LOVE...

(WARNING: I am just being real and honest in this post! If you have never struggled with LOVE then you need to stop reading this note.) *Ü*

LOVE for others.  It is easy to LOVE people that I see as lovable, but not so easy to LOVE those that are getting on my nerves.  I know that isn’t right! I have to remember I don’t know what is going on in others’ lives. God, forgive me for my aggravation towards those people I see as just plain wrong… please help me to see beyond what they are doing and just see who they are and how You LOVE them. It is not what they do… it is who they are.

I can point my finger all I want but that makes me no different than I am accusing them of being. 

Recently, I watched the movie, “The Shack”… I read the book years ago and got so much from it… I know there is a whole controversial thing going on with some believers… I am not addressing that here. What I do want to share with you is this one part of the movie where Mack, the main character, goes into a cave, and he has a conversation with a woman named, Wisdom. This really impacted my heart of how I choose to LOVE others. Such a great reminder that I have no right to judge peoples’ actions… rather showing grace… showing compassion… showing LOVE! I have no idea why a person may be the way they are… what they may have been through. It is not saying it is okay, but it is saying I LOVE you in spite of it… just like Christ did for me.

“Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” ~ Philippians 2:2-4

Those words, “selfish ambition,”… what does that mean for me? To LOVE someone with a pure heart…. not because I expect anything in return… not to make myself look better… just out of LOVE. Lord, if anything I have done or spoken for selfish reasons… I ask Your forgiveness. Help me to see others through Your eyes. Cleanse my heart of anything that is not of You.

I am reminded of what LOVE is… patient, kind, rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes, hopes, endures all things. 

I am also reminded of what LOVE is not… envious, jealous, boastful, arrogant, conceited, prideful, rude, unbecoming, wants its own way, selfish, resentful, touchy, offended, rejoices in someone else’s problems… LOVE is not failing! 

The only real and true thing we can have in our life is LOVE… that is the only sure thing… real LOVE … LOVE that comes only through Christ living in us and through us.  When I look at the list of what LOVE is and isn’t with human eyes, my first thought is, “I am sunk!”  But because of God sending His only Son to die for my sins and to redeem me… that is an incredible example… the only real example of true LOVE.  Having Christ in me is the only way I can even start to LOVE others… when someone is annoying me or I just don’t like what they are doing or understand the choices they are making… it is then I need to dig down deep and let Christ’s LOVE live through me.  It is a choice to LOVE… it is a choice to give God the control… it is a choice to see people for who they are and not for what they do.

“So faith, hope, LOVE abide, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

I pray that my life will be used for God’s glory… that people will see Him in my face even before I open my mouth.  My hubby & I went through the LOVE Dare devotional and the prayer that came from one of the “dares“ was “Lord, teach me what real love is and make me a loving person.”  It is unbelievable that simple prayer prayed daily or a couple times a day can have such an impact.  I dare you to try it for a week.

If you made it to the end of this note, please LOVE me for who I am and not for what I do, and I will do the same for you.  Also, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on LOVE in your life.

Rejoicing in Truth!

LOVE, Carin

Intentional KINDNESS

Just a few thoughts from my heart to yours!

I have been thinking about KINDNESS… especially when you see so much cruelty in the world. I’ve been going through some tough things lately, physically, emotionally, even spiritually. I know it is only God’s grace & mercy that has brought me through, but something else too… a KIND husband!

What a gift his KINDNESS has been to me! My crying & complaining… not to mention my moodiness & down right ugliness at times… and what has he given me in return??? KINDNESS! There is nothing like a little KINDNESS to encourage a person’s heart! And you know you don’t have to understand exactly what someone is going through to just be KIND!

You hear all the time about doing, “random acts of kindness”… what if KINDNESS wasn’t just random… what if it was an intentional act?And what if we started doing acts of KINDNESS daily in our own homes with our own family??? What would that look like? How would that change the dynamics in the home?

“Love is patient. Love is KIND. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up!” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I think KINDNESS is one of those things that is so overlooked! It is not about a “political” statement… it is about a condition of the heart! To be KIND doesn’t have to infringe on your rights! To be KIND doesn’t have to cost you anything, but your pride & selfishness!To be KIND doesn’t go against your religious beliefs!To be KIND takes way less effort that it does to be cruel! 

I’m not talking about just ignoring the bad things going on around you, I am saying to speak the Truth, but speak it in love! Ephesians 4:15 talks about “speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him who is the head - Christ.”

And men, you have a great task ahead of you! God has placed you as the head of the home, to love your wife as Christ loved the Church & gave His life for it (Ephesians5:25). That is the ultimate KINDNESS and act of love! KINDNESS is obedience… obedience is expected! Are you doing what is expected from God? I have a great husband, he sets the “bar” pretty high, but he is not perfect… however he is working on himself daily… and how do I know that??? Because he shows me KINDNESS even when I am not so KIND!

  

How can any of us show KINDNESS when we don’t really feel like it? Through prayer, being in God’s Word, & encouraging words through the KINDNESS of others. See it is a continuous cycle! Try showing a little KINDNESS today, for the love of Christ! 

Rejoicing inTruth! 

Carin

Amazing Love…

Hearts, roses, Valentines, candy… all the things you see advertised this time of the year. February 14^th is coming, but that need not be the only time or excuse we have to think about LOVE! Long ago, it was decided that we would honor the ones we love on the 14^th of February. Maybe because in Michigan it is so cold that you just need a pick me up! Brrrr!

My hubby & I decided to take a Valentine Challenge this week from TimeWarpWife.com. Yesterday the challenge was to write a letter to each other. I am pretty much the kind of wife that speaks whatever I am feeling, so I have very few words that are left unsaid to my hubby, but as I sat & thought about what I wanted to say to the love of my life, so many other thoughts & emotions welled up inside me.

I love my husband so much! I cannot imagine my life without him, BUT there are many times when life puts us into “hum-drum mode”… are we the only ones??? We can become more like roommates than lovers! We let ourselves get so busy that we don’t even take the time to look at each other… really look at each other! And then if you have children, I can only imagine how hard that must be.

So I was thinking about those moments when I have just watched him, times that he didn’t even see me looking at him. It is those times when I could really see what a blessing God has given me in this man! He is strong & good-looking. He loves people, & he has a servant’s heart. He is so patient, which is a big-time help for me. He forgives quickly & shows grace, which is also a BIG bonus for me!

I write all this, not to brag or boast about my husband, but to encourage you. My life has not always been the way it is now… we have been blessed beyond measure… which I don’t understand, but am so grateFUL for! I praise God that He is still working on me… I am a work in progress… thank the Lord! Take heart that no matter where the circumstances of life have you right now, it can change in a moment. Keep trusting God! Be patient! Be faithful! Give thanks for where you are & where God is taking you! When you feel like you cannot take another painful moment… remember, as a follower of Christ, you are never alone! I swear… it is in the darkest moments of my life God has shined the brightest, but I can only see it when my eyes are fixed on Him!

“Don’t be afraid, because I am with you. Don’t be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with My victorious right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10

As I was writing this, the song Amazing Love came to my mind… the words of this song are so beautiful!  So whether you have the love of a husband or a boyfriend on this Valentine’s Day or not… remember where LOVE all began… celebrate the love of your Savior!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

Delights in Mercy...

Thinking of the time when I was a teenager, I was walking down a sidewalk at night & I fell over a post that was lying across my path. There was lights in the parking lot where I was, but the sidewalk was pitch black, because shadows made it so dark. I can remember thinking someone hit me from behind… it was like I was knocked to the ground out of nowhere! As I picked myself up & got to my feet… I don’t remember if I was crying, but I probably was because I cry over almost everything! J I do remember thinking what in the world happened to me… I didn’t see that coming at all! My jeans were torn, & my leg was bleeding, & of course my pride was hurt, but overall I was okay!

I know for myself I have had the same experience in my spiritual life as well. I would be walking along the path, minding my own business… light is around me, but I chose to step off the lighted path into the shadows. God is still with me, but I am not listening to His call to get back on His lighted path… I am trusting in my own direction! And He let me go… He even let me fall… but He was there to pick me up & comfort my wounds when I was ready to turn back to Him! That doesn’t mean I didn’t have scars or consequences from my choice to get off track… it just means like the best parent you could ask for, He was there for me!

And you know, after that little spill I took on the sidewalk, it made me way more cautious of walking without light on the path… both in the physical & the spiritual!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalms 119:105

As I was thinking about this these verses in Micah came to my mind… “Don’t laugh at me, my enemies. Although I’ve fallen, I will get up. Although I sit in the dark, the Lord is my light.  I have sinned against the Lord. So I will endure His fury until he takes up my cause and wins my case. He will bring me into the light, and I will see His victory.” Micah 7:8-9  And in verse 18 it says… “Who is a God like you? You forgive sin and overlook the rebellion of Your faithful people. You will not be angry forever, because You delight in mercy.”

He delights in mercy! I am so thankful I serve & am loved by a merciful God! Aren’t you?

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

No Greater Love...

Good Friday – I’ve often wondered why it is called “Good Friday”—if this is the day Christ was crucified… then why is it good?  Just think about that day… the day Christ gave up His life… does it bring mixed feelings?  On one side, no one would have a chance of eternal life in Heaven without this Great Sacrifice. So it is good for the sake of our salvation, but so sad that it was my sins and your sins that sent Him to that death on the cross.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Focus on that verse for a moment… it is a mind blowing verse for me… would I be willing to lay my life down for a friend?  As I was thinking on that God showed me He was not asking me to just physically lay down my life for my friends, but to spiritually and emotionally lay it all down for Him!  Really think about that… if someone put a gun to your head and said “deny Christ or die” would you have the strength to die for Him?  I would hope I would. On the other hand, everyday we are asked to “die to self”… but how easy is that to do?

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

If you are at all like me, most every day I know I am a total failure at that… since I am not even close to perfect, but God can see if I have a desire and a willing heart to lay it all done for Him. And because of His unconditional, unfailing love, He gives us an “A” for effort and not an “F” for failure… He made each one of us… He knows we are all works in progress… we are blessed, priceless children of our Heavenly Father! I am so thankful that He loved us so much to give us a second chance at life by giving up His Son to save all those who believe and receive Him.

If Christ just died for us then the story would be over, but He died because of our sin and He rose from the dead to break the bonds of death (sin) and the grave!  Remember… it is only because of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and RESURRECTION that each one of us can have eternal life through Him.  Good Friday in itself is not good, but when we look at the whole picture… the whole story, the Greatest Love Story ever told… now that is good!

We must remember the sadness of “Good Friday” in order to sing praises of the risen Lord on Easter morning!

 Rejoicing in Truth!

The Ultimate Way to Love...

What does the word “humble” mean to you? When you see that word what is the first thing that comes to your mind?  Less than… low in spirit… giving up selfish ways… submission??? The actual definition for “humble” is… unassuming in attitude and behavior; feeling or showing respect towards other people; relatively low in rank and without pretensions.  And the opposite of humble… brazen, boastful, prideful.

I admit I have struggled with pride over my lifetime and still do… it is one of my ongoing battles.  Reading in Philippians 2:1-11, it talks about Christ’s humility… living with humility and unity. It touches my heart to think of how Christ humbled Himself because of His love for me… for you! He gave up His glorious life in heaven to become a man to serve the sinful people of this world… that is the ultimate way to love!!!

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:8

Is there someone God has laid on your heart to show love and Christ-like humility to?  Your spouse… your child… a sibling… a parent… or even a stranger in line at the grocery store???  That kind of humbling kindness is great for the person who receives it, but you cannot imagine how much good it will do for you! The first time you do it… it may be hard, but every time after… it will get easier, especially when you are doing it for your love of the Father and by staying focused on Him.

As I walk out my day today, I will be watching for those moments when I can humbly give of myself and show the love I have so freely been given through Jesus Christ by the Father. You have IT in you too if you are a follower of Jesus Christ… you have the power that can change someone’s day, even someone’s life. I pray you will take that step with me!

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

Rejoicing in Truth!