tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30617023.post7200995451549937840..comments2012-12-13T12:37:29.813-08:00Comments on Up and Down: My Friend HurtAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08372584421479272535noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30617023.post-45537235978297977962012-12-13T12:37:29.813-08:002012-12-13T12:37:29.813-08:00When are you going to post again, huh? I like this...When are you going to post again, huh? I like this honest stuff. <br /><br />-LaurenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30617023.post-13135305584480628682012-12-06T13:56:57.539-08:002012-12-06T13:56:57.539-08:00When I was reading this one, it brought to mind so...When I was reading this one, it brought to mind something I came across this fall that hit me hard. <br />"St. Bernard of Clair-vaux talked about the three stages of love. In the first stage, we love God for our own sake, for what God can do for us. In the second stage, we love God for God's own sake, for who God is in God's own character and glory and beauty. It's hard to imagine anything better than that, but Bernard said in the third stage, we love ourselves for God's sake. We join with God in seeing ourselves in a gracious and compassionate light."<br /><br />Growing up, as much as I was taught to sing that "Jesus loves me" - much of the outflowing theology - and cherished hurts - drove me someplace else: "He loves me, but he probably doesn't like me."<br /><br />Keep writing, friend.jonkramernoreply@blogger.com