but do you LoVe...?

i know you may not have the same reaction as i did when i read this familiar chapter but it hit me hard.
its asking us where our heart is.
of course you have read it and of course from the message but God spoke to me in a way i had to put it here and showcase this beauty of His.


1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.

3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!..(this makes me so anxious to see Him)

13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation:

Trust steadily in God,

hope unswervingly,

love extravagantly.

And the best of the three is love.

SaDiE

sadie was four yesterday and i started the day staring at her while she slept. there she was with her messy hair, laying sideways with her whole life in front of her.

four years ago she was put on my chest, screaming her little red self out. she was mine. my little girl, my new friend. i just didn't deserve that. and yet God thought he'd give me and her a whirl and here we are four years later and looking around i think she and i are doing ok...if i could just teach her how to sit like a lady...

for her birthday, she was slathered with beads, combs, nail polish, clips, floam, sand, clothes, work-out videos and all the things that make sadie's world go round. and i am crazy about her and all her girl stuff.

update...

as of yesterday-

"...and i let go and off he went..."

he got it! riley rocks ;)

Held

Natalie Grant

mY fEaTuReD fRiEnD

amanda brewer: (sorry no picture available)
lucky me got to spend some time with amanda lately- here's what i came up with:

a...she tries to be the best mother she was made to be. she seems to get Ps. 127: "Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD." because she lives that way. my favorite thing about her.

2-she loves to laugh: i rarely see her without a smile. she seems happy because she is and she tells her face.

tres: she knows she worries and she tries not to: ShE OvErCoMeS- so she stays real to me but she gets past her fears or tries her best to-

d) she is full of compassion (my close to first second favorite thing)- she has a heart full of helping and giving and loving-(prob. why she makes for a good mom.)

5; she casts very little judgement- thru her trials she has learned better. and she is just who she is and doesn't put who she thinks she should be on others either. pure in heart.

kudos to amanda. i think you are da bomb. ;)

riley's ride

here's todays big new for me. riley announces his parents haven't taught him to ride a bike. being the conformist and now embarrised parent i am -i get myself outside and make him learn on his cousins purple flower bike. he loves this already...

have you met riley? if not, he has the drama of a jr. high girl tucked away in which he pulls out whenever he is tired, hurt or frustrated. with all three in play we were well on our way to disaster.

he peddled as i ran beside him, flip flops and all in this crazy awkward position- i would try to cushion each fall by holding on to any part of his person. finally i decided to do the tough love thing and let him fall so he wouldn't be so afraid to fall. the cute little purple handle bar goes right into his personal parts that i don't understand...
more drama-
finally i am chanting peddle, peddle over and over and am able to let go and just hold the seat...
after more crashes and more drama i wish this story ended in "and i let go and off he went..."

but not so. i am sore. he is bruised and i will pray for better luck tomorrow. the awesome thing about riley is that he is still good to go. this didn't bruise his ego or pride in the slightest. he went in, drank a sprite and was ready for his next adventure which i think included organizing his playstation games- hmmm....

maybe these pics will show you a little bit of our adventure. he liked to take "breaks" -see above picture mule gazing.

my featured friend...

people impress me.

i like to consider their strengths that stand out -especially the ones that i am weak in or just want to be like- i think i might make "my featured friend" a blogging habit. a fresh word about yourself goes a long way and we need to build each other up!mY feAtUrEd FrIeNd... Shannan Bridges

5 qualities that make her like HIM to me:

*her mind is on her Maker... Her latest discovery of how to improve herself or her mindset in order to be more like Him is always what brings light in her eyes. my favorite thing about her.

*she loves to laugh. she is all about a good time. she somehow can pull this off without speaking bad about one person. a rarity. my close second favorite thing about her.

*she does what she believes. she doesn't talk about how she should or when would be a good time to start. she just goes for it.

*she can cook like nobody's business. have you seen her in action? have you seen a pampered chef show by shannan? it's entertainment.

*she lives lightly. she doesn't take life too seriously. she can get serious and be there and live in a serious way...but she has learned the fine art of enjoying life.

of course i could go on... shannan i love you! i love your family and your sister and i miss you and your spirit at cross point.

i know we all aren't perfect, i am not holding her up there with God.
i just think i should look around more often and see the good stuff.

grasshoppers and getting older

i woke up yesterday morning in pain. every muscle made me feel twice my age. i was swollen- and my hair...even though i tried, just didn't happen- (i know its fried, i wish my friends would just say something already) -my face was gross. i had some crazy combination skin going on like i am 14. after squeezing into my pants i was officially depressed with my appearance.

the day continued on with many mishaps of forgetfullness. i forgot a lunch date, i left a flyer in the printer at home in which i had made for someone i had promised to have to Wed...(it was Friday) i forgot completely to work at school (it was my day) i also couldn't remember words. conversations with me were a joke. WoRdS!...simple ones like "grill" and "ms smith" even our dogs name. i am not hungover or taking anything besides my vitamins that ironically are supposed to be bringing clarity...

however-i managed to have fun last night. amy b and i celebrated jana h birthday with shannan. Big surprise at carrabba's, a little cold stone creamery, add some target and we had people telling us we were having too much fun.
funny how a day can be flipt...

on the way home a grasshopper lasted from madison to my driveway
holding on to amy's hood...
perseverance-
now if a grasshopper can make it with 70 mile an hour winds, i think i might can get up with a smile on today and maybe -just maybe- i can trust that it won't matter so much what i look like, how i feel or even what i can remember- except that God is good and i am thankful...and hope for more laughter thru it all...

I Corinthians 13:7

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.