Love

The theme lately seems to be love.
What is it? What does it look like? What does one expect?


What am i learning? Well, I am not ready to share all that here right now.
But i have been thinking. a lot.

There was an excellent sermon Sunday about 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

It was so good.
Then, we attended our Sunday School class, which is on marriage. The sermon was a perfect pairing with the session we watched in Paul Tripp's What Did You Expect video series.

All that has led to a lot of introspection. A lot of kneeling at the cross. A lot of processing in the best way.

And today i thought of this song...

Celebrating

Brian and I recently celebrated 17 years of marriage. The week before our actual anniversary, we took a trip to northern Minnesota. What a wonderful few days! Even though it was rainy and misty most of the time, we still got out an enjoyed the scenery. It was also a time to reflect and reset. Both of us learned lessons and were reminded of wonderful Truths of the Gospel as we were out and about. 

Harebells grow and bloom in adverse circumstances. There is a huge lesson there.
More on that in a different post. 

Yarrow growing in a crevasse at Cascade Falls.

Yet another plant, blooming where you would least expect it.

We were amazed at this old, gnarly tree. Roots straight in the rock.
Hmm. Another lesson right there; Our roots needing to be in the Solid Rock.

Celebrating 17 years of marriage. We hiked up Look Out Mountain,
and were rewarded with a misty view. What you would see on a clear day
is Lake Superior to one side, and the Superior National Forest on the other. 

When we returned to church on the 24th (the actual day of our anniversary), our pastor, Dr. Jeff Rich, preached on Genesis 1, and the crowning glory of God's creation. It was riveting. We had just been surrounded by the glory of God's creation, and to hear that even more glorious than all of that, is man! Man is created in God's image, we know this. Yet, how often do we elevate the beauty and majesty of the oceans, or of the mountains, or a waterfall, above man? I learned that as glorious as all of that may be, and is, that my husband and I reflect God's glory even more. He has created us in His image. When we were in sin, He called us out of the darkness and into His glorious light.  He has redeemed us. He has made us His own, through the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. What could be more glorious than that?

Real love. Really.

Love WHO?

One of Jesus' most difficult teachings is for us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-47).

um. yeah.

like trying to swallow a watermelon...whole.

but it must be possible.

it has to be.

not in our own strength.

but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

absolutely dependent upon Jesus Christ.

May His strength be made perfect in our weakness.

May He be glorified as we do the hard work, in His strength.

God's Lovingkindness

Sunday's sermon stopped me in my tracks. One of our Elders, Pastor Dan Burris, was preaching on Ruth. He focused in on the lovingkindness of Boaz toward Ruth, and how Boaz was the instrument God used to show His lovingkindness. It was really a wonderful message. You can click to listen to it on the sidebar...it should be there shortly if it isn't already... 7.7.13 is the message date---->.

What is it that stopped me in my tracks? The amazing lovingkindness of God. Pastor Dan did an amazing job weaving all of scripture together, and showing God's chesed love for His people, me included. One thing he said is that God doesn't love with an exit strategy. that hit me. hard. God loves totally and completely. His love is for me, for us. I could type more, but won't. I am still processing it. Just wanted to share with you  that God loves His own completely, and He does not look for an exit, or a way out, of His relationship with you or I. As the psalmist would say.... Selah.


Here are the lyrics to a song we sang Sunday as well. These were a beautiful reminder of so many truths that i tend to forget.

His Robes for Mine by Chris Anderson & Greg Habegger

His robes for mine: O wonderful exchange!
Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered ‘neath God’s rage.
Draped in His righteousness, I’m justified.
In Christ I live, for in my place He died.

Chorus:

I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost:
Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own.
My praise-my all-shall be for Christ alone.

His robes for mine: what cause have I for dread?
God’s daunting Law Christ mastered in my stead.
Faultless I stand with righteous works not mine,
Saved by my Lord’s vicarious death and life.

His robes for mine: God’s justice is appeased.

Jesus is crushed, and thus the Father’s pleased.
Christ drank God’s wrath on sin, then cried “Tis done!”
Sin’s wage is paid; propitiation won.

His robes for mine: such anguish none can know.
Christ, God’s beloved, condemned as though His foe.
He, as though I, accursed and left alone;
I, as though He, embraced and welcomed home!

4 Little Letters

What is it that we all really, really want? That we all really, really long for?

my guess?

love.

That one, simple complicated little word.

Love.

If we are honest, we have all been disappointed with love at one time or another. Those 4 little letters put together can cause so much pain.

But ~

Maybe we don't truly know what love is.

Maybe we were made to learn to love from a different Source.

I mean,
we look to Hollywood for what romatic love looks like. we look to wholesome novels (think Little Women) for what familial love looks like. We look to other books, or television shows to see what friendship-love looks like.

What if....
just what would happen if....

We looked to the Author of love for what love really means?

1 John 4:7-11 says Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

I don't know about you, but i need to learn love from God. to rest in His love for me. His perfect, self-sacrificing, tender love for me. I need to give that love to others. The love with which i have been loved. Give  it away freely.

Is there someone in your life who you just wish would love you? Is there an ache there? Let our amazing God of perfect love come to that place. Let Him love you. He will love you for you... not for what you have or have not done. Not for what you have or haven't said. No. He loves YOU for YOU. He looks at you and He loves you.

No,
not the Hollywood love. not the love of novels. not the love we see on the television. not a love based on feelings.

But He loves you. deeply. He loves me. completely.
He loves us according to The Book.

The Bible.

Take a look inside, and see the greatest love of all on display.

Living Love Together

Friendship.
That can be a loaded word.
Good memories, bad memories.
Having friends. Not having friends. not having as many friends as we want to have. not having our friends do what we want them to do, be what we want them to be, or say what we want them to say.
Not being a good friend.

What if friendship is more than we have thought or experienced?

Christ says in John 15, to His friends (and us),  that He has loved us with the love that the Father has loved Him with. Take a second to think that one through. The Father loves the Son perfectly. He loves Him without fear, without reservation,  without thinking of His own needs first.

This is the love that Christ loves us with. He loves us perfectly. He loves us without fear, without reservation, without thinking of His own needs first.

but wait...

Christ commands us in John 15:12-14 ~  This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 

He tells us to love each other the way that He loves us. He doesn't command us to love the way we have been loved by our parents, or our siblings (if you even have one), or our friends. NO. He tells us to love each other the way HE loved us.

okay.

this is a whole new way of thinking. 

We must look to the Author of love, to learn how to love. Our Pastor, Dr. Jeff Rich,  preached a wonderful sermon on this last Sunday. I believe it is a message for The Church at large, and not just for our local church. You can listen below... some of the thoughts in this are from that sermon.

Christ loved deeply. He loved fully. He loved sacrificially. He loved freely. And He says that we are His friends if we do what He has commanded. Have we realized that He wouldn't have needed to command us to love each other if it was easy? hmmm.

I am really thinking about how we tend to view friendship. We tend to use the world's measuring stick, don't we? You have me over, i have you over. You scratch my back, i scratch yours. But what happens when we do something for someone, and they can't do it in return?  We tend to react like the world. ouch.

Christ calls us to love each other, not as the world loves, but as HE has loved us. He gave everything, even His life. Are we willing to die for each other? Are we willing to die to ourselves in order to love each other? One thing i think we forget, is that the world is watching us, Christian. They are watching how we love each other. They are watching when we complain about love costing us something. They are watching what we post on facebook.  They are looking to see if we really are different. Are they seeing a difference? i am asking myself this question. 

So, how do we love each other in friendship, the way Christ loves us? First, we have to be so confident in Christ's redeeming love for us, so hid in Christ, that we are doing things for others out of the overflow of love with which we have been loved (not out of a place of fear, or so that we can get something in return).

Next, we have to give that love to each other. freely.

what does that look like? I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Here are some things i have thought of, on how we can practically live this out (no, it isn't always easy):

• bring a meal to a person who isn't well
• send a note of encouragement (snail mail)
• have someone from church over for a meal (make a new friend!)
• be available to listen when a friend is hurting
• pray for each other
• do fun stuff together
• be accountable for Bible reading 
• meet someone for coffee
• offer to help in some way
• show up... be there. It is hard to grow friendships in church if we don't take the time to consistently show up.
• don't hold on to offenses 
• be quick to forgive
• speak the Truth in love
• share your story (as scary as it is sometimes)
• be willing to be messy with each other
• take off the masks
• cry with each other
• laugh with each other
• sing together :)

This is a hard command, but one that we can fulfill if we are committed to Christ! His Holy Spirit will empower us to love each other, as we have been loved by Christ! 

We are in this together, working it out as we go :)

I have a long way to go with this, for sure. These are my initial thoughts as i have thought about the sermon on loving each other. We are human, and will love imperfectly, thus the need to be quick to forgive. Yet, we CAN love. I know i am thankful for all the friends who love me in the good and in the messy :)

I welcome your thoughtful comments, to make this a conversation :)

Forsaken no more

i grew up listening to Don Francisco. Went to a concert when i was in 5th or 6th grade. His music resonates with me in a way i can't explain. He sings the Word. i heard this song today as i was playing a disc. i can't pick a song that pinpoints what things were like for me growing up better than this one, and the love and security and redemption i have in my Heavenly Father. 

this is why i cry when i hear or sing: 

• of His great love for me. 
• of how He will never leave me.
• of how He will never let me go.
• of the security i have in Him. 
• of what Christ did to redeem me.
• of how much of a Father He is. 

Truly, God will never forsake His own. He will never reject. He will never leave. Praise His glorious name!

Pure Love...whoa.

The goodness of human love is taken for granted

We turn it into a lust that tears us apart

We give up God's gifts for dust and ashes

And blame him for the pain growing in our hearts

~Sara Groves from the song Song of Solomon

Was walking the dogs when this song came on my nano. i was thunder-struck by the line: "We give up God's gifts for dust and ashes, and blame him for the pain growing in our hearts." It almost hurt to hear it. it forced me to look and question if i have given up any of God's gifts, for things that will fade away.... My answer was troubling. 

yes. i have. many times.

i have given up the wonderful gifts He has given me. i have forfeited true, real, lasting peace by not turning to Jesus, but turning to shopping or food to fill my ache. doesn't work. the guilt i feel afterwards is awful. is it worth it? no. i feel just as empty and restless as i did before, with added guilt. great.

there are many other things that i could list, but won't. you get the picture. the chorus of the song goes:

Sweet song of Solomon
Remind us of love much purer than our own

I was reminded of just how amazing God's love is for me. For my children. Reminded of how PURE His love is. i cannot grasp it in my finite mind. a pure love. no ulterior motive. no perversion in it. unadulterated. not jaded. not a love that gives something in order to get something. PURE love. Pure. His love is so much purer than mine. Thank You, Jesus!

And in remembering, i realize that i truly want to embrace the gifts that He given me...

And through it all, in my imperfections, He loves me. and i am NEVER FORSAKEN!

(I didn't meant to highlight the txt...sorry!!)

Love or Torment?

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.           

 ~ 1 John 4:18-19

You just read the verse that the Lord used to bring me that freedom from fear. It was just this Monday morning, and i was still really thinking about the worship time on Sunday. See here for more on that.

Now, we know this verse. It is often said. Well, the first part is. i have heard this verse SO often quoted, while leaving out the second part of verse 18, "because fear involves torment." Why do we leave this part out? i propose because it doesn't sound as pretty, or nice, as the first part. We can accept that we should not have fear in love, but do we ever think of what fear itself involves? Not much, as we rarely quote the last half of the verse.

The word "torment" really struck me on Monday. i had to sit on it for awhile. to process. to absorb all the implications of what my fear really was....it was torment. And should i, a Christ-one, be living with torment? Should you?

Dictionary.com defined torment this way:

tor-ment

as a verb

1. to afflict with great bodily or mental suffering; pain: to be tormented with violent headaches.

2. to worry or annoy excessively: to torment one with questions.

3.to throw into commotion; stir up; disturb.

as a noun

4.a state of great bodily or mental suffering; agony; misery.

5.something that causes great bodily or mental pain or suffering.

6. a source of much trouble, worry, or annoyance.

7. an instrument of torture, as the rack or the thumbscrew.

8. the infliction of torture by means of such an instrument or the torture so inflicted.

Those are some pretty strong words. Do we realize that when we are walking in fear, we are tormented? To be completely honest, when i am fearing, i am excessively worried, disturbed, in mental pain. My mind is tortured with all the thoughts of what could be. and i definitely suffer from headaches from all of my anxiousness.

And guess who is pleased-as-punch when we are living our lives with fear? yep. The enemy of our souls. This is most certainly not living in the perfect love of our God and Father; the perfect love of Jesus Christ.

i'll tell you what...this is one woman who is DONE being tormented by fears! i don't know what the future will hold. i don't know what my life will look like down the road. But i KNOW i can trust and depend on the amazing strength and salvation on Jesus Christ, my Saviour, the One who knows the future of all. i know that i can rest in the perfect love that the Father has for me. Jeremiah 31:3 states:

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “ Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

Isaiah 43:1-2 holds precious promises for the things that may be fear-inducing:

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:

“ Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you."

Oh, Dear Christ-one's, let us  take Him at His most perfect Word and claim His promises for us. Let us walk into the land like Joshua, without fear! We have a Strong Deliverer on our side....ALWAYS!!

Fear is Knocking

Sunday morning. Church. Worship. Singing praises to our Lord and God. Joyful.

Then, it happens...

Our worship leader decided to preach for a couple minutes (which i welcome). First words out of his mouth were something like this: "You know, as Christians, we have nothing to fear. No reason to be afraid. We are in Christ, and don't have to fear anything." As i said earlier, it went on for a couple minutes. Now, to some, this was no new news.

To me, it was everything.

My husband and i had just been talking a few nights before this about this very topic. Yep. Fear. More specifically, i was talking about my fears. How i realized i had some pretty big ones recently. Some big ones that had knocked on my door, and i let in.

Like...
how insecure i am in my friendships. Afraid they will leave me.

Insecure in my marriage. Afraid he will leave me.

Get the theme here?

My hubby loves me. Really loves me. And deeply desires that i could rest in his love for me. i yearn for that rest. After Sunday, i realized i had to make a choice, not based on my feelings (fear), but based on the FACTS. My husband loves me and does not want to leave me. I choose to believe this. I trust Christ in him. My Babe honors me and loves me like Christ loves the Church...and i will rest in that :)

In talking with a friend about my insecurities in my friendships, i realized that i am called to love and serve the way Christ loved and served Judas. I am NOT saying my friends are like Judas! i am saying that Christ knew who would betray him, and loved him the same. yep. washed his feet even. If anyone ever had reason to fear that His friends would abandon him, it was Christ, because they all did! Yet He did NOT fear. He trusted and obeyed and did what the Father told Him to do.

So, after our worship pastor preached, we started singing a new song. The music started. The words went up on the screen. And i was frozen. i could not sing. Tears were streaming down my face. My number had been called...God had a meeting with me! Here are the lyrics (i could finally sing for the 2nd chorus!):

 Always by Kristian Stanfill (click name for video)

My foes are many, they rise against me
But I will hold my ground
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the way
Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always
Troubles surround me, chaos abounding
My soul will rest in YouI will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the wayOh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always

I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
From You Lord, from You Lord
Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, alwaysOh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always, always

~ amen ~

next post, the verse God used Monday ;) as He always confirms His work, with His Word.

Much-Afraid

i am re-reading Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. what an excellent book. it is an allegory about a crippled, disfigured girl who decides to go on a journey to the High Places with the Chief Shepherd. He chooses two companions to go with her up the mountains, and they are Sorrow and Suffering. Interesting choices, methinks. Yet, they were chosen with utmost wisdom and perfect love. i was drawn in again by the attempts of her family, the Fearlings, to keep her from being with the Shepherd, and by their plot to get her to marry her cousin, Craven Fear.

At one point in the first chapter, she is singing a beautiful song that just touched my heart last night. Here it is for your reading pleasure...

"The Song of Songs," the loveliest song, 

The song of Love the King, 

No joy on earth compares with his,

But seems a broken thing.

His Name as ointment is poured forth,

And all his lovers sing.

Draw me-I will run after thee,

Thou art my heart's one choice,

Oh, bring me to thy royal house,

To dwell there and rejoice.

There in thy presence, O my King,

To feast and hear thy voice.

Look not upon me with contempt,

Though soiled and marred I be,

The King found me-an outcast thing-

And set his love on me.

I shall be perfected by Love,

Made fair as day to see

                                  (Cant. 1:1-6)Excerpt from Hinds' Feet...Chapter One

for today...

i am compelled to say YOU are precious to our Father! You are cherished in the Beloved. His desire is for you to know how special you are! He LOVES you, and not just loves you, but LOVES YOU! It is not based on what you do, have done, or will do. He just LOVES you...

Sweet one, know and rest in that today. You are His!

Throughout the weekend, say a few times a day "You love me"...this was suggested by Susie Larson at the Restore Conf. i was at, and it has been my "thing" since. If i start feeling worthless..."You love me." If i am feeling neglected..."You love me." If i am feeling lonely..."YOU love me, and all my need is met in YOU alone!" There is NO room for the enemy of my soul once i confess that and worship Him for His perfect love for me.

Precious one, HIS grace IS sufficient for every minute of every day. His love is strong enough to carry you through the storm, and keep you in the quiet moments.
   

"The LORD your God in your midst,
      The Mighty One, will save;
      He will rejoice over you with gladness,
      He will quiet you with His love,
      He will rejoice over you with singing.”  ~Zephaniah 3:17

Say it aloud......... YOU LOVE ME!!!  Thank you Lord Jesus!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifeJRC5lvhs  take a moment to listen and worship..

As always, i love to hear your beautiful thoughts.