Apollo, god of prophecy, sees the young Eros, god of love, playing with his bow and arrows and remarks, “What have you to do with warlike weapons? Leave them for hands worthy of them.”[1] In retribution for this reproach, Eros wounds Apollo with a golden arrow, causing him to fall in love with the nymph daughter of the river god Peneus. Eros additionally wounds the beautiful nymph Daphne, with a lead arrow, thus insuring she would not be wooed by Apollo’s advances. (In fact, the arrow’s power was so strong that Daphne forthwith refused all of her lovers.) Regardless of her father Peneus’s requests for a son-in-law and grandchildren, Daphne begs to remain unmarried and he grudgingly consents.
Apollo, struck with the golden arrow of love, pleads with Daphne to fulfill his desire. Daphne begins to flee. Even as she runs, he is more captivated by her beauty. Apollo grows impatient and soon, sped by Eros, gains on her. With slower speed and failing strength, Daphne cries out to her father just as Apollo captures her. Not a moment later, Daphne’s skin turns to bark, her hair leaves, her arms branches, her feet roots, and her face a treetop. In only a moment, Peneus protects his daughter by turning her into a laurel tree. After the transformation Apollo still embraces the tree. He cuts off some of her branches and leaves to make a wreath and proclaims the laurel as a sacred tree.

jan – serving with eyes wide open
ministering cross-culturally

feb – unveiling islam
crazy love

march – nothing

april – black like me
stuff christians like (audio book)

to read -
kiss
blue like jazz
the practice of godliness
saying yes
the problem of pain

He can’t sleep, he can’t eat
He keeps thinking about her behind the locked door of her bedroom
As she knowingly tortures the shell that is left of her bridegroom
And what did he do to deserve
This whore of a wife who parades her disgrace to his face now
When he loved her and gave up his life in more ways than she knows how
And all I can say is that

Love is a terrible art, it’s a hook in the heart
That can drag you on broken glass
And as you protest the shards in your flesh
The hook tears out your chest until you’re just a broken mess

Where is God in this rot?
Depraved she commits the most heinous of sins and breaks her vows
But he loves her despite all the crimes she devises in his house
Where is God? I’ve been taught
That He’s close to the broken, it’s true I have spoken with Him some
When I look in my brother’s eyes I can see where his love comes from
And all he can say is that

Love is a terrible art, it’s a hook in the heart
That can drag you on broken glass
And as you protest the shards in your flesh
The hook tears out your chest until you’re just a broken mess

But he has mercy on her lover and does not bleed him dry
A credit to his self control if it were me that monster would probably die

Love is a beautiful thing, she can make your heart sing
When you’re walking on broken glass
She will open your eyes, make your heart feel alive
Point you toward the sunrise
Help you leave all this broken mess behind

Love is a beautiful thing
Will you leave this broken mess behind?

———————————————————
grace is amazing. i can’t even begin to comprehend.
forgiveness and love are high on the list of ‘no recognition’ too.
i love the classic crime.

i love jake.
very very much so.
i’m glad he shows me forgiveness and grace on a regular basis.
he has definitely shown me love.

i know all the steps
i know all the reasons why not to be
i know all the tips
i know all the verses
i know all the phrases
i know all the excuses
i know all the triggers
i know all the lies
i know all the cures

i just can’t.

there’s nothing more beautiful than a blooming cherry blossom.
the serenity.
the hope.
the rebirth.

may i grace you with those three and more one day.

i forgot the exact title of this piece.
i saw it at the chicago museum of art.
it so often describes me. especially now.

i need stability. and peace.

Lord knows i need clarity.