Although I have not posted in quite some time, I have never ceased thinking of and praying for those of you who were being fed by our blog.

For now, we are going to begin posting less frequently, but consistently. You can expect one post per week, every Sunday. I pray that God will use each post to reach you, draw you in, and speak to your hearts.

For our first blog back, I really wanted to talk about love.

When I was a child — and right up until my dad died — he always told me that he loved me with all of his heart. For those of you who have been with us for a while, you know that my dad was an abusive alcoholic. So, that statement was very contradictory to his behavior.

When I had my own children, I told them (and do to this day) that I love them with all my heart. And guess what? There were times that this statement was contradictory to my behavior. I was/am not the perfect mother. I have made mistakes that I will regret until I go home to be with the Lord. And, even though I have asked my children (and God) to forgive me, I still find myself heavy with regret at times. Although I said I loved them with all my heart, my behavior didn’t always support that position.

You might think, ‘How can anyone love more than one person with all of their heart’? Well, it is possible.

But the first and most vital aspect is that we actually know love. Because, to quote a dear brother in Christ, “You can’t give what you don’t have.”

For quite a good part of my dad’s life (and mine), we did not know Jesus as Lord of our lives. We knew there was a God. We knew He had a Son and we believed that Jesus was the Son of God. But so does Satan. That isn’t enough.

To know Jesus as Lord and Savior, it takes a relationship. The Bible tells us that Jesus, “…was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:10-13). This tells us that it is only when we receive (accept His offer of forgiveness) and believe Him that we will become children of God. The Bible also says that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). Once we believe in His name, if we will confess our sins, He will cleanse us of our sins and we will become children of God. Then, we will know Jesus in an intimate and personal way.

Once we know Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we then also know God. Because, the Bible tells us that Jesus proclaimed, “I and the Father are one.” (1 John 10:30). And if we know God, we know love. Again, because the Bible tells us that “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8).

So, although my dad told me — and I told my kids — that we loved with all of our hearts. We couldn’t have given what we did not have. We did not know God and therefore could not have known or given love.

Don’t get me wrong, by the world’s standards I LOVED my children intensely. But the world’s idea of love is more a picture of intense gratitude. We are grateful that we are being taken care of, that we are not alone, that we are thought of, and affirmed as an amazing mom or dad or spouse. That is why marriages don’t last because, when we stop providing these things to our spouse, they go find someone else who will. That is NOT LOVE!

In Matthew 22:37, we are told to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind. So, clearly it is within our capacity to love with all of our hearts. And Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us that we should, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” If we are to love, imitating Christ’s love, and the magnitude of His love was to lay down His life for each and every one of us while we were still sinful and unloving toward Him (Romans 5:8), clearly we are to love everyone with all of our hearts… just like Jesus loves us!

So, do I love my children with all my heart? Do I love my grandchildren with all my heart? I love each and every one of them with all my heart.

Although I once told no one but my children that I loved them, I am now able to tell mere acquaintances that I love them.

The love that I am able to show and the capacity at which I am able to love are not a credit to me. Apart from Jesus, I could not love at all.

God, through Christ, allows me to love. He allows me to love Him with all my heart, soul and mind. And He allows/commands me to love others with that same love, even my enemies. “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,” (Luke 6:27). And, when I do, God is glorified. “35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35).

I have several questions for you.1.) Do you know Jesus? If not, please head over to our Life preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outline there (from the bottom of your heart). 2.) Are you holding back your love? Perhaps for fear of being hurt, fear of rejection, fear of being taken advantage of? You and I did all of that to Jesus and He still loved us. Fear is not of God. Trust Him to protect you in your obedience to Him and lower your guard. Let Him love you and, through you, love others.

Father God, we desire to be obedient. We desire to love you (with all our hearts, soul and minds) and we desire to love others as we have been loved by you. Help us. Help us to trust you to protect us and help us to see others through your eyes. Father God, help us to be a touch of love from you, in this lost, hopeless, dying world. Help us to realize that the touch of love we give, might be all the love that person may get that day, week or month. We love you and thank you that you first loved us Lord. We pray this in your precious and holy name Jesus.

Luv Ya!