Category Archives: Love
The Cost of the Life of Worship
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith – that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11 I have a friend who is a pastor in another country. Their church has gone through difficult times. Because of decisions made, which were based on following what they felt led by God to do, about half of their congregation left the church. To make matters worse, the government has determined that churches like theirs will no longer be recognized as an official church; therefore creating additional struggles for them, logistically, culturally, and financially, as they try to reach their community with the gospel. However, at the same time, God continues to bless his ministry and the church. God is using Him to reach thousands of people throughout his country and beyond, as he teaches and reasons from the truth of the Word of God. … Continue reading
Posted in Christian Living, Giving, God's Provision, Life of Worship, Love, Sacrifice, Serving, Suffering
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The Life of Worship: The Greatest Commandment
I love my wife, Cheryl. I love her a lot. We have been married for almost 30 years. We have known each other for almost 40 years. She is my best friend. There is no one I would rather spend time with. No, things are not always smooth and tranquil in our relationship, but we are committed to one another, for life. And I do not want it any other way. Now, I could be committed to staying with Cheryl, honoring my marriage vows to remain true to only her. However, in our relationship, I could keep myself closed off and isolated from her. I could withhold my love and affection. I could go about my life and never do any acts of kindness for her. I could take care of my own needs and neglect hers. On the other hand, I could be unfaithful, and not remain true to the commitment I made to be faithful to her all the days of our lives together. At the same time, I could do all kinds of wonderful things for Cheryl, showering her with gifts, attention, and affection, while being unfaithful. In both of the situations, there would be a disconnect. Whether one way or another, Cheryl would be getting part of me, but not all of me. My life would be a contradiction. The actions of my life would be in opposition to each other. I would not be fully devoted to her as my wife. Unfortunately, when it comes … Continue reading
Posted in Christian Living, Life of Worship, Love, Marriage
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The Incredible Impact of Love
A couple of weeks ago, my family attended the funeral of my wife’s grandmother. She was 97 when she died. The visitation and funeral were attended by many family and friends. As we were driving to the cemetery following the service, I looked at the long line of cars in front of us. I looked in the rearview mirror to see the long line of cars behind us, going out of my range of sight. I looked at the cars stopped on the other side of the road, watching the long procession go by. I could tell, by the expression on some of their faces, that they were wondering who this person was, that so many people were attending the funeral. It must be someone really important. As we continued to drive, I asked my wife if she knew what was significant about this long procession of cars. She gave me an answer or two, but it was not the answer I was looking for. Grandma Ray had a large family. Her obituary states that she had nine children, twenty-two grandchildren, thirty-two great-grandchildren, and twenty-three great-great-grandchildren. The sheer number of this group, especially if you add in spouses, could make for a large turnout. However, I have known of people with large families who would not have many attend their funeral. In Grandma Ray’s case, many of the family did attend. Many friends attended as well. Why? Grandma Ray cared for others. With a family this large, it would be … Continue reading
Posted in Christian Living, Family, God's Love, Love
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Spotted Dishes and Wrinkled Shirts
Yesterday and today, I wore a wrinkled shirt. Seems kind of strange, I know, but I had my reasons. Earlier this week, my wife and I spent a day out, going to lunch and doing some Christmas shopping. Our oldest son graciously agreed to stay at home with our youngest son, Caleb, so we would have the day out together. I have always been very thankful for how our older sons, and now also our daughter-in-law, have been so willing to spend time with and care for their brother. Even though they have busy lives, they will help out with “man-sitting” whenever they are able. “Man-sitting” is, of course, another one of those Caleb coined phrases called “Calebisms.” It was first used a number of years ago, when he did not appreciate the term “baby-sitting” being used to refer to someone taking care of him for a day. Returning to the topic, my wife and I were spending the day out together. When we arrived back home, we walked in the door and noticed the dishes were all done. Our oldest was sitting on the couch and my wife asked if he had done the dishes. He said that Caleb had done them. He then proceeded to tell us that Caleb had also done a load of laundry. He had decided to wash our dress clothes. I walked back to our room and saw the pile of clean clothes on the bed. Normally, when our hang-up clothes come out of … Continue reading
Posted in Christian Living, Family, Giving, Love, Thankfulness
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Do I Love You More Than Before?
I do not love my wife the same as I did when we were married. We have both changed over the years. Our relationship has changed. Our roles have adjusted and shifted during our years together. We are several years older. It is just not the same as it used to be. Cheryl and I met when we were in 7th grade. I was interested in her from the first time I saw her, but we attended different school districts, so I did not see her that often. In high school, she started attending our church. We knew each other on a surface level until we reached our junior year of high school, which is when we started dating. Our relationship was very serious from the beginning. By the spring of our junior year, we had already discussed marriage. By our senior year, we had started discussing timelines. My father, seeing where this was all going, said he wanted us to wait to get married until we had finished two years of college, which we agree to do. We set the wedding date for the weekend following finals of our sophomore year! Our dating and engaged years had been filled with time spent together, going on dates, spending time with family, church and youth group events, and many phone conversations. The first two years of college were spent in different parts of the state, so there had been many letters, cards, and phone calls (and phone bills). About every four or five … Continue reading
Posted in Family, Love, Marriage, Worship
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