Waking up to the New Year - A Year of Love

This morning I woke up to a brand new year.  I really cannot believe 2012 is here...it seems like the other day 2011 dawned!  I am not one to set targets for the year, but I am asking God to give me unconditional love for this year.  I am giving 2012 a name and that name is 'Love'.

I want to love my family more.  I want to show love to others and share the Good News with them through this love which I pray the Father will give me.  Without love I can do nothing and be nothing because all the Fruits of the Spirit depend upon it.  With love I will not show anger!  I can be gentle and kind!  I will posses self control and patience!  This is the year of learning to love with God's love.

The Path of Righteousness is very long and very narrow, but we are daughters of Christ and we need to start acting more out of love.  And this is not the overwhelming feeling you get inside when you really love someone, it is the love that Paul talks about in Chorinthians 13.  

"I may speak in languages of humans and angels.  But if I don't have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal.  I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all the mysteries and have all the knowledge.  I may even have enough faith to move mountains.  But if I don't have love, I am nothing.  I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned.  But if I don't have love, none of these things will help me.  Love is patient.  Love is kind.  Love isn't jealous.  It doesn't sing it's own praises.  It isn't arrogant.  It isn't rude.  It doesn't think about itself.  It isn't irritable.  It doesn't keep track of wrongs.  It isn't happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth.  Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.  Love never comes to and end."

I am taking part in a very special challenge this year.  It's aim is to inspire young ladies to memorize God's Word and keep it in their hearts.  I am commiting to memorizing 52 verses this year, the first of which is the one above.  I know it is very long but if I can repeat it to myself when Rebekah gets into my cupboard or when Gabrielle and Beth are being loud and noisy, I might just be able to keep my cool and show them love!

I am not always going to get this right - 90% of the time I'm probably NOT going to get it right but I'm praying for the grace to love others unconditionaly!

"But the best one of these is love"

Chorinthians 13:13

 

I hope you have had a wonderful start to the new year!  I will be on a little break for the week to enjoy the rest of our holiday with my dad who goes back to work Next Monday.

Kelly-Anne