Celebrate and Rejoice!

The grace of God means something like:

Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you.

Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen.

Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us.

It’s for you I created the universe. I love you.

- Frederick Buechner - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Buechner  

[Photo above taken by Laura Moody - copyright 2011 - It is an image of a balloon weight.]

Spirit Fire Kindling - Light Your Fire with Love™

 

So I had an idea… and came up with a little product called Spirit Fire Kindling™.

A perfect start for campfires, bonfires and wood-burning fireplaces!

It is a great addition for your upcoming camping trips that include a fire for gazing or cooking! It is also a great purchase for those chilly evenings in front of a wood-burning fireplace.

Each heart is made of recycled brown paper bags and raffia straw.

I created a separate web site for this item. Check it out when you have a chance!
http://lightyourfirewithlove.blogspot.com/

Spirit Fire Kindling™ was previously sold at my friend's shop, Weathered Elegance. Check out Donna's Weathered Elegance items in person when you are in Leesburg, Virginia’s Historic District or visit her site on the web: http://weatheredelegance.org/

Interested in a bulk purchase of Spirit Fire Kindling™ for all the fun events this year? Contact me.

Thanks for supporting your local artists! :) Laura

http://latestlinesfromlaura.blogspot.com
http://lightyourfirewithlove.blogspot.com/

True Peace

To be glad of life, because it gives you

the chance to love and to work and to play

and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied

with your possessions, but not contented

with yourself until you have made

the best of them...to think seldom

of your enemies, often of your friends,

and every day of Christ; and to spend

as much time as you can, with body

and with spirit in God's out-of-doors- these

are little guideposts on the footpath to peace.

- Henry Van Dyke

Love Santorini!

I have visited there twice and given the opportunity, I would surely visit a third time! The photo above was taken by me during my trip in the 1990s.

Many film companies have traveled to the island to make such main stream films as Lara Croft Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

Even the second season of I Spy, the 1960s TV series with Bill Cosby, shot some footage!

I have enjoyed watching these different mediums if only to get a glimpse again of this magical Greek destination.

It would be wonderful to spend at least a week during a future visit to truly enjoy the peace the exists regularly for its inhabitants!

All of that is to say that I love Santorini. :)

Which leads me to this information below that I found on this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love

I hope you find the data interesting!

There are a number of different Greek words for love, as the Greek language distinguishes how the word is used. Ancient Greek has three distinct words for love: eros, philia, and agape.

However, as with other languages, it has been historically difficult to separate the meanings of these words.
Nonetheless, the senses in which these words were generally used are given below.

Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "(romantic) love". Plato refined his own definition. Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself.

It should be noted Plato does not talk of physical attraction as a necessary part of love, hence the use of the word platonic to mean, "without physical attraction". Plato also said Eros helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty, and contributes to an understanding of spiritual truth. Lovers and philosophers are all inspired to seek truth by eros. The most famous ancient work on the subject of eros is Plato's Symposium, which is a discussion among the students of Socrates on the nature of eros.

Philia (φιλία philía), means friendship in modern Greek, a dispassionate virtuous love, was a concept developed by Aristotle. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity. In ancient texts, philia denoted a general type of love, used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity, as well as between lovers.

Agapē (ἀγάπη agápē) means "love" in modern day Greek. The term s'agapo means "I love you" in Greek. The word "agapo" is the verb "I love". In Ancient Greek it often refers to a general affection or concern, rather than the physical attraction suggested by "eros"; agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for a good meal, one's children, and the feelings for a spouse.

The verb appears in the New Testament describing, amongst other things, the relationship between Jesus and the beloved disciple. Many Christian scholars have consequently argued that the verb's use in the New Testament is simply to describe God's love for humanity (compare with Spinoza's amor intellectualis Dei, the intellectual love of God).

In the end, "agape" is differentiated from "eros" above. In biblical literature, its meaning and usage is illustrated by self-sacrificing, giving love to all--both friend and enemy. The word "agape" is not always used in the New Testament in a positive sense. II Timothy 4:10 uses the word in a negative sense. The Apostle Paul writes, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world...." The word "loved" here is a form of the root word "agape".

Thus the word "agape" is not always used of a divine love or the love of God. Generally, in the New Testament it refers to a total commitment or self-sacrificial love for the object loved. The word seems to contain more of an mental or intellectual element than the other Greek words for love. It is a rational love that is not based on total self-interest. By this a Christian is required to love (agape) someone who is not necessarily lovely or loveable.

The Christian by God's grace and mercy is required to "love" someone that he may not necessarily like or love in the sense of having warm fuzzy emotional feelings toward. It is a love that acts in the best interest of the other person. The classic biblical text on this self-sacrificial love is the well-known biblical verse, John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son...." A Christian is required to love his enemies ("...Love your enemies..." Matthew 5:44). Thus. the Christian is required to always do good and have the best interest of his enemies in view when he acts.

Storge (στοργή storgē) means affection in modern Greek; it is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring. Rarely used in ancient works, and then almost exclusively as a descriptor of relationships within the family.

To learn more about the unique island of Santorini, visit these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santorini

Just one of the many hotels with beautiful views of the island and ocean (this site has a nice slide show):
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3022


¸..• ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
((¸¸.•´ ..•´ -:¦:- May your day be filled with many smiles!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.•´*

Monte Cristo

One of my favorite movies is “The Count of Monte Cristo,” the recent version that stars Jim Caviezel as Dantes.

Some folks might perceive the big flick as being on the cheesy side, but if you disregard the fact that the characters speak “American” vs. “French” (or other European languages) and concentrate rather on the beautiful scenery of Ireland and Malta as well as allow the poignant delivery of certain lines to sink in, then I believe you will enjoy the film as much as I do!

Highlights:

Mercedes: I don't know what dark plan lies within you. Nor do I know by what design we were asked to live without each other these 16 years. But God has offered us a new beginning...

Edmond: God?

Mercedes: Don't slap His hand away.

Edmond: Can I never escape Him?

Mercedes: No, He is in everything. Even in a kiss.

and

Abbe Faria: Here is your final lesson - do not commit the crime for which you now serve the sentence. God said, "Vengeance is mine."

Edmond Dantes: I don't believe in God.

Abbe Faria: It doesn't matter. He believes in you.


Here are a couple web site links with more details about the enjoyable film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245844/quotes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo_(2002_film)


Have a great day! Be blessed and if you need wisdom, just ask the Lord God who made you!

Love Him with all of your heart, soul and mind!

Coincidence? I think not. :)

Did you know that your life has already been planned since before time by the Creator of the Universe? Pretty spectacular realization, isn’t it? God knew your name before the beginning of time!

As of late I have been connecting the dots of my life and have discovered many things.

Including this little diddy that perhaps for-shadowed what was to come to pass.

In grade school one of my favorite books on my Mom’s shelves was called “The Best Loved Poems of the American People.” I scoured its pages often and thoroughly enjoyed the delightful verbiage between its covers.

For a 10th grade English project, I made illustrations to accent some of these poems, including this one below.

My drawing for the poem called “TO A FRIEND” consisted of a single rose with a tag on it that said “Pour un Ami.”

Fast forward to present day: "Ami" is my nickname for one whom I am so happy to know.


Here is the poem:

You ENTERED my life in a casual way,
And saw at a glance what I needed;
There were others who passed me or met me each day,
But never a one of them heeded.
Perhaps you were thinking of other folks more,
Or chance simply seemed to decree it;
I know there were many such chances before,
But the others-well, they didn't see it.

You said just the thing that I wished you would say,
And you made me believe that you meant it;
I held my head in the old gallant way,
And resolved you should never repent it.
There are times when encouragement means such a lot,
And a word is enough to convey it;
There were others who could have, as easy as not -
But, just the same, they didn't say it.

There may have been someone who could have done more
To help me along, though I doubt it;
What I needed was cheering, and always before
They had let me plod onward without it.
You helped to refashion the dream of my heart,
And made me turn eagerly to it;
There were others who might have (I question that part) -
But, after all, they didn't do it!

- Grace Stricker Dawson



I encourage all to own a copy of this marvelous book or at least inquire if it is at your local library. Every page is a delicious treat that allows one’s imagination to consider the beauty of life’s many different experiences.

This web site link is one of many retail stores that offers the reprint of the 1936 copyright version to consumers.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-best-loved-poems-of-the-american-people-hazel-felleman/1000211468

Have a great day!

On the Lighter Side - Art "Funnies"

Here are two bits of silly-ness that I thought all might enjoy!

1) Location Paris: Recently a guy in Paris nearly got away with stealing several paintings from the Louvre. However, after planning the crime, getting in and out past security, he was captured only 2 blocks away when his Econoline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_E-Series ran out of gas. (See above photo for visual :) When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied:

“I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh.”

2) After much careful research it has been discovered that the artist Vincent Van Gogh had many relatives. Among them were:

His obnoxious brother – Please Gogh
The brother who ate prunes – Gotta Gogh
The brother who worked at the convenience store – StopnGogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia – U Gogh
The brother who bleached his clothes white – Hue Gogh
His dizzy aunt – Verti Gogh
The cousin from Illinois – Chica Gogh
His magician uncle – Wherediddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin – Amee Gogh
The cousin’s American half brother – Grin Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach – Wellsfar Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt – Tan Gogh
The bird lover uncle – Flamin Gogh
His nephew psychoanalyst – E Gogh
The fruit loving cousin – Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking – Wayto Gogh
The little nephew – Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco – Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in a van – Winniebay Gogh

Have a great day!