#reflections – I and Thou Reflections

Sacred Love: Being Delighted In

A Series of Longing from the Song of Songs

I welcome love that delights in who I am — not who I try to be.

There is a longing deeper than being seen or being pursued.
It is the longing to be delighted in.
That feeling of bringing someone joy.
Or causing someone to smile.
Or being the twinkle in someone’s eye.

Delight says,
I want to be with you.
I want to see you smile.
I appreciate you.
I enjoy your company.
I cherish you.

Think about that.

If you are not sensing these feelings in your relationship, it may be time for an honest talk.

In the Song of Songs, delight is everywhere.
It is spoken.
It is sung.
It is celebrated.

The lovers do not hide their joy in one another.
They speak it.
They name it.
They savor it.

Sacred love invites you into that same truth —
that you are not only wanted,
not only pursued,
but delighted in.

Delight is different from desire.
Desire reaches for you.
Delight rests in you.

Is your lover resting in you?

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.

— Song of Solomon 2:3

May you feel the sparkle of being delighted in.
May you find joy within you and around you. Amen.

“Tulips & apple tree | Tulipany i jabłonka” by Maciej Szczepaniak is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

#SacredLove #SongOfSongs #Valentine’sDay #Intimacy #Faith #Poetry #IntimateFaith #HolyLove #LoveJourney

Sacred Love: Being Pursued

A Series of Longing from the Song of Songs

I welcome love that seeks me and chooses me for who I am.

There is a longing to be pursued.
At least, that has been my experience.
Maybe it’s a female thing — maybe it’s a human thing.

It’s the longing to be wanted.
To be chosen.
To be treasured.
Not because it is “the right thing to do” but because it feels so right.

When someone pursues you, and the relationship begins to take root, there is a season of euphoria —
or maybe it’s desire, maybe it’s wonder —
that feeling of I can’t get enough of you.

Being pursued carries questions.
Will the time and effort be worth it?
How will the journey go?
Will it be smooth sailing?
Or will there be gusts of wind that throw it off course?
Or will the boat capsize, leaving no survivors?

Yet sacred love tells a different story.

In the Song of Songs, pursuit is:
Bold.
Eager.
Joyful.
Mutual.

And why is that?
Because God is navigating the boat.

The lovers row toward one another — with love, joy, and anticipation.

Sacred pursuit is about being wanted.
It is about someone seeing your worth and moving toward you because of it.
And it is about God reminding you that you were created for connection —
that you deserve to be pursued with tenderness and intention.

It is a gentle invitation to commune with God in a way that stirs your heart, a way that makes YOU whisper, “I can’t get enough of You.”
Because the deeper truth is this:
God delights in you more than you can imagine.

Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday? Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends?

— Song of Solomon 1:7

May you feel the excitement of being pursued —
the beauty, the delight, the anticipation.
May sacred love draw you toward a lover who rows toward you, listening as God navigates the way. Amen

*“Rowboat” by kkalyan is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.*

#SacredLove #SongOfSongs #Valentine’sDay #Intimacy #Faith #Poetry #IntimateFaith #HolyLove #LoveJourney

Sacred Love: Being Seen

A Series of Longing from the Song of Songs

I welcome love that sees me and honors me for who I am.

We all have a longing.
To be recognized.
To be understood.
To be cherished.

And yet we often hide the very depths of our souls.
Those quiet places.
Tender spaces.
The place where there is fear.

We fear we are too much.
Or not enough.
Not worthy.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

One of my long-time friends once told me he loved my eyes — “exotic, almond‑shaped,” he said. Forty years later, I still remember those words. Why? Because in that moment, I felt noticed. I felt like I mattered. I felt valued.

How often do people notice a small sacred detail about you and then actually speak it?

What kind of world would we live in if we spoke the beauty we see instead of keeping it to ourselves?

How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from the hills of Gilead.

– Song of Solomon 4:1

May you truly experience what it feels like to be seen —
not for what you do, but for who you are.
May sacred love meet and guide you where you need to be. Amen.

*Image Credit: “The Veiled Woman” by Koshyk is licensed under CC BY 2.0.*

#SacredLove #SongOfSongs #Valentine’sDay #Intimacy #Faith #Poetry #IntimateFaith #HolyLove #LoveJourney

Sacred Love: Welcome

A Series of Longing from the Song of Songs

Welcome to Sacred Love.
A month of longing.
A month of poetry.
A month of receiving real, sacred love.

Throughout this series, we will explore the longing that rises from the Song of Songs:
the longing to be seen,
to be held,
to be delighted in,
to belong.

This is an invitation to slow down.
To breathe.

To cherish the beauty of intimacy — emotional, spiritual, and physical.
And to honor the desire God placed within us for connection that is tender, virtuous, and deeply human.

I welcome the beauty of sacred love.

February invites us pause and reflect on love—
Not the commercial love of Valentine’s Day.
But the love that is felt before it is understood.
A love that stirs.
A love that is found in the sacred space within each one of us.

Song of Songs is a book of longing—
the longing to connect to another human soul.
One that is designed by God.
Blessed by God.
And breathed into our very being.
Yet it is only experienced when we invite God into it.

Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers.

—Song of Solomon 1:4

May your heart and eyes open to sacred love.
May you see and feel this love reaching for you more and more each day. Amen.

*Two figures embracing by Joy Cho found on Athome.com*

#SacredLove #SongofSongs #Valentine’sDay #Intimacy #Faith #Poetry #IntimateFaith #HolyLove #LoveJourney

Sacred Love: Introduction

A Series of Longing from the Song of Songs

Love is tender, poetic, and intimate.
There is no doubt that love rises from the sacred space within each of us.
It is the longing to be seen.
To be heard.
To fill the loneliness.
And to remind us that we were created for connection.

The Song of Songs is one of the poetry books of the bible. It is the 22nd book in the Old Testament. Some say it is erotic poetry. But it is far more than that.

Two lovers on a love journey, each longing for the other. Their story is filled with desire, delight, and devotion. Rich with allegory and vivid imagery, this book sings a song of longing and intimacy —
a song that helps us understand what love is all about.

This month, we will step into that longing. The place where we want to be known,
chosen,
pursued,
and deeply cherished.

Sacred love is designed and defined by God.
It is passionate.
It is faithful.
It is holy.
And it is reachable.

It is like nothing else on this earth.
Love is fragrant.
It is mystical.
It is emotional.
It is intimate.
It is sacred.
It reflects God’s love for us.

And so, we begin —
a month of love. And what better place to start than the Song of Songs.

*“Pair lovers, null ida teichmann” is marked with CC0 1.0.*

#SacredLove #SongOfSongs #Valentine’sDay #Intimacy #Faith #Poetry #IntimateFaith #HolyLove #LoveJourney

Welcoming Love

Affirmation

We welcome love. We open our hearts to its warmth and vitality.

Reflection

As January comes to a close, we have nearly completed the first whole month of 2026. Moving into February feels like crossing a bridge —
one that guides us toward a more authentic way of being. Slow. Steady. True.

January has invited us to slow down, to notice the sparkle, to breathe again.
To appreciate the small things life has to offer.
Now it invites us to open our hearts —to let love meet us where we are.
Not the perfect or polished version of us.
Just our honest, authentic selves.

Love is grand and has its own timeline.
Sometimes it comes softly —
in a kind word offered at the right moment, in a hand reaching for ours, or in the familiar comfort of someone who sees us as we are.
Sometimes it arrives loudly —
like a spark igniting a fire, full of sizzles, cracks, and pops.

What we do know for sure is that love shows up every day in the ordinary:
the warmth and joy shared over a piece of pizza,
the whisper of “I’m sorry,”
the courage to forgive,
the assurance that God is with us – always.

Love is God’s way of saying: You are held. You are seen. You are cherished.
Welcoming love means letting ourselves receive what we often give so freely to others. It means trusting that love is not scarce, not fragile, not earned — but offered. Again and again.

Prayer

God, teach us to welcome love — the love You pour into our lives and the love that flows through the people around us. Help us soften our words, calm our anxiety, and open our hearts to love. May Your love remind us that we are seen, heard, and valued. Amen

*Image Credit: Freepik p. 43 Shared Meal*

#Love #January #Welcome #NewYear #2026 #Affirmation #Prayer #Faith #Seasons #Reflections

Winding Down January

Affirmation

We welcome the winding down of January. We breathe. We take notice. We are grateful for how far we have come. We will begin to create space to celebrate love.

Reflection

Winding down gives us a chance to reflect. We began this month with an open heart — with a willingness to see differently, to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary.

January encourages us:
To consider change.
To search for light, clarity, and joy.
To stay open to opportunities, new beginnings.
To offer grace to ourselves and others.
To see the sparkle in the ordinary.

January didn’t ask us to be perfect. It simply asked us to notice — to pay attention to the small ways God meets us in the everyday. It also drew our attention to others — to see them in a different light. To receive grace so we could offer it back

As we wind down this month, we gather these moments like gentle threads. We hold them with gratitude. We let them prepare our hearts for what comes next. A month to celebrate love.
Love for God.
Love for others.
Love for ourselves.

Our last post for January will invite love to shine in and through us — to greet us at the door,
to welcome us,
to comfort us,
to love us just the way we are.

Prayer

God, thank You for the light that guided us, the clarity that grounded us, and the joy that lifted us. We are grateful for the sparkles that remind us of the beauty all around. Continue to have mercy on us. Keep extending grace. And prepare our hearts for love. Amen.

#January #Welcome #NewYear #2026 #Affirmation #Prayer #Faith #Seasons #Reflections #NCMuseum

Welcoming the Sparkle

Affirmation

We welcome the sparkle. We will look for the sparkles of everyday life and will get close enough to feel the sparkle in our souls.

Reflection

Some days, it’s hard to find the sparkle. Yet, when we look in the right places, it shows up. It shows up in someone’s eyes. Or in the bubbles of a babbling brook. Or a shimmer of light shining through a window. Or in the sparkle of a shoe strap.

Sparkles are easy to miss unless we slow down enough to notice them.

January calls us to slow down. To notice the:
snowflakes that glisten before they melt,
dew or frost resting on the ground,
ribbons that shimmer on a painting,
artwork made by a child.

Sometimes the sparkle calls us to pause. To lean in and see the sparkles in the painting—just like in the photo here.

A Section of: *Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires 2011 by Mickalene Thomas – Photo taken at the NC Museum of Art*

Sometimes the sparkle is bold. A flash of color, a beaded heel, a moment of joy.

The description of the painting says these women represent charm, beauty, and creativity — empowered, emotive, and fearless. That, too, is a kind of sparkle.

These sparkles are reminders.
That beauty is still here.
That wonder still visits.
That God still shines His light in unexpected places.

Welcoming the sparkle means letting these small flashes of delight interrupt us. To cause us to pause.
To take a breath.
To remind us that even on heavy days, something catches light to brighten our day.

Prayer

God, help us notice the sparkle-the glimmers You scatter through our days. Teach us to pause when something shines, even for a moment, and let it lift our spirits. May these tiny flashes of beauty remind us that You are near and that hope is never far. Amen.

*Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires 2011 by Mickalene Thomas – Photo taken at the NC Museum of Art*

#Sparkle #Welcome #NewYear #2026 #Affirmation #Prayer #Faith #Seasons #Reflections #NCMuseum

Welcoming Grace

Affirmation

We welcome grace. We embrace the quiet gift that meets us where we are. We trust that grace will carry us forward.

Reflection

Grace is subtle. Like a breath you didn’t know you were holding. It’s open arms. An embrace of acceptance. It shows up as a kind word or a pause. Or a reminder that we are perfect the way we are.

January gives us permission–
to graciously receive blessings from God,
to bless others,
to extend grace to ourselves,
to others.

Grace is the gentle thread that holds us together so we can welcome the new year, walk toward the light, seek clarity, find joy, and be open to opportunities.

Grace invites authenticity and encourages us to grow. All we have to do is look for it and seize it. Then, give it to others.

As we move forward in 2026, let’s let go of what we can’t carry. Let’s let go of our expectations. Let’s trust God to light the path we are to follow.

Grace is not a reward. It’s a presence. A way of being held. A way of remembering that we are loved even in our humanness.

Prayer

God, help us welcome grace in all its forms. Teach us to give more grace than we receive. Help us to do what you want us to do. Keep us steady. And remind us again and again that you are walking beside us. Whether we hear you or not. You are there. Amen

*Image Credit: Forest Trees Pines – Free from Pixabay*

#Grace #Welcome #NewYear #2026 #Affirmation #Prayer #Faith #Seasons #Reflections

Welcoming Small Beginnings

Affirmation

We welcome the quiet starts, the tiny shifts, the beginnings that don’t look like much — yet carry promise.

Reflection

Beginnings arrive softly. Like a whisper. A nudge. Or a seed tucked into soil that grows without even noticing–until one day it breaks through the soil as a green stem shoots up to the sky!

January inspires us to appreciate these small beginnings.
The ones that we don’t know yet.
The ones that don’t look like progress.
The ones that ask us to wait.

A small beginning might be:

a single prayer whispered when sleep won’t come
a new habit started, forgotten, and started again
a moment of clarity that shifts our direction
a tiny prayer book cover noticed in the middle of an art museum

These beginnings matter.
Why?
Because they become the seeds of transformation.
To what?
We may not know yet. And that makes small beginnings all the more wonderful.

Seize the day and wait to see what unfolds.

Prayer

God, help us welcome the small beginnings. Give us eyes to see the beauty in quiet starts as we trust the unfolding. Teach us to celebrate what is just beginning, even when it’s still tender and maybe not even seen yet. Grant us patience and hope. Today and for all the days to come. Amen.

*Image Credit: “Wind of the Spirit” found on* *yeshuachildart.com*

#NewBeginnings #Welcome #2026 #Faith #Reflections #Prayer #Affirmation #Seasons