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.

Color me Purple

Color me Purple – Part 8 of a 9 part poem on mixed media

Finally, after 2 1/2 months of not posting a ‘Color me’ girl, the purple one is done.

Purple is the color of royalty. Maybe it’s because purple robes were worn by royalty in the past and the rare occurrence of purple in nature made it one of the most expensive color dyes to create (source – Bourn Creative).

People of royalty are very wealthy. I consider myself royalty, but not in the earthly sense. I mean, let’s face it, you can’t just become royal. You’re born into it. I do, however, consider myself very wealthy, very powerful, and very free. Free to do what I like. Free to be who I want. Free to be me. Just me. And nobody can take that away.

My treasures are not things like gold and jewels. I could care less about them. My treasures are riches that can’t be bought. Divine and simple. Obtained without stress or anxiety. Deeply fulfilling and eternal.

How about you? What do you consider to be treasure? Are you deeply satisfied? Do you consider yourself wealthy and powerful? And how about free?

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.

Busy, busy, busy

Hey little guy,

what ya doin today?

Not much dear girl,

I thought I’d sway.

From tree to tree,

and to and fro.

And watch the people

down below.

They rush and run,

don’t notice the sun.

They text and talk,

and run, not walk

Inhaling food,

not savouring each bite.

Under a tree,

they’ve lost all sight.

Of what it is

to live each day.

To love and learn,

and rest and play.

To see the gift

each moment brings.

Oh well, dear girl

I’m off to swing.

“The genesis moment is to assume every moment is fresh” –Makoto Fujimura

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This poem and photo I have posted before. I have decided to do so again because I am in a season of busyness. Lots and lots and lots of busyness. For this reason, I have decided to take a brief hiatus of about a month in order to focus on getting things done that I so desperately need to.

The following are a few other poetry photos I have taken around my place (and yes, the mico monkeys are real, and we live together 🙂 ).

I will be back on WordPress in about a month.

 

Made to Create

Made to Create – Loop poem on mixed media

Why is it that human beings are so creative? We have imaginations and an ability to create that separates us from all other species.

“According to Marc Hauser, ‘mounting evidence indicates that, in contrast to Darwin’s theory of a continuity of mind between humans and other species, a profound gap separates our intellect from the animal kind.’ (source: live science.com)

Another article from livescience.com says, “Without a doubt, the human trait that sets us apart the most from the animal kingdom is our extraordinary brain… …the ability to reason and think on our feet beyond the capabilities of the rest of the animal kingdom, and provided the works of Mozart, Einstein and many other geniuses.” (source)

As a Christian, I believe that we were created by a creative God, and we were created in His image. Out of my intimacy with God I create, and my creations are a response to what He reveals to me.

Gotquestions.org says, “Mentally, man was created as a rational, volitional agent. In other words, man can reason and man can choose. This is a reflection of God’s intellect and freedom. Anytime someone invents a machine, writes a book, paints a landscape, enjoys a symphony, calculates a sum, or names a pet, he or she is proclaiming the fact that we are made in God’s image.” (source: gotquestions.org)

Michael Card says in his book, ‘Scribbling in the Sand: Christ and creativity‘ –“God is an artist and he is beautiful. He has woven his image into the fabric of our lives, which explains our drive to create things which are beyond us and which we don’t always understand.”

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Why do you think human beings are so creative?

The first comment has a Youtube video by Michael Card called, “The poem of Your Life.”