A Definiton of Love...

Love is… 

After four years of raising my mini-me, God blessed me with another boy! Pray for my wife now. There is a lot of testosterone and unbridled flatulence. Ha!

Although the boys are in the majority, she still runs things.

Somehow I figured that since I was such a pro at raising the first child, the second would be a cakewalk.

Not so much.

One evening, the baby was giving the fat lady at the opera a run for her money. Despite my best efforts, I could not get the curtain to close and that ear-piercing cry to end. Then, I relaxed, got up from the couch, and held him closer to me while lapping our living room.

It worked! It was as if all he needed was to be held more securely and carried from his place of discomfort.

Love is easy to say yet difficult to define. Trying to hold an absolute definition is challenging. It’s like grabbing a fist full of sand and attempting to not lose a granule.

Love is worth the effort.

There is a story of a young boy that asked his father, “Is it more beneficial to love or to be loved?” The father thought for a second then replied, “Ask a bird.” The boy gave his dad a bewildered look. The dad added, “Ask the bird, which of its wings is more beneficial.”

1 John 4:7-12 The Message (MSG)

God Is Love

7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

As we near the end of the month dedicated to love…here are my thoughts:

1.     Love is action

In love, we should always work to refine and build on what we love. Whether your love is for an individual or an activity, if you love it, you will constantly work on it.  It likes a ship. Ships are made to move and take you places. If your relationSHIP, friendSHIP, companionSHIP, has stagnated – you may need to abandon ship or at least take a second look at the propeller. What is driving your love?

2.     Love is honesty

Feelings fade… If you can love them or it when no one else notices, you probably have a good thing going.

3.     Love is obedience

There are rules to love. Those rules come with examples of how to love properly. 
1 John 4:19 New Living Translation (NLT)

19 We love each other[a] because he loved us first.

God will not ask you to do MORE for someone else than He has done for YOU!

4.     Love is sacrifice.

God gave His son. Jesus gave His Life. What are you willing to give? Great Love requires great work. We must be able to give as much as we want to receive.

GOD IS LOVE!

Remember that God loves you in any state that you are in. His love is not predicated on your actions. You had him before you could say hello. Nevertheless, it is your responsibility to cultivate that love. Spend time with Him. Learn how to love through Him. Then, like jumper cables, connect Him to what matters in your life and turn the key!

#loverocks

Empty and Needy...

Empty...

John 4:1-29

Have you ever been thirsty? Not just, “Oh…I could go for a drink.” I’m talking about cottonmouth, middle of a marathon, outside chasing the kids in the summer, end of a hot yoga class, two-a-day football practice thirty!

Now imagine being at that place of extreme thirst and only receiving enough water to partially sustain you. 

We often expend extreme amounts of energy not only building thirst but also looking for ways to cure that thirst. Whatever our particular thirst may be, our efforts typically yield temporary pleasure for our unrelenting need… 

Imagine this particular time, your desire returns at the same intensity but now someone asks you to share from your private source of sustenance. 

SHARE???

The bible tells a story of a nameless woman who made a solo trip in the middle of the day. Her simple mission was to retrieve water and momentarily escape her reality. Yet someone meets her there!

We can escape everything but the presence of Jesus Christ...

Through her conversation with Christ we discover that she is mentally, emotionally, and physically empty. 

Women in that time gathered water in groups, she chose to travel alone at an unusual time.

She has had several husbands. Despite the circumstance of her multiple marriages – that’s a lot of love given away…

She is carrying an empty water pot. There is assumedly nothing left in her home.

At this dry place, Jesus says share. 

How do you share from an empty vessel…

Jesus says I know who you are and I understand how you feel – your temporary was convenient but with me it's forever. I am the “more than enough” you need.

She could have ignored the words of Christ, but something clicked .

A vessel perpendicular to the source cannot get filled - in order for that vessel to receive anything - it has to be lowered/humbled...

Take note of your down days. You are being positioned to receive! 

“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?””

John 4:28-29 NKJV

I believe that the woman's encounter with Christ changed the rest of her life and the lives of countless others. Now she could share without fear of running empty. 

If you are in an empty, dry, or lonely place I know a man. He is sitting at a well ready to replenish and restore you. Put down your source for gaining temporary joy and receive from a well that won't dry. God can give you an inner fulfillment that supersedes your needs!

#GodRocks 

Shadows!!! (Stop, drop, and...)

Shadows!

Just before I closed my eyes for the evening, the phone rang. Late night phone calls rarely bring great news and this was no exception. The caller ID listed the call as unknown. I reeled with even greater alarm. It was a voicemail from the school district that my son attends. A district wide threat was made via e-mail that promised extreme violence without specification of campuses.

The threat came on the hills of threats towards school districts in California and New York as well as the multi-sight attack in Paris, France.

Psalm 23:4New King James Version (NKJV)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

When you really think about everything that is going on in our local, national and global existence, we are constantly threatened with life suffocating circumstances.

If the threat doesn’t take you out, the anxiety over the threat will cause you to contemplate quitting.

In Psalm 23, David the Psalmist gave guidance on how to handle life’s death threats.

Threats are like shadows. Many of them are superficial or lack the substance to do anything substantial. I am not diminishing the fact that shadows can be intimidating, but I am saying that small subjects cast considerable yet innocuous shadows. I read that no one has ever been bitten by a shadow….

We have dark spots in life. The moments are scary and intimidating. But, like the best friend that screams with you on the big roller coaster, holds your hand on the airplane, or walks you through the halls on your first day of school – you have an eternal companion for your shadowy circumstances.

Although you can’t physically see God beyond his outstanding creations, you can find solace in your dark spots. An example of everything you will go through or can avoid is found in the Bible. It is your ultimate teacher’s manual for the open book test called life.

Last week, I asked my son to retrieve something from my bedroom. The room was dark and what I needed was in the back. I decided to follow him and see if he would be successful. After receiving his instructions, my son ran to the room and dropped to his hands and knees before entering. He could see enough to get to his destination but wasn’t tall enough to add sufficient light. So, instead of abandoning his purpose from fear of the shadows or fall over the room’s obstacles, he dropped down and eased his way through.

When you can’t run – walk.

When you can’t walk – crawl.

God has your hand and the moment you drop down to acknowledge His guidance – You will more readily recognize that He will guide you. Instead of fearing the shadows, have faith in the Healer, the Guide, the Comforter, the Protector, the Savior, and YOUR FRIEND.

My son went to school and came home safely – Thank You God!

Perfect blindness...

It was the second round of a highly anticipated fight - UFC 193 in Melbourne. Two undefeated champions with pride, respect, and titles on the line were relentlessly fighting. Suddenly, Holly "The Preacher's Daughter" Holm rocked Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey with a kick to the side of the head. Ronda dropped to the canvas and Holly approached to finish the fight. The ref stepped in and the match was over. The feeling of shock filled the arena and smothered social media. How could this super-woman get caught by a kick to the face?

In a recent article, Ronda stated that although it will take some time to rehab her injuries - a rematch is a no brainer. She will fight again!

This fight made me consider the unexpected face-plants and traps that we experience. Understanding that we are created in God's image and that we are supposed to seek God first regarding everything we do - does that nullify us from falling? I've been there...assuming I knew it all. Life sent a flooring kick and smashed the canvas against my face.

Matthew 5:45New Living Translation (NLT) In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

Even in your attempts to live perfectly - that does not preserve you from the pain of falling. Life is full of unexpected occurrences that knock us off our feet. Traps happen to the best of people. There will come a time when you will be CAUGHT off guard. Its not your fall that matters - it is your faith in Who can get you up and set you free.

1 John 4:14New Living Translation (NLT)  Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

It is a blessing to know that your God sent His only Son to be your savior and your healer! Despite the color of your skin, the size of your bank account, the extent of your mistakes, or the depth of your wounds - YOU HAVE A SAVIOR. You will get up from the canvas and you will fight again.

In closing, there is a super cool selfie circulating the internet. Two Canadians found a majestic bald eagle caught in a trap. They saved the eagle from the trap, but before letting it go, they took a picture with it.

Its kinda funny when you think about it.

One of an eagle's most profound features is its eyesight. An eagle has two foveae or centers of focus. This gives the bald eagle ability to see simulataneously in front and to the side of them.

With nearly human sized eyes, the bald eagle can spot its prey from an altitude over 1000 feet. That's like having multiplied perfect vision and a picture better than 4K television.

Yet, even with perfect sight - it was blind to the trap. And, the eagle's freedom came from an unexpected source.

Don't be surprised when the very people you expected to be against you end up aiding you. God sees you in your fallen state and He has prepared your way of escape.

I know you will get up again - I know you will fly again - I know you have a savior - and I know HE will use your circumstance for your good!

The same canvas floor that my face felt a few years ago is now under my feet. I'm up and fighting - you can too!

The Deep End

Life is full of “deep end” moments. Those are the moments you dive into knowing that you are uncertain of how you can stand. Even if your step off the platform is somewhat calculated, there is still an element of fear. It’s called uncertainty. I question whether every move that we make is absolute. There are times when you close your eyes and just hope for the best. Sometimes you sink and sometimes you swim.

If you dive in then come up with ease and leisurely swim to the side, this post isn’t for you. But, for those who have dove in and came up gasping for air and beating the water wildly, keep reading.

Romans 5:3-5New King James Version (NKJV)

3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I made a huge leap a few years back and assumed I could come up swimming. Unfortunately, I have been swallowing water and grabbing for weights instead of ways to survive. However, a story today has given me a glimmer of hope.

Reece Whitley, a 15 year-old kid from Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania was just named Sports Illustrated Sportskid of The Year, as a super swimmer. He holds five national age group records and his swimming times are fast enough to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. That’s now but read what he said got him to this point.

“I failed that deep-water test the first time I did it. So I told my mom that night and she enrolled me in lessons the next week and this is what happens.” – Reece Whitley

Proverbs 11:14New King James Version (NKJV)

14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;

But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

When we fall or fail in the deep ends of life, it is important that we get up and get proper swimming instructions.

I encourage you to not only have confidence regarding your deep end situations but also seek the safety of good instruction. Your success is in whom you seek. Seek God first then have Him show you individuals who can properly guide you.

Swim with good teaching and great tenacity.

Reece Whitley - https://gma.yahoo.com/swimming-record-holder-reece-whitley-named-sports-illustrated-170608726--abc-news-topstories.html