Love...Philippians 4:6-7

So let the flood gates open and let me begin to just pour out.

I have encountered and observed all sorts of kinds of love. Love that's from your family, love from your friends, love from your significant other and this kind of love that you get from being a parent which is the best example of what God's love is for us.

I enjoy reading the "Love Chapter" in Corinthians! It talks about how we "do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." We're empty, just plain, in fact we're are NOTHING and if you do not have love, you gain nothing. Love is essential is it not? Because without it I am nothing and without it I can gain nothing.
Corinthian's continues on to define what love is and it goes into specifics and very clearly defines love. I'll just go ahead and let it speak for itself.

1 Corinthians 13

 ¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So...where do I find this great love? Or wait better yet, should I even be trying to find this for myself. It can get very confusing once your humanistic wants get in the way. In my faith, I believe that God has this awesome plan for me which includes this great kind of love. At the moment, let me be straight and say that it is tough to wait for this "thing"/"love".


Love, it's pretty epic. It's above faith and hope, it's the greatest. Let me clarify that other than the "Love Chapter" being read at weddings does not only symbolize the Love that a couple should share in marriage, but describes the kind of love from God that nothing can compare to. Never forget that God loves you like a father would love his child.

So, the heart of the matter is that I want so bad that when I do fall in love. It would be that magical kind. This sounds sappy for me to say, but I want to be that Godly man for my wife and my household. I've got all these qualities to want to be proficient at. Maybe I have this ridiculous outlook on love. I have faith in it and the purposes that God has given me. Here's some things I recently found that I'm holding on with...

"Faith means...knowing something is real, this moment, all around you, even hen you don't see it. Great faith isn't the ability to believe long and fat into the misty future. It's simply taking God at His word." - Jone Eareckson Tada

"Do no be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4: 6-7

Dear 25...

Well, it's been an interesting 25th year in my life. There was a lot to learn and see at 25. I guess that means I'm out of that "quarter life crisis" now that I'm flipping the number to 26. I started out my birthday I guess with exactly what every birthday should; with friends and people who care about you all around. Oh and cake, of course! It was a nice surprise! I send a special thanks to the Crain Family for surprising me with a cake tonight during youth. I honestly wasn't expecting it. Good one guys, good one.

So with year 25 over and 26 well on it's way, 3 hours and 25mins in...It's been wonderful so far. As with I guess any other age it doesn't seem any different from 24, 23, 22...and 25. Of course I'm enjoying the shower of "Happy Birthday" notifications I'm receiving on Facebook. Ha.
A friend of mine in one of the posts said..."It's gonna be a great year!" I believe it. I refuse to go backwards and who wants to take steps backwards anyway? There is lot of new experiences to be had and well lots of people to meet. The fire department is hiring again and I'm on the list. I'm ready for a career and I'm ready for life to give me 100 percent of what it's got to give.

So, cheers 25! It was an interesting year, good knowing ya. Here's to 26, may you be a wonderful year indeed full of potentials and wonderful things!

The Lord, he is my strength and he is my guiding light. Thank you for your love and your grace and for the purposes you've put in my life. I wait patiently for whatever you have in store for me. God my center!