ilove

First let me share that my header, though simplistic, is a very special picture to me.  The heart is made from the hands of my daughter and nephew during their beach trip last year.  As I attempted to find a picture that best represented me, I kept coming back to it.  Then my SIL gave me pointers and voila……..It kind of got me to thinking…….

Love is obviously not an underused word in our society.  We love food, we love movies, we love clothing and sports and vehicles and gadgets and nature and on and on and on.

Did I mention flowers and pets and hairstyles and places and people and everything .........and also nothing?  We love that we love and sometimes we hate that we love.  It is both an over and under used word.

Me?  Well, I love that I AM a Love.  No, I am not saying that I am in love (but I am) and I am not saying that I am love (obviously only God IS LOVE) but, I am A Love.  And quite frankly, I LOVE that I am a Love.  I guess anyone who knows me would already know that though.  Have been married for nearly 19 years and still I tend to use or refer to myself as Love, because at my core I am.  My husband gets it and my kids get it so they aren’t upset or threatened by my overindulgence in my name.  The bottom line is……I was born a Love and a Love I will be always be.  But what does that even mean?

Hmmmm, L.O.V.E.........................It is more than just a name.  It is more than a word at the end of my family name……..more than a feeling……….  Love should be a verb….something that we show by our actions rather than something we say with our mouths.  God said, “I LOVE YOU” and He showed us His LOVE by sending His Son Jesus to the cross to die in our place.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

True love demands action………(John 15:13 New Living Translation) “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Would we, could we, or do we love as He commands.  Unfortunately, I would have to say that I don’t.  Oh, I want to…..and sometimes I am so “proud” when I feel I have been able to.  But I don’t Love, at least not always.  By the way, the call to Love doesn’t just include our friends and family.  Yes, I know, this one causes me to swallow hard too.  But He also says in Luke 6:27 (New Living Translation) “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.”

Now I am really wondering if I should have ever brought this whole love thing up.  Well, not really, after all, I love….well….love!

I still want to LOVE my name (don't judge me okay) but I do want to live up to it too.  I want to love others as Christ loves me.  I don't want to simply SAY "I love you" I want to LIVE "I love you!"

My new goal with a modern flare

ilove