the answer is obvious and rings as loud as a church bell."
~The Last Song~

"Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there's nothing to make it last."
~Dear John~

"The emotion that can break the heart is sometimes the very one that can heal it."
~At First Sight~

"Love wasn't possible in just a couple of days. Love could be set in motion quickly, but true love needed time to grow into something strong and enduring. Love was, above all, about commitment and dedication and a belief that spending years with a certain person would create something greater than the sum of what the two can accomplish separately."
~True Believer~

"He finally understood that God's presence was everywhere, at all times, and was experienced by everyone at one time or another."
~The Last Song~

"Never forget that God is your friend. And like all friends, He longs to hear what's been happening in your life. Good or bad, whether it's been full of sorrow or anger, or even when you are questioning why terrible things have to happen."
~The Last Song~

"But I'm different now than I was then. Just like I was different at the end of the trip than I'd been at the beginning. And I'll be different tomorrow than I am today. And what that means is that I can never replicate that trip. Even if I went to the same places and met the same people, it wouldn't be the same. To me that's what traveling should be about. Meeting people, learning to not only appreciate a different culture, but really enjoying it like a local, following whatever impulse strikes you. So how could I recommend a trip to someone else, if I don't even know what to expect? My advice would be to make a list of places on some index cards, shuffle them, and pick any five at random. Then just go and see what happens. If you have the right mind-set, it doesn't matter where you end up or how much money you brought. It'll be something you'll remember forever."
~The Guardian~

"I don't think we're meant to understand it all the time. I think that sometimes we just have to have faith."
~A Walk To Remember~

Good People, Good Conversations, And Good Food. What More Could A Girl Ask For?

It is so refreshing to me when a group of almost complete strangers happen to come together and once the knowledge of where each one stands as far as their love of God goes end up having some pretty intense or deep conversations. That is just what happened to me today...

Earlier this week a good friend of mine asked me to come with him and some of his other friends to lunch today and it would be his treat. It was a nice surprise and who can turn down free food? Obviously I could not turn down free food, especially after I found out where we were going to lunch; Noodles and Company. Once we were all there it was quickly understood how our friend was buying us all lunch. Really he won a free lunch for him and a group of his friends so he did not have to pay a thing. I felt blessed to be one of the select few invited to this lunch as there were only six of us.

As I sat there with the group I realized the only one I knew very well were two of the people at my group. It was easy to see from the start of our meeting that these people all had a love for God even though not all of us shared the same Catholic faith. I ended up joining in on one conversation as one of the guys at our table was sharing a bit about how his relationship with his girlfriend was going. I always enjoy hearing those kinds of stories... I am kind of girly in that way. He was talking about how he was seriously beginning to think even more seriously about asking this girl to marry him, but there were still things about their relationship he was not sure about. Not bad things, just weather they were really called to be married or if God had other plans for them. There was something he said that really touched me. He said something along the lines of how if God was calling them into marriage he could not wait to see how wonderful their union would help with God's Kingdom. He talked about how he wanted this woman to love God more than him even if that did mean that she ended up feeling called and pulled into another direction other than marriage with him. He also mentioned how he had not told her he loved her. He explained that from the beginning of their relationship he explained to her he would not say "I Love You" unless there was a ring on her finger. My friend and I were impressed by that because as women it is very hard for us not to want to hear those words in a relationship and even harder to be ok with not hearing them. He explained that in his past he had used those words for all the wrong reasons, but now he realized how stupid that was and only wanted to say them when he knew that he would be marrying the person he said it to. He was shocked about the turn of his conversation with all that info as we were for receiving it. Us three had a connection and understanding in that moment as my friend, Stephanie, was expressing everything I was thinking in my head and wanted to say only she beat me to it...

Hearing what he had to say made me think about some things. It affirmed in me about how I feel about my own outlook on what I want a real relationship to be. A relationship with God put first. A relationship where both of us are looking to God and what He wants rather than what we are wanting to be selfish about. What he and his girlfriend are choosing to do is a beautiful example of how I wish more people were in their relationships... It is relationships like this that give me hope.

It is interesting how conversations like that are what stick with a person more than anything else at the end of a day. I hope that whatever happens with this person's relationship will give him peace. I made a new friend even if I will probably never see him again. Who knows, maybe I will....

1 Corinthians 13:4 Prayer

Lord,
Because love is patient…Help me to be slow to judge, but quick to listen. Hesitant to criticize, but eager to encourage,remembering your endless patience with me.

Because love is kind… Help my words to be gentle and my actions to be thoughtful. Remind me to smile and to say “Please” and “Thank You” because those little things still mean so much.

Because love does not envy or boast, and it is not proud… Help me have a heart that is humble and sees the good in others. May I celebrate and appreciate all that I have and all that I am, as well as doing the same for those around me.

Because love is not rude or self-seeking… Help me to speak words that are easy on the ear and on the heart. When I’m tempted to get wrapped up in my own little world, remind me there’s a great big world out there full of needs and hurts.

Because love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs… Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me. When I want to hold onto a grudge, gently help me release it so I can reach out with a hand of love instead.

Because love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth…Help me stand up for what is right and good. May I defend the defenseless, and help the helpless. Show me how I can make a difference.

Because love always protects and always trusts… Help me to be a refuge for those around me. When the world outside is harsh and cold, may my heart be a place of acceptance and warmth.

Finally, because love always perseveres… Help my heart continually beat with love for You and others. Thank you for showing us what the word love really means. Amen.

By Holley Gerth

God Is My Hero

I have been wanting to blog all week, but when I have actually sat down to blog I have had no idea what to blog about. They say writer's block is not real, it is only an excuse people use. That may be true, but I still have had times, like this past week, where nothing comes to mind at all.
Tonight, however, something has come to mind....

I was listening to pandora this evening when the song, "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias came on. Now, I must admit back in high school I LOVED this song. I still really like it, but I am not so sure how I feel about a guy being a girl's hero. It is a romantic thought. Every girl has dreamed about the knight in shining armor coming in to rescue the princess, which in every girl's fantasy the princess is always herself. I myself have thought about it many times. It is fun to think about, but it is not really how it works....

The problem with this picture is that the girl always seems weak. It is okay to need help sometimes and to have someone there to help, but us girls should first lean on God and the strength we receive from Him. I came by this little story that explains all about why God made us women the way he did...:)

"Mom, why are you crying?" he asked his mom.

"Because I'm a woman" she told him.

"I don't understand," he said.

His mom just hugged him and said, "and you never will." Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason" was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to GOD. When GOD got on the phone the man said, "GOD, why do women cry so easily?"

GOD said:

"When I made women she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world; yet, gentle enough to give comfort.

I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. This same sensitivity helps her to make a child's boo-boo feel better and shares in her teenagers anxieties and fears.

I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

I gave her a tear to shed, it's hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed. It's her only weakness; it's a tear for mankind."

"The Perfect Man"

Tonight I spent part of my evening watching the movie, "The Perfect Man." It is very much a chick-flick, but I enjoy the message that comes out of it. For those of you who don't know, the movie is about a a mother and her two daughters. Every time the mother has fallen in love but ended up with a broken heart she would have her family pack-up and move to another town. The mother felt as though if she were not in a relationship with any guy, no matter how much of a loser the guy is, then she was not worth anything. In the end the daughter helps the mother realize how amazing she is and how she does not need another man to make her wonderful. While the mother feels the need to fall in love to feel whole, the daughter is too afraid to let herself get close to anyone because of how she has watched her mother deal with men while growing up. It was an interesting movie to watch.

There are lots of girls who seem to follow in the mother's footsteps and need to always have a boyfriend or they don't feel as if they are worth anything. This is really sad to me to watch happen. Don't get me wrong here having a boyfriend is a nice surprise to have, but us girls should not feel that we need one at ALL times. Really us girls need to have our hearts set on Jesus, because He is the perfect man who will help make us feel whole. Once we focus on Him and what He wants of us than that is what will make each of us feel a true sense of worth. God will bring the right man to us at the right time. Patience is a virtue and when it comes to waiting for that "someone" it is really hard to have, but it will be worth it in the end.

"There's No Place Like Home..."

Just a quick post to re-cap what I have been up to all this past week-end.

I went down to Tennessee for a cousin's wedding. It was not a Catholic one because my cousin is not Catholic, but it was still very beautiful. I am somewhat sad because I left my camera at home, so I was not able to take any pictures of the ceremony. It was an out door wedding, and the view was spectacular I must say. The bridesmaids dresses were so pretty and the bride was beautiful. I think that my favorite part of this wedding was the moment right before the father gave the bride away... My cousin looked at his bride with the sweetest expression on his face as he whispered to her how beautiful she was. It was an intimate moment and it was sweet. The reception after was a lot of fun, and although I did not catch the bouquet, my little brother did indeed catch the garter.

Sunday morning the part of the family that is Catholic all went to Mass in this little tiny church. It was kind of quaint, I must say. I really enjoyed the priest that was there. He was pretty old, but as he gave his homily I kind of forgot about that because his mind is obviously still pretty young.

The rest of the week-end was spent hanging-out with family. We spent one evening at a park playing endless rounds of horse shoes and corn hole. I started off a bit rusty, but by the end of the night I was not so bad, I must say. It was a fun and relaxing week-end without much of an agenda so we just enjoyed spending time together.

That was my week-end in a few paragraphs. :)

"Love Thoughts"

I randomly found this article, and I really enjoyed reading it. It is filled with a few short quotes I have heard before and really like. I just wanted to share.

Love Thoughts

The beginning of love, is to let those we love be perfectly themselves and not twist them with our own image -- otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them? The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of every-thing...they just make the most out of everything that comes their way.

The best kind of friend is the one you can sit on a porch with, never saying a word and then walk away, feeling like that was the best conversation you've had.

Don't go for looks -- it can deceive.

Don't go for money -- even wealth fades away.

Go for someone who makes you smile, because only a smile makes a dark day seem bright. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched and those who have tried. For only they can appreciate the importance of the people who have touched their lives.

Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion and the romance... and you find out you still care for that person. Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been disappointed, those who still believe, even though they have been betrayed and those who still love even though they've been hurt before. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people, before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the right person, we should know how to be grateful for that gift. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return. But, what is the most painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let the person know how you feel. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past ... you can't go on in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't expect love in return, just wait for it to grow in Their hearts. But, if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours. There are things that you would love to hear, but you never hear it from the person you want to. Don't be deaf to hear it from the person who says it with their heart.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are smiling and everyone around you is crying.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens. But often we look so long at the closed door, that we don't see the one which has just been opened for us.

Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too. A sad thing about life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you ... only to find out in the end, that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

It takes a minute to have a crush on someone ... an hour to like someone...a day to love someone...but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Love starts with a smile, develops with a kiss and ends with a tear.

What Love Really Is To Me.

Today I was facebook chatting with a friend of mine. He asked me why I had so many bizarre facebook statuses up lately. I was kinda confused at the time by what he meant by that, but he gave me a few examples. One in particular was that I said "I remember years ago someone once told me I should take caution when it comes to love. I did..." I explained to him how I put that up mainly because it is a song lyric that would not get out of my head because it kind of hits home with me. I tend to be cautious with who I let in. Really let in. I still have yet to decide if that has actually helped me or not. He offered some "perspective," and told me how he believed that love does not actually exist. I immediately shot him down and told him how love does indeed exist. He then told me he meant that romantic love does not exist. Now, a huge part of me would love to have disagreed with him, but when he said that I had to think about it for a minute. It made sense. Love is real. I love my family and friends more than anything. I would do just about anything for them, and I hope and pray they would do the same for me if I really needed them. Romantic love, however, seems a little fuzzy in a way.

I feel as though for a romantic relationship to work the best it should be founded on God and friendship more than anything. From the Catholic perspective, marriage is supposed to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church, so obviously faith has to be the most important part of every relationship. I do want to be able to look at my future husband and know that he is my best friend too. I want to know that I can be my complete self around that person and no matter how frustrated we may be with each other, at the end of the day he is still the person who will be there. Do not get me wrong, I still believe there should be a healthy amount of attraction between a husband and wife, but if it is only based on the attraction factor it will not last very long. "Romantic love" as I see it is really more about the physical side of a relationship. It is not true selfless love. It is selfish love. It is not looking at a person with the perspective of "What can I do to help this other person make it to heaven?" It is asking "What can I do to get what I want from this other person?"

It was a very interesting discussion, and I have to say it did make me think again about how I can help my future spouse make it into heaven. I do not necessarily think about it from that perspective very often.

I Want A Guy Who Is "A Little More Country Than That." ;)

I have come to the conclusion that one can tell a lot about a person when music is brought up in discussion. Music is such an important part of culture and society. It is one of the topics that is easiest to discuss because people are passionate (usually) about their music preferences. Me, I am definitely a country kinda girl. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy pop music, and a little rock, but for the most part it's all about country. I feel as though lately country music has grown in popularity quite a bit. More people who want to keep life simple and laid back tend listen and enjoy country music. The more conservative members of this country tend to listen to country music. Country fans are the average person. They don't mind getting their hands dirty while working. They tend to be considered the politically incorrect members of our country. Country musicians have no qualms about thanking God in their songs and being patriotic towards the men and women fighting for our country. This is not so surprising to me, though, considering from the fact that in country music's early stages it's most popular theme was gospel music.

I was sitting down and talking to friends about guys and dating and how music tastes can be factored into relationships. It is true. I know that I would go crazy dating someone who enjoyed playing heavy metal in their car all the time. It would make me go insane. I have come to the conclusion that the man I will marry (whenever that happens) will have to enjoy country music quite a bit because I enjoy listening to it a lot. It would not be fair to make someone who does not like country music at all to listen to mine very much. Besides it is more fun to have someone who wants to sing along with me. :) My mom once told me how I should marry a "cowboy who knows how to sing country." I guess I should start praying for one to come my way, especially considering how there are not very many cowboys here in Indiana.

There is a song that came to mind as I was typing this out. I put it up on my music play list awhile back I will put some of the lyrics here.

"Politically Uncorrect"
by Gretchen Wilson

I'm for the low man on the totem pole
And I'm for the underdog God bless his soul
And I'm for the guys still pulling third shift
And the single mom raisin' her kids
I'm for the preachers who stay on their knees
And I'm for the sinner who finally believes
And I'm for the farmer with dirt on his hands
And the soldiers who fight for this land

Chorus:

And I'm for the Bible and I'm for the flag
And I'm for the working man, me and ol' hag
I'm just one of many
Who can't get no respect
Politically uncorrect

(Merle Haggard)
I guess my opinion is all out of style
(Gretchen Wilson)
Aw, but don't get me started cause I can get riled
And I'll make a fight for the forefathers plan
(Merle Haggard)
And the world already knows where I stand

Repeat Chorus

(Merle Haggard)
Nothing wrong with the Bible, nothing wrong with the flag
(Gretchen Wilson)
Nothing wrong with the working man me & ol' hag
We're just some of many who can't get no respect
(Merle Haggard)
None
(Gretchen Wilson)
Politically uncorrect
(Merle Haggard)
Politically uncorrect

"Letter to Claire"

In a previous post I wrote a number of months ago I spoke about this particular movie quote I put below. I finally got around to finding it and putting it on my blog. If you are interested in the previous post as to why I like this then you can click here.

Letter to Claire

"'What' and ‘if’ two words as nonthreatening
as words come. But put
them together side-by-side and they
have the power to haunt you for the
rest of your life: ‘What if?'..."

"I don't know how your story ended.
But I know that if what you felt
then was love - true love - then
it's never too late. If it was true
then, why wouldn't it be true
now? You need only the courage to
follow your heart..."

"I don't know what a love like that
feels like... a love to leave loved
ones for, a love to cross oceans
for... but I'd like to believe if I
ever felt it. I'd have the courage
to seize it. I hope you had the
courage to seize it, Claire. And if
you didn't, I hope one day that you
will."

Pornography: How It Hurts Women

Porn is something that is thrown to my generation like candy. I remember how at one time the only people that really looked at porn were men, but now women are also getting hooked on it...Everywhere I turn it is there. In television shows, movies, books, everywhere. Peers try to pressure each other into watching it. Even this morning my friend at work told me how her neighbors pulled a prank on her last night by sticking Japanese porn dvd's all over her truck. She was so upset over that prank.

The mindset seems to be that it is just for fun. In the end though, it does way more damage to everyone involved than one may realize while they are hooked. I found this article on a blog about how porn hurts women... I put a snippet of it below. If you are interested in reading more, you click here.

We need to keep praying that the men in this world stay strong against pornography. Women too, but I still feel as if it is more of a struggle for the guys...

How Porn Makes a Woman Feel

Porn is something that is thrown to my generation like candy. Everywhere I turn it is there. In television shows, movies, everywhere. Peers try to pressure each other into watching it. The mindset seems to be that it is just for fun. In the end though, it does way more damage to everyone involved. I found this article on a blog about how porn hurts women... I put a snippet of it below. If you are interested in reading more, you click here.The thought of losing someone to a porn addiction is crippling and feels like the most severe emotional pain that could exist, especially if it results in the complete loss of the relationship. We know the detrimental effects of porn because of its chemical nature and effect on the brain and on one’s actions, demeanor, and behavior and because you’ve probably felt it in the way that your husband or boyfriend treats you even without knowing the scientific evidence of its impact.

You may have heard your husband or boyfriend say to you, “If you only did X, Y, or Z, then I wouldn’t use porn,” or “if you dressed up every once in awhile,” or they may shift blame and get upset at you for things you haven’t even done or get angry at you for no reason and proceed to push you away. Sound familiar?

Because of their personal guilt and shame they feel due to their addiction, you’ve probably experienced them attempting to shift any blame onto you, while getting frequently angry. Have you noticed that they withdraw from family activities or in spending time with you, or retreat from church, and social activities – things they once were involved in?

You and I, the wives and girlfriends, know without a doubt that it changes our loved ones as we experience the pain of porn firsthand. In fact, husbands report loving their wives less after long periods of looking at women depicted in porn. Wives and girlfriends develop deep, deep wounds and they begin to feel inadequate. They don’t just feel discomfort, but the distress level can be so high that it can lead to clinical treatment for trauma, eating disorders, and severe depression. It’s not just “temporarily feeling sad” about a husband/boyfriend’s addiction—it’s a blow to the core of who that woman is, that could lead to years of depression and much more.

Many women might even say that it’s worse than actual infidelity, because there isn’t one “real” person that they are having an affair with, it’s many intangible women and they don’t know what they are up against. Many times, porn addicts do not comprehend the downward spiral that they are causing their wives or girlfriends to enter into by their actions.

Some Dating Advice From Yours Truely

The other night I was hanging out with a group of friends which happened to be made up of mostly males. They each had great fun asking me and the few girls who were with us about dating advice. It was kind of fun answering their questions because of the look on their faces. It was like they were holding onto every piece of info we were giving them... They did not even notice the few times we were being completely sarcastic about a question they would ask. It was hilarious... So after this little encounter I thought I would have a fun and random post about some do's and don'ts of dating... Most of this is pretty easy to get, but apparently for some not as easy as others.

For cheap first dates a guy should NEVER take a girl to the Mall. Never! It will not go over well... the only time it is ok to take a girl to the Mall as a date is when you are in Middle School pretty much. Other than that not good.

Also the guy really should always pay for the first few dates... and it is even more impressive if they keep paying for all the dates... It is understandable to have the girl and guy share the costs, but not when they are just starting out. Not so cool.

Always be courteous and show good manners. Hold doors open. Help her put on her coat if it is cold outside, walk her to the door... these things are simple enough and really do impress the ladies.

Be respectful. Look into the girl's eyes when she is talking to you. It lets her know you are interested in HER...

On a first date do not tell everything there is to know about you. Hold a lot of that back. It ruins the mystery if you tell everything and she will lose interest pretty fast. Seriously, no likes to have their life stories told on a first date. It gets old fast.

It is extremely cool to ask your date to go to Mass or Adoration with you as part of a date. A girl who takes her faith seriously will be incredibly impressed with that move and will happily say yes.

Do not talk about how other girls look in front of your date... (Seriously, I thought this one would be an easy one, but apparently not so easy for some of my guy friends to get... They wondered why girls get annoyed with them after they do this one... uh. Hello!?!?!? Duh!)

Girls like random dates... It is usually the more unique dates that girls remember the most. Dinner and movies are good every so often... but after awhile it gets old.

Please do not say "I Love You" unless you really mean it. Playing around with a girl's emotions is so not cool... but when you do mean it say it often enough that she really knows you mean it.

Please have some patience with us. Sometimes us girls cannot make up our minds. As a girl I do have this problem. The truth is not one of us really knows what we really want. We get moody. Go a little crazy. It is just a fact. All of us girls have this problem... It is how it is... so please do not take offense too much with our craziness. :)

"Modesty: A Guy's View"

"What If"... Two Words That Can Do More Harm Than Good

This is really late for me to be up tonight, and I have a feeling I am going to really regret it, but sometimes there are moments when writing, blogging, journaling, are all I can think about doing... and I like to savor those moments, because usually something pretty great comes out of it. It may be just a line or it could be the whole thing I have splurged in the moment. Even though I never thought of myself as a journalist, and I would never want to really go into that field of work, I do enjoy writing things down when something interests me. I enjoy pondering a line in a song, or a stanza of a poem, or something that I noticed while paying attention to nature, or a quote from a movie that touched me in some way. They are all simple enough, but I can let myself wonder about them for a long time until I write it out on paper.

Tonight I watched the movie "Letters to Juliet" (which I have to say may be a new favorite movie of mine), and there was a quote from that movie that really touched me. I would love to copy and paste it onto this blog, but there are no movie quotes published for it yet on the internet, but I will be posting it whenever they get around to doing so. In this particular quote it talked about the words "what" and "if." Now these two are not at all scary or hurtful while separated, but when you put the two words together, "what if," then a person could make themselves go mad with curiosity... there are so many times I second guess myself and wonder what if I had done something a different way how it would have turned out. The problem with thinking about the words "what if" all the time is that I end up not enjoying what I do have. I let myself go off into an imaginary world of endless possible outcomes, none of which really matter since they are not my actual reality.

Everyday choices are what we all have to make, and live with the outcomes. What I eat for breakfast, who I choose to hang-out with, when I get around to paying my bills, signing up for classes, allowing myself to fall in love... As easy as it is to let my mind think about how I could have chosen things differently, in the end it usually only brings heartache... and I do not need to much of that anymore. That is why I try to avoid the words "what if" because I need to be more attentive to how I can fix some mistakes I made than think about what I should have done. I cannot change the past, but I can find a way to change my future...

With that being said, I am now ready for a good night's sleep....

I Do Not Want to Miss Out On My Journey

I realized last night while talking to a friend that when it comes to relationships I like to analyze them way to much. I try to take an interaction with someone and break it down into little pieces trying to figure what the other person meant. Most of the time I do this when it comes to a guy I find myself attracted to. I tend to always ask this one particular friend a number of questions about if something a guy says or does could mean more or if I am just trying to read to much into it because that is what I want it to mean. He tends to tell me over and over again that I think to much about things, and if something is supposed to happen or is going to happen it will. He likes to say that a lot to me, and I know in the back of my mind he is right, but that still does not stop me from wondering... I can't help it. It is something I need to work on though. Not getting so worked up over what a guy is thinking. I mean if he likes me enough then eventually he will let me in on that, right? So why worry over it? Cause I am a girl, and that is what girls tend to do. Worry and fret over a guy we like. I am sure though that guys can be the same way when it comes to a girl they like.

Thinking about the whole, sitting back and waiting for things to happen is always so hard for me. Not only with romantic relationships, but also in my day to day relationship with God. I want to break each happening in my life down and try to figure out what God meant by it, when really I do not need to know until the moment He is ready to let me know.

Patience is what it comes down to I suppose. I am a very impatient person in pretty much all the areas in my life except for when it comes to my job. I hate waiting for things to happen, but I wonder if in my haste of wanting to see what is going to happen I am missing out on the journey... the self-discovery. I do not want to miss out on that, so I will keep working on this patience thing.

A PRAYER FOR PATIENCE

Gracious God, it’s so hard to wait. To wait for new things to happen in my life. To wait for you to answer my prayers. To wait for the open doors that may lead me into a new way of being. During the time of waiting, it seems that all I can think of is having what it is I am waiting for. At times I feel weary of asking and waiting, and I wonder if you really hear my prayers at all, if you are ignoring me, or if you are simply refusing to give me my heart’s desire. A part of me knows that you want my best, and that your time is not my time, but Lord, it is still so hard to wait. Deepen my trust, O Lord, during the times when my heart longs for what can only come in the fullness of time. Give me a calm assurance that your will for me is grander than anything I could ever imagine. Still my mind and heart in your love so that I am mindful of the grace you are draping around me every single day, every single moment. I ask this for the sake of your love.

"True"

The song below is a very sweet love song by Ryan Cabrera. I remember when it first came out how I burnt it on a cd and would put it on replay and just listen to it over and over again... At the time I was a teenage high school girl who was, and still am, a hopeless romantic. I look at the words now and of course I can see how this is a romantic song about a guy who has fallen in love with a girl, but it can easily be another love song written for us from God... The lyrics are just too beautiful... I am tempted to put it on my play list soon.

True
Ryan Cabrera

I wont talk
I wont breathe
I wont move till you finally see
That you belong with me

You might think I dont look
But deep inside
In the corner of my mind
Im attached to you
Im weak
Its true
Cuz im afraid to know the answer
Do you want me too?
Cuz my heart keeps falling faster

I've waited all my life
To cross this line
To the only thing thats true
So I will not hide
Its time to try
Anything to be with you
All my life I've waited
This is true

You dont know what you do
Everytime you walk into the room
Im afraid to move
Im weak
Its true
Im just scared to know the ending
Do you see me too?
Do you even know u met me?

I've waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing thats true
So I will not hide
Its time to try anything to be with you
All my life I've waited

This is true

I know when I go ill be on my way to you
The way thats true

I've waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing thats true
So I will not hide
Its time to try anything to be with you
All my life I've waited

This is true

Yes, I am still alive. :)

Well I have realized tonight that I haven't written up a blog post on here in quite a few days. I have just been so busy with a lot of different things that I haven't really had the time to sit down and write out a blog... I was busy with work, retreat reunions, movie night, playing ultimate frisbee, going to a friend's band concert, bowling, confirmation classes, and Bible study, add on family drama to that... Just a lot going on. Not much free time at all.

Tonight for Bible study we studied the book of Tobit. It is my very favorite book of the Bible. Me a hopeless romantic and all, this particular book, along with Song of Songs, totally works for me. It is a love story with lots of different drama going on in the story... It starts off with Tobias, Tobiah's father, a very righteous and holy man who becomes blind. He becomes distressed and prays to be able to die.

While this is going on there is a woman named Sarah who has issues of her own. She had married seven times, and each of those seven husbands ended up being killed by the demon of lust on their wedding night. She finally gets to the breaking point and starts to plan her own death. She changes her mind from committing suicide to asking God to take her life, and even at the end of her prayer she hands everything over to him and says that if He wants her to live, so be it, put to take pity on her.

At this point of the storyline, God finally sends out the archangel Raphael (Raphael actually means healer) to help answer both their prayers. Raphael goes with Tobiah to go in search of his wife, Sarah. Along the way they come upon a fish, and Raphael tells Tobiah that if he wants to get rid of Sarah's demon he must use the insides of this fish to cause him to flee, and then afterwords he and Sarah must pray to God in thanksgiving. He also said that in order to give Tobias his vision back he has to use the guts of the fish and wipe it on his eyes.

Finally Tobiah meets Sarah and they both do as Raphael told him on their wedding night, and the evil demon flees without hurting Tobiah, and then they kneel down and pray in thanksgiving for their vocation of marriage to each other.

Tobiah and Sarah finally head back to Ninevah where Tobiah helps bring his father's vision back. When Tobiah goes to give Raphael money for going on his journey with him Raphael finally reveals who he is to the two men... and then everyone lives happily ever after...

Here is the prayer that the Tobiah and Sarah prayed their wedding night...

Tobit 8:4-8

When the girl's parents left the bedroom and closed the door behind them, Tobiah arose from bed and said to his wife, "My love, get up. Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us and to grant us deliverance." She got up, and they started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs. He began with these words: "Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.' Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age." They said together, "Amen, amen,"

"I Am Your Love"

Here is another poem I found that is really beautiful... Enjoy!

"I Am Your Love"

How can it be true?
I am your love
How can it be true?
You choose me for you
How can I believe this?
Your love is all madness

I am your love
You hold me tight and drown me mightily
I am speechless; my fears are lost in your arms
I tremble in awe
How can this be?
I am a criminal, and you are the Prince of Peace

I am your love
You are in my breath; you are in my thoughts
You are in my hair; you are in my heart
You touch me everywhere and enter my blood
You boil in my veins
You make me faint with disbelief
You melt me away with torrents of gentility
You possess me and intoxicate me

I am your love
You mark me as your territory
You pick me up and keep me in your mouth
I am a cell in your skin
I rest in your handsome heartbeat

I am your love, your little secret treasure
Your hunger your thirst your dream
Your obsession your tenderness your desire
Your prize your booty your conquest
Your pleasure your home your property

I am your love: rule over me with your mighty hand
Arrange me by your most noble pleasure
Cleanse me with your holy fire
Swallow me into your sweet breath
Take and use me

We Are All Beloved

The song below happened to be one of the two that kind of teared me up, I guess you could say. I plan on putting this song up on my blog very soon... until then I hope you really listen to it... It is a beautiful song.

History of Valentine's Day

Here is more about the history of Valentine's Day..... I found this the most interesting of all the different one's on the internet....

Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.