Cultivating Romance

Last week I wrote about ‘Destroying Romance'. It was thoughts formed from Song of Solomon 2:15. There the emphasis was on the dangers of ‘little foxes’. Today, I follow on with another consideration on Romance from the same verse. The man, after giving the warning, goes on to refer to their lives as ‘vineyard in blossom’.

Now I’m not a reader of Romance (except what my wife has written). Therefore, all you Romance writers/readers may need to be gracious and forgiving as I express the following thoughts on ‘cultivating Romance’. Think about it. Strangers meet. There is an acceptance which develops into friendship. Something called ‘the chemistry of the heart’ begins its creative influence. It causes more appreciative looks at the other person and takes a boy and a girl into the field of romance. This is a delightful time, yet there are ‘rocks of uncertainty’ scattered in this field to be removed. As these are dealt with, the Romantics transform that field into a Lover’s vineyard.

It is wonderful to romp in the field of romance. Many unfortunately fail to turn it into a lover’s vineyard. Romance loses its appeal if it isn’t sown with fruit producing vines. No ‘grapes’ means no distilling of love’s intoxicating wine.

Romance should lead to cultivating its field and planting the vines to nourish lasting love. Time, meaning patience, is the essence. Mutual attention to detail and protection is the special domain called marriage. By calling this husband and wife union a ‘vineyard’ implies it’s a long term investment. As they cultivate their relationship, a special and unique boutique wine is brewed.

When a man and a woman consider the other in the marriage relationship as his/her vineyard a mindset develops. Each will guard the welfare, integrity and uniqueness of the other. They will guard their special ground as being greater than worldly pleasure or accumulating treasure. As each realises that truth personally the fruit of their relationship nourishes them. This is vital as together they face life’s fickle weather and the attempted inroads of predators. Such is the emotion behind the warning about little foxes.

 

Beware of little foxes’.

 Dearly beloved, dearly beloved, let us be on guard.

Little foxes, little foxes seek out our lovers ‘vineyard’.

Dearly beloved, dearly beloved watch o’er our romance.

Little foxes, little foxes want to spoil our lover’s dance.

 

Chase those little foxes from our lives.

Know them, seize them, cage their hides.

Beware that little fox called ‘taken for granted,’

Slay it with the spear of ‘love undaunted’.

 

Catch that little fox named ‘being spiteful’.

Overcome it with the dart of grace bountiful.

Other little foxes seek to enter in.

Debar with the sword that still slays sin.

 

Dearly beloved, dearly beloved let our romance thrive.

Little foxes, little foxes cannot, will not survive

Dearly beloved, dearly beloved our love’s devotion.

Little foxes, little foxes fear such intoxication.

 

Poems celebrating 50 years of marriage.
Available from Author or Wombat books, Qld.

Dedication and devotion see beyond the labour placed upon the man and the woman in developing and maintaining their love. Each enjoys the other in the ever changing periods of life. In so doing they taste the fruit and the wine which comes in due season. Romance leads to love but it isn’t meant to cease. Love’s ‘vineyard’ is meant to be where Romance fully blooms, is maintained, enjoyed and finds its fulfilment in senior years. Vintage wine is the result of good fruit being well distilled and carefully stored. That’s God’s intention for a man and a woman who enter the field of Romance and cultivate it according to His manual.

 ©Ray Hawkins 26.1.2015.

 

 

 

 

1st - 5th September 2014

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

Is Introducing

Rebecca's Dream



(Even Before March 2014)



By



Carol Preston

About the Book

Rebecca Oakes is thirteen years old when her mother, Suzannah, dies in the small town of Marengo, New South Wales, in 1873. With her older brother and sisters soon involved in their own lives, Rebecca is left alone to care for her ageing father. But Rebecca has a dream for her own life. She wants to make a difference to the world around her; a world where it is hardly possible for a woman to get an education, where women have no rights, no vote, no voice. Rebecca will have to fight the systems of her time if she is to achieve her goals. She must find the courage to stand against sexual and religious prejudice, and resist the pressures of even those close to her, in order to make her way towards her dream, influenced by one man who hates her, who will do anything to thwart her plans, and another man who loves her, and will do anything to make her happy.

Rebecca’s Dream is the second book in the Oakes Family Saga. Background notes and discussion questions are available for book clubs.

About the Author

Carol lives in Wollongong with her husband, Neil. She is a psychologist and has a part time private counselling practice, as well as being an author and speaker. Carol enjoys spending time with her children and four grandchildren, as well as bushwalking, gardening and holidaying overseas with her husband. One of her hobbies over many years has been family history research. It was this research which started Carol on the journey of writing novels.

Her first trilogy is about the Oakes Family; Suzannah’s Gold, Rebecca’s Dream and The Price of Peace, which takes the reader from 1838 when her great great grandmother, Suzannah Casey was transported from Ireland, through to the end of the First World War when Suzannah’s children and grandchildren are involved in the battle, not only to survive the war but to survive the waiting at home. The first two of these have recently been re-released by EBP. Carol’s fourth novel, The Face of Forgiveness, is about two young women who are transported to Australia in 1839. The most recent of Carol’s novel is a series based on her mother’s family, which begins with the First Fleet of convicts to Australia. These include Mary’s Guardian, Charlotte’s Angel, Tangled Secrets, and Truly Free.

For more information about Carol’s books and her other interests she can be contacted on her website: www.carolpreston.com.au, on her Facebook author page: www.facebook.com/writingtoreach

or her Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/carolpreston