"To believe means to realize not just with the head but also with the heart that God loves me in a creative, intimate, unique, reliable and tender way. Creative: out of His love i came forth; through His love I am who I am. Intimate: His love reaches out to the deepest in me. Unique: His love embraces me as I am, not as I am considered to be by other people or supposed to be in my own self-image. Reliable: His love will never let me down. Tender..
Tenderness is what happens to you when you know you are deeply and sincerely liked by someone. If you communicate to me that you like me, not just love me as a brother in Christ, you open up to me the possibility of self-respect, self-esteem and wholesome self-love. Your acceptance of me banishes my fears. My defense mechanisms -- sarcasm, aloofness, name-dropping, self-righteousness, giving the appearance of having it all together -- start to fall. I drop my mask and stop disguising my voice. You install self-confidence in me and allow me to smile at my weaknesses and absurdities. The look in your yes gives me permission to make the journey into the interior of myself and make peace with that part of myself which i could never find peace before. I become more open, sincere, vulnerable and affectionate. I too grow tender." - Brennan Manning
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I have never read a clearer description of what falling in love looks like. The vulnerable, exciting, sickening thrill of it all. There is freedom in the Lord, there is safety in His arms.
"For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory." psalm 32
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