Your First Love

LOVE

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤

I have to say that I’m a little excited. For the first time in a long time, I am in a happy, healthy, stable relationship with a man that I love and who shows me every day that I am loved in return. It’s pretty amazing…love; and as I sit here this morning pondering the notion, I can’t help but think about my First Love…the One who taught me what it is to truly love and be loved, unconditionally, in return. I even brought out one of my favorite love letters that He wrote to me. In it, He tells me…

“I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

Sigh…Isn’t He dreamy? 🙂 ❤

In all seriousness, I must admit that every single time that I read this verse it touches my heart and makes it swell. He…the Creator of the universe…LOVES flawed, imperfect, frustrating ME…with an EVERLASTING love… It will never end! His love is boundless! And the reality is that no other love on this earth will ever compare to the love that God has for each and every one of us…a love that is endless and impenetrable. NOTHING can get in its way…neither life nor death, height nor depth, nor anything in all creation can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

And so…whether you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day today or not…whether you are single and searching, single and satisfied, in a dating/courting relationship, or a veteran spouse…whether you are contemplating love or just trying to ignore it altogether…take a moment today to celebrate your First Love…the God of all creation, who loves YOU beyond measure. You. Are. Loved.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Song: First Love by Kirk Franklin

Agape Love

LOVE

(I thought I’d re-post this one from 2014 in honor of Valentine’s Day)

Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Reflections: Have you ever felt truly loved? I’m not talking about that fly by night, flash in the pan, fleeting love; I’m talking about everlasting, AGAPE LOVE, where you are seen and known and cherished unconditionally and beyond measure…the type of love that, in reality, you can only find in the heart of your Heavenly Father…

Our souls long for this love, our hearts yearn for this connection; but far too often…

We seek it in all the wrong places

In a sea of blank faces

In the company of false friends

Winding up at dead ends…

…And ultimately, we end up feeling unfulfilled, because THAT love—that soul-fulfilling, heart-wrenching, mind-blowing, never-ending love—is only available in one place: the arms of our almighty God.

As Valentine’s Day draws near, and we are surrounded by people consumed by the pursuit of love, know that you don’t have to look far to find it. You have only to look to the Father, who waits for you with open arms and an open heart to hold you close, take away your cares, and give you peace and love that surpasses anything you’ve ever known.

Happy (Almost) Valentine’s Day! (You are truly loved!)

Song: How He Loves Us by New Breed (Original)/How He Loves Us by Anthony Evans (Remake)

Be Mine…

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

1 John 4:6 – “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.”

Reflections: Have you ever seen those little candy hearts they give out during the Valentine’s Day season? They’re all over the stores these days. I saw one the other day that said, “Be Mine,” and it made me think…Isn’t that what God is asking us? To be His? He wants you to be His—His child, His heir, His hands, His heart…And He doesn’t ask for much in return, just all that you are and everything you have to give. 🙂 I know, I know…It may sound like a lot, but it’s a small price to pay for what you get in return—God’s salvation, His guidance, His wisdom, His peace, His joy, His LOVE…for eternity…Shall I go on?

God has already shown us His love in a million different ways, no more so than when He sacrificed His heart…His son…for us; and now, in return, He wants only to take our broken and battered hearts and pour into them a love that makes them whole. He wants to claim our weary souls and soothe them with peace, comfort, and rest. He wants to care for us, protect us, teach us, grow us, and above all, He wants us to know that we are L-O-V-E-D beyond measure.

God’s amazing, agape love (love unconditional) is the model to which all other love should aspire. Knowing God’s love is the key that unlocks your ability to truly love and be loved by others.  This Valentine’s Day, know that you already have at least one valentine, and He has already given you His heart. Will you give Him yours in return?

Happy Valentine’s Day! (And remember, YOU ARE LOVED!!)

Song: Love is All by Je’Kob

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright!

Be Mine….

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

LOVE (Part 3)

1 John 4:6 – “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.”

Reflections: Have you ever seen those little candy hearts they give out during the Valentine’s Day season? They’re all over the stores these days. I saw one the other day that said, “Be Mine,” and it made me think…Isn’t that what God is asking us? To be His? He wants you to be His—His child, His heir, His hands, His heart…And He doesn’t ask for much in return, just all that you are and everything you have to give. 🙂 I know, I know…It may sound like a lot, but it’s a small price to pay for what you get in return—God’s salvation, His guidance, His wisdom, His peace, His joy, His LOVE…for eternity…Shall I go on?

God has already shown us His love in a million different ways, no more so than when He sacrificed His heart…His son…for us; and now, in return, He wants only to take our broken and battered hearts and pour into them a love that makes them whole. He wants to claim our weary souls and sooth them with peace, comfort, and rest. He wants to care for us, protect us, teach us, grow us, and above all, He wants us to know that we are L-O-V-E-D beyond measure.

God’s amazing, agape love (love unconditional) is the model to which all other love should aspire. Knowing God’s love is the key that unlocks your ability to truly love and be loved by others.  This Valentine’s Day, know that you already have at least one valentine, and He has already given you His heart. Will you give Him yours in return?

Happy Valentine’s Day! (And remember, YOU ARE LOVED!!)

Song: Love is All by Je’Kob

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright!

Everlasting Love

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness.’”

Reflections: It’s that time of year, again! That time when hearts and minds turn to love and the celebration of all the things that make it grand… 🙂 People have a wide variety of opinions about Valentine’s Day—while some look forward to taking part in this time-honored day of romance and gift giving, others see it as a commercialized holiday that simply serves as a boon for the retail industry. Whichever camp you fall into, though, it’s hard to deny that there is something to be said for taking a moment to acknowledge and celebrate LOVE. Whether you’ve enjoyed 50 blissful years of marriage or are still waiting for God to bring your mate into you life, we all have at least one great love in our lives that we can celebrate each and every day…

In one of my favorite Bible verses (Jeremiah 31:3), the Lord tells us, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving kindness.” I smile every single time I read this verse, and my heart melts a little. I am loved…with an everlasting love…AND SO ARE YOU! 🙂

No matter who else is in your life–regardless of whether you are giddy in love, recovering from heartbreak, comfortable in a long-lasting relationship, getting to know someone new, or enjoying your singleness–YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD. You are the apple of his eye (Psalm 17:8, Zechariah 2:8). When He created you, He drew every line and curve with loving kindness. He knew you, and LOVED you…flaws and all…before you even knew yourself.

You will never, ever, in your entire lifetime, find another love like that. And that love, my friends, is surely something to celebrate.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY to you all! Know that you are well and truly loved, today and every day!

Shine Bright!

Song: Love Song by Canton Jones

Thoughts or reactions? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!