No more requests. Possibly forever. No exceptions.
I know I have promised some of you pictures beforehand. I will still try to work on those that I remember and get those completed, but after this, there will be no more. Anyone who asks will be directed via link to this entry.
The reason is simple, I have pretty much lost all motivation in art. It's gone. I enjoy working on the yard more than picking up my pencil. Pulling out the sketchbooks has become a chore. I simply don't want to do it, because I don't feel like I'm allowed to focus on my own ideas anymore. I have to finish everyone elses' first...
It's lost its sense of originality, of creativity. I'm just putting everyone elses' creative desires to paper. My thoughts, my stories, my concepts, my entire imagination has been neglected.
I really don't need anyone's requests anymore; I have billions of my own ideas, clogging my brain, but I can't get them down on paper 'cause the books are already full with everyone elses' half-finished ideas. I need to finish what I've started, close the requests for good, and start over.
I want art to be a hobby again... I don't want it to become a career.
Sorry guys,
Justin H.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
A Wondrous Lord is He
I wrote this the last time I read Chapter Two of "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge. Still think it is worthy of posting.
The sun that fills the day with light,
The moon and stars which govern night,
Do not compare in brilliance,
Can’t measure up to YOU in might.
Above a sea of crystal,
Seated on a shining throne,
All Heaven may be glorious,
But we’ll worship YOU alone!
Honestly, what should I care,
If gold-paved is common street?
The only thing of value true,
Is kneeling at YOUR feet!
And lo, the frightful creatures,
Covered in many eyes,
Such able-sighted beings,
Still praise YOU in surprise!
The universe we ponder,
Too large to comprehend,
Filled to brim with wonders,
All sculpted at YOUR hand.
YOU planned every story,
Beginning and the End,
YOU know my inner workings,
More than lover, more than friend.
Fact, YOU love us uncondition’ly,
And suffered death to free,
Of all our sins, if so we choose,
To leave Satan; our adultery.
What compassionate love to forgive me,
Of ALL my adultery?
…A wondrous LORD is HE.
The sun that fills the day with light,
The moon and stars which govern night,
Do not compare in brilliance,
Can’t measure up to YOU in might.
Above a sea of crystal,
Seated on a shining throne,
All Heaven may be glorious,
But we’ll worship YOU alone!
Honestly, what should I care,
If gold-paved is common street?
The only thing of value true,
Is kneeling at YOUR feet!
And lo, the frightful creatures,
Covered in many eyes,
Such able-sighted beings,
Still praise YOU in surprise!
The universe we ponder,
Too large to comprehend,
Filled to brim with wonders,
All sculpted at YOUR hand.
YOU planned every story,
Beginning and the End,
YOU know my inner workings,
More than lover, more than friend.
Fact, YOU love us uncondition’ly,
And suffered death to free,
Of all our sins, if so we choose,
To leave Satan; our adultery.
What compassionate love to forgive me,
Of ALL my adultery?
…A wondrous LORD is HE.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The SPACE
"The Space" arose from a discussion over a future name for our merging churches, "Open Bible Church, Port Angeles" and "Constant Hope Fellowship." My thought was to come up with something simple, and not too overbearing for a young christian, new believer or lost skeptic.
The pastor warmed up to the sound of it, but was still unsure how the older members of his congregation would percieve it. He asked me to make a logo design, so he could see what I felt in the name. This is what I came up with after just a few attempts.
Not to my surprise, the pastor loved it, and brought it by a board meeting to hear their thoughts. To his surprise, however, even some of the older members enjoyed it. They only showed some displeasure in the fact that the name had little to do with anything God-related. They loved the concept, but felt it was irrevelent for their current congregation.
Nonetheless, the pastor is still planning to present it to the rest of the congregation with a few other name ideas for a vote.
Still, even if the name is not chosen for the name of the church, it is very likely that we will use it for a future ministry to an adience like I mentioned in the first paragraph: a casual lot of young christians, new believers and lost skeptics all looking for a place to hang with a simple, easy to remember and somewhat catchy name in a more modernized setting.
BAN THE PEWS!!
I would love to be part of such a ministry! Praying it becomes a reality sometime soon.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Heaven
Once again, I cannot claim myself some sort of professional on certain subjects, I am still only learning as I go, but I think there is a big misconception about the Christain idea of Heaven.
For instance, believing all good people go to Heaven is about as silly as believing all good kids wake up to find presents under a pine tree on Christmas morning. It's just not how reality works, and Heaven too, is a real place. Allow me to explain further.
Heaven is not some giant golden city in the sky, where God acts as the angry bouncer waiting at the gates, letting only 'religious' people enter.
Heaven is not some secret club you have to be a certain way to get accepted into.
Heaven is not the "millionaire estates" at the end of the game of life, where you go if you think you did a good job.
Heaven doesn't work this way, for several reasons:
1. Anyone could do 'religious' things for very selfish reasons.
2. God made everyone who they are for a reason, so I believe He'd accept everyone for who they are, no matter what. If that were the standard, everyone would be allowed into Heaven.
3.* There are no "good" and "bad" people. Just people who do things we consider good or bad. I've yet to meet a person who did bad things because he believed bad things would come of it. If a person's goodness was what got them into heaven, then everyone would get into heaven--Either that, or no one would--as I believe God's standard would be perfection and no human soul could reach that bar, even with the advantage of an arms reach, and tippy toes. We all fall short.
So what is Heaven, and how does one really get in?
I often hear that the idea of Hell as the state of separation from God. If that were the case, then Heaven would be the opposite. Heaven would be a closeness to God, so in reality, all we have to do is get close to Him. The thing is, there are always misconceptions about who God is, which leads people to think He's not the kind of guy anyone would want to get close to. Satan is very tricky.
I once addressed a misconception about who God is, in an old blog entry, but I'll re-address it here. God is not some old guy with a long white beard and robe. I don't believe God has a purely tangible form, because God is love.
Now I should re-address another misconcpetion about love, which I wrote in an earlier journal entry, and again in my blog. The real point of that whole journal entry was to give a clearer picture of who God was. Like I said then: "I do not believe love causes people harm. Love is only a good thing, it is the very foundation of patience, kindness and forgiveness. Love does not hold envy or pride, it is not rude or self-centered." I later stated that it was people who cause people harm, not love.
So that is it, God is love, the source of all the good in the world. And Heaven--a closeness to God--would be a lot like living in the presence of love, and all the joy that comes with it.
I used to be bothered when people described falling in love as "Heaven on Earth," but now I think I get it. Falling in love is the only thing that comes close to what it would feel like to dwell in the presense of God. Can you imagine the feeling of falling in love forever, and being loved back 100% for eternity? A lot more appealing than old guys and bouncers and golden gates and roads and towers, right?
On the other hand, Hell is the separation from God--a distance from love. It would be like pure lonliness--the feeling that no one cares, and all the misery that comes with it--for an eternity. That's what will happen if you separate yourself from God.
So how does one get closer to God?
Pretty much the same way you get closer to any living being. You have to have a relationship with Him, and in order for that to even start, you must believe that there is a form of direct communication that was granted only by Jesus Christ's death on the cross, and then you have to accept Him for who He is. If you cannot believe Jesus granted us the ability to stand in God's presence by taking our sins for us, how can you even believe a relationship is possible? You can't have a relationship with someone you don't believe you can talk to. And then, as I stated before, God already accepts you for who you are, so the real deciding factor on whether or not you're going to Heaven lies with you. Believing that God should accept you into Heaven without you first accepting him, is like saying God should kidnap you and force you to share an intimate relationship with him. It doesn't work.
I once read that the definition of love was "giving the very best for someone, even if it means losing them." And who could possibly know this better than Love Himself? God gave us the beauty of freedom to make a choice, knowing that He may very well lose many of us. He loved us so much that he set us free, and now He's waiting patiently for the ones who are His to come back.**
Will you chose to come to Him?
If you have chosen to come to Him, how is your relationship with Him going? How often do you pray? How long would marriage last if you only talked to each other that often?
How many people do you know who do not have this direct relationship with their creator? Do you think they should face an eternity of misery? Keep in mind, not everyone who calls himself a Christain necessarily has this relationship. Suddenly there's a lot of people for you to try and share God with, isn't there?
Remember that winning an arguement never saved a soul. The best way to lead people to God is to form a relationship, show them love and introduce God to them along the way; Evangelism isn't about spreading a religion, its about loving the Hell out of people.
*Because of reason #3, I do not believe in a Pergatory. If there were a place between Heaven and Hell, where the good people were sent, than everyone else would be sent there. And in a sense, it would simply replace Hell.
**Sound familiar? "If you love something, let it go, if it returns, it's yours. If not, it was never yours in the first place."
For instance, believing all good people go to Heaven is about as silly as believing all good kids wake up to find presents under a pine tree on Christmas morning. It's just not how reality works, and Heaven too, is a real place. Allow me to explain further.
Heaven is not some giant golden city in the sky, where God acts as the angry bouncer waiting at the gates, letting only 'religious' people enter.
Heaven is not some secret club you have to be a certain way to get accepted into.
Heaven is not the "millionaire estates" at the end of the game of life, where you go if you think you did a good job.
Heaven doesn't work this way, for several reasons:
1. Anyone could do 'religious' things for very selfish reasons.
2. God made everyone who they are for a reason, so I believe He'd accept everyone for who they are, no matter what. If that were the standard, everyone would be allowed into Heaven.
3.* There are no "good" and "bad" people. Just people who do things we consider good or bad. I've yet to meet a person who did bad things because he believed bad things would come of it. If a person's goodness was what got them into heaven, then everyone would get into heaven--Either that, or no one would--as I believe God's standard would be perfection and no human soul could reach that bar, even with the advantage of an arms reach, and tippy toes. We all fall short.
So what is Heaven, and how does one really get in?
I often hear that the idea of Hell as the state of separation from God. If that were the case, then Heaven would be the opposite. Heaven would be a closeness to God, so in reality, all we have to do is get close to Him. The thing is, there are always misconceptions about who God is, which leads people to think He's not the kind of guy anyone would want to get close to. Satan is very tricky.
I once addressed a misconception about who God is, in an old blog entry, but I'll re-address it here. God is not some old guy with a long white beard and robe. I don't believe God has a purely tangible form, because God is love.
Now I should re-address another misconcpetion about love, which I wrote in an earlier journal entry, and again in my blog. The real point of that whole journal entry was to give a clearer picture of who God was. Like I said then: "I do not believe love causes people harm. Love is only a good thing, it is the very foundation of patience, kindness and forgiveness. Love does not hold envy or pride, it is not rude or self-centered." I later stated that it was people who cause people harm, not love.
So that is it, God is love, the source of all the good in the world. And Heaven--a closeness to God--would be a lot like living in the presence of love, and all the joy that comes with it.
I used to be bothered when people described falling in love as "Heaven on Earth," but now I think I get it. Falling in love is the only thing that comes close to what it would feel like to dwell in the presense of God. Can you imagine the feeling of falling in love forever, and being loved back 100% for eternity? A lot more appealing than old guys and bouncers and golden gates and roads and towers, right?
On the other hand, Hell is the separation from God--a distance from love. It would be like pure lonliness--the feeling that no one cares, and all the misery that comes with it--for an eternity. That's what will happen if you separate yourself from God.
So how does one get closer to God?
Pretty much the same way you get closer to any living being. You have to have a relationship with Him, and in order for that to even start, you must believe that there is a form of direct communication that was granted only by Jesus Christ's death on the cross, and then you have to accept Him for who He is. If you cannot believe Jesus granted us the ability to stand in God's presence by taking our sins for us, how can you even believe a relationship is possible? You can't have a relationship with someone you don't believe you can talk to. And then, as I stated before, God already accepts you for who you are, so the real deciding factor on whether or not you're going to Heaven lies with you. Believing that God should accept you into Heaven without you first accepting him, is like saying God should kidnap you and force you to share an intimate relationship with him. It doesn't work.
I once read that the definition of love was "giving the very best for someone, even if it means losing them." And who could possibly know this better than Love Himself? God gave us the beauty of freedom to make a choice, knowing that He may very well lose many of us. He loved us so much that he set us free, and now He's waiting patiently for the ones who are His to come back.**
Will you chose to come to Him?
If you have chosen to come to Him, how is your relationship with Him going? How often do you pray? How long would marriage last if you only talked to each other that often?
How many people do you know who do not have this direct relationship with their creator? Do you think they should face an eternity of misery? Keep in mind, not everyone who calls himself a Christain necessarily has this relationship. Suddenly there's a lot of people for you to try and share God with, isn't there?
Remember that winning an arguement never saved a soul. The best way to lead people to God is to form a relationship, show them love and introduce God to them along the way; Evangelism isn't about spreading a religion, its about loving the Hell out of people.
*Because of reason #3, I do not believe in a Pergatory. If there were a place between Heaven and Hell, where the good people were sent, than everyone else would be sent there. And in a sense, it would simply replace Hell.
**Sound familiar? "If you love something, let it go, if it returns, it's yours. If not, it was never yours in the first place."
Monday, June 7, 2010
Did God Mess Up?
Here was another one I posted on my DeviantArt account:
Once again, I'd like to let you know right off the bat that I am no professional on this subject. I can't claim that everything I say is 100% correct, I wish only to discuss thoughts and beliefs. If you have any disagreements, please let me know. In fact, I urge you to respond! I would love to discuss things with you, as I really do wish to learn what you think. I want to see and address other people's points of view as well as my own.
That being said, I will admit that I do believe in God, though I am not trying to use this journal to rub it in, condemn non-believers or force my beliefs on anyone. I don't wish to start an arguement, but a discussion.
"If there is a god, did He mess up?"
The world is pretty messed up, but why?
Lets assume for a moment that there is a god, one who designed the universe. I think it would be safe to say that such a god would be extremely creative. He'd have come up with every last star, every last plant, every last animal and so on, each unique in its own way. (Keep in mind I'm not ruling out the possibility of evolution. I don't personally believe in it, but I'm not going to point a finger and say "YOU'RE ALL WRONG!" Instead, I would like to learn why you believe what you believe, so feel free to discuss. Anyway, as I was saying,) If there were a god, he'd have to be creative.
One thing I personally enjoy doing is creating stories, even more than I enjoy drawing. I'd like to think that God would also enjoy planning and creating stories. Jesus often talked in parables (short stories used to metaphorically illustrate another situation). But any author would know that an interesting story requires a setting, a cast of characters, and a plot.
THE PLOT
Perhaps God, being such a creative being, also knew that to make a glorious story, a plot was necessary. Characters would be created to face terrifying struggles, clash with seemingly-indestructable enemies, fall at times, climb back up at others, and in the end, either stand victorious or fail. Without plot, the story would be boring and irrevelant.
Notice, stories often represent a life-time. They will have a begining, a ton of struggles, and then a conclusion. What would life look like without a plot? How would we live if we didn't face struggles on a daily basis? I don't know about you, but I would be BORED OUT OF MY FRIENDLY MIND!!
But also note, endings aren't always happy. One famous author, a well-known Mr. Shakesphere, often wrote tradgedies; beautiful stories that tend to end with everyone dying. And yet, Shakesphere is still remembered to this day.
Now, I'm not saying God is some cruel person who makes bad things happen to his characters just so he can write an interesting story. But he did give his characters the free-will to decide where they go and what they do, and in doing so, he allowed bad things to happen so there could be consequenses of their actions.
CONSEQUENSE
God allows consequenses in hopes to teach and shape people the way he wants them. As stated in the book, "The Purity Princible" by Randy Alcorn, when a man speeds through the mountains on an icy road and ends up flying off a cliff, God doesn't suddenly invent gravity to punish the foolish driver. Its already in place. Many consequenses are already set in place, so if a person choses to break a rule, he'll suffer and hopefully learn from it.
AIDS for instance, wasn't originally a human disease. It was set in animals, so that if someone chose to break God's rules and sleep with animals, he/she would suffer the consequense. Since then, its also been passed through other sinful sexual acts.
But, sometimes, it can even be passed to the innocent. Why would God allow bad things to happen to innocent people?
CONFLICT
I knew a man once who had been hit by a car. The driver sped away; a hit and run. No one but God will ever know who hit him. But this man woke up in a hospital, saved by a blood donation which was, sadly, contaminated with AIDS. He obviously didn't deserve this, but it happened, and his life had been dramatically reshaped.
I'd like to think that he became a better person because of it. He seemed very humble and kind, one of my mother's best friends. I cannot honestly say I understand all of what God was planning, but you can't deny stories like his are touching. They can be extremely powerful.
I love the movie Bruce Almighty, though it does have some questionable scenes, its chalk full of moral. I remember one deleted scene where God explains to Bruce what His original plan for people was, and how Bruce had altered it by making good things happen to them. Then God proceeded to show Bruce one more person, Lance Armstrong, who was allowed to face some incredibly difficult challenges he didn't deserve. God then told Bruce, "Sometimes to paint a beautiful picture, you have to use some pretty dark colors."
As an artist, I love this quote, and was reminded of it when a friend told me I needed to use a little more black to bring contrast to one of my pictures. I find it incredibly true.
Anyways... yeah... I'm still terrible with concluding things, so... let me know what you think. Feel free to tell me if you think I'm wrong. Ask questions; that's how people learn! What do you guys think?!
Once again, I'd like to let you know right off the bat that I am no professional on this subject. I can't claim that everything I say is 100% correct, I wish only to discuss thoughts and beliefs. If you have any disagreements, please let me know. In fact, I urge you to respond! I would love to discuss things with you, as I really do wish to learn what you think. I want to see and address other people's points of view as well as my own.
That being said, I will admit that I do believe in God, though I am not trying to use this journal to rub it in, condemn non-believers or force my beliefs on anyone. I don't wish to start an arguement, but a discussion.
"If there is a god, did He mess up?"
The world is pretty messed up, but why?
Lets assume for a moment that there is a god, one who designed the universe. I think it would be safe to say that such a god would be extremely creative. He'd have come up with every last star, every last plant, every last animal and so on, each unique in its own way. (Keep in mind I'm not ruling out the possibility of evolution. I don't personally believe in it, but I'm not going to point a finger and say "YOU'RE ALL WRONG!" Instead, I would like to learn why you believe what you believe, so feel free to discuss. Anyway, as I was saying,) If there were a god, he'd have to be creative.
One thing I personally enjoy doing is creating stories, even more than I enjoy drawing. I'd like to think that God would also enjoy planning and creating stories. Jesus often talked in parables (short stories used to metaphorically illustrate another situation). But any author would know that an interesting story requires a setting, a cast of characters, and a plot.
THE PLOT
Perhaps God, being such a creative being, also knew that to make a glorious story, a plot was necessary. Characters would be created to face terrifying struggles, clash with seemingly-indestructable enemies, fall at times, climb back up at others, and in the end, either stand victorious or fail. Without plot, the story would be boring and irrevelant.
Notice, stories often represent a life-time. They will have a begining, a ton of struggles, and then a conclusion. What would life look like without a plot? How would we live if we didn't face struggles on a daily basis? I don't know about you, but I would be BORED OUT OF MY FRIENDLY MIND!!
But also note, endings aren't always happy. One famous author, a well-known Mr. Shakesphere, often wrote tradgedies; beautiful stories that tend to end with everyone dying. And yet, Shakesphere is still remembered to this day.
Now, I'm not saying God is some cruel person who makes bad things happen to his characters just so he can write an interesting story. But he did give his characters the free-will to decide where they go and what they do, and in doing so, he allowed bad things to happen so there could be consequenses of their actions.
CONSEQUENSE
God allows consequenses in hopes to teach and shape people the way he wants them. As stated in the book, "The Purity Princible" by Randy Alcorn, when a man speeds through the mountains on an icy road and ends up flying off a cliff, God doesn't suddenly invent gravity to punish the foolish driver. Its already in place. Many consequenses are already set in place, so if a person choses to break a rule, he'll suffer and hopefully learn from it.
AIDS for instance, wasn't originally a human disease. It was set in animals, so that if someone chose to break God's rules and sleep with animals, he/she would suffer the consequense. Since then, its also been passed through other sinful sexual acts.
But, sometimes, it can even be passed to the innocent. Why would God allow bad things to happen to innocent people?
CONFLICT
I knew a man once who had been hit by a car. The driver sped away; a hit and run. No one but God will ever know who hit him. But this man woke up in a hospital, saved by a blood donation which was, sadly, contaminated with AIDS. He obviously didn't deserve this, but it happened, and his life had been dramatically reshaped.
I'd like to think that he became a better person because of it. He seemed very humble and kind, one of my mother's best friends. I cannot honestly say I understand all of what God was planning, but you can't deny stories like his are touching. They can be extremely powerful.
I love the movie Bruce Almighty, though it does have some questionable scenes, its chalk full of moral. I remember one deleted scene where God explains to Bruce what His original plan for people was, and how Bruce had altered it by making good things happen to them. Then God proceeded to show Bruce one more person, Lance Armstrong, who was allowed to face some incredibly difficult challenges he didn't deserve. God then told Bruce, "Sometimes to paint a beautiful picture, you have to use some pretty dark colors."
As an artist, I love this quote, and was reminded of it when a friend told me I needed to use a little more black to bring contrast to one of my pictures. I find it incredibly true.
Anyways... yeah... I'm still terrible with concluding things, so... let me know what you think. Feel free to tell me if you think I'm wrong. Ask questions; that's how people learn! What do you guys think?!
What is Love?
"Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more~!"
This was a journal post from my DeviantArt account:
Okay, that being said, I would like to address a pretty touchy subject: Love.
(Not THAT kind of touchy! ...Sickos.)
I'll let you know right off the bat that I am no doctor nor highly-trained professional on the subject of love. I can't claim that everything I say is 100% correct, I wish only to discuss my thoughts and beliefs on the subject. If you have any disagreements, please let me know. I urge you to respond! I would love to discuss things with you, as I really do wish to learn what other's think. I love learning.
Now, to the point: I do not believe love causes people harm. Love is only a good thing, it is the very foundation of patience, kindness and forgiveness. Love does not hold envy or pride, it is not rude or self-centered.*
Why do I believe this, even after being hurt several times, myself? Because I honestly can't say it was love's fault I was hurt. It was the fault of people (perhaps myself included). People can have envy and pride, they can be rude and self-centered, not love!
Love doesn't spark hatred. But relationships can be severed because of people and what people do. Its very possible for someone to give their heart to someone else, and get nothing in return. It hurts, but not because of love, moreso the lack thereof. Because a person does not return the favor, a heart is hurt.
Now, the main reason for this journal: I'm sure most of us know at least one person still hurting from a past relationship. I was asked "how do people deal with these things? How can I help others...?"
Honestly, I only know of one way. You could give them advice, but there's always a large possibility they won't want to listen; They're people with free will, they'll make mistakes until they figure it out themselves. However, you can help them heal by showing them the true love that their hearts are aching for. I'm not saying, "go and fall in love with your friends." They don't need romance, they need love. They need people who are patient, kind, and forgiving. And I know there's many ways to show people you care! Being on DeviantArt, I'm sure the majority of you readers are creative, and can find even newer ways to reach out to those in pain.
Now, a word to those in relationships: Be careful, and make sure what you feel for each other is really love. Lust is a disgusting character often confused with love. A leech that disguises itself, so you'll hold it close to your heart where it can suck your blood from its source. You'll just find yourself feeling empty and unsatisfied.
Keep in mind, I'm not saying its too late to fix things if a relationship isn't based on love. Its still possible to turn things around. Its always possible to turn things around. You've never reached a dead-end until you're dead. A relationship that falls apart could still be salvaged for the better, so long as you bring in true love.
True love is unconditional. This means nothing the other person does could make you stop loving them. NOTHING! If there's something you couldn't forgive someone for, then your love is simply conditional. Its possible you end up with someone smart enough to keep from hurting you, but people are also very prone to make mistakes. If they do so happen to make a mistake, even if it be as low as committing adultery, would you be able to forgive them so long as they repented and really meant it?
Think about it. How true is your love? Could it survive anything, even the mistakes of each other?
And... now I can't think of anything else to say... So, I'm gunna conclude this here for now. Feel free to discuss your thoughts.
---
*1 Corinthians 13:4-5
This was a journal post from my DeviantArt account:
Okay, that being said, I would like to address a pretty touchy subject: Love.
(Not THAT kind of touchy! ...Sickos.)
I'll let you know right off the bat that I am no doctor nor highly-trained professional on the subject of love. I can't claim that everything I say is 100% correct, I wish only to discuss my thoughts and beliefs on the subject. If you have any disagreements, please let me know. I urge you to respond! I would love to discuss things with you, as I really do wish to learn what other's think. I love learning.
Now, to the point: I do not believe love causes people harm. Love is only a good thing, it is the very foundation of patience, kindness and forgiveness. Love does not hold envy or pride, it is not rude or self-centered.*
Why do I believe this, even after being hurt several times, myself? Because I honestly can't say it was love's fault I was hurt. It was the fault of people (perhaps myself included). People can have envy and pride, they can be rude and self-centered, not love!
Love doesn't spark hatred. But relationships can be severed because of people and what people do. Its very possible for someone to give their heart to someone else, and get nothing in return. It hurts, but not because of love, moreso the lack thereof. Because a person does not return the favor, a heart is hurt.
Now, the main reason for this journal: I'm sure most of us know at least one person still hurting from a past relationship. I was asked "how do people deal with these things? How can I help others...?"
Honestly, I only know of one way. You could give them advice, but there's always a large possibility they won't want to listen; They're people with free will, they'll make mistakes until they figure it out themselves. However, you can help them heal by showing them the true love that their hearts are aching for. I'm not saying, "go and fall in love with your friends." They don't need romance, they need love. They need people who are patient, kind, and forgiving. And I know there's many ways to show people you care! Being on DeviantArt, I'm sure the majority of you readers are creative, and can find even newer ways to reach out to those in pain.
Now, a word to those in relationships: Be careful, and make sure what you feel for each other is really love. Lust is a disgusting character often confused with love. A leech that disguises itself, so you'll hold it close to your heart where it can suck your blood from its source. You'll just find yourself feeling empty and unsatisfied.
Keep in mind, I'm not saying its too late to fix things if a relationship isn't based on love. Its still possible to turn things around. Its always possible to turn things around. You've never reached a dead-end until you're dead. A relationship that falls apart could still be salvaged for the better, so long as you bring in true love.
True love is unconditional. This means nothing the other person does could make you stop loving them. NOTHING! If there's something you couldn't forgive someone for, then your love is simply conditional. Its possible you end up with someone smart enough to keep from hurting you, but people are also very prone to make mistakes. If they do so happen to make a mistake, even if it be as low as committing adultery, would you be able to forgive them so long as they repented and really meant it?
Think about it. How true is your love? Could it survive anything, even the mistakes of each other?
And... now I can't think of anything else to say... So, I'm gunna conclude this here for now. Feel free to discuss your thoughts.
---
*1 Corinthians 13:4-5
A Revelation
This is the main blog-post on MySpace that I wanted to save, it was written on Friday, February 26, 2010:
So, I had this simple revelation yesterday. Probably should have figured it out long ago, but oh well... I don't remember how it came up, but it just like clicked: God is love.
One problem I had a long time ago, was that I imagined God as just some huge magic person, with a long white beard and pure-white clothes. So, when I heard that heaven would consist of praising God for eternity, it didn't sound all that appealing. Aren't I supposed to have free will? What if I don't want to just sit and praise some old guy forever? How would that make me happy?
But, I had a misconception about the image of God. He isn't just some old guy with a white beard. In fact, he doesn't currently have a physical form. He's love, the invisible force that holds us all together. God's character fits perfectly with that of love. Love is patient, God is patient. Love is kind, so is God. Philosophers have been trying to understand love for years and continue to fail, because God transcends all understanding. God is love. Nothing less.
So, now I've got a whole new perspective on what heaven will be like. It wont matter how physically glorious everything is, because we'll be in the presence of love. All we'll feel is love. Loving God, and being loved 100% in return. Just pure love, nothing else. No sorrow, anger, hatred, or lust. Only the joy of feeling wholesome love for eternity.
I don't know about you, but that sounds a lot more appealing to me than praising some wrinkled-old-bearded guy forever. Even more appealing that streets of gold. Doesn't it?
This was written in response to a comment my mother wrote on this subject:
Actually, I was getting to that point... just didn't want to bore everyone with a really long blog-post.
God made mankind in His image, so we were made in the image of Love. Not physically with hands, legs, and other various parts; love is not physical. Our bodies weren't made to represent love, they're just a means of carrying it while we live on earth. We use our bodies to show our love, by caring for and helping others. Love is showed in our actions, its outward and needs to be expressed. Thats why the best way to represent God is by treating EVERYONE as best we can. Not just friends and family, but even our worst enemies. God calls us to love them all, as He loved us, so that they might also turn from their ways and follow Him.
I am not sure I agree completely with you about all the answers being inside of me. I have a lot of questions that can only be answered by carefully studying the Written Word, and others that become clearer by asking as many questions and discussing with others as thouroughly as I can. But there is something inside of me, and I am responsible for how I let it out.
So, I had this simple revelation yesterday. Probably should have figured it out long ago, but oh well... I don't remember how it came up, but it just like clicked: God is love.
One problem I had a long time ago, was that I imagined God as just some huge magic person, with a long white beard and pure-white clothes. So, when I heard that heaven would consist of praising God for eternity, it didn't sound all that appealing. Aren't I supposed to have free will? What if I don't want to just sit and praise some old guy forever? How would that make me happy?
But, I had a misconception about the image of God. He isn't just some old guy with a white beard. In fact, he doesn't currently have a physical form. He's love, the invisible force that holds us all together. God's character fits perfectly with that of love. Love is patient, God is patient. Love is kind, so is God. Philosophers have been trying to understand love for years and continue to fail, because God transcends all understanding. God is love. Nothing less.
So, now I've got a whole new perspective on what heaven will be like. It wont matter how physically glorious everything is, because we'll be in the presence of love. All we'll feel is love. Loving God, and being loved 100% in return. Just pure love, nothing else. No sorrow, anger, hatred, or lust. Only the joy of feeling wholesome love for eternity.
I don't know about you, but that sounds a lot more appealing to me than praising some wrinkled-old-bearded guy forever. Even more appealing that streets of gold. Doesn't it?
This was written in response to a comment my mother wrote on this subject:
Actually, I was getting to that point... just didn't want to bore everyone with a really long blog-post.
God made mankind in His image, so we were made in the image of Love. Not physically with hands, legs, and other various parts; love is not physical. Our bodies weren't made to represent love, they're just a means of carrying it while we live on earth. We use our bodies to show our love, by caring for and helping others. Love is showed in our actions, its outward and needs to be expressed. Thats why the best way to represent God is by treating EVERYONE as best we can. Not just friends and family, but even our worst enemies. God calls us to love them all, as He loved us, so that they might also turn from their ways and follow Him.
I am not sure I agree completely with you about all the answers being inside of me. I have a lot of questions that can only be answered by carefully studying the Written Word, and others that become clearer by asking as many questions and discussing with others as thouroughly as I can. But there is something inside of me, and I am responsible for how I let it out.
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