The Year of Love

Let's make this The Year of Love

John 15:8-17

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

This is my command: Love each other.

As Christians we should love all the time. Love should be our #1 priority. If we love as Jesus commanded, we not only touch others - we receive joy. Buckets and buckets of joy. Joy overflowing.

Mark 14:38

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.


So how can we take our #1 priority and make it such a part of our lives that it becomes who we are. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Join me this year in looking for ways to practice our faith. Join me in looking for ways to show love to others.

Once when I was sick my friends in Indiana sent me a special gift. Becky, Jane, Nila and Kay wrapped up three gifts a piece and sent them to me with very special instructions.

"Open one of these little gifts every day. When you are done, your recovery time will be over."

The gifts weren't expensive. Hand cream, a bag of M&M's, a notepad and a small pen became the nicest gifts I'd ever received. It wasn't their value. It was the fact that my friends thought of me. Every time I opened a gift I saw their faces and felt the love that it took to get together, come up with an idea and then work together to make it happen for me.

Since then I've tried to pass that love along. I hope this year you will join me to do the same. Find someone in your circle that you can reach out to and make their life special. Adopt a widow and meet her for lunch once a week. Ask your pastor to let you contribute financially to a family in the church that is struggling. Remember the pastor that helped you so much? Is he retired? Send him a card. Send his wife 10 little gifts to open once a day.

Let's make this the Year of Love. We can change the world with this type of love.

If you want to watch a video that shows what Godly love can do, rent or buy "Meet John Doe". It's an inspiring movie.




God loves you,

Debbie