Love is...

So complex. Nothing touches the human heart more than the notion of perfect love, and really I believe it is one of our greatest life quests. Isn't that why every movie has it as a central plot, and every book I read tries to define it. Most of us grow up looking for it first in our parents and siblings and then through friendship, intimacy, defining our faith, and then with our own children. The cycle goes on and on. Some of the most recent examples of love I've enjoyed reading about in books.

In The Wednesday Sisters friendship is the expression of love that nurtured a belief in self. Leaning on each other, taking turns being strong, stepping in to fill the gaps where family should have been responsible.


In The Help I read about love through justice. Doing what is right to help people on this Earth with no voice. It often puts us outside our comfort zone. It might require us to turn away from beliefs passed down to us by our culture or our families. We might find that a precious few share our convictions, or are willing to do anything about the injustice they perceive.


Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet reminded me of the connection that many cultures share requiring obedience as the ultimate symbol of love. In this story obedience was taken to the extreme and was incredibly oppressive. I think most people cringe at the notion of obedience. We turn from it the moment we are born. Human beings want to wander through life at their own whim, making their own decisions, without any consequences. We want love without sacrifice. At the root of obedience is trust. That's a hard thing for a lot of people to do. To me, without obedience the world becomes shades of gray with no real right and wrong. It devalues life experience, the wisdom of those that have traveled the road before us, and leads to a life where we become our own god. Obedience isn't limiting, it is loving and unselfish and wise.


Snowflower And The Secret Fan painted a picture of "Mother love". Life is hard, and so they loved their daughters by teaching them to endure through hardship. Although I couldn't disagree more with this being their only way to express love. It struck me, as I read the book, that I often error on the side of gentleness and compassion. I also want to be the mother that isn't afraid to let my children experience some of the hard edges of life, and be consistent with enforcing responsibility and duty even when it is difficult for both of us. It also painted a beautiful and often painful picture of love through loyalty, even when undeserved.


Love is certainly a rich topic. I wonder what thoughts about love this post brings up for you?

Have a wonderful day...Holly

Bits of Love

You know we love clips! Little bits of love from the cutting room floor. Here we talk about childhood, obnoxious cell phones ringing, Animal House, and house security. Good times people...good times!



Show us the love...leave a comment. Have an awesome day!

Dear God...

The devastation is so great...unimaginable suffering. Many people have died and many are trapped. Families have been destroyed, children are alone. The elderly and sick sit uncared for in the streets, nowhere to go. The poverty is immense and there is no end to this in sight.

Open doors and clear all obstacles so that many people can respond to the tugging of their heart to reach out to the people of Haiti. Help our nation to see examples of generosity that far surpass what we have been capable of in the past. Touch the souls of the desperate and give them peace and a hope to cling to. Remind us to pray, to act, and to remember.

Amen

The Ouiji Board & Dreams

Welcome to Life Laugh Latte! So great to have you hang out with us. Grab your favorite hot beverage and tune in for a dose of fun.



Reading your awesome comments is like a triple shot latte in an IV...that's right folks...it's like a piece of heaven! Have a great day. Holly

Is It Wrong?

Howdy Y'all! We aren't from Texas...but that is just good fun to say. So, a few weeks back we went to see The Blind Side at the movies. LOVED IT! I'll attach that discussion here as well in case you missed it. Today's vlog brings you a funny sequel. Leave it to Charisse to twist a beautiful story into something WRONG! It's part of why I love her though. Enjoy:)



Here is the "Movie Club" vlog we did for The Blind Side.



Hope you are having a terrific weekend! Leave a comment...or we might cry...no one needs to see that!

Bound...

Remember The Hungry Caterpillar? He ate and ate until he was chubby. He spun the cocoon. Then, after a time he became the butterfly. Do you ever feel that way when you are reading a book? As I ingest each morsel of Snow Flower And The Secret Fan I'm getting plump with images of Chinese culture from so long ago. I now find myself tucked in the cocoon and needing to digest what I've experienced in each delicious chapter to find out how it applies to my life. Every book I read changes me a little. That's all a part of the wonderful metamorphosis.

So, today I'm looking at the most disturbing aspect of the book which was the foot binding done to each little girl between the ages of four and six. I'm trying to imagine the reality and pain of life lived on 3" feet. This was considered beautiful, erotic, a symbol of obedience. It showed the family you married into that you could endure hardship with grace. Binding was tradition, sometimes a way out of poverty for you and your family. Mothers put their daughters at risk of infection and sometimes death while whispering to them that this was meant to be, and one day they would be grateful.


It's hard to imagine isn't it? Watching your child suffer at your own hand knowing that they would be a servant for life if they chose not to do it. Having once endured the pain yourself, you know exactly what you are inflicting. I spent time online looking at these bound feet...trying to make sense out of a lifetime of physical suffering. I'm attaching a link that gives a tasteful description of the history. Worth a look if you have a strong stomach. (Article/photographs)

My initial reaction is to judge the culture for making these choices. I sit with that thought awhile and see a huge red flag signaling me to find the bigger question to ask myself. Where in my life am I bound? Like it or not we all wear bindings. It may not be on our feet, but we tie them on in some area of our lives and it cripples us. Is it striving for perfection? Is it beauty? Is it success? Is it the idea that our children or our spouse need to be a certain way? Could it be your thought life...constantly criticizing yourself? Maybe it is intimacy or fear of failure or a childhood experience that has shaped your thinking in a negative way?


In my life I seem to go through cycles of bondage. A couple of months a year it is about my appearance. I'll work out more, eat less, and strive for that lower size. Eventually that feels shallow, and I'll turn that energy to something else like blogging, parenting, volunteering or homemaking. No matter what it is...it always starts innocently enough and then gets exaggerated into something bigger than it ever should have been. Before I know it the ropes are tight, I'm struggling, and it's time to get perspective again and break free.

I wonder where you go when you have a bondage to be broken and healed? For me I run desperately to my faith. When I'm there reading scripture, praying honestly from my heart, listening to music that builds me up in the knowledge of who God is and how much He loves me...I'm able to finally let go. I feel the bindings loosening, falling away, and God speaking to me in whispers that quiet my mind.

Important stuff to think about. This is a remarkable book about Chinese culture, family, love, friendship, duty and obedience. It will make you cringe, cry, laugh, think, and feel so very thankful for the freedom and opportunities we now enjoy as women!

I'd love to hear the thoughts you had while reading this post. Or,
if you have already read this book what you loved about it.

You can purchase the book in the right column of our blog in our Amazon store.

Have a wonderful day!

Disneyland & Dexatrim...

Can you figure out the link between Disneyland and Dexatrim? It will make you laugh, touch your heart, and make you question if indeed it is a good thing to have more than what we need.



Thanks for coming by...and please don't leave without saying hello!

I Want...

*My mouth to be filled with gentle, thoughtful, encouraging words*

*Authentic moments of connection with the people I love*

*Eyes to see, and a willing heart to respond to the needs in our community*

*To be inspired by great books while enjoying a warm blanket and a latte*

*My children to know how deeply they are loved*

*A sense of accomplishment, and a well defined purpose*

*A new adventure*

*To feel content with what I have...and Thankful*

What do you want?

Life, Laugh, Latte Returns...Happy New Year!

Welcome back friends! We had an amazing holiday break...and now we are ready to do business. Here is a collection of new clips that will MYGYBO. If you can't find this in the Urban Dictionary...then tune in later this week to find out the meaning. Until then...feel free to tell us what you think it means!



Leave a comment...or else we'll come after you!
Love, Holly & Charisse