I wasn't tagged by anyone, but nonetheless...'the long tag'

1. High heels or boots? Boots.

2. What time did you get up this morning? 11:30 a.m. (It's Saturday....and I couldn't sleep because of my stomach ache and headache last night!)
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief"
4. What is your name? Sarah
5. What is your favorite TV show? Survivor
6. What do you usually have for breakfast? Coffee, eggs and toast.
7. What is your middle name? Elizabeth
8. What food do you dislike? Fish of any kind, sour cream and mayonnaise.
9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? "Hope Rising" by: FEE & TFK's "Welcome To The Masquerade"
10. What characteristic do you despise? Arrogance and being a gossip.
11. Favorite Clothing? Blue Jeans, t-shirt and a hoodie.
12. Anywhere in the world on vacation? Ireland......or New Zealand.
13. Are you an organized person? Yes, very much so.
14. Where would you retire to? The mountains....not sure if I would want to stay where I'm at now, or not.
15 What was your most recent memorable birthday? 20th
16. What are you going to do when you finish this? Take a shower, and then study for my First Aid & CPR classes some more.
17. What is your Birthstone? Emerald
18. Person you expect to publish this first? No idea whatsoever!
19. When is your birthday? May 11th
20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night person...hoot hoot! hehe
21. What is your shoe size? 9 1/2 or 10
22. Do you own any animals? Yes, a Bichon Frise named 'Summer's Princess Abigail!' I 'heart' ABBY!
23. Any news you'd like to share? I am excited to be traveling to see my family this Sunday!
24. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? I was a dreamer....so every week and month differed...most of the time I wanted to be a Vet, a Paleontologist or an Archaeologist.
25. What is your favorite flower? Coral Colored Roses.......or Orchids.
26. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? March 4th. My boyfriend Jared, and my other best guy friend Patrick are coming to visit!!!
27. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Royal Purple, or Aqua.
28. How is the weather right now? Bright and sunny...blue skies.
29. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Jared Fisher.
30. Favorite drink? Chocolate Hazelnut Tea, Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke.
31. Favorite restaurant? Carrabba's!
32. Hair color? I am a 'Brilliant Brunette!'
33. What was your favorite toy as a child? Dirt and my large vast imagination.
34. Summer or winter? I would say Fall, but that was not a choice so I will say Winter.
35. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate.
36. Coffee or tea? Coffee.
37. Wish you were still young? I am still a young woman.
38. Do you want your friends to publish this? If they'd like to, then by all means yes.
39. When was the last time you cried? This past Thursday night.
40. What is under your bed? Blankets, my large VHS movie collection, and Summer clothes.
41 . What did you do last night? Cleaned out my room, and revamped my blog/music player on my blog.
42. What are you afraid of? You are all going to laugh! I am terrified of FISH....yes, alas I am an Icthyophobe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_fish
43. Salty or sweet? Salty......cheddar sour cream and onion (yes, I do not like sour cream but I do like sour cream chips....weird I know) chips ring a bell!?
44. Best quality you have? I strive to be sincere and transparent, always....if you are around me I find that it is my duty to make you laugh friend!
45. How many years at your current job? I've been teaching piano since I was 17. Also, I've been babysitting since I was 12 years old.
46. Favorite day of the week? Thursday's and Sunday's.
48. What four people will you tag? I wasn't tagged. I copied and pasted this 'long tag' off of Lillian Mynatte's blog...you can find her blog at: lillianmynatte.blogspot.com I quite enjoy reading all of Lillian's posting's. I found Lillian's blog through Caroline's blog's: standinginthesunlight.blogspot.com & mrsdarcysdressingroom.blogspot.com and ultimately I found Caroline through my dear friend Lynette's blog page lameinbothfeet.blogspot.com. These women have such lovely spirits, although I only personally know and have spent time with Lynette S. Check them out...they are indeed worth the read!

Fight. Open Heart. Resolve.

I am learning so much about love.

1) If something is bothering you you have got to talk it out. You cannot fix and work on what you do not acknowledge and what you do not know of!

2) You have got to be sensitive to the other person. Trying to see it their way....it's hard....everyone has a differing opinion. When that person is opening up to you it is not time to flaunt your high and mighty opinions, it is time to listen!

3) Share your heart....just go on and lay it out there! What you thought maybe you should hold back on could make the other person see the situation and yourself in a different light, when you talk to them in earnest about it.

4) You may think what you have to say, or what has gone on in your life trumps what the other person is telling you at that moment....shut up and listen, please. You shouldn't feel like your life story has to trump theirs...it's not a competition after all!

5) Resolve comes only after acknowledging the conflict betwixt the two....opening your heart, speaking in truth, listening and talking everything through.

Yet more to learn in the art of love,

Daughter of the King

~Through The Eyes Of A Neo-Victorianess~

As I was walking along the hard asphalt road, alongside my love, I stopped to a dead still stance. I asked him 'Do you hear that....can you feel it...can you smell it?' I could smell the pine trees. I could hear the wind whistling through the trees in the wood. I could feel the cold wind accompanied alongside the glow of the sunlight upon my face. I listened, taking it all in through sight, sound and scent. It was breathtaking....and it demanded my full attention. It spoke. It was silent. It was beauty.

Jared said 'I love that about you.....you take it all in.....you are like a Neo-Victorian!' 'My Neo-Victorian' is what he calls me now, ever since that long 5 mile walk of ours that we took. I find the nickname rather endearing, and also so very poignant. Jared said that I am old-fashioned about lots of things. Like how I think the young man should lead, how I like to take long walks......and many other things about me he says are old fashioned...Victorian-ish.

I have always seen things and understood them....taking them within....in such a different manner than most other people. You could call me the 'old-soul' type, living in the 21st century. I so long for things to be more simplistic. I love to take long walks that I wish would never end.....I truly would walk unto no end if I could until my feet bled. I love old books and tea pots, scarves and polish pottery. I love quilting....working with my hands, writing poetry, playing the piano for hours on end.....and cooking Italiano. I love the smell of old books, taking pictures and making them black and white.....singing aloud while hiking on a mountain top. I am easily amused and filled with joy when just being who I am, and when just soaking up all the glorious beauty that surrounds me!

Sometimes I think that maybe, just maybe I was not meant to live in this place and time....in the here and now....rather, I was supposed to live in the Victorian era. Maybe I was meant to live in even earlier times perhaps. I dream of a time when things were simpler. I dream of having a husband and a home to take care of. I dream of my future children...cooking for my family....cleaning that lovely home of my very own....teaching my children about God's creation and of His Son Jesus Christ. Taking family walks.......devotion times spent together. .....forgetting the world and just simply living within the love that's been given me........or has yet to be given, but is very soon to come.

Then I begin to think....NO. I was definitely born here and now, in this era, in this country for a special purpose and reason even if I do not always understand or grasp the purposes for which I was placed here for. God will reveal them to me in His perfect timing. The desires of my heart will be fulfilled. The purposes of my life will become clear out of the sheer opaqueness.

There is nothing wrong at all with being a 'Neo-Victorian!' Nothing wrong at all with dreaming about being likened to the Proverbs 31 Woman.....a dreamer and mind wanderer like Elizabeth Bennet from 'Pride & Prejudice'......and not fitting into this world....becoming just another one of the comfortable secure zombies living life for themselves and never glimpsing true beauty, never feeling the true warmth of love.

How sad it must be to not feel things as I do.....so deeply, so movingly and so lovingly! I could go on and on. I love the thought and act of everything that is old.....but I shall learn how to best blend it right in with the here and now......the new....the neo....the future. I'll remain the Neo-Victorian.

A Neo-Victorianess,

Daughter of the King

Martha Vs. Mary

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

The world always seems to know just how to distract me from spending time with My King. Satan loves it when I seldom pick up my Bible, when I don't act in love towards others like I know I am called to do. This morning I felt the Lord tug on my heart...He said: before your feet hit that floor, daughter, will you spend some time with me in my Word? I knew what that meant....before breakfast, before business calls, before my blog and before facebook.....God wanted me to seek Him out first.

I am just so grateful that He speaks to me; and that I heard Him today. I felt Him calling me to read out of Luke chapter 10....and lo and behold look at what I find! (Luke 10:38-42) Mary knew that to sit still and to listen to Him alone, not the outside world...that is what He wanted of her. I don't want to be a Martha...do you? This applies to you guys to...you don't have to be a "Mary" be a "Paul!" :~) I don't want to be so consumed and caught up in the world that I forget to spend time with the lover of my soul!

How beautiful to hear Him...to know His love...to learn to lean on Him through His Holy Word.

-Daughter of the King

Time Bleeds

• I wish I could slow down the time when we're together.
• Where does it all go...it seemingly disappears?
• If time would but freeze, then I'd never have to let you go.
• The miles apart, only make my heart grow fonder...missing you more.
• It breaks me into pieces every time you walk out that door, and with every time I have to wave goodbye and drive away, my heart bleeds.
• I tell you this not to make your heart feel pained or distraught.
• I tell you so that you might know the depth of my love.
• When you walk out the door, a piece of my heart goes with you.
• The time that seems to be stolen from you and I...it bleeds me dry.
• I'll take every moment I can get, and when we're apart I'll hold them close to my heart.
• Time may bleed me dry when I'm away from you, but I will never let go...let the blood flow.
• I won't let time separate you and I, nor will I let it bleed me completely dry.

A Bedtime Story For Sarah

{Artwork is copyrighted by Jared Fisher/ Crimson-Vagrant}

I remember as a little girl, most fondly, being read to while in bed. Grandma, Momma and Daddy all read to me so many numerous stories in the past. They read to me the same tales over and over again, because they loved that I had fallen so in love with books, and because I melted their heart's when I smiled at them really big and asked if it was time for our bedtime story yet.

I remember Grandma reading me such bedtime stories as: Fred The Cat, Wooly Foot, The Swan Princess, and Grimm's Fairy Tales only to name a few. Grandma always made sure that when we got to the end of the Fred The Cat book (where the scene was in a graveyard for Fred's funeral) she told me that Fred and his friends were having a big old party and a wonderful time. I still have my Fred The Cat book, and I did not find out up until a few years ago when I read through my beloved childhood book once again that Fred had died and Grandma lied! I love my Grandma! Momma read to me: Angel Academy, Aladdin, Treasure Island and The Miss Spider Series. Daddy read to me: Kingdom's Parables, Eric Carl books, and my all time favorite The Snow Queen.

Bedtime stories were the best...and they still are. A lot has changed since I was a little girl begging to be read to and tucked in every night under my many blankets and quilts, whether I was sleeping at Grandma and Grandpa's house or at Home. I still love to be read to. I find that even though I am almost a young woman of 21, I still love for my Momma to read to me.

The gifts I always remember receiving with such fondness are the many books I have received over the years. I have so many memories tied up within in beautifully bound and written tales! Daddy doesn't read to me anymore, though, I miss hearing him read to me aloud all about Kay and Gerda....the little boy and girl in the book The Snow Queen. I have such fond memories of my Daddy reading to me. Daddy doesn't read to me anymore, but there is a new man in my life who reads me my bedtime stories now.

Over the last few nights, while I have been talking to my boyfriend Jared on the phone, he has been telling me a story of his. He has been telling me all about his main character Shem, who has glowing eyes and stone hard strengthened skin, and a past he cannot remember. He doesn't remember how he came from The Pit....how he has Magicite within him, which is like an intelligent crystal/stone entity....and so on. There is a giant sword, the sword goes up against Shem...because it seemingly repels Magicite, which is within Shem.

I know you are probably thinking what are 'J and S' talking about!? You would really have to hear the whole story of Shem to get it. I haven't heard it all yet, and I cannot wait...but there are some really cool characters in J's story. There's Reuben who is an outgoing fighter type, very protective, and secretly has a love thing going on with Ruth. There's Ruth who was a former Nun, but she couldn't live up to following the Sacraments. Then as of last night I was introduced to Wake, who has control over water with his mind.....very cool. Aqua-telepathy or more of a kinetic thing...I dunno? So maybe I don't remember every minute detail about the characters....but I cannot wait until I know them better...personally. I hope I got all the details thus far m'love! ;)

I love Jared telling me bedtime stories. I feel so privileged to know that as a writer J wants to know what I think about his story, and that I will be the first person to know the whole story before he publishes his writings one day! I know that he didn't write the story just for me, but I find myself thinking 'this is a bedtime story just for Sarah!' Just like when my father used to read to me, I would begin to drift off away to dreamland. Now I also start drifting off to peaceful sleep (well peaceful sleep most nights. I do myself have a very overactive imagination that has me placed in some interesting and sometimes rather unpleasant dreams) after J tells me his story at bedtime.

I cannot wait to hear the rest of Shem's story my love!

-Daughter of the King

P.S. - I think J should get a blog up and running with all of his story ideas on it. Then we can all read about Shem, Crimson-Man, and Ragido and Reed Alexander..and the countless other characters I have come to love and know!

Joyful, Joyful, Oh How I Adore Thee My King!

"...the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6

Today my heart is lite. I am full of joy, the worries have gone away today. Praise be to My King! I have been kind of panicky all week long. Okay, so maybe I have been panicking and worrying myself silly for longer than just this past week. I have been worried about what my next steps in life would be, and how I would begin to start coming to the decisions that will get me there. I know when I get like this...seemingly depressed a bit.

My heart starts to pound, my mind is aloof, I retreat within myself and the bed doesn't look like such a bad place to just go on and curl up in a ball and just stay lying there for as long as I need... I shut friends and family out at times, becoming reclusive within my mind, not letting them know what I am thinking about. I want to digress my heart's cry with my loved ones, but I don't even understand myself at times...so how am I supposed to let them in? How to deal... how do I deal with all of my internal weighty life matters that I am silently dealing with? I let myself, NO I make myself suffer alone...when all I want is to be held by Him! So why do I run and hide from Him and my loved ones at times? I am working on this............

Today is a good day. I am making small baby steps towards progress in my life. These steps might not seem like such a big deal or even a big step at all really, to all of you and to the world. I have always been different. Everything that the other kids and teens found to be easy, I fought tooth and nail not to do and not to have to deal with it! The easy things in life, which are seemingly easy to everyone else, but me, feel like large mountains that I must conquer daily. Talking to people is hard for me, I have to purpose myself to do so, especially on the business front. Talking to people at times scares me to death!!!

Today I went to the Red Cross and signed up to take their First Aid and Infant/Child CPR courses next month. This to me was a big deal... Momma pulled up in the parking lot, and I looked at her saying 'well, aren't you gonna come in?' Momma said 'No.' So I walked up to the door, walked into the office and talked to a very nice older gentleman about the what-when-and-how much. Needless to say, my hands were shaking slightly at my sides as I reached down searching through my purse looking for my checkbook. I made sure I knew where and when both of the courses would be held at and a t what times, got my information packet and booklets, and went on my way.

Talking to the man there at the Red Cross wasn't so bad after all. Making those phone calls about those courses around town earlier this week wasn't half bad either. I manged to talk to people about business.....and I didn't drop dead...nor did I freeze in paralyzing fear. I am glad my momma said 'No' when I asked her to come in with me today. Sometimes trying to stand up, making a move as an adult, is a very terrifying thing, and you feel all alone to boot. Like it's just me alone against the world! Isn't that silly though? I am NEVER ALONE! 'Hello McFly!' I have my God by my side! At times I want to revert to being a child again, where there was nothing but unaware innocence intact, endless time and the worries were so smaller than they are now.

I am so proud of myself....making a small bold step in my life today. I know it is a small step, really, but I know that I want to work in a servant/ care-taker job position somewhere....the best way to start was to go sign up for courses. I do not know where God will lead me to apply for a job at.....or why I felt I just HAD to go sign up for First Aid and CPR courses. I have been fighting against taking (really telling my momma that I didn't need to all these years...) these courses for years, and yet I just knew that I need to. So I am signed up.

I am joyful in the small steps. I am joyful in that I know, in the midst of my fears, letting them go and letting my God make moves in my life is the way to really make a life MOVE. Did I mention that my laptop was fixed this week and that I did not get charged for it! It was going to cost a lot of money to fix it, what with my computer being destroyed by 3 ravaging Trojan Horse viruses. God is good......Mr. Zo is so awesome....he fixed my laptop! I am rambling, but I am so excited about taking the courses next month, getting my laptop fixed and just knowing that My King will lead me to make the right Moves if I will cast my cares upon Him!

I'm Singing!

-Daughter of the King

She Must Make Her Move (The Post Grad)

She thought life would be easy peezy lemon squeezy.
Thought she could wait & wait & fate would drop on in.
She has come to realize, she must stand up & fight.
She must fight for the future, for her dreams & for her love.
A stark revelation that she has to step out. Her mind shouts: NO!
She has to take a step, hold her breath, release & then breathe in deep.
She has to take the steps, walk her way up the stairwell of life.
She can't sit all petrified & the like, not willing to make her move.
She's got to...she's got to do it. She must go all the way.
She's gotta take a chance...take the step, stepping out in blind faith.
It's true, He has faith in her...there is hope for her.
Her King believes in her! Hope always hopes. Love always loves.
Yielding to the fear won't get her anywhere.
Why is this time any different? How will she make a move?
Perseverance & love is hers for the taking.
Now it's time for her to stake it all, even if she must fall.
In perseverance, faith & hope...she'll make her move.
Her future lies in Him...& is His for the taking!
God guide her, & let her time here on earth be a life lived for you.
Lead her, & deem her life purposed & true.

Time Flies...when you're talkin' 'bout love

Time sure does fly when you are talking about love.

I have so enjoyed talking about the aspects of love over the last past two weeks. I found that some aspects were easier to write about than others. Some aspects of love had an air of 'uh, yeah, well duh!' to them, they just made sense right off the bat, and some made me question myself and my thoughts on love. I have grown in love so much over the last past year...and I have already grown quite a lot in love this year.

I still have a lot of growing up to do in the area(s) of love. I am not a perfect young woman by any means. I struggle with showing and receiving love. I strive to love, and yet I still find myself stumbling at times. I am learning how to better receive, and how to hold a firm grasp on what love really is. Last year was the hardest year of my life ever, by far..but it was also the greatest year of my lifetime thus far! God taught me a lot about myself and love last year, and I pray that He will continue to do so. I now know, without a shadow of a doubt, that love is neither a fancy or a feeling, but rather it must sacrifice itself for one another and it must be chosen daily.

I have enjoyed sharing with you, my thoughts, my stories, and even the many scriptures on love. It has definitely been a ride, writing about a subject like love, seeing as though so many people cannot fathom or even understand what love is. Can you imagine someone not knowing what true love is, or what it feels like to be wholly loved? The last two weeks I found myself excited and yet also burdened to write. I was excited, in that I was able to explore 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 with you all. I was burdened however, in that at times, it pains me to think of people out there who haven't read the scriptures, and those who don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Just knowing that they do not know the depths of His love pains me! I was even burdened at not knowing quite what to write on each aspect of love at times.

Coming up with the idea of talking (blogging about) and meditating on the aspects of love for two weeks was just a random idea I had in the back of my mind. I could have never imagined that I would have had as many of you reading as you all did. Thank you for all of the heart felt positive comments you all left for me!

Where Do I Go From Here?
-Daughter of the King

Love...Always Perseveres

Today is Valentine's day! For me today has been a wonderful holiday to celebrate....it is no longer single's awareness day for me! So why was today, Valentine's Day, better than all of the others you may ask? There are a few reasons.........

(1) My Saviour loves me! He died on the cross for me, sacrificing his life for mine and yours. The greatest act of love is self sacrifice, and our loving Father God has given us just that!!!

(2) I have the love of a wonderful family, extended and all. Their love for me is unfading and endless.

(3) I am in love with a wonderful young man, whom God has gifted me with in my life...allowing me to know and love him...holding him dearly. Jared is my best friend, the one who has brought my joy back and the one who continues to bring me joy. Jared is in love with God and with me! He is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, and not proud. He is not rude, nor self seeking, he is not easily angered, and he keeps no record of wrongs. He does not delight in evil, but he rejoices with the truth. He always protects me. He trusts me. He is always hopeful. His love for God and me both always perseveres. Jared is always striving to lead a life of love in everything he does and with everyone he meets. He loves his King and me...endlessly!

(4) Jared wrote me a beautiful poem for V-Day! (He is a writer after all!)

Love always perseveres. In a world that is so dark at times, I know that there is my Saviour always there for me at my side, my family and my boyfriend Jared. I know that loves continues on and on...in the face of the darkness love prevails and conquers all. This love that always perseveres make me think of one of my favorite characters in my favorite novel 'A Wrinkle In Time': Meg Murray. In the face of the dark force "It" (a giant brain) who has her younger brother Charles Wallace held captive, she bravely goes up against "It" trying to save her brother from the grasp of the darkness. What does Meg have that "It" does not? Meg has LOVE. Meg perseveres in her love for Charles Wallace by telling him just how much he means to her...how much she loves him. Meg has love which the darkness does not, and in the face of love "It" was destroyed, Charles Wallace was freed from the darkness, and love will always persevere and prevail!

The King's love for us is endless...so in our walk we should love others with perseverance. No matter if people in our lives seem to be controlled by a dark force. Like when Charles Wallace was controlled by "It," deciding that the darkness trying to ensnare him was delightful, though it was evil, he turns away in the stead of love. People we share Christ's love with can turn away from the darkness too. Meg showed love, and so should we. There is always hope, there is always love...and because of that we will persevere ever onward towards love...seeking to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as God loves us!

-Daughter of the King

Love Always Hopes & D.O.T.K.'s 100th Posting

This is officially the 100th blog posting by Daughter of the King!

I have had so much fun sharing with all of you, my blog followers and readers. I am so glad that God has given me such a wonderful outlet as blogger, of which I am able to use my writing skills. I do so enjoy sharing the love of Christ with you all, and sharing my personal trials and triumphs within my Christian walk along the way as well. Well, enough about this being my 100th entry! Let's get back to the aspects of love shall we....? Yes, let's!

Love Always Hopes

"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." (Psalm 33:22)

We have hope in love. We have hope in love, because Jesus Christ has sacrificed His life for us. I know that I have been redeemed, and I have hope in the fact that my Saviour who loves me so deeply will return to this world...whether I have already passed and faded from this world or not, our King will return!

Finding my hope in the love of Him,

Daughter of the King

Love...Always Trusts

Hi everyone! I have been blogging for quite some time now on the theme of love. Today the aspect of love "we" will be exploring is trust. For todays blog entry I am putting my trust in someone whom I love very much. I am visiting my boyfriend Jared, who is an aspiring author himself. (He's really good by the way!) So I am gonna hand over the laptop now, and trust in Jared...let's see what he has to say on the aspect of love: always trusts.

"Awright, how ya'll doing? Now that I've gotten your interest with an interesting, out of character opening, let me say what an honor it is to be typing on a page I usually only have the ability to read. As they say on DeviantArt, a web site I frequently work on, it's 'Awesomenessplz'. :D

All right, now, in an effort to be of any semblance of the word serious on this, the subject today is on the subject of love, specifically in the fact that it always trusts. I know what used to go through my mind with the word 'love' every time I heard it. My imagination would start flashing images of old Disney films, complete with happy, feel good romantic endings and all the related 'sappery.' Now I am honestly all for sitting through a couple hours of animation gold, (I am an art buff, believe it or not) there was one thing about these old things that I used to not be fond of. The fact of how. . . . . . . easy it all was for those characters. Nowadays I know a bit more about storytelling, but all the same.

Love, so I have learned these past few years of the social stigmata known as adulthood, isn't so simple as finding the prince/princess/whatever the love interest was for the almighty scriptwriter's needs, boy I have learned otherwise. I had a rough n' tumble adolescence when it came to love. Lucky for me, right as I was coming into my own and starting to get just what love is, lo and behold I meet a beautiful princess (no exaggeration there, her name means princess ;) ) of my own. But, just because you have said royalty in your life, it doesn't mean you've got the perfect life ahead of you, that little fine line between 'popsicles and plum trees' and 'heck yeah, I'm Superman' (don't sue me DC, please). Oh no, it doesn't matter what the looks have to do with it, there will always be the little things you'll find to squabble about. Most of the time, you look back and realize how stupid the argument was.

Rambled a bit there....

My point is.... love is something you just have to choose to have. You have to choose to laugh with, agree to disagree with, cry with, take care of, and trust and forgive, each other. Sarah is trusting me at the moment to write out the material for an entry, which she has proven to be quite the fighting force with. She trusts me on it, and as corny and anticlimactic as that sounds, I find that it still makes-a me smile (Italian accent)

So, since I am running out of writing steam, let me be the first to say in a *shameless plug* read what this woman has to say. She doesn't know I am typing this at the moment, but she has a mind and heart you just don't see anymore, one I find myself drawn to more and more. As I end my *shameless plug* here, this is Jared, in all his good humor and odd ideas of typing in 3rd person, signing off. 'Til next time, friends!"

Love...Always Protects

Love always protects...

What comes to mind when I think of love always protecting? Hmmm? There are quite a few things actually that come to mind right away for me. I am gonna go over a few of the things that spark to thought when the phrase 'love always protects' comes to mind for me. Will you bear with me?

(1) God has shown me love through protecting me. He has kept me safe. His love for me is endless, and it is in that love that His loving arms protect and surround me...always. I think of my future spent with Him, by Him offering me, a sinner, salvation through the blood of His Son. That act of torture and atonement for us His chosen ones...Jesus on that cross...that cross screams "HIS LOVE ALWAYS PROTECTS YOU!" The cross...blood stained...and oh what a brutal way to die for the world! Jesus Christ loved us so much that he threw himself body, mind and soul into the hands of His Father in trusting that His Father's love for him would protect himself and protect himself. Crucified for you and I...that our lives may be preserved, protected in love, and will remain spent with our Father, forever, when we leave this world and head Home! Now that is an act of love...He is always protecting!

{Raoul embracing Christine, telling her that he loves her and will always be there to protect her.}

(2) I think of Jared. I think about how my love for him needs to always protect him and his heart. There are boundary lines, there is accountability, and there is love in our protecting and guarding each others hearts. God is at the forefront and head of our relationship together...we both let God keep our hearts in check...and He always protects us in our love for one another. There is love to be given, there is our love to be protected for both Jared and I.

(3) Thirdly, I think of how klutzly I am. How I need to be picked up from my trips, and outright smack down chance meetings with the floor/ground. I think about how when Jared was here for Christmas Eve last year I slipped on the snow/ice in my Grandparents' front yard, not once but twice, and both times my love caught me. He caught me, held my arm and side near to him lovingly so as to not let me start to fall again a third time. I need to be protected from the falls of life as a klutz, as well as the literal ones. When my heart seems to fall I know that I have a loving protecting Saviour-friend to love me.

I think of how love has protected me so many times. God & Jesus Christ: have always been there for me since the beginning of time, loving me, protecting me...even to the point of death to protect me in His mighty endless love. My family: has taken care of me, protected me and taught me to hide myself in the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:4 & 5), away from the world, and set apart. Jared: he protects my heart daily, he catches me when I fall, he prays for protection over me, and he loves me for who I am. I feel so blessed to know that love protects me, my heart, my klutzy self, my family, friends and my boyfriend!

His Love protects me...it keeps you and I always
-Daughter of the King

Love...does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth

-Darkness dims & Truth sets aflame, in the face of love-

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth:
"Flee from the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22)

How are we supposed to dim out the delight of evil, and begin to rejoice in the truth of His mighty love? It is very hard living in the world you and I both live in at this time and place. Delighting in evil is just a part of our culture. What we know as Christians to be seen as ungodly and unpleasing to our King is considered to be the 'normalcy wing' in our country, while we are labeled the 'no-fun-Bible-thumping-hypocrites.' I could list all of the 'evil vices' that are seen as being justified and that are delighted in daily in our country. I think you know where I am going with this though, so I will not list them! hehe! You can probably list them yourself...are you following me?

To live set apart, and to walk in the truth of His love lived out daily in our Christian walk is seen as absurd and abnormal nowadays. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked why I didn't want to watch certain things on t.v. and movies, why I was so old and hadn't had a boyfriend or ever been kissed yet ( I have a boyfriend now...Jared...but I waited 20 years before entering into a relationship, and as for...) why I am still living at Home and not out in the world.

I was seen as less than, as a person...and it hurt deeply. I knew that God was calling me, still is calling me, and you too, to live a life that is set apart. To live a life that does not delight in evil...no matter how many times people in this world tell you you are weird for not watching certain movies, or listening to certain types of music, that you don't fit in if you don't meet the world's expectations and standards, that you really aren't somebody unless you live on your own.....etc.

For me, striving to live a life set apart from this world, and instead living for God has been my greatest joy in life! Saying "NO!" to some of the world's vices of evil have not been easy for me. It was tough at times to be the only one to stand up and say "You know, this isn't right....I will not do it!" Then again is life ever really an easy road?

I know that I am loved because I am running the race set before me by God (Jeremiah 29:11,) and in following His path for me I am entering into his marvelous light of truth and love (1 Peter 2:9.) No matter how many times I must flee from evil, not taking delight in it, I will do so. I am gonna strive to rejoice in the truth that He has a better way for me....a road marked with love... and hardship.

We are called to NOT delight in evil...We have been chosen for something much more than earthly pleasures. We have been chosen to rejoice in His truth. Did you hear that?...you and I are His CHOSEN people! The truth is His Word, and His son Jesus Christ's atonement for us is indeed the embodiment of truth and love! "For your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth." (Psalm 26:3.)

Rejoicing in the Truth of His great love for me...I shall walk ahead bold and confident!

-Daughter of the King

P.S. - Yes that last line where I just 'signed off' was a homage to the lyrics from the song 'While I'm Waiting' by: John Waller.

Love...keeps no record of wrongs

~No Record Of Wrongs~

I vowed to keep no record of wrongs, and yet my struggles continue on.
My mind still presses on in malingered thoughts, of past wrong-doing's done towards me.
I couldn't let them go...so long ago, so long ago... although I desperately was trying.
"Remember, remember, don't forget the record of wrongs...listen to us!" I heard them...
The memories of wrongs kept on screaming at me to pay heed to them.
I fought and still fight to forget the list kept in my heart and mind...they need to die away forever...drowned out...gone away.
"You must have had faults," I said to myself..."they hid from you blindly."
The heart is deceptive...it is wrong...oh, ever so wrong.
Why can't I forget it when it's already been forgiven? My heart was wounded...gotta let go.
I tried to move past it... but my heart couldn't seem to grasp it.
"Daughter I need you to forget"...my Father pleads in love.
No more records of wrongs do I want to keep.
So vile it is to hold records of wrongs in my heart...they gnash and eat away at me.
Wrongs remembered dissever and overshadow the love I have to give.
I have been turning back, turning the other way. I have to grasp that there is a way...
No record of wrongs. No record of wrongs is to be kept...I hold this in my heart.
Love...it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love...not easily angered

Love...is not easily angered.

"I'm not angry...why...are you angry?" Madea says to Dr. Phil in the movie 'Madea Goes To Jail.' Really the only reason I chose to post the pic of Madea and Dr. Phil is because I absolutely find the movie hilarious! In a certain scene in the movie, Dr. Phil, in his frustration, is trying to talk to Madea about her anger management. Dr. Phil begins to get very irritated with her during their session...and then the fun ensues! :)

The correlation between Dr. Phil, Madea, the movie, love and us is what you may ask? Getting irritated, as Dr. Phil does with Madea in the movie, is a slighter show of hand of being easily angered compared to being furiously angered. Anger is not always throwing something, or screaming. Anger can be getting slightly irritated with someone, and letting them know that they are indeed irritating you to no end by our body language and our words.

It is not always easy to show love to someone who is irritating you. I know this first hand...being irritated so badly by someone that you just wanna turn around and say "Hey you take a hike will ya!? Would you leave me alone... or else!" Of course in my situation I did NOT turn around and get nasty with my body language or words towards this person. The person I am speaking of was lonely, not many friends, very misunderstood and was crying out for love! How could I tell him to back off and leave me alone...he wasn't trying to make me irritated he was simply crying out for a Sister in Christ to show him attention and care.

I decidedly purposed myself to show kindness and love towards this young man who wouldn't leave me alone, and followed me around trying to gain attention from me. I knew that God wanted me to show this guy His love, and that He did not want me to show irritation or anger towards him. God doesn't want us to get so irritated by others in His body of believer's. Like when Dr. Phil is talking to Madea about her anger management, and in return he starts getting very irritated and angry at Madea, because he isn't making any progress with her. We don't wanna be like Dr. Phil was towards Madea in the movie...throwing our hands up in the air and saying "I give up!"

Try showing some love! Earnestly give it a go...trying not to be easily angered towards others!

I'm not angry, are you angry?
-Daughter of the King

PS- What are some of your favorite scriptures on how to avoid anger?

His Love Is Not Self Seeking

Love...it is not self seeking
(1 Corinthians 13:5)

You wrote to me, ever so sincere...the words rang out true.
In the many letters you sent, our friendship was then built.
I knew you not to be self seeking, you always thought of me first.
Your priorities are always right in line: God, Family and then I.
You place yourself at the back of the line...it only makes me love you more.
So admirable is the man I love, who seeks to love with nothing expected in return.
Your love is not self seeking... never with a second guess.
Please know that you have my love, for I give it freely to you.
...no second guess.

With Love to J.T.F.
-Daughter of the King

Love...is not rude

Love.....it is not proud

Love...it is not proud.

"Such a change in a man of so much pride, excited not only astonishment but gratitude- for to love, ardent love, it must be attributed." from 'Pride & Prejudice'

One of my favorite movies....especially to watch around Valentine's day is 'Pride & Prejudice.' Darcy is seen as being cold, arrogant/prideful, and unlovable when first Lizzy meets him. Lizzy swears to loathe Darcy for eternity...and holds out for as long as she can. Lizzy and Darcy could not have bloomed in romance until he set right some wrongs and his arrogant pride....luckily they both let their pride fall away. Letting their pride fall to the wayside, Lizzy was finally able to see Darcy's heart, Darcy was able to let go of his pride and Lizzy was able to let go of her prejudice.

The Bible has this to say about pride, when we should hold each other in love:

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)

"Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else." (Galatians 6:4)

Test your heart and actions...do not let pride be your fall. For if you fall into darkness how can you, my friend, show the love of His marvelous light?
-Daughter of the King

Love does not boast...

Love....it does not boast.

Words do not come to mind.
I cannot comprehend it...cannot seem to make this aspect defined.
What do you think? What do you say?
How can boasting in the Lord lead towards love?
What say you? I need some help.
If you'd like to digress, comment and share.
Show this entry some love and care.
If you will, don't hesitate to help.

-Daughter of the King

A Debt Of Gratitude

I owe you gals and guys who read my blog a great BIG THANK YOU! I only just put up a 'site visitor counter' a few days ago, and in those few days I have had over one hundred hits! :) I am quite excited to do something that I love, which is to write, and show myself as being transparent.

It is truly a joy and a blessing for this blog of mine to be so well received by you all, and used by God! I so enjoy hearing from all of you! You and your comments have been such a blessing to my life! I cannot wait to continue pouring out my life before you on "e-paper," to be transparent with you...and I cannot wait to hear about your lives as well.

Let's continue onward together....
-Daughter of the King

Love does not envy...

"Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple."
-Job 5:2
"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."
-Proverbs 14:30
Love...It does not envy...

Many years ago I recall being very envious of my best friend Amelia. I was young, naive and ever so jealous that she was more popular in kindergarten and first grade than I was. Amelia was my "bestest" friend, even though I was envious of her at times.

I was the quiet shy one. Amelia was the outgoing talkative one. She said blue. I said pink. She said dog. I said cat. She said Dolly Parton. I said Reba McEntire. Amelia had blue eyes and blonde hair, and I had brown eyes seen through aqua framed glasses, and wavy mousy brown hair. The boys at school seemed to forget that they were talking to me or playing with me when she was in the room. Amelia was (and still is) very pretty, smart, funny and outgoing. She had a lot more close friendships at FCS (the private school I attended) than I did.

I sat in the old tires blowing spit bubbles with Katie K. during recess....and Amelia played 'Nala' in the Lion King game the kids on the playground played during recess. I remember wanting to be 'Nala' in the Lion King game so bad! I remembered not liking my friend so much that day...I remember my love for her being shadowed by my envy to "be her."

After recess that day I saw my momma pull up to the pick up spot for parents at the school. I got in the car, climbed into my car seat (I was a skinny little twig of a girl....had to sit in a car seat for a long time.....) and began to cry. If you asked my momma about it today, she would tell you "Yes, you were so sad and broken that day Sarah. As a mother it broke my heart to see you so upset....even if it was over not being able to play the 'Lion King' with the other kids."

I had every right to be upset and to feel excluded...but I also knew as a little girl that I had to get over my feeling envious towards my best friend, Amelia. Because I was so envious of her it made me question my love for her...our friendship. I began to see that I was good as 'just me.' Amelia had always loved me and taken care of me....she was always there when I was 'excluded'...she was there to say "Hey we need to include Sarah too!"

Amelia and I grew closer and closer over time and I began to forget about how envious I was of her. My love for her, and our friendship continued to grow. I learned to be content in who I was....it was okay to be different...to look different than she did. People liked me better when I was just me....and I liked myself better when I wasn't envious anymore!

Amelia and I are still friends to this day....our paths major differently in life now....and our lives have drifted apart somewhat, but I will always know her as my dearest first best friend, whom I will always love.

To My First Best Friend: Amelia
With Love,
-Daughter of the King

Love is kind...

Love is kind...

"He who despises his neighbors sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy."
(Proverbs 14:21)

So let me get this straight....love is supposed to be kind? We are supposed to show love in every possible way!? Really? (Did I Say that out loud?) This aspect of love is HARD to do. Some times there are just situations in life, and people, that we would just rather not deal with...much less show sincere kindness towards. Yet He calls us to be kind to them in any circumstance......this road is gonna be long and hard let me tell you. Then again, I am sure you already know.

How are you showing kindness towards other people 24/7? I know, I know.....here I sit right at this very moment, writing about kindness when I have no business saying that I am a kind person 24/7 because I am sincerely telling you that I AM NOT! I wish I were a kind person 24/7...yet I am human. I am not perfect.

What if that kindness that you are supposed to be showing towards that 'despised neighbor' of yours...well, let's say you are genuinely kind to them for a change...and say for instance, like me, that 'despised neighbor' at times can be your younger sibling. "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." (2 Timothy 2:24) I love my sister, very much! My sister and I are as different as night and day...we argue endlessly...and we love each other endlessly. We are DEFINITELY NOT KIND towards each other 24/7!

Sometimes trying to be the bigger person in the situation and circumstance is not easy. I hear God ringing loud and true in my head and heart: "Sarah. Yeah, you! Why are you arguing with her? Why are you picking at every thing she does...why is it that you think you know how to do things better than her? She is your little sis....show her some love and kindness already! Do you think that by you acting superior, and showing a lack of kindness...is it getting you anywhere? Hello! What about setting an example for me.....will ya!" Yeah, I am sure you know exactly what I am talking about....even try to reverse the situation if you will.......if you have older siblings. We truly are struggling with how to teach you younger siblings, but not parent you at the same time....all the mean while we are trying to be kind through gritted teeth.

Kindness starts with you and with me......wait a minute....NO that's not right! Kindness starts with understanding that God has laid at our feet, the world's feet, the greatest act of kindness ever.......His Son...His own Son's atonement for us. Do you remember him sacrificing himself....so that we could have an eternal life with His Father? Yeah.....talk about an act of kindness! Try and top that one! We can't.....but in the seemingly mundane moments when we are acting crabby and we don't wanna share a smile, a kind word, a helping hand, a computer game, the Wii remote.....whatever....think of Jesus....think of that GRAND ULTIMATE ACT OF KINDNESS!

I think today I will close out with this....
Do you remember the movie 'Pay It Forward?' I sure do.....sure it wasn't the most clean movie ever....had some "stuff" in it of course, but it spoke volumes to me. I knew after watching that movie that I wanted to be like that little boy and his school project. I wanted to be kind.....and then I wanted to impact the world with kindness, to spread it around like a well welcomed plague of love! I am going to try my best daily, with God's help to show His love through kindness towards others! What do you say? Will you pledge yourself to 'trying' to show kindness more readily towards His children, your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? I think we can do this....I think that we need each other...we need Him.....we need to talk and pray together so that we can spur one another on to show love through kindness.

Let's Pay It Forward,
Daughter of the King

Love Is Patient...

Love is patient...

For me personally, this is one of the hardest aspects of love to live out daily. I am not a very patient person....are you shocked? Until the last few years or so I thought I was the most patient person ever. I would always say things like "Oh, I am a really patient person!" Saying you are patient and then acting very impatient in front of everyone in your daily life...that is very much so embarrassing. I never saw this in myself...this extreme impatience towards things in life, until God revealed it to me. He spoke and said: "Daughter, you are struggling to be patient. Are you showing others my love for you in your daily impatience...that you so often show outwardly?" OUCH! Major sting!

My being impatient and snippy, not wanting to wait for anyone or anything was shown outwardly...and people noticed? It kills your witness to be outwardly impatient and whiny....who wants to emulate the life of a bratty whiny young woman? I know of no one that would want to be like that! Isn't is great when the Lord reveals things to us, places a mirror in front of our faces, or smacks us over the head with a Holy 2x4? God had a lot of work to do in me as a young woman years ago, as far as patience was concerned....patience was waiting for me to be patient. Patience is patient!?!? *laughter, and a brobdingnagian smile emerges on my face*

So how does patience apply to love though....? The way I see it is in the simple things that patience transforms love into...

Patience...
I see sitting and listening to your parents when they are truly trying to impart wisdom to you, and you are fighting the urge to go elsewhere in your mind, but you actually sit and listen...not only do you listen, but you actually hear them! That honoring of your parents to be patient, and not quick to shut them out....all transfers into your love shown towards them.

Patience...
I struggled with being patient, waiting and praying for my future boyfriend. God has blessed me with a wonderful God-fearing young man to love and to love me in my life! I waited so long, so patiently for him. Try 20 years of patient waiting! I cannot tell you how many times I sat in my room alone crying, crying out to my Abba saying: "Father God why do I have to be all alone...why is there no one in my life to love with all of my heart? Why are you allowing me to go through life this long all alone without a boyfriend? Will there ever be a guy for me?" Then my prayer for patience began to change into: "Lord, my God you are all I need. You are my everything! Lord I will worship and love you while I am waiting for my future BF/Husband. Help me to use my time of singleness to honor you and to advance your kingdom!"

God has brought me love through my patience. So if you, like me, also struggle with waiting and being patient in your life...give it over to God. Be patient in whatever season He has placed you in at the moment (Ecclesiastes 3:1.) I want you to know that love is patient....it waits on God, and it waits on others even when we DON'T want to...it waits for that special someone that He has waiting for you too! Stop and think. Stop and Pray. Stop and remember to be patient. Patience is love...and true love is patient. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2)

"If God brings you to it, He will get you through it!"
-Daughter of the King

Love Is...

I had the idea of posting a different aspect, or thought on love every day for the next 14 days. Befitting is it not? It is February...and there in lies Valentine's Day! I cannot wait to explore the aspects of love, that are found within the Scriptures with you all! (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

I would love for you all to be involved in commenting and sharing what you have to say on the aspects of love, as well as the thoughts that I hope to share with you over the next two weeks.

With Love,
Daughter of the King