Old Love

Is there anything more beautiful in life than a young couple

clasping hand and pure hearts in the path of marriage?

Can there be anything more beautiful than

young love?

Yes, there is a more beautiful thing. It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey together on that path.

Their hands are gnarled, but still clasped;

Their faces are seamed, but still radient;

Their hearts are physically bowed and tired,

but still strong in love and devotion for one another.

Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love.

Old love

Giving Up What I Want

I was reading the biography of Hudson Taylor yesterday and was amazed by his life. One thing really stuck out to me and reminded me of some things.
Hudson Taylor had not yet left for China, he was preparing and while he was he fell in love with one of his sister's friends. They got to know each other for a while but apparently she wasn't willing to go to China with him. Hudson has a choice to make: follow God's call or follow his heart. Every person longs to find that someone who seems to complete them. But Hudson knew to do God's will was far better, so he chose China. Then all seemed to go wrong and it looked like he would be stuck at home, some might say "He could marry the girl! ". Instead he said, "My hope is in God alone, I need no other." He wasn't going to marry her, he was going to keep trusting God to send him to China, which God did in His timing.
I just though it was neat and a powerful reminder that all of us long to have someone, like I said earlier. But if God calls us to do something, we need to be willing to leave those longings or even that someone(if we've found them) behind and follow Him. If God calls me to teach missionary children for the rest of my life I've go to sacrifice those longings for that special person I hope to meet someday.
I don't know, maybe this will help you, it sure helped me.

Yet He Loves Me!

I was reading me devotions this morning then meditating on what I read. In Psalm 8:4 (which Matt just wrote about) I was thinking of what we have in Christ, what He makes us.

"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

Ps. 8:4

Before we come to know Christ we are pathetic. I think of what I was before I knew Christ: I was a worm, dung, unworthy. If I were to work in the King's palace before I was saved I wouldn't be worthy to even be a maid that empties the chamber pots. I'm sorry if that is inapropriate to some, but that was the dirtiest, foulest, job I could think of. I wouldn't be worthy enough for that! But, God saved me and with Him, as my Father, I am now a daughter of the King. Praise him for his love and kindness to me, a poor wretched sinner. Aren't you so thankful that God makes us all new? And it's the same for guys, He takes you from the lowest position and makes you His son, an heir to the Kingdom! What love! Isn't it just wonderful that we can serve a Father like that?

I was just blown away this morning when I thought it. I hope it was a blessing to someone else.

To Single Girls

I was catching up on some posts from a blog that I couldn't keep up with while in Germany and I came across this article called Happily Ever After. Catchy, right? This was a really good post and I recomend you single girls out there to read it. Here is the direct link to it: http://blog.ylcf.org/2008/08/happily-ever-after.html Hope you enjoy it, it was a blessing to me!

Lesson from a Single's Activity

We had a singles activity last Thursday and Mr. Serafin(he hosted our activity at his house) gave a challenge that made a lot of sense and all of us singles deal with it.
Genesis one is the creation of the world, and how after everything that the Lord made He said, "it was good." And on the sixth day He said "it was very good." God created it all, it was perfect.
In chapter two the Lord created man, but there is an interesting thing mentioned in verse eighteen that, "It is not good that man should be alone;"(Vs.18) First God made everything and said it was very good and then He made man and said it wasn't good for him to be alone. So He brought a woman along in His timing, mind you, and it was all good again. God has someone for everyone, except for those who are serving the Lord in areas that a relationship doesn't seem to be the wisest. But we can know that it isn't good for most of us to go through life alone. Two heads are better than one. So much more can be done, when two people are serving the Lord together. Anyway, I thought this was interesting, hope is may have touch someone else's life.

Qualities of Love

Pastor was preaching yesterday on Faithful men and how in leadership they must have love. But I learned so much from it myself, I wanted to post it. It is taken from I Corinthians 13.

1. Love is long-tempered and patient, doesn't have a short fuse.
2. Love isn't a sour attitude or a sarcastic remark; it's Christian kindness- open your heart to help others.
3. Love sees every person equally, regardless of money or status. Ask God to bless everyone(Rom.12:15). Don't want what you don't have.
4. Love doesn't brag or boast what they've done (Prov.27:2). "Don't live so others may be impressed with you but they are impressed with your God."
5. Love is mannerly and considerate; leads is to act as ladies and gentlemen, live for the good of the family and God's family. Ladies are to be cherished and treated as special.
6. Love is "others" oriented, the love of Jesus. This causes you to get along with others.
7. Love isn't offended and isn't concerned with their "rights".
8. Love doesn't wish evil on others or think evil of others.
9. Love doesn't rejoice over someone backsliding, loosing, or hurting. He doesn't enjoy things God has commanded against. They love this that are pure and godly.
10. Love lives with silence, endures patiently, forbear. They are silent about another person's faults, we all have them. This is the opposite of hatred. Proverbs 10:12- God condemns us from covering our own sins, deal with your sin. (I Peter 4:8)
11. Love has a trusting outlook on life, other believers. They are trusting God and at peace. Choose not to believe the worst, believe the best.
12. Love is a calm trust in the Lord, that He will take care of everything. Nothing is bigger than our God. (Rom.8:35-39, Ps. 37:23)