How Important is Love?

There is a new song that I’ve been hearing on K-Love that talks about how important love is. At the end of the song, a man quotes 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 from The Message Bible. The more I meditate on these verses, the more I realize how important it is to love. I know that you have probably read them a million times, but I’m going to share them with you so you can marvel with me about absolutely nothing mattering if we don’t love.

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.”

I don’t want to be bankrupt, but yet I know that I do not love nearly enough. That is my prayer, that God would touch my heart that has been bruised and broken and help me to reach out to others in love. And in case you (we) need a refresher about what love looks like:

   Love never gives up.

   Love cares more for others than for self.

   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

   Love doesn't strut,

   Doesn't have a swelled head,

   Doesn't force itself on others,

   Isn't always "me first,"

   Doesn't fly off the handle,

   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

   Doesn't revel when others grovel,

   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

   Puts up with anything,

   Trusts God always,

   Always looks for the best,

   Never looks back,

   But keeps going to the end.

I Don't Understand

I have been thinking about something since church yesterday and I have to admit that I really can't quite wrap my head around it.

The members of one of the Cell Groups at my church are reading through Max Lucado's book Outlive Your Life. During this study, they have been challenged to reach out in the community and make a difference.

What they shared with the rest of the church yesterday was that they had become aware that some of the children in our community were hungry and that they may only be eating when they are at school because they don't have food at home. The group is collecting food to bring to families in need and they shared about delivering to one family recently, when many other children came running asking, "Did you bring food for us too?"

This is where it gets fuzzy for me and I might be showing my ignorance or naivety by even asking about this. I just truly do not understand...but I want to.

I know that everyone doesn't have the same as everyone else and there are those who live in poverty. But we do live in the land of plenty, right? We are not talking about a third-world country.

With government agencies issuing food stamps, food banks and other charitable resources and churches all around who have food pantries, WHY are there hungry children???

Don't get me wrong...I am really excited for this group of friends who are listening to God and stepping out in faith to make a change. It has just caused me to ask more questions that I have answers. 

I sure hope I will get some comments. Tell me what you think.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Okay, it's not my plan to blog about the new puppy every day. However, it might take me a few days to get it out of my system, so please indulge me.

See the photo? That is a mirror in our bedroom. 

And yes, it is covered by one of BK's princess dresses. Can you guess why?

Sheldon discovered himself in the mirror today while on BK's bed. Oh my goodness...what a fuss! Ears back, eyes bright, shoulders hunched, barking more than we have heard him bark in the short time we've known him.

Of course it was his own reflection, but he didn't know that. The funny thing is that we have been around other dogs and he did not bark. Only the sight of his own bundle of ferociousness moved him to action.

Interesting. Wonder what would happen if we spent some time in front of a mirror with our game face on. Could make a difference in our perception of ourselves, you think?

Delight of Her Heart

Here is my baby girl (who is not much of a baby at all anymore) on one of the happiest days of her life.

She has begged for a dog for two years now. She wrote letters to Santa and the Easter Bunny (at school) asking for a puppy. She prayed for one at the end of our dinner blessing on more than one occasion. She has collected so many stuffed dogs that sometimes it is hard for her to fit in her bed among all her nighttime friends.

Today we brought home an adopted dog named Sheldon to join our family. I can't think of anything else that would have delighted my sweet girl more than having her own dog to love. And this is a sweet boy who is very easy to love.

We can learn a lot from a child who refuses to give up on her dream.