Love - especially when something's amiss

When people behave in a way that we do not understand, we are quick to put up or defenses or to look upon them with mistrust and fear (often masked by anger). Truly, this does not serve us.

1 Corinthians 13 is commonly referred to as the “love chapter” and verses 4 through 8a encourage us to/defines love as follows: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.


The best way to live according to psychologists and John 17 is wide open… let your truth be known and live it out loud. If someone calls into question who you are… talk it out. Often we hit a bump in a friendship or other relationship and assume we know motives, intentions and even feelings based upon our own reactions/actions in the same situation. We fail to remember that everyone is stuck with living their own truth, scars, wounds, bandages and that ever delightful baggage and all.

So what do we do with friends/loved ones when they behave in a way we don’t understand? According to 1st Corinthians, we are patient and kind – not easily angered – and we trust, hope and persevere…and ask. Keep the doors of communication open. We are meant to share each others burdens which brings all that much more joy when there are rejoices to delight in…… so today –

Live wide open, big, bright and beautiful – sharing, spreading, realizing and experiencing love.

New day – New spark in the eyes!

Love One Another

Often I will be watching or listening to the news with a loved one and the question will be posed, “why can’t people just get along?” There is but one ingredient – though large and infinite – that is missing from the equation in all of the atrocities that humans commit against others.

I’ll let Mother Teresa’s words fill in the gap here, ”Open your hearts to the love God instills…. God loves you tenderly. What He gives you is not to be kept under lock and key, but to be shared.”

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

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

Wow – each day as I am confronted with yet another report of human suffering or crimes committed upon individuals, I can not help but wonder what our world would be like if we only loved as God loves us. The first obstacle is often to get through our own way and accept the overflowing love poured out upon us so that we can fully and easily share - even by our presence - the love of God.

Allow yourself to receive the love from God today and then watch as you share the love that has been poured out to overflowing upon you with others.

Inspired

Sunday night I found myself restless and unable to sleep. I turned on the tv and happened upon the movie "In Pursuit of Happyness" again. It is a great film that runs the gammet of emotions and boy was I blessed. Christopher Gardner is a man who was born into a life filled with challenges and a mother who told him "if you want to, one day you could make a million dollars." He believed her despite the absence of a father in his life and spending time in and out of foster homes as circumstances unfolded. But he credits his mother with instilling "strong spiritual genetics" and some of the greatest lessons of his life that he still calls upon and lives by. His wife, who had stopped believing in him, left him and he insisted on keeping their young (pre-K) son so that he would not grow up without a father. They struggled. The challenges were many. Each time he would start to get a leg up (some money in the bank) something would happen that would knock his feet from beneath him again. They found themselves homeless during his internship at Dean Witter, yet he performed flawlessly and with an attitude that would cause many of us to blush as we relax in homes with many rooms. He was the only intern in 1981 to be offered a position (and most likely the only trainee that did not sport a college education). He is the CEO of Chris Gardner International holdings with offices in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. In 2006 he sold his portion in the Gardner & Rich partnership for several million dollars.

There is a point where he tries to gently tell his son not to take too much hope in making it big as a basketball player as he had not been so grand. You see Chris Junior's face fall. Upon realizing the effect of his words on his son, he turned to him and said, "Don't you ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something - even if it's me." WOW!!! The strength of those words coming from a father!

"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him...Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting of shadow." (James 1:12, 17)

How amazing! There is no variation in God. He bestows every good and perfect gift from above. I am inspired by Chris Gardner, but hold to the promise of our Lord God. Every day is a new day with the promise of a new beginning...and a new tomorrow.

Please go to the blog and leave your story or comment. I'll be looking for them.

You Are Fearfully & Wonderfully Made..

There was a movie with John Candy entitled "Only the Lonely" where Maureen O'Hare (who played John Candy's mother) was always "telling it like it is." The problem was that she did so whether it hurt others or not...often the former was the case. She would point out "short comings" or "faults" of others that they were certainly aware of, but she had a talent for knocking people off their feet in so doing. She would leave them devastated and reeling from "just telling it like it is." While comedic in the movie setting (for the most part), it is not when we encounter it in our daily lives. Is there someone in your life who makes you feel like you are never quite good enough?

I would have to ask, "where is the love?" While speaking the truth in love may help someone to better understand themself and assist them in growing, "just telling it like it is" without regard for another's feelings is not love at all, but rather mean spirited and unkind. I am so grateful for our amazing Creator who tells us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made...and that my soul knows it full well." I am so glad that God believes in us and administers words of healing, and that He has taught us how to recognize those in whom we can trust with our heart by how they cherish and recognize that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. I am blessed each day to be told how much I am loved among other uplifting, wonderful things that help me to bloom in this world. It has not always been so...there have been times when I was so low, another "telling it like it is" from someone "close" to me would drop me. I pray in those times for you that you are able to draw from the rich resource of the Word and be washed over by the truth – that you are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made and that you soul will shine forth welling up from inside so that you DO KNOW IT FULL WELL.

Enjoy your day and God Bless!

All Things Become New - Even You

The sky has been busy the last couple of days. I love to watch as the clouds grow and build. Sometimes they are fruitful and produce life-giving rain, while other times they dissipate and there is barely evidence that they were ever there.


As the rain came down, it was amazing how quickly the desert flora turned green. It was transformed! The old, dry, browns and greys came alive in greens, the different shades of the mountains proudly displayed yellows, greens, reds.... spectacular!

Do you ever feel "blah" as though all is just shades of gray? Open the Word and remember who you are. It is lifegiving and as you spend time in your relationship with Christ...you will be transformed and made new. Allow yourself to dream the dreams He has given you and to take that step in faith toward all things new. Don't let the past hold you from a promising and wonderful new future.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor. 5:17)

Tenacity & Joy

Yesterday I read a great story. I think it's who I aspire to be...tee hee.... about a 63 year old woman who had been found (after five days) stranded on a river, her little inflatible fishing boat stuck to debri from a storm. Her son's comment to a reporter a day or two after she went missing was that "she's probably out somewhere she shouldn't be." And sure enough, in his opinion, she had been - out by herself fishing on the river. I admire her tenacity and spirit. She was a bit weather worn and dehydrated but was fully recovering and I'll bet she'd be so fun to know. I wonder if she used to have a partner in crime (like Lucy had Ethel).

I can think of many an adventure with friends or family where we laughed so hard at our predicament that we could not stand or in one case, see for the tears from laughing so hard. I hope you can, even now, cite one of those times and revel in the joy of it. It's the same joy, I believe we can bring to this world every day...the same joy that I pray you experience from God.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

So, as this day unfolds - reflect - enjoy and project the joy of this life in the midst of it all.

You are loved - even if you don't feel it right now.

I have received some lovely emails lately that remind us of those who've been and remain in our lives as well as those who have come and gone. They refer to "keepers" or what I call "heart friends." When we have a conversation with a heart friend, it is as if no time has been lost - the connection strong and we spend the first part of our time catching up, We are left stronger for the experience as our heart sings in the connection to our dear friend. Yet, there are times where we feel out of sorts and wish for the close connection, but do not reach out to another, feel even as though we can not. Sometimes i find that it is my Father trying to get my attention...to remind me of His love and it is immeasurable. So when I am feeling lost and alone, it is then that i finally fall still and realize that the Lord your God is with you…He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Wow!!! He will rejoice over you with singing!! Awesome… now doesn’t that put a smile on your face? Let’s rejoice over another today and spread the joy. If you aren't feeling it just yet, reflect on His love for you and know that it is true...listen as He rejoices over you with singing right now, this moment, exactly where you are - as you are.