{"id":573,"date":"2020-02-14T19:36:27","date_gmt":"2020-02-15T00:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/?p=573"},"modified":"2020-02-14T20:12:53","modified_gmt":"2020-02-15T01:12:53","slug":"love-always","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/love-always\/","title":{"rendered":"Love, Always"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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A flashback Friday KLog<\/span>
by Melody K. Townsend<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
<\/i>I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
<\/i>So I love you, because I know no other way than this \u2026
<\/i>~ Love Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are lonely for a Valentine, you haven\u2019t been looking in the right place!
True, unconditional Love is waiting as close as your nearest animal control facility.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The origins of Valentine\u2019s Day predate 500 A.D. and have been attributed to various saints and martyrs who promoted the love and worship of Christ. One of these martyrs is said to have been imprisoned for performing weddings ceremonies for soldiers and their brides who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians who were suffering persecution under the Roman Empire. For these crimes, St. Valentine was tortured and beheaded. His death was recorded on February 14.<\/span><\/p>\n

St. Valentine\u2019s name was Valentinus, from the Latin \u201cvalens,\u201d which means strong, powerful, and worthwhile. This is a fitting description of love, for true love is a strong and powerful treasure above all else. Ask any creation of God who carries His Love in our hearts. Whether we speak with our mouth or our eyes; walk on two legs or four; wear fur or feathers or human skin; love is the reason for which, and by which, all of us are here.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Valentine\u2019s Day centers around romance, real love is all-encompassing beyond the human mind\u2019s ability to comprehend. It is not passion, not physical contact, not even emotion, though feelings are certainly entwined with love.<\/span><\/p>\n

Love is a verb. <\/b><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Love is the heart taking action.<\/span><\/p>\n

Humans choose whether or not they will love, after which they decide how much love they will extend and accept, under what conditions, and for what length of time. That choice, and the ways in which it is used, is what sets them apart from animals. Humans\u2019 abuse of love brings about their downfall \u2013 and ours, for we are under their stewardship.<\/span><\/p>\n

When a human refuses to love, the whole world around him suffers the consequences of his choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Love is not a human concept.<\/b><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

It is a God concept, and His gift of Love is not exclusive to his human offspring.<\/span><\/p>\n

Animals offer the purest, most complete, most genuine, most innocent and unconditional love any human will experience this side of Heaven. Animals have no self-serving agendas. Our purpose and desire is to enjoy the life God gave us and to live safely under the stewardship and respect that He commissioned humans to bestow upon us. Companion animals were created to love and be loved in return.<\/span><\/p>\n

The many physical and emotional healing benefits of loving a companion cat are well known. Roses and cards and chocolate are exquisite and eloquent and sweet. But if you are looking for true love, any day can be Valentine\u2019s Day. Visit your nearest animal control facility, humane society, or animal refuge center. Allow yourself to be adopted by the cat who knows you were sent there to become his or her human.<\/span><\/p>\n

Important details to remember:<\/b><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

A cat\u2019s lifespan is about twenty years. Only adopt a cat if you are willing and able to commit to that relationship \u2013 for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, through various relationships with other humans, when children are born, when you change jobs or move to a new home, when the cat or another family member ages or phases through health and\/or behavioral issues, no matter what<\/i> \u2013 for the entire length of his or her life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adopt two cats or kittens instead of only one. They will provide you with twice the love and companionship, and they will be much-needed company for each other, especially if they are frequently home alone. Best of all, you will save two<\/i> lives!<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no such thing as a free companion animal. Cats need regular medical and dental checkups, nutritious food, treats, and toys, just as humans do. A cat who falls ill or is injured needs to be taken to his or her veterinarian for treatment. You wouldn\u2019t get on Facebook and ask, \u201cMy child\u2019s jaw has swollen and she cries all the time and throws up when she tries to eat! What should I do?\u201d You would automatically take her to a doctor for immediate treatment! Your cat, who feels fear and pain and depends completely on you for care and protection, deserves this same love and consideration for health and healing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Never<\/i> declaw a cat.\u00a0 Declawing is the torturous amputation of the entire first joint of a cat\u2019s toes. (Look at your hands and feet and imagine having the entire first joint of each of your fingers and toes cut off.)\u00a0 Declawing often leaves a cat in permanent pain, which leads to behavioral issues. Declawing has been outlawed by most countries, and individual states in the U.S. are finally enacting laws that ban this barbaric mutilation. Cats scratch objects to scent mark their territory, to remove the dead outer layer of their claws, to exercise their paws, and to enjoy the feeling of stretching luxuriously while flexing their toes and their claws. Sisal posts and cardboard scratchers provide the resistance cats need to stretch and claw, and there are many methods of gentle persuasion that can be used to guide your cat to exercise his claws on his own furniture instead of on yours.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have no choice but to rehome your cat, seek out a no-kill shelter or refuge center. Never advertise in a newspaper or on Craigslist. Free cats and kittens may be \u201cadopted\u201d for use as bait animals in dog fighting rings or for other incomprehensible practices of abuse and torture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Save a life, make a friend for life, and change your life forever for the better \u2013 adopt your Best Feline Friend today, and celebrate the true love of Valentine\u2019s Day every day in your<\/em> Extra-Ordinary World!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Love is patient, love is kind.
<\/i><\/span>It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
<\/i>It does not dishonor others,
<\/i><\/span>it is not self-seeking,
<\/i>it is not easily angered,\u00a0
<\/i><\/span>it keeps no record of wrongs.
<\/i><\/span>Love does not delight in evil
<\/i>but rejoices with the truth.
<\/i><\/span>It always protects,
<\/i>always trusts,
<\/i>always hopes,
<\/i>always perseveres.
<\/i><\/span>Love never fails.
<\/i>~ I Corinthians 13:4-8<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 A flashback Friday KLogby Melody K. Townsend I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;So I love you, because I know no other way than this \u2026~ Love Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda If you are lonely for a Valentine, you haven\u2019t been…<\/p>\n

Continue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[70,8,23,17,7,71,69,67],"class_list":["post-573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith-hope-love","tag-adopt","tag-cats","tag-kittens","tag-melodys-extra-ordinary-world","tag-meow","tag-shelter-cat","tag-valentine","tag-valentines-day"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9JMNa-9f","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=573"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":576,"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573\/revisions\/576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}