Category: Relationship

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Describe Love

How do we do that? How can be adequately describe the experience of love and being love?

“But it is just as the Scriptures say, ‘What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!'” I Corinthians 2:9 CEV

Years ago, I tried to answer the question, how do I describe love. This is what I wrote then, it’s still true today.

I woke up this morning and lay in bed for a while thinking – my mind filled with beautiful thoughts; a Montana sunrise, an Arizona sunset, snow sparkling on the branches of a fir tree, a baby’s smile, my husband’s blue eyes, a cup of steaming hot coffee. Seeing our youngest daughter walk down the aisle at her wedding, my oldest daughter and I as we sat in the middle of a mountain stream in our lawn chairs, our son at the helm of his boat, friends gathered on the patio of our home for good bbq, our whole family together laughing & talking & spending time together; yes, it was quite a way to wake up and start the day.

But then I asked, “Father, all of these images I see can be described but how do I describe Your love?”

For the most part, I’m pretty good with words but when I try to describe God’s love I am seriously at a disadvantage. However, this morning I heard the answer to my question and it was “You just did!”

You see, every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father, every good thing we enjoy comes as an outward expression of God’s love; that’s the way He’s always been and that’s the way He’ll always be!

When I’m thinking on these things that I can describe, I’m describing the Father’s love. In every circumstance and situation that I live, I can sense the love of God and know that He is there because God is LOVE!

Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to bring God’s love to each and every one of us. He brought the message that God isn’t mad at us and that God desires to have relationship with us – not some experience that is staunch and unfeeling or condemning and angry – but a real, where-the-rubber-meets-the-road, every day, I’m-always-here type of relationship.

I’m not saying that everything will be perfect in our lives because it won’t. But, I do know that in the imperfect, trying, challenging, frustrating, ugly times of our lives that God is always there, and He doesn’t abandon us! He’s always there to offer comfort, help, to bring wisdom, peace and joy even in the midst of our storms. God is love!

Jesus brought comfort to those who had lost family and friends to death, He brought compassion to the prostitute, food to the hungry, wine to the wedding, sanity to the demonic and love and forgiveness to all.

“You know about Jesus from Nazareth. God made him the Messiah by giving him the Holy Spirit and power. Jesus went everywhere doing good for people. He healed those who were ruled by the devil, showing that God was with him.” Acts 10:38 CEV

What words can I use to describe God’s love?

It really can’t be described but it can be experienced every single day!

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In Case You Wonder

I have a few questions for you this morning. Are you in love – have you ever been in love? How often do you tell the person you love, “I love you”? Your spouse, your kids, your grandkids, your friends, do they know you love them?

I don’t miss an opportunity to tell my kids each time we talk or text that I love them. Dave and I start and end our day with I love you; and there are many times in between.

So, when I started to pray about what to share this morning, I heard the Lord say in my heart “Tell them again”! It was a powerful urging. Did someone mess up yesterday and is feeling low this morning? Does someone feel alone and forgotten? We all need a reminder, a daily reminder and that is why I’m here to say, “In case you wonder, God loves you and His love is unconditional”.

“I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. 21 I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.

22 I have honored my followers in the same way you honored me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. 23 I am one with them, and you are one with me, so they may become completely one. Then this world’s people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me.” John 17:20-23 CEV

The last few days I have taken you through Jesus’ final night with his disciples. His words constantly affirmed His love for them and now we have these verses from His agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. He had committed whole-heartedly to laying down His life out of love for us. Why?

Because He loves us. Not only that He prayed that the world would know “that you love my followers as much as you love me”. He wants us to know and to never wonder about the Father’s love. I want you to know that God the Father and God the Son love you – you don’t ever have to wonder if that’s true. It’s a fact that has been established on the cross.

“I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will bless you and be kind to you! May God bless you with his love, and may the Holy Spirit join all your hearts together.” II Corinthians 13:13 CEV

I said the other day that I find the love of God written on every page in the Bible. It’s the most amazing love letter.

I will say it again, just in case you wonder, God loves you and He wants you and the world to know about it!

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Change the World

The love of God is world changing! It has certainly changed mine and I hope it has changed yours.

This morning, I took time to reread the 13th chapter of John, in the CEV version. The love that Christ had for His disciples encased every sentence. Please take the time to read that. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+13&version=CEV

Jesus only had a few hours left with the men who had walked side-by-side with Him for the last three years. They had seen the miracles – they had their moments of doubting and also of awe. Now, they were about to face their greatest moment of sorrow and they didn’t realize it.

What Jesus does at this time is remarkable!

“It was before Passover, and Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and to return to the Father. He had always loved his followers in this world, and he loved them to the very end…So during the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 He put some water into a large bowl. Then he began washing his disciples’ feet and drying them with the towel he was wearing…14 And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. 15 I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. 16  I tell you for certain that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. 17 You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them…33  My children, I will be with you for only a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won’t find me. I tell you just as I told the people, ‘You cannot go where I am going.’ 34  But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13 CEV

Jesus makes one final gesture, an act of humility, an act of love. He washes the feet of His disciples. All of them, including Judas.

Peter the boisterous and the bold is the one to question why Jesus is doing this; Judas sits quietly as Jesus washes his feet, knowing that He is about to betray his teacher and Messiah.

Jesus’ love was unconditional, no one was outside the realm of His saving grace, not even Judas.

I wonder if the disciples thought about that later – thought about Jesus being no respecter of persons. He showed the same servant’s heart to John the disciple “whom Jesus loved”, as He did to the one who sold Him for 30 pieces of silver.

Betrayal of a trusted friend is one of life’s most bitter moments. Jesus turned that experience into an opportunity to teach us all about the love of God. No retaliation, no rebuke, no condemnation only love.

“ As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. 2  Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other.” Ephesians 4:1-2 CEV

When we drop selfishness and truly love like Jesus did, in a humble and gentle way, we will change our world with the power of God!

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Let the World Know

I have a question for you this morning. If I asked you to define friendship would the word love be in your definition?

It should be – true friendship is built on love and trust. A couple of days ago, in my blog “Love Covers” I showed you how God’s love covers our multitude of sins. Remember this verse?

“Most of all, have a true love for each other. Love covers many sins.” I Peter 4:8 NLV

and then yesterday there was this verse

“But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 CEV

Those were the two thoughts heavy on my mind this morning. Am I a good and loving friend? Love and trust. Do I express those two characteristics with the people I call friends and those who are family?

Do I love the way Christ does? I think of the adulterous woman who the religious leaders wanted to stone. Jesus proved to be her friend; she could trust Him. He didn’t humiliate her or put her failure on display, He covered her actions with His love. He told her she was forgiven and to go and sin no more.

Look at Peter. Christ told him to be on guard because satan was going to trip him up and get him to sin. Peter in his own boisterous way said NEVER and then he denied Christ three times before the sun came up. After Jesus rose from the grave and encountered the disciples on multiple occasions He never once ridiculed or chided Peter in public. Jesus only spoke good things over Peter’s life.

How will the world know that we are disciples, followers of Christ? We are to love one another. That means that we cover the failings and shortcomings of those we love. We don’t repeat their mistakes, we don’t embarrass them with their past. We cover them with love.

“You will keep your friends if you forgive them, but you will lose your friends if you keep talking about what they did wrong.” Proverbs 17:9 CEV

There’s a story that you may not know. After he and his family were off the ark and living on land again, Noah got drunk and one of his sons found him naked in his tent. That son went and reported the incident to his brothers. He made his father’s shame public. Look what the other two sons did.

“Shem and Japheth put a robe over their shoulders and walked backwards into the tent. Without looking at their father, they placed it over his body” Genesis 9:23 CEV

They covered their father’s sin and shame. This is what God expects from us. This is how the world will know that we are His disciples.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 CEV

With all we have learned about God’s love for us during the past month we have a mandate to walk in that kind of love to those around us. Be an encourager, be someone who builds others up. Don’t speak of past failures – cover them.

Let the world know we are His disciples by our love!

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In Debt to Love

Dave and I have worked for many years to get out of debt and to stay out of debt. Thank God for the blessing of being debt free. There is one debt however that we will never be able to wipe off the books; it will always be on the balance sheet.

“ Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. ” Romans 13:8 CEV

Each and every one of us are in debt to love.

Love is hard. It requires work and it isn’t for the faint of heart. The good news is that we haven’t been left on our own to pay this debt. We have been given help for each day.

“ God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” Galatians 5:22-23 CEV

There’s an urgency to be loving. The world is becoming more and more selfish; self-centered ambition drives so much of what is being done. Several years back there was a campaign to encourage people to do random acts of kindness.

What happened to that? Did you know that Jesus taught the same thing?

“The man replied, ‘The Scriptures say, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.’ They also say, ‘Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.’ …

But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, ‘Who are my neighbors?’

30 Jesus replied: As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead.

31 A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. 32 Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side.

33  A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him 34 and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, ‘Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return.’

36 Then Jesus asked, ‘Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?'” Luke 10:25-27 CEV

Each one of us have been the man who was beaten and left on the roadside and if it weren’t for God’s unconditional love, we would be dead.

“Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you. 13 The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them. 14 And you are my friends, if you obey me.” John 15:12-14 CEV

The debt of love is great. Christ freely gave to us, let’s be good Samaritan’s and freely give to those in need!

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Once For All

Today I am going to say very little, but I do want you to read a longer passage of Scripture. One reason, I think, we have such a hard time in believing God and His love for us is because of we are keenly aware of our shortcomings and our sin.

We know ourselves better than anyone else. We know our failures and our secret or hidden thoughts. But God knows those too and He has provided forgiveness.

As we read His word today, let it sink in. We are who God says we are and He says we are forgiven, cleansed and unconditionally loved. Believe Him!!

“The Law of Moses is like a shadow of the good things to come. This shadow isn’t the good things themselves, because it cannot free people from sin by the sacrifices offered year after year. 2 If there were worshipers who already have their sins washed away and their consciences made clear, there would not be any need to go on offering sacrifices. 3-4 But the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. It only reminds people of their sins from one year to the next.

5  When Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“Sacrifices and offerings
    are not what you want,
but you have given me
    my body.
6 No, you are not pleased
with animal sacrifices
    and offerings for sin.”

7 Then Christ said,

“And so, my God,
    I have come to do
what you want,
    as the Scriptures say.”

8 The Law teaches that offerings and sacrifices must be made because of sin. But why did Christ mention these things and say that God did not want them? 9 Well, it was to do away with offerings and sacrifices and to replace them. This is what he meant by saying to God, “I have come to do what you want.” 10 So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all.

11  The priests do their work each day, and they keep on offering sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12  But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God’s right side, 13 and he will stay there until his enemies are put under his power. 14 By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God.

15 The Holy Spirit also speaks of this by telling us that the Lord said,

16 ‘When the time comes,
I will make an agreement
    with them.
I will write my laws
    on their minds and hearts.
17 Then I will forget
    about their sins
and no longer remember
    their evil deeds.’

18 When sins are forgiven, there is no more need to offer sacrifices.” Hebrews 10:1-18 CEV

Christ sacrifice for our sins was made ONCE. Christ sacrifice was FOR ALL who have sinned. We are forgiven – ONCE FOR ALL!

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Growing In Love

After fifty years of marriage, you would think Dave and I know everything there is to know about each other. Not true!

I learned a couple years ago that he used to walk on stilts, and he just recently learned that I ran hurdles in High School and did the high jump. Shocking, I know but it’s the truth.

I’m telling you this because although we have spent the last twenty-four days uncovering the truth of God’s love there is still so much more to discover. The Apostle Paul had grown up being schooled in the Jewish synagogue. He knew the Torah, the first five books of the Bible; he studied the book of Isaiah and he read the Psalms but look at the statement he made to the church of the Philippians.

“Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, 11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life. 12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize.” Philippians 3:8-12 ERV

Here is a man whose life impacted the world with the message of Jesus Christ and he says, “All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life”.

As I was writing in my journal this morning, these were my words. “My heart is full but my words are missing. I just want to know more of Your love and be able to share it”.

Then the song that was written based on Philippians 3:10 came to mind:

“Lord, I want to know you more.

Deep within my soul I want to know You

And I would give my final breathe

To know you in your depth and resurrection.

Lord, I want to know you more.”

That’s how Christ wants us to know Him. He wants us to be confident in the depth of His love.

“…We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head, 16 and the whole body depends on him. All the parts of the body are joined and held together, with each part doing its own work. This causes the whole body to grow and to be stronger in love.” Ephesians 4:15b-16 ERV

Be like Christ in every way – be like Him!

To be like Him we have to watch what He did (we see that in the Gospels), we need to hear His words as recorded in the Bible and we need to listen with our hearts for the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Lord, I want to know You more. I want to grow in the knowledge of Your love!

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Favorite Places

Where is your favorite place to be? Our daughter and son-in-law took an all-inclusive vacation to the Dominican Republic this year and loved it. A few years back our younger daughter and son-in-law went to London and Paris. Our son has traveled to Italy and Costa Rica. We’ve vacationed in Hawaii and this last summer you all know we took our “trip of a lifetime” when Dave and I went to Greece.

Yes, Greece is my favorite place but I enjoy being in the mountains and at the oceanside. I love being home or anywhere that all my family gathers. However, my favorite place isn’t a tangible place, it’s a presence.

“Lord God All-Powerful, your temple is so lovely! 2 Deep in my heart I long for your temple,
and with all that I am I sing joyful songs to you. 3 Lord God All-Powerful, my King and my God, sparrows find a home near your altars; swallows build nests thereto raise their young.

4 You bless everyone who lives in your house, and they sing your praises. 5 You bless all who depend on you for their strength and all who deeply desire to visit your temple…10 One day in your temple is better than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather serve in your house, than live in the homes of the wicked. 11 Our Lord and our God, you are like the sun and also like a shield. You treat us with kindness and with honor, never denying any good thing to those who live right. 12 Lord God All-Powerful, you bless everyone who trusts you.” Psalm 84 CEV

We spent hours planning our trip to Greece. There were years of watching travelogs to determine which islands we wanted to visit, researching the country’s customs and things that were required for our trip. All of this planning for twenty-seven days and it was wonderful.

But what I don’t understand is how some people never think about spending time with the Lord. I’m not condemning anyone, but I do question why they don’t think it’s important and plan for it.

As King David said, “one day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere”. To spend time with the Father – in His word, in prayer and in quiet meditation is amazing! Nothing compares with spending time with God. In another Psalm, the old English says “taste and see that the Lord is good”.

“Give the Lord a chance to show you how good he is. Great blessings belong to those who depend on him!” Psalm 34:8 ERV

Give the Lord a chance.

Did you see that King David said the sparrows and the swallows choose to nest in the courts of the Lord?

It reminds me of a teaching Jesus did. He said the Father provides the daily needs of the sparrows. Then He makes this statement:

“ Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” Matthew 6:26-27 ERV

Do you realize how valuable you are to the Father?

Spend time with Him, allow Him to show you the depth of His love for you. Spending time in His presence will become your favorite place to be!

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Questioning God’s Love

People today often question how a loving God could allow bad things to happen so I would like to answer a bit of that.

“A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.” John 10:10 ERV

There is a real enemy on this earth, the devil, and he causes and manipulates people and circumstances for evil. God has given us power over all the works of the enemy. And when we get to heaven all will be perfect. No devil, no evil.

I have heard this question asked on several occasions, I’m sure you have too. “How can a loving God send good people to hell?” The answer in their minds appears to be hard and calloused and anything but loving. Jesus addresses that in His teaching.

 “You can enter true life only through the narrow gate. The gate to hell is very wide, and there is plenty of room on the road that leads there. Many people go that way. 14 But the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road that leads there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 ERV

No one has ever gone to hell for the bad things they have done but everyone will go to hell for the one thing they haven’t done.

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31

We have to remember that God has the ability to look at the heart while we only look at the outward appearance. It’s only God who can know if someone has accepted or rejected the sacrifice that His Son made for the forgiveness of sin. Good people can’t work their way to heaven, they must have a Savior. On the other hand, bad people can’t be so bad to have God turn them away.

Remember the criminal on the cross. He had a death-bed conversion.

“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you begin ruling as king!’ 43 Then Jesus said to him, ‘I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” Luke 23:42-32 ERV

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9 KJV

“This is what the Scripture says: ‘God’s teaching is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.’ It is the teaching of faith that we tell people. 9 If you openly say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved. 10 Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved. 11 Yes, the Scriptures say, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.” Romans 10:8-11 CEV

With salvation our whole life is changed. We become new creatures in Christ, we get a heart transplant removing a heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh and we get our minds washed as they are renewed by God’s word and we no longer conform to this world ways but we are transformed in our thinking, a new mind set.

God’s love is unconditional and reaches to all. Do I question God’s love? No, it’s perfect!

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If, Ands or But

Sometimes I get up and know that the Lord is speaking right to me. This is one of those mornings and I’m going to let you come along and listen in. This is a point He has driven home to me many, many times and He knew I needed to hear it once again.

BUT GOD…who is rich in mercy and love – anytime things seemed stacked against me, I remember this, BUT GOD! How can I not come out a winner when I know that no matter what happens there’s a BUT GOD in the plan.

“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace. 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.” Ephesians 2:4-8 ERV

There isn’t a problem too big or a reward so great that they aren’t solved or enriched with BUT GOD. The enemy of every Christian is satan and he sends many challenges and problems to discourage and destroy. BUT GOD… Then there are also rewards and opportunities that look too good to pass up BUT GOD will show me if they are traps to get me off course or if they are really opportunities He is sending to bless me.

The old saying; No if’s, and’s or but’s about it, was used to drive home a point that something was solid or unchangeable; BUT GOD. God is the miracle worker and nothing is impossible with Him.

“All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 CEV

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water.” Genesis 1:1-2 CEV

From the very beginning God has been here creating, establishing, forming and planning an abundant life for me. He will establish each day and set me on the right path because He is rich in mercy and love.

As I go about my day, when things come up, I will remember BUT GOD and know that He is for me so anyone or anything that is against me has to face no one else BUT GOD!

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