Live Simply ~ Love

Live Simply.

Love Generously.

Care Deeply.

Speak Kindly.

And leave the rest to God.

I read this on an email.

But sometimes the most simple sayings can hold such profound truth.

Think about and try...

Looking Out, Looking In

Someone extolled love as "pointing beyond yourself." I have also heard, "love points beyond itself."

Love looks out. We look in.

Self points to itself. Love spotlights the other.

Where are your eyes? Looking out or looking in?

If you're looking in, just look in enough to "straighten out the stuff" to be able to love others better.

If you do, you'll be better on the inside too!

Love Reorganizes

I read somewhere where love "reorganizes your life."

As I mentioned this, everyone thought it rang true.

Love will change your life. Love will reorganize your priorities.

Love will make everything different.

Let love reorganize what needs to change.

The Tchividjian Challenge

Tullian Tchividjian challenges us to each day ask, "Who here can I love? Who here needs my love right now?" (page 161, Surprised by Grace)

Good questions to ask ourselves each day in every situation.

See how your life changes with these simple questions.

I know it will change for good.

Comfort & Love

Isaiah 40:1, "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" says your God.

Comfort those around you today.

Bring comfort to those you love.

Comfort is a wonderful thing. Make it a part of your life and those around you in your life.

God's City or man's? People or Gold?

Have you ever heard the quip:

"In God's City, the inhabitants love people and walk on gold;

while in man's city, the inhabitants love gold and walk on people."

It's a good thing to consider. Which do you love? Sometimes, we get confused.

Or sometimes, it's hard to tell.

God given gifts for us

Second Timothy 1:7 tells us God has given us...

~power

~love

~sound mind

Call on them today. Use them today, for His glory.

Proofs of Love

French poet Pierre Reverdy is quoted as saying, "There is no love. There are only proofs of love."

This makes sense as I saw the wind move the tree branches yesterday. I thought of how we don't see breath, that God gave. Then I thought of how the wind was a bigger breath. We don't see that either, only the effect of the wind. Then I can understand love is only visible in our acts of love. So, if people don't see love, they don't think we love them.

Then, show proofs of love today. It's essential to making your love be seen and felt in this world.

The Negatives Reveal Our Problems, Our Lack of Love

When I look at the negative characteristics that are not a part of love from I Corinthians 13, I find an interesting list:

Envy

Boasting

Pride

Rudeness

Self-Seeking

Easily Angered

Keeping a Record of Wrongs

Enjoying Evil

I find a list that would help us all weed out the problems in our relationships.

If you notice envy in your heart. It is wrong. Relationships do not thrive if envy is a part of it.

Boasting reveals pride and self centeredness. It does not build the other one up. It only makes you look bad.

Rudeness is not considering the other person. It only has eyes for me.

A person who is easily angered, is not someone people want to be around. We don't relax around those people. We are always on edge.

If you're tallying my wrongs, it will never end. I always make mistakes. Your list defeats me. I've lost already.

If you enjoy seeing bad things happen to other people. If you think evil thoughts, there is no love in your heart, and it will be very hard for other people to want to be in relationship with you.

Just some things to think about.

Rule #1

"The rule for all of us is perfectly simple: Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him."

C. S. Lewis

Mere Christianity

Relationships Need Love

"Relationships are not optional." That was the line in the Rose Publishing pamphlet on "Dare to Love." It went on to say, "Love is what makes relationships possible."

How true that we cannot escape relationships, even if you divorce. We are bound in life through relationships. The best way to relate to people is through love. All other ways distort, deflate, frustrate, and fatigue us. Remember if you are relating, which more than likely you are, to do it in the basis of love.

Love, So Confusing, So inexplicable

Love's definitions are so many and varied. But I continue to marvel at all the explanations of this inexplicable phenomenon. One defined it as "a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection." But then on to say others feel it is "not just a virtue, but the basis for all being." Others went on to describe it not as a feeling but as actions towards others (or even self) based on compassion. So, it's a feeling, it's an action. It's a virtue, it's more than a virtue...

It's more than any words can define or describe. What is love to you?

In Business & Life: LOVE

Warren Buffett's philosophy of business is loving your business. He thinks if you love your business you'll work harder for it. It is the number one criteria he looks for in looking for prospective businesses.

If it's that important in business, think how important it is in life!

Love Carefully

Isaiah 38:15 says in the end, "I shall walk carefully all my years."

Walk carefully today, and then commit to walk carefully tomorrow, so you can walk carefully all your years. When you are being careful, you are being thoughtful. Take care to love so your years will be filled with love.

Love Corrects

"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love is Eternal

David Kessler concludes his Introduction to his book, Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms with: Life ends, but love is eternal." (page xxiii)

This is a book on death and dying. Isn't it great that it starts with life ends, but love goes on.

It's a good reminder to us while we live, and as we prepare to die.

The Witness of Love

Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said: "Our strongest and most undeniable witness is how we love each other." (page 83, My Life is Not My Own).

What a great quote from one who made it is his life to witness to others about Christ, to say the strongest witness is in our love not necessarily our words.

Your witness is in your love. "Can I have a witness?"

Sincere Love, Sincere Hearts, Sincere Faith

When Paul was "commending himself and others" as ministers, he said it was "by sincere love" among other attributes (II Cor 6:6); and again he said by conducting ourselves with godly sincerity (II Cor 1:12)
When Paul was commending workers and masters he called for "sincerity of heart."
When Paul wrote young Timothy, he instructed him that the purposes of the commandments, which is love, come from sincere faith. (I Tim 1:5)
Peter said that obedience comes "through the Spirit in sincere love"...loving from a pure heart.
(I Peter 1:22)

We do well to call ourselves back to the sincerity that is involved in loving and living.

The Task of Loving More

I read a prayer that said, "take on the beloved task of becoming more loving."
What a prayer for us. Take on the beautiful task of becoming more loving.
What greater prayer could there be?
It went on to say, "as we love, we are also loved."
What a beautiful picture, that as we learn to love more, we will in turn be loved more.

Love & Friendship

"Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship - never." Charles Caleb Colton

If you love people as true friends, you will never stop loving them.
You may not be around them much any more, but you still love them.
You may not agree with them, but you still love them.

If you don't still love them, were they really your friend?

Looking At, Looking Out

"Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction."

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Are you just looking at your loved one, or looking out together to the future and its possibilities?
Looking at the other person is good, but looking out together is also good.
Make sure you are looking in the same direction, and traveling down the same road, together!

Love with Care

In watching an old movie classic, The Wizard of Oz, I noticed love even comes up with the gifts that the Wizard conveys. The old tinman wanted a heart. The wise old wizard said, " A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others."

The tinman's reply after being "granted" a heart was, "Now, I know I have a heart because it's breaking." Sometimes being granted what we want, hurts.

A heart capable of loving, is capable of breaking. Love with care.

Spending Love

In the movie classic, The Sound of Music, Maria has a discussion with the Reverend Mother about love. The Reverend Mother had noted Maria had "a great capacity to love." But what she counseled Maria on was how to live out that love. She said, "What you must find out is how God wants you to spend your love."

Have you ever thought about how you "spend" your love?

As you count your dollars, count your love today and spend it wisely.

The Wonder of Love

Isaac Watt's song, "Joy to the World" (1719), was written about Psalms 98. I especially liked the last verse that includes the phrase, "wonders of His love."

Some of Psalm 98 includes these glorious thoughts:

verse 1 - He has done marvelous things

verse 4 - Shout joyfully to the Lord

Break forth in song, rejoice, sing praises

verse 6 - Shout joyfully before the Lord

I like how Watt took these thoughts and concluded with the "the wonders of His love."

Consider how wonderful it is today.

Hold On

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other." Audrey Hepburn

This is a good lesson to remember this time of year, when all we think about are wrapped gifts. But, we all know the best presents are in the presence of others.

Hold onto what matters. Hold onto what doesn't go out of style or date.

Hold onto each other...you never know when they won't there to hold.

Supernatural Reality

EPHIPHANY- 12 days after Christmas.
It is tradition to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, but actually they are the 12 days after Christmas. It marks the time of the visit of the 3 wise men to the Christ child. It commemorates when they brought their gifts to the King. Ephiphany is defined as "a manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality."

Look for the supernatural reality in your life today.
How can you offer gifts, as the wise men did?
Let love be the supernatural reality that you bring into daily life.

Glimpses of Eternity & Terminal Dignity

"The truth is that there is only terminal dignity - love." Helen Hayes

This sounds good, but I couldn't quite get it. I looked up "terminal" to make sure I understood it. The definitions read like this: forming the end or extremity of something; forming the end of a series; closing; concluding; pertaining to or lasting for a definite period...

I looked up dignity. It's definitions included: bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation; nobility or elevation of character; worthiness; a sign or token of respect...

I then discovered the rest of the quote: "And the story of a love is not important - what is important is that one is capable of love. It is perhaps the only glimpse we are permitted of eternity."

I understand her quote better now. I agree love is the terminal, the end of something, if even a series of loving acts. I agree love gives dignity to the receiver and the giver. It's a new way of thinking of love, the only terminal dignity, the only glimpse of eternity.

Love & Knowledge

"Love takes up where knowledge leaves off." St. Thomas Aquinas

Lack knowledge? No worries. Pick up with love where knowledge drops off. You may not have the answer, but you will have love. Which is better, my friend: the correct answer or the sweetest love? I choose love.

I am Third

Have you heard the saying, "I am third"?

Now that it's the third, it's appropriate to remember.

God is first. Others are second. I am third.

Most of us put ourselves at number one.

That's when the trouble starts.

Life doesn't seem to work that way for long.

Someone interrupts our flow. Something interjects itself into our space.

Comprehending we don't control life, will help you cope with life.

Understanding things always does.

How can understanding this help you love others?

Second: Love Others

Second, love others. Remember that after you have put first things first. Love Others. God wanted it that way. If you get the first things first, the second thing will come easy. Love will flow from the source: God, not you or your efforts.

First: Love God

"God does command us to walk in love, first toward Him and then toward others." Creflo Dollar

It is a great reminder, that number one, it is a command. Secondly, that the love is first to be directed to Him, and thirdly, is to others. Don't get the order confused. Don't think it's a suggestion to help your life, but a command from a Holy God. Walk in love, first toward Him, and then toward others.

Today, being the First. Let's get first things first.