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This was SUCH a sweet, sweet debut story by Rachel Fordham. She is a new-to-me author this year but somehow I've followed her socials long before I ever picked up one of her books. I was in for a treat with this one. It's a romance, but very light and totally one I would recommend for young girls who like "love stories." :) It's about the simple things. Forming close friendships, discovering what beautiful actually means, being grateful for the seemingly "little" things in our lives, and especially about being thankful for the people in our lives. As one of my favorite characters pointed out, we get so caught up in thinking that other people are the answers to our prayers that we overlook the fact that we, in fact, are an answer to their prayers. Several scenes in this book gave me serious "Anne of Green Gables" vibes and the setting was similar to the Love Comes Softly movies. It gives you ALL the feels. One minute you're laughing, the next you're bawling your eyes out at some of the simplest gestures. It was SO GOOD. (I can't say that enough!) All in all, a wonderful book! Thank you for writing this story, Rachel! May the Lord use your words to touch the hearts of others and point them back to Him. :) Before I go, I wanted to share one of the quotes that stood out to me as I was reading it. "Looks are a funny thing, very peculiar. Never waste any time disliking the ones you have. The right person will think they are the very definition of beautiful." ~Abigail Howell
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What comes to mind when you think about the term love?
If you're like me, you'll get caught up in the romanticization of love. Mention love and a million images come to mind. Hugs, kisses, romantic sayings, gestures, and especially the heart-melting words, "I love you." I've always been fascinated by the aspect of love as we know it, in the abstract, or the unseen "feeling." But throughout the past couple of months, my awareness has grown and I'm learning new perspectives and branching out when it comes to our consideration of love. Love as a feeling (or an emotion) will most always be a temporary, fleeting thing that fades after a while. New feelings and emotions will douse the flame as quickly as it erupted. We can't trust our feelings--they're constantly changing. But here is something I learned about love the more I've been pondering the subject. Love is also concrete. Love can be more visible and reliable than mere words and "feelings." In fact, this side of love goes deeper. Love is an action. Now, I know I've mentioned this before in earlier blog posts but I believe it bears repeating. It's easy to say the words, to say that we love someone, or that we love something. But what do our actions portray? Are we living up to our words? What does love in action look like? It's so much more than giving up your seat in the bus, surprising your spouse with flowers, or showing up for your children's various recitals, games, and programs. Love, in the Bible, is translated as "charity." Charity can be defined as "unselfish, self-sacrificing concern." Love is selflessness. A giving up of your own desires, your own pleasures, and sacrificing that for the sake of others. This aspect of love made me stop and think more deeply about it. There was always the niggling question in my heart about love and romance. What is it about these things, about love, that draws us in, that makes our heart stir with excitement, anticipation, and joy? Love is displayed best in our Lord Jesus Christ. He showed the ultimate example of love in action by giving up His splendor, His glorious state, and His throne in heaven, all to come down to earth in human form. He showed it best when He gave His life on the Cross to save people--people who were His enemies and hated Him at the time. He showed it best when He brought the world and all of creation into being. He showed it best when He conceived the plan of salvation that would result in a people He could call and claim as His own. He showed it best when He breathed His breath of life into our lungs and created us for His eternal glory. No wonder we are in love with, well, LOVE. Because God is LOVE (1 John 4:16) The selflessness of love and the selflessness of our Savior's love is what draws us in. It points us to Him, the great Lover of our souls. May He be our hearts' first love, and our one true Love. :) "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18 |
AuthorHi! I'm Carolyn, a writer seeking to glorify God with my words. Archives
February 2024
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