Love is…

...when he holds the fort and serves me when I'm sick.

Inspired by a post that a fellow blogger, Pete, wrote, I have decided to do a series on ‘Love is…’ I don’t know how often I will post a ‘Love is…’ post, but today marks the first one.

Love me more than what you feel

Feelings and passion aren’t love for real

Real love goes far deeper still

Still my mind with love of will

Will you love me with your deeds

Deeds unselfish, heart that bleeds

Bleeds and sweats a love that’s true

Truly chooses each day to do

Do the best, seek from above

Above to learn to really love.

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Last weekend I was sick, and couldn’t do much around the house. My husband was so good at taking care of the kids, tidying up and serving me.

The above loop poem was actually the response to a challenge I accepted some time ago, which was to write a poem about love in 10 sentences. It is a little (ok quite) cheesy, but thought it appropriate for the message for ‘Love is…’ today.

What would be your, ‘Love is…’ message for this week?

Security

Security – Poem on mixed media

One of the definitions of security is “feeling safe, stable, and free from fear or anxiety.”

How secure are you in who you are? I used to be very insecure. A lot of that came out of my childhood, and living with an alcoholic father that I feared constantly.

Today though, I am secure. I have a great husband and two beautiful children that are healthy and happy. I live in a warm sunny place that does wonders for the serotonin levels in my brain. I have a roof over my head, friends and faith. I also have purpose and peace in my heart.

Even though I am no longer a spring chicken, and the days of my youth have passed, I’m ok with that. No problem at all. My security and contentment do not rest in what others make of me. My importance isn’t in how I look or what I can do. It lies in something far deeper than passing things. It lies in something eternal.

Do you struggle with insecurity? Are you content with who you are? Where does your worth and security lie?

A Beautiful Thing

A Beautiful Thing – Poem on mixed media

Have you ever seen a crimson rose? I have only seen them in photos, but never in real life. They are beautiful and have a deep, rich color. So deep that sometimes they can even resemble the color of blood.

It’s meaning is two-way, signifying loss, death and mourning, as well as rebirth and love. It makes me think of a love that is committed and passionate. One that is willing to sacrifice for the good of another. One that is even willing to die for another. This type of love is a rare and beautiful thing.

Have you ever experienced a love like that?

Caged Bird

Caged Bird – poem on mixed media

Childhood is a very important time in a person’s life. Those who raise children can either make or break them. If broken during these fragile, formative years, the outcome can be drastic. It can take a whole lifetime to heal, and oftentimes there are wounds that scar until death.

In an article by Livestrong.com, Heather Weiss said, “Nurturing relationships in a family are critical for the healthy development of a child. If a child feels safe, secure, and loved in their family, it helps with the formation of their self-esteem and well-being. It can also lead to a child who is more socially competent and has better communication skills than a child who does not feel these family connections.”

Any thoughts? Do you agree?

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I wrote this poem a while ago. I had originally created a mixed media piece to go with it, but wanted to change it. This is the new version.

Identity

Identity – Poem on mixed media

Identity:

• The condition of being oneself, and not another
• Condition or character as to who a person is
• The set of behavioural or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable
• the fact of being who or what a person or thing is
• Characteristics, definition, defining oneself

Thinking back to how I used to be, and pondering all of what I’ve gone through, I consider myself nothing less than a miracle. The need for the sense of identity is very important to human beings, both on an individual and social level. My identity was so lost and confused in the past, but God has brought me through so much.

I love the passage in the Bible where God calls a prophet to choose a new King. The prophet went to the house of a certain man who had seven sons. When he saw the biggest and strongest son, he thought definitely he was to be the new king. God told him ‘no’. In fact, the answer was no for every one of the sons that this man had presented to the prophet. He then asked the man if he had any other sons, and he said that there was one more, but he was out in the fields tending the sheep. A very humble position at best, for that day and age. When the prophet saw this son, right then and there God said, “That’s the one”. God wasn’t looking at his outer appearance. He was looking at his heart. I love that.

Today, I am comfortable in my own skin. I am sure of my identity, and of what is expected of me. I know that what really matters is how God sees me, and He knows my heart. And He should. His finger prints can be found all over it.

Where, or in what do you find your identity? Are you comfortable in your own skin, and secure in who you are as an individual and within a group?

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The above I wrote some time ago, but I wanted to create a new art piece for it.

The Quiet Journey (Monotetra)

The Quiet Journey – Monotetra poem on Oil

Do you think of life as a journey? I do. Looking back, I can easily see that my life has been a journey. The experiences I’ve had. The ups and downs. The joys and pains. The good decisions and the bad, as well as the consequences that came with them. I’ve suffered a lot, and I’ve experienced great joy and peace. I’ve thought a lot and grappled with my world-view. God willing, I still have a good number of years ahead of me, so I know that this journey continues. I’m very thankful that I don’t walk it alone, and that I am constantly learning and growing. I know that the phase, or season that I am currently living will come to an end, and mesh into the beginning of the next one. And when my life comes to an end… that’s just the beginning to a whole new phase.

Do you think of your life as a journey? Have you considered how your experiences and choices have shaped you into who you are today?

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The above poem is a Monotetra, which is a form that is made up of four lines in a stanza, each line being eight syllables long and each line rhyming. The last line in a stanza is a couplet of four syllables repeated. This is also in response to “The Reverie Journal’s weekly prompt, which this is week was “Quiet Journey”.

Mercy Girl

Mercy Girl 2 – Poem on mixed media

Mercy: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. —Google

Have you ever been shown mercy? I have. Over and over and over again. I’m so thankful for mercy, because I know that without it, I would be living in fear. Who wants to live in fear? To me, living in mercy means living in freedom. There’s a reason to wake up in the morning. A reason to smile. A reason to dance.

Have you ever been shown mercy? Share your story…

Mercy Girl 1

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Just a quick note to let you all know that I’m back from my break. I was off for just over a month with the goal of accomplishing a bunch of things that I needed to get done. I was successful with a couple, but thanks to breaking my foot, I was unable to get everything done. It’s great to be back though. Looking forward to reading your blogs and catching up.

Once Lost

Once Lost – A Mussete

The dove is often used to symbolize the Holy Spirit and peace. It also symbolizes the release of the soul in death. It makes me think of eternity actually. I believe in eternity, and that God has placed eternity in the heart of man.

Do you believe in eternity?

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This poetry form, Mussete, is new to me. I found out about it by Ryan over at Days of Stone. I like the challenge of trying out different poetry forms, and used to write a lot more poems using poetry forms in the past. I thought I’d try my hand at it.

 

Dance me

Do you think that we, as humans, can benefit from times of pain and suffering? Do you think it teaches us timeless lessons and builds character? I do.

Nobody wants to go through painful experiences, but it seems like going through the tough times is what causes true growth and maturity in our lives. It’s like the age-old adage, “No pain, no gain”.

Allow me to share a few famous quotes about the good found in diversity.

“All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” –Walt Disney

“You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”  –Epicurus 

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.”  –Napoleon Hill

These quotes hold a lot of wisdom. I’ve been through the wringer when it comes to inner pain and suffering. All I wanted during those times was to be rid of it all. In retrospect though, I see how they have shaped me, grown me and made me into the person I am today.

How about you? Have you gone through times of pain, suffering, adversity? Have you allowed it to shape you? To be your teacher? Have you grown wiser and allowed it to develop character in you? What painful experience have you gone through, in looking back, you can see that it has produced gold by being refined in the fire?

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This post is an updated version of one I’ve done before. I added another stanza to the poem and have embedded it into my original art. I have put music together and hope to record in the near future.

This is also in response to a 3-day quote challenge that I received from Pearl at “writeintent1“. Three quote for three days and nominating three others. I will be cheating though. I won’t be doing it for three consecutive days (time restraints) and I would like to challenge anyone that would like to take this on to go ahead and do it.

 

Lemons & Lessons

Lemons are sour, but with the right ingredients they turn into a refreshing, sweet treat. We’ve all heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. That’s one of the decisions I made at the beginning of this year. To make lemonade with the lemons life throws at me.

It’s no wonder they’re yellow. Yellow is such a cheery color. One of the additudes that yellow symbolizes is optimism.

There is a small, yet very powerful passage in the Bible – “Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.”

There is so much negativity in the media. So much fear-inducing information. It is easy to complain and grumble about it all. It is also easy to complain and grumble when things don’t go our way. When our comfort and personal peace is being threatened.

Life will always throw us lemons. The secret lies within what we do with them.

Yes, I think I’ll squeeze mine into some refreshing water and add some sweetener.

How about you? How do you handle the lemons life throws at you?

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Original illustration and Tanaga poem.