Their loss

 By Antarix Nirvana

Never cease to be a good person just because people around you are taking advantage of your true self.

Remember, when you are a good person, you don't lose people; they lose you and that's not your loss, it's theirs.

Trauma

Trauma makes you tolerate a lot of shxx you don't deserve because you don't want to lose people. Healing makes you realize some people don't deserve to be in your life, no matter how much you love them.

~@Mind Tendencies - Synchronistic

On my own

By Alisa Lynn Valdes

My son's dad left me for his current wife.

I stayed single, raised my son alone.

When he was 15 I said I was glad he had his "other parents" to model a relationship because I couldn't.

My son said, "You taught me something more important, which is how to be happy on my own."

Show you

 Sometimes

you need to stop

seeing the good 

in people and

start seeing what

they show you.

@SpirituallyAround

Let it go

"Let it go,

let the sky

take it.

Let the water

carry it.

Let the earth

hold it.

Because you 

don't have to 

anymore."

~Victoria Erickson, Rhythms & Roads

Not selfish

You're not selfish

for wanting the same

energy and love you give

A privilege

It's time to start

making people

understand it's a

privilege to be in

your life.

Your heart

 It's okay if

your 

heart needs

more time

to accept what

your mind

already knows

Too amazing

 You are too amazing for someone who doesn't mind losing you. 

Treat you

People treat you 

exactly how they

feel about you.

Don't choose to

be blind to it.

~Vintage Vivids

Sick tragedy

It's such a sick tragedy to have such great chemistry with someone who cannot meet you halfway communication-wise. You can have so much passion, great conversation, humor and banter together and yet, their emotional maturity is nowhere to be found.

~ThirdEyeThoughts

When to leave

 From 3 am Thoughts

When there are more tears than smiles, leave.

When there are more fights than jokes, leave.

When it hurts more than it feels good, leave.

They don't have the right to destroy you just because you love them.

And loving them doesn't mean you have to stay.

Better

Things will be better with the right person. You won't have to remind them of how you want to be treated. You won't have to fight for their attention. You won't feel alone. You won't feel broken. Empty. As if something is missing. It'll be easy with the right person. Effortless. And it'll just feel right. You'll no longer feel insecure about the relationship. You'll no longer worry. It'll be beautiful. Memorable. And the wait will be worth it.  The right person will make you feel at home. And they will calm the storms in your heart. 

~r.m. drake

Owes us nothing

John the Baptist fully obeyed God,

and yet God still allowed him to be beheaded.

Pleasing God must be its own reward.

He owes us nothing.

Relatives

Relatives seem to appear over the holidays and quite often they are not well-received. They are certainly not perfect but I feel it is important to spend time with them. Most of them, especially your aunts and uncles, have know you for your WHOLE life. They know the stories of when you were born, when you were little, growing up, all of your milestones, etc. They have different stories and different memories of you than your parents and siblings. How special is that? 

No matter what their shortcomings may be or how you feel they have treated you (or mistreated you) in the past, it means a lot to show up when they're in town. When I think of the Hartmans, I know that it would mean a lot to Grandma and Grandpa that we still see each other and catch up. At the gathering at Aunt Phyllis' recently, it was fun to share stories and memories of Grandma. We just don't take the time out of our daily lives to do that on our own. They deserve to be remembered for the huge impact they had on all of us. (I just teared up writing this).

Relatives may seem nosy, but most of them just want to know what's going on in your lives and making sure you're doing okay. And how good does that make your parents look when you show up as well? Also there is often quite a delicious spread of family food favorites. We all need to set our selfishness aside and take a few hours out of our day to do this. It only happens once a year and all too soon that will be gone. Families are a gift from God. 

What we have

I've been realizing lately how much in life that we take for granted...

A sound mind. I think of some of my aunts and uncles who have suffered or are suffering from dementia. "They" (or what makes them "them") is not fully there anymore or not all the time anyway. Their spouse is left alone even before they physically die. Their spouse has to take on new duties and face a much different future than they imagined. Money can't cure that or buy it back. It's gone. 

A sound body. I thought of this when I saw a former co-worker from Target walking across the street with a walker and his wife helping him up the sidewalk. Everything changed for him. He can't do his job right now. His independence is gone and he is dependent on someone else. I'm sure this changed quickly for him, maybe even overnight or in a split second. 

On a much smaller scale, I remember when I had Covid and "getting ready" to leave the house wasn't an option without any energy to do so. Getting a goodnight's sleep, waking up to be able to brush my teeth, eat breakfast, pick out an outfit, put on make-up, do my hair, etc. was not going to happen those days. Now I do it everyday, sometimes begrudgingly, not realizing what a gift it is.

Even as I "age", I can't do as much as I used to without something in my body hurting. Things change and they change oh so quickly.

Daily provision. How about getting into a working, warm car and driving to a good job that I can perform on a daily basis. Being able to come home, make/eat dinner, do household tasks, run errands, etc... how much has to go into that even happening. Money for gas, money for groceries and other needed items. Not everyone has these privileges and they are privileges. 

New life. Being on the other side of a challenging marriage I never imagined being able to get out of. THRIVING on my own, establishing my own identity and rebuilding a beautiful life for myself on my terms and God's. Wow, just WOW!

Children at home. One of my kids walking in the door and being able to have a conversation with them. There is one less to do that with now and no one saw THAT coming. HEALING from that. On another level besides physical, some people have kids who don't talk to them at all. How much has to go into that type of relationship. It's not a given just because they're your kid.

Peace of mind. How easily that can be lost sometimes when something isn't "right". I'm thankful for the deeper kind that comes from being grounded in our unchanging Lord. So many circumstances used to take me down so easily. I am not totally immune from these, but recovery comes much quicker these days. I am so thankful for this. 

To paraphrase from the Bible, thanks be unto God for His unspeakable GIFT(S)!

Imperfections

My own thoughts (for once):

As a former self-labeled "perfectionist", I am recently learning to appreciate all of the imperfections in life...

The lights on the Christmas tree that aren't perfectly distributed.

The branches of that same tree that have noticeable "holes" or "gaps".

The typo on the laminated prayer card from the ladies' group that I chose to hold on to instead of trading it in for a corrected one.

The incorrect year on the birthday list for the missionary family at church, noticed because two of the kids' dates both say 2015 but they're not twins. Being able not to be so quick to point that out to the thoughtful person who put that together.

The slight slope on the back of a beautiful child's head who is oh-so-perfect in every other way.

Hanging the decorations on the porch randomly on purpose so I don't fret about keeping it all "even".

Not being so OCD about how I "speak my truth" when what's important is just saying it even if the person takes it the wrong way initially or gets mad. It doesn't mean that I don't love them. 

Focusing on my eyes instead of the under-eye circles.

Not fretting over all of the things that could be done/redone at home and being content when things just work or aren't leaking.

Appreciating my age and all that comes along with that instead of wishing I was younger. 

Being thankful that I have what I need for today and not worrying about next week or next month.

Not being so quick to defend myself when I'm misunderstood.

This is real life. It's full of imperfections no matter how hard we try. Peace comes when we learn to embrace that. We need to get used to things not going the way we want them to, knowing that God's way is always the best way whether we understand it now or not. He's got us!

More than once

If she mentions it more than once,

it's bothering her. Don't make her

always seem crazy or emotional 

for expressing herself and noticing

inconsistency. Listen.

Worn

You are worn and cracked

and dented. And that is 

okay, because I have

never heard of a 

clean and shiny sword

that won a war.

~Erin Van Vuren

Hanging

When you are hanging by a thread,

make sure it's the hem of His garment.

Disrespected boundaries

The answer to disrespected boundaries

is not a fight.

It's distance.

Always reward

 "Those who are gracious to the poor lend to the Lord, and the Lord will fully repay them." 

 ~Proverbs 19:17

In many ways, the mere act of being charitable is its own reward. God has blessed you to be a blessing toothers. When there's a need, find in your heart to sow a seed. God will always reward your acts of love.

Hitting a wall

 I told my friend that I'm emotionally

"hitting a wall" and she said

"Sometimes walls are there so we can

lean on them and rest."

I can't even begin to express how

much I really needed to hear that.

She always

And she always

said it with

honesty;

called a spade

a spade;

yet was never

able

to call herself

beautiful...

~Darrielle Cresswell 

Prepare

If you wish to be a warrior,

prepare to be broken.

If you wish to be an explorer,

prepare to get lost.

And if you wish to be a lover,

prepare to be both.

~Daniel Saint

Floundering

 By Elisabeth Elliot

Nothing touches me that does not come through the

hedge of God's will. He's in charge. We don't 

flounder around in a sea of pure chance.

See Ecclesiastes 9:1

"For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all; that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them."

More myself

He is more

myself

than I am.

Whatever our

souls are made of,

his and mine

are the

same.

~Emily Bronte

Kind person

 From @biohackingbombshell

Can we please stop associating 

being a good person with how much

you're willing to suffer in silence

for other people? You can be a kind

person and still say, "No, I don't 

have the time/energy to help you

with that." You can be a kind person

and still say "This makes me 

uncomfortable, please stop." You

can be kind and still say "I'm not okay

with this." Being kind is about

treating people with kindness, not

about being the equivalent 

of a doormat.

Thousands of things

 From 3 am Thoughts

Don't belittle your woman

because you provide bread.

There are thousands of things 

she does that your money

can't do for you.

Care too much

 Some people care too much. I think that's called LOVE.  ~Winnie the Pooh

Green flags

 Never hear about these...

Green flags for people in your life:

• Their presence is calming
• They respect your opinion
• They make you laugh
• They listen without judgment
• They are supportive
• They respect your needs
• They honor your boundaries
• They make an effort
• They make you feel valued

Part of you

By Steven Furtick

God is saying to you today,

"If you want to know who I am, you need to understand I'm the God of that part of you that you don't want anybody to see. I'm not just the God of your success. I'm the God of your struggle. I'm not just the God of your victories. I'm the God of your defeats."

Ungrateful

 FOCUS ON YOU.

You've done enough for the ungrateful.

Not yours

Not sure if I posted this yet or not...

One day you'll look back and be thankful that it went God's way and not yours.

Kaleidoscope

Her soul is a kaleidoscope

Bursting with every shade and hue.

But shift your gaze ever so slightly

And she's something entirely new.

~e.h.

Beautiful

 I'm pretty sure I've posted this before, but worth repeating...

"She was BEAUTIFUL, but not like those girls in the magazines. She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the SPARKLE in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for her ability to make other people smile, even if she was sad. No, she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul."

~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Dear December

 Dear December,

Come on in with your lights,

your music,

your promise of joy.

You make the harsh winter warmer,

the dark months brighter,

and bring us together,

in so many ways.

Let your festive graces,

warm our hardened hearts,

and remind us of what's important,

each other.

And December,

please be kind,

to those who find your lights,

too bright.

Let them see that hope lives,

in every card,

in every invitation,

in every glass raised.

And for Christmas,

give them memories,

old and new,

like the precious gifts they are.

And show them what to do,

with all that love.

~Donna Ashworth

Posted on Grief Bites

Apology

An apology

without change

is manipulation.

~Jam Alker

Beauty is not

Beauty is not who you are

on the outside. It is the

wisdom and time you

gave away to save another

struggling soul like you.

~Shannon L. Alder, MW Facets

This baby

 I like to think that at the end of

a long day, when they're asleep, and

we miss them, we scroll through

photos of them because we still

can't believe they're real. They're here.

They're ours. Ours to love.

How very lucky we are.

Once upon a time, you dreamt about

 this baby. Now you lay your head

down at night, knowing your

greatest dream came true.

~@mybestmomfriend

Constant source

 From Timothy Keller

Three truths Christians believe that should be a constant source of happiness:

1. Our bad things will turn out for good (Romans 8:28)
2. The good things we have can never be taken away from us (Romans 8:29-31; 37-39)
3. The best things are yet to come (Romans 8:18-21)

Invest

Invest in your man. Men do dope shxx when you believe in them.

Invest in your queen. She makes moves the king can't.

Romance

We mistake sex for romance. Guys are 

taught that pushing a girl up against a

wall is romance. Sex is easy; you can 

do it with anyone, yourself, with 

batteries. Romance is when someone

you like walks into a room and they

take your breath away. Romance is 

when two people are dancing and they

fit together perfectly. Romance is 

when two people are walking next to

each other and all of a sudden they

find themselves holding hands, and

they don't know how that happened.

~John C. Moffi

Someone

I don't need a savior (please note small "s"). I never did.

what I need is someone to be there for me when I don't

have enough in me to keep going. someone who respects me 

and treats me well. and someone who doesn't go back on their

word when they've promised to be there no matter what.

~r.m. drake

Perfectly loved

When my son died, many people with the best of

intentions lied to me. I was the perfect mom. My son

was the perfect son. He and I shared a perfect

relationship. Isn't that comforting?

Well, frankly for me, the answer is no.

I wasn't the perfect mom. I made a lot of mistakes. I

got angry. I was selfish at times. I was not the perfect

mom.

I was a normal one.

My son wasn't the perfect son. He made bad decisions

which impacted everyone who loved him as well as

himself. He got angry. He was selfish at times. He was

not the perfect son.

We did not share a perfect relationship. There is no 

such thing as perfect between imperfect people.

There are a lot of things I wish we had both done

differently. We did not have a perfect relationship.

We had a normal one.

I can find no comfort in lies I could never fully accept.

But I find much comfort in the truth.

We always loved each other.

~Susan Sek, Welcome to the Tribe, Sorry You're With Us

Five minutes

I want five minutes

With you

To feel

Your skin

Under my fingertips

Your energy

Washing over me

Sharing a breath or two

Savoring

The essence of you

So my lips may know you

As something more

Than just a dream.

~S.M. Klees

Like home

some will love your

outside and some 

will fall in love

with your actions,

but they aren't

meant for you.

hold out for the one

who falls in love

with your inside,

the broken pieces

and all.

not because  it is

wrapped by your

beautiful shell,

but because it feels

like home.

~JmStorm

Be mindful

Be mindful of how people:

• Make you feel
• React to your good news
• Respond when you need help
• Respond to your boundaries
• Energize or deplete you
• Include you
• Give you room to take up space
• Encourage you
• Celebrate you
• Allow you to shine
• Support you

~@h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e.

Who I am

 From Steven Furtick

God is saying to you today,

"If you want to know who I am,

you need to understand I'm the God

of that part of you that you don't

want anybody to see. I'm not just

the God of your success. I'm the

God of your struggle. I'm not just 

the God of your victories. I'm the

God of your defeats."

An effort

Giving up on

someone who

isn't making 

an effort,

isn't actually

giving up on

anything BTW.

Lose you

When you have a heart of gold and

pure intentions, you don't lose

anyone - they lose you.

Tree-ness

 From Max Lucado

You don't influence God's love. You 

can't impact the tree-ness of a tree,

the sky-ness of a sky, or the rock-

ness of a rock. Nor can you affect the

love of God. He loves you because He 

decides to.

You and you alone

 Only you and you 

alone can change your

situation. Don't blame it

on anything or anyone.

Too sensitive

 From wordables

What they say:

"You're too sensitive"

What they mean:

"I don't want to be

held responsible for

your reaction when I mistreat you."

Investments

Struggle is temporary. Sacrifices are like investments. 

Give up the short term comfort for the long term win.

Be patient and stay focused.

Risk

 From The Little Prince

Of course I'll hurt you.

Of course you'll hurt me.

Of course we will hurt each other.

But this is the very condition of existence.

To become spring, means accepting the risk of winter.

To become presence, means accepting the risk of absence.

Healthiest person

 From @the.holistic.psychologist

In the toxic family system, the healthiest person causes friction. They create resistance in the familiar dynamics and other members become uncomfortable and triggered..

You pray

 From Kahill Gibran, The Prophet

You pray in your distress and your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.

Uncertainty

 From Cindy Wang Brandt

It is better for a child to have a parent who has peace with uncertainty, than a parent with rigidity of doctrine masking a plethora of anxieties.

Continued  from Flying Free

This "rigidity of doctrine does the following:

1. Creates heavy codependent burdens that destroy people's lives.
2. Brainwashes people to see God as small and abusive.
3. Strips away mystery and beauty and love.
4. Stops people from learning.
5. Foments shame and hate.
6. Builds an ILLUSION inside us that we are always in danger of losing (or have already lost) connection with our Creator.

Lose your girl

You can lose your girl from a lack of communication, a lack of attention, or just disrespect, you do not have to cheat to lose your girl.

Conversation

 A conversation about how you feel is not supposed to end in an argument.

Out of patience

It was patience she ran out of

not love.

~angel lindberg vazquez

Priceless things

i don't need

fancy ways

and shiny things,

give me

slow hands,

honest eyes,

and full attention

with ease

...give me precious things.

~butterflies rising

With your kids

 To this day, I still feel guilty about never "sleep-training" my kids, but this makes me feel better...

Lying down with your 

kids until they

fall asleep is not a bad habit.

Before we know it, there will be

closed doors and independence,

and we will pine for the days

when they needed

to feel our hand

on their back before they felt

safe enough to drift to sleep.

~Kristen Thompson

Only person

 If they ask you about me,

Tell them: "She was the only

person that loved me with honesty,

and I broke her."

Travel

 Travel because

 money returns.

Time doesn't.

Independent females

Independent females are so under

valued...She doesn't even need you,

she just wants you. She is going to do

her own thing with or without you

and that's a queen.

Waiting

I hope you don't waste your whole life

waiting. Waiting for the timing to be

right, waiting for permission, waiting to

be fully healed, waiting to be perfect,

waiting to be "worthy", waiting to be

loved, waiting to be noticed, waiting to 

be chosen. There are seasons of waiting

and seasons of actions. Don't miss your

action seasons because you have gotten

used to being committed to waiting.

Abandon people

People don't abandon people they love.

They abandon people they were using or

they needed for their own gain.

Run all you want

You can run all you want

but one day

someone is going to take

a hold of you

and find you

and maybe they will even

run with you.

And who knows,

maybe they will stick around

for longer than usual

and make things harder

to run away from.

~r.m.drake

Expensive

Sin is expensive

Sin is expensive. Incredibly expensive. But

the price isn't paid in cash. It's paid in 

mental, emotional, and spiritual pain. God

didn't create an arbitrary list of "DO's" and

"DON'T's" to see if we could follow Him. No,

He laid out a set of essential guidelines for

living. His anger towards lying, stealing,

cheating, coveting, murder, jealousy, and

pride is because all these behaviors

destroy relationships. Everything that the

Bible labels as sin is something that God is 

trying to protect us from. His desire is love,

peace, grace, and harmony with Him and

with all creation. Sin is our defiant

rejection of this in an effort to satisfy our

own selfish desires.

Made it home

 I MADE IT HOME

I just wanted to let you know I

made it home.

Everything is so pretty here, 

so fresh, so new. I wish that you

could close your eyes so you 

could see it too.

Please try not to be sad for me.

Try to understand. God is taking

care of me...I'm in the shelter of

His hands.

Here there is no sadness, and no 

sorrow, and no pain. Here there 

is no crying, and I'll never 

hurt again.

Here it is so peaceful, when all

the angels sing. I really have to

go now...I've just got to

try my wings.

P.S. ... I'll be the first face you see when you get here!

Be clear

LET ME BE CLEAR...for years I let everything

slide - BUT now I have boundaries. You don't 

get to talk down to me. You don't get to smile

in my face and secretly despise me. You don't

get to throw jabs at me "innocently" through

jokes. You don't get to use me. One thing

about it, actions don't lie. I was too busy

trying to keep the peace and that's where I

disrespected MYSELF. I deserve the love I

give freely to everyone around me...I'm 

alert enough to catch the shade, and HEALED

enough to go on about my day, just don't

step to me...RESPECTFULLY

~3 am thoughts

Two things

Two things define you:

your patience when have nothing,

your attitude when you have everything.

~Kevin David

Whatever face

patiently the night

waits for the moon

and loves whatever

face she happens

to show.

yeah, i love you

kind of like that.

~JmStorm

God's way

One day you'll look back

and be thankful that it went

God's way and not yours.

They knew

It's harsh to say. But they knew exactly what 

they were doing to you. They knew exactly

how much it was going to hurt. How much it

was going to bring you down. And what's

even harder to swallow is, the fact that they

knew and yet, they still went along with

it. Some people just don't care. Some people

will fxxx you over and act as if nothing ever

happened. At all.

~r.m. drake

Picked a fight

The world picked a fight

with her and lost,

and

she remembered

why she doesn't

negotiate with those

who don't believe in her.

~the poetry bandit

Look out for you

 Society says,

"Look out for yourself,"

But God says,

"Look out for others and I

will look out for you."

~Kelly's Treehouse

Personally

 Don't take things

personally. It's 

rarely about you.

~J. Mike Fields

Wants more

she always wants

more. not in things

but in experiences.

she was made to 

learn and grow and

that is where many

men miss her 

completely. once

she is in their

life, they want her

to stay the same.

and for her, that

just isn't possible.

~JmStorm

Everything you wanted

The devil doesn't come to you 

with his red face and horns;

he comes to you disguised as 

everything you ever wanted

~Toby Mac

Labors of love

 In labors of love, every day is pay day.

Done in love

"What is done in love is done well."

~Vincent Van Gogh

Like the sky

he loved her

like the sky,

and she

let him love her.

she loved him too;

like an endless

lilac field,

where they could

be wild together.

~Nausicaa Twila

Helping people

 From Flying Free

I believe God want us to help people and share

our time, talents, and money. But I also believe He

wants us to give from a position of high self-

esteem. I believe acts of kindness are not kind

unless we feel good about ourselves, what we are

doing, and the person we are doing it for. I think

God is in each of us and speaks to each of us. If we

absolutely can't feel good about something we're 

doing, then we shouldn't do it -- no matter how 

charitable it seems. We also shouldn't do things

for others that they ought to and are capable of

doing for themselves. Other people aren't helpless.

Neither are we.

~Melody Beattie

Codependent No More: How To Stop Controlling Others and

Start Caring for Yourself

The one

He knew she was the one

by the way he ached to

taste every detail of her.

From her roots to her

rose petals, he wanted 

to experience it all.

Willing to feel

his blood trickle down

his lips, just to kiss

her thorns.

JmStorm

Out of love

May every kind thing you do

be out of love,

not for love.

~Morgan Richard Olivier

Wants to forget

She just wants to forget

about life for awhile.

She chose you because

it's easy with you.

She feels safe enough

to show you her 

vulnerability.

You can speak the language

of the stars with her.

Take her to places

she's never been

without ever leaving.

~N.R. Hart

They are aware

Trust me, they are aware.

They just don't want to acknowledge.

They can't understand how everything that

they thought would destroy you

could have somehow been used to develop you.

They can't understand how

all the tactics and schemes

they thought would bruise your reputation

turned around and built your character and credibility.

They don't get it,

and that's exactly why

they don't have it.

~Morgan Richard Olivier

They left

They left, because it's easier for them

to be with someone who doesn't make 

them think and who doesn't stir their 

emotions. You aren't the problem.

Their wounds are.

~Writingtoinspire

Her walls

The only way to bring down her 

walls is to show her you love her

enough to climb over them.

~Mark Anthony Poet

Always suffer

I asked my friend why I always suffer in relationships? Then he told me this:

I know you from childhood and you are really soft and emotional. You are not selfish or mean which makes you to give and give You always love to give people the best of you. Because making people loved and happy makes you happy. But problem is you think that everyone is like you. You should know that everyone is not deserving. You should not allow people to take advantage of you.

~Ritabh

Breathe

 His hands on her

touching her knowing her...

his eyes raking over her

his fingers running through

her soul

she finds it hard to breathe

she felt powerless

within his tight grip

as he stole her every

breath...

and she wonders to herself

with him on this earth...

will she ever breathe normally

again?

~N.R. Hart

Open up

If you open up

To me

I will make you

Discover

How much love

Your heart

Always

Deserved

Beautiful disaster

She got swept away

by the storm

in his eyes

drowning in his

hurricane kisses...

it was the most

beautiful disaster

ever...

~N.R. Hart

Never easy

 Easy was never

the promise.

Victory was.

Daily bread

There is a story of a grocery store owner who tried to weigh one. (?) A tired-looking woman came into the store and asked for enough food for her children. The grocer asked her how much she could spend. The frail woman answered, "I have nothing to offer but a little prayer."

The storekeeper was not very sentimental nor religious, so he said, half-mockingly, "Write it on paper, and I'll weigh it."

So she did. The grocer placed the prayer on the weight side of his old-fashioned scales. Then he began piling food on the other side; but to his amazement, the scale would not go down. He finally became flustered and gave the woman a large bag of food.

The grocer never saw the woman again, but he treasures the slip of paper upon which the woman's prayer had been written:

"Please, Lord, give us this day our daily bread."

Not done yet

 dammit, I'm not done yet-

it's the way you can taste

the orange she had for breakfast

because you can't take your

curious mouth off of her.

the reason you call off of work

because you need to know what

she smells like with cinnamon rolls,

so you can see what coffee tastes

like in her throat at noon.

the way she ballroom dances

when the kitchen windows are wide open

& knowing the weight of her

towel when she washes her hair.

you know this is love because

you need to buy 5 reams of paper

& 3 ink spools for this machine

every time she bites 

her lip and twists her hair.

this is love because you're staring

at a woman who has done the work

to be: here

~my.god.your.beautiful

NOT being nice

 This is not being nice; It's people-pleasing:

• Accepting blame to keep the peace
• Operating beyond your capacity
• Disregarding your needs
• Allowing people who haven't changed back into your life
• Doing for others what they could do for themselves (enabling)
• Going out of the way to accommodate people
• Being passive
• Remaining silent when you have an issue

Passionately

people who love

passionately are meant to

be loved passionately.

~butterflies rising

So alive

 "His soul" part 3

She had never felt so alive

sitting next to him

the air cracked with electricity.

Every cell was on fire inside

her and all she could think of

was leaning over and placing

her burning lips on his neck

half-biting, half-kissing him,

she wanted to kiss him wildly

like he's never been kissed 

before...breathing life back

into his soul,

until his only desire

at this moment was to have her

make her his.

~n.r. hart

Trouble

I knew the moment I laid eyes on him

that he was going to be trouble.

Everything about him felt familiar,

everything about him felt right. The

connection was a powerful one...a strong

magnetic pull of the universe. I couldn't

run even if I wanted to. And, I thought

this one feels different somehow, this

one is going to hurt because I felt

completely vulnerable with him. I

couldn't catch my breath with him. The

danger of losing my heart to him. The

way he stole my soul from me and made it 

his. I was putty in his hands and I knew

I was going to love him in a way I never

loved anyone. How he would own every

piece of me. This one was dangerous

because this one held the power to

destroy me. As I just stood there with my

eyes...watching my own demise.

~N.R. Hart, "in over my head"

Choose to love

i choose to love.

not because it's the easiest

answer, or because it's the 

simplest path. but because i am

the best version of myself when

i am loving others. and doing 

what i can to make their time

here on earth a little better.

so that's how i live.

loving first and not worrying

about the return. it keeps life

simple. and it keeps me true

to myself.

~topher kearby

Dangerous love

 "Dangerous love"

I don't want to be the comfortable

one

I want to be the dangerous love.

The one you are mysteriously

drawn to

the one who keeps you up at night

makes your heart beat faster

an out of control love

that leaves you breathless.

I am not just any girl

I am your addiction.

The one you are wild for

the one you cannot live without.

I want to get under your skin and 

stay there.

~N.R. Hart

Beautiful soul

she's not just

beautiful to

look at, but 

a beautiful

soul everyone

looks for.

~Joseph Colombrita

Kissing your forehead

 The real lover is

the man who can

thrill you by

kissing your

forehead.

Kiss you

let me kiss you...

once in every place that you love

and twice in the places you find hard to love

...for they need it the most.

~stormofwords

Creates it

she doesn't 

look for 

magic.

she creates

it. whether

anyone is 

looking 

or not.

~Joseph Colombrita

Way you are

Women's Magazine:

Page 9:  How to lose weight fast.

Page 10: You're beautiful the way you are.

Page 11: Cake recipe

Five men

 Written about 5 missionaries killed in Ecuador in 1965:

Through gates of splendor five men came,

And bowed before God's throne.

By martyred death in Jesus' name,

Forever welcomed home.

Upon a hostile riverside

In darkest Ecuador,

Those godly missionaries died

For a gospel open door.

And yet in God's eternal plan

His name was glorified.

The killers and the martyrs stand

And worship side by side.

For as those men as martyrs fell,

God's Spirit moved His breath.

So they in heaven gladly dwell

With some who caused their death!

He is no fool who gives away

That which he cannot keep,

To gain reward through endless day,

And precious souls to reap.

~Jim Hatcher

So fast

 I fell in love with you so fast

because I never felt so safe

around anyone the way I did

around you.

~@womenquotes

Miss me

 If you miss me,

even if it is in a 

time far away

from now, I hope

you still have the 

courage to tell

me, because

maybe i will still

be missing you 

too.

~Albo

Tell a lot

 I've learned that you

can tell a lot about a

person by the way (s)he

handles these three 

things: a rainy day, lost

luggage, and tangled 

Christmas tree lights.

~Maya Angelou

Pretty face

you may think she is just

a pretty face, and that is

where you would have it

wrong.

she's an olive branch to

a man who has fought too

many wars inside.

she's a green light at

a 4 way stop because it's

been a hell of a day and

you just want to be home.

she's a hornet,

a hurricane,

a masterpiece that my eyes

can't look away from.

you see a pretty face.

I see a soul that is even

more so.

~JmStorm

Always you

Always you

If I could have one last choice,

it would always be you, my love.

I will always choose you

in every dream,

in every realm,

in every sigh,

in every breath.

If not in this life,

then in the next.

Like her

 you do not find

the L o v e

of a woman like

H e r,

at a party

in a market, in a bar,

or by swiping right.

and yes, of course

you "like" Her,

for there exist

no others "like" Her.

but need I mention

she does not apply,

to common crude convention.

she will not be bought,

sold, ghosted, stolen, nor told

no, you will never find "her".

instead, she may find "you."

only, if you are worthy,

and not when "you" are ready.

but when "she" is.

~Broms the Poet

Restless nights

on these restless nights

I pretend it's because you're awake

wishing you were here too

Loving too much

She was in danger of loving

him too much

she was helpless

the way he could pin her down

using only his eyes

how her breathing changes

anticipating his touch

and the way his hands could

break her into soft wild

pieces

each screaming his name

oh, how she falls every time

over these quiet treacherous

things and how she keeps falling 

again and again.

~N.R. Hart

On my way

you said,

tell me where you've been love

and i thought of all the lost roads,

and dark corners,

and heavy work, and heartbreak,

and of all the healing

and i just said...

on my way here

-butterflies rising

My favorite

when I look back

to the day we met

i still see 

the beginning

of my favorite

love story.

~Mark Anthony

Nowhere

 "Nowhere"

I am nowhere where he is

I am here and he is there

how easy it would be

to be nowhere together...

nowhere is everywhere

when I'm with him

he is everywhere in me...

yet, here we are in nowhere

not here and not there

when all I want is

to be anywhere...

where he is.

~N.R. Hart

Not a weakness

Never assume it's a weakness to give love

as openly as you do. People may take it

for granted or take advantage of it, but

promise me you'll never change because of

it. Some of the most amazing individuals

you'll come across in this life are the kind

that never let the bad change the good in 

them. So keep seeing the good in everyone

and keep spreading your love without fear.

-The world needs more people just like you.

~Charlotte Freeman, @momentaryhappiness

A chance

She is beautiful

but her looks

never stood a

chance compared

to how breathtaking

her soul is.

~Joseph Colombrita

Always

 i always wanted you

even when I didn't know 

what i wanted. 

even before i knew

you.

it was you.

you were the chapter

that i didn't know

the words to, but 

always knew it existed.

and when i finally

found it and began

to read, i knew i 

was home.

~JmStorm

Money as well

No one would remember

the Good Samaritan if he'd

only had good intentions,

he had money as well.

~Margaret Thatcher

Two roads

 Someone once asked me

"why do you  always

insist on taking

the hard road?"

I replied,

"why do you assume

I see two roads?"

Didn't look that stupid

Sometimes obeying

God will make you

look crazy, get you

deleted, mocked

and even laughed

at. But when the 

rain started to

fall, Noah didn't look

that stupid anymore.

Steals the show

her looks may

have the spotlight

on her, but 

her soul

steals 

the show

every time.

~Joseph Colombrita

Look stupid

 Sometimes faith 

will make you look

stupid...until it

starts to rain.

~Noah

Her soul

it's her eyes that

will catch your 

attention. but 

it's her soul 

that will make

you never lose it.

~Joseph Colombrita

Except with me

Our love story was what legends

are made from

a pure friendship a real romance

the best of both worlds

laughter and kisses

the fervor of passion

with bite marks and bruised lips

holding hands and fingerprints

pressed against flesh

the thrill of being alive

our souls stained with eternity

and sweet poetry.

A love like nothing

you've experienced before

or ever will again...

except with me.

~N.R. Hart

Awareness

Life is passing 

rapidly. Fiercely

commit to every

moment you find

beautiful and 

remember it. Record

it. Fully, whole-

heartedly inhabit

it. Awareness is one

of the greatest 

things you can

possess in this life 

and it is as

important as the

very air we breathe

and water we drink 

to stay alive.

~Victoria Erickson

Pieces

 By Elisabeth Elliott

If my life is broken when given to Jesus,

it is because pieces will feed a multitude,

while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad.

Faith

By Kathryn Kuhlman

Faith is when you stop believing what you see

and begin to see what you believe. 

You are

You are the "Yes"

to my heart's deepest longing,

the beautiful dream

that awoke me from sleep.

You are the end

to all of my searching,

my missing half -

in you I'm complete.

~John Mark Green

Worth loving

sometimes it just takes someone

loving you the right way to

remind you that you've always

been worth loving.

~Dane Thomas

Someone else's eyes

and so many people get lost

viewing themselves through

someone else's eyes and yet

we continue to do so, as if 

their point of view and

opinions determine

our worth.

~Dane Thomas

Off guard

She's the girl who caught you off guard,

isn't she?

She was unexpected and yet she

changed everything.

The kind of girl you fall in love with

and never knew it until it was much

too late.

There is something about her

something different

that makes her completely unexplainable

and yet, it doesn't even matter because

you are going to love her anyway.

And, she is the one who loved you

in such a way that you have never

been loved before, so unapologetically

so shamelessly, herself.

And, now you will see just how

unforgettable this girl can be.

~N.R. Hart

Best version

you haven't even met the

best version of yourself -

not yet.

the most healed.

the most fulfilled.

the most content.

and meeting that "you"

is worth fighting for.

so keep learning and growing,

~topher kearby

Someone kind

Wait for someone kind.

Wait for someone respectful, not only in the

beginning stages of the relationship when things are

bright and beautiful, but also when things get hard.

Wait for someone who respects your boundaries

and does not force you to do things that you're not

willing or ready to do.

Wait for someone who is giving and does not keep

count of the good things they do for you.

Manipulative

 Manipulative people don't want to solve

their problems. They want other people

to solve their problems. As soon as you

show empathy and start helping them,

you are on their hook: you solve one

problem - they create another one and

so on, blaming you for not doing

enough for them, creating more and 

more chaos and turning your life into a

stressful mess.

~@couragefindher

Enduring

 enduring.

do not underestimate someone who

has lost everything and is still

here to tell the story. do not

underestimate someone who has

fought dearly for sobriety. peace.

forgiveness. self-love. freedom.

authenticity. truth. do not

underestimate the lonely. they

have braved wars that only those

who understand the absence of

human connection, can do.

even now, they are holding it all

together while coming so wildly

undone. and sometimes we may see

them unravel ever so softly. or 

loudly. or however their soul

unties its cage the best. do not

underestimate the ones who have

suffered the kind of grief that

does not seem to end. who have been

broken in places you did not even

know existed. the ones who fell

into silence because their lungs

had no words left to speak. we will

not always be strong. no. but we

are enduring.

~ullie-kaye

Too vulnerable

 There is a fear in being

too vulnerable in love

because it will only lead

to heartbreak...

but I would rather feel

everything

than feel nothing and I would

rather stay soft in this hard

world

because my heart is not afraid

because my heart only knows

how to love this way...

And, I would break my own

heart just to love you harder.

And, I would stop time just

to love you longer.

~N.R. Hart

Something He knows

Note to self...

When God doesn't seem

to be answering our 

prayers in the way we

expect, then we must

trust there's something He 

know that we don't know.

~Lysa Terkeurst 

Complete

You are the "Yes"

to my heart's deepest longing,

the beautiful dream

that awoke me from sleep,

You are the end

to all of my searching,

my missing half-

in you I'm complete.

~John Mark Greene

What you deserve

This is a reminder

that your needs matter

as much as anyone 

else's, and if you have a 

hard time acknowledging

yourself, it's okay.

It takes a while to unlearn

a trauma response.

You deserve care.

Only once

 By Bob Marley

Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can't wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it's like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn't exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day's work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there's no need for continuous conversation, but you find you're quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is on the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that's so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.

Maybe

Maybe I just want

To hold you for awhile

And drift away

To the gentle thrumming

Of your heartbeat

As it bounces 

Off of my soul.

~S.M. Klees

Like home

 He said

"How do I taste?"

and as she licked his soul

from her lips, she said

"Like home."

~L.L. Musings

Fierce vulnerability

When I love,

I love...

it's a fierce vulnerability

my whole heart my breath

my essence...

naked and quivering

handed over to you

it's my heart my body

my soul...

soft and yielding

breathless and ready

to be taken by you.

~N.R. Hart

All at once

i just have to be 

close to you, one

way or another.

either physically,

emotionally or

mentally. 

and sometimes i 

need all of it 

at once.

~JmStorm 

Worst

Pretty much describes "M-1":

A woman

is at her worst

when she gives

everything

to the wrong one.

A man is at his worst,

when he gives nothing

to the right one.

A 10

She's a 10 but dated (was married to) a narcissist for years so there's not a single thing a man can say that she doesn't think is a lie.

Cannot replace

she feared him. not in

a physical sense, but

what he might represent.

he could be what she

dreamed of, or the thing

that might destroy the

last bit of hope she had 

managed to save.

it's under the protection

of the survival instinct

when it's about to run out,

just as if it was food or 

water, we become protective

of that which we cannot

replace.

~JmStorm

A weakness

she had a weakness 

for his hand on 

her neck and his

words in her

heart. neither 

of which did she

have the willpower

to refuse.

~JmStorm

Multiply it

she's not one to gather your love

and leave you cold. she will take

your love + multiply it, and then

hand it back to you, as magic.

~Nausicaa Twila

Paradise to protect

 And sometimes

you find yourself

back where you started,

but stronger and softer

all at once.

Swim inside the ocean

of tenderness,

yet build boundaries

on the sand.

An open heart is

a paradise to protect.

~Victoria Erickson

Author, Rhymes & Roads