Do you love me?

I have been completely honest with you, and opened wide my heart to you. I am not withholding my affection from you, are you withholding yours from me? As a fair exchange... open wide your heart also. I love you! (paraphrase of the principle from II Corinthians 6:11-13)

I will gladly give you all I have and spend myself as well. Still, I wonder, if I love you more, will you love me less? (paraphrase of the principle from II Corinthians 12:15)

This is the heart of God, to continue to love, regardless of whether the "loved" will return the love. It is the heart of God to serve and give without end.

In fact this is what love is. God defined love in I John 4:10. Love is the willingness to sacrifice and allow yourself to go through pain, humiliation, torture, and hell itself for the person you love.

Then I Corinthians 13:4-8a gives a great description of love - and I'm sure we've all heard it:

Love is patient

Love is kind

Love is not envious

Love is not boastful

Love is not proud

Love is not rude

Love is not self-seeking

Love is not easily angered

Love does not keep a record of wrongs

Love does not delight in evil

Love rejoices in the truth

Love always protects

Love always trusts

Love always hopes

Love always perseveres

Love never fails

The only reason for love, is love itself. It is ALL ABOUT the person who IS LOVED

As a Christian, I am called to love others as the Father loves Jesus and AS JESUS CHRIST LOVED ME (John 13, 15 & 17)

As a husband, I will be called to love my wife like Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5)

As a father, I will be called to love my children as the Father has loved Jesus and as He has loved me.

This is a tall order, and there is nothing more frightening than completely baring your heart to someone who may or may not return your love and affection, but I am determined to love like Jesus loved and allow whatever happens to happen. How will people see and know the power of the love of God if it is never displayed in a man? The same love and power that rose Jesus from the dead is living in me! It is truly no longer I who lives here, Christ is living through me in a greater measure each day.

What's my point?

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

After You Die...

OK,

I don't want to vent too much here, but to all who read this PLEASE, PLEASE prepare for your death BEFORE IT IS IMPENDING!!!!

I. Decide what you want done with your body after you die, then fill out and sign the paperwork that is necessary for that to be done. (To ensure that it will be done)

II. Decide who you want making decisions for you if you are unable to do so yourself and PUT IT IN WRITING!!!! (so that the state doesn't decide for you)

III. Decide whether you want to be brought back and or put on life support and PUT IT IN WRITING!!! (This will keep your "Next of kin" from being accused of murder and/or euthenasia)

IV. Decide what you want to happen to your pets and your property and put it in a will!!!

I am writing this because my natural father is going to die... it could be two weeks or it could be before I finish this blog entry. Either way, I am going through A LOT of drama to love (in the true definition of the word - because I'm not emotionally attached to the man) a man who never loved me. Because of his lack of planning ahead and putting things in writing, I am spending alot of time and money that could be put to better use. EVERYTHING I am doing is something that he could have done himself MONTHS ago! SHEESH!!! This stuff is stressful. Imagine if I was also torn up about him dying! GREAT DAY!!!

SO, moral of the story.... If you love those who are around you, prepare for your death - even if it is not in sight right now. It saves those around you alot of grief.

ALONG SIMILAR LINES...

Death is coming for you. You don't know when, and I hope it is a LONG way off for you, but it is coming. The Bible says that we live once and after that, we will be judged (Hebrews 9) and that God looks at your heart when He judges your actions (Jeremiah 17). Are you a good person? Do you think you've kept the 10 commandments?

1. Has God always been first in your life?

2. Have you made up your own god to follow? (either with your hands or in your mind)

3. Have you ever used God's name in vain?

4. Have you always honored the things of God?

5. Have you always honored your father and your mother?

6. Have you ever killed anyone? Wait... The Bible says that if you are angry without cause, you are in danger of judgement (Matthew 5) and if you hate someone then you are a murderer in your heart (I John 3)

7. Have you ever committed adultery? Jesus said that if you have looked at someone lustfully, you have committed adultery with them already in your heart (Matthew 5)

8. Have you ever stolen anything?

9. Have you ever told a lie? Even a "White Lie?"

10. Have you ever been envious of someone else or what they have?

Did you pass the good person test? It's hard isn't it? only one person has ever passed it. It was Jesus Christ. He came down from Heaven, was born to a virgin and lived a good life. Good by God's standard, which is moral perfection. He lived this perfect life and was killed in our place to take the punishment for us NOT living a perfect life. Three days after he was killed for us, God raised Him from the dead, so that we too can be rescued from the hold of sin (which is law-breaking) and death.

You broke the Law and Jesus paid your fine, it's that simple!

If you trust Him, the way you would trust in a parachute, and turn away from your selfish (and "not good") way of life and live the way God wants you to, God will forgive you and grant you Eternal Life. THAT is how you prepare spiritually and soulishly for your death.

PLEASE be prepared in all three parts of you!!!

Distance Schmistance!!!

Due to some recent events, and others that are impending, I have been thinking a lot about the issue of "distance" in relationships. Natural family relationships, Spiritual family relationships, and Soulish family relationships all can have the issue of distance cloud them.

Well, first let me define the above relationships:

Natural family:
Your human biological family. Your parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, etc...

Spiritual family:
Born-again believers in Jesus Christ have all been adopted into the family of God (John 1:12-13, Romans 8:16, Romans 9:8 & Galatians 3:7 among others) - Jesus said that God's children love Jesus (John 8:40-42) and that if you love Jesus, you will obey Him (John 14:15). Elsewhere, Jesus said that those who do the Will of God are His family (Matthew 12:50 & Mark 3:35)

Soulish family:
The soul (your thoughts, your emotions, and your decision-making - or "will") connects with others throughout the course of your life. Those with whom you bond become more than natural family or friends, they become Soulish family. Soulish family is about connection: in thoughts, emotions or by an act of your will - these people cease to simply be friends or just biologically linked to you. They are more. They are family.

***It is important to note that these families can be, and usually are, interwoven. They are by no means mutually exclusive.***

OK, Now that we understand each other let me just say that I have never had the experience of having a person be all three kinds of family. I hope to, but it hasn't happened yet. No one in my natural family is also spiritual family. Out of 23 living natural family members, only 7 are also soulish family. The largest section of family that I have is spiritual family: every born-again believer in Jesus Christ is included there. I have about 49 spiritual and soulish family members.

I have had many people (that were more than one kind of family) move away. I've also frequently been the family member that is moving away! It always stinks, but it is seldom (if ever) as serious as it feels. When you have a soulish connection with someone, you are always going to hurt when they move to another city, state, or country. It is natural. The wonderful thing about living in the time period in which we live is the methods of communication. We can instantly communicate with someone around the globe. Is it the same as physically looking at someone who is sitting on the couch next to you? No. But I know that relationships can grow and even flourish in the midst of distance. My brother Chris and I talk more now than when we lived together and it would take me 5 hours to drive to his house!!!

The point I am trying to make here is that, while the increase of physical distance is definitely unpleasant (and can fill your emotions with a sense of loss that hurts), it is not necessarily a barrier to growth or intimacy in a relationship. The will to continue to love someone and to be available in their life is all that is necessary (but it is necessary on both sides). Family is for life!!!