Words of Love

     Words of love are very special. They can affect you deeply and even to cause you to change your life in a positive way. There are different types of love: Ludus - Playful Love, Eros - Romantic Love, Philia - Friendship Love, Storge - Familial Love, Agape - Unconditional Love and Devotional Love. There are more different types of love that I did not name.      
     When we are worshiping and praying to God, we are using our devotional love. Devotional love is selfless, spiritual, unconditional with deep commitment and reverence. It is faith, sacrifice and loyalty without end. Through our devotion to God, we cultivate a heart of agape love, love that is unconditional and mirrors God's love for us. 
     When we try to make a new connection to someone that we like, we will use Ludus - Playful Love. It is flirting, light-hearted teasing and just having fun. It is playfulness in a relationship. After Ludus Love comes Eros - Romantic Love which is romance, passion, desire and attraction. Your love may even deepen and become Agape Love. Agape love is selfless, sacrificial that involves forgiveness, respect and a commitment to the well-being of the other, even through difficult times.
     Our love for our family is Storge Love. Storge Love is a natural love with deep affection between parents and children, sisters and brothers. It is instinctive affection that arises from shared history and deep connection. 
     The love between friends is called Philia Love. Philia Love is friendship love. It is a platonic, respectful and deeply caring type of love. This love creates a trust and loyalty between friends.  
     The love that we have within us is from God. 1 John 4:7,8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." God put the ability to love within us. We can express that love through our words and by our actions. Our words of love can reach out to God and to our family. The love that is within us can go beyond our family and touch others in a comforting way. Our words of love can warm people's hearts and maybe change them for the better.

               

Enduring Our Hardship

     Life can give you much happiness but it also can give you much sadness. You can try to prepare for every disaster however life has away of coming at you in a unexpected way. I do not think that anybody is totally protected from the hardships that life will sometimes bring. We just have to hang on and endure until our life becomes a little bit more livable. We have to hold tight to our hope that tomorrow will be a better day. Romans 12:12 says "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
     When hardship happens, we may find our strength has weaken because of our sadness. In times of disaster, we do not have to rely on our strength only, we can rely on God's. Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." We can put our hope in God and that hope becomes our strength. He is our portion meaning he is our hope and happiness. He is the one that we can rely on to help us through our troubles.
     When we are at our lowest, we may think that God might have abandon us. God said in Isaiah 41:10 "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." We can see that God will not abandon us but he will help us in our time of need. Even if we are at our lowest, we must not be overcome by our doubts but to hold strong to our faith in God because he cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7 "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
    We can endure our hardship with God on our side because he gives us hope. His Holy Spirit can strengthen us when we feel that we can no longer endure the suffering. We can trust in the Lord to hear our prayers.  Psalm 22:24 "For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him." Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." When we are enduring a hardship we can count on God to be by our side. We can count on God to hear our prayers and to help us in our time of need.  

We Use Our Hands

     We used our hands throughout our lives in doing many things whether or not it was wrong or right. In creation our hands were design by God in the very beginning to do his will. As sons and daughters of God, we were allowed to live upon the land and work in it's fields. We were allowed to build houses and have families. However man discovered something else he could do with his hands taught by the action of Cain. It was Cain who killed his own brother Abel. Cain brought murder into our world. We have a choice, we can use our hands in doing good according to the will of God or we can use our hands just like Cain to bring more suffering into our world.
     Our hands follow the will of our heart. If our heart is good we will do good, if our heart is evil we will do evil. It is clear to me if sin rules over us, our hands will follow sin's desire. Let not our own anger or hatred blind us as to what our own hands are doing. Let peace rule over your heart so that you can see clearly the right way in how to use your hands. Brothers and Sisters let God guide your hands so that you may succeed in accomplishing his will across the land.
     We can use our hands to build and to create what we imagine. We use our hands to write our words. We can use our hands to play musical instruments so to make music that moves our soul. With our hands, we can climb up mountains or we can walk through the valleys. We can do many wonderous things with our hands. The same hands that build huge structures, can also comfort those who are hurting. We can use our hands to do large things or we can do the smallest things to make a difference in our life and in the lives of others.
     I cannot see what everyone is doing with their hands. I only know what my hands are doing. I know that I can choose not to harm anyone. I know that I can use my hands to do good instead of evil. My hands are under my control. I am willing to pledge the use of my hands in God's service in order to bring in his peace and his love into our world. If there are people who are spreading chaos and terror, my hands will not be apart of it. I will not help to bring in more hatred into our world. I want the rule of our Lord and Savior and not someone who uses his hands to do evil. May God help us in showing us how to use our hands so to show our love just like the way Jesus showed his love to us.
     

I Need to Keep My Mind Open to Change

     I need to walk a new path. The path that my mind needs to awaken from it's slumber. My mind is to resistant to change from the years of thinking the same way and doing the same things over again. I must learn to do things more differently. For example, if a person is trying to help me out of their kindness, I must not view it as pity. I must not think that they are looking down on me. I must just thank them for their kindness and listen to any advice that they might have to offer. You might not mean to hurt other people's feelings but that is why you must keep your mind away from negative thinking and be open to making a change.
     If I become to rigid and inflexible, how can I be taught anything new? How can people get through to me and show me that there is another way to look at life. How can there be any mental growth if I ignore the help that people may want to give to me. I must not say to myself that I know everything because there are people who know a whole lot more than I do. I must be humble enough to accept their help if I need it. I must not think to myself that I need to stand alone and to be alone, when there are good people out there who can also sympathize with my situation. There are a lot of people in the world who are not out to get you. They are actually kind and caring. 
      Please God, let me not miss out on what life has to offer because I was to stubborn in my ways. Let me not misinterpret people's actions in a negative way. Help me to let down my guard just a little so as to invite good people into my life. I know even if I change a little it can greatly improve my life. Lord, help me to keep my mind open so I do not miss out on what is good for me. Help me even if I do not want any help for you know me better than I do. Lord, thank you in your name I pray, Amen. 

One More Day Lord

     I stand before you as a humble servant. I am undeserving of your kindness, your sacrifice and your love. Who am I to asked you for one more day? One more day Lord to see the blue sky and the clouds above. One more day to feel the sun's warmth on my skin. One more day to hear the voices of the people that I love. Lord, I want one more day so I can receive love and to give it back again. I want one more day to see people smile and hear their laughter. I want one more day to feel joy and celebrate life.
     Lord, am I asking to much? I know Lord, your will comes before my will and I will always say, "Let your will be done." However, if it is time for me to die today then I want to ask you for one more day. I want to ask you for one more day so I can enjoy all the creation that you and your Father have made. It is all so beautiful, the oceans, the sunrises, the sunsets, the woodlands and the mountains. There are majestic waterfalls to look at. There are different kinds of animals on the land and fish in the sea. In the night sky there is the moon and the stars. It would take a lifetime to see it all so Lord this is why I am asking you for one more day.
     One more day Lord to sing your praises and to give you honor and to do as much good as I can in your sight. Who am I without you Lord just a pile of dust upon the ground. I am only alive because of the breath of life that your Father gave to us. I am only alive because of the mercy and the love that you have shown. One more day Lord so as to experience your goodness and righteousness. One more day to read about our future in your Kingdom. One more day I will have spending with my brothers and sisters rejoicing over all that you have done.
     Who is to say how much time I have but only you know. If I do have only a little time left then give me one more day to say what needs to be said and to do what needs to be done. Let me leave this life with no regrets. One more day with you Lord and I am happy because you are always with me. In having one more day there is so many ways that I can spend my time. I can spend my time with my family and friends or do other things that make me smile. In having one more day Lord is a day that I will truly cherish.