LOVE

I found this today on youtube & was once again amazed at how God works! This parallels my previous post. Take a listen!

I also read 1 John 3:18 today & it says "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed & in truth."

Have a BLESSED & LOVE FILLED Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!

Life

Okay, so I LOVE waking up with sweet words of encouragement in my heart & mind!

Most of the time I wake up with a song in my heart & get out of bed humming/singing.

It truly makes my mornings much easier to deal with, me being the total UN-morning person that I am! =)

This morning, it wasn't as much a song as it was an artist. This artist has a beautiful voice, strong yet graceful & the lyrics are filled with hope, joy, promises from God... They are so uplifting!

Her name is Christy Nockels.

And through her music & fervent desire to serve the Lord & produce good, wholesome Christian music, she has been used by God to speak to my heart, among many others!

I love worshipping God through music. A song in my heart is a lot of times what keeps me on the right track for the day, as I will continually play it over in my mind.

It also helps me keep my... well... everything in perspective. I am so thankful that God created music to be used as a way to worship Him! What a wonderful, Magestic Savior!

Here are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs... I am always able to refocus my attention & energy onto the Lord when I listen to this song, no matter what I'm going through that day.

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there's joy, unending joy
and I will follow
    
*Chris Tomlin

I hope these thoughts & strivings will be true in my life, as well as yours. Be encouraged today friends!!!!

LOVE WELL!

As Valentines Day is approaching, I have been pondering what it means to love well.

It can mean different things to different people, but I know there is some sort of standard set for loving well... and I believe the standard comes from Christ Himself.

I see that He loved me well when He layed down His life for me.

1 John 3:16 "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to also lay down our lives for the brethren."

I see that He loved me well when He said He layed down His life in order that I might spend eternity with Him in Glory, even tho I hurt Him by sinning.

His gift of love is ENDLESS!

He shows me how much He loves me by His Words. When I spend time reading the Bible & praying & listening... He blesses me with the feelings of peace, joy, contentment, healing, etc... & makes me feel as though I am literally resting in His arms... being hugged from all sides.

I love being enveloped in His perfect love!

I know the most widely known verses in the Bible reguarding love are found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 & 13, and those verses are often just repeated or read through without much thought, but I want to write them out & live them. They are powerful instructions on how to love well.

"Love suffers LONG and is kind.

Love does NOT envy.

Love does not parade itself.

Love is not puffed up.

It does not behave rudely.

Love does not seek it's own.

Love is not provoked.

It thinks NO EVIL.

Love does NOT rejoice in iniquity, but DOES REJOICE IN TRUTH!

Love bears all things.

Love believes all things.

Love hopes all things.

Love ENDURES all things.

LOVE NEVER FAILS.

And now abide faith, hope & love, these three...

But the GREATEST of these...

Is LOVE."

Love is obviously important. Some of these things that God says love does, is really hard to live out.

It is hard to react in love towards people who provoke you... The natural reaction is hateful. But to show someone love instead can change their hearts.

It's sometimes hard to love someone through pain... But the Bible calls us to do it, because love suffers long. And it NEVER fails. And it bears all things...

I could go on & on, but I will stop myself here & close with this last verse...

1 John 4:19 "We love Him, because He first loved us."

There is no better reason to love others than that reason alone. Over the next couple of weeks, my mind & heart will continue to dwell on these thoughts, & I pray my whole being is filled with so much love, that it will spill out onto every single person I come into contact with.

I intend to love people well in my actions & words, just as I am called to do.

So, don't wait for Valentines Day to love some one well, my friends, I encourage you to love well today.

Love with Christ's love.