I had the most interesting revelation yesterday while reading Every Young Woman's Battle.

"In this chapter and the three immediately following, you will discover:

• what God says about the heart and why you need to guard it
  
• how to pace yourself emotionally in healthy relationships
  
• how to identify when you are aboutto fall into an inappropriate relationship and what to do about it; and
  
• where to discover the love your heart yearns for"
  

I looked at the last item on the list (which I have underlined) and thought, Oh, I know where to find the love my heart yearns for. Of course--in the arms of my loving Father. I was thinking I was pretty good, knowing exactly what the book was going to say eventually... and then it hit me.

I do know where to find the love my heart yearns for.

In the arms of my loving Father.

I sat there, dumbstruck for a moment. I do know! I know where to find that love my heart yearns for!

I've always known that with my head. I'd never known that with my heart--I never really knew. But suddenly, I knew! I knew with all my heart that in the arms of my Father is where to find that love I long for.

I LOVE moments like that!!

That was the greatest observation I got out of the chapter. It serves mainly as a sort of introductory chapter to the following three. (Only one of which I have read so far.) It briefly mentioned the "Six Stages of Emotional Connection", which it elaborates on later:

Green Light
Attention
Attraction

Yellow Light
Affection
Attachment

Red Light
Affairs
Addictions

The chapter I read today dealt with attention--when a guy's looks attract your attention--and attraction--when you really start to like him. Fairly simple stuff, to me... It dispelled the myth about "love at first sight." No such thing. Love is way deeper than just thinking a guy's good-looking. WAY deeper. Then it talked about how sometimes a girl thinks of her friend, What on earth does she see in him? because that guy doesn't appeal to her--doesn't fit her "mold", all the while emphasizing that attention and attraction are fine--there's absolutely nothing wrong or even potentially wrong about either stage. It concluded simply with an exhortation to turn our heads and hearts to God, let ourselves become emotionally connected with Him, because He can fill our desire to be loved like no one else can.

(Side note: Does anyone know if I'm plagiarizing or violating a copyright by quoting this book so much on an Internet site? :/ )

I really liked the verse at the end of the chapter--I really like this song!:

"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep." Psalm 36:5-8

Yay for this book! :D

-Stephanie