All you need is love...(a girl has got to eat)

The title is a tribute to all those Moulin rouge lovers out there (d) but it also has a meaning

Well, lately i have been giving you guys glimpses of my life but not really my heart. I've kind of been chewing on a lot lately. And it's been taking me awhile to process all of it and spit it out. So I apologize if its not very coherent and jumbled.

For over a month now the Lord has really been speaking to me regarding love. When Bryan and I got engaged we began looking for a verse to really focus our engagement and the wedding on and as I was with the Lord one day He continued to take me to passages of love. And yes we know weddings are all about love...but they truly are. Don't worry the love chapter won't be read at our wedding, but I have been meditating on the "love chapter" and really delving into our Father's love. The Lord has been showing me how central love is to the body and that without love everything else is in vain. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:1-4 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal, and though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing"

So often I think we get caught up in "doing" and seeking the deeper things of the Lord but just as Paul says here through inspirtation of the Holy Spirit, it profits us nothing if we have not love. Love is the central element in furthering the kingdom of God. The word also says "they will know they are mine by their love". Do we as a body love each other the way Christ loves each of us. Do we seek the good of others above our own good, are we quick to forgive the way christ is quick to forgive us. If we want to see the greater works of God we have got to start loving one antoher the way Christ loves us. Do we love our families, are we patient with them, kind and gentle. Paul says in 1 cor. 13:13 "And now abide, faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love."

I challenge us to love one another the way Christ loves each one of us. "...the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5 As a
believer the Holy Spirit has been given to us and according to this verse if we have the Holy Spirit the Love of God has been poured into our hearts which means that we have the divine ability to love people!

It is clear this is a message the Lord is speaking to our community because I am not the only one that the Lord is teaching this too. If we want to see a mighty movement of God in our generation we need to start by loving one another!!!!

To be continued...

Tradition

What is so wonderful about being around people who know you and love you and accept you. Every year around the end of October, beginning of November my family goes camping with 4 other families. This has been going on for 30 years! It began with my mom and her 4 best friends from college going camping every year to stay in touch. Now we are on to our 3 rd generation of children. The people I was among are so wonderful. We talked about the Lord worshiped together, laughed together, talked about life together, and just had fun in the beauty of Lake Martin. I can't even begin to explain how absolutely beautiful and wonderful it was. I was so excited about the weekend all last week and my expectations were completely fulfilled. I was encouraged in the Lord and got to have fun and laugh with some of the people I cherish the most in my life. The best part about it was that for the first time Bryan got to come with me. We have always had the rule that no friends or significant others could come unless you were engaged, and so finally Bryan got to come. He was welcomed into the group with love and of course our typical pranks =) I'll let you ask him about his initiation =). One day when I learn how to put pictures on this thing I'll put one up of our beautiful weekend! I am just so thankful for friendships and tradition because this weekend of every year is one of my favorite traditions ever!!