Bilbo's Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit

I haven’t read The Hobbit since I was in middle school, so reading Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit has been a great way of slipping back into the fascinating world of J. R. R. Tolkien.  It’s also made me quite intrigued and excited about reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy from beginning to end.  Yes, I must admit, there are many amazing books out there, some very important literary works, I haven’t yet read from cover to cover.     

    
Honestly, the most recent experience I’ve had becoming absorbed in Tolkien’s creations before reading this book was watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on DVD along with countless hours of behind-the-scenes footage.  If you already appreciate this trilogy, then you will find it hard to contain your excitement when you hear and see all that went into the filming of it. 

    
Being a bit removed from my first time reading The Hobbit and discussing it in a public school setting, I thoroughly enjoyed the in-depth look at the Christian meaning and significance of Tolkien’s epic adventure as well as his wildly popular trilogy which Joseph Pearce provides. 

    
No one is completely immune to the “dragon sickness” of selfishness and pride, but those who respond to “luck” as it is called in The Hobbit are given all they need to overcome each encounter with it.  Pearce’s close examination of the special set of circumstances required for Elrond to even be able to see the letters on the map shows that the mere “chance” of this

happening is highly improbable.  To chalk so much up to chance would be absurd.  Providence and grace are at work.    

    
A “Divine Will” involved as a higher order is the only reasonable explanation for things coming together perfectly, literally down to the last second. The pitfalls of pride, the dangers of materialism, and the necessity of self-sacrifice in order to love and forge true friendships are seen more clearly through the eyes of this Tolkien scholar.  The virtues and values that matter most don’t change.  The pursuit of power, pleasure, and promoting lies leads to destruction, despair, and death for those in the human realm as well as those in fairy tales. 

    
Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit is the perfect book to get your ready for the soon-to-be released movie The Hobbit likely coming to a theater near you this month.  For more information about Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit or to get your own copy of the book, click here.  I received a free copy of this book from Saint Benedict Press in order for writing an honest review of it.     

Wrapped Up: God's Ten Gifts for Women

What is a woman worth?  It depends on whom you ask, when, where, and how what answer you will get to that question.  There are so many people and things vying for women’s attention, evaluating their worth, and holding up what society says should be their ideal, it’s easy to get lost, hurt, and confused.  What’s difficult is seeking God’s view of who you are, actually accepting it, and then putting that above anyone else’s, including your own, your family members, your friends…  At least that’s what I’ve found to be among the greatest challenges of being a real W-O-M-A-N of faith.  

     
Wrapped Up: God’s Ten Gifts for Women describes the blessings that women are and possess because we are created in the image and likeness of God; we’re daughters of the King.  Two faith-filled women approach this topic to unwrap the innate beauty and uniqueness of feminine genius as it’s revealed to us through Scripture and most often profaned by the mainstream media. 

     
Media expert Teresa Tomeo examines her time in the spotlight versus her new life in the light of Christ.  She illustrates how fame and fortune made her what this world considers successful but left her with a sense of spiritual desolation.  How can we pick out the truth from the lies?  First, we need to be mindful of what and to whom we’re listening.  “Giving serious thought to the messages that bombard us is essential if we are going to really see ourselves as unique gifts to the world created by God” (pg. 121).  With thirty years of broadcasting under her belt, some hard knocks, and quick breaks, Teresa uses her experience to take a closer look at the most prominent lies we’re fed by modern culture.   

     
Co-author Cheryl Dickow supplies Scriptural support and reflections that underline the value of women in the Old and New Testaments as well as in the present day.  Cheryl’s discussion of women in the Bible who were open to God working in and through them and fascinating insights into Jewish traditions and practices that are key to understanding the deeper meaning and significance of these stories give this true view of women the solid faith foundation it needs.     

     
These fundamental virtues of women through God’s eyes are combined with some of Teresa’s and Cheryl’s own personal experiences to bridge the gap between Bible Truths and their modern-day implications.    

     
“Women, with our unique role as nurturers, have something the world needs desperately: motherhood.  Some of us are spiritual moms.  Some of us have been blessed with the gift of physical motherhood.  Some of us are both spiritual and physical moms.” (pg. ix of Introduction) Teresa Tomeo

     
This book provides an in-depth look at the sanctity of women and how that holiness leads to a responsibility to share our God-given abilities, talents, and wisdom with others. 

     
“I knew that being wrapped up in God’s love happens in many ways, one of which is through words and love and prayers that have been part of this book—written just for you. (pg. ix of Introduction)” Cheryl Dickow

     
Check out this video interview with the authors. 

     
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Wrapped Up - God's Ten Giftsfor Women. The Catholic Company is a great resource for tools to help you participate in the Year of Faith, including Year of Faith bible studies and exclusive Year of Faith personalized gifts. The Catholic Company also has all your Advent needs in stock, such as Advent calendars and Advent wreaths.



Because I Am Furniture

    Can you break the patterns of abuse in a household of five where there’s only one person willing to admit the truth about what goes on behind closed doors?   
     Because I Am Furniture is heartbreakingly real.  I was profoundly moved by these poems and curious to discover how well a novel-length story would be told through them in a way that would appeal and speak to young adults.  It’s been a while since I immersed myself in writing and reading poetry.  It felt very good to get back into it and see how forceful and powerful poems can be in conveying raw human emotion, longings, fears, and honest thoughts we’d rarely, if ever, say aloud…
     I was worried when I checked this book out of the library that I might find it more of an experiment on the page of breaking a prose novel into lines and calling them poems, but I was pleasantly floored by this poignant poetry and how well-crafted each piece of the story is—lyrically and in a literary sense. 
     Because I Am Furniture reminded me how beautifully naked emotion and serious conflicts can be arranged on the page as well as how essential it is to keep in mind that every word, every syllable counts.  I needed such jarring evidence that we do a major disservice in whatever we write if we add fluff to cushion the blow or water down the stark reality and piercing pain that exists in real life. 
     I found myself praying for victims of all types of abuse as I read this.  That’s the only way I could keep going when I know that there are people who are actually living in such terrifying situations as this one.
     The fear of speaking out against the perpetrators of such horrifying acts is quite tangible in this novel, as is the heartache of someone who carries the burden of seeing what’s going on and knowing it needs to stop, but who isn’t sure how to end the vicious cycle in effect.
     To read more about Because I Am Furniture or to order your own copy, click here.

Wrongly Accused

No one likes to be accused of committing an injustice or crime, but it’s always much worse when the person publically blamed is completely innocent of the charges brought against him or her. 

     
I can still remember rather vividly the incident that occurred at my elementary school when I was in second grade.  A popular girl received a really mean anonymous note, and the teachers were questioning each “suspect” individually at tables in the library.
    
I hadn’t written the note and explained that I wouldn’t do something like that.  I was really insulted and offended when they had me come back a second time for questioning.  The arguments against me were 1.) The handwriting on the note was messy.  (Apparently I wasn’t the only second grader with poor penmanship.)  2.) I didn’t really like the girl who’d been given the note.  (Being outgoing, blond, and popular weren’t traits that (in and of themselves) would win me over as a friend.)
     
I couldn’t and didn’t deny that I had/have sloppy handwriting, nor did I lie and say I was friends with the girl when I wasn’t.  My anxiety, aggravation, and anger escalated, because I was telling the truth and people didn’t believe me.  Eventually they caught the real culprit, who was probably given whatever the appropriate punishment was at that time for a second grade meanie with poor penmanship in a public school. 

Fast-forward to fourth grade, and I was wrongly accused again of writing a hateful note to a popular girl who turned it in to the teacher.  Yet again, I was suspected due to my sloppy scrawling and my refusal to join the popular girl’s fan club of followers.  I told the truth, which was eventually discovered by the teachers involved.  After that, the proper perpetrator was punished in whatever manner was acceptable at that time for a fourth grade bully in a Catholic school. 

     
How did it feel to be wrongly accused?  I felt frustrated, angry, insulted, and offended both times it happened.  It really upset me that the teachers and classmates I thought knew me pretty well would suggest that I would do something so hurtful and mean.    
     
Thinking back on how upset I was over wrongly being accused of actions that now seem rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things has given me a different perspective on Christ’s suffering.  Jesus was wrongly accused of many serious crimes throughout his life, but He didn’t lash out in anger or take out a few Pharisees with the intention of proving His power.  Instead, He let His love, healing, generosity, and eternal wisdom speak for themselves as sufficient proof of His identity, integrity, intentions, and mission. 

Lord, help us to reconcile with those we have wrongly accused and with those who have unjustly blamed us.  Remind us how honesty, integrity, and truth can and will always overcome lies, deceit, and falsehood.  Lead us to be Children of the Light. Amen.   

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 8)

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It’s a jungle out there! This Monday a parent whose child was in my Nature Camp last week told me that her daughter’s friend, also in my camp, had informed his parents he’d gone on the school bus to a jungle with my class. Of course, the mother was a bit disconcerted to hear this, since nothing had ever been mentioned about an off-campus field trip anywhere, certainly not to a jungle.

     I laughed and said he had quite an imagination. I assured her we didn’t go on a spur-of-the-moment, no-permission-slips-needed trip to the jungle...

Disclaimer: Your child will, at no time while under our supervision, be leaving the school campus, the state of Virginia, or the United States of America without your expressed written permission, required stuffed animals, and a current passport.

     To read the full post, click here.

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Catholic artists combine creativity and faith to glorify God.  These three Catholics have answered the pope’s call to continue the tradition of creating beautiful, sacred works of art that honor and promote the Faith...To read full article By Jim Graves – Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly, 7/31/2011, click here. 

-3-

We didn’t have a lot of fun in the desert.  My husband and I have a confession to make: we’ve had some very catchy Veggie Tales songs running through our heads this week thanks to the readings from Exodus about Moses leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt.  If you have not yet had the pleasure and amusement of listening to this song, I highly recommend you click here then select “Going to the Promised Land” to see the video.  Listen and repeat.

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Fully Relying on God (F.R.O.G.) is a phrase Kevin and I first heard of from a Cursillo friend of ours.  Last night we went to Sweet Frog for some frozen yogurt.  The shop in Carytown is brightly decorated, has air conditioning (which is mandatory for me in such oppressive heat), a cool self-serve set-up, and a moral message.  Their frog stands for the same thing we are each called to do.  These shops only play Christian music and they serve as a smooth reminder what this life is supposed to be all about.

-5-

Separation anxiety/sadness.  It breaks my heart how sad my grandmother becomes when she doesn’t get to see my mom every day.  If my mom has to go out of town or is sick and needs to stay in bed for a few days, my grandma has sometimes worried that she’ll never see my mom again.  It’s hard for her to remember most days what she’s been told, so she asks the same questions over and over, usually about how each person in the family is doing, how work is going, etc.  Any time my mom can’t come see her, she asks if I’ve heard from my mom and wants to know what she said, where she is, and when she’ll be back.  I always call my mom and, if I can get ahold of her, will let Grandma talk with her for a while. 

     A woman came in yesterday to ask my grandma eight questions about what activities and such are important to her.  I knew her answers before she said them: reading the newspaper, books, and magazines, listening to classical music, taking part in religious services, getting time out in the fresh air when the weather’s nice, and being up on the news are all things she said are very important to her. 

    Yesterday she thanked me a number of times for coming to see her.  I left feeling that it’s pitiful that I don’t visit her very often when she lives so close and it means so much to her.    

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My Snap-Happy Hubby goes to Washington.  Last Saturday Kevin, our best friend/brother John, and I went up to the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. for a day-trip pilgrimage.  It was the first time Kevin and I had ever been there.  We made it in time for the second half of the daily Mass in the Crypt Church, then we spent the rest of the praying there and looking around before going to 5:15pm Mass in the main sanctuary of the Basilica.   I had to laugh that Kevin was the one who had the camera out and was snapping pictures left and right.  I didn’t feel the need to take lots of photos that day.  After we’d toured the Crypt Church, Kevin asked what I wanted to do next; he didn’t realize that we still had the actual basilica itself, the main church, to go through.  He’s pretty cute.  I’m going to keep him ;) Kevin’s only been on one other “pilgrimage.”  We made an hour or two stop at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is the oldest known replica of the famous French shrine, on our way home from my aunt Florence’s funeral last fall.  We knew about the place because John had gone there and brought us back some Holy Water a while ago in a most unusual-for-that-purpose container. 

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Are You Willing to Ask the Lord for His Truth about That? Since this past January, I have been learning about an amazing ministry that has helped people all over the world find tremendous healing and release.  Theophostic Prayer Ministry, developed by Christian preacher, counselor, husband, father, author, and speaker Ed Smith, deals with identifying the lie-based beliefs we have and being open to the Holy Spirit replacing those lies with Truth. 

I’ve learned quite a bit about the ministry over the past seven months.  Of course, I still have a good bit to go over and practice.  Some of the most exciting benefits of this ministry for me so far is that it’s something that Kevin has become increasingly interested in.  He’s been reading the introductory book Healing Life’s Hurts, watching the training DVDs with me, and coming up with some really funny examples of how not to do the ministry.  I’m not sure where all of this will lead us, but it’s brought us closer to learn about this ministry and the basic principles of lie-based beliefs being the driving factors behind our negative emotions and pain.  To read about this ministry, see a demonstration of it, etc., check out www.theophostic.com.     

     Check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s 7 Quick Takes Friday series and her high-traffic for good reason blog Conversion Diary.

Exposing the Lies, Accepting the Truth, and Experiencing Healing

Many of the women and men who have been hurt by abortion, which is the #1 moneymaker of Planned Parenthood, have come to those of us who are praying for an end to abortion in order to share their stories about what happened to them, how it's affected them, etc. A major part of our ministry, prayer coverage, and practical support is in providing healing from the hurt they've experienced as a result of a choice they made.
    
Now many women who have had abortions and who later came to aid in performing abortions have experienced profound transformations when they've been honest with themselves and others about what they were thinking, feeling, what others did and said to them, what they chose, and what it's been like since that choice. I was thoroughly amazed by the courage of the women and girls, scientists, lawyers, and civil rights activists who speak out in the documentary BloodMoney.
    
There are few people whose testimonies and experiences with Planned Parenthood are more powerful than those who have had an abortion, worked in a clinic where they've led others to have abortions and/or assisted in the procedure itself, and have since seen the Truth about the sanctity of life.      No one wants to be lied to. No one wants to be told that what they experienced and have felt isn't valid. Well, many who are coming forward now, some whose stories I've heard because we're close friends, are proving to be incredible wounded healers once they've received the forgiveness God wants to give them for their sin.
    
I know that any time in my life when I've been open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, that the Lord has continued to show me the lies I have believed that have caused me pain as well as hurt others. I'm never going to have it all figured out. I'm always going to be in need of mind renewal this side of heaven. That being said, there are some Truths that I have experienced in such profound ways through the grace of God, that I've been completely transformed from the inside out.
    
Lies and deception are the devil's playground. They are where he operates. If each of us acknowledges that we don't have all the answers, but that God's Divine Truth supersedes all of our thoughts, arguments, and experiences to the contrary, then we realize the only way to discover the Truth and even attempt to live in it is to be willing to allow Him to replace our lie-based thinking, in every and all areas of our lives.
    
This reminds me of one of my favorite Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir songs which includes the lyrics: "we are not fighting flesh and blood, but principalities of the dark." What needs to be exposed most goes way deeper than Planned Parenthood or abortion, it goes much deeper than individuals, it can be traced back to basic lies that we have believed about God, humanity, how we're to treat one another, and what is truly good versus evil.

Bloodmoney: A Documentary narrated by Alveda King

BloodMoney is a documentary I would also classify as a nonfiction horror film in which the most gory graphic images are left to the viewers’ imagination while the cold, hard facts are given outright by scientists, lawyers, historians, and former abortion clinic workers. Far scarier than fiction are the accounts of blood, dirty instruments, infant body parts, cash-only for quick death transactions, and a long list of life-long side effects.

    
I don’t watch horror films. I don’t like haunted houses. I don’t enjoy being scared, frightened, or terrified, but I have a passion for uncovering the truth, even if it leads me to conclusions and evidence that is extremely disturbing.
    
This documentary on the high profitability of abortion clinics, the conception of Planned Parenthood and its current work, the scientific research showing when life begins, and the scientifically and medically verified devastating side effects of abortion is narrated by Alveda King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece. It’s quite fitting that she has taken a strong stand against abortion that is as radical to some as her uncle’s was when it came to civil rights.      There were a number of times watching this film that I cringed or gasped aloud, not usually because of what I saw, but because of the scientific, medical, historical, even legal facts given. Some of them I’d heard and read elsewhere, others I was learning about for the first time.
    
What affected me the most was hearing the details about the practices and business plans of an abortion clinic from a clinician who spent a number of years in the industry. She plainly described the many unregulated, immoral, unethical, and often even illegal tactics and procedures she, the doctors, and staff other staff carried out .
    
Also very powerful are the testimonies of women who have had abortions talking about the experience, some of them a number of years after having had the procedure, sharing about the physical, emotional, and even spiritual scars this supposed “quick fix” has caused them.
    
If you are just learning about the ways we are called to respect and protect human life from conception to natural death or you have been in the pro-life movement for years, this documentary will educate you, move you, and likely inspire you to prayer and action.
    
Watch the movie trailer here. Find out more about the film and/or order your own copy at Bloodmoney Film.

Healing Life's Hurts Through Theophostic Prayer

   I became interested in Theophostic Prayer when a friend of mine and her family who are Charismatic Catholics talked with me about it in the context of being a powerful method for healing. My friend shared with me the experience she had during her first Theophostic Prayer session, and I immediately wanted to hear more about the ministry which focuses on prayer as a means of mind renewal and experiential healing of lie-based beliefs with the Holy Spirit’s Truth.
     My friend’s father, who is a trained spiritual director and one of the leaders of our parish’s Charismatic Prayer Group, loaned me two books on the topic of Theophostic Prayer. The first book entitled Healing Life’s Hurts through Theophostic Prayer was written by the developer of this ministry, pastoral counselor Dr. Edward M. Smith. Theophostic is a word that comes from two Greek words Theos (God) and Phos (light). “These two words describe God illuminating a previously darkened area of one’s mind and thoughts with His truth. Theophostic Prayer Ministry is God’s true Light, the Spirit of Christ bringing divine truth experientially into one’s historical life experiences.” (pg. 10)      The thinking behind this method of prayer and healing is that oftentimes our present reactions and emotions to experiences also include those from our past, whether we’re conscious of it at the time or not. Because we have this emotional baggage from the past that we carry with us, we react to current events in our lives in certain ways. Dr. Smith has found that by identifying the earliest memory when the emotion or thought process first was experienced, that healing can come through prayer and inviting the Holy Spirit to come and heal the pain caused by the lies the person came to believe at that time by replacing them with His Infinite Truth.
     I find this idea quite intriguing. I have been acutely aware for years that many of my childhood experiences have heavily influenced my reaction to people, places, and circumstances in my present life. Though I can go back through what I thought and felt at the time and logically think through my current reactions and where they came from, why they don’t really make sense in the present situation, etc. I still held on to many of the lies I came to believe about God, myself, and others during those traumatic events. It makes sense that freedom and healing come when, through prayer, we open ourselves to having the lies we’ve believed replaced with the Truth that comes to us from the Holy Spirit.
     Far from being a one-time cure for all your problems, Dr. Smith emphasizes that Theophostic Prayer Ministry is a process that helps us to heal deep emotional pain throughout life. We will inevitably have people, situations, places, and events that will trigger our memories. The most troublesome emotions we experience can often be traced back to a particular memory in our lives when we first adopted what we can now identify as being a lie-based belief. Our behavior since that time reflects the belief is still deeply ingrained in us. Only through prayer, identifying the lies, and through God’s grace accepting the Truth that comes from the Holy Spirit are we likely to be healed on a level deep enough that the memory remains, but the raw pain it caused us and the lies we came to believe at the time are replaced.
     Since reading Healing Life’s Hurts Through Theophostic Prayer and experiencing my first Theophostic Prayer Session with ministers who were trained by Dr. Smith himself, I have become even more interested in studying and using this method of healing.

The Loser Letters: A Comic Tale of Life, Death, and Atheism

This sassy, intellectually savvy, lingo-loaded satire turns theism and atheism inside out and upside down. Through a series of letters written by a female atheist to the leaders of the “New Atheism,” author Mary Eberstadt creates a character who’s ready to tell it like it is and how it should be. The heroine, who refers to herself in The Loser Letters as, A. F. Christian (A Former Christian), mixes present –day pop culture references to Facebook and YouTube trends, hit TV shows such as Project Runway and What Not to Wear, and plenty of texting/instant messaging shorthand, with a hard-hitting critique of key players in both the theistic and atheistic traditions across history.
   
Some reviewers have compared this to C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, and I can certainly see some similarities in the satirical approach to winning more people over to the “dark side.” However, this series of letters all written by A. F. Christian to the powers that be in the Atheist world are more conversational, edgy and so deeply steeped in contemporary culture that youth and those up on technology and the latest fads will get the references to current trends and perhaps some of the historical ones. Others who are well-read in religion, literature, and the pro-life movement will likely find the strategic name-dropping and prominently placed academic references easier to identify with than the latest lingo. Those who are well-read and consider technology a BFF will be left reeling, writhing, and, at times, LOL.
    
Regardless of your religious or literary leanings, A.F. Christian is likely to press your buttons as she waxes philosophic about the hot topics of our time. Eberstadt digs deep to uncover the weak points of the arguments on both sides of the line. If you don’t find your mouth dropping open or your temperature rising at some point while reading this book, then you haven’t been paying attention.
    
Eberstadt gives new meaning to the term femme fatale. I highly recommend you read this book to find out why, how, and for what greater purpose she does this.
    
You can purchase this book here.
    
I wrote this review of The Loser Letters for the Tiber River Blogger Review program. Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Living the Lie that Everything's Fine

You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.

I used to be much better at fooling people than I am now. I got so used to burying my thoughts and feelings that there were times it took me quite a while before I could go below the surface of what I did during the day to access how it made me feel and what I thought about it. Most of these thoughts and feelings I wouldn’t have dreamed of saying out loud.
  
My mom, who was my only real confidante for many years, still remembers how it would take me half an hour of talking with her about superficial things, then a half hour of crying without being able to say anything before I’d finally open up and tell her what was going on inside.
  
Looking back, I find it hard to believe that I held so much in for so long. My middle school and high school years were often tumultuous and sometimes downright hellish, yet rarely did my closest friends know what was going on in my life. Part of the reason I didn’t talk about illnesses, injuries, addictions, disagreements, embarrassments were because I didn’t want to cry in public. I didn’t want to be seen as vulnerable or weak. Plus, as is customary of dysfunctional families, we had an unwritten law that you just don’t talk about it to other people.
  
It surprises me now how deceptively good I got at acting like everything was fine. I earned good grades, was involved in clubs, hung out with friends on the weekends, and went to church, but on the inside I was deeply unhappy, stressed, afraid, and worn down from living the lie.
  
A song that came out in 2005 whose lyrics and the theatrical singing performance amused me because of how well they portrayed the duplicitousness of people. In the song, “Mother, Mother” off of The Secret Life album by The Veronicas, the following lines are sung in such a way, they’ve stuck in my head for years as a prime example of what people say versus what they’re really feeling:
  
“I’m hungry. I’m dirty. I’m losing my miiiiind!”  “EVERYTHING’S FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!”
“I’m freezing. I’m starving. I’m bleeding to death!”  “EVERYTHING’S FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!”
  
There's only One who always knows if what we're saying is truly in line with what's in our heart and on our mind.  Others may think they know, but sometimes they're wrong.  We don't always say what we mean or what we think.  It's rather ironic that so often we crave intimacy, wanting so much to be known, accepted, and loved, yet we fear the vulnerability required to let others get to know us.
  
Lord, You who knit us in our mother’s womb, have known us from the beginning of time. You know each word and action, every thought and motivation behind it, yet You love us infinitely and desire to have an intimate relationship with us. You alone know us inside and out and can, therefore, love us more completely than anyone else. Lord, open our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls to such a profound intimate love, as Yours was, is, and ever shall be.