"Love is a gift that cannot be stolen"

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Just hung up the phone with my children. I refuse to give the horrid details of their custody situation but if you know me, you know I don't give up easily. And I'm only speaking of the custody of my younger 2 children, my oldest's custody is settled, signed, and sealed.

I've not finished the wonderful book by Erwin McManus, Soul Cravings but was reading it this afternoon.
"All of us know how cold it is outside.
Its almost unbearable out there.
Especially when we're there,
Alone,
Isolated,
Lonely.
You were never meant to be...
Alone."

"The further we move from love, the more distant God becomes. To live without God is to carry a loneliness that goes to the deepest part of our being. There's an old expression about frigid winters being cold to the bone. Without love we get cold to the bone - cold gets inside you so deep that nothing gets you warm. It's amazing how the love of just one person can make you warm again. Inside of love there is always a fire burning where we can warm our hands, our hearts, and our souls."

The love from my children has gotten me through the roughest of times in my life. (IE: leaving my ex-husband) But I've been reluctant to open up to an intimate love with another human being. I've got some great male friends whom I enjoy being in their company but to open myself up to love - frankly scares me to death. How do you get past that? Maybe when I finish reading this book it will help me understand better why I should open up to intimacy again. My relationship with my father, as I grew up, helped teach me so much about what I'm about to share with you. A father's love for his daughter can teach her so much about love and intimacy. My dad taught me great and wonderful attributes about relationships because he was/is a great dad. Our relationship was/is one of comfort and unconditional love.

Another entry from Soul Cravings is a little bit of a description as to why I shy away from companionship. "Deep down inside we know we cannot fill the vacuum within our souls by consuming people. We are not only robbing others; we are pillaging our own souls. Eventually it hits you: you cannot take love; you have to give it. Love is a gift that cannot be stolen."