Love, Words, and Random Thoughts

So, I've started this post about three times. Every time I start off with a certain point I end up realizing that it's not really what I think or that it doesn't really convey what I've been thinking about. So I'm going to do this in a list kind of format.

1. Words are powerful. They have an impact to tear down and to really build people up. The Bible talks A LOT about being careful with our words, taming our tongues and watching the words that come out of our mouths. When we were little my mom always said, "If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all." We called it the Thumper rule. It can be hard to figure out what this means for me as I blog.

I love giving words of encouragement to people, it's probably one of the ways I really express to people how much they mean to me, that and gifts. I love giving gifts. It's so fun! I think that I get this from my mom. She always gives the best, most thoughtful gifts.

Words of encouragement are also one of the ways that I feel the most affirmed, Rob is good at this even though it doesn't come naturally to him, and I appreciate that a lot.

The thing I've been realizing about this "need" for affirmation is the fact that I should be looking to receive this affirmation from God when I'm not receiving it from those around me and even when I AM receiving it from those around me. This is not because of any fault of others, but of something in me that wants to be affirmed. It sounds like such an obvious thing and something I know, but don't really KNOW, you know? :P 

I struggled with this a lot my first year of university, and it's something that often comes up for me again and again.

2. We were watching this clip of a counselling session in Foundations of Counselling and I was a little disconcerted about how much the counselling session resonated with me.

Isn't it weird when that happens? You're just going along with life, thinking and pondering, and then all of a sudden it's like BAM, this is what God is trying to speak to you! And the message just gets repeated over and over? This happens to me every once and a while. I'll be just casually thinking about something an all of a sudden people are bringing it up in conversation, I'm hearing talks about it on the radio, people are recommending books about it, professors are talking about it in class and I'm sitting there going, "Did everyone have a big meeting with God and I wasn't invited?"

Last year I had this crazy moment of confidence/insanity at a class retreat where I decided to share my dream with the class for a "dream analysis". The dream was pretty intense but it came down to, how do you care for yourself? Who takes care of you? Which is a good question, and a question I think as potential counsellors me and my classmates should be asking. 

3. To go back to the first point, just to be confusing, what about when people receive love in a totally opposite way than you...or when they just don't receive it at all? I have met so many people like this and have many close friends where this is the case. It's a good challenge for me to keep loving and trying to figure out ways I can show them in ways that they'll accept it.

Rob and I do connect on giving and receiving love in some ways, but for him he is a 0 on the scale on receiving love from gifts. I like gifts, meaningful thought-out gifts. So sometimes I give them to him and will forget about the ways that he actually receives love and we have a little time of disconnect. 

I always find it fun when I meet people to try and discern what their love languages are. Sometimes I end up having to ask people because I just keep missing the mark. For the longest time I had no idea how my brother received love, until one time I was talking with my friends about our relationship and one of them looked at me and said, "Lysh, maybe it's quality time?" And it was a light bulb moment. I think it's really changed how my brother and I interact and realizing that just hanging out is what he wants. My expectations and perceptions are not his.

4. I want to go hiking, really bad. I miss being outside. The city is not so good for me and I live in it 24/7. 

5. I'm learning more and more every day that I won't be able to make people feel a certain way, about themselves, about the world, about God. It just won't happen. I can never convince people of their worth, value. I can tell people they have worth and value and try to show it to them but you can never change a persons view of themselves or the world through argument. I'm not fully explaining this thought. But that's the base of it.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this and you can help people see truths but you cannot open their eyes.

6. I want a burger and fries. Crispy delicious fries. This happens to me a lot when I'm at school. Anyone have any theories on this?

I do.

I like crispy fries.

7. It's sunny today and that makes me so happy. I think I will walk over to the other campus this afternoon. Hurrah!

Oorah!

And scene...

Thanks for attempting to track along with me. This isn't my best thought out post. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway.