Love is a many spleandored thing. It has countless ways of expressing itself.
Being hospitable is one of them. Willingness to share ourselves and what we have mirrors our hearts. We make sojourners to feel special when they come into our homes, are fully accepted, given the best food we have in the house, and if need be, are invited to sleep in one of our good beds. I would not argue that hospitality doesn't cost. Still, giving to a fellow spiritual traveler should never be seen as an imposition. It is quite the opposite. To provide comfort, sustenance and affirmation to someone bounces back as a pleasure for us as much as it does when we give our children a gift and see the sheer joy they express in receiving the gift. The sojourner may be a traveling missionary, a Sunday school teacher, a marginalized couple, or a lonely single. All can use some special treatment.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
LOVE IS FOREVER
Think about it.
Most everything in life has a limited life span, and is temporarily useful. The value of love toward each other trumps all other virtues because it does not experience ruin, does not erode, does not collapse, or discontinue. Wisdom and prophesies, for example will stop, eloquent speech and even the gift of tongues will one day no longer be needed; even knowledge, which we prize so highly, will be passé. And in everyday practical terms, you just cannot go wrong in being a carrier of and practitioner of love. Bringing love into any circumstance is like beaming sunshine into a dark, dank, depressing, cloud-filled world. Ask the initiator of agape love, namely Jesus Christ to place in you His radical kind of love. It lasts.
Most everything in life has a limited life span, and is temporarily useful. The value of love toward each other trumps all other virtues because it does not experience ruin, does not erode, does not collapse, or discontinue. Wisdom and prophesies, for example will stop, eloquent speech and even the gift of tongues will one day no longer be needed; even knowledge, which we prize so highly, will be passé. And in everyday practical terms, you just cannot go wrong in being a carrier of and practitioner of love. Bringing love into any circumstance is like beaming sunshine into a dark, dank, depressing, cloud-filled world. Ask the initiator of agape love, namely Jesus Christ to place in you His radical kind of love. It lasts.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
HOW GREETINGS DISPLAY LOVE
First impressions last.
We forget that others size us up by how we greet them, just like we draw conclusions about people within the first minute of meeting them. What we say when we meet someone is a very small part of that impression.
Words alone do not convey love. “Hi, how are you?” may or may not be discerned as a caring gesture. But if you add direct eye contact, a gentle smile of both eyes and mouth, it will be picked up as genuine interest. Bring a firm shake of the hand with the above and now you have even a better chance of communicating genuine interest. Touch, though not all cultures or individuals appreciate a pat on the shoulder or a squeeze of the arm, often is associated with love. Then if the greeter can include some little gesture of kindness-hanging someone’s coat, a cold drink, an introduction to someone else, the new frien will feel cared for. Time taken to ask a question or two and the use of the person’s name will also make the connection meaningful. A kiss (touch of cheeks) if that is allowable in your culture, is a beautiful practice that shows genuine, personal interest.
Be real and greet from the heart.
We forget that others size us up by how we greet them, just like we draw conclusions about people within the first minute of meeting them. What we say when we meet someone is a very small part of that impression.
Words alone do not convey love. “Hi, how are you?” may or may not be discerned as a caring gesture. But if you add direct eye contact, a gentle smile of both eyes and mouth, it will be picked up as genuine interest. Bring a firm shake of the hand with the above and now you have even a better chance of communicating genuine interest. Touch, though not all cultures or individuals appreciate a pat on the shoulder or a squeeze of the arm, often is associated with love. Then if the greeter can include some little gesture of kindness-hanging someone’s coat, a cold drink, an introduction to someone else, the new frien will feel cared for. Time taken to ask a question or two and the use of the person’s name will also make the connection meaningful. A kiss (touch of cheeks) if that is allowable in your culture, is a beautiful practice that shows genuine, personal interest.
Be real and greet from the heart.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
PATIENCE REFLECTS LOVE
You might wonder - how will anyone know if there's love in this heart of mine? It's not the only way, but they will find love if they see patience. Let's look at this further.Patience breaths unhurried tolerance. It allows for the other person’s imperfections. Such a person may fail to be punctual, to speak respectfully, to respond civilly, to acknowledge gratefully. He might act aggressively or behave annoyingly. He may lash out without provocation. But love will give him time. Time does not heal all wounds, but love makes room for the person to change. Patience is love. It is love that understands that no one is perfect and that some persons began life with poor models, with a lack of teaching or a warped upbringing. Or the person could have made early wrong assumptions about how life should work. Patient love overlooks a whole array of irritations.Perhaps our love could be a bridge for such a person to find some healing.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
REAL LOVE
REAL LOVE PERSEVERES
What we want out of love is that it will not abandon us when when we screw up.
That's why we should hang in there with others when it's not easy- like Mother Teresa
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway!
If you do good, people will accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives.
Do good anyway!
If you are successful, you will win
false friends and enemies.
Succeed anyway!
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway!
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway!
What you spend years building may be
destroyed overnight.
Build anyway!
People really need help
but may attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway!
Give the world the best you have
and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway!
Mother Teresa
What we want out of love is that it will not abandon us when when we screw up.
That's why we should hang in there with others when it's not easy- like Mother Teresa
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway!
If you do good, people will accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives.
Do good anyway!
If you are successful, you will win
false friends and enemies.
Succeed anyway!
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway!
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway!
What you spend years building may be
destroyed overnight.
Build anyway!
People really need help
but may attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway!
Give the world the best you have
and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway!
Mother Teresa
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
LOVE DOESN'T ASSUME THE WORST
"Love believes all things" or "always trusts." That's what the Living Bible says. Love expects the best to come from people. To believe in others as a basic approach to life is mostly viewed as being unrealistic if not naïve. Basic trust in people, however, rewards you many times, whereas being suspicious blocks out healthy relationships. Jesus Christ, the most perfect of humans and also the most maligned, selected and workd with Judas for three years. He must have know the inner thoughts of this hypocrite, yet he allowed him to hang around. We do not possess the insight of Jesus Christ. So our love must be willing to give the benefit of the doubt, because it is very harmful to relationships to assume the worst.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
LOVE AND HATE
Hate gets even. Love not only tolerates, it shields others.
"Love always protects." The original Greek verb translated into English as "protect," means to cover, to pass over in silence, to keep confidential. It's like a roof. When we want to stop discussion of something we may say that we want to 'put a lid on it.' Love throws a cloak of silence over what is displeasing in another person. "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." (Proverbs 10:12) "Love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8) Love finds a way to shelter the wrongdoer from exposure and condemnation. This is how God has treated us. "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." (Psalm 32:1) Nowhere is this more illustrated than in the incident of the woman taken in the act of adultery (John 8:1-11). Jesus bowed down and wrote with his finger on the ground. He who knows everything, knew even what the scribes and the Pharisees knew before they came tattling to him. They were out for blood. Jesus protected the woman. How do we do with shielding others?
"Love always protects." The original Greek verb translated into English as "protect," means to cover, to pass over in silence, to keep confidential. It's like a roof. When we want to stop discussion of something we may say that we want to 'put a lid on it.' Love throws a cloak of silence over what is displeasing in another person. "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." (Proverbs 10:12) "Love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8) Love finds a way to shelter the wrongdoer from exposure and condemnation. This is how God has treated us. "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." (Psalm 32:1) Nowhere is this more illustrated than in the incident of the woman taken in the act of adultery (John 8:1-11). Jesus bowed down and wrote with his finger on the ground. He who knows everything, knew even what the scribes and the Pharisees knew before they came tattling to him. They were out for blood. Jesus protected the woman. How do we do with shielding others?
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