Love

Lately I have been realizing that the church has lost it's focus in many areas. They do a lot of things "right" but they have been doing a lot of things wrong as well. Of course this is bound to happen when people are involved.

It seems to me they have been forgetting the most important thing... love. They have gotten wrapped up in who is right, the rules and regulations, who is deemed worthy and qualified, what programs are needed to make people fit.

But this isn't what Jesus came to do. He came to love... to set us free... by loving us.

The word love is written over 300 times in the bible.

In a quick search on BibleGateway, the phrase "love one another" came up 19 times.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

"Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13"11

"Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8

We are to love one another, deeply. Jesus commanded us to.

Sure we say we love one another... but why are the statistics so high of divorce? Or why do so many people have a problem with Christians? Maybe because we forgot the who basis of what Jesus came to teach... love.

Love isn't a feeling. It is an action. It is a choice.

It is choosing to love someone even if they have wronged or hurt you in the deepest way.

It is choosing to accept and forgive.

It is stopping to say hello without just walking by.

It is setting yourself aside for others.

Love is perfect, however we are not. The only one who is perfect and perfect at loving is Jesus. We are far from perfect! Jesus loves us unconditionally, He would go to the ends of the earth for us... and already has not just once on the cross but in every moment of every day. There is nothing he would stop at to show us his love for us.

Then why is it we can't do the same? We fail to do something as simple as walk by without a hello. We fail to call others to see how they are doing. I fail miserably at this and more.

But I pray everyday that Jesus helps me, refines me, fills me with his love so that I can pour his love out for others. So that I can hug a homeless woman and tell her that she is loved... and really mean it. So that I can continue in relationships where I have been hurt. So that I can show his love to everyone.

Jesus wants to show us that he loves us. He wants to teach us how to love... The sad part is that we are blinded to it sometimes.

Sometimes it's obvious...

Sometimes it's not so obvious and we need to look for it...

Yet why do we stop so easily at showing others that we love them. It's not so difficult yet we do it all the time by...

walking by without a hello or acknowledgment

not forgiving someone

with the words we say that hurt

or the actions we choose

Jesus commanded us to love. It's that simple. Just love and forgive and love some more.... There isn't a formula or class to take to become qualified to love... you only have to choose to do it. Just read the over 300 passages in the bible about love...

The Dawn of a New Year

It's hard to believe we are approaching a new year... 2011. It's also hard to believe that we're into the 2000... almost 11 years into them! Sometimes I still think we're in the 1900s. But there are other times when the 1900s seem so old and ancient!

This time of year people like to reminisce about all the things that happened this past year. It seems like they always remember who died and what tragedies happened over the past year. What kind of happy thing is that to do? Why don't they look at all the great things that happened??

This year has been one of the hardest years I've ever had. There has been a lot of pain and loss. I've thought a lot about all that has happened just this year. It has been one tough year and sometimes thinking about all of it can really drag me down.

But when I look at where Jesus was in all of it... I see him right there in the middle of all of yuck while at the same time being right with me. He never left me or forsake me. Friends have left, family has passed on and crap has happened... but Jesus is still here.... and will continue to be in 2011 and evermore.

So instead of looking back at all the hard and painful moments of 2010... I thought I would look at all the amazing things that happened....

• Organized a life changing, powerful woman's retreat where several woman's lives were changed forever
  
• Traveled out of the country to Ecuador where peoples lives were saved (& made it back)
  
• Traveled to MI and realized how much I have changed and am not who I was
  
• Pulled off another great year of homeschooling with so many great experiences
• Met some amazing friends who have changed my life
• Celebrated 11 years of marriage... longer than a lot of people
• Celebrated 8 amazing years of being a mom
• Went through several of the hardest things in my life... and came out stronger because of them.

It's so easy to dwell on all the pain, loss and disasters of the past year... but instead we should look at all the amazing moments. And thank Jesus for being there in the thick of all the yuck as well as in the joy of the moments. Because if it wasn't for him... where would I be?

Pressing on Toward the Goal

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12 & 13-14

God revealed this to me yesterday morning. It is a good verse but I really didn't get it until the day progressed and spilled into today. I love when he does this!

I have been wrestling with what path I am supposed to be on. Sometimes I feel pulled in different directions. Sometimes I feel like I "should" be on another path. Sometimes I feel like there are expectations that I should be on a different path.

But God reminded me that I am on HIS path. He has me on my own personal journey. Which means at times it isn't going to "match" or look like what others think it's suppose to look like. It may also mean that I may feel "ousted" for not following the "correct" path. But that is ok because God has also reminded me of this...

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.

The only thing I need to do is keep my eyes focused on him. Not on other people's plans, whiteboards or whispers... just Him and Him alone... Because he also promised me that it is going to be a lot of fun!

Goodbye to "Social Networking"

In the last six years, Facebook has grown to over 500 million users. It has become a great way for people to reconnect and share their lives. Families have reunited, people have found long lost friends. We've even connected with family that we've never met.

But it's also become an addiction. I recently read an article about how addicting it's become. I know that have been times when I have become addicted to it. I've burned a few dinners while chatting online with "friends".

Lately though there have been times when I've questioned why I have an account. It seems to have become a place for people to rant, talk about what they are eating and everything in between.

I also feel like it's a way for people to hide behind their computers. But that isn't what God wants from us. We were made in his image... which means relationship is important. He wants us to have relationships with each other. And not just surface relationships but deep, intimate relationships. How can that happen when we're all hiding behind our computers?

It's also a way for people to "tout" how many friends they have. I think I had over 200 friends at one point. But do I really have relationships with all 200+ of my friends? I can barely maintain a relationship with my husband and my daughter let alone all my Facebook friends! So I went through an "de-friended" anyone who I don't have a day to day or week to week relationship with. Yes it sounds harsh but I really want to be intentional about my relationships. But then I realized I still had like 179 friends!

So today I took the plunge... I deleted my Facebook account. Shocking I know... but necessary. It was becoming a place for me to escape. A place that would trigger irritations. A place that is just not needed. I want to connect to people, not to a screen. I want to have conversations with people, I want to hug and poke people for real! I want people to know that I cherish our relationship for real... not just because I sent them a virtual hug.

As I was deleting my account... it brought up like 6 people's names and pictures and told me that they were going to miss me. Huh?!? It's not like I am dead! It's not like I'll never see these people again! Talk about a "scare tactic"! I did it anyway! If those people really miss me... they know where to find me. :-)

So to all those who were counting on me for nails, mystery gifts and more... I send you my apologies. But if you ever need a nail in real life... call me and I'll meet you for coffee and bring you a whole bucket!

God's Love

It's always amazing to me how God will show his love for you in the times when you aren't looking for it....

The "Magic" Mirror

There are days that I feel like this. I feel like just burying my head into the side of the couch hoping that when I choose to look up again things will somehow feel different. Yet things aren't any different than when I buried my head... there is still laundry to do, dinner to cook and life to face.

Today was one of these days... in a different sort of way. I felt like a stranger in my own life. As I walked into church, a place where I know or am familiar with lots of people, I felt like a stranger. I felt out of place. Even in my own home I felt strangely out of place.

I wondered all afternoon why I felt this way. What was happening to make me feel this way. Then it hit me as I watched "Sweetpea Beauty" with Emma... it's the evil mirror. My mirror isn't evil but sometimes the one to holds it is... He seems to be sweet and caring in the beginning but as time goes on, you realize that he is not what he seems to be. He is conniving, evil and mean. He is out to destroy you even if that means he is "nice" to you for awhile.

But then I looked into the mirror again and spoke the truth. I allowed the truth to be washed over me... and before long I realized that mirror started to shatter. I was then able to see the real beauty in the mirror, not the one he tried to portray.

I am a beauty who is stunning to the king. I may be broken and bruised but these wounds are slowly fading away to show my true beauty... Beauty that cannot be seen with a mirror but can be reflected so that no mirror is needed because it cannot be contained within the frame...

Thankful for...

16. picking up wet towels off the bathroom floor

17. a friend who reminded me of who I am

18. a solid house with electricity

19. tucking a child in who is sound asleep

20. a goofy dog who loves me even when I feel unlovable

21. my voice (not the vocal one)

22. God's whispers

23. a husband who is willing to cook dinner with a 7 3/4 year old

24. a cat who comes when I need him to

25. the ability to read