Love

1 Corinthians 13

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.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

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. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 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. 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.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

What Love is About by Christian Fowler

I asked Christian if she would share her thoughts on love. She's one of our youngest writers...19 years old....and is a full time student at Liberty University. I'm so glad she agreed to write for us. I know you'll be glad, too.

Love isn't simply for boyfriends and girlfriends or even husbands and wives; love is something that can be shared throughout a family or even amongst friends. When you find a friend who automatically knows what is going on in your life before you even tell them about it, don't let them go, that's love. The friend that doesn't judge you for the things that you've done but rather cares for you in spite of your mistakes, that's love. The one that shows up at your house everyday, while you're going through a loss, just to make sure you're okay; that's love. Right when you feel that nobody knows what you're going through or the fact that you're struggling, those that love you will know just by looking at you or sometimes just by hearing your voice over a phone.
People mistake love for a feeling they get when they have a crush on somebody else. You get butterflies in your stomach just by thinking about them, they carry your books to class and tell you that you're pretty. That's all fine and dandy, but that's not what love is about. When you love somebody it's no longer just about you, when your friend is sick you make sure they're okay, when your family is hurting you go to great lengths to make them as comfortable as possible or try to help them feel better.
Prayer is the number one sign of love. If you truly love somebody and you're saved, you should be praying for them. What happens to them, whether the good the bad or the ugly, you can't control that; you can only be there for them through the tough times and rejoice with them through the good times. Knowing that you can't keep them from the bad shouldn't discourage you, it should make you desire even more to pray for them since God, the creator of all things, can be there for them in more ways than you ever could. God can help them and comfort them more than we ever could. So why not pray for them and lift them up to God for Him to protect them and watch over them? If you truly love someone or if they truly love you, you guys should be praying for each other and allowing God to be in control.

Book Recommendations by Popular Demand

If you're like me, you have tons of books in your "to be read" stack, yet you are always on the lookout for new ones. It's a sickness but such a fun one! This list is from the ladies of our church (and friends) FOR the ladies of our church (and friends). We'll update it regularly and feel free to comment in the comments section to add one of your faves. We can always buy a new bookshelf, right?

The Help by Kathryn Stockett....recommended by Mia Waller
Heaven is Real by Todd Burpo.....Karen Emkes
Mitford Series by Jan Karon....Cindy Wayland
Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson....Cindy Wayland
Yada Yada House of Hope by Neta Jackson.... Cindy Wayland
Shadow Women by Angela Hunt.....Lisa Wright (friend of Paula Keller)
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith...Paula Keller
Crazy Love by Francis Chan....Susan Hickerson
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall....Susan Hickerson
A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers....Esther Booth
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers....Jennifer Blaschke
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese....Jenni Booth (friend of Paula Keller)
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah....Sally Hagenhoff
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin....Sally Hagenhoff
Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans....Sally Hagenhoff
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier....Sally Hagenhoff
The Walk by Richard Paul Evans....Sally Hagenhoff



More to come as our friends share....stay tuned!