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| God is LOVE! |
Faith Barista Blogger Bonnie Gray inspired and challenged me last year in her January blog to come up with "your one word" for the year?. For 2011 it was "confidence" for me which I sorely needed after a few health scares. Confidence was coincidentally (I think not) Bonnie's word, too!
So here we are in 2012! Bonnie offers her annual challenge again.
http://www.faithbarista.com/2012/01/one-word-for-2012-a-faith-dare/
See what her word is for this year!
Mine is "LOVE" if you could not guess from the John 3:16 scripture. I crafted a breath prayer (a future post for sure) many years ago, that is "Father, let me know and show and your LOVE." I say this quietly to myself throughout the day. That is what I hope to do in 2012, to show LOVE in every situation and person I face this year. I am to LOVE God (Deut. 6:5)! I love Jesus for He is my Lord and Savior (Rom. 5:8)! I am to love as God LOVEs (Eph. 5:2)! I am to LOVE in the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, in the hope and in the despair. May I LOVE from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5).
I hope to show LOVE to my husband and children (1 John 3:18) - they get the best and the worst of me at times. May I look at them with LOVE in ALL situations (1 Pet. 4:8). I hope to show LOVE to my extended family and friends - sometimes I have opposing views with these LOVEd ones but that does not mean that I can't LOVE them even if we don't agree (Rom. 13:10). It has taken me a long time to realize this! Sometimes, I get it right and sometimes, I don't and that is okay! God still loves me in spite of my failings.
Probably one of the easiest groups to show LOVE to is our pets (Matt. 6:26)! Aren't they precious? Even if I am gone for 10 minutes or 10 hours I get a joy-filled greeting from them like no other! Help me, Lord, to LOVE them even when they eat 2 dark chocolate candy bars and our family stays up basically the whole night to make sure they are okay!
I am President of our women's group at my church this year. A daunting task for sure--one that I do not feel qualified for but God equips the called, amen?! I hope to show LOVE to the women in our church family in ways that are meaningful to each of them (Rom. 12:10, Heb. 13:10)! Lord, help me talk less and listen more...
I hope to show LOVE to those running for office as this is a huge political year - some say the most important ever (1 John 4:7). May I not trivialize any part of it. I hope to know the issues and how the votes were cast but more than that, I hope to love the people whom have agreed to serve God and others (1 Cor. 12:31). May I show God's LOVE for them, too.
Lastly, I hope to show LOVE to the least and the lost (John 13:34). It's been said 'No Jesus = No peace, Know Jesus = Know Peace'! Help me to not be so self-centered or stuck-up that I miss those opportunities that God has placed before me to be His hands and feet (Phil. 1:9)! Help me, Lord, to LOVE more and hate less.
So what's your one word this year? Tell me yours. Mine is LOVE (Eph. 3:17)! God LOVEs you and so do I (1 Thes. 3:12)! Here's to a LOVEly 2012!
