Love

Love.... when you read that word you may think of several different things... a significant other; a song "L is for the way you look at me.."; perhaps a family member - a mother, father, sister, or brother; or... perhaps you thought of the negative side of love... the heart break when someone you love lets you down, runs out on you, decides not to return the love. Whatever it may be, we all know the pain of love. Is this why we can't fathom the unconditional, unfailing love of the Father? To us, love is a human emotion, an interaction and feeling between two people. But to the Lord, it's so much more. If our understanding of love shifted from human love to the perfect love of God, would we still see a side of love that includes pain?
As a human, we feel an attachment, it grows, and we put ourselves out there, sacrificing, giving, and in return we see nothing... and we think that the person all of our efforts have been pointed toward must not love us... because we expect something in return. Let me say that again.... human love expects something in return for sacrifice.
Now let's take a look at the love of the Father... Romans 5:7-8 states "very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Did you catch the implication? With NO EXPECTATION of us loving Him in return; Christ suffered a brutal death for us.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 in the amplified bible reads "4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]."
When we choose to view love in a biblical way, and allow it to be God's love in us, and that is the motivation for sacrifice, there is no expectation of receiving love in return. The satisfaction of knowing that the Lord unconditionally loves you is enough when the "pain" of love starts to creep in, you can recognize it for what it is... a LIE; a lie that the devil wants you to believe, because if he can get you to believe the lie that you are unloved and all alone, it becomes harder to see how loved you truly are.

Lord, teach me to love like you love. Keep my heart held safely in your hands. Help me to recognize when I am believing the lie that I am unloved or alone. Give me a new revelation of Your love. 
In Jesus Name,
Amen

The Beauty in the Storm

How many times do we as Christians think... I'm in a "stormy season," and we use this phrase to describe when things are hard... when life just can't seem to go right no matter how hard we try.
I was outside a few nights ago, watching one of Texas' famous "everything is bigger in Texas" size thunderstorms. Have you ever stopped to just watch and listen? As I was watching the Lord decided to reveal some things about Himself through His creation.
First, when I was younger I was VERY afraid of thunderstorms, now I enjoy watching them. So many people fear the Lord, in an unhealthy way, but when we finally stop to recognize Him and what is really happening, we find joy and pleasure in a Father who loves us unconditionally. We enjoy spending time with Him.
Take for example the thunder and lightning, while to some they are frighting, they reveal awe, power and wonder. Why does thunder exist... where does the noise come from? How beautiful are the strikes of lightning as they light up the sky, each with a unique pattern. This is not by accident, it is the Lord.
Another example... rain. WE so often think that it means we can't go outside, or "oh no my hair." Well, in Texas we recognize a couple of different things about rain. It brings LIFE and refreshing to the dry and thirsty ground, and it clears the humidity and cools the air, making what could be an unbearable day a lot more bearable.

Like the Lord lights the sky with lightning in a storm... listen to this song by The Afters, and allow Him to light up your life.

The Only Time Getting Lost is a good thing

Getting lost. Typically those words carry a negative connotation. You don't know where you are, or how to get where you're going. But in Dannah Gresh's book Get Lost, they are the words to describe the exact place you need to be. This book is an excellent guide to getting lost in God. Whether you are a young woman or an older woman looking for a resource to help mentor younger women... this is the book for you! The book is broken into sections, the first to help understand why we as women seek a relationship with a man the way we do, the second to take a break from men, and feast on God, and His love, and the third to evaluate, based on what you learned through the book, how to know if you are ready for a relationship. Dannah does a great job of encouraging throughout the book that you not go through the book just so you can say you are lost in God and assume that will bring about a man. If you are single and looking for any way to make getting a man faster.... this isn't going to be what you're looking for. But if you're looking to be content, get the most out of your time being single, and genuinely prepare yourself to be the best woman for the man God has designed for you, look no further than this book!
Here are some resources related to Dannah Gresh, her ministry, and the book itself. Enjoy!

Pure Freedom
Dannah Gresh Podcast
Chapter 1 sneak peek
want to buy the book?