I WHISPERED, 'I am too young,'
And then, 'I am old enough';
Wherefore I threw a penny
To find out if I might love.
'Go and love, go and love, young man,
If the lady be young and fair.'
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
I am looped in the loops of her hair.
O love is the crooked thing,
There is nobody wise enough
To find out all that is in it,
For he would be thinking of love
Till the stars had run away
And the shadows eaten the moon.
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
One cannot begin it too soon.

During a seminar, a woman asked," How do I know if I am with the right person?"

The author then noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, "It depends. Is that your partner?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?" "Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind", replied the author.

Here's the answer.

Every relationship has a cycle… In the beginning; you fall in love with your partner. You anticipate their calls, want their touch, and like their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept off my feet." Picture the expression. It implies that you were just standing there, doing nothing, and then something HAPPENED TO YOU.

Falling in love is a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few months or years of being together, the euphoria of love fades. It's a natural cycle of EVERY relationship.

Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship; you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your partner might start asking, "Am I with the right person?" And as you reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when relationships breakdown.

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the person you found.

People blame their partners for their unhappiness and look outside for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes.

Infidelity is the most common. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your relationship. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this):

The key to succeeding in a Relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the Person you found.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. You have to work on it day in and day out. It takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it demands WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make it work. Make no mistake about it.

Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your partner), Just as there are physical laws ff the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. If you know how to apply these laws, the results are predictable.

Love is therefore a "decision". Not just a feeling.

Disclaimer: The above article is a re-post.

Saying I love you
Is not the words I want to hear from you
It's not that I want you
Not to say, but if you only knew
How easy it would be to show me how you feel
More than words is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
'Cause I'd already know
What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying I love you
Now that I've tried to talk to you and make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands and touch me
Hold me close,... don't ever let me go
More than words is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say,... that you love me
'Cause I'd already know
What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying I love you

A group of professionals posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds,

'What does love mean?'

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined

See what you think:

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'

Rebecca- age 8



'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'

Karl - age 5



'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'

Chrissy - age 6



'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'

Terri - age 4



'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'

Danny - age 7



'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that.
They look gross when they kiss'

Emily - age 8



'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate, '

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)



'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.'

Noelle - age 7



'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'

Tommy - age 6



'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'

Cindy - age 8



'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'

Clare - age 6



'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'

Elaine-age 5



'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford .'

Chris - age 7



'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'

Mary Ann - age 4



'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'

Lauren - age 4


'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'

Mark - age 6



'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'

Jessica - age 8
And the final one

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

Virtuous women seem to be extinct,
If you're extinct please contact me immediately!

††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††
✞✞"Who can find a virtuous woman?✞✞
✞✞✞for her price is far above rubies.✞✞✞
✞✞✞✞✞The heart of her husband✞✞✞✞✞✞✞
✞✞✞✞doth safely trust in her, so✞✞✞✞✞✞✞
✞that he shall have no need of spoil."✞
✞✞✞✞✞✞✞~Proverbs 31:10-11~✞✞✞✞✞✞✞✞
††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††

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░░☼_____________For you______________☼░░
░░☼_There is no mountain I would not climb_☼░░
░░☼._____No Treasure I would not find_____☼░░
░░☼______I'll turn the hands of time_______☼░░
░░☼_____________For you______________☼░░
░░☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼░░
░░☼_____________For you______________☼░░
░░☼____I'll be the cover when you're cold___☼░░
░░☼______The one to have and hold_______☼░░
░░☼_______I'll be there all the time_______☼░░
░░☼_____________For you______________☼░░
░░☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼░░
░░☼___I'll be your strength, your company__☼░░
░░☼______your friend, and your lover______☼░░
░░☼._____I'll be there,... when you cry_____☼░░
░░☼.___to dry your eyes, keep you warm___☼░░░
░░☼_____shelter you from the storm_______☼░░
░░☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼░░
░░☼_____________For you______________☼░░░
░░☼.____There is no cup I would not full____☼░░
░░☼_______No string I would not pull______☼░░
░░☼_______No place I would not go_______☼░░░
░░☼._____________For you______________☼░░
░░☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼░░
░░☼_____________For you______________☼░░
░░☼_____I'll be right there when you call____☼░░
░░☼._______Your cushion if you fall________☼░░
░░☼._______And I'll be standing tall________☼░░
░░☼_____________For you_______________☼░░
░░☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼░░░
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In the name of
And by the power of
The Holy Spirit
May we invoke your
Intercession for
The children of America
Some of whom have been
Murdered so obscene
Some of whom have been taken

Let not another child be slain
Let not another search be made in vain

Jah forgive us
For forgetting
Jah help us
We need more loving
See the teachers
Are representing you
So badly
That not many can see you

Jah calls the ones who's
Beliefs kill children too
to Feel the love of you and be healed
And may we all cry too
For representing you
So badly,... so badly

Don't tell your man what he don't do right
Nor tell him all the things that make you cry
But check yourself for your own shit
And don't be making out like it's all his

Take a look around the world
You see such bad things happening
There are many good men
Ask yourself is he one of them

The deadliest of sin is pride
Make you feel like you're always right
But they're always two sides
It takes two to make love, two to make a life

Take a look around the world
You see such mad things happening
There are few good men
Thank your lucky star if he's one of them

I see you walking down the street
I look at you, you look at me
And in that moment that we greet
I drift away

Standing in the evening sun
Your eyes look tender, arms look strong
And how I wish that I belonged
But I don't say

That maybe I'm the one you seek
And maybe you and I could speak
And maybe we could start to see
If only this wasn't just my dream

I'm standing waiting in the sun
I'm hoping that you'll come along
I've been here almost every day
But you don't show

I see you walking down the street
I look at you, you look at me
And in that moment maybe we
Could drift away...

I was afraid,... to tell you how I feel...
So scared,...... to say the words....
Still you were there,... and you assured me that it was okay...
You said,...
No one said it would be easy,...
You just got to have your Faith,....
You'll always be with me,...
Until I've reached the gates!

Here I am,... thanking you for making me a better man,...
LORD,...................
Now I understand,...
The reason why you offered us your mighty hand,...
You said,....

It will be hard,.... to pray whenever I was in doubt,...
you taught me how, you taught me how,....
When I was down,...
You're the one who showed me how to get up from off the ground!
Yes!

Through your words my life has changed,...
Even though it was going down the drain,...
We've got the power to make the change,...
Just say his name and,...

Here I am,... thanking you for making me a better man...
Today LORD,... yeah
I understand,... the reason why you offered us your mighty hand.

Love has found its way,

In our hearts today, yeah,

When your love is beautiful,

There's nothing, nothing that can go wrong,

When two hearts beat together, it's like an everlasting song.

The moon shines right over yonder,

and it makes me feel so fine,

I'm so thankful, so thankful baby,

that Jah has made you mine.

Oh baby, please let me stay with you,

this love is so hard to resist,

let me feel your loving kindness,

and all your tenderness,

Oh lady, you make me so very happy,

even a blind man can see,

that love can be so beautiful,

Love that's meant to be.