Thursday, April 14, 2011
What is love?
So many people describe love as an emotion, and yes, of course it is. But guess what, Princess? It's only an emotion second. Love is an action first. Love is a choice that we make every day to everyone and everything we come into contact with. It's the decision to serve sacrificially and treat kindly and be abundantly patient with even the people we think we despise. If you don't believe me, think about it this way: You can't command an emotion. I can't say, "Be angry!" and have you honestly become angry at me, though you can pretend. But God commands us to love one another. That makes love more than an emotion. Another way of thinking about it: If someone tells you "I love you" but doesn't show it with his (or her, if you're a guy reading this!) actions, does it really mean anything? How do you feel? Is anything in your relationship with that person truly different? This is totally not to say that love isn't an emotion at all. I still get warm fuzzy feelings with the person I consider myself to be "in love" with. And it's definitely not to make the phrase "I love you" take on a less significant meaning. In fact, it's just the opposite. The fact that love is an action gives the term "love" even more of a meaning and shows us how deeply we need to care for someone in order to love them. It causes us to remember not to take the phrase "I love you" for granted and to understand what it means to love. You love someone through kindness, through patience, through willingly and sacrificially serving that person, even if you have no reason to do so. And the person God has in store for you in your future? He's the one who doesn't just say "I love you," but shows it, too!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Don't settle
This is just part of something I found while stalking one of my guy friends pages on Facebook...I thought it was cute, and I'm pretty sure he took it from a different source, I am not sure where, but I thought it was adorable and was wondering what you think, dear reader.
"Life only comes around once. Make sure you spend it with the right person...
Find a guy...
"Life only comes around once. Make sure you spend it with the right person...
Find a guy...
- Who calls you beautiful instead of hot
- Who calls you back when you hang up on him
- Who will stay awake just to watch you sleep
- Kisses your forehead
- Wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats
- Holds your hand in front of his friends
- Is constantly reminding you of how much he cares about you and how lucky he is to have you
- Turns to his friends and says, 'That's her!!'"
Saturday, September 4, 2010
More loving letters from God
I am still reading His Princess by Sheri Rose Shepherd. I seriously love this entire book, but for the sake of time, space, and copyright issues, I will quote merely a few letters here for you, dear Princess.
"My Princess...You don't have to fit in. I know you want to be accepted by others, but you were not made to fit in. You, My princess, were created to stand out. Not to draw attention to yourslf, but to live the kind of life that leads others to Me" (14).
"My Princess...Treasure your body. Your body is a gift from Me, and you are too valuable to let the wrong person open that gift...don't compromise My best for you for a moment of passion...the pain is not worth the pleasure" (33).
"My Princess...You are my true beauty. Your real beauty is a work of art--hand carved by Me. I have given you beautiful lips to speak words of life, beautiful eyes to see Me in everything, beautiful hands to help those in need, and a beautiful face to reflect My love to the world" (40).
"My Princess...Your life is a symphony. You are to Me a beautiful song...Stay in rhythm with My Spirit throughout the day, and I will make your life an irresistible medley that will linger like sweet perfume in the hearts of all that journey with you. Walk with Me in absolute surrender, and you will draw others to Me in a rhapsody of praise" (54).
"My Princess...I will heal your heart...I, too, have felt great pain, rejection and anger...I promise you, My Princess, that when you go through deep waters of great trouble, I will be with you" (73).
"My Princess...You are free to love...give those you love the freedom to fail...If you let Me take the disappointments that come with relationships, you will be free to give and recieve love unconditionally. Remember, My Princess, most people need love the most when they deserve it the least" (94).
"My Princess...You're never alone...Don't settle for less than My best..." (103).
"My Princess...Pray with power...Wherever you go, remember that part of your royal privilege is raising your voice to heaven" (111).
"My Princess...Give me control...Who knows you better than I do? I don't want you to keep exhausting yourself trying to rebuild your life after another shipwreck" (144).
"My Princess...Love is not a game...it is a gift. I know there are those who don't sincerely care for your heart, but I say that your heart is precious" (162).
"My Princess...You don't have to fit in. I know you want to be accepted by others, but you were not made to fit in. You, My princess, were created to stand out. Not to draw attention to yourslf, but to live the kind of life that leads others to Me" (14).
"My Princess...Treasure your body. Your body is a gift from Me, and you are too valuable to let the wrong person open that gift...don't compromise My best for you for a moment of passion...the pain is not worth the pleasure" (33).
"My Princess...You are my true beauty. Your real beauty is a work of art--hand carved by Me. I have given you beautiful lips to speak words of life, beautiful eyes to see Me in everything, beautiful hands to help those in need, and a beautiful face to reflect My love to the world" (40).
"My Princess...Your life is a symphony. You are to Me a beautiful song...Stay in rhythm with My Spirit throughout the day, and I will make your life an irresistible medley that will linger like sweet perfume in the hearts of all that journey with you. Walk with Me in absolute surrender, and you will draw others to Me in a rhapsody of praise" (54).
"My Princess...I will heal your heart...I, too, have felt great pain, rejection and anger...I promise you, My Princess, that when you go through deep waters of great trouble, I will be with you" (73).
"My Princess...You are free to love...give those you love the freedom to fail...If you let Me take the disappointments that come with relationships, you will be free to give and recieve love unconditionally. Remember, My Princess, most people need love the most when they deserve it the least" (94).
"My Princess...You're never alone...Don't settle for less than My best..." (103).
"My Princess...Pray with power...Wherever you go, remember that part of your royal privilege is raising your voice to heaven" (111).
"My Princess...Give me control...Who knows you better than I do? I don't want you to keep exhausting yourself trying to rebuild your life after another shipwreck" (144).
"My Princess...Love is not a game...it is a gift. I know there are those who don't sincerely care for your heart, but I say that your heart is precious" (162).
Sunday, August 29, 2010
You are ALWAYS somebody's baby
We have all sinned. Thank God for Himself, that He sacrificed Himself as Jesus in order to wash away our sins and bring us back into relationship with Him. But maybe you are still struggling; maybe you are weighed down by sin and the burdens it can bring. Maybe you feel weighed down by addiction or shame or insecurity or fear or depression or anything else. Princess, this is a reminder that no matter where you are in life, no matter how undeserving you may feel at times, anyone can come to the cross, because Jesus paid for everyone and for you.
Watch this video.
Remember, Princess, that you are always somebody's baby girl. It means no matter what you do, you are still your mother's baby girl. You are still your father's baby girl. And you are still God's baby girl. You are the King of Heaven's baby girl, and He loves you and always forgives. I pray that you always remember this, beautiful one, just as I also pray that any guys who may be reading this would remember that each girl is a mother, a father, and God's daughter.
Watch this video.
Remember, Princess, that you are always somebody's baby girl. It means no matter what you do, you are still your mother's baby girl. You are still your father's baby girl. And you are still God's baby girl. You are the King of Heaven's baby girl, and He loves you and always forgives. I pray that you always remember this, beautiful one, just as I also pray that any guys who may be reading this would remember that each girl is a mother, a father, and God's daughter.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Love letters from God
I am currently reading, among several other books that I need to finish, a book called His Princess by Sheri Rose Shepherd. I highly recommend this book!!! It is a fantastic little book with short little letters based off of Scripture, like love letters from God! It's awesome, and I obviously cannot copy whole passages due to copywrite reasons, but I wanted to share one of them with you that absolutely struck my heart and reminded me not only of how I used to be and how I used to feel but even who I am now and how I feel now. I think many of us can relate or in the future will be able to relate:
"My Princess...it's never too late.
It is never too late to turn to Me, My love. I didn't start a countdown when I gave you the choice between life and death. There is no time limit on My love for you. I am patient, yet I don't want you tomiss out on any precious time with Me. There is no place you have to go to find Me. Just cry out to Me, and I will come to you. Wherever you've gone My grace has followed you. Whatever you've done My blood has covered you. Come to Me today, and I will do more than repair the damage done...I will restore what was lost. Someday you will look back on this moment as the turning point that transformed you into the princess I called you to be. Now come to Me, and let's fall in love all over again.
Love,
Your King who knows no limits
'The LORD said: It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart.' Joel 2:12, CEV"
(Shepherd 16-17).
"My Princess...it's never too late.
It is never too late to turn to Me, My love. I didn't start a countdown when I gave you the choice between life and death. There is no time limit on My love for you. I am patient, yet I don't want you tomiss out on any precious time with Me. There is no place you have to go to find Me. Just cry out to Me, and I will come to you. Wherever you've gone My grace has followed you. Whatever you've done My blood has covered you. Come to Me today, and I will do more than repair the damage done...I will restore what was lost. Someday you will look back on this moment as the turning point that transformed you into the princess I called you to be. Now come to Me, and let's fall in love all over again.
Love,
Your King who knows no limits
'The LORD said: It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart.' Joel 2:12, CEV"
(Shepherd 16-17).
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Think about it
I was talking to a friend of mine on Facebook yesterday that I don't talk to that often because I don't get the chance to see him a lot at church. Somehow, the topic of conversation turned to dating and relationships, and he brought up a point that I feel is so important for everyone, myself included, to remember:
Girls, if the guy you are dating is not your future husband, he is someone else's. Treat him as such. You don't know if you will marry your boyfriend or not, which means always treat him as if he is someone else's future husband. Guys, if any are reading, the same applies for you. If the girl you are dating is not your future wife, she is someone else's. Treat her as such. You don't know if you will marry your girlfriend or not, which means always treat her as if she is someone else's future wife.
Have I messed up in this aspect? Sure. Have others messed up with me in this aspect? Sure. But it hurts terribly, and you don't want to be caught up in that sort of mess. It's better to be held blameless in this account than to know that you have hurt people or have been hurt. Thankfully, though, God forgives us all because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice!! Which for me, and for some of you, means that we can try again to keep ourselves and others safe.
How would you want someone else to treat your future spouse? You would be angry if you learned that someone had hurt your husband/wife, right? Don't be that person who does the hurting. Don't be the person who goes too far. Set boundaries early in your relationships so that you can prevent a mess.
For further reading, I suggest reading Pure Excitement by Joe White.
Girls, if the guy you are dating is not your future husband, he is someone else's. Treat him as such. You don't know if you will marry your boyfriend or not, which means always treat him as if he is someone else's future husband. Guys, if any are reading, the same applies for you. If the girl you are dating is not your future wife, she is someone else's. Treat her as such. You don't know if you will marry your girlfriend or not, which means always treat her as if she is someone else's future wife.
Have I messed up in this aspect? Sure. Have others messed up with me in this aspect? Sure. But it hurts terribly, and you don't want to be caught up in that sort of mess. It's better to be held blameless in this account than to know that you have hurt people or have been hurt. Thankfully, though, God forgives us all because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice!! Which for me, and for some of you, means that we can try again to keep ourselves and others safe.
How would you want someone else to treat your future spouse? You would be angry if you learned that someone had hurt your husband/wife, right? Don't be that person who does the hurting. Don't be the person who goes too far. Set boundaries early in your relationships so that you can prevent a mess.
For further reading, I suggest reading Pure Excitement by Joe White.
Friday, August 13, 2010
From God to you
A friend of mine shared this with me after a mutual friend of ours shared this with her:
"Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God to a Christian says, 'No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone, with giving yourself totally unreserved to Me, and with having an intensely personal and unique relationship with Me alone, discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found; only then will you be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with Me, exclusive of anyone else, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing, one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just wait. That's all. Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have gotten or that I've given them. Don't look at the things you want. You just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you. And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than anything you would dream of. You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready, until both of you are satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me; and this is the perfect love. And, dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love; I want you to see in flesh a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you.'"
"Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God to a Christian says, 'No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone, with giving yourself totally unreserved to Me, and with having an intensely personal and unique relationship with Me alone, discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found; only then will you be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with Me, exclusive of anyone else, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing, one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just wait. That's all. Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have gotten or that I've given them. Don't look at the things you want. You just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you. And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than anything you would dream of. You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready, until both of you are satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me; and this is the perfect love. And, dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love; I want you to see in flesh a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you.'"
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