12/16/16

Check In: I'm exhausted from my cold, but feeling full of peace this morning. It's snowy outside, and despite my worries I can just sit here and be at peace with myself. Be in the presence of the Lord, listening to Christmas music. It's a wonderful feeling. I'm wearing a new outfit, that is comfy and beautiful and straight from Gods love for me through Steven. What an incredible man he is.

Prayer Answered! - I've been praying that Stevens relationships with his brothers would be healed and restored and God has done it! I'm a way that I could never have orchestrated. Relationships filled with respect and kindness. I can only keep praying that God continues to grow those relationships and praise him for his goodness!

Bible Study: Today's verse is,

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. - 1 Corinthians 13:6-7

Love is intact the most important character aspect, most moving emotion, most magical thing that is in the Bible, and God makes sure we know it. He says “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 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. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” -1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-3‬. I mean, can he be anymore clear that love is the basis of who he is and who he wants us to be? I could show you hundreds of more places where he says or demonstrates this, but for now I want you to focus on some of the characteristica of love. Love does not delight in evil. Our core being, our basis of life should be saddened by evil, should despise doing evil. And love rejoices with truth! How often do we lie to those we love and say it is in love that we have lied. It is hard for me to find a basis on this. Love protects. It protects the poor, the downtrodden, sinners and orphans alike. It always trusts! And while you might be saying love is too pure for you too innocent. You can't always trust! Think again, because true love always perseveres! It's innocent yes but in a way that has seen evil understands sin, and chooses to do it's work anyways, because of those things even! And love is something that should be extended to yourself.  No one is beyond the reach of love.