What a Love …

Happy Thursday!

I am not certain anyone will read this - 

     But that is ok

I think I truly write for myself

Even still, I have not written in quite some time

     No time or need to go into why

But today, after working all day, I decided to relax 

So, I have been watching romance stories this evening 

Whether it is on the screen or in real life;

I love a good love story - 

There’s something almost magical about it

     Makes me smile every time 

And the celebration of one of the greatest love stories of all time takes place this weekend

Some of my coworkers are taking off work tomorrow

So, some took the opportunity today to extend early wishes for a Happy Easter. And that is when one of my coworkers sent this: ‘Chag Pesach Sameach’

I responded by wishing her a Happy Passover!

She is Jewish - and I have a Jewish Savior

So, we’re not that far apart when you think about it

She celebrates when Yahweh protected the Israelites by allowing death & destruction to pass by (Passover)

And I celebrate that Yahweh sacrificed His Son - and Jesus freely gave His life - so that death and destruction would by pass by all of humanity.

That is not to say that death and destruction do not still occur - but they have, from an eternal perspective, lost their sting

We are no longer separated from the Father. And, we have an overwhelming and empowering confidence that we shall be with Him forever.

FOR THE LOVE OF CREATION - 

God so loved the world that He gave;

He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. He loved us that much. With no regard for His own feelings, He gave His all, His everything - just so that we could be reconciled to Him; so He could be with us.

He wrote such an amazing love story

And He brought it to life through His Living Word, Jesus Christ .. so beautiful 

May You Have a Good Friday, a thought-filled Passover and a Blessed Resurrection Sunday!

praise time

 ‘I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’ Psalm 122:1

 

I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’

Yet, the times of praise & fellowship are constant and unending.

In times past, there was a set time to go to the house of the LORD.

Thankfully, we who have been saved by the blood of Jesus, have now become the house of the LORD

‘Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?’ I Corinthians 3:16

This is not to negate the need for corporate fellowship: ‘Let us not neglect our meeting together…’  (Hebrews 10:25) Rather it is to emphasize: we may be in the house of the LORD – anywhere

 

Today – whether you are attending a church service in a building, watching online or having a personal and private time of individual worship, know that it is a privilege to be with LORD.

Jesus made that possible!

 

‘Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift [which is precious beyond words].’

II Corinthians 9:15AMP

the following

‘Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days."' Acts 16:16-18

Paul and Silas were in Philippi on a tour to share, teach and preach the gospel when they obtained a new follower

Yet, Paul and Silas did not need a notification to alert them to their new follower

She was intent on being a nuisance and an ever-present source of noise

She more than made her presence known – so much so that Paul finally had to address it

Understand that not everyone’s intention in following you is because they admire you

Some are present with the sole-purpose of tracking your movements –

                and trying to be a source of distraction and irritation

This young lady was no different, except that her actions were being led by demonic forces

‘Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.’ Acts 16:18-19

Paul was annoyed with the demon spirit within the girl and called it out

The masters were irate when they realized their profit machine had been tampered with

The girl was likely exasperated from being abused, controlled and manipulated

After all, she was a simple and helpless slave, a pawn being exploited and dominated

                Used by her masters [much like a pimp utilizes a prostitute]

                Used by the demon [as a willing or unwilling vessel]

She was no longer in control of her own actions – her mind, will, emotion and body all held captive

 

Paul knew what it was like to be used by the enemy in the most vile ways –

He used to lead the charge in killing followers of Jesus Christ, and thought he was on a holy mission. He continued in his efforts, even standing by and consenting at the stoning of Stephen [Acts 7 & 8]

He carried on with his daily business until Jesus interrupted his assignment –

Paul was literally knocked from his high horse, blinded and ultimately transformed [Acts 9]

Paul was annoyed with the spirit which the girl carried [or the spirit which carried the girl]

It can be viewed either way. Her actions were not her own.

Her assignments for many days was to be a distraction and to attempt to interrupt the work of ministry being performed by Paul and Silas. But God had a very different assignment for her life on that particular day – FREEDOM

Jesus said in John 10:10, 

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. 

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Understand that the battle is not against flesh and blood

Many of the people we encounter on a daily basis are an empty shell

Worn out, broken and used by life and the enemy – they need love and deliverance

They need Jesus – a genuine encounter like Paul had, a freeing encounter like the girl had

Our task is to keep to our assignments,

shining the light of the LORD and being that light to the best of our ability

‘Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.’ Ephesians 6:18

But remember that everyone needs prayer – the just and unjust alike

Let us pray that the people following us to Jesus are not only those who already know Him.

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘The LORD is not willing that any should perish’

2 Peter 3:9

covenant

‘I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be for the sign of covenant between Me and the earth.’ Genesis 9:13

Happy Monday!

I hope your day is off to a great start as we March forward into the week … [weak pun intended]

This will be a quick post because I have much to do – have to slay some school work

As a side note – it is never too late to accomplish a personal goal; keep going until you have obtained it

But I digress – today I wanted to share some spectacular artwork

Artwork which inspired thoughts of our  Covenant-Keeping God

 

I walked out this morning and saw this beautiful artwork next door.

It made me smile – so much so that I had to go inside, get my phone and take a picture

Counting, hearts, stars, someone with glasses, tic-tac-toe, a friend waving hello!, another with arms open wide and ...

Yes! There is a little person in a rainbow boat in the background

 

As I am writing this post, I am listening to Edward Rivera singing a version of the song Nothing Else. And the line being repeated over and over is this: ‘Take me back, take me back ... take me back to my first love’

So what does this have to do with my master artists next door?

Sometimes, to get back to that first love – you have to go back to your first thoughts

‘you have left your first love … you have abandoned the love you had at first …

repent … go back and do the works you did at first’

Revelation 2:4-5 [AMP & ESV]

Sometimes we have to go back to being like a child,

with an innocent and hope-filled view of the world

Where is that enthusiastic, wide-eyed approach that we once had - to life and love and God?

Sometimes we need to pause and just count to ten – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …

Sometimes we just need to look at hearts and stars – and draw a few

Sometimes we have to use our imagination and … ride in boats made of rainbows

Don’t we need that sometimes?

When it feels like we’re sinking – to be reminded that His covenant literally carries us

It is the vessel which safely allows us to navigate the storms of life

It is supposed to start raining soon,

And, unfortunately that precious sidewalk chalk masterpiece will fade away

But it has accomplished its task: beautifying the world, inspiring hope and coaxing a smile

          from someone who needed to smile ... me

Many things will fade in this earth

Let us make sure our hope and joy are not among that list

Let us believe, with child-like faith, that anything is possible, even sailing in rainbows

Let us forever remember His covenant with us and commitment to us will never fade

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘you have only a little strength,

yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.’

Revelation 3:8

unfailing love

‘Love never Fails …’ I Corinthians 13:8

It is Sunday – the last day of February

It is also the last day of our month-long focus on love

We have talked about what love is and what it is not

We have had some practical examples of love in action

We have challenged thoughts & opinions regarding love

And while there may be differing points of view, one thing is certain: we all know that love never, ever fails

Love is not always easy but it is always worth it

We discussed yesterday how we are made in the image of God, in the image of love

Understand that it is actually inhuman to be unloving

Yes, there is pain and sorrow in this fallen world where we all reside,

However, there are wonderfully joyous moments as well

Love can be full of uncertain moments and risks

Love involves the mind, will & emotions – it impacts the body, soul & spirit

The heart is vulnerable and subject to injury

And it may feel, and actually be, safer to avoid love altogether  –

It is safer, but much less interesting

It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all ...

I agree wholeheartedly

If we forever live in fear of being hurt and if we, as a result, refrain from giving or receiving love –we injure our own selves most severely

The venture into love is always worth the risk if for no other reason than to better know God and self

Love is a wonderful and awe-inspiring thing!

I have never regretted loving another human being – irrespective of the outcome

So today – let us live generously and love courageously

Love will never fail!

 

Have a Blessed Day!

‘Love never fails [it never fades or ends]’

I Corinthians 13:8AMP

image of love

‘So God created mankind in His own image …’ Genesis 1:27

It is the weekend – Saturday is finally here

Two days remaining in our love journey – including today

The time has flown by but I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together

Yesterday was a bit heavy – but very much necessary

It is also necessary to remember that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world

The God who is love saw fit to craft us in His own image – we are made in the image of love

 

We are beautifully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:4)

We have been created in the very image of God, in the image of love

‘We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the LORD and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…’ II Corinthians 3:18

We look at the glory of the LORD – at the glory of love personified – and we are transformed

We are Christ’s love letter – ambassadors of His love in the earth

‘You are a letter of Christ … written not with ink but by the Spirit  of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.’ II Corinthians 3:3

 

Never underestimate the power of love

Never discount the impact of your life, walking in love with God and others

You are special in the eyes of God

And you have the ability to shine a little of His love in the lives of those you meet

You have your marching orders … go forth in love

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘This is My commandment, that you love one another even as I have loved you’

John 15:12

not love

‘My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God …’ I John 4:1_MSG

We have spent almost an entire month dedicated to love

We have talked extensively about what love is and what it looks like

However, I would be remiss if I did not dedicate at least one day to caution –

Cautions concerning love

It should be easy to see from our discussion the behaviors and attitudes run contrary to love

Yet we can often be blinded by the light and fail to recognize what is not love

Understand that even ‘the enemy disguises himself as an angel of light’ [II Corinthians 11:14]

Yet ‘we are not ignorant of the devices of the enemy’ [II Corinthians 2:11]

Impatient, unkind, envious, boastful, arrogant, rude – not love

Selfish, manipulative, irritable and resentful – not love

Rejoicing in wrongdoing and inventing ways to be evil – certainly not love

Lying, abandoning, accusing and destroying – not love

It should be obvious that these things are not love

But sometimes the packaging causes confusion – often times, it is the package bearer

‘Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people … rejects from the faith, twisted in their thinking, defying truth itself.’ II Timothy 3:1-9MSG

Therefore, ‘Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.’ I Peter 5:8

Be sober-minded but do not be fearful

Remember that Jesus said that, ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.’ John 10:10

But also bear in mind that He, Jesus came ‘that we might have life and have it abundantly’ (John 10:10)

Keep in the forefront of your mind that He has defeated the works of the enemy. ‘For this purpose was the Son of God made manifest.’ I John 3:8

Never forget that, ‘The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him.’ II Chronicles 16:9

And for the people who choose to partner with the enemy?

Love them – just as Christ commanded

It is easier said than it is to walk out in everyday application, I know

Yet the command remains, ‘Love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them.’ Matthew 5:44TPT

Understand that ‘the LORD is not slow in keeping His promise as some consider slowness. Instead, He is patient … not wanting anyone to perish but for everyone to come to repentance.’ II Peter 3:9

He will deal with them in His own time – trust me

But more importantly, trust Him

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.’

Galatians 6:7AMP

seasons of love

‘Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial …’ 

James 1:12

We are almost to the end of February – five short days to go

Can you believe it?

We are still continuing our journey with the topic of love – in this season of love

Yes – I have tagged the entire month of February as the season of love

Truthfully, though, love does not have a season

Love knows no limits and is not restricted by dates on a calendar

It has been difficult to write about love every day –

Especially difficult while experiencing challenges in my own marriage

How many of you know that it is not always sunshine and bliss?

And miscommunications can intensify whatever else is going on at the moment

He and I – we speak in different languages sometimes

He says ‘I love you’ and shows it – but not always in the manner I desire

So I get frustrated – and He remains patient and kind

It takes work to make a marriage work –  loyalty, patience, respect, humor, kindness, mercy, grace, persistence, sacrifice, understanding, compassion ...

Yet all are grounded in love; these attributes, they all have their foundation in love

And what is rooted in love, it will blossom in every season

It's been over thirty years –

He still know me better than I know Him and better than I know myself

Seasons change but His love for me remains steadfast and unmovable

You cannot ask for a better life companion than that

In every season, for any and every reason, He loves me ... amazing!

 

Today –

May the LORD bless your relationships,

Whether it is with Himself, with your spouse,, a friend or family

May He help you to see with His eyes and love with His heart

May His love for you and your love for others abound in every season

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘‘For  your Maker is your husband - the LORD Almighty is His name ...’

Isaiah 54:5

I Just Love You ...

‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands’ Psalm 19:1

 

This was view last night as I drove to visit my niece – absolutely breathtaking!

The heavens declare the glory of the LORD

It is true – the skies proclaim, ‘There is no one like God!’

And my awe-struck response, ‘I just love You!’

 

There is nothing and no one like the LORD

He is the Master Artist, designing one-of a kind creations daily

In an instant, that stunning sight was gone, the canvas transformed to darkness

Yet, in that moment I heard Him speak, ‘I love you … you, I just love you!’ 

‘He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.’ Zephaniah 3:17

It reminded of a song I listen to from UpperRoom simply titled ‘I just love you’

He sings over us and we receive and respond in kind –

Each time I see the works of His hands it feels like a special gift from heaven –

a cardinal, a flower, a sunrise, a sunset, trees stretching toward the skies

He never ceases to amaze me

I was feeling … well, I was feeling some sort of way last night

I cannot fully describe what it was

But, He knew exactly what I needed, precisely when I needed it

I am thankful for and humbled by His love

 

Today –

May the blessings of the LORD surround you

May you be gifted with tangible glimpses of His presence

May His love be a beacon of light and source of comfort and joy

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘‘I will sing unto the LORD …’

Psalm 104:33

WSR REPORT: STORMS RAGE

Good Morning Friends

I pray your weekend is off to a good start

I know these are challenging times,

However, it is so important to reign in our focus and fix our eyes on any positives

‘Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Therefore –

In an effort to do a small part in encouraging you my friends, over the next few weeks,

I will be sharing excerpts from my book ‘When Storms Rage’

I will be contextualizing those excerpts to focus directly on the current storm facing our nation and the globe.

This is not a marketing ploy – I receive nothing from sharing free excerpts from my book

Rather – I know that there are beneficial principles found in the Word of God,

                Principles which have helped me throughout my life,

                Principles which continue to help me through this current storm

In an attempt to encourage as many as possible,

these posts will also be shared on my WordPress site, ‘Fuerza’

Today – in our When Storms Rage [WSR] Report, we acknowledge, STORMS RAGE

However – even as the storms rage outwardly, they do not have to destroy us inwardly

Today – my prayer is that you would be encouraged in your soul,

That you would be kept safe from harm,

That you would be strengthened in your spirit.

God has supplied, in His Word, direction and instruction for us all –

He has supplied words of encouragement and hope to keep us through every storm

Despite what we are seeing – nationally and globally – there is hope

It is not a false hope – it is a real hope, a living hope

Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Strength, our Protection & Provision, our Living Hope

Even as I write this post –

I am sick with an upper respiratory infection, awaiting COVID-19 results

And, while I pray that the test comes back negative, I am prepared whatever the result

I am confident – no matter the storm

I know in Whom I have believed – I am confident in the One who I trust             

My trust and my hope is in the LORD God Almighty –

There is no better preparation than that ….

Be encouraged my friends –

Have a Blessed Day & Stay Safe

for the hurting ...

Good Morning Friends

It is early and I am actually on my way to work

However, I had to stop and write this post

Hard to believe we are just two short weeks from the first day of Spring

In fact, time ‘springs forward’ this weekend

Today is Friday and the first week of March … has marched on

Time stops for no man … or woman

But, there is a saying that ‘time heals all wounds’

                However, that is simply not true

Time cannot erase feelings of loss or missing someone so precious to you

No – in those instances, time just passes.

This thought has repeatedly entered my mind over the past few days 

There is a someone so special to me who is heavy on my heart today –

Truthfully, they have been on my heart all week

And I know time does not heal the hurt

You see, some days are great days of remembrance –

For me, it is the birthdays of my sons, my parents and close friends,

It is holidays like Christmas,Valentine’s Day, Father's Day & Mother's Day

It is March 23^rd – a day which holds special significance for me

However – not every day of remembrance is a great day

No – some days of remembrance can evoke feelings of sorrow and loss

Today is one of those days – but not because I experienced a personal loss

               

One of the shortest verses in the Bible is found in John 11:35

And it simply states, ‘Jesus wept.’

His friend Lazarus had died and He had just arrived in town;

That is when He encountered Lazarus’ sister Mary.

Scripture notes, ‘When Jesus saw her weeping …

He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled’ John 11:33

FOR THE HURTING ... 

Sometimes you are moved for your own situation;

Sometimes you are moved by the situations of others

‘We weep with those who are weeping’ Romans 12:15

Just as the Father cares for that which concerns us

There are those special people in your life where you care about what concerns them –

                truly care …

In those situations, you demonstrate compassion –

And you understand that time does not heal all wounds

To my special one – and to all who may be hurting – know this:

I am praying for you today and always

I pray that something would happen today to brighten your countenance,

to place a smile on your face

I wish more than anything that I could give you a giant hug –

Not that it will fix what hurts. How could it?

But in the absence of a physical hug,

I pray that the LORD’s presence would be tangible to you today –

                So tangible that it would feel like an actual hug.

Scripture says, ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning’ Ps. 30:5

The truth is – weeping may endure for many nights .. and even years intermittently.

However, I am praying for you continually;

I am praying that there will be a dawn breaking which ushers joy into your spirit

                even in the midst of the sadness,

Today and any day your heart aches

Have a Blessed Day,

I love you much …

worth the wait ...

Hello Friends!

I pray you had a fantastic day –

But, if you did not … relax, it is almost the weekend!

And some things are worth the wait

Ecclesiastes 3:1 states,

‘To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven’

I thought about this verse earlier this week

When I had the wonderful occasion

to meet and converse with a ‘vintaged’ gentleman named Cliff

That is not an insult; after all, he is probably only twenty years older than me

He started out talking about this area – how he’d spent most of his life in this region;

Five years in the military and five in the Midwest, and then he returned to Virginia.

He went on to tell me how was wife was from up north;

And he started sharing some of things he loves about her

You could hear the honor in his voice as he talked

So I asked, ‘How long have you been married?’

Based upon our conversation up to that point,

                I expected him to say forty or fifty years –

He responded proudly, ‘We’ve been married for ten years ..

but we’ve been together for 30!

He was not a bit surprised at the look on my face –

begging for an explanation without saying a word

He went on to tell me that they dated for twenty years

He said, ‘I can’t say fully why we waited so long;

but, once you get in your fifties you start thinking’

‘Truthfully’, he said, ‘if we got married way back then,

I don’t know that we would still be together.’

‘We have both matured and grown over years’

Then he told me how it was still an adjustment when they got married

He had his town home and she had her house,

They had to adjust to living together once they got married

He told me how she loves to cook and he hates cooking:

‘So, she cooks and I eat … and clean’. ‘But even that was an adjustment’, he said.

‘When you’ve each lived alone for so long, you get used to doing things a certain way.’

“For us it was the dishwasher. She said it wasn’t a big deal. But, I told her, ‘I want to do it the way you like it though’ … so I adjusted.”

It was just one of the most precious conversations!

He told me how much she has helped him grow as a person over their thirty years together.

‘She has introduced me to art and dining, to travel and leisure activities. When I used to meet people, all I would talk about was my work. Now I have so many things to discuss. She is a gem!’

I absolutely loved it!!!

I am still smiling thinking back on parts of that conversation.

You could hear how much he loved and appreciated her …

So beautiful!

He told me when they sent out the ‘Save the Date’ invitations for their wedding, they wrote:

Some will way we’re late,

But we’ve finally set the date…

Some things are worth the wait!

Indeed!

Just think about those who have had exercise great patience in waiting for their promise –

Sarah waited 90-years before being blessed with Isaac; Abraham was 100!

Elizabeth and Zechariah spent many years in waiting before John the Baptist came

Jesus walked this earth thirty years for a three-year earthly ministry

                But, oh what a ministry!

So my dear friend –

Do not lose heart if things are not moving at the pace you would like, 

Do not lose courage, do not become discouraged – 

It will happen right when it needs to.

God is preparing you for what He has prepared for you –

Trust me, it will be worth the wait!

Have a Blessed Evening!

portrait of love ...

Hello Friends–

I pray all is well and that your week is off to a great start

We are almost to the end of February –

                Amazing!

I have to say, I have thoroughly enjoyed our talks on LOVE

And as we near the end of what I like term ‘the month of love’,

What better verse to look at than I Corinthian 13:4-8

‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.’

‘Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured.  It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail].  Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].

 Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]’ I Corinthians 13:48 AMP

‘Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense.  Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.’ I Corinthian 13:4-8 TPT

I love this verse [in all its translations] because it not only defines love in practical terms,

It paints a perfect picture of LOVE

It is so beautiful and can serve as both road map and guardrail –

for how we should love one another

However, this past Sunday at church, I got another picture of love –

                A living portrait of love!

To me, there is nothing more amazing than seeing someone,

operating with their God-given ability & fulfilling their God-given purpose

And, there are those unique times when the anointing of the LORD is so strong –

that you just sit in awe…

I had one of those moments at church Sunday.

My senior pastors, in a rare occurrence, delivered a message together.

The topic? Meant to Be: Questions – Developing Boundaries

It was the final sermon in a series that started the Sunday before Valentine’s Day.

It was a powerful talk on establishing healthy boundaries in your life.

And at the end of that sermon - recognizing that many have failed in the area of boundary establishment (and are now living with consequences and/or regrets – my pastor’s wife sang a song.

It had such an anointing on it and she sings like an absolute angel.

The song? It was simply titled, ‘Clean’ [a song by Natalie Grant]

But it was the look on my pastor’s face that caught my attention.

I had seen that look on her face –

when she would sit on the front row, listening to him teach and preach.

But I think this is the first time I observed that look on his face –

while she spoke and when she sang

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!

They are each other’s greatest cheerleaders - I love it!

It was like a portrait of love ... in living color, live action

Simply Amazing!

If I have said it once, I have probably said it a dozen times,

‘I am a hopeless romantic!’ 

And it doesn’t have to be my story - 

My heart leaps with excitement and joy for any couple,

any couple that has been able to find and hold onto that amazing thing we call love.

My pastors will be celebrating 25 years of marriage this year.

They have been my pastors for 20 years.... 

Yet, I never exhaust the levels of gratitude I have for each of them individually and collectively as a couple. Their life has been such an example and a blessing to me. They are people of integrity. They love with the love of Jesus and they are genuine. And their love is evident to anyone who has been blessed with the privilege of being in their company for any length of time.

In fact – 

I was about to type, ‘if you can find a love like that, hold onto it with all you’ve got.’ 

However, a love like that is not found … it is built

It is firmly established through years of commitment, through good times and bad, with hours of listening, a keen ability to knowing when to keep silent, an unwavering resolve that if anything is going to come against us - it’s going to have to come prepared to fight two because you’ve got each other’s back. It is simply amazing … warms my heart and makes me smile!

That is some kind of special love.

And while we know there is no perfect thing – save our LORD,

I pray your love would be [as much as humanly possible] picture perfect,

a stunning reflection and portrayal of love

I’ve included a link to that sermon in the comments section below,

                Along with a link to Natalie Grant’s song ‘Clean’

Have a Blessed Evening!