When the unlikely connect and commit, others may find it odd, at that moment. It is only when we can witness and observe their journey together through mortality that we can sense what pure love means. What two unlikely saw in each other includes: love, loyalty, peace, faith, and the future. Some call it chemistry if you will; maybe there is a little of that, but there is always much more, when love happens.

There is nothing better that we can wish for others than love.

Being in the mindset that God loves you helps in the day-to-day outreach to others with civility, respect, and gentleness of the spoken word. The Apostle Paul writes in the book of Philippians, “But in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” [NKJV, Phillipians 2:3]. When we hold others in high esteem, looking with eyes of love and speaking with temerity, our peacefulness and that of others improves.

When we look up, we are able to see how God uses passion. Everything God does is done with a purpose and passion. God acts with His whole heart. In the first great commandment, we are to love God with all our hearts, might, mind, and strength. When we love, really love with all of our heart, there is nothing withheld.

Dream big, think big, and love big! Too often we find ourselves and others settling for less. We can look beyond our natural eyes to see the possibilities.

Sending increased warm and loving thoughts your way, this Valentine's Day.  

“How can we survive if we do not love . . . if we do not love our country, if we do not love one another, if we do not strive upwardly and pay whatever price it may cost to advance our society, our family, our religion?” - Hal Visick

Imagine if your self-talk was only supportive and loving. Imagine if your self-talk focused on your successes of the day. Since the control over self, your time and your thoughts belongs to you, what might shift if there was quiet moments in which you paid attention to and captured your thoughts, tossing away any that missing the loving and cherishing of you.

Did I spend the time I wanted to with those I love most. Did I treat them with unconditional love and acts that made them know they were cherished and loved? Did I take the time to call and express love and gratitude for their influence? Did I?

Agape is the Greek root of a more familiar word to each of us, "charity", that selfless concern for others not evoked by any love on the part of the other. It is a type of love different from eros (erotic love), and phileo (spontaneous, unreasoned, familial love). It is the kind of love manifested on the cross. It is the consistency of a will to be in harmony with God. Charity is the pure love of Christ. When we live from a space of agape love or charity, it is the pure, unadulterated concern, compassion, care and holy love for our spiritual brothers and sisters that surround us.

In the words of our friend, Og Mandino, "greet this day with love in your heart, laud your enemies, do good to them which use you, despise you and treat you with contempt." Look upon others with love in our heart, and where disdain may be creeping in your mind and heart, silently say over and over, "I love you, I love you." Repeat as many times as necessary until your mind lets go of the criticism, the contempt and replaces it with compassion, caring and love.

Humans live in continuous fear of being hurt. This often creates big drama wherever we go. The emotional wounds of jealousy, betrayal, hurt, and anger often drive fear. The fear of not being accepted by others. The fear of not being good enough for someone else leads to pretending to be what we are not. We practice this to try to be good enough for someone else. All of this is driven by fear of rejection. There may be moments when we are tempted to justify our actions by believing that the end justifies the means. We might even think that being controlling, manipulative, and harsh will be for the good of others. Not so, for the Lord has made it clear that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance.” Is there a better way to be motivated and to motivate?

A prayer was offered to a congregation of people gathered, here is a line from that prayer: “Dear Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast loved us." While we may not be able to fully comprehend the love of our Heavenly parents, we can continue to strive to learn more.