The Lovelutionist https://www.thelovelutionist.com A Lovestyle Blog Sat, 09 Nov 2019 20:08:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://i0.wp.com/www.thelovelutionist.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/cropped-image-2.jpeg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 The Lovelutionist https://www.thelovelutionist.com 32 32 108592555 3 Unexpected Lessons I’ve Learned in my Marriage https://www.thelovelutionist.com/3-unexpected-lessons-ive-learned-in-my-marriage/ https://www.thelovelutionist.com/3-unexpected-lessons-ive-learned-in-my-marriage/#respond Sat, 09 Nov 2019 20:08:30 +0000 http://www.thelovelutionist.com/?p=564 Many of us want to be in a relationship for selfish reasons. We want companionship. We want security. We want attention. The idea of finding “the one” excites us and we look forward to what they have to offer us. Then we find that someone who seems to fit the description of what we want... [Read More]

The post 3 Unexpected Lessons I’ve Learned in my Marriage first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>

Many of us want to be in a relationship for selfish reasons. We want companionship. We want security. We want attention. The idea of finding “the one” excites us and we look forward to what they have to offer us. Then we find that someone who seems to fit the description of what we want and we show up with a bunch of needs to be filled and a boatload of expectations. We hold the other person responsible for making sure we are good. Because that is their role, isn’t it? To meet our needs and to make our life better…
Or is it?
I have learned some unexpected lessons in my marriage over the past 11 years that I would like to share with you. I came into my relationship with a hefty bag of emotional baggage, as did my partner. We were kids in love who thought getting married was the solution to our problems. And we waited on a fairy tale that never happened. Because it doesn’t exist. We had to create our own story and embrace our own unique experience.

So here are 3 lessons I have learned:

1. My happiness is not my partner’s responsibility.

We get married so that we can live happily ever after with the one we love. Since happiness is affiliated with love, we make it our partner’s responsibility to make sure we feel good. When we don’t feel good, we find ourselves looking to them and waiting on them to put a smile on our face and make everything better. But what happens when it doesn’t play out that way? What happens if your partner is going through their own thing and cannot offer you what you’ve come to expect from them? Are they in the wrong?…. Or are you? I’ve come to realize that I am just as much a part of my marriage as my mate is. If I find myself unhappy in my relationship, it’s unfair to place all of the blame on my partner. It’s MY happiness after all. And quite honestly, if my partner always showed up to rescue me from my sadness, I would have never discovered that happiness is an inside job. I am grateful for the disappointments and the frustration I have experienced in my marriage. It sucked in the moment. It hurt like hell. But my partner’s inability to meet my unrealistic expectations taught me that I am responsible for my own happiness. And how liberating to know that I do not have to wait on anyone else to put a smile on my face. I can do it myself. Now, that’s love.

2. What I want from my relationship is not always what I need.

We enter relationships with a preconceived idea of what that relationship should be. We impose that idea on our partner and expect them to be who we feel they should be in order to fulfill our ideal. And we get pissed the hell off when our ideal relationship gets overhauled by our real relationship. When rude awakenings surface, we may question our judgment and wonder whether we made the right decision in who we chose to be with. But not always getting what we want is a gift. Do you hear me?! Let me say that louder for the people in the back… “Not always getting what we want is a GIFT!”. When we don’t get what we want, we end up discovering what we need. Our wants are often rooted in our desire to be comfortable. And we seek comfort in our relationship. But relationships are not just about being comfortable. The purpose of partnership is to help us develop and grow. Relationships are not meant to help us stay the same. They are meant to provide us with experiences that will give us what we need to become who we came here to be. I am so grateful for the challenges I have experienced in my marriage. And I feel super lucky that I have a partner who hasn’t always given me what I wanted. As a result, I have been able to discover what I need to continue developing into the best version of myself.

3. Marriage is a Mirror.

There’s something that attracts us to our partner. We think it’s the physical attraction or the chemistry we feel when we look them in the eye. But our soul is drawn to them for a reason. We think our desire is to find a mate, but our innermost desire is to discover ourselves. And when our soul sees itself in another, it desires to connect to that soul so that it can express itself through the reflection of that person. Do you ever wonder why we are most triggered by our partner? We seem to be most affected by their words and actions. No one can hurt us like they can. But I realized that there is something to this. My marriage is an experience my soul has attracted to help me heal. And this healing takes place through the process of resolving conflict. The issue is that conflict is often avoided in relationships. We don’t want to feel pain. But in relationships, pain serves a purpose. And this is not a justification for abuse. What I am talking about is the inevitable confrontations that will surface when two people decide to function as partners in life. What triggers us in our relationship is often a representation of something we need to explore within ourselves. Unfortunately, many people rather avoid this process because it is uncomfortable. But marriage is not just about building a relationship with your partner, it’s about deepening your relationship with yourself. My mate is my reflection. I have learned so much about myself through our perceived differences. And true love is a love that leads you on a path of self-discovery and spiritual development. And for this, I am grateful for my reflection. My relationship with my partner provides me with the experiences I need to discover who I am.

Perhaps you are experiencing some challenges in your relationship or trying to figure out why things have turned out the way they have. Shifting your perspective literally transforms how you experience life. I hope these lessons I have shared inspire you to perceive your situation in a new way. I share this from a place of love. My marriage is a gift I treasure. It has been both my greatest reward and my greatest challenge. Everything we experience in life is a lesson we need to learn. Approach your relationships as you would school. Your partner is your teacher. Learn what you came here to learn.

Love & Light to you Beautiful Souls,
The Lovelutionist

Till next time….

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

♥ Click here to learn more ABOUT ME

♥ Click here to learn more ABOUT THIS BLOG

♥ Follow The Lovelutionist on Facebook

♥ Follow The Lovelutionist on Instagram


Brought to you in honor of the two most important commandments given to mankind:

Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind

and LOVE your neighbor as YOURSELF”

The post 3 Unexpected Lessons I’ve Learned in my Marriage first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
https://www.thelovelutionist.com/3-unexpected-lessons-ive-learned-in-my-marriage/feed/ 0 564
Turning my Battle Scars into Beauty Marks: How I found my beauty when feeling pretty was hard. https://www.thelovelutionist.com/turning-my-battle-scars-into-beauty-marks-how-i-found-my-beauty-when-feeling-pretty-was-hard/ https://www.thelovelutionist.com/turning-my-battle-scars-into-beauty-marks-how-i-found-my-beauty-when-feeling-pretty-was-hard/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2016 07:15:12 +0000 http://www.thelovelutionist.com/?p=510 When someone tells me that I’m beautiful, I thank them. I don’t deny it. I agree with them. I AM beautiful. You must think I’m vain. So what SHOULD I do then? Disagree? Dismiss their comment? Blow it off and say “Oh please, you’re too kind”. It shouldn’t be taboo for a woman to own... [Read More]

The post Turning my Battle Scars into Beauty Marks: How I found my beauty when feeling pretty was hard. first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
turning my battle scars into beauty marks: how I found my beauty when feeling pretty was hard.

When someone tells me that I’m beautiful, I thank them. I don’t deny it. I agree with them. I AM beautiful.

You must think I’m vain.

So what SHOULD I do then? Disagree? Dismiss their comment? Blow it off and say “Oh please, you’re too kind”.

It shouldn’t be taboo for a woman to own her beauty. If she doesn’t, then someone else will own it. And if someone else owns it, then she no longer controls it. And the one who controls it will then have control over her.

So, no Thank You.

I claim my place as the rightful owner of my beauty.

But I wasn’t always this secure.

I fought plenty of battles in the battlefield of beauty. And I was defeated countless times. But I did not give up on myself. The struggles I experienced with my physical appearance only led me to explore deeper within myself to discover who I was underneath it all.

In fact, not feeling pretty is probably one of the best experiences I could’ve had. I’m actually grateful for the times when it hurt to look in the mirror. Of course it totally sucked when I was going through it. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Because my confidence was not built by the image that reflected back at me when I looked in the mirror. My confidence was built on who I was when I closed my eyes and sat in silence with myself.

Instead of becoming preoccupied with my looks and what they could or couldn’t get me, I became acquainted with my personality. I was able to experiment with my skillful use of humor, my irresistible charm, and my timely sense of wit. In other words, I couldn’t depend on prettiness to pave my way. I was left to discover personal qualities that I may have never appreciated if I had my prettiness as a crutch to lean on. And guess what?

My flaws led me to my flava.

Being uncomfortable in my skin left me with no place to hide but my personality. And I may not have felt too hot on the outside, but it helped me discover just how cool I was on the inside.

With that being said, let me fill you in on one of the things I was dealing with on the outside….

My battle with Acne

I ain’t talking about the preadolescent baby bumps on the forehead and blackheads on the nose. I’m talking about CYSTIC ACNE. The kind of inflammation that hurts to the touch. ALL. OVER. MY. FACE. It hurt to smile. It hurt to cry. It deformed the frame of my face. And it was bright red, alerting all those who looked my way to look away because it was unsightly. I literally felt people feel bad for me without them having to say anything. I sensed their pity for what could have been such a pretty face if it had not been for the massive zits holding it hostage. No matter how many times I washed my face, I felt dirty. Because the ruptures on my face bled easily. And the hot tears from both the physical and emotional pain would literally burn as they fell. I felt powerless over my condition and I struggled in silence. I hid when I could.

But I had to find a way to FACE THE WORLD (pun intended).

There was no getting around the fact that I had to look people in the eyes with my imperfections on display for all to see. And as uncomfortable as that was, it was oddly empowering and strangely liberating. It created an opportunity for the deeper parts of me that transcended my physical appearance to shine through. I had acne but I had to decide that it wouldn’t have me. I knew that I had inherited the condition genetically from my biological father (Thanks, dad) but I also knew that healing was mine by divine right through my spiritual father. So I decided that I wasn’t going to let what I saw when I looked in the mirror stop me. I would pray daily by placing my hands over my face and thanking God for the clear skin that I could not yet see. Then I acted like it was already done and went about my day.

Eventually, my skin DID heal. And I have the acne scars to prove it. But I don’t see them as mere scars.

They represent my victories in the battlefield of beauty. They are my beauty marks. And I honor them.

Because my skin has been through some stuff just like my soul has. And my skin has overcome just like my soul has. Now both my skin and my soul GLOW….

So when someone gives you a compliment, say “thank you”. Don’t shut it down. Don’t dismiss it. Accept it. Receive it. Own it.

Your beauty is unique to you. And NO ONE can rock it quite like you can. It’s custom made to suit you and ONLY YOU. So embrace yourself, flaws and all.

And let them help you find your flava.


Till next time….

One Love,
Lucky, The Lovelutionist

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

♥ Click here to learn more ABOUT ME

♥ Click here to learn more ABOUT THIS BLOG

♥ Follow The Lovelutionist on Facebook

♥ Follow The Lovelutionist on Instagram


Brought to you in honor of the two most important commandments given to mankind:

Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind

and LOVE your neighbor as YOURSELF”

The post Turning my Battle Scars into Beauty Marks: How I found my beauty when feeling pretty was hard. first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
https://www.thelovelutionist.com/turning-my-battle-scars-into-beauty-marks-how-i-found-my-beauty-when-feeling-pretty-was-hard/feed/ 2 510
Self-Love 101: What does it mean to love yourself? https://www.thelovelutionist.com/self-love-101-what-does-it-mean-to-love-yourself/ https://www.thelovelutionist.com/self-love-101-what-does-it-mean-to-love-yourself/#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2016 07:22:17 +0000 http://www.thelovelutionist.com/?p=426 “Self-love” has become quite the trending topic. I mean is it just me, or does it seem like its popping up everywhere lately? Many of us (including me) find ourselves liking posts that mention it and following pages that promote it. It’s great that we are beginning to acknowledge its importance. BUT WHAT IN THE... [Read More]

The post Self-Love 101: What does it mean to love yourself? first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
Self-Love 101: What does it mean to Love Yourself?“Self-love” has become quite the trending topic. I mean is it just me, or does it seem like its popping up everywhere lately? Many of us (including me) find ourselves liking posts that mention it and following pages that promote it. It’s great that we are beginning to acknowledge its importance.

BUT WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES IT ACTUALLY MEAN TO LOVE OURSELVES?!?!

If you find yourself asking this question, then this post is especially for you. I am going to share how I came to understand the significance of self-love and describe how it can be practically applied so that we can reap its benefits.

I first discovered the concept of self-love when I came across the biblical scripture where Jesus states, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:39). The words “AS YOURSELF” really stood out to me. I believe there is a reason that Jesus didn’t just simply instruct us to love our neighbor. Instead, we were told to use ourselves as a reference point in which to love others. The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that our love for others really does stem from our love for ourselves!

How does our love for ourselves affect the way we love others?

Loving others AS ourselves means that we must first experience love FOR ourselves. Unfortunately, there are many people who have yet to experience love for themselves. As a result, their expression of love towards others is often unhealthy. We see this in the way people can abuse, betray, abandon, and hurt those they say they love. Would it be fair to say that they don’t really love the people that they hurt? Well, have you ever hurt someone you said you loved? I know I have. So, the question lies not in whether we actually love those we hurt. Because I believe many of us would say we do. Rather, the question lies in our CAPACITY TO LOVE based on our UNDERSTANDING of what love is. This is where many of our problems arise because we can only give to others from what we have inside.

When it comes to loving others, we can only express what we possess.

 

That means that any unresolved issues we have within ourselves will play out in our relationship with others because we also express what we suppress.

If loved ones hurt us, we can easily pass that hurt on to others if we do not become conscious of our need for healing. When love is delivered to us in unloving ways then our concept of love becomes skewed and tainted and becomes the kind of love we look for because it is recognizable and familiar to us.

How love is put in will be how it comes out.

 

Many of us say we want “true love” and “real love” and someone to love us for who we truly are. But do we even love ourselves for who we are? I mean honestly, can we identify within ourselves the kind of love that we desire to receive from others? If not, then how will we even know when we are receiving it?

One of my all-time favorite quotes is from Toni Morrison’s, The Bluest Eye, where she writes:

“Love is never any better than the lover”.

 

This is so profoundly true. Our love for others will never be any better than our love for ourselves. So if we want more healthy relationships in our life, it’s time to heal. And how do we heal? By loving ourselves.

What does self-love look like?

Glad you asked! And you may be surprised to learn that the answer has been available to us all along without us even realizing it!

We’ve heard it read at nearly every wedding, we’ve seen it on Valentine’s Day cards, and some of us may even have it hanging up on the wall somewhere at home. Come on, you know it…the infamous, age-old definition of Love found in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 that starts with “Love is patient. Love is kind”…Ring a bell?

This scripture describes the kind of love God has for us and the kind of love we should show towards others. But with one of the greatest commandments given to mankind stating that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, perhaps we should also refer to this scripture as a guideline for how we love ourselves as well.

So, let’s walk through the characteristics of love as described in this chapter and read it through the lens of self-love. We will quickly discover that the way we show love to ourselves influences the way we show love to others:

(Self) Love is patient.

Are we patient with ourselves? Do we put ourselves down when we have not yet arrived where we feel we should be? Have we given ourselves a chance to grow and learn and develop? Or do we demand perfection without acknowledging our progress?

If we are impatient with ourselves, how can we expect to be patient with others? Our own impatience with ourselves will always spill over into our responses towards others. We want for others what we want for ourselves. And our frustration with others often derives from an inner frustration with ourselves. If we can accept where we are in life then we can also accept where others are along their journey. Be patient with yourself. Masterpieces are not made overnight.

(Self) Love is kind.

Are we kind to ourselves? How do we speak to ourselves? Are we there for ourselves when we are feeling down or do we beat ourselves up and participate in negative self-talk? Do we tell ourselves that it’s going to be okay? Do we console ourselves, comfort ourselves, and encourage ourselves? If we are beating our own selves down whenever we miss the mark, chances are we probably aren’t giving others much room for error either. Being hard on ourselves leads us to be hard on others. But as we begin showing kindness to ourselves, it will extend outwards and touch the lives of those around us. Be kind to yourself. Your soul is a beautiful, delicate, precious thing.

(Self) Love does not envy.

Envy derives from a lack of satisfaction with one’s self. We envy others because we compare our lives to theirs and it may make us feel like the lives of others are better than our own. As a result, we find ourselves wanting to be someone else more than we want to be our self. Our desire to have another life over our own causes us to pursue a life that is not true to who we are. Owning who we are and embracing our unique individuality will cause us to appreciate ourselves. Out of appreciation for self, we can then appreciate others without feeling inadequate, inferior, or insecure about who we are. I may be a rose and you may be a tulip and he may be a daisy and she may be an orchid, but together we make one big beautiful garden. So let’s all bloom as we were planted and stand in our own unique beauty that complements the beauty of those around us.

(Self) Love does not boast and it is not proud.

Boasting derives from a need to prove our self to others. Our need to prove our worth and value to others is really us trying to prove it to ourselves. When we boast, we are often compensating for a lack of confidence and assurance in ourselves. Our poor self-image produces the need to project a counter image that will cause people to see us the way we wish to see ourselves. But when we are confident and secure in who we are then there is no need to impose ourselves on others for validation and confirmation. Being proud of ourselves negates the need to make others proud of us.

(Self) Love does not dishonor.

Dishonor is a form of disrespect. When we disrespect others it almost always involves disrespecting ourselves in the process. When we respect and honor who we are, we carry ourselves accordingly. The respect we have for ourselves causes us to demonstrate respect for others. We can only esteem others from the esteem we hold for ourselves. When we honor ourselves, we will honor others and when we honor others we are honoring ourselves.

(Self) Love is not self-seeking.

Selfishness means to cater to one’s own needs without regard for others. This is different from self-love. Selfishness is expressed from a place of lack and depletion. Self-love is expressed from a place of fulfillment and completion. You can tell the difference between self-love and selfishness because self-love is energizing while selfishness is draining. Loving yourself is filling yourself up so that you can better love others. Selfishness is rooted in fear and does not support the work of love. It absorbs the energy around it without giving anything back in return. The distinction between selfishness and self-love can be determined based on the outcome it produces. Self-love makes us better people and helps us to better connect with others. Selfishness cuts us off from others and sabotages our potential to become our best self.

(Self) Love is not easily angered.

Anger is an outlet for unresolved conflict within. When we are easily agitated and irritated by others it is because they are tapping into an irritation and agitation that already exists within. Others make us angry when they remind us of parts of ourselves that we have yet to accept and do not want to face. The conflicts we have with others usually represent the inner conflicts we have with ourselves. People and circumstances that make us angry are really tapping into an anger that we already have towards ourselves. When we make peace with ourselves, we will see peace unfold in our interactions with others.

(Self) Love keeps no record of wrongs.

If we are experiencing guilt from our past failures and mistakes, then we are keeping a record of our wrongs. If we are keeping a record of our wrongs, then we have not yet forgiven ourselves. And if we are holding on to our own mistakes and not forgiving ourselves, how can we ever forgive others for theirs? As long as we are hard on ourselves, we will continue to be hard on others. To show mercy is to know mercy. We have to let go of the mistakes of our past and move forward. When we free ourselves, we will also free those around us to move forward as well.

(Self) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

To delight in evil is to view the defeat and demise of others as personal victories. People who delight in seeing others fall have a very low view of themselves. Seeking to tear others down is actually a form of self-sabotage. Because the truth is that what we do to others will find its way back to us. To delight in evil is to believe the lie that what we do to others will not affect us. To rejoice in truth is to love others because we understand that we are all connected and what happens to one of us essentially affects us all.

(Self) Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.

If we don’t feel protected, how can we ever offer protection to someone else? If we don’t even trust ourselves, then how can we ever expect anyone to find us trustworthy? If we don’t have hope in becoming our best self, then how can we expect anyone else to see the best in us? If we don’t persevere through our own trials and tribulations, then how can we expect others to persevere with us? We will attract the kind of love we want when we become the kind of love we want.

(Self) Love never fails.

Failing ourselves is the worst kind of failure because if we aren’t in our own corner, it really doesn’t matter who tries to help us. If God does not leave us or forsake us, then who are we to give up on ourselves? There may be instances where we fail, but we are never failures. We cannot give up on ourselves.

In Conclusion

I hope this rendition of the ever so popular 1 Corinthians 13 helped to clarify the immense role that self-love plays when it comes to improving our relationships with others. I believe that most of the issues we experience in our relationships derive from a lack of love for ourselves. Healthy relationships are often destroyed as a form of self-sabotage. It’s hard to receive unconditional love and acceptance from another if we haven’t yet learned how to love and accept ourselves. So if we want improved relationships and more healthy connections with others, how about we practice on ourselves?

One Love.

Till’ Next Time,

Lucky, The Lovelutionist


*Be sure to LIKE The Lovelutionist on Facebook and FOLLOW The Lovelutionist on Instagram to see daily love notes and words of inspiration and to be notified when new blog posts are added.

Click Here to Learn More ABOUT ME.

Click Here to Learn More ABOUT THIS BLOG.

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

 

The post Self-Love 101: What does it mean to love yourself? first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
https://www.thelovelutionist.com/self-love-101-what-does-it-mean-to-love-yourself/feed/ 2 426
Why Self-Love is Sacred and needs to be part of your Spiritual Practice. https://www.thelovelutionist.com/why-self-love-is-sacred-and-needs-to-be-part-of-your-spiritual-practice/ https://www.thelovelutionist.com/why-self-love-is-sacred-and-needs-to-be-part-of-your-spiritual-practice/#respond Sun, 05 Jun 2016 09:25:41 +0000 http://www.thelovelutionist.com/?p=393 I remember when my childhood best friend used to bring me to her church youth group on Friday nights. I can’t tell you how many times I found myself biting my tongue and editing my personality so that I would not appear unholy and undeserving of the company I was among. I was careful to... [Read More]

The post Why Self-Love is Sacred and needs to be part of your Spiritual Practice. first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
Why Self Love is sacred and needs to be part of your spiritual practiceI remember when my childhood best friend used to bring me to her church youth group on Friday nights. I can’t tell you how many times I found myself biting my tongue and editing my personality so that I would not appear unholy and undeserving of the company I was among. I was careful to be on my BEST behavior. You know, my “church” behavior. Where I put my profanity away in my back pocket and traded my heathen lip color for clear church girl lip-gloss. We all got a “church” self. Do we not? It’s the clean edit version of ourselves that we present as a sign of reverence when we enter a house of worship. We make sure to come correct because we believe that we are entering a sacred space where the spirit of God resides.

But here’s the thing.

God actually shows up at church when WE do.

When we think we are walking into a temple, WE are actually the temple walking in. (Did you catch that? If not, read it AGAIN!) When we think we are entering into a sacred place where God abides, WE are actually the sacred space that is entering in because it is in US, not a building, where the spirit of God resides.

So, sorry to break it to you, but all the fancy church hats, three piece suits, shiny pearls, and glossy church shoes in the world ain’t impressing God. They’re nice and all. I ain’t knocking it. I’m just saying. It’s representative of a culture that goes to church. But while many of us are going to church, we forget that WE ARE the church. Real church occurs in people, not places. We clean up and dress up to enter the house of God when it is our heart that is the house of God.

In no way am I saying that we shouldn’t carry ourselves highly when we enter a house of worship. What I’m saying is that we need to carry ourselves highly all the time because we are houses of worship. And we need to begin applying the same level of respect that we show to buildings that symbolize the presence of God to OUR OWN HEARTS that actually house the presence of God. Because WE are God’s temple and God abides in US.

Now you know I gotta go to that good ole’ bible to back me up. So here’s a scriptural reference for those of you who won’t find this post credible without one (I ain’t mad at ya’ll. I totally understand):

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy and sacred, and you are that temple” (1Cor 3:16-17)

There you have it. Paul said it himself. We are God’s temple and God resides in us…Point…Blank…Period.

So now let’s examine some of our spiritual practices when it comes to how we demonstrate our affection towards God:

Some of us are adamant about taking time out of our schedules to attend church services where we make sure to lay up offerings before the altar as a means of showing honor and appreciation to God.

These practices serve a purpose because they symbolize the need to nurture our spirit and to connect with our creator.

But let’s go a little deeper…

(I told ya’ll in my intro post that I like deep talk didn’t I?…I keep my word!).

If God resides on the INSIDE OF US and our body is God’s temple, wouldn’t that make our heart an altar and the love we show ourselves an offering to the Divine?

(I can already hear the suspense music playing in some of your heads. You may be saying to yourselves, “I was kind of feelin’ this girl until now, but where the heck is she going with this one?”)

Well I’ll tell you where I’m going. I’m going to church.

For a long time, church was an external place I went to worship God. But it has gradually become more of an internal place where I lay up offerings of love and affection at the altar of my heart and come to worship God in his true temple: My Self.

(There goes that suspense music again…bare with me)…

“But wait, isn’t worship an act we express towards God? Doesn’t it mean to sing hymns and gospel songs and clap our hands and close our eyes and lift our hands and shout and cry and listen to sermons?”

Well, sure.

But it shouldn’t end there.

We have grown very accustomed to external expressions of spiritual practice that take place outside of ourselves.

But with God dwelling on the inside of us, wouldn’t expressions of love towards ourselves be a reflection of our love for God?

This is why I view self-love as sacred and believe that it is an essential part of our spiritual practice.

As I began to incorporate self-love into my spiritual practice, I began to discover that as I tend to myself, I am also attending church. Because I AM the church. WE ARE the church. Church is not a building. Church is a body. Our bodies are the buildings where the Spirit of God abides. And when we are acknowledging the presence of God within, then church is indeed taking place.

I mean, we ourselves are God’s temples aren’t we?

When we bring our offerings inward through self-love, we are nurturing the divine presence of God that dwells within.

 

How we treat ourselves becomes an act of service. How we speak to ourselves becomes a form of prayer.

Because God is not a separate entity.

The air in our lungs and the blood in our veins is the presence of God. Our heartbeats are the footsteps of God. God LIVES and WALKS and MOVES through US. Our lives are vessels containing the very breath of God.

Therefore,

Self-Love can be seen as an act of worship in itself.

 

I mean, think about it.

To love and admire a work of art is to appreciate the artist who created it. To savor and enjoy a meal, is to appreciate the chef who prepared it. To engage yourself in a book is to appreciate the author who wrote it. To dance to a song is to appreciate the musician who composed it.

And so it is with US.

To love and honor ourselves, is to appreciate the God who created us.

 

There is no separation.

Many travel miles away on spiritual pilgrimages to visit sacred locations that are said to inhabit the presence of God. But the truest spiritual pilgrimage one can take is the journey within oneself.

So if you are looking for the presence of God, save your miles and just check your pulse.

God is so much closer than you think.

 


If you like this post, there is SO MUCH MORE where this came from! I literally had to force myself to wrap it up because I’ve got so much more to share with ya’ll. But I think this was a healthy dose for now….

In the meantime…

Did something resonate for you? Do you have any questions? Do you need some clarification? Disagree? Please don’t hesitate to hit me up in the comments below, via my email at thelovelutionist@gmail.com, or through my social media accounts on facebook and instagram @the lovelutionist.

*And if you’re vibin’ with me on this, show some LOVE by SUBSCRIBING to The Lovelutionist!

*Be sure to LIKE The Lovelutionist on Facebook and FOLLOW The Lovelutionist on Instagram to see daily love notes and words of inspiration and to be notified when new blog posts are added.

Click Here to Learn More ABOUT ME.

Click Here to Learn More ABOUT THIS BLOG.

One Love.

Till’ Next Time,

Lucky, The Lovelutionist

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

The post Why Self-Love is Sacred and needs to be part of your Spiritual Practice. first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
https://www.thelovelutionist.com/why-self-love-is-sacred-and-needs-to-be-part-of-your-spiritual-practice/feed/ 0 393
So, who’s this chick that calls herself “The Lovelutionist”? https://www.thelovelutionist.com/whoisthelovelutionist/ https://www.thelovelutionist.com/whoisthelovelutionist/#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2016 15:03:05 +0000 http://www.thelovelutionist.com/?p=115 You wanna know who I am, huh? You really wanna know? Well, the truth is that you are gonna have to stick around for a while (i.e. subscribe to blog) to find out cuz’ there ain’t no simple way of answering that. BUT, I’ll attempt to take a stab at it since you DID ask (maybe... [Read More]

The post So, who’s this chick that calls herself “The Lovelutionist”? first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
so whos this chick that calls herself the lovelutionist

You wanna know who I am, huh? You really wanna know?

Well, the truth is that you are gonna have to stick around for a while (i.e. subscribe to blog) to find out cuz’ there ain’t no simple way of answering that.

BUT, I’ll attempt to take a stab at it since you DID ask (maybe not literally but you are reading this so you are kind of asking indirectly, right?)….Bare with me as I dance around this question for a bit (I like to dance by the way). I’m just trying to buy some time as I figure out HOW to address it. I’m treading lightly because there is something VERY powerful about starting a statement with “I am___” (I’ll blog on that soon). So, thanks for the dance and the liberty in allowing me to be intentional with this one…

First and foremost, I can start off by saying that I am a former aspiring blogger (wink wink) who just became a real-life blogger! (doing my “finally launched my blog” dance)….

Now that we’ve got THAT established, I AM (((drumroll please))) wait – for – it –

an awe-inspiring, wisdom spittin’, knowledge-droppin’, soul stirring love child who has rewarded herself the super cool title of The Lovelutionist.

I know I’m tooting my own horn (and it can probably be heard from miles away) but seriously you guys, I can’t express how humbly HYPE I feel to be FINALLY creating a platform to vibe with ya’ll on a Deeper Level.

See, I’m ALL about DEEP TALK. So if you ain’t the small talk type then you are in the RIGHT place. This ain’t a “hey, how you doin?” and “What’s really good wit you?” type blog. This is a blog serving up SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE. A place where philosophical goods are produced and distributed. We gon’ talk about some STUFF here and (pause to dip my toe in the water to see how it feels before diving in) I’m planning on going there with ya’ll. Where EXACTLY you may ask? Well, there. You know there. That place you go that makes you say “ooooh, there”. Yea, THAT there. So I’ll meet you THERE.

And without further ado, from one conversational scuba diver to another (and snorkelers too cuz’ I work with ALL LEVELS of depth) I would like to take this opportunity to say:

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THELOVELUTIONIST.COM!!!

(release of virtual confetti and balloons)

I invite you to join me on this pilgrimage along LOVELUTIONARY ROAD….

It’s bound to be FULL of Divinely-Inspired pit stops where we will be refueling and servicing our HEARTS.

And if you are joining me, don’t you be selfish with your lovelutionary self.

SHARE THE LOVE!

I have chosen to take on this LABOR OF LOVE to serve as an inspiration to others who also want to lovelutionize their world. So support the cause by Joining the Lovelution and SPREADING THE WORD!

Now that I have introduced myself, I would LOVE to know who’s vibin’ with me on here…

***Leave a reply with your name, where you’re from, and what you would love to see covered on this blog.

And I will conclude this convo by stating that it has been an absolute PLEASURE crossing paths with YOU on this blogging bridge I have created to CONNECT with other like-minded love-minded individuals. I don’t believe our connection is a mere coincidence. I believe it is the result of intricately orchestrated co-occurring instances where both you and I are HERE-NOW. Because the time for a Lovelution is NOW. And WE are the ones to carry it out. So join me as I do MY part. And I’ll Encourage, Support, Inspire, and Empower you as you do YOURS.

Till next time….

One Love,
Lucky, The Lovelutionist

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

Lucky is a Lovelutionist, Spiritual Enthusiast, and Wisdom-Filled Wordsmith who Revels in the Realm of Revelation.

♥ Click here to learn more ABOUT ME

♥ Click here to learn more ABOUT THIS BLOG

♥ Follow The Lovelutionist on Facebook

♥ Follow The Lovelutionist on Instagram


Brought to you in honor of the two most important commandments given to mankind:

Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind

and LOVE your neighbor as YOURSELF”

The post So, who’s this chick that calls herself “The Lovelutionist”? first appeared on The Lovelutionist.]]>
https://www.thelovelutionist.com/whoisthelovelutionist/feed/ 8 115