Understanding Love

“I measure every Grief I meet,” the nineteenth-century poet Emily Dickinson wrote, “With narrow, probing, eyes – / I wonder if It weighs like Mine – / Or has an Easier size.” The poem is a moving reflection on how people carry the unique ways they’ve been wounded throughout their lives. Dickinson concludes, almost hesitantly, with her only solace: the “piercing Comfort” of seeing at Calvary her own wounds reflected in…

I love this quotation . . . “You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back.” - William D. Tammeu. A boy or girl on a carousel is a powerful metaphor for kids growing up and parents letting go. The child does something daring. In this case, it’s straddling a painted pony and enduring a cacophony of garish colors and.…

More of God comes to us as we love God. The more that we love God, the more we are able to experience him. Part of this has to do with the nature of God, and part of it has to do with our own human nature. You understand from your own relationships, your story of love, that you don’t give your heart away to just anyone. You don’t give access to the deeper places in your soul to just any idle acquaintance — certainly not to someone who is at the same time…

Our heavenly Father wants us to know how much He loves and cares for us. In fact, today’s passage says that nothing can separate us from His love. He has made this clear through: • Revelation of Himself. In Scripture, we learn that God made us in His image and has a purpose for us. Sin separated us from Him, but He has a solution to our problem. • Provision of a Savior. We were trapped by our sinful nature and under a sentence of eternal death&mdash…

Dan endured daily beatings from the same prison guard. He felt compelled by Jesus to love this man, so one morning, before the beating was about to begin, Dan said, “Sir, if I’m going to see you every day for the rest of my life, let’s become friends.” The guard said, “No sir. We can never be friends.” Dan insisted and reached out his hand. The guard froze. He began to shake, then grabbed Dan’s hand and wouldn’t let go. Tears…

Father’s Day is in the rear-view mirror but oddly enough I’ve been thinking about my dad quite a bit lately. He went to be with the Lord on January 12th of 2010. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him face to face. Yet, I’m recalling fond memories of projects we did together, the time we spent at ball games, and just having him present. He was a tough guy. Never had much to say. Rough around the edges, but kind at heart. He gave His life to the…

The Nicene Creed succinctly describes our Savior’s two natures—human and divine. It reads: “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God … true God from true God ... For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” This fact was universally acknowledged by both angels and human beings (Matthew 16:13-17; Luke 1:26-35; John 11:27). Even the…

I paid almost no attention to our fine feathered friends until about 7 years ago. I could barely tell the difference between a blackbird and a crow. I knew what a robin was because they went bob, bob, bobbin’ along and they ate earthworms, which I thought was kinda cool. Then I got married to Colleen and nature began to look very different to me. She knows more about birds than I could ever imagine. She identifies every one by their song, squawk, or chirp. It’s.…

In Matthew 22, someone asks what the greatest commandment is. Jesus replies, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” He doesn’t stop there but includes a second one: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Strong, loving connections are based on treating others the way we want to be treated. As you think about your friends, family, and coworkers, consider the following characteristics of…