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!

MoMs....Ministry of Moms

I had such a nice time visiting with the moms of preschoolers this last week. Megan Scott hosted, providing snacks, drinks, and a great place to play and fellowship. It was a small group of mothers, but starting small is a good thing. Getting to know other mothers in the same place in life is a good thing, too. If you know of ladies at GLCC who have preschoolers and are looking to gather with other Christian moms for uplifting talk and safe play for the kiddos, please let them know of our brand new group.

February 13th is the next gathering....come and play if you can:)

three little words

I have been working for Home Instead Senior Care for about a year now. I have one client I have continued to see even though I finally got my full time school job. My shifts with her are 2-four hour evenings and an eight hour day on Saturday. This past Friday night I got a call from the main office and ended up accepting an eight hour shift on Sunday too.

Saturday was going to be a big day. Her husband made arrangements to take her to a play and then to dinner. Sounds like an easy day, doesn't it? The only problem is that she had a stroke 2 years ago and is unable to speak or care for herself. Her husband is very devoted to her and treats her like a princess. I said a prayer Friday night asking that we have a day without mishaps and that just, perhaps, she would communicate with her husband with three little words. So Saturday, we (Mr. and Mrs., myself and 2 other caregivers) packed a bag of supplies, put the wheelchair in the trunk, and left the house from 12 to 6 for a play and dinner. Everything went well and Mrs. really enjoyed her day out.

Sunday morning I arrived and the first thing her husband said was,

“I think she enjoyed her day. As I was getting her ready for bed, she said, ‘I love you’…..”

wow…..thank you, God, for giving them that moment…..

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

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.

Finding the Time...and the Money

I am the mother of three boys. Granted they are older now, but back in the day when they were small, and active, and very needy, and active, and eating all of the time, and active,(did I mention they were active?)I never seemed to have enough time for me. I would hit the ground running and would not stop until my head hit the pillow at night. Even then my mind would be whirling with all of the things I needed to remember for the next day. Being the working mother of three little ones definitely cut into my me time AND my God time. I absolutely understand when a young mom (or an older one, for that matter) tells me she doesn't have the time to study and that money for childcare might also be an issue.

GOOD NEWS, GOOD NEWS!! A wonderful benefactor has paid for childcare for this upcoming women's study at GLCC on Tuesday mornings. If you have not been attending due to lack of funds for babysitting, worry no more. Register yourself and register your children on the church website and have two delightful hours with other women AND with God!

The link to GLCC's women's page is here.

The link to the study is here.

Hope you can join us:)

Daddy's Girl

Stacey Harper tells of her daughter Frederica's experiences at the Father Daughter Dance.....

And the countdown has officially begun! My daughter Frederica gets so excited about the GLCC Father/Daughter dance every year and this year is no different. This will be her fourth time attending this wonderful event. She is our only daughter and because of this, she is treated like the princess that she thinks she is…particularly by her daddy. He gets off a little easier than some in the fact that since he only has one daughter, he can give her his total and undivided attention. And she can demand it at times!

This is such a special time for them. Even though my husband Brian makes a point throughout the year to spend one-on-one time with each child, this particular event has become a tradition and a milestone marker for our home. It has been so neat to be able to look back at the pictures and to see how much Frederica has grown and how much she enjoyed the occasion. It is a night just for her and her daddy and no one else. The sun rises and sets in her daddy and she likes to show him off. One of my many prayers for my daughter is that she realizes that her father is setting the bar pretty high for any other man who will try to come into her life as she gets older and to expect nothing less. Another prayer for them is that she sees that her earthly father is an extension of her heavenly Father and that she grows to love him just as much.

Her dress has been picked out for quite some time and as per tradition, Brian will go and purchase a matching tie and a corsage that he feels is worthy of his daughter…even though it only lasts on her wrist for about 30 minutes! she and I will go into the bathroom to do her hair and argue over how it should be done (am I the only one who has this problem?). It’s a time that I enjoy because I know that soon enough she will be grown and gone.

As for me, I was honored last year to be able to attend the dance with my own father. I was able to go and enjoy the attention of my dad, without having to share him with anyone else. I was able to pretend I was “daddy’s little girl.” That is something I haven’t felt since my wedding day and I will always be grateful for that night.