A: In my opinion, I believe you should retrain him on how to kiss you. If he isn’t kissing you at all, start slow, but communicate well. There are many kisses you can get from him. There’s the “Hello & Goodbye” kiss, the “Cheeks & Forehead” kisses and the “Quick Wet kiss to the mouth” you can try for starters. Tell him you want to be kissed more, and then show him what you want. I know in our romantic fantasies that the guy should “know” what you want or be a “mind reader,” but if he isn’t producing, drop your pride, teach him, then get what you want.

Try to find a moment when both of you are quieted and relaxed, and then ask him for five quality minutes. Be sure that the TV, phone and/or cell phones are off. Try not to over do your first session, but be sure to let him know you would like to practice your kissing techniques again and soon, some time in the future. Over time, add more kinds of kisses to the agenda. There’s the “Goodnight” kiss, the old fashion “Busting Slob” kiss, the “Tongue” kiss and so much more!

I’m glad you still have the desire to kiss your husband. I hope he will be a good student and graduate with honors. Needless to say, be gentle and don’t get upset if things don’t go your way immediately. On a personal note, I can say, fresh breath, nice red lipstick and a tender smile is pretty hard to resist. I really wish you well.

Q: Mr. Hall, I am in a relationship with a very gorgeous woman. She used to be a model and gets complimented quite a bit about her elegance and beauty. The problem that I have is that when we are ready to make love, she wants the lights off and the room completely dark before she takes off her clothes. I have seen her naked and to me she has a wonderful and fit body. Although I have accepted this situation, I do get frustrated sometimes and she closes down when I want to talk about it. What can I do?

A: Dear Sir, in my opinion, it is obvious that you believe your woman is both beautiful and desirous. Based on what you have written I believe she knows how you feel and think about her. However, because you feel and think a certain way about a person, doesn’t mean they feel and think that way about themselves. I would like to encourage you to always “respect” her rights as a human being, and back off of any posture that might seem as a demand to the behavior she is exhibiting.

We human beings have many doors in our brains that lead to many places. We as private individuals only open those doors when we want to. So if you push, she may never let you in. On the other hand, if you show kindness, understanding, love and patience, she just may surprise you and expose more of her world to you both mentally and physically. I know that you would love to see her body with the lights on, but after all, she is giving her love to you, so don’t make “Doing it in the dark” such a bad thing. Enjoy your life and your lady. Matter of fact; be sure to thank her every time she choses to love you.

Q:  Mark Anthony, I married a wonderful man three months ago. He has been the perfect step-dad to my daughter and our future looks so bright. He is back in school and should graduate in about two years. OK, that’s the good news. I just found out that I am pregnant. Before we got married, we agreed that we didn’t want children until he finished school. My “in-laws” didn’t want us to get married and now I am scared to death to tell my husband or anyone else about my pregnancy. What should I do?

A: Plans are just that, plans. We make plans and with sincerity and integrity we try to execute them. The first thing you should do is talk to your husband and tell him you are with child. Unity between the two main principals is so vital. The rest of the people, in-laws or whomever will just have to adjust to whatever the two of you decide. Don’t let this pregnancy be your private secret because it will weigh you down with a burden you should not carry alone. I know you are still a “newly-wed” but if you start out with secrets, deceits and purposeful mis-direction towards your spouse, the future looks bad for the relationship, child or not. Based on your description, your husband sounds like a great guy. Give him the chance to be even greater. As always, in the case of any pregnancy, my wishes are for a healthy mother and a healthy baby. I also hope that the unity that is wished for in any marriage be manifested in yours. God bless.

 Q:  Mark Anthony Hall, I am a forty-six year old woman. Over the years, I have been in a few relationships; I was deeply and intimately involved in each of them. Because the relationships were not successful, I feel like I gave and lost a little of myself each time. Right now I am feeling romantically empty. I would like to hear your feedback on my situation.

A: First let me thank you for your honesty. What you have gone through is experienced by men and women alike. Some people have been with so many other people intimately and sexually, that in their later years of living they feel romantically and intimately spent, yet, the need for human companionship still exist.

Any time we are involved with someone on a romantically emotional level, the giving of self to that person is quite common and natural. However, if someone goes through that cycle time and time again, with negative growth in the relationship, the impact can be devastating to our souls and our psyches.

Mature growth can sometimes be a very painful thing. Even after counseling and solid advice, the affairs of the heart can be difficult to actually control and keep in step with the good instruction we may have received.  Let me say plainly, we all get empty some times. After so many years in my own life, I can relate and empathize with the emptiness you are now feeling. Yet, I have some very good news for you! Life is about getting up and learning from your mistakes. Between my own family, friends, beloved church members and God himself, I know what it is like to be revived. Hallelujah!

My prayer for you as you continue to live is to seek out real people who have suffered, endured and conquered the emptiness you are now feeling. Look around and with prayer (talking to God) you will be embolden to step forth and get the help that you need. I would love to hear back from you in the future.

Sincerely - Mark Anthony Hall

Dear Romantic Readers,

I have received such wonderful feedback on this letter, so I am printing it for your enjoyment.

Hug Me Don’t Use Me

You worked your two jobs and when you kick your shoes off, you fall asleep. You feed your family and by some kind of “Amazing Grace” you visit the schools, go to the zoos and give your children the precious quality time that they need.

When I first saw you, I just saw your beauty. I had no clue about what you do, the way you lived or how you survived. When I first saw you, I just plunged in with the brightest of smiles and my enthusiasm made you grin.

I insisted and through your kindness or maybe through your need, you agreed to see me. I never really understood how much is at risk when a mother meets a new man. I just looked into your eyes and though they were strong, a voice said, “Hug me, don’t use me.”

Our first date took a week or two, but you were ready. You engaged me, you gave me so much loving and you imprinted your lips on my brain, no “Good nights” were said. When I got home, my phone had two messages from you. One said, “I had such a great time” and the other said, “You were already losing your mind” thinking about me.

For the way you made me feel, I will gladly take a number and wait behind your life and your responsibilities. Next time if you will let me, I’ll gladly massage and rub your feet. Next time, if it just happens to be the weekend when the children are gone and you don’t want to be alone, I will bring you into my world. I too live by a kind of “Amazing Grace”. I don’t know how I have been able to live by myself all of these years. What I do know is that when I saw you, I left my loneliness alone when you let me enter your world. We both didn’t have a clue and whether it was through our kindness or through our needs, our voices blended together singing, “Hug me, don’t use me”.

I Love you so much,

Mark

The “Un-Heard” Three Little Words

Copyright © August 6, 2010 Mark Anthony Hall San Diego, CA.

A lady approached me the other day and said, “So you’re Mr. Romance. I have seen your website and read your blogs.” No sooner than she had spoken, her body sort of shrunk in and she asked, “Can I share something with you?” Me being me, I said “Yes” to the unknown. Humbled and somewhat teary eyed she exhaled, “I haven’t been told ‘I Love You’ romantically in 25 years.

After “exhaling” myself, I encouraged her to continue on. She said, “I have heard those words from my mom and dad, my children, church folks and friends, but I haven’t heard it in so long from a man, that truly loves me. It hurts and in spite of all of the other love I receive, it is like there is a black hole in my soul that needs to be filled.”

As an unmarried man, I have suffered from the reverse situation. I have had so many women that didn’t love me tell me that they “loved me;” it would make my head spin from time to time. So, as we sat talking and listening to each other, we developed a kindred spirit. Let me say plainly, we all suffer from something one way or another. Although we may not be able to take another person’s pain away, we can share kindness in what ever form it may manifest in the course of our day.

I told her that I loved her and that God loved her and she received it kindly. We both laughed just a little bit, because we knew that my words were not giving her what she really wanted. She wanted to hear “I LOVE YOU” from a man that was in love with her. She wanted to know that the pain she felt deep inside could be removed from her soul and never be seen again.  I imagine that what she wanted could still and eventually take place. She was full of life and possessed a passion that could easily be seen.

Twenty-five years is definitely a long time. I do believe there is a love that can be shared by human beings as we inhabit the earth. Once found, I do believe that we have the ability to express this love in a way that nurtures, heals and makes the people we love feel sexy and truly adored.  The kind of expression she needed could only lie in the eyes of a man who needed the same from her. As always, in the middle of my empathizing, I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Composing herself, she thanked me for my time and disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.

I couldn’t help but notice that she had left a few full teardrops on the shoulder of my shirt. With the tip of my finger I touched them and said aloud, “TRULY LOVE IS . . . BEING CARRIED BY A MAN SOMEWHERE OUT THERE, WAITING TO MEET HER AND SPEAK THOSE ‘UN-HEARD THREE LITTLE WORDS’ INTO THOSE LOVELY EARS THAT ARE SO READY TO RECEIVE THEM.”

Until the next time,

Mark Anthony Hall  

The Power of Love vs. Abuse

Copyright © July 23, 2010 Mark Anthony Hall San Diego, CA

During the course of my life, abuse is a topic that just won’t go away. I have viewed the devastating effects of drug abuse. I have listen to countless souls pour out their hearts about physical abuse. This week, the facts related to child sexual abuse came to my door and I couldn’t turn away.

Let me say right off of the bat, that I am hurting a little bit inside, because I listen to my adult friend tell how she was sexually abused as if it were yesterday.  What started off as a nice and quaint “catching up with each other” session, turned into a discussion where revealing her soul was necessary.

I was empathic, compassionate and hurt by her hurt. I felt her anger, rage and deep desire to be free from a prison that had been following her everywhere as she explained the years of sexual abuse she had endured as a child. I was inwardly stunned when she said, “I need him to apologize and give me permission to live my life.” Permission, why did she need permission from him? The person she described to me was a monster. He was cruel, self-serving and sick. Yet some thirty years later, his victim was looking for kindness and acceptance from him.

My friend has lived quite an accomplished life. She has succeeded in ways that would inspire others to reach for greater heights, yet she felt incomplete to the point of feeling unlovable. She admitted to not being able to give full love to anyone she had dated, nor her current husband. Sex as an adult was mostly tolerated versus being enjoyed and welcomed. Everything she did was mostly to prove to a monster of the past that he hadn’t conquered her. I felt sad to realize that just beneath the surface of her beautiful smile laid a raging sea of fury.

As much as I love to talk, my friends that have really gotten to know me know that I am a good listener.  I believe my friends know that I do add some spiritual value to their lives. When I met my friend today, I wanted to talk business. I wanted to share ideas and swap ways to build revenue streams during these tough times. After meeting with her, I went to a coffee shop, found a cozy but lonely corner and proceeded to cry like a baby on the inside. Her story is not new; I have heard it too many times in my dating interactions. When unresolved child abuse carries over into adulthood, the pleading is loud, “Help Me! Help Me!” is what I hear.

The road to recovery for my friend appears to be tough. I do realize it is not “MY” road, it is hers. However, it made me try to do a better job with my own actions as I deal with people. I do analyze my failures in speech and deeds. Daily I beg, “Lord help me be more merciful and kind.” Abuses of all kinds have affected so many people. While I can’t carry the load for the masses, I was there as a listening ear for my friend today, as she explained the horrors that happened to her years ago. I can only hope she saw the power of my love for her.

Until the next time,

Mark Anthony Hall

LOVE & OUR BEHAVIORS

Copyright © July 7, 2010 Mark Anthony Hall San Diego, CA

In tears, I have heard too many people say, “I don’t know why he/she is treating me this way! Why do the ones we love so much, become the initiating source of pain, anger and so many other things that tend to tear us down?” I have had folks come to me looking for these answers, but in reality, they just need to vent and have a shoulder to lean against in the midst of their agony. Once they have calmed down a little, I always say in a whispering yet kind voice, “You know the way some one tries to love you is directly tied to the behaviors they have learned.”

I don’t feel like I hold a special key to relationships, but we expect so much from people we date and marry.  The more we are exposed to someone in these circumstances, the more we learn who they are and what is hidden in the deep reservoirs of their minds and intellect. The way they behave (act) toward us is directly tied into their LEARNED BEHAVIORS. Learning comes by Education, Example or Experience. In the arena of love and romance these three elements are mostly learned WRONG.

Because the art of love and romance are learned wrong, strong interventions are needed to help correct our efforts so that we can enjoy healthy inter-actions with our loved ones. Whether it was in the home (the first major source of influences) or outside of the home (peers, school and religious environments), destructive behaviors have been adapted year after year, and couple after couple continue to prove their disastrous legacies. It is amazing how many people haven’t learned to say “I’m sorry” or submit to the tools available to correct their offenses.   

For those who have been continuously hurt by bad behaviors, the temptation to become a “lightening rod” is very dangerous. A “lightening rod” is a person who wants to go “eye for eye” and strike back with their own dirt, despite having the knowledge to do better for themselves. Once this syndrome is developed, even the innocent need to beware of their fury. This is where a lot of the “why” comes from. Just think about the behaviors we all have suffered through. Have your ever wondered to yourself, “Where in the world did that come from?” Sometimes we just don’t know that the ones we chose to love have thorns in the paws of their souls.

Love to many, is a superficial mask worn to a game of conquering, not loving their mates. Because the skill sets needed to love don’t exist, we turn to fear. Fear along with bad behavior is the perfect comfort pillow for the selfish and deeply injured psyche. These psyches use external elements to cover their own “cliff hanger” events that have come from a lifetime of suffering. In the end, when I see the tears and hear the questions, I issue hugs and compassion. I realize even those who may be hurting, don’t want to see the wounds of those who they should be loving. To dive into the mind and the past of our lovers and learn who we really are sleeping with night after night, can carry a mixed bag of hard conclusions to consider. However, when the right education of ourselves takes place, the place where we land can be a beautiful thing. Like the roses in my garden, I understand there are thorns everywhere, but I take the risk because what I wind up with in the end was worth a tear or two.

Until the next time,

Mark Anthony Hall

A TIME FOR FIREWORKS!

Copyright © July 4, 2010 Mark Anthony Hall, San Diego, CA

OK, it’s the 4^th of July! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! Time to barbeque and hang out with family and friends, as we fill the sky with thunderous sounds and glorious colors! It is also a good time to reignite or light our own fuses of love. Like some of the amusement parks in our beautiful country, some people have been fortunate to let their love explode everyday. What a gift that is! Sizzling sparklers, colorful twirlers, fire crackers sounds and big booms everyday? WOW! Oh how I would love to experience that! High energy mixed with high loving. This is not the “norm,” but for those of you who “got it like that” I’m eating my heart out.

For others, fireworks come at dedicated and surprising moments. Like the holidays, we like to plan when lighting our love fuses, then re-cooperate in our own way from expending so much energy. Then there are those we have to drag along for the ride. You know the kind of people who don’t want to go, but once they get there, they have a grand ole time. Hip-hip-hooray for you too!

I love the forth of July! Being from Chicago, I have spent many 4^ths on the lake front watching the downtown sky morph into a fantastic heavenly vision. Holidays make people happy, especially the ones that at bent towards celebrating. Happy people want to hug, kiss and be loved. Happy people enjoy celebrating our common human experiences. With so many of our dear fellow American away at war, I savor even more the precious gift of daily life and the holidays.

If this holiday gives you a chance to be closer to the one you love, then by all means, get closer. If this holiday makes you feel good about whom you are and the relationship that you are in, then by all means tell that person how much they mean to you and celebrate your love. The 4^th of July is certainly a goodtime for reflection and reaffirmations of our dreams and goals. If your love fuse has been wet, dry it off and light it. Don’t waste another day in fear of your loving future!

OK, I’ll admit it; I will use any and every thing as an angle to help increase the love in my life. When my love life is not good, I can see the “good” in other things and use them to re-ignite my soul. The 4^th of July is loaded with so many opportunities to re-connect to loving. It may come as you eat. It may come while you are playing “fun and games.” It may come as you sit somewhere gazing into the evening light, anticipating a firework show. Whatever the case, use it as a “chance to let your own love feelings explode.” As always, many will not understand when you chose to let your chains go, but when they see you freely flying in the sky, I got a feeling they will begin to get a picture of who you really are. HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY to all! Let it be the beginning of non-stop fireworks in your own life. I’ll see you in the stars.

Until the next time and with all of my love, Mark Anthony Hall

WHY I EXIST

Copyright © June 28, 2010 Mark Anthony Hall San Diego, CA

Today was a weird day. It started off with a few setbacks and challenges. As I set out to tackle and solve them, I said a prayer and asked God to help me. I did the best I could during the morning portion of my day and wound up at KFC eating a quick/on the run type of lunch. I got into my car and as I reached to put the key into the ignition, like a woodpecker on a tree, I heard a tapping sound on my window.

I looked up and there stood a man dress in his work uniform. He was employed by an electrical company and from his looks; he was dirty as a kid playing in mud from working hard. Rolling down my window I asked, “How can I help you Sir?” He said, “I saw the sign on your car window and I wonder if you can help me?” For those of you who don’t know, I have a lettered sign on my rear window that reads,

“Mark Anthony Romance.com – Romantic EBooks, Jewelry and Consultations.”

With a slightly bowed head and in his humblest voice the man said, “I need a ‘Romantic Consultation.’ My wife and I have been separated for quite awhile now. She said ‘I wasn’t romantic enough’ and left me because she thought after thirteen years of marriage I just didn’t get it.” I looked him directly in the eye and asked, “Do you still love her?” He answered, “Yes, with all of my heart”. We stood in the parking lot and for about fifteen minutes, he poured his guts out to me. He gave me his whole history and honestly confessed to me that he knew that he had “missed the mark” with her. I gave him three concrete things to do to begin the process of possibly winning her back.

I learn that he had never asked her what she really needed from him. He didn’t even know her favorite color and when it came to spending money on her he was cheap, dirt cheap. I don’t know everything, but I do know that if you have been giving your lady everything YOU think she needs and not one thing SHE has been trying to tell you that she really needs, you’re going to have problems in your relationship. I advised him to invite her to a very nice place for lunch. I recommended that he ask her what she needed, then be quiet and take notes on her responses. I encouraged him to apologize to her for not being sensitive to the things that mattered to her and let her know that he will do better. I emphasized that his behaviors (actions that had ruined his relationship) had to change.

He hugged me. That’s right; a complete stranger hugged me with humble tears in his eyes. I gave him my card and as we said goodbye I said, “keep your head up things are going to get better for you.” He was thankful and expressed appreciation for me stopping to help him and listen to his questions. When I sat in my car, my troubles and challenges seemed small. God in his own way reminded me of why I exist. I exist to encourage others. I exist to inspire hope. I exist to share love and build people up when they have failed miserably in their own lives.

I’m glad the man saw my sign and knocked on my window. I’m glad he left with a new resolve to try to win his wife back. When I’m driving my car, I see the faces of people who pull up behind me and see my sign. Like stepping on a rattle snake, some people are horrified by the five red hearts and the invitation to participate in lovey-dovey things. On the other hand, some folks turn into love birds, I can see their smiles and ticklish conversations. I have even had excited people honk and wave at me, giving exaggerated “thumbs up.” I know the human ego can persuade us from time to time that we don’t need help in our love lives. However, for those who come across my path, I hope I can say something good to you and encourage you to embrace the world of love in its entirety. After all, that is the reason why I exist.

Until the next time,

Mark Anthony Hall

“A Summer of Beauty To All”

Copyright © June 18, 2010 Mark Anthony Hall San Diego, CA.

Like millions of people the world over, I arose from my bed happy, optimistic and with a concrete plan for my day. I was especially excited because a PR firm was scheduled to call me at 10:30AM and discuss details concerning one of my books. I was also looking forward to talking to a representative from the Central Library to confirm a lecture series we were planning. After walking my dog and making a quick stop at the bank, I readied myself for the two afore mentioned events.

Well, instead of receiving a call from the PR firm, I got an email asking to reschedule for next week. I also had a voicemail from my contact at the library saying he was “just too busy and wasn’t available” to talk to me today. Feeling a little disappointed, I poured myself a glass of ice cold “Sweet Tea” and sat reclined in my chair outside on the patio. As I slowly sipped the “Southern” style of icy enjoyment, my racing mind was captured by the sight of my garden.

I have to say right off of the bat, “I love my garden”. I planted everything in it and have nurtured each plant very intimately so.  I spied young green tomatoes starting to exert their weight as they hung on tender vines. Pansies, marigolds and multiple perennials were filling my senses, as they boldly brought forth their colored arrays. My neighbor had given me a few stalks of corn, and they were now the size of an adolescent teenager. My garden was pleasant and gorgeously green, too green.

The pride of my patio garden is my seven rose bushes. I have red, pink, orange, white, yellow/whites, orange/whites and fuchsia.  My rose bushes had brought me joy throughout the spring and now as spring turns to summer, I realized it was time to prune them. Although they bore many healthy branches, some of them had to be pruned for the sake of the entire bush. I hope you don’t think me weird, but I do talk to my rose bushes. As I looked for which branch to cut, I apologized as my shears; delicately guide by my hands did their snipping.

Like love, the thorn of my wonderful bushes scratched and even stuck me from time to time, in their protest. Yet, I was determined that if our relationship was to survive, the new buds on the healthiest limbs had to be preserved. As I pruned my bushes, it made me aware how sometimes I also must prune my life. Pruning in its bittersweet delivery is a healthy necessity for all. Truth be told, the PR firm had been trying to “bait and switch” me, so I decided to cut them loose. Like the beautiful rose bushes, our “love lives” must be pruned if they are to survive and be enjoyed.

I’m looking forward to a summer of roses, good business decisions and healthy relationships. The pruning was tough, but if it was left undone, love for the people and things that I have chosen to exist in my world would feel neglected. I have tried to love them all with every fiber of my soul. Here’s wishing a summer of beauty to all.

Until the next time,

Mark Anthony Hall

SLOWING DOWN THE MOMENTS

Copyright © June 1, 2010 Mark Anthony Hall San Diego, CA.

As she lies motionless on the bow of the boat, I watched the sun tickle her to sleep. The waves were as an easy rocking chair and I saw her worries disappear.

I, Mark Anthony Hall, have sought to conquer the world. I have done a little of everything. I have crammed my days so tight, that even sleep became a spectator to my fast spinning merry-go-round. I have work endlessly and tirelessly pursuing my dreams and though the organ pipes are right next to my ears, there are times that I can’t hear the music at all.

I live a life of overdrive, a life on the move/got to do something type of existence. I live today like tomorrow is not promised and when I do sleep; I tend to enjoy the movies my dreams bring to me. So here I am, “Mr. Speedy, Mr. Do It All,” rowing a boat on a quiet lake. Not just rowing a boat, but gazing upon a woman asleep in perfect bliss, with her face expressing, “There are no worries in my world.”  I found myself confronted with two of the seven things that will make a person slow down. Just in case you didn’t know these seven things, I will list them for you.

God will slow you down. If you keep ignoring him, he will wait until just the right moment and you won’t be able to budge once he grabs you.  Sickness will slow you down. Our bodies are so fragile. If you don’t take care of your body, it will crash. Some lay in the earth right now because they didn’t listen to their bodies.  As much as I hate to admit it, my enemies have slowed me down at times. Enemies, whether in the form of people or obstacles to progress can slow you down. I have hit some pretty big walls. Some were so much out of my control; I couldn’t do anything but go buy some ice cream. If you just think about the three items I have listed so far, they all lie in the range of involuntary slow downs.

I don’t know why I wanted to paddle my rowboat fast. Nature just wasn’t having any of my foolishness, so it made me find a nice and reasonable glide that I and the beautiful woman I was looking at could enjoy. To make my muscles work more efficiently, I began humming. She smiled and I could see that she knew my heart was at peace because of her presence. Oh, lest I forget, yes, a woman can so you down. I have cancelled appointments, called in late and taken mini-vacations because of a woman. I have voluntarily stopped the merry-go-round of my life and closed it for a couple of days because of a woman. There is no better source of healing than to be one and in tune with a woman. Whether it be love making, hugging, kissing or just being alone on the lake with her in a little rowboat.

As I watched her bathe her body in the sunshine, my desire for her superseded the many movies I have had of her in my dreams. She toyed with me perfectly and I loved it. When it appeared that I was getting tired from rowing, she hand fed me and cleared my mustache with her fingertips. She rubbed my shoulders and massaged my biceps in glorious feminine approval. I still wanted to conquer the world, but this beautiful woman slowed me down. I didn’t care about the world. I just cared about being loved and feeling love.

I found a cove that offered a safe harbor from the gentle wind that was now blowing. I tied the boat ashore and we freed ourselves, stretching out on a patch work blanket. Our laughter was our only music. Not only did this woman slow me down, she made me forget time. I lay motionless in her arms. I let her voice tickle me to sleep, and as I looked into her eyes, I felt my own worries disappear.

Until the next time,

Mark Anthony Hall

p.s. We’ll have to talk about the other two things that can slow you down later.

“A LOVE THAT REQUIRES FAITH”

Copyright © Mark Anthony Hall May 26, 2010 San Diego, CA.

Dear Romantic Readers, I pray that today finds you vibrant, loving and appreciative of the gift of life that we commonly posses.

Since the launch of my website, I have had the pleasure of networking, meeting and sharing what I would call my “brand” of love, with the thousands upon thousands who have been kind enough to seek me out. Through this vehicle, I have talked with those who have been encouraged and discouraged by love. I have looked into the eyes of both the hurt and happy. I have hugged many, held a lot of hands and on deep and touching occasions, I have shed my own tears with those who may have needed them. Even in the midst of my successes and failures in the world of romance, I have been inspired and ignited by those who posses a love that requires faith.

It is not my intention to become “preachy” in today’s blog. However, I do recognize that the person who I am today was built by the wonderful influences of people who loved me. One of the first “tenants” I saw modeled and taught over and over was that “Faith is an awesome thing to have when trying to love somebody.” For those of you who have asked, yes, I am a Christian. Yes, I know God and yes, I have received his loving mercy. Because of these truths, I too have developed a love that requires faith.

I have always enjoyed looking at myself by way of self-review. Sometimes the answers to me sit plainly on an easy shelf ready to be used. Yet there are other areas in the world of love and romance where no answers appear right away, but like waiting for a first kiss, I am very optimistic that an answer will come. I see people the same way, yet I see past their exteriors to their souls and to the spirits by which they are guided. There are some pretty bad spirits that have battered the souls of people pretty hard. Those spirits have attacked my own soul trying to press me to give up on returning love to God and my fellow men and women. I am thankful that my own faith has allowed me to look past myself and everything that is wrong and look to the bright side of everything that can be right.

For years I have strived to smile and say kind and encouraging words. People still look at me strangely, but my gift of faith laden romantic expression is so strong nowadays that I can’t turn it off. I love giving encouragements about how love can win and has won in spite of us all. I pray that my website will continue to be a place where lovely things happen. I look forward to meeting people who don’t mind being inspired by a man whose love has been inspired by his faith in God.

Wishing everyone love and peace until the next time,

Mark Anthony Hall