Giving Up

"Giving up" by Ingrid Michaelson is probably one of my favorite love songs of all time. It's more realistic than romantic, but I think that's what makes it great. Enjoy:




"Giving Up" by Ingrid Michaelson from the album Be OK

Living with Lewis: Seeing Love

“Look your hardest, dear. I wouldn’t hide if I could. We didn’t idealize each other. We tried to keep no secrets. You knew most of the rotten places in me already. If you now see anything worse, I can take it. So can you. Rebuke, explain, mock, forgive. For this is one of the miracles of love; it gives- to both, but perhaps especially to the woman- a power of seeing through its own enchantments and yet not being disenchanted” - Lewis, A Grief Observed, 89.  

I hope I can always say likewise about my love.

Lewis continues:

"To see, in some measure, like God. His love and His knowledge are not distinct from one another, nor from Him. We could almost say He sees because He loves, and therefore loves although He sees” (89-90).  

How amazing it is to be loved by the One who holds all things.

Monday's Musings: That holiday...

By Giving Weddings via The Wedding Row

Tomorrow is Arizona's 100th birthday! Yay for the centennial! I expect all sorts of celebration around the city. It also happens to be Valentine's day.
I'm not particularly a fan of this day. Honestly, I thought it was the best when I was a kid and we made the day a party that included lots of candy and pictures of puppies. (You can never go wrong with puppies and chocolate). However, there is a lot of meaning attached to this day in our culture, so I'll share the few thoughts I do have regarding this day.

1. It's just another day. Don't let all the ruckus make you doubt your self-worth or attractiveness or anything else. Your worth is not defined by being in a relationship or by being single or what you do or don't do on a Tuesday night.

2. If you do see this as an opportunity to go on a fun date, great! Have fun! (But remember...if you are in a serious relationship you should be having date nights pretty regularly)

3. If you don't want to go on a date, but do want to do something, you have so many options. This provides the perfect excuse to gather up some friends and eat ice cream and watch movies or whatever you want to do.

4. This is a great opportunity to drop a friend an encouraging note or do something kind for those you love. (Again, this should be a regular practice!)

5. For the single girls out there: I have been in your shoes up until this year, and I loved it. There is so much freedom in being single- enjoy it! You can do whatever you want, you have way more free time, and you can focus more on building good solid friendships. Please don't settle for mediocre just so you can be in a relationship. After deciding that I was probably going to be single for at least another five years, I was pleasantly surprised by my current relationship. And it is SO good. Don't settle for half-best or off-and-on or a "pretty-good" relationship. Please wait. God wants to give your His best for you. Now, this doesn't mean you should set unrealistically high ideals, but you most definitely shouldn't settle for "meh" just for the sake of not being single.

Finally, and most importantly, take some time this week to stop and remember our First Love, the Original, the One who gave his life for us. Because as wonderful as our loves here on this earth can be, they are only shadows of true Love.

Hosea writes:

"But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from captivity in Egypt. 'When that day comes,' says the Lord, 'you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.''. . . I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord." (Hosea 2:14-16,19-20)

C. S. Lewis says this:

"When we see the face of God we shall know that we have always known it. He has been a party to, has made, sustained and moved moment by moment within, all our earthly experiences of innocent love. All that was true love in them was, even on earth, far more His than ours, and ours only because His. In Heaven there will be no anguish and no duty of turning away from our earthly Beloveds. First, because we shall have turned already; from the portraits to the Original, from the rivulets to the Fountain, from the creatures He made lovable to Love Himself. But secondly, because we shall find them all in Him. By loving Him more than them we shall love them more than we now do." (from The Four Loves)

So in the midst of all the chalky candy hearts and glitter and whatever else comes with Valentine's Day, remember to reflect on the Love that gave himself for us.



PS: If you want some more on relationships, check out these amazing sermons from Second Mile.  Ruth was an incredible series on relationships (that played a huge role in my current relationships), plus these older messages on relationships are great as well.

Song for Sunday: Iron and Wine

Iron and Wine is one of my most favorite musicians. His music is so beautiful in its simplicity of melodies that are just gorgeous when woven together. Here, he plays his song "Tree by the River" for a La Blogotheque Takeaway Show in a wine cellar:

Iron and Wine | Tree by the river | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Poetry

So...I'm giving in and contributing to the Valentine's Day sappiness. But I do insist on contributing artfully-- with some of my favorite love poems. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Typography art from TheBestCaseScenario

XVII

Pablo Neruda

No te amo como si fueras rosa de sal, topacio
o flecha de claveles que propagan el fuego:
te amo como se aman ciertas cosas oscuras,
secretamente, entre la sombra y el alma.

Te amo como la planta que no florece y lleva
dentro de sí, escondida, la luz de aquellas flores,
y gracias a tu amor vive oscuro en mi cuerpo
el apretado aroma que ascendió de la tierra.

Te amo sin saber cómo, ni cuándo, ni de dónde,
te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:
así te amo porque no sé amar de otra manera,

sino así de este modo en que no soy ni eres,
tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mía,
tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueño. 

 XVII ((I do not love you...)

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Translated by Stephen Tapscott 

Я вас любил... 

А С Пушкин

Я вас любил: любовь еще, быть может
В душе моей угасла не совсем;
Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит;
Я не хочу печалить вас ничем.
Я вас любил безмолвно, безнадежно,
То робостью, то ревностью томим;
Я вас любил так искренно, так нежно,
Как дай вам бог любимой быть другим.

I Loved You...

A.S. Pushkin

I loved you once: perhaps that love has yet
To die down thoroughly within my soul;
But let it not dismay you any longer;
I have no wish to cause you any sorrow.
I loved you wordlessly, without a hope,
By shyness tortured, or by jealousy.
I loved you with such tenderness and candor
And pray God grants you to be loved that way again

Three untitled poems from e. e. cummings:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
                                   i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

  i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) 

i have found what you are like
the rain

        (Who feathers frightened fields
with the superior dust-of-sleep. wields

easily the pale club of the wind
and swirled justly souls of flower strike

the air in utterable coolness

deeds of gren thrilling light
                                       with thinned
newfragile yellows

                          lurch and press
--in the woods
                       which
                                  stutter
                                           and
                                                 sing
And the coolness of your smile is
stirringofbirds between my arms;but
i should rather than anything
have(almost when hugeness will shut
quietly)almost,
                      your kiss 
                              

Can't find original source...if you can, please let me know!

i like my body when it is with your
body.  It is so quite new a thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body.  i like what it does,
i like its hows.  i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss,  i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh ... And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill 

of under me you so quite new 

 

Friday Links

It's finally Friday! (My crazy two week dash is finally over!) I hope you're as excited for the weekend as I am. I have nothing planned for certain, which is wonderful. I might wander over to the Gem Show (the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is this weekend and it's a big deal around here), I should probably do some coursework, and maybe I'll get together with a few friends. Or maybe I'll just sleep :)
Whatever happens, this is going to be a lovely weekend. And I have lots of fun links for you! As I was writing this, I realized that I perhaps should include some Valentine's Day related links since that is coming up this Tuesday... but Valentine's Day has never been big deal for me, so I won't. (If anything, Valentine's Day has always provided an excuse to have a girls' night and eat ice cream and do arts and crafts--which I highly recommend.) Anyways, whatever your Valentine's Day plans include, I hope you enjoy these links:

This print by Ryan Kapp is one of my most favorite prints ever

Cute masking tape makes everything more fun

Someday I will have illustrations from the incredibly talented Katie of Ooh Moon in my house. These fish are the best. (Plus 10% of the proceeds go to support children in developing countries through Compassion International!)

Chocolate!! (It's for every occasion, not just Valentine's Day)

One of my all-time favorite articles from the New Yorker

Want a bedskirt but hate the typical bedskirt-pleated-weirdness? Check out Kelley Moore's tutorial for a fun and creative bedskirt (made from towels!)

Beautiful winter art

Well, that's all for this week. I hope you have a wonderful and restful weekend!

Thursday's Short Film: Apricot

Today I have a beautifully crafted short film about first love. It's also the winner of the Community Choice Award and Best Narrative on Vimeo. Hope you enjoy!

APRICOT — A Short Film by Ben Briand from Moonwalk Films on Vimeo.

Written & Directed by Ben Briand
benbriand.com
twitter.com/ben_briand
Produced by Matt Dooley, Michele Bennett, Alexis Bensa, Gaspard Chevance
moonwalk-films.com cherubpictures.com.au
Cast
Ewen Leslie, Laura Gordon, Alice Zahalka, Joshua Rozzi
Cinematography
adamarkapaw.com
Music
basilhogios.com.au

Photos for Wednesday: Moanalua Gardens

This might have been one of my favorite spots in Honolulu. The trees stretched up above us, the breeze blew lightly, and everywhere I looked there was a little bit of something beautiul: a golden koi, an opening flower, a curving stalk silhouetted against the sky. It was quite lovely.

All photos taken by Kara Haberstock, January 2012, all rights reserved

Living with Lewis: Questions

“When I lay these questions before God I get no answer. But a rather special sort of ‘No answer.’ It is not the locked door. It is more like a silent, certainly not uncompassionate, gaze. As though He shook His head not in refusal but waiving the question. Like, ‘Peace, child; you don’t understand.’
Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask-- half our great theological and metaphysical problems are like that.” - C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed, 86-87.

I’m sure well over half my questions have been unanswerable.
“Peace, child; you don’t understand” is an answer I’m sure I’ve received many times.
The problem is living at peace with that, patiently awaiting the day when the glass will no longer be lit so dimly.

Monday's Musings: Treading Water

I don’t really have a whole lot to write about this week. The past few days have been hard, busy, crazy, and stressful. I've had some great, fun times, but that feeling of struggling to keep my head above water is back.

What do you do with someone else’s suffering? When you want to do something, but you can’t do anything and it begins to wear on you and worry you and becomes too much to bear?

What happens when you feel yourself begin to lose control? When everything seems to begin to break down?

What do you do with the feeling of being hopelessly and utterly overwhelmed by everything that is going on?

I usually try to fix things myself, or I turn to other people and cling to them like someone drowning. It rarely works.

The only hope we have in this life is Jesus. I must cling to him.

Song for Sunday: Stornoway

This might just be the best band you've never heard of. Hailing from Oxford, but named for a town in Scotland, this band has catchy melodies with great harmonies and a huge variety of fun instruments. Anyways, I greatly enjoy their music. "Zorbing" is the first song I ever heard by them, and it's probably still my favorite:

Friday Links

 Sorry for getting this up so late, but it's been a crazy day. This weekend I'm working for close to fourteen hours for the internship on top of my usual homework-load and Superbowl Sunday. (Monday might actually seem like a bit of a relief.) Anyway, I hope your weekend is a bit more restful than mine, and that you enjoy these links I found:

These made me smile

I really want to try this in my neighborhood

These valentines are adorable

But I really think this card might be perfect

This would make pasta night even more awesome

I'd love to try this DIY project. What kind of village would you make?

One of my many dreamhouses around the world

Have a great weekend!

Thursday's Short Film: Geronimo Balloons

I actually have two videos for you today! I found this first video featured on Happiness Is and absolutely loved it. It's perfect for the first video of February (considering that Valentine's Day is just around the corner).



Geronimo Balloons Valentine's Day from hak lonh on Vimeo.

But then I did a bit more exploring and discovered this video, in which Jihan “Jihanimo” Zencirli, the "Master Balloon-Trooper" behind Geronimo balloons, explains how she got started and why she loves what she does. And it made the first video so much more awesome because I love the way this girl thinks!



Geronimo Balloon Troopers from hak lonh on Vimeo.






PS: Find out more here

Photos for Wednesday: Watching Waves

On one lovely, peaceful afternoon, my boyfriend and I took a drive out to the North Shore to watch the waves. He went out to swim for a little bit; I was content to stay on shore and take some shots as the sun set.

All photos taken by Kara Haberstock, January 2012, all rights reserved