The Favor of God

Have you experienced the favor of God recently? I'm sure you have but are you aware that you have? It wasn't until a few years ago that I became familiar with the favor of God. A Christian friend of mine kept pointing it out whenever we were together and something good would happen.

A parking space, front row seats, finding a $20 bill in the street, a stranger providing directions at a timely moment, a package or unexpected gift showing up in the mail when I'm having a tough day; these are all examples of the favor of God.

Last night I was out to dinner with some friends. We were at a casual Italian place and the tables were few and far between as it was a saturday night. We had a party of 7. As we were greeting each other, a coworker of mine walked up to say hello. "What are you doing in this neck of the woods?" he asked. "We're celebrating a friend's birthday and then going dancing," I replied.

Right about then, one of our party suggested we capture a table. There were only single tables that sat 4 people available. As we were pulling out extra chairs and trying to decide how to accomodate everyone, my coworker and his wife, who were in the middle of eating their dinner, pack up their food and plates and move to another table so we could pull the two tables together. Now what are the chances of running into someone I know, who lives in a totally different part of town, being at the same restaurant at the same time, offering to give up a table for us? I ask you!

Now some might call it serendipity, good luck or coincidence, but I know better. When it happens over and over again, it is not chance, dear reader. I know God's hand in action and I believe in giving credit where credit is due, you know what I mean?

God loves us; that is the bottom line. When you are walking with God, it's like Christmas everyday. You never know when he is going to surprise you with some blessing. Today I encourage you to look out for God's favor. Be thankful and realize how much God truly loves you!

How to Love

What is loving others all about, anyway and how do we do it effectively? The older I get, the more I understand that I need to learn how to love other people better and differently. Loving ourselves comes easily,for most of us, doesn't it? But when it comes to loving others now that is quite a different story. It is not something that comes naturally to most. Although I consider myself a very loving person, as most of us probably do, I am realizing that there is still much room for improvement.

One of the main characteristics of love, I think, is the ability to give; to give of one's self, one's time, one's energy, and one's resources; to give without expectation of something given back in return. Giving is love in action. A good test of how loving we are is how easy is it for us to give.

Valentine's Day has just passed and for me it was an opportunity to think of a creative way to bring a smile to someone's face. Over the years I have baked cookies and distributed them to my neighbors' doorsteps, nicely wrapped with red ribbon. At work, I leave those Valentine cards we used to give when we were back in school at my coworkers' cubicles when they are not there. I try to mix the playful with the romantic. My thinking is that Valentine's Day is a day set aside to remind us to show others that they are loved. Don't we all need to know that?

In this busy life, I think we do need reminders to be loving. We can get so caught up in our own lives, problems, and stresses, that we can easily forget to look out for others who may need a loving gesture, a smile, a box of chocolates or even a small bouquet of flowers to brighten their day. We never know what someone is going through and everyone is fighting their own battles.

Stay tuned as the topic of how to love continues and please do write and send me your thoughts and ideas. Until next time, be a blessing!

True Love

It's February and I'd like to talk about true love. What is true love? Is it that butterflies in the stomach, can't think of anything or anyone else, crazy for you feeling? We have all experienced this euphoria at least once or twice, right? It is something that kind of happens to us all of a sudden out of the blue. We are "smitten" as they say.

As wonderful as this "falling in love" stage is, I think it is a precursor to the possibility of true love. Experts say this romantic stage lasts at the most 2 years. Then what? What happens when those butterflies are gone and the reality of the humanness and flaws of our partner begin to appear?

Then we get to choose whether we want to truly love this person or not. True love is intentional. It is a choice we consciously make. To love another human being, despite their "issues", to want and to do everything in our power to help and support that person and to allow them to grow. Are you getting the idea? True love is not for the faint of heart or the uncommitted, "I'm outta here" when the going gets tough. True love is for mature people who know that love is worth the effort, the expense, and yes, even the heartache.

For a great definition of what love is, check out 1 Corinthians Chapter 13. "Love is patient, love is kind, love is not self-seeking, love keeps no record of wrongs". This is what true love looks like in action. What kind of love are you expressing these days, dear one?