have i told you lately...?

So my brother lent me (yet another!) cd of his, which I am extremely grateful for. Some guy he saw at Clemson his freshman year--who is really quite good!

"Have I told you lately how much I think about you?
The way you laugh, the way you love, the way I feel around you
The stars would fall for you, And I would die for you"
-Trent Monk

Since I am in love with Jesus--, this is one of God's many love songs to me. I claim that today! In fact, He did die for me. That's why this song triggered this for me, kind of like Colplay's Yellow.

This morning I was just pondering God's love. I should probably do that more often...but. Anyway. I read through 1 Corinthians 13 a few times (commonly called the "Love" chapter of the Bible). However, I had trouble getting past the first few lines...before the "Love is patient..." God definitely placed emphasis on this for me today!

"And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol."
-1 Corinthians 13:1

The first thing that came to my mind- how annoying a clanging symbol really is! How irritating...that's what we are if we do not have love, we are just clanging around. Another thing, without love (God) we are completely useless... To have love--is to know God...it might be the other way around..."To know God, is to have love..." Yes, I think that's it. (See 1 John 4). My prayer is that people would see my genuine love for them and that they would see that the difference between what this world calls "love" and God's love is indescribable.

GOD IS LOVE.
"We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."
-1 John 4:13-16

If you know Jesus, you have a love that is RELIABLE!
My love is not my own, it all belongs to you...



On another note, no pun intended, there are a few very special people that I think about all the time, that I would would die for -- instinctively I would hope! Friends are such an amazing blessing from the Lord, that is for sure! Okay Jon, it might be "singles awareness day," but it's also a day to rejoice in the friendships that the Lord has blessed us with! *grin*

To my family and friends: I love you.
To my Jesus: my love is Yours.

Loving deeply-
al