Valentines – Thinking Faith Cafe http://thinkingfaithcafe.com Fri, 12 Jul 2019 18:30:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.17 Back with Love http://thinkingfaithcafe.com/2012/02/14/back-with-love/ Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:07:00 +0000 http://thinkingfaithcafe.com/2012/02/14/back-with-love/ It’s about time I start writing again. It seems like I said this too many times before. Life has an interesting way of becoming overfull before you know it. Since my last post in 2011, we celebrated several major holidays, helped two of our children settle into college, and experienced a myriad of changes at church. It’s been a time filled with excitement and with […]

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]]> It’s about time I start writing again. It seems like I said this too many times before. Life has an interesting way of becoming overfull before you know it. Since my last post in 2011, we celebrated several major holidays, helped two of our children settle into college, and experienced a myriad of changes at church. It’s been a time filled with excitement and with a few significant health challenges. Yet through it all, God has been an ever-present source of help and strength.

Now, with the bulk of those experiences behind us, it is time to begin writing again. I’ve missed the opportunity to share my thoughts, and I’ve missed the opportunity for all of the creativity that comes with sharing with all of you. As we journey together further into this New Year, I look forward to all that God has in store.

Today is the day to celebrate love and those we love. It will be marked with cards, chocolate, flowers, and numerous other gifts. Some of these will be purchased today, on the way home. People who procrastinated, or simply forgot, will run out to find something to show just how much they love that special someone in their lives.

I hope that last sentence sounds wrong to you, because it is. Thinking that a last minute scramble to buy anything that makes it look like we care falls a little short on actually caring. I would love to tell you that I’ve never done this, but that would be somewhat disingenuous. Truthfully, more than once I waited to the last minute, or forgot. I would like to tell you I was justified in those circumstances, but that would be equally untrue.

Loving is an action and it requires intentionality. More than just a feeling of affection, love is a choice to offer unconditional acceptance and compassion. We decide to love, and we make that decision again and again. This is where intentionality comes in. We ought not to try to slide by on yesterday’s decisions and actions, instead, we should reaffirm our love in word and deed every opportunity we find. Just as there is a large gap between finding time and making time for things, there is an equally large chasm between finding opportunities to show our love and intentionally planning to do so.

As you celebrate the gift of love today, and every day, may you do so with passion and intention. May the those you love never need to question your heart as they see your love in action, and may the world see the awesome power of the gift of love from a God who is love in you.

Happy Valentines Day

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]]> Strengthening the Core of Love http://thinkingfaithcafe.com/2012/02/13/strengthening-the-core-of-love/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000 http://thinkingfaithcafe.com/2012/02/13/strengthening-the-core-of-love/ This is the month our culture turns its attention to the celebration of the gift of love. Special dinners, chocolates and other special gifts become symbols of our emotions as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. While some may say it is little more than a holiday created to sell more cards and gifts, at least there is a moment when we pause to reflect on the […]

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]]> This is the month our culture turns its attention to the celebration of the gift of love. Special dinners, chocolates and other special gifts become symbols of our emotions as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. While some may say it is little more than a holiday created to sell more cards and gifts, at least there is a moment when we pause to reflect on the blessing of love in our lives and in the world.

Thankfully, as Christians, we do not limit our celebration of love to one day, or one month every year. We know that it is love that exemplifies the heart of our life of faith. After all, the Bible tells us that God is love, and that God loved the world so much that he sent Jesus to save the world and bring us back into right relationship with God. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he said to love God with everything we have and are, then he said we should love others as we love ourselves. Love is at the core of our Christian life.

These days, there is a lot of talk about, “strengthening our core.” Now, when the culture uses this term, the reference is to our physical core, those muscles at the center of our body. When these muscles are stronger, then our whole body is stronger, which is why there is such a growing emphasis on improving our physical health in this area. Likewise, when we strengthen the core of our faith, our whole spiritual experience is strengthened.

When we make Jesus Christ the foundation of our lives and allow his amazing love to have its way in us, we live more fully in the image of Christ and we make a more significant impact on our family, our community and the world. Love is at the center and when our love is strong, so is our faith and witness. Love is the greatest test of our walk with Christ.

In 1 John 4:7-8 we read, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love, does not know God for God is love.” These are powerful words! If we know God, we will be people who love, and if we do not love, we do not know God! What a test!

While the world around us is celebrating a annual festival of love, may it be a reminder for us that every day is a celebration of God’s love in our lives and through them as well. So, know that you are loved by the Love of the universe, and remember that it is that love that flows through you in witness to the world.

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