Lessons in Love #1

Learn to love yourself before you must love someone else. When you choose to love someone else there are no guarantees that as time goes by that he/she will love you back forever. Go ahead and love all the way, but reserve some love for yourself. Do not stop evolving as a person. Keep learning and doing what interest you. You would not want to wake up one day and not have an identity. Don't let your happiness depend on how the person you love feels. This is most specially true if the person you love is on a spiral down to the deepest hole. Keep your own values...Do not smoke just because he smokes...don't do drugs just because that's the only way you can really bond as one. Get my drift? Love yourself. Cherish yourself. Respect you.

Psalm 139:23-24

The least I like about myself is my tendency to be fearful.
I fear starting new endeavors. This truly is my weakness.
I'm a functioning fearful person. Sometimes I wish I were more brave or courageous. When I know I have to go to work or perform, or even meet new people, I start to feel nervous and unmotivated. I've been dealing with this all my life. Although I am this way, I can also remember dealing with it the best that I can and this is through prayer and God. I am a functioning fearful person because of God's provision...He looks inside who I am and raises me up. For that I am soooo thankful.

Here's a prayer you may want to say when fear takes over...

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting
life"

God knows what really is lurking in your mind and heart. There's no reason to hide.
He will not abandon you. He wants the best for you.

Jonah's Prayer

Have you ever felt desperate in your life that relying on yourself is not enough. You find yourself speaking to the one you try to avoid most in your life---God.
Jonah, did just that, runaway from Him. But when he became of dire need of help, still there was no one else to run to but God. Here's the prayer he prayed.
(At this point Jonah had been swallowed by a whale because he was thrown into the ocean by the crew he was travelling with believing that Jonah caused the storm they had met.)

"In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for your help and you listened to my cry.
You hurled me into the deep,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me,
all your waves and breakers swept over me.
I said, "I have been banished from your sight;
yet I will look again toward your holy temple."
The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O Lord my God.

"When my life was ebbing away , I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you
to your holy temple.
Those who cling to worthless idol forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the Lord."

After the prayer, God helped Jonah come out of the whale's belly.

Does this prayer relate to you. I know I've felt this way many times in my life and have said prayers like this one. With sincerity and heart, God listens and provides.


With sincerity and good intentions...God listens...

and Provides...

John Lennon "Love" (Single Edit-1982)

When I was in grammar school, most of the girls had something called a slum book or autograph book. Usually, you would ask friends to write in this book. Questions in this book would range from simple inquiries such as name, birthdate, address to thought provoking ones like have you been in love, what is love, do you believe in long engagements. I don't really know what elementary aged kids knew about love back then but they were answered and some went like this...


What is love? "Love is blind." "Love is like a rosary full of mysteries."

"Love is a many splendored thing."



Have you ever been in love? "Yes, but I won't say." "No." "Just a crush."


Do you believe in long engagement? "Yes" and "No"


I still have my slum book. I look through it every now and again and just laugh and laugh.


Now, if you ask me what I think love is...well...here's John Lennon's song that would sum up how I feel about Love right now...

Love in a Song...

When I was in grammar school, most of the girls had something a  called a slum book or autograph book.  Usually, you would ask friends to write in this book.  Questions in this book would range from simple inquires such as name, birthdate, address to thought provoking ones like have you been in love, what is love, do you believe in long engagements.  I don't really know what elementary aged kids knew about love back then but they were answered and some went like this...

What is love? "Love is blind." "Love is like a rosary full of mysteries."
                       "Love is a many splendored thing."


Have you ever been in love? "Yes, but I won't say." "No."  "Just a crush."

Do you believe in long engagement? "Yes" and "No"

I still have my slum book.  I look through it an just laugh and laugh.

Now, if you ask me what I think love is...well...here's John Lennon's song that would sum up how I feel about Love right now...

<object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3G-qAKmACDE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3G-qAKmACDE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object>