here's to you Kansas

Lately I've had the travel bug...I've had such and urge to get out and go! To run around and see all there is to see! But, seeing as I don't really have the means to do that right now, I want to make my home state a vacation in itself! Some of these places would still take a considerable amount of driving time and gas money, but I think they're worth the trouble.

Places I want to visit in KS

1. Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens


Why I want to go: Ummm, look at the pretty pictures, who wouldn't want to go here?

It looks perfect for a Disney-esque sickeningly sweet stroll through the park with a cute little picnic basket lunch and checkered table cloth (I would seriously do this! :)

Any picture taken here would look like professional photography! (It's just that pretty)

And most of all.....it's free!

http://www.kansastravel.org/overlandpark/overlandparkarboretum.htm

more to come!

Song of the month!

JJ Heller-What Love Really means


(Side note, isn't it great how pictures look so much better when set to music? It's like it gives them a whole new life. ha)
Anyway, I chose this song as song of the month because it really hits home for me. The lyrics are beautiful, some people throw the word "love" around like it's going out of style, and others are afraid to say it, but at it's core what does it really mean? As a word it seems to have lost some of it's value, saying "I love you" to a significant other or family member is meant to be a very significant phrase, yet people (myself included), talk about how much they love a certain type of food, or a sport, a color, doesn't that seem odd?  
Webster's definitions:

a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties <maternal love for a child> (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt bylovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests <love for his old schoolmates>b : an assurance of affection <give her my love>

2

: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion <love of the sea>

3

a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration<baseball was his first love>b (1) : a beloved person : darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British —used as an informal term of address

4

a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind(2) : brotherly concern for others

One aspect of love not mentioned in Webster's definitions is the feeling of not knowing if someone you love loves you back. Because then you go through all these reasons as to why they haven't said it yet, why did you fall in love first or if you're in love alone, then there's the questioning of what love is because you're trying to decipher actions to see if they're just showing they love you, without saying it because maybe they have problems expressing their feelings... know what I mean? But at the end of the day none of the over analyzing even touches whether or not you love the person of your affection, but only if the love is truly returned. 
That's what the song makes me think of right now, what is love and who outside of my family will truly give this to me? 


But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 
John 13:34-35
 
The Bible describes love as an all forgiving emotion, something that surpasses imperfections and that can identify you as a Christian to others.  It is pure. Knowing that God loves us is a comfort to me. 
Back to the song, I absolutely do love the last few lines that speak of God's love for mankind: "I will love you for you, not for what you have done, or what you will become." That is true love, when you can love completely in the moment and accept someone as they are. Not waiting on who they might turn out to be, not dwelling in their past, not seeing them as someone they truly aren't, but loving them for who they are right in the moment. Imperfections and all. That's beautiful :) 

Pilot

So, if my blog were a TV show, this would be the pilot. The episode where all the characters are introduced and are supposed to grab the viewer's attention with their interesting or mellow dramatic lives that are supposed to be more interesting or intriguing than ours, otherwise why would we watch? But since this isn't a TV show, this blog probably won't be more interesting than your life and it will most likely be me rambling about whatever happens to be on my mind. Right now I can't tell if I'll be a consistent or random blogger, but after writing the admissions essay to the college I'm thinking of transferring to the other day, I realized how much I missed writing. Writing is such a good way to release emotions, happy or sad, good or bad, you can write about it! That's one reason why I love it. The pen is the voice and the paper it's audience that listens ever intently. In this case, keyboard to waiting screen.