The Voices Within Me

I have a little girl that is simply adored by her baby brother. I don't think she can do wrong in his eyes... I snapped this picture of Ad helping Si try to ride the tricycle. He wanted NOTHING to do with my assistance... only called out for his "Ahhhh deeeeee" (and this is proof that there was at least one day without snow on the ground!)


(btw... can I just say that I LOVE the instagram app on my phone?!? I have had it for less than a week and I am already addicted!)

Isn't being loved one of the best feelings in the world? I would venture to guess that there isn't one person who truly doesn't desire the feeling of being loved. Love provides so much (comfort, stability, trust, friendship, hope, peace...) and yet is so simple. We are born with the ability to love at it's most simplest form and are open and ready to receive it from the moment of our first breath. Young children seem to give freely of it, taking no account of a person's faults, but loving them for them. Children reach with open hands and lay their hearts on the line with little expectation of gaining something back in return.

Unfortunately, love has been cheapened throughout time and "love" has been likened to pain, hurt, despair... all of the things that love was never intentioned to be. It has become easy to flippently say "I love you" to someone, even when there are no true emotions or meaning behind the words. I can remember back to a time when a "boy" friend told me he loved me and I got seriously angry with him. Why? Because for some strange reason, I knew those words weren't meant as a symbol of our relationship but instead being used to gain something for selfish gain. Our "love" didn't last much longer after I questioned the authenticity and looking back, I am thankful for having the guts to stand up for what I believed "love" to truly mean.

For those that practice the Christian faith, (and I preface because I know I have readers that do not) Jesus is our ultimate example of love. He selfishly gave his life in order to save ours... I can't imagine that many of us would be willing to take love to that extreme. He loves (loved) each of us as we are (all dirty, broken, weary...) and never asked anything more than we accept his sacrifice and in turn share that love with others. I wish that I could have a giving, unselfish love like this... that I could look past the dirt and grime and truly begin to see others for the beautiful creation Jesus view when he looked down from the cross. I am not worthy of a love like His but I am forever thankful that he felt that I was.

*wanted to share these great song lyrics by JJ Heller*
He cries in the corner where nobody sees
He’s the kid with the story no one would believe
He prays every night, “Dear God won’t you please
Could you send someone here who will love me?”

Who will love me for me
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love
What love really means

Her office is shrinking a little each day
She’s the woman whose husband has run away
She’ll go to the gym after working today
Maybe if she was thinner
Then he would’ve stayed
And she says…

Who will love me for me?
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me?
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means

He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone
He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done
He utters a cry from the depths of his soul
“Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home”

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said
“I know you’ve murdered and I know you’ve lied
I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you’ll listen, I’ll tell you that I...”

I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew