Love Letters from the Bible...

As we celebrate "LOVE" this month, it's always wonderful to refresh our souls with God's word on the subject. Here are just a few of the nearly 400 scriptures (these from the New Living Translation) that give us just a glimpse at God's wisdom and truth on the subject of LOVE…

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices
whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

-1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7

"Jesus replied, 'The most important commandment is this: …The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.'"

-MARK 12:29-31

"So now I (Jesus) am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should LOVE each other."

-JOHN 13:34

"We LOVE Him, because He first loved us."

-1 JOHN 4:19

"Dear children, let's not merely say that we LOVE each other; let us show the truth by our actions."

-1 JOHN 3:18

"There is no greater LOVE than to lay down one's life for one's friends."

-JOHN 15:13

"Your LOVE for one another will prove to the world that you are my (Jesus') disciples."

-JOHN 13:35

"Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and LOVE-and the greatest of these is LOVE."

-1 CORINTHIANS 13:13

LOVE - The Gift That Keeps on Giving

By Robert H. Schuller

What is the secret of real joy? Christians know the answer—it's the love that bubbles up from deep within your heart and soul when you tear yourself loose from selfishness and bear the burdens of someone else, caring enough to share yourself with that person. Then love activates and gives you the results of joy.

So, LOVE is, indeed, the secret to real joy.

Each of us distinguishes ourselves as individuals. Some have special talents. Others attract friends easily. Still others accomplish amazing achievements. But Christians should all be distinguished by the love they give away. It should burst forth with such enthusiasm that it could never be hidden. It should be patient, kind, trustworthy, persevering.

You won't even have to tell people that you love Jesus Christ. You won't be able to keep it secret, because love will give you away!

Let God's Love Lift You UP!

By Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman

When children are learning to walk, to ride a bike, or to skate, they frequently fall, but they always get back up and try again. Children seem to have a resilience that we as adults sometimes lose because of life's "falls."

Recently, my husband Jim and I were visiting in Arrowhead, a California mountain resort where there is an Olympic ice-skating training facility. One day we went in, sat on a bench next to the ice, and just watched. I was amazed at the intrepid skaters of all ages— tiny little ones that looked to be no older than five years of age up to lanky teens. The girls twirled while the boys skated furiously.

Falls happened constantly, regardless of skating style, age, or gender. The glint of a skate as it hit the ice, hurled a skater into a twirl and soaring into the air...the skater sometimes landing gracefully, but just as often landing on a hip with a hard thud.

Not one of the young skaters ever cried. They always, always, always got back up, brushed off the ice, and courageously pushed off to try again.

What propelled these young athletic artists? Love of the sport and the dream of achieving a championship. Falling was simply part of getting where they wanted to be. It was an essential aspect of reaching their goal.

It has been a year of bumps and bruises. Setbacks have happened to all of us. None of us have been immune to the challenges that beset us. It's not been easy to get up day after day and keep on going, to push off again knowing we have as much chance of falling like a klutz as we do of landing a double Lutz.

Take a lesson from these young champions-in-the-making. Have you fallen? God has a hand out to help you get back on your feet. He is there to lift you up. He wants to pick you up and give you the courage to try again, to learn from your mistakes and soar—to be the star he created you to be. Let God's love lift you up over and over again. Push into your goal, your dream, your God-given destiny. God will never let you down!