Last night I watched the movie Moulin Rouge and I was reminded once again of the phrase that propels the entire story: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and to be loved in return."  This line of course comes from the song "Unforgettable," and while it's used to an effectively mushy end in the movie, I think there's some truth to the sentiment.  After all, one only needs to open their Bible to find the following:

Furthermore, we're told God is the source of all love and is, in fact, love Himself:

The world "love" occurs 551 times in the NIV Bible and if the Greatest Commandment is any indication, love is a very important thing to God:

These are some of the things I've been thinking about the last couple of days... not the fluttery, drippy love that's portrayed in so many movies but the intentional, sacrificial love that's spoken of in scripture.

I've also been reading the last few days about the supporters of Proposition 8** who decided in December to "file legal briefs defending the constitutionality of Prop 8 and seek(ing) to nullify the marriages of 18,000 devoted same-sex couples solemnized before Prop 8 passed."  They will be appearing before the state Supreme Court on March 5 to make their case, but what it comes down to is this: 18,000 families were legally confirmed and recognized last year when same-sex marriage was legal in California - those families are at risk of having their rights forcibly removed from them if the court decides to support the proposition and annul those marriages.

It would be one thing to deny homosexuals the right to marry - I disagree with it, but it's still the law in most of the country.  What this would be doing though, is taking away rights that have already been granted, and whether you agree or disagree with same-sex marriage, you can't deny this.

I'm single, but I hope one day to find someone with whom I can share the rest of my life.  I want to find someone who I can love and who loves me in return.  This is a prayer I raise every single day and a desire I believe God put in my heart.  18,000 couples in California have found what I'm looking for - a committed, dedicated, reciprocal love - and they've been given the opportunity to have those relationships - that love - legally recognized.  Children all over the state have the security and sense of belonging that comes with having married parents and individuals have been given the chance to exhale as they no longer fear for the rights of their partner or their loved ones should they die...

...unless that's taken away.

Don't be silent.  Visit the Courage Campaign web site and add your name to a letter directed to the state Supreme Court in favor of the couples who want to keep their current rights intact.  Raise awareness about the injustice and offer support to those whose marriages are at risk.

Thankfully, one thing will never change... "the greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and to be loved in return."