Since February is the month of love, I thought this Friday Favorites should follow suit. If you're new to this series, I give recommendations from new and old favorites, and really, anything goes.
Be forewarned: my inability to pick only one favorite really shines through this edition!
Favorite Scripture
Love is a central theme in the Bible, so there are hundreds of verses on love. All of them are amazing reflections of God's love for us, but recently Ephesians 1:4 caught my eye:
"Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love" (AMPC).
I love how this version emphasizes that deliberateness in which God picked us. It's mind-boggling to think that He had decided to choose us before He even created our world!
Favorite Love Song(s)
It's a bit hard to have a meaningful connection to a love song without having a boyfriend to associate it with, but there are a few that I adore nonetheless. I couldn't pick one, so here's three:
Til Death by Andy Mineo is such jam. Mineo promises "to be here / For worse or for better / These diamonds really mean that we'll stand the pressure." He wrote it around the time of his wedding and he released to celebrate their five-year anniversary.
Across the Stars by John Williams is the classic theme commemorating Anakin and Padme's forbidden love. It's moving to any Star Wars fan.
Helpless is from the hit musical Hamilton, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It tells the story of Eliza and Hamilton's introduction and marriage from Eliza's point-of-view. I relate to Eliza a lot, so this song feels like a sneak peak into my future.
Favorite Movie
To be honest, I'm not a big rom-com gal. If given the choice between, say Star Wars
or a rom-com, I'm going to choose Star Wars. It's not that I don't enjoy them -- because I do -- but that I just don't tend to choose them myself. (I have a theory that this is a residual effect from years disliking stereotypically "girly" things, such as the color pink. I love pink now.)
That said, I still love a good love story. I've already mentioned my love for k-dramas in the last Friday Favorites, so I'll spare repeating myself. Period dramas are also a favorite, but for this, I'll stick to modern times.
Crazy Rich Asians is one of the newer rom-coms that I loved a lot. New York native Rachel Chu accompanies her boyfriend Nick to Singapore to attend a wedding and to meet to his family. The thing is, Nick didn't tell her his family is extremely wealthy and he is the most sought after bachelor in the country. Rachel's suddenly in the limelight and under scrutiny.
If you haven't seen it already, go treat yourself! The cinematography is stunning, and the love story is as charming as can be.
Favorite Romance Book(s)
Now I know I said I'm not a big rom-com gal, but that was movies. Books are whooooooole 'nother story. I could list several standalones and series with amazing romance plots/subplots, but I will practice some self-control and share only two.
First is the To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han!
High school junior Lara Jean Song Covey wrote a love letter to each boy she's loved, though she never planned to send them. Those letters are her most secret possesion, until they somehow get mailed! To cover up her former feelings for her sister's ex-boyfriend, she fakes a relationship with Peter Kavinsky, another letter recipient who wants to make his new ex-girlfriend jealous. Though the pair set guidelines for their scheme, the more time Lara Jean spends with Peter, the more confusing -- and real -- her feelings become.
You've probably seen the movies on Netflix, but let me tell you: the books are better. This is coming from someone who adored the To All the Boys movies. There's only so much detail a two-hour movie can cover. The plot is more complex than the movies! You also get more of Lara Jean's Korean heritage, which I enjoyed.
The second is a standalone: The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen. Dessen is a popular Young Adult romance author, and this one is my absolute favorite.
Macy's boyfriend is away at Brain Camp, while she's stuck at home with a boring library job and evening SAT vocabulary drills. She and her mother are also mourning the loss of her father, though they've avoided talking about it. Her monotonous days are interrupted when she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. The colorful friend group, which includes the artistic and understanding Wes, help Macy venture out of her sheltered life.
Not only does this book have a butterflies-inducing love interest, but it also discusses grief, fear, and love in such a beautiful manner.
Favorite Quote
There are thousands quotes and poems about love, if not hundreds of thousands, which make it near impossible to choose a favorite. That said, I want to share a poem that may sound familiar:
The rose is red, the violet's blue
The honey's sweet, and so are you
Thou art my love, and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine:
the lot was cast and then I drew
And Fortune said it should be you
This poem was found in a 1784 collection of English nursery rhymes. It's just one of the variations that evolved into the "roses are red, violets are blue" cliche. I think it's adorable!
Favorite Fictional Couple(s)
In my experience, a primary element of fandom participation is shipping. Shipping is the act of wanting two characters to be together, regardless of there being an in-story chance or not.
More people engage in shipping than they realize. I mean, that's the point of rom-coms! I shipped characters before I knew it was a thing.
Anyways, I have many, many ships across various fandoms. If I had to rank them all, there are three tied in first. (I know, I've been terrible at picking just one this whole article).
First is Percabeth -- Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This series greatly influenced my love for reading as a middle schooler. I reread the series often! Percabeth is wonderful friends-to-lovers slowburn.
The second ship in the three-way tie is FitzSimmons, from my favorite TV show ever, Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. FitzSimmons is comprised of Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons. Individually, Fitz and Simmons are my favorite characters in the show. Watching their friendship evolve into one of the strongest relationships ever was so satisfying! They seriously go through everything imaginable and unimaginable, proving their unbreakable bond.
Last, but certainly not least, is Reylo! Unfortunately, Reylo is highly controversial in the Star Wars fandom, but with no good reason. An enemies-to-lovers story like Rey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo's completely falls in line with Star Wars thematically. Their relationship also has beautiful parallels to Anidala (Anakin and Padme) and Hanleia. It's too bad someone didn't give them a happy ending *stares pointedly at JJ Abrams*.
Favorite Podcast
To end this list, I wanted to share a podcast that offers real-life relationship advice.
Let's Talk About It from Moral Revolution fosters much-needed and very honest discussions about sex, sexuality, and relationships from a biblical perspective. Their aim is "to promote a culture of love, honor, and respect by imparting vision, restoring wholeness, and empowering choice."
Y'all, I mean it when I say they leave no stone unturned. I'm so grateful for everyone at Moral Revolution and their willingness to dive into topics the church is often silent about. It's great for married couples, dating couples, and singles!