Tag: love

Posted in Hiding His Word

The Greatest of These is Charity

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

Esther 8:1–10:3; 1 Corinthians 12:27–13:13; Psalm 37:1-11; Proverbs 21:23-24

Yet Shew I Unto You a More Excellent Way
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. – 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:27-31‬‬

The More Excellent Way
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Charity
• suffereth long
• is kind
• envieth not
• vaunteth not itself
• is not puffed up
• doth not behave itself unseemly
• seeketh not her own
• is not easily provoked
• thinketh no evil
• rejoiceth not in iniquity
• but rejoiceth in the truth
• beareth all things
• believeth all things
• hopeth all things
• endureth all things
• never faileth

– 1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-8‬a‬

That Which is in Part Shall Be Done Away With
but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. – 1 Corinthians 13:8b-10

But Then Shall I Know
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. – 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

Faith, Hope, Charity
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; – 1 Corinthians 13:13a

But the Greatest of These…
but the greatest of these is charity. – 1 Corinthians 13:13b

______

Purim
And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; but when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. – Esther 9:23-28

Mordecai – Great Among the Jews
For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed. – Esther 10:3

______

Rest in the LORD
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: But those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. – Psalm 37:7-11

Proud, Haughty Scorner
Proud and haughty scorner is his name, Who dealeth in proud wrath. – Proverbs 21:24

“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names Who acts with overbearing and insolent pride. – Proverbs 21:24 AMP

Posted in Hiding His Word

His Law is the Apple of My Eye

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

God gives His Law: He is Holy
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. – Exodus 19:16

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. – Exodus 20:18-21

God wants a face-to-face meeting with the Israelites to give them His law. When it is time for the meeting, they become afraid. An up-close encounter with God can be as troubling as it is comforting. God is a holy God, and Israel couldn’t see, feel, hear God, and not be acutely aware that He is altogether perfect and holy, and they were not.

Jesus confronts distortion of God’s Law – Be Ye Holy
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.”

“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” – Matthew 23:25-26; 28

The leaders of Jesus’ day were more concerned with what others thought than faithful obedience to God’s Law. These leaders knew the law and knew it very well. The law (as we read in the passages today from Exodus) was given by a loving God instructing a people who had never lived any way but as slaves. They needed direction and guidance.

Now, fast forward to this passage in Matthew. Jesus is angry because the religious leaders have taken His law and are now using it to control people rather than to teach them to be holy, as He is holy. How often do I fall into this same trap? Clean me up, Lord, that I can be holy as You are holy. As a child of God, I ought to desire to be pure and holy rather than to appear so.

God’s Law is the Apple of My Eye
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. – Proverbs 7:2-3

Treasure, honor and share His commands. Keep them. Bind them into everything you do. Love His commandments always. They are the “apple of my eye,” and I have written them on my heart.

He is My Strength and Shield
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever. – Psalms 28:7-9

David learned that God would not fix everything or make everything perfect for him. But, God would give David protection and strength to fight and overcome his trials. I am so thankful that God does the same thing for us.  God doesn’t promise to fix every problem we face, but oh yes, He does promise to give us what we need to overcome them.

Passages for today: Exodus 19:16-21:21; Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 28; Proverbs 7:1-5

Oh Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your Word. Thank You for your instruction and guidance. Thank You that it was given in Love because You are Love. Help me to show that same Love. I want to be Holy as You are Holy, Lord. Please shine Your Light on those things in my cup that needs cleaning. Please help me to cease worrying about the outside of my cup and what others think about that. Help me to focus on You. I love Your Word. Holy Ghost, help me to always treasure, honor, and LOVE it. I cannot do it without You filling me again and again. Father, You are my strength and my shield. I love you, Jesus. My Eternal God, I thank You for sending Your precious Son to pay the ultimate price on the Cross that I can even ask for Your Help and thank You and praise You today. Please help me to hold fast against the trials and temptations that come against me today. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen! Amen!

Posted in Hiding His Word

Christian Love is…

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

739898EF-89F2-49E6-A38B-EB1AC0782D1F

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” ~ 1 Peter‬ ‭4:7-9‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Peter says the end is near and because of that Christians should remain alert, continue in prayer, and focus on loving each other.

In my Bible, this section of 1 Peter is labeled “Living for God.” It reminds me of an old hymn that begins, “Living for Jesus a life that is true, striving to please him in all that I do.” I think Peter would have appreciated the word “striving” here because it seems a lot like the word, “fervent.” These words give us a picture of an athlete straining to win. They speak of perseverance and intensity. Love is fervent, and Peter was fervent. He tried hard, but he didn’t always succeed. Yet in his failures, Peter learned that love is also forgiving. He learned “love covers over a multitude of sins.” Jesus’ love covered Peter’s sins, and His great love will cover yours and mine as well. Should we not also cover and forgive as Jesus does?

Love is fervent and forgiving, and it is practical and demonstrated with attitudes that glorify God. The practical application taught here is to show hospitality to one another – without grudging. Peter understood hospitality as more than greeting people before or after church services; more than having friends over for dinner. Real hospitality is expressed in self-sacrificing ways without grumbling or resentment.

Fervent, forgiving, practical, glorifying God – true Christian love will create strong bonds and have amazing results because true Christian love always points others to Jesus!

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” ~ John 13:35

Posted in Hiding His Word

And What of Love? – 1 Corinthians 13:13

Posted on by

img_2929

 

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. ~ Matthew 24:35

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

When all is said, and all is done in my life and in your life what will remain? The many people we rely on and everything we put our confidence in will eventually fade.  But God will not change, His Word will never pass away, and according to His Word – faith, hope, and charity will abide.

If you have followed my blog anytime at all you know I love to meditate on scripture through the study of the words and their meanings. Today is no exception so here are a few words I have chosen to examine:

Charity – generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless. Something given to a person or persons in need. Alms. Leniency in judging others. Christian love; agape.

Agape – the love of God for humankind. The love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind. Unselfish love of one person for another; brotherly love.

Abide – To remain or continue. To stay: to have one’s abode; dwell. To maintain a particular condition, attitude, relationship. To last.

Knowing all of this shouldn’t it motivate my heart and drive my thoughts, words, and deeds to focus on those things that will abide eternally?

And what of love? Charity? Agape? This verse says that more excellent than our hope, more significant than our faith…is LOVE. When I think of love, I like to read 1 Corinthians 13 in its entirety from the Amplified version of the Bible. Here is just this one verse, but do yourself a favor and read the whole thing. Guaranteed it will change you.

“And now there remain: Faith [abiding trust in God and His  promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God‘s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13 AMP

My Prayer – Oh Lord, Help me anchor my life in Your Word. Give me the grace to live a life of abiding faith, hope, and love. Set me on fire again and again as I set myself to focus on prayer, Your Word, and loving and serving others. Show me Holy Ghost any area of my heart that is not fully aligned with Your perfect will…any and every thought, word, and deed. Help me, Father, to love You more and more and to love others like You love today. In Jesus precious and Holy Name, Amen!

Posted in Hiding His Word

Rebuke with Love – Proverbs 6:23

Posted on by

AD98B866-0B27-49D0-BB39-0EC126A96A67

“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:” ~ Proverbs‬ ‭6:23‬

Reproof – to critique/correct gently.
Rebuke – to express sharp, stern disapproval

If we are going to be people who rebuke, then we must also be people who instruct and teach. Without instruction, rebuke amounts only to criticism and results in wounds and confusion. God hasn’t assigned anyone to correct and then walk quickly away from the correction. I believe we are always to rebuke with meekness and love, taking the time (even if just a moment) to teach the person not only what is wrong according to God’s Word but how to live according to God’s Word. That instruction is the way of life.

Heavenly Father, Help us today to be disciples that disciple others in Your Word and Your ways. Help us to build up and not tear down. Help us to LOVE and lead people to the way of LIFE. In Jesus Name. Amen!

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Posted on by

life and death

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” ~ Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Because we are created in the image of God, we have minds to think with,  hearts to feel with, and a will to decide with and God calls us to make right decisions. We’re not robots. We can hear God’s Word, learn God’s will, and decide either to obey or disobey. We learn from Moses that making this decision is not a difficult task. After all, we have the revealed truth of God, and his Word and that Word is available to us. We don’t have to go up to heaven to get the Word or across the sea to another country because God brought his Word to us.

The choice is between life and death, and who would deliberately choose death? In Israel’s case, the choice was between trusting God and enjoying the good of the land or turning to idols and experiencing the curses. It is either life and blessing or death and curses. Today the choice is between eternal life and eternal death. Salvation by the grace of God or an eternity spent in hell. Is this a difficult decision to make? The only sensible decision is to choose LIFE.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” ~ John 3:36

God offers his people life, for He is our life.

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” ~ Acts 17:28a

The Israelites needed to choose life, but they then they also needed to maintain their relationship with God by loving Him and listening to His voice. We are called today to make the same and the right decisions and take the same steps of obedience and love. Life or death?

Choose Love. Choose obedience. Choose Life.

 

Father, Help us today to look to You and make right and holy decisions. Help us at each moment to stop and look to You for our direction. Help us to love You and love others as You would love them. Take over our hearts so that our reactions to every obstacle and every temptation remain holy. Help us to represent You well in this time in this world that You have placed us. Help us to be a light that we might draw others to You even as we are drawn closer by You. In Jesus precious Name I pray. Amen!

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Grace

Posted on by

Grace

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. ~ John 1:16-17 KJV

For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].  For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. ~ John 1:16-17 AMP

In the picture above and John 1:16-17 we see so many definitions of “grace.” Spiritual blessing, favor, a gift, the unearned and undeserved favor of God.  There are others definitions – but the meaning of the word “grace” I want to focus on today is in the sense of giving someone the time to “get right.”

Insurance companies will give their policyholders a “grace period” in which the policyholder has a few days to make a payment after the policy expires. If the payment is made within this “grace period,” they are treated as though the policy never lapsed.

As children of God, we need to show others this kind of grace which is the same kind of grace that God showed to us. There have been many times God has treated me as though I did nothing wrong even though I plainly had. Why did He treat me that way? Because He was giving me time to make it right and get right. He was giving me time to grow up into who I am supposed to be.

We see this in the life of Jesus over and over. He was gracious, merciful, and kind to those that showed remorse or repentance. He allowed them to time and space and grace to “get right” with dignity. On the other hand, He spoke harshly to the self-righteous and those that treated people as though they were less valuable than themselves for any reason.

Jesus said –

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. ~ Matthew 7:12

Living and treating people the way we want to be treated means we will automatically show them abundant grace and mercy. We will automatically and always be kind. We will love each other through tough seasons even as we want them to stand with us through our worst days. In Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus is asked –

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

What a difference we could see in our world today if we all showed each other abundant grace. What a love the world would see and in doing so we would fulfill every law.

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required ~ Luke 12:48b

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/18/2018

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

image

When love is the motive, sacrifice is never measured or mentioned.  – Unknown

Daily Scripture

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ~ Philippians 2:5-8

Study

While the theme of the first chapter of the book of Philippians is Jesus Christ first, the subject of chapter 2 is others next. The verses above, are a portion of Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi and that specific instruction and encouragement to be servants and have submissive minds.

Paul talks about being humble.

Humble: not proud or arrogant; modest; having a feeling of insignificance; low in rank, importance, status, quality; to lower in condition, importance or dignity.

So what does it mean to be a humble person; to have humility? The humble person is not one who thinks ill of himself, but one who doesn’t think of himself at all. The truly humble person knows himself and accepts himself and yields himself in obedience to Jesus to be a servant – for the Glory of God and the good of others.

In verse 5-6 above we see a humble man’s eyes and mind are turned off of himself and onto others. He sees the needs of others, and he thinks of others. He has the mind of Christ, and his attitude proves it.

In verse 7 we see that thinking of others, he also serves others. It is not just good words he speaks, but his actions follow with true service. Paul was a servant, but his example and our most excellent example is Jesus.

Jesus thought of others and became a servant. The Bible says that He made Himself of no reputation. He emptied Himself and laid aside His own attributes as God. He became human in a sinless physical body, and He used that body to be a servant…meeting the needs of others all the way to the cross where He willingly died for others.

Jesus was a servant, and He was humble. His service cost. The genuinely humble man will naturally pay the price to serve others because their mind is on others and not themselves. Many people are willing to help if it cost nothing, but if there is a price, they lose interest. In verse 8 we see Jesus became “obedient unto death.”

Meditation

Jesus didn’t avoid sacrifice and neither should I. My attitude as I walk through this Christian life should be one of willing submission for the glory of God and the good of others. If paying a price will honor Jesus and help others, I should willingly pay it. Will there be suffering? Very likely…but I do believe the test of the submissive mind of Christ is not how much I am willing to take in terms of suffering but how eager I am to give in terms of sacrifice.

One of the interesting things about this Christian life is that the more we give, the more we receive; the more we sacrifice, the more God will bless.

I will close out with two quotes I read today:

When love is the motive, sacrifice is never measured or mentioned.  – Unknown

Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing. – J.H. Jowett

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I come before you today and declare that You are wonderful and magnificent and all knowing and YOU are the Lord of me. I declare that You are supreme and You are the great I AM! You alone Lord. Father, I come before You today having blown it again in so many ways. Did I have the mind of Christ today? Not when I compare it to Your Holy Word. Father, forgive me for allowing my mind to wander and to get caught up in trivial things and imaginations. Help me, Father, to keep my focus on You and Your Word and Your will. Help me to see You when I see others and help me to step up and be a servant. Help me to be one so willingly that it is just the outflow of my heart because of my relationship with You. Help me to know You and love You more and more and as I work and serve may YOUR LOVE and Your Presence be my strength and my only drive.  In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!!!

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. ~ Haggai 2:4

A Little Something Extra

The New Testament is full of all kind of instruction in how to live with one another.  Here are just a few:

  • Prefer one another      Romans 12:10
  • Edify one another        1 Thessalonians 5:11
  • Bear one another’s burdens       Galatians 6:2
  • Don’t judge one another       Romans 14:13
  • Rather admonish one another       Romans 15:14
  • Serve one another       1 Peter 4:10
Posted in Journal, missions

Dust

Posted on by

It was the last night in TZ and the team was heading back from Safari. It was a four-hour trip and we were all very tired. Halfway back, there was a traffic jam in Arusha so our guide decided to go the back roads to Moshi. The back road was Nelson Mandela Highway. It was a road sometimes paved, most times not. We passed the Nelson Mandela University. Very middle-class area in TZ, I thought.

And then he made a left-hand turn and the scenery changed. In an instant, we were on a small dirt road in the middle of a remote village. I grabbed my camera but just as I did I heard the Holy Ghost tell me to take no pictures so I put the camera down. Oh my, people everywhere, dressed every way, animals everywhere. No cars except those trying to get through. Thatch roofs and mud houses. We got about halfway through the village and a young girl was standing on a bridge yelling and pointing at us. She was mad and they said trying to put curses on us. We rolled by on that dirt road leaving clouds of dust and a group of people covered by it – breathing it unavoidable.

And with that realization, it started – the tears. I started crying. Weeping at first but then it turned into streams of tears and didn’t stop until we arrived in Moshi. Believe me…I tried to stop. Believe me…I felt like I was causing discomfort in the van and so I tried. But the Spirit of the Lord had fallen on me and what He allowed me to see on those streets even through my tears and what He allowed me to see of my own soul overwhelmed my heart.

Maybe the love of Jesus starts by not thinking our own dust is more precious than others very lives. Having some respect and love for who they are even if they exist with just the clothes on their back, a goat or two and even if we know they worship a false god. Having some respect and love even if they hate us. Having some respect and love most especially if we are just passing through. I am not sure an unreached people can be reached for the Lord by westerners (missionaries or not) who care more about their own dust (time and their own physical conditions) more than relationships built on love and respect. That takes time and while it can be dusty and dirty is never that intentionally.

One of my thoughts as we rolled through – How can those Tanzanian villagers do so much with so little? How can we Americans do so little with so much? The point of my even writing this down is for my own remembrance, as I have no pictures to show of it. Most people will never see this or care what I write in this blog. I keep my writing fairly private…but I also write it to say this…

LOVE your neighbor…and sometimes that looks like just slowing down.
Posted in Uncategorized

Loving the Four Year Olds

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

I was told by a wise someone when I first began working in a mental health environment that to deal with difficult people and/or difficult personality types to look at them as though they were a four or five year old. Especially for those that act out like crazy. Look at them past what is going on in the moment as a child needing attention, love, acceptance…needing something. A child from an environment that perhaps didn’t regard them or teach them manners or respect or an envirnonment that just didn’t love; maybe where there was no peace.

We have much patience and our love is more unconditional for the four and five year olds.

That mindset has always helped me deal and form connections with many different types of people and love them all nevertheless. That mindset allows me to stay graceful in some very strange situations and it allows me to see potential and precious things within the hearts, often hearts masked by the effects of a hard, hard world.

I believe that the way this wise someone told me to see people is the way God sees all of His children. It is the way He saw me. I am one of those four years olds some days…thankfully not as often as I once was.

I am grateful for those that loved me anyway and those that loved me through. I am grateful for love and I have come to believe that most everything and maybe absolutely everything that people come to this counseling facility to get help with, can be healed most through LOVE! Our heavenly Father’s love first but also our love; both unconditional and both free flowing. Love changes you. Love means sometimes putting our own selves out there. Speaking the TRUTH of GOD’s WORD and allowing both that Truth and also that Father’s love through us to give people an environment that grows them up. Not all at once sometimes but more like a plant growing silently…growing and developing sometimes even unnoticed but then one day you turn around and there it is…standing in front of you with such beauty and such purpose. Hidden no more in sometimes the most unexpected people and places.

Yes, loving some is sometimes a challenge and sometimes messy but always the rewards of seeing someone set free and bloom are beyond breathtaking.