He rewrites

 From lettersofannawin

In English, we say,
"God knows what's best for you."

In poetry, we say,
"He rewrites our broken chapters with hands

that know how to mend hearts -- leaving us

with a story far more beautiful than what we

dared to dream."

Oldest baby

 My Oldest Baby

The one who knew me younger and brand new.

There were tears and mistakes

and lessons learned the hard way.

My oldest baby.

The one who taught me how to love

in ways I never thought possible.

My oldest baby.

The one I watched grow

foot by foot,

moment by moment.

The one who grew while

watching me grow as well.

My oldest baby.

Forever my first,

forever my teacher,

forever my heart.

Transitioning

I think when you're transitioning from

being a people pleaser to someone with

more boundaries it's so weird. Because 

it's hard to tell if you're just being mean or

if you're just listening to your own

feelings because you're so used to this

and only thinking about others.

Definition of love

 From @itsbookgains

The best definition

of love I heard: Love is giving

someone the power to destroy

you and trusting they

won't use it.

Forget the ring

 From If you miss me

Forget the ring...ask yourself if you really want to 

be legally tied to that energy. Not the sex, not the

comfort --

but the awkward silences, the neglect, and the

disrespect.

Ask yourself if you want to wake up every day

questioning your worth, wondering if you're truly

loved or just tolerated. If you want to spend a 

lifetime feeling unheard, unseen, and

unappreciated.

Marriage isn't just about love -- it's about

alignment. If their energy doesn't  bring you peace,

clarity, and security, that ring won't fix it. Choose wisely.

Loaning

 From Flying Free with Natalie Hoffman

"If a person kept loaning money to someone who

never paid it back, this person has one of three 

choices.

One, keep willingly loaning the money and expect

to continue doing so forever, thereby letting the

negligent recipient happily grow in greed and

irresponsibility.

Or two, keep loaning the money with resentment 

in his or her heart, hoping for payback one day.

Or three, stop loaning the money, forgive the debt,

and tell the chronic money taker to either go get

free money somewhere else or go get a job.

When it comes to chronic abuse, the last option is

the wisest. Forgive the debt owed you, and then

stop investing your precious life in an abusive

relationship and get yourself to a place of 

emotional and spiritual safety."

Never did

 This is really sad if it's true...

If your man can sit and

watch you cry, and ignore

you while you are begging

for communication...and if

he can fall asleep soundly

and quickly while you're 

still upset, sadly, that 

man doesn't love you. And 

to be honest, he probably 

never did.

~@deepmindsanonymous

Compound interest

 "Good and evil both increase at compound interest.

That is why the little decisions you and I make every day

are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act

today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a 

few months later, you may be able to on to victories you

never dreamed of."  ~C.S. Lewis

Fake flowers

From The Chirp

Someone once said,

"water has no effect on

fake flowers" and that

changed my entire mindset

regarding relationships

Necessary

 If someone gets mad at

you for creating a 

boundary, consider that a 

good sign that the

boundary was necessary.

Smoothly

 If things are going smoothly in your 

relationship as long as you don't express any

needs, wants, or feedback...just a little...then,

things are in fact...not going smoothly.

~Jimmy on Relationships

Light the world

 It is a powerful woman

who can use her fire

to light the world up,

instead of burn it down.

~Stacie Martin

Inconvenience

 Just read somewhere

"to be loved is to be

worth the inconvenience"

it blew my mind away.

~Art of Poets

Anything

People raised on love will do anything for you.

People raised on survival will do anything to you.

Know the difference.

That point

YOU GOTTA GET

TO THAT POINT

WHERE --

a man who disrespects you becomes

unattractive. that you become disgusted

by a man who doesn't treat you like you 

deserve to be treated.

where it's such a turn off to be with a

man like that, that no matter how you felt

before, you know it's time to get up and

go. it's a part of working on your self-

esteem, even when you're not single.

Old wounds

 Things parents say

that heal old wounds:

"There's no excuse for my behavior."

"It was cruel of me to say that to you."

"You needed me, but I let you down."

"I'm the one who was wrong."

"You don't owe me anything."

"Your feelings matter to me."

"I'm glad you told me."

"You deserved better."

"It was my fault."

"I believe you."

"I'm sorry."

Unnoticed

 The woman who serves unnoticed

and un-thanked is a woman who 

loves God more than she desires the

praise of others. She is confident

that all her unnoticed deeds on earth

are noticed in heaven. She is satisfied

knowing she has pleased her Lord.

Clearing

 You don't lose people by

choosing yourself. You lose the

ones who benefitted from your

self-abandonment. And that's

not a loss, it's a clearing.

Dark houses

 All houses are dark until the mother

wakes up.

~Khalil Gibran

Reasons

Reasons to say "no":

• You just don't want to.
• You need some time to yourself.
• You don't want to socialize.
• You'd rather prioritize yourself.
• The person asking is impacting negatively on your wellbeing.
• Your intuition is telling you so.
• You're tired.
• You'd rather do something else.

I felt

During my healing process, I realized it

wasn't him I craved, but the joy and hope

I felt when I thought he was good for me.

~Truly Healed Women

It's okay

 It's okay to realize "I do not feel loved here" & leave.

Your own life

 From Ms. Sunshine

I heard someone say,

"This is your life and you're

letting people make you

unhappy? In your own life?"

...and I haven't stopped

thinking about it all day.

Most expensive

 Protect your peace like it's the

most expensive thing you own --

because it is.

~Jason Derulo

Don't understand

 If you find yourself thinking

"I don't understand how someone could

hurt me like this"

always remember the reason you don't

understand is because you'd never do it.

It's not meant for you to understand

because that's not the person you are.

Decipher

 Instead of obsessively trying to

decipher someone's confusing

behaviour and mixed messages, ask

yourself whether you really want to

pursue a connection charcterised 

by inconsistency, doubt, and

uncertainty.

Stopped choosing

You stopped choosing me

in small ways first -

forgotten goodnights,

unanswered messages,

a hesitation before

saying "I love you."

And somehow,

that's how love ended -

not in an explosion,

but for us, in silence.

~Bill Ringer

Embarrassing

 Imagine losing a woman who doesn't

sleep around, doesn't go out, doesn't

play games, knows what she wants,

works hard for what she has,

communicates clearly, knows her

worth, but only wants you.

Embarrassing.

Victim mindset

 I hope this isn't me...

Someone with a victim

mindset is always

looking for a villain to

blame and a situation to

suffer from.

~Steve Maraboli

Stronger together

God calls us to community 

not for perfection but for

connection. He knows 

we're stronger together.

~Kelley Brown

Lacks purpose

A man who lacks purpose,

distracts himself with pleasure.

Sad

 "It was sad"

"What?"

"To watch her love people

so much"

"Why?"

"Because no one loved her

the same way."

Hates himself

When a man hates himself,

he takes it out on the woman who

loves him, always remember this.

~r.h. Sin

Complaining

 by A.W. Tozer

Costs of Complaining

The complainer is further embarrassed by the moral company in which he finds himself. He is a spiritual affinity with some pretty shady characters: Cain, Korah, the sulky elder brother, the petulant Jews of the Book of Malachi who answered every fatherly admonition of God with an ill-humored "Wherefore have we? Wherein have we?" These are but a few faces that stand out in the picture of the disgruntled followers of the religious way. And the complaining Christian, if he but looks closely, will see his own face peering out at him from the background. Lastly, the believer who complains against the difficulties of the way proves that he has never felt or known the sorrows which broke over the head of Christ when He was here among men. After one look at Gethsemane or Calvary, the Christian can never again believe that his own path is a hard one. We dare not compare our trifling pains with the sublime passion endured for our salvation. Any comparison would itself be the supreme argument against our complaints, for what sorrow is like unto His? After saying all this we are yet sure that no one can be reasoned out of the habit of complaining. That habit is more than a habit -- it is a disease of the soul, and as such, it will never yield to mere logic. The only cure is cleansing in the blood of the Lamb.

Silencing herself

"Healing taught her 

that silencing herself

to appease someone else

is not peace.

is not safe.

is not love.

it's control."

Healing (Me)me Therapy, Debra Jensenlauter 

Aging

Most people don't grow up.

Most people age.

They find parking spaces,

honor their credit cards,

get married,

have children,

and call that maturity.

What that is, is aging.

~Maya Angelou

The fire

"I shall write it in my diary to-night."

"What?"

"That a burnt child loves the fire."

~The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

"When you are not fed love on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off knives."

~Lauren Eden

Earning love

 From Jimmy on Relationships

If you're chasing, convincing, or waiting, you're not moving securely. When you're used to earning love, you end up chasing what's unavailable, trying to prove your worth. Healing is moving from earning love to receiving it.

Don't work

 Relationships don't work

because people think it's

okay to ignore somebody

when they're mad instead

of being mature &

communicating.

Inward

The potential you see in

someone who's unsuitable

for you is a projection of

your own light. All that 

hope and love comes from

you. Turn it inward.

~@positivelypresent

Unhealthy patterns

 From Kayil York

There will be people who would rather lose you so

they don't have to change their unhealthy patterns

in order to have a healthy relationship with you.

It's ok to let them go.

One day

 From Coach Mantas

Julia Roberts once said: One day, they'll realize what they had in you. They'll see the depth of your heart, the strength in your spirit, and the value they once overlooked. But by then, you'll be someone far beyond what they could have ever imagined. You will have grown - into someone who no longer seeks their approval, no longer waits to be chosen, no longer needs their recognition to feel whole.

The space they left, the moments they dismissed you, the times they made you feel invisible - they were all silent gifts in disguise. Because in their absence, you found yourself. You learned to appreciate your own worth, to stand tall without needing anyone else to confirm your value. You built a life that is full, rich, and complete - not because of them, but because of you.

And when they finally wake up to what they lost, it won't matter anymore. Their regret will be theirs to carry, not yours to fix. You'll have moved on - not out of spite, but because life called you forward, and you answered. You won't need closure or apologies. You'll just know, deep in your soul, that your worth was never dependent on their ability to see it.

By the time they recognize who you were, you'll be long gone - thriving, at peace, and completely unshaken by the realization that they took too long to have.

Stay

Stay,

not because it's easy,

but because love was never meant

to be built on running away.

Hold my hand when the storms come,

and I'll promise you this:

we'll find the sun together.

The 5000

 Very reassuring...

It's not your job to feed the 5000...only to bring the 5 loaves and 2 fish.

(I would change "bring" to "share")

Changed you

 There are times when

you must speak. Not

because you are

going to change the

other person, but

because if you don't 

speak, they have

changed you.

Inner beauty

 Naimenbei

(Japanese)

"Inner beauty"

I've never seen an ugly face, only ugly hearts. Looks

fade, but the soul speaks forever. Let your kindness be

what makes you unforgettable - Naimenbei

~Detonation

Never happy

 Narcissists will never be happy. They live in a fantasy

world. They want things that don't even exist. They

set themselves up and everyone else up for failure. No

one can live up to their expectations. They will be forever

searching for things that simply do not exist.

They are completely delusional. They will never be

the perfect false selves they convince themselves 

they are. Their magical thinking will never give them

the life they want. They will go from person to person,

destroying their lives and then moving on to the next

empty endeavor. You can move on you can be happy,

you can love. They simply can't. And that is sad for 

them and all those people they fool into loving them.

Avoidant

 If you love an avoidant,

don't waste your energy chasing them.

Instead, become a safe space, set

boundaries, and then let them decide

whether they're ready to stop running.

Love without self-respect is just self-sacrifice.

Revenge

 Toxic people see your boundaries as

revenge on them, and think you are nothing

but a problem, when in reality, it's their toxic

behavior that led to those boundaries in 

the first place.

False self

 A narcissist has a false self they loathe. They don't

want to suffer alone in their self hatred. If you are

kind and sensitive and self aware, they might try 

to make you their scapegoat. Then get others to

fiercely hate you so that you feel it even more

intensely. This is designed to separate you from your

true self. Remember that you are not what they claim.

You are not part of their darkness. You are sparkly

and beautiful and worthy. That's why they target you

in the first place. That's why they try to take you 

down.

In trouble

I'm a full grown adult who 

has done a ton of work on

herself and I still feel like

I'm in trouble for no reason.

Just a reminder that

childhood wounds run deep.

~Yolanda Darenteria

No fight left

 From Kenyon's Friends

One day you will look back and realize how many times I tried to talk to you, but you wouldn't listen. You will remember how often I told you that your behavior is hurting me, and you brushed it off. You will remember that I warned you that I was slipping away, but you didn't believe me. You'll recall all the kind things I did for you that you took for granted. You'll remember the times I set my pride aside to save us, even when you were wrong. You'll think about my kisses, my hugs, my laughter, and the little things I did for you. You'll remember how I looked at you, cared for you, and said, "I love you" while holding your face. You'll remember my jokes, my quirks, and even what you called my "toxicity" -- which was really just me refusing to overlook your mistakes. I made you important, but you didn't do the same for me.

Now, you'll face my silence and my absence. Because when someone stops asking for attention and trying to talk, it means they've given up and have no fight left.

Something shifts

From Debra Merfert

When you hurt someone with a good heart, the reaction isn't always immediate or obvious. They won't shout, won't make accusations, and won't cause a scene. They are the kind of people who carry their pain quietly, letting it settle within them like a shadow, while still showing kindness and compassion to everyone around them. It's almost as if they continue on as if nothing has changed.

But deep inside, something shifts. The way they once trusted and valued you starts to erode, not through any dramatic event, but through a slow, silent realization that their trust has been broken. They begin to distance themselves, not out of anger or vengeance, but simply because they've accepted the painful truth -- that they can no longer give the same love and trust they once did.

These are the people who have loved you without reservation, who have given you their time, their energy, and their heart. When that trust is betrayed, it doesn't explode into chaos. It simply fades, quietly and inevitably, because they know that they can't sacrifice their inner peace for someone who cannot value them they way they deserve.

They may still be kind, they may still be compassionate, but they will never look at you the same way again. The connection will no longer be the same. The loss of someone like this isn't something that can be undone -- it's an irreversible change. Once they're gone, they're gone, and the space they leave is not easily filled.

So, if you have someone like this in your life, cherish them. Appreciate them. Because once their trust in you has been shattered, there's no turning back. They will walk away, and they won't look back.

Wonder why

 I WONDER WHY.

Three words that can make space

in your heart for empathy.

I wonder why they're reacting this way.

 I wonder why they're feeling this way.

I wonder why I'm feeling this way.

Sometimes a little curiosity

is all we need to respond with

kindness instead of anger.

~Lori Deschene

Walking on eggshells

 One of the most painful forms of relationship stress

is walking on eggshells with someone you love and 

want to please. Not feeling safe to tell the truth for

fear of setting someone off means that person is

successfully controlling your behavior for his/her

benefit. When one person constantly has hurt

feelings, he/she may be using so-called "sensitivity"

to guilt-trip and control. In reality, though they claim

to want peace and tranquility, they love feeling

offended. They love the drama and the fights. They

are energized by them, while you are shattered. 

Using their "sensitivity" to dominate and control,

they make it appear that you have the power to hurt 

him, but they are always the one pulling the strings.

Create conflict

 A narcissist will create conflict out of thin air, nit

pick, overreact to the smallest perceived slight or

misstep, and dish out petty criticisms, just to have

something to be angry about, so they can abuse and

mistreat you. Most of the things they criticize you for

or nit pick, are the very same things they do

themselves. They'll project and accuse you of being 

a certain way, that they are themselves. A narcissist 

must find some reason to point fingers at you, so 

they can be mad, start drama, try to control, make

verbal attacks, and become abusive.