The Journey

Photo by Jamez Picard Love is a complex and peculiar thing with a wide swinging pendulum of extremes ranging from c alming stability to heightened  craziness and out-of-control emotions. You may experience anger and devastation or more peace and happiness than you ever imagined. Love is profound and soothing, or nothing more than a trite, warmed-over word. I never realized how much love can bring healing and hurt at the very same time until I walked an extremely difficult, seemingly unending journey. Truly, love is an oxymoron. Of late, I have struggled with some things I could not understand and found myself being critical, judgmental, and jumping to cruel and inaccurate conclusions. The realization that love really does cover a multitude of sins hits me like the proverbial ton of bricks as an experience I had a few years ago forges its way to the forefront of my mind. Every time I recount this encounter with my Savior, I feel true love squeeze my heart in the way only He can. ...

Photo by: Jude Beck When it comes to relationships, the struggle has been real for most of my life. Blindly walking into trap after trap after trap of deception and lies, damaging and painful patterns have thrust me into long periods of utter brokenness because I was not careful or even selective with whom I shared my heart. I could always find something good in that person. I could see their potential and I was going to be the one who would help them tap into that greatness. The innermost cry for love, affection, and acceptance muffled the voice of wisdom screaming in my ears. The result was a ravaged, tattered heart lost in fathomless depths of loneliness and despair and a cavernous, hollow soul. These are not only romantic relationships to which I refer. "Friends" who wanted to spend time with me when there was no one else available or "friends" who could not understand why I was such a weakling or “friends” who found subtle ways to point out my lowly status so ...