Category: Christian love

Christian Life · Christian love · kindness · Uncategorized

You Did It For My Child…You Did It For Me

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For Me.jpg

During a recent text message with my daughter Whitney, she shared with me about the blessing her small group leaders are to her and her husband.  She said to me,

“They invited us over for dinner Friday night and we had a really great time!

I replied by saying,

I like these people!

That this dear couple would invest in the lives of my family means so much!  Because they extended that kindness to Paul and Whitney, it was like they had done it for me!  If you’re a parent, you understand that when someone reaches out in kindness to your child in a special way, it’s as though they were doing it directly to you, because it touches your heart.

Let’s put that thought on a spiritual plane – when you and I serve our Savior by living out the Christian life in practical ways, God says it’s as though we have done it to Him.

Matthew 25

For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

That could include:

  • Sharing a meal with others in your home
  • Spending time mentoring a younger woman
  • Opening God’s Word to encourage and teach
  • Dong a kind deed like serving the elderly, visiting the sick, or writing a card, providing for the poor.

These deeds don’t save us, but they show the world that we belong to God.  When we do any of these kinds of things in the name of Christ, God says it’s as though we are doing it directly for Him!

So, who will you reach out to today or this week?  Ask God to show you  who and how and then do it in Jesus’ name.  His Father’s heart will be touched by your actions.

What action has someone extended to your child that meant much to you?
What action could you do that will touch the heart of God?

Christian growth · Christian Life · Christian love · Dates · Family life · Husband · Love · Marriage · tongue · Uncategorized

Win the Argument

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My husband and I have been arguing again. You know how that goes. It’s over a topic we’ve discussed before – serving one another. The conversation went something like this:

Me – Let me do that for you.

Him – No, I already took care of it, but thank you.

Me – I can never seem to find a way to serve you: you always beat me to it! You do so much more for me than I do you.

Him – Hon, that’s not true! You do so much for me. Goodness, I couldn’t do what I do on a day without you!

Continue reading “Win the Argument” →

Christian love · Love

Let’s Show LOVE

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February 1st is tomorrow!! I’ve always loved this second month of the year.  Maybe it’s Valentine’s Day and the pink, and flowers and romance, or maybe it’s just that spring is a month closer!

The theme of this month is what?  I’d say LOVE and you might agree.

Sunday night a wonderful message was preached at my church regarding the command for believers to show LOVE.  It’s in the Scriptures over and over again.  Love one another. Do all things in love.  Serve one another in love.

Why?

By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.
John 13:35


The congregation of my church was reminded of the truth that it’s not necessary for us to die for others.  No, we are to live for them and we do that by loving them. “What would that look like?”

  • Taking a meal to someone
  • Letting someone sleep on your sofa until they could get back on their feet.
  • Helping someone financially.
  • Inviting someone for a cup of coffee.
  • Listening to a heavy heart about a burden they’re bearing.
  • Cleaning someone’s house.
  • Making a visit.

None of us can do all of that, but we can do something.  Something that would show Christ’s love.  What will you do to show others you love Christ?  I’m asking myself the same question even as I write this post.  

We must do it.  There’s enough of the enemy’s ugly tactics of division and sinfulness – let’s reach out with hands of compassion and the love of our Savior to show the world what LOVE REALLY looks like.

Has someone reached out to you in a loving gesture recently?  Have YOU reached out to show love?  What other ideas do you have as to how we can do this?

With love,

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Christian love · Family life · Women's roles

Hiding the wind

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backyard sky a

The storm that blew through our back patio left evidence of very strong winds. The porch swing was now in our neighbor’s yard. Chairs and outside decor was scattered in the grass and tall weeds across the road. We never saw the wind herself, of course, but its destruction left ugly reminders that she had passed our way.

As we stood at the door and watched the storm blow through, is it possible that we could have stepped outside and stopped the wind?

No way.

Proverbs 27:16 tells us that whoever can hide a contentious wife can also hide the wind. In other words, just as impossible as it would be to stop the wind, so it is impossible to stop a contentious woman from her unbridled actions. The next part of the verse also tells us it’s like oil slipping through fingers – you cannot stop it.

This descriptive picture is such a good warning to my own heart. I can cause much destruction in my home and in the lives of those around me if I don’t stop the contentions – the irritations – in my heart from being turned into actions and words.

May each of us guard our hearts and our tongues today so that when others around us hear our words and watch our lives, they won’t be fearful of the destruction left in their path, but they can rejoice that they were in our presence.

I love beautiful clear skies and sunny days! I pray that my influence in others’ lives will be that kind of refreshment, rather than the stormy winds that are dreaded and destructive!

We each need to ask ourselves if we are leaving devastation like the wind or delight like the sun (or perhaps we should ask those that spend time with us each day)!  We’ll need to listen with a humble heart and a willingness to change, if necessary. It wouldn’t do to blow up like an unpredicted storm!

With whom do you need to be especially careful ?  Ask the Lord to help you respond in love towards them today.

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Christian love · home · Home making · memories · refreshment at home

Happy Imperfections

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I’ll never forget the day we moved into our country home where we are now.  It had just been finished being built! We were moving into our very first brand new house!

It was surreal.

I wasn’t moving into someone else’s mess or used home that needed work – this one was new and perfect!

We had many strong men helping us on move-in day lifting, carrying and lugging all our possessions into our new abode.  One kind man set down a box in my kitchen and I began to slide it closer to the place where it would be unpacked.  His response echoes in my ears even today:

These hardwood floors will scratch up even by a box being slid across them; you better lift that instead.

I followed his wise advice, fearful of causing some imperfection to come to my new and perfect home.

Those words guided the careful application of pads to every chair, table, foot stool, and anything else that was going to be rubbing across the hardwood.  I couldn’t stand the thought of a scratch ruining the looks of my perfect kitchen, hallway or living room.

But alas and alack, over the four years that we have been here, it has happened.  What would that man say if he could see where a can of green beans fell in my pantry and dented the floor there on a day when I was preparing a meal?  Or the heels that have walked across the planks causing scratches, or the other little nicks and bumps that have happened just because people live here, visit here, eat here, spill here, and do life here?

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Perfection isn’t a word that would describe my home, but I’m good with that now.  I’ve come to see those scratches as reminders that people are more important than my perfect standard.  If we lived here alone there would be far less imperfections, but oh, the blessings of belly laughs, happy shedding of tears, playful frolic, nurturing visits, prayerful conversations and loving of souls that we would have missed!

Thank you, sir, for your good advice.  I’m grateful you shared that with me – I really am.  I’ll keep the pads in place and care for my home as a gift from the Lord, but when the marks are added to the hardwood, fingerprints to the glass, or smudges on the walls, I can smile instead of grimace at the happy remembrance of the people that have helped make memories – not imperfections.

Last week when I mopped the floor, I saw a scuff on the floor and started to sigh, but then was reminded of the truths that God has been teaching me about living more for people than perfection.  Instead of sighing, with every stroke of that Swiffer, I thanked God – by name – for the different people who had been in our home.  It made my heart so happy – happy for my perfectly wonderful memories made in my imperfect home.

Do you ever get caught up in wanting your home to look perfect, and feel frustrated that it isn’t? People are more important.  Look at the people, instead of the imperfections, and you’ll have the freedom to use your home to glorify God!

Refresh your heart about your home.

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