Physical VS. Phenomenal

A relationship with God can be a hard concept. Especially for those that perhaps need that physical angle to feel loved. It's easy to love a human being because they can hug you, hold your hand, put their arm around you, etc. You can see them, touch them, stare into their eyes. You can't literally do those things with God. This causes some people to question His part in the so called "relationship" or even doubt His existence. 

"If He cares then where was He when...?"

                                          "If He wants something out of me He needs to show me some proof first."
   
                 "I don't feel the love."

Our view of what love is supposed to be has been screwed up by the "love" that the world serves us.
 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us a good idea of how God intended love to be.

"Love is patient, love is kind,. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails....." 

He didn't write this for only our relationships down here. He wrote this so that we know what our relationship with HIM was supposed to be. He's not a God that wants to loom over us and bash us on the head. He wants to walk BESIDE us! He even gives us a choice. 

Still think physical is better? He's covered that. Look at John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." 

Or Romans 5:8:

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

Or 1 John 3:1:

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."

Would you rather have a physical relationship or a phenomenal relationship?

                                              One of the girls....
                                                              Taylyr 

Bravo to Parents!

I think a lot of times we can mistaken a shallow content for love.
How can we say we're not loved when our parents constantly warn us of tripping paths? Or when those we love speak hard truths to us? How can I listen to the snarls of my demons over the perhaps corrective truth of those caring for me?
I may not always see the positive parts of myself, but perhaps that's because I've somehow become content with living in my own world of self-pity and inside the walls of a heart that I'm allowing to harden. I speak of wanting peace inside myself and yet I create a poor world like that of Mr. David Copperfield  in which I would need an escape from. All this because I want what isn't good for me and I want to give people who see my questionable choices an "excuse" to defend me with.

"She's going through a stage,"
                           "It's just the depression,"

and the like are prime and common examples.
Some parents might be thankful for the excuses of their child's awful influences to those younger. I am, however, fortunate to have parents who take no such relief in such cover ups. Rather, they allow people to be in the knowledge that our family of five isn't perfect and they take more interest in helping our generation with the beatings of the world, our minds, and sometimes even our hearts.