The Four Most Beautiful Letters in the Alphabet

Have I come to Haiti to learn of Love? And how can three days seem like three weeks?

“What is your name?” I asked. "Her name is Lise. She understands English but she cannot speak it." “Lise. How do you spell that?” I asked.

“L - I – S – E: The four most beautiful letters in the alphabet.” He said. Watching them, you see it. Love. Not just any love. It’s different. They have been married for many years. One son. One heart.

You can easily watch him as he is protective of his treasure. You can easily see her taking care of him as her husband. You can easily see them share this love they share. This life they share.

He is a pastor and a surgeon and an over-all amazing man. Wise. Deep Well. She randomly breaks out in song, and her service is never ending. But she is strong and commands respect as she walks into the clinic she manages. His clinic. Their clinic. The people they have ministered to since the earthquake are in the hundreds. In food, clothes, medical care, and prayer. Together. As a team. Serving.

Loving through serving. It has been heavy on my mind lately and right before my eyes. And I think…….hmmm, this might just work. I’m a bit jaded when it comes to relationships. Having loved and lost (as many have), witnessed heartbreak in relationships around me, seen bad marriages often, seen good marriages rarely, frequently playing referee in my office in marriage sessions, when what I really want to do is pull my hair out. It just doesn’t seem that hard. But it is. Or is it? Maybe it’s just about serving. Maybe it’s just about surrender. Surrendering to our will to love the other person as God would if He were here. We are the most unhappy when we are the most selfish. And you can find pride and selfishness at the root of almost all marital unbliss. I believe with all my being that the purpose of marriage is to find someone you can love God with deeply rather than seeking someone to help us feel more love-able.

Yes, I’m seen as strong and bold and independent – the secret is that every woman just wants someone to lean into. Someone to catch her if she falls. To protect her from the evil in the world. Especially the strong and independent ones. They fall a lot, I hear : )

“Loving is not about getting. It is about protecting the one you hold the closest. If I am a good man I will protect my wife and children. I will make sure they feel loved. Above God, that is my greatest responsibility. My wife is a strong and beautiful women. She is not weak. She has the power. The power to make me a strong man or a weak man. And she makes me a strong man”

Wow. Loving by serving. Through serving. Reminds me of a man long ago with a towel and a water basin. Yeah – I think we could learn a lot from that man. And His Father. And the people of Haiti.

Why Don't We Dance Anymore?

I have discovered Needtobreathe. Maybe because I need to. Maybe because their music speaks to my spirit, and I like to dance to them in my mind. On a plane. To Haiti.

Stones Under Rushing Water. That’s the song.

"Why don’t we dance anymore? Why don’t we sing anymore?"

I was in front of over 100 Strong Haitian Souls today. Telling them about this song. How blown away I was when I read about them dancing in the middle of their darkest hour. Singing in the streets surrounded by rubble. Telling them how amazed I was at their strength. Dreaming of how the rest of the world can learn about what Hope really means – from them. From the very ones the rest of the world is trying to save.

“Our streets were turned into churches” Dr. Jeudy said.

This great surgeon, pastor and Haitian theologian told stories of the people coming together as One in the streets the night of the earthquake. 

Singing to a God they still trusted. Crying out to a Creator to put their broken world back together – and their broken streets. Dancing together as a people of pure strength. He told stories of how the people of Haiti had turned to God during deep crisis instead of shaking their fist at Him out of blame.

“This sidewalk was lined with corpses. Women. Men. Children. Lined up for days. One on top of another.”

How do you find wisdom in suffering? Rejoicing in the face of despair? How do you look into the dust of ashes and see a reflection of beauty? I don’t know. But I know that I want to know. I know that I have seen it, and I am in awe. In awe of

 Women dancing in the streets singing “Haiti Is Alive” after 220,000 deaths from the earthquake. Amazed after hearing of orphans marching in white…..singing songs of hope after loosing everything – parents, homes, limbs.

I feel as if God has taken His chisel and carved out a pathway into the deepest places of pain in the world and gently taken my hand to led me into them. Into the hearts of His most broken people. Into the hearts of His most wounded children. And through it, I’ve been taught where true beauty can be found.

Lewis says this: "We think our childish toys bring us all the happiness there is and our nursery is the whole wide world - but something must draw us out of the nursery into the world of others. That something is suffering"

Suffering. Despair. Heartache. It is that very place that I think God lives in the fullest form. Holding us. Loving us. Mending us. It’s in broken desperateness – the place that we think we can’t breath anymore – the place that we feel we can't stand anymore – the very place that we never dreamed we would be and would never wish on our greatest enemy… That Place. That very place is where the heart of God lies. The center of His redemption. The core of His grace. The greatest need for His glory. It is not easy or pretty or pleasant. But it is surely there: 

The Hand Of God.

 

How Shall I Cry?

How Lord do you want to change me?

Who, Father, do you want me to be?

Where, Spirit, do you want me to go?

How shall I cry for your hurting?

What hymn should I sing to your orphaned?

With what language should I speak to the ears of the wounded?

How should I awaken the dead....

That they may live in You

Through you

Because of you

In Complete and Absolute Honor of

You. 

Dancing in Dogwood Blossoms.

I was watching them play today. Watching them race for colored plastic eggs, watching them shake the dogwood blossoms off of the trees and dance in them as they fell to the ground. Watching them. Loving them. Admiring them in all of their Innocence – wishing that innocence would never be further away from them as it is today.

This day. This Day of Newness. Of Freshness. Of Resurrection. Of New Beginnings. I was thinking in worship tonight how this has become, possibly, my favorite holiday. I often say that the Ending must End for the Beginning to Begin. But I find we are often so afraid to allow the Ending of Something - that we can’t find the Beginning of what God has for us. You see, you can’t hold on to both. You have to let go of one to find the other. 

The Passion of the Christ. The Lord’s story of sacrifice on a Hollywood screen. I remember my family going to see it together. I had never seen my dad cry so hard. We all had different reactions to what we saw when Jesus was being scourged. My father wanted to just fight for the Lord. To stand up for Him. My brother said he was almost numb. His heart was so overwhelmed that he didn’t even know what to do with it all. Me? I kept thinking one thing and one thing only. “That should be me. I should be taking that beating. Me. They should be whipping me.”

I was in the middle of one of the darkest times of life and had broken practically every one of the Ten Commandments – the Big Ones. At that time, having just gone through a shameful divorce and ending a painful marriage – I was broken in about as many pieces as I could be. Depression gave way to anxiety depending on the hour. Not living sounded much more enticing than I would like to admit. And I remember this day. This One day. Lying on my sister’s bed, I remember having to choose. I remember talking to myself and telling myself that I had to make a choice – I was either going to live or I was going to die. I was either going to see myself through the eyes of man, or through the eyes of my Lord. I was either going to give up or fight. I chose to fight. But I had to re-choose to fight to live many times over since that day. Over and over. I had to choose to change. To change how I was looking for happiness. To move. To grow. To learn. To do something other than what I was doing because what I was doing was only causing pain to me and to others. Thank God I am on the other side of it now! Why am I being so open? Because all of us get second chances, we just have to know when to take them. 

What does all of this have to do with Easter and my nieces and nephew playing in dogwood blossoms? Everything. My favorite scene in The Passion of The Christ is not a scene at all. It’s actually simply a moment. A moment that gives way to words. Jesus had fallen and fallen under the weight of the cross. Bloody. Bruised. Broken. He can barely stand – let alone carry this weight. Along the journey, Mary follows. Crowd chanting and yelling and crying. Soldiers pushing and prodding and spitting. Mary – following in the distance, in the shadows….. and running…. and following. Trying to get a glimpse. A desperate glimpse into his eyes to tell him one thing: “I am here, my son!” Her face becomes more and more desperate as she follows from the outskirts of the crowd. Unable to get close to Him. Just wanting to get close to Him. His walk becomes weaker and weaker. But it all comes to a peak at One Moment. 

He begins to fall to the ground in slow motion…. Not far from her. She runs to Him…..Quickly. As she runs, she has a flashback of Jesus at around 4 years old. He is falling and crying. She is running to him to console him as a young mother. The flashback ends, and they meet on the ground as he falls and she tries to catch his eye. He looks up among the chaos around him and they are face to face. She looks at him as if to say “Why my son? Why this way? Why aren’t you stopping this? Why?" He says Seven words to her. 7 words:

“See, Mother? I make all things new…”

As if to say: “Do you see? Are you proud of me, Mother? Do you see now? Do you understand?”

Do you? See? Do We? Understand?

It’s about Dancing in Dogwood Blossoms. It’s about the newness of Spring and being brave enough to take second chances. To change the direction we are looking for happiness. To do something different. To finally, once and for all, put the past behind us and forgive – ourselves and him and her and them. To finally, today, say: I can be resurrected. I can Live Again. To die to self and bury our own will to rise on the wings of eagles and fly into what He has for us. Realizing it may look nothing like our hopes or dreams or wishes. But that’s ok. Maybe it’s not about getting what we want or life being the way we always thought it would be. Maybe its about knowing when to take second chances and praising Him for giving us that opportunity.

And MAYBE just maybe…. 

It’s about Dancing in Dogwood Blossoms. Just because we can: ) 

I Will Be Brave

I think I‘ve cried maybe 3 times in session. In over 15 years doing this work – I've cried maybe three times with a client. It’s not hard for me, normally. I am in my role of supporter, encourager, listener. But last week I cried. Needed-a-tissue cried. It came over me like a wave, before I could stop it – or even think about it.

She was sitting across from me. We were talking about what wisdom she has learned in her suffering. What God can do with her pain.  And at that moment I felt this rush of purpose. I knew that I was there – present with her – at that very second to tell her to hold on. To tell her there was something better around the corner. And I cried with her. It felt strange to me. It felt weak. It felt wonderful.

Wisdom in Suffering. Purpose through Pain. Beauty in Brokenness. Can we find it? Do we see it? Can we hear it?

"Come to me, child. Come to me. I am here. It’s just around the corner. Just there….

Hope"

It seems to follow me around. Especially as of late. If it’s not a patient on the brink of suicide, it is a loved one who has lost a job. A little 9 year old boy who would “do anything within my power” to bring his parents back together. A little girl's nightmares, a sexually abused  4 year old, heartache from leaving all one knows, fear of coming into what’s new. Voices inside his head telling him to jump, a marriage meant to change the world now on the ground in a million pieces. A young man cutting himself because he hates being attracted to the same sex, but can’t tell anyone. Children dying before their time across the world of something we could go to Wal-greens to fix. A love felt so deeply that she would rather die than live without him. Fear, Weakness, Smallness, Hatred.

Evil. Good. Light. Dark.

Suffering. So Much Suffering. But So Much Love. 

So much Hope – if we could only see it at the time.

I told a friend last year that almost every day I feel like God puts a cape around my neck, kisses me on the forehead to say “Go Get’em Girl”  Then on other days I am the one on the ground, feeling as if I am all alone,  in a million pieces. But there is one thing I will not do:

Stay down there.

Why? I am in battle. And so are you.

A few weeks ago, we had gotten news that Senator Coburn had lifted his hold on the bill that would call the US to orchestrate a plan to disarm one of the rebel groups responsible for torturing the children we work with. It was a good day. A full day.

I ended the day with something I had been wanting to do for a while. I went to the movies by myself, and I watched Alice In Wonderland. Contrary to everyone else I have asked (begged) to see it again with me in 3D – I adored it. Top to bottom. Beginning to End. Why? I was Alice….at that moment, as cheesy as it may sound, I had that sword in my hand and I was fighting the Jabberwocky. In the biggest battle of my life. And so are you. It may be as simple as fighting the feelings of insecurity and as large as fighting wanting to give up. But we fight –    we have to fight. We have to believe. The other option is not believing. The other option is giving up. 

__________________

Alice. Fighting the Jabberwocky dragon: 

“My dad used to say he'd believe in 6 impossible things before breakfast....” 

Swing. Stab. Twirl. Fall down. Get up.

One: A drink that makes you smaller

Two: A cake that makes you grow

Three: Animals can talk

Four: A cat that can disappear

Five: There's a place called Wonderland

There is a place called Wonderland. 

How did she do it? Simple. She believed she could. One of the things we tell the children we work with in Africa is that man can burn their homes, kill their family, force them to do things they would never normally do – but one thing man can never do is to steal away the power that lives in side of them. The power of their Creator to give them Strength. The One who gave them Breath can also give them Life. Abundant Life. True Life. Hopeful Life.

____________________________

“I think you may be right” he said

“About what?” I said

“I prayed this week. Something helped me to pray. I think maybe you’re right about asking God to just be with me and help me get through this instead of asking him to make it go away. I don’t think it’s supposed to go away. So I prayed that He would just be with me and I felt better. It helped”

.That moment.

For that one. That moment is why I get up. Sword in hand.  Surrounded by a Wonderland of pain and tears. Creepy rabbits with watches telling me how to act and how high to jump. Strange large-headed ladies who surround themselves with other distorted creatures just to fell less large-headed. Battling a dragon - and winning. That moment is why I get up. Because of a strength bigger than my suffering and larger than my life.

 

Because of that – I will be brave.

 

“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you Rest. Take my yoke upon you and Learn of me, because I am Humble and Gentle and you will find Rest for your souls. “ ~ Jesus.

The Power of Believing

I stand in awe. I stand speechless. I stand tall. Not because of my own strength - but because I have had the privilege of standing next to strong souls. strong hearts. stubborn spirits. The day of the Senate passing a bill that could potentially begin the steps to ending the Heart of Madness. Madness like I have never seen or heard. My friend, Andy, asked me that night.....

How do you feel? 

How do I feel? (Wait, I'm usually the one asking that question - not used to the tables being turned. But I answered without even thinking....)

How do I feel? In awe of God. In awe of what good is actually in the human spirit. Realizing more and more that I'm less and less blown away at God's hand in this work. not because he is less amazing - but because I'm expecting his hand around every corner more and more. 

The more I believe  - the more I see his fingerprints. Its like magic.

He loves these kids so much. Its like a testimony to the beauty that can be found in suffering.

I feel full

The real deal is this: I don't even like politics. A year ago I didn't know a constituent from a barbiturate. Now I am finding myself practically begging people to call their local senator, speaking at press conferences, writing letters to politicians I don't even know and lobbying for children that I do. Know. In their inner most heart. 

I cry FOR them because i have cried WITH them, and I will never stop fighting FOR them until my dying breath. 

Why? Why have I gone from avoiding political conversations like bad sushi to sleeping on a sidewalk outside a senator's office with some of the FINEST people around? From thinking that my voice makes little difference in this great big Web of Washington to refusing to eat solid foods for nine days to change the mind of an Oklahoma Senator?

I am alive.....and I believe through Passionate Living that I can bring life to others. I believe because I choose to hope. Its contagious - and it could have easily been seen in and out of the Chase Building in Oklahoma City. I was there less than 24 hours and I could see it. Feel it. The Power of Believing. It could be seen in grown men who joined the young peaceful protestors outside of Senator Coburn's office because they started to believe in the cause. It could be seen in the quiet strength of a deli worker who bought food out of his own pocket for those "concrete sleepers" because he saw democracy in their eyes. It could be seen in the bond that brought over 50 people together  - woven in community. 

The passion of living for something bigger than yourself is undeniably larger than life. Finding your voice. FInding your purpose. It makes you come to life. And i wonder? At what point do you loose passion in life and at what point can you get it back. Do you loose it when the rat race begins? When the scars and disappointments of life  leave you face-first? When realities of family and power struggles with two year olds become louder than your dreams? When do we stop dreaming? When do we stop believing? When does LIFE steal away LIVING?

You see, the answer lies in perspective and the question comes in wondering. Wondering. I am in my 30s. Single. No children. Living Alone. And I wonder.... if I had a family. a husband. children. Would I still have passion? Would I still breath life in as I do now? I believe. I believe you can both Live and Have Life. 

As I said to my soul brother the week before......

"We are the lucky ones, you know. Some peoples hearts are never broken like ours are. They never feel their pain. It comes with heartache, but I welcome it. Wisdom in suffering - mine and theirs"

Thanks to all of you concrete sleepers, mercy fasters, silent soldiers, longsuffering, showerless wonders. Together we can do more. The Oklahoma Hold Out. It was a beautiful testimony of tenacity and resilience. And Democracy.

The power of believing. 

Wishing those kiddos could have seen you fighting for them. Lucky to have been able to be a small part.

Much Love - b

.Mercy.Fast.

TO LEARN MORE ON HOW TO HELP AND THE LATEST ON

   THE LRA DISARMAMENT AND NORTHERN UGANDA RECOVERY ACT CLICK HERE: 

www.coburnsayyes.com and here 

www.resolveuganda.org/news.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.MERCY.FAST.

Why are we fasting?

On eXile's last trip to Village of Hope Uganda orphanage in January of 2010, we asked the children who were formerly abducted by the LRA and former child soldiers to draw their heartaches and their hopes on handkerchiefs during a time of art therapy.

Dennis was one of the first ones to share his story. The first one to share his tears. This was part of it

".....the rebels came and kicked in the door...they abducted my parents....they cut my brother and killed him in pieces....my brothers and sisters ran into the bush with nothing to cover ourselves and we had nothing to eat...we continued to run and the rebels continued to come....We fasted for God to have M E R C Y on us. As we were fasting, we managed to escape........ When we came back, we continued to fast for God's deliverance. I thank God that we were saved. I thank God for that...."

In the bush, naked, after losing their parents and their brother to the atrocities of the LRA - they fasted. 

They fasted from food they did not have.  For MERCY. And so do we.

Senator Coburn, These children cannot come to you with their stories. But we can. We cannot release the hold on this bill. Only you  have the power to do that. For Gloria, Norbert, Barbara, Norman, Scovia, Fida,Dennis and the 30,000 children who have been abducted by the LRA -  we ask you

To Have Mercy.

We will be fasting and praying for God to soften your heart. And find a way.

Most of us will be fasting until you release your hold. 23 years is long enough.

For those who want to join: please email info@exileinternational.org

If Dennis can fast from food he does not have at the age of 11 - we can fast from food we do have in his honor. In prayer for Senator Coburn.

eXile international

Those currently participating: 

Bethany P. Haley

Peggy Cox

Kathryn Campbell

What else can I do?

(1) EMAIL SENATOR COBURN'S OFFICE HERE:

www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorCoburn.home 

choose "Foreign Affairs"

(COPY AND PASTE THE INFO BELOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE, BUT PERSONALIZE IT IF YOU CAN)

(2) CALL SENATOR COBURN'S OFFICE AT (202) 224 - 5754. No need to be fearful. He is in the position that he's in for this very reason. That is democracy. Be a part of it!!

What do you say? "This is (YOUR NAME) and I am calling to ask Senator Coburn to release his hold on the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. I believe the children are worth it" 

(3) SIGN THIS PETITION: at www.coburnsayyes.com under "take action"

(4)  IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE IN OKLAHOMA  - SPECIFICALLY A CHURCH OR MINISTER  - please pass this information alone. we need Oklahoma to take a STAND

I have never done this before......

"I have never done this before...."

I said. It was kind of a fearful feeling mixed with anticipation and a dash of childlike wonderment. Right after those words came out of my mouth I thought. "Nice, Beth. Seriously - that didn't sound too good"

"Remember That You Are Ashes........And To Ashes you Shall Return" He said. Forming the sign of a cross on my forehead. I just stayed there for a while. Silent. Praying. Kneeling. Breathing. 

I never understood Lent or Ash Wednesday or any of those other ceremonies outside of my Church of Christ comfort zone. In a strange way I was not only afraid of experimenting with it, I simply didn't give it much thought. Somehow I thought maybe I should look into it deeper. I was out of town and looking for a place to worship. Saw a beautiful church with a beautiful light on - so I went inside.

This question has been on my mind:

 What would happen if we gave up NO-THING instead of giving up some-THING for Lent? What would happen if we committed to 40 days of releasing unforgiveness or envy or worry or bitterness or fear?

Because of how God made me (aka "stubborn as a mule" as my grandaddy would say), I need to understand something before I do it. or believe it. or believe in it. Lent is no different. What did I find when I looked deeper? Humility. What did I read? This:

"He was led by the Spirit to go into the wilderness. Where the Devil tempted him for 40 days" Luke 4: 1 - 2. It has been set aside as a time of Self-Examination. Prayer/Fasting. Repentance. Humility. Self-Denial. Regardless of your background - how can that be a bad thing?

Sitting in the pew with ashes on my forehead, reading about Jesus' temptation and his humility - I asked myself. What is it? What does it all mean? People seem to give up everything from sugar to sitcoms to sex. But what does that really have to do with looking more like the Humility of Christ? I mean it causes us to be less of Self - I get that. And 100% Totally Agree. But Suddenly dots started to connect in my head. 

Thoughts started flowing like a waterfall.

~

~

~

"Why don't we give up the hard things for 40 days? The deep things. The things that are less like our Lord? Envy. Malice. Bitterness. Resentment. Hatred. Discontentment. Unforgiveness. Worry. Why? Because it's hard. Giving up french fries is SO much easier than giving up Fear. Fear of inadequacy or loosing everything or looking stupid or living in loneliness forever. We know how to give up McDonalds. You just stop driving through. But we don't KNOW how to give up Fear and finding out would take a lot of work. 40 days worth of work. A LOT of ON OUR KNEES, SOUL SEARCHING, WHO AM I REALLY, ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS, SEARCHING FOR TOUGH ANSWERS work. Yeah, French Fries is much more fun. And hip. Somehow.

BUT Does it bring us to Humility? And maybe it's not about giving something up. 

Maybe we have to do something different to get something better. Maybe to give up Daily Discontentment we have to really DO something DIFFERENT. Maybe to find Forgiveness for the first time, we have to take the first step of WANTING to show Mercy. Of WANTING to forgive. Not because what they did was ok - but because WE will never be ok unless we do"

Because doesn't it all come down to Humility? A God? A Man? 40 days in the wilderness? Without Food? Why? 

As I look at myself in the mirror with these ashes on my forehead. I see. The answer. The unworthy - humble answer of answers. Yes, Lord. 40 days to look more like you? How could I resist? What can I LEARN to rid myself of to reflect more of you?

Let's start with Fear. Fear? Silly girl. Didn't you just get back from "The" Congo? One of the most  dangerous places to go? To work with former child soldiers? At the foot of a volcano? Leaving the day after there was an attempt to kill the President - again? Yeah. That was easy. Kind like giving up French Fries. What's harder? Giving up the need to micromanage my life in order to make sure everything falls into place to prove myself worthy of the amount of Grace I have been given because of my Sinful Mistakes. You see.....

I 

am 

ashes. 

As are you. As are we all. Severely inadequate. Humbly so. So inadequate that we need God to sacrifice himself so we can taste fullness and wholeness and heaven. Sometimes embracing the fact that we are inadequate - that we are ashes - makes it easier to stop the "self-promotion, ladder climbing, is she skinnier than me, are my kids smarter, will I ever be enough?" game. Because we won't....... ever be enough. 

Good thing He is. Praises for that. And for his creative abilities to make: 

Beauty. 

From. Ashes : )

I drink my coffee like I drink my life.......

I drink my coffee like I drink my life. With Purpose and Passion and Much too fast. With gulps instead of sips and carelessness instead of caution.

I have never been a fan of anything I have had to acquire a taste for - when it comes to food or drink anyway. People - now that's a different story. Acquiring a taste for people when my first impression is bitter or distasteful is almost a challenge. What is behind their jaded eyes? What lies behind their harsh words? Who is really behind the curtain of their heart? I wonder.

But back to life - I am learning. Important things. Like to enjoy the small sips rather than trying to gulp with the goal of gaining the caffeine jolt sooner rather than later. I had that realization just yesterday. Why?

Simply because it was cold and the coffee was warm and wonderful, and I got this strange new desire to make it last as long as I could. To actually enjoy it rather than gulping it down with the purpose of "waking up"..... I liked it, actually! And then I laughed at learning from my cup of coffee. God teaches me in the strangest ways. If I let Him. He is teaching me: To Sip, To Listen, To Notice. To stop my world - if only for a few seconds - to listen closer, hug tighter, look deeply, and to drink slowly and at the moment?

At this moment that means pretending that I am riding one of the snowflakes outside of this window as she floats her way down from the clouds to the ground with the speed of Imagination. Being scooped up by a playful lover and blown into the face of a First Crush as she laughs behind her wool scarf and underneath her knitted snow cap.

Play - may we never underestimate it. Play or Sipping. Sipping, yeah. I think I may start doing that. With my coffee. With my Life. 

Love: It's More Than A Kiss

As I write this, there is snow falling outside my window, two candles lighting my condo to my right, and the simple sound of a clock ticking overhead. I am in Love. IN Love - In the middle of it, surrounded by it, immersed in it actually. So are you.....but it's kinda like magic. We only see it when we open our hearts. 

I want to invite you to be a part of something this week. I want you to do something with me. You may not look at Valentines Day the same again. Keep Reading.

"Mommy, you know

 what my favorite part of Valentine's Day is? It's giving balloons to the ladies at the nursing home..." Sweet Emma. My four year old niece. Tania takes her each year to give red balloons to the ladies at a nursing home close by. Started me thinking......

I stopped celebrating Valentines Day as most know it about five years ago. A very long term relationship had just ended and I had to make a decision. I could feel sorry for myself, OR I could do the opposite. Embrace it with all of it's sappy overflowing candied hearts and red roses. So I did.

I decided to re-think this Day of LOVE. I thought about those that I loved the most and I bought them cards. I sat down and wrote to each of them - telling them why I loved them. I decided to stop celebrating Valentine's Day as simply Romantic. 

Love is just too big for that.

New Love. Old Love. Sweet Love. Deep Love. Love of a dream. Love of a place. Love of a movie. Love of a child. Love of a song. Love of the ocean. Love of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake truffle from Cheesecake Factory. So many types. Just one word. 

Four letters. One Color. RED. 

Love is Beautiful in Many Ways.....

Open your 

Heart 

for just a second.

 

 Romance is so much bigger than a romantic relationship. Romance is making things lovely because of Love. It is seeing the signature of God on his creation. Watching the snowflakes weave their way across the sky to that perfectly selected blade of grass they call home. It's the precious uniqueness of each child's laugh - none being the same. It's the artwork of a Congolese war torn child as she draws her life dreams. It's a true friend's long embrace. A hot happy meal to a homeless man. A hug of gratitude from an earthquake victim. 

 It is a smile when you are by yourself in the car and that song comes on.  A unspoken bond between two friends. It's overdue forgiveness. It's the sound of distant train whistle. It's knowing something about someone that you only know because their fingerprint is on your heart. It's your cat licking your face to wake you up in the morning. Your dog meeting you at the door. It's the sounds of rain dancing on a tin roof or sleet as it hits your window. 

It's a smirk because you both are thinking the same thing without saying a word. The innocence of a three year old. That look of adoration when you pray with them and the sound of their feet running to you when you walk in the door....that is Romance. 

SO HERE IS THE QUESTION..... HERE IS THE CHALLENGE:

Where do you see Romance? Where do you see Love?

Post it. Send it. Status it. Twitter it. Share it throughout the week.....Why?

Because:

#itsmorethanakiss

I'll go first. First Post.First tweet......

"Where did I see Love Today? In a daughter holding the hand of her elderly mother as they crossed the street #itsmorethanakiss"