Monday, May 7, 2012

All We Need is LOVE...

This week's blog cruise topic is, 
" What do you want your children to remember from their childhood?"

My answer is what I hope every parent wants for their children, and that is

Why choose love and not something else? 

Because all through the Bible, we see that the overarching message is LOVE, and the Bible is our family's primary "textbook."

"God is love." 1 John 4:8b


"For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten so that whosoever believes in him would not perish, but would have eternal life." John 3:16


God LOVES you.

Romans 8:37-39  
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When my children leave home, I want them to have on their minds that they are loved by the Lord, and I pray for each one of them that they come to a saving faith through Jesus Christ, and are fully committed to loving the Lord with all their hearts.


Galatians 2:20 
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.


This school year, both Firefly and Cowboy sincerely and sweetly asked Jesus to be their Savior, with full knowledge and intent of the implications of what they were doing.
Praise the Lord!!

Last school year, Ladybug asked Jesus into her heart.
Thank you, Jesus!

Both Tex and Bubba are Bible-believing, God's will-seeking, Jesus-defending Christians.
What a blessing!



What greater joy can there be but to know that your children will join you in eternity with the Lord??

"I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4

Always remember that...

Mommy and Daddy LOVE you.







Your brothers and sisters love you.








Nanny and Poppy LOVE you.


What a wonderful example of love...

Your whole family LOVES you.


"For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation."  

Psalm 100:5








Now, go love others.





Love each other...





1 John 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 






Love your family...




"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13  







 Love your friends...



As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 

You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
John 15:9-17 




Love your neighbors...



"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27





"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18 

"Be doers of the word, not hearers only..." James 1:22


And while you are doing all of those things, don't forget to...


Love Life...


Isn't it grand??



"Love each other deeply. 
Honor others more than yourselves.
 Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful. Share with God's people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes. Bless those who hurt you. Bless them, and do not call down curses on them. Be joyful with those who are joyful. Be sad with those who are sad. Agree with each other. Don't be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren't considered important. Don't think that you are better than others. Don't pay back evil with evil. Be careful to do what everyone thinks is right. If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can." Romans 12:10-18



AND
always remember to appreciate every moment of it
for you do not know when there will be no more moments 
left in a life to share...


Our sweet Bella, who died a year ago. 
We still miss her very much.

Dear Copper, who had such a brief life, 
but was loved so much by Bubba.

Our babies' tree, a memorial to our three precious little ones
who are waiting for us in heaven...we didn't have much
time with them before they were born into the arms of Jesus,
but we rejoiced over their every moment.

A dear friend, who is with Jesus now, in Heaven.


Praise God that Heaven awaits!!


Also, love God's marvelous creation...

Taken at the Creation Museum...


Rosie, the day she was born.

Honey and Rosie...our two baby ponies
born this year...what a blessing!


So much to explore...and much bounty to appreciate!


“Now if I believe in God's Son and remember that He became man, all creatures will appear a hundred times more beautiful to me than before. Then I will properly appreciate the sun, the moon, the stars, trees, apples, as I reflect that he is Lord over all things. …God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” — Martin Luther



Cowboy helping make more pretty dandelions...





Don't worry, bee happy!

First snow...What fun!!






Love learning...




LIFE is learning...




There is so much to see and do...




and love their country.


Finally, consider this...


I don't normally use "The Message" translation, but I liked how this laid everything out that we want our children to learn about love, especially the final verse.

The Way of Love

1 Corinthians 13


 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. 



   Love never gives up. 

   Love cares more for others than for self. 

   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. 

   Love doesn't strut, 

   Doesn't have a swelled head, 

   Doesn't force itself on others, 

   Isn't always "me first," 

   Doesn't fly off the handle, 

   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, 

   Doesn't revel when others grovel, 

   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, 
   Puts up with anything, 
   Trusts God always, 
   Always looks for the best, 
   Never looks back, 
   But keeps going to the end.


Taken in Silver City, Iowa

Love never dies. 
Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
 When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
 We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. 
But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: 
Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. 
And the best of the three is love.

Blessings,

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like Measuring Success God's Way,

Join us on Tuesday for the 
and see more posts discussing
"What is the one thing you want your kids
to remember from their childhood?"


1 comment:

JulieT said...

This is beautiful and a great reminder of the importance of feeling and showing love. Love is actually the only thing that lasts forever. Faith will end, hope will end, but love is eternal. Thanks for the inspiration!

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