Showing posts with label God's love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's love. Show all posts

Wednesday

Memories of Love - A Dose of Encouragement


I have been thinking about memories on and off for a while because I have been sorting out old photographs and scanning negatives. (A long, long job)


I have found at different times that my memories don't always match up with the photographs.


Have you ever discovered that or is it just me?






For example when I was 12 years old I went to Barcelona and because that was a very long time ago I only had a few photos and they were in black and white.

I had not looked at them for a couple of decades and unfortunately when I came to the packet the photos were missing and only the negatives remained.  Perhaps later I will find the photos mixed in with some others and perhaps I will never find them but at least I could scan the negatives.

How surprised I was while scanning to find that one of the pictures seemed to be the opposite way round but on checking the strip of negatives I confirmed that I really did have the strip the correct way in the scanner and was not now looking at the reversal of the photo.

I had always remembered that Monte and her mother were standing to the left hand side of the doorway and facing to the right

but in reality



they were standing in the centre of the doorway and facing left.


In the same strip of negatives there were two pictures of the Cathedral in Barcelona,
one of the top




and one of the bottom




Yet I had always thought I had a photo of the full front of the cathedral.

So it just proves that my memories are not always accurate.


Then just this past Saturday Fred and I went for a walk beside a Lake not too far from where we live and at one point we took a path that was rather steep so laughingly Fred got behind me and pushed me up the slope.

As he did so he said         "Does this remind you of anything?"

I immediately answered        "Slieve Donard"


Now a quick summary is in order here:

I met Fred in the early 70's but we were just friends.
A few years later we were both at a Christian Summer Camp.
One of the days we all went to a town called Newcastle to walk up a mountain
called Slieve Donard.
Without going into too much detail, 6 of us were walking along together when we came to a steep part and the 3 girls laughed and said we were too tired so the boys would have to push us.  They said they wouldn't but in the end
Fred did push me up the steep part.



On the slope of Slieve Donard I'm between the two Freds
the one in the centre of the picture is the one I married

So Saturday's reference was to that event in 1975 which will be 40 years ago in July this year.  (I have written about the same summer camp in a blog post last year called    What a Face )


Now back to Saturday.

We both laughed and probably both thought I was a lot lighter when he pushed me up Slieve Donard but at least he didn't say it.

Then I asked him  

 "Do you actually remember pushing me that day or do you just remember me
 talking about it throughout the years?"


And his honest answer was
     
"I think I remember a memory that I have formed because you have talked about it"


Now I had two choices here.

I could have taken the "huff" and been annoyed at him for not remembering something that I had from all those years ago.


OR


I could just accept that we had different memories from that day.

I chose the latter because I know that Fred does not always remember things the same as I do because he doesn't always see things the way I do and vice versa.

Yes even though so many of our memories have been formed together over all these years we each remember some things the same and some things differently.

Even things to do with our relationship?      YES!

Even things to do with our love?    YES!

Does this matter?     NO!  but sometimes Yes.

It shouldn't matter because it is just the way we were made; we are both different people and each day is different to each of us even if we share all the events of that day.

We have to accept that each of our memories of our love are different.
We have to accept that each of us will forget certain things about our relationship.
We have to accept that each of us will notice things in our lives differently.

Why?     Because our memories and our love are not perfect and neither are we.







However there is a love that is perfect.

The love of God is perfect because God is Perfect and God is Love.

God remembers every single part of our relationship with Him and his memories are perfect.

God will not forget about us, He will not forget how much He loves us.

God's memories of us will be perfect and when He reminds us of something it will be true.

God also knows exactly how we remember things and how we have felt through all of our life.

God knows how we feel right at this very moment.


God's memories of Love are unforgettable and you know what 

to God you are unforgettable too.







Is this not the way you want to be loved?


If you don't know this love of God please take a little time to watch the 3 2 1 video on the sidebar.




Sunday

It's God's Love #26


On Sundays I have been writing a short post consisting of a Bible Verse around the topic of God's Love and today we have come to the end of this series.














God's Love 

is 

Perfect

and

will continue forever

regardless 

of everything else. 









I am thankful

that

God's Love

is

greater

than everything else

and

that it is always extended

toward us.














It's God's Love #25


This is the Christmas post for my Sunday Series.



Each week I have featured a Bible verse graphic to concentrate on the Love of God.


Today I also want to share a very short video.







Perhaps you will think of a verse around God's Love as you watch the video

or perhaps you will think of God's Love extended to you and your family over the years

        whichever it is


I pray you know the true meaning of God's Love this Christmas.










Because Christmas started with a Baby









And Christmas is still all about that same person

Jesus

Our Saviour









So as well as giving and receiving gifts this Christmas why not








Merry Christmas to you all and may you know the love of Jesus as Saviour which is the real gift of love this Christmas.












It's God's Love #24


On Sundays I write a short post consisting of a Bible Verse around
the topic of God's Love and we are coming near the end of this series now.


Thank you for joining us today.








God's Love

is simply 

the character 

of God

because the 

Bible 

tells us that 

God not only loves us 

but

 God is LOVE. 









I'm thankful

to know that

because we have

trusted in God

we have His Love in us

and we will be able to share His Love

with others.


They will know that we are Christians by our Love

which is God's Love.















It's God's Love #13

This Sunday Series is all about God's Love.


A simple, short post each week
consisting of a Bible Verse around the topic of
God's Love and I would be very pleased if you
would join me each Sunday.










Which man laid down his life

for all his friends?


The man Christ Jesus.






God

in human form

gave

His Life

for

you & me.



There is no greater expression of Love than this.




















It's God's Love #12

This Sunday Series is all about God's Love.


A simple, short post each week
consisting of a Bible Verse around the topic of
God's Love and I would be very pleased if you
would join me each Sunday.







We are in the world

but the Bible tells us that 

we should not be of the world.









God's Love

cannot

be in us

if we love

the world;

if we put the things of the world

before God.

Therefore

God's Love

has nothing to do with

the world;

it is not determined by anything of this world,

but is unique

to God.









You are welcome to copy the Bible Verse Graphic above and any of the others that will be in this Sunday Series on God's Love.  Please use it as it is with no editing for your own personal use including on social media but not in any commercial way. 

With regards to any other pictures or graphics - please contact me. 


Thanks.










It's God's Love #11

This Sunday Series is all about God's Love.


A simple, short post each week
consisting of a Bible Verse around the topic of
God's Love and I would be very pleased if you
would join me each Sunday.







God's Love to us

is such an intimate love.

How do we know this?

Because He calls us His Sons and Daughters.








Do you

know

this

intimate

love

of

God?









You are welcome to copy the Bible Verse Graphic above and any of the others that will be in this Sunday Series on God's Love.  Please use it as it is with no editing for your own personal use including on social media but not in any commercial way. 

With regards to any other pictures or graphics - please contact me. 


Thanks.

















It's God's Love #7


This Sunday Series is all about God's Love.

There will be a simple, short post each week
consisting of a Bible Verse around the topic of
God's Love and I would be very pleased if you
would join me each Sunday.










Without Love we would not be true followers of Jesus




The Love of God 

must

reach out 

to others

through us.







Love is

the

Fruit of the Holy Spirit

given by God

for us

to

live for Him.



















It's God's Love #2


This is the second week of my new Sunday Series.


There will be a simple, short post each week
consisting of a Bible Verse around the topic of
God's Love and I would be very pleased if you
would join me each Sunday.









Can we be good without having Love?




God is Love
&
God is Good







Forever & Forever

He will love us



Forever & Forever

He has already loved us











Thank You God

For your Unending Love.












Wednesday

I love Hearts - A Dose of Encouragement


As I sit at my desk......Last year I started a blog post with similar words but no I am not repeating myself.








As I sit at my desk in the study I just simply have to glance to the right of my laptop and I get the first example of hearts that can be found around our house.


Some hearts are decorative but these ones have a useful purpose as well.


They are the Love Heart coasters that I use each day for my coffee mug or glass in the study.







Yes I love hearts


BUT


That does not mean we are a very soppy couple because we are not - I just like hearts.



They are not the only hearts in the study.

There are also hearts as tiebacks for the curtains

There is also a heart decorated box.
   (It is really just decorative as I love boxes too and this one is quite small so is not used to hold anything at the moment anyway.)

Oh and two more boxes!!!

Oh and a heart shaped one!!!


There is also a heart decorated wooden Tissue Box Cover.


And I mustn't forget the  "Home is where the Heart is" Hanging Decoration.


Then there is the Fred & Sandra Christmas decoration that just somehow didn't get put away with the other decorations one year because it needed to be repaired and then when I did get it fixed I just hung it on the door of my craft armoire.


And of course the heart cushion that I lean against each day when I sit on my computer chair.


Oh I nearly did forget the 2 hearts with HOPE and FAITH that I couldn't resist buying earlier this year and don't know where they are meant to go yet so they are just sitting on one of the bookshelves.







That is just one room


There are other examples


A small heart garland hangs on a chest of drawers upstairs








A heart shaped clock is waiting to be put up on the wall of the Dressing Room.







And my heart shaped Friends Cushion that sits in the Sun Room.







Someday I should try to count up all the heart things I have.



I may collect hearts but I can't collect a real heart.

I cannot take someone's heart or make anyone love me.


Fred loves me and my children love me and there are others who love me but I did not make them love me, they chose to do that themselves.

We cannot make people love us, there are no special words to say or things to do.

We also cannot make God love us.

We cannot ever be "good" enough to make God love us.

It has nothing to do with "how much" we might love God.

It has nothing to do with "how much" we might try to get His attention.



We cannot make God love us.

Because He already does.

He has always loved us.




I am very thankful that God first loved us.



He loved us before we even thought about loving Him.
(see 1 John 4 v 19)






He loved us so much that even though He could not have us sinful creatures in His presence He made the only perfect way for us to be united with Him.
(see 1 Cor 15 v 3&4)



HOW?


He gave us Jesus.



Have you ever tried to make someone love you?


Have you ever thought or planned what you could do to change your life so that God would love you?

Do you feel that you would never be good enough for God to love you?

Don't think any longer just acknowledge the fact that you can do nothing to earn His love you just simply have to believe that He loves you and accept the gift of Jesus.

Jesus is the only one who can take our sins and give us His righteousness so that we can be in God's presence.

This can happen as soon as we admit that we are sinful and decide to turn to God and away from that sinful nature.







If you would like to know some more about God's Love and how we can be saved from our sin just click on the  3 2 1 Presentation at the top of my sidebar.


Or you might like to have a look at my Sunday Series called "It's God's Love"