Happy Valentine's Day!

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God."

1 John 4:7 (NLT)

Happy Valentine's Day, Girlfriends! 

What a wonderful day this is, specifically dedicated to that greatest commandment of all: LOVE.

Today I have been thinking about everything I love...my husband and children, my family and friends, my dog, long walks especially on a beach, writing and creating, playing volleyball, yoga, listening to music, and the list goes on. During this time of reflection, the "warm fuzzies" kept creeping up inside me, and I realized what I was feeling: genuine peace and joy. I could not suppress the emotion on my face because I knew that the greatest love of my life was eliciting this smile. Although unwritten, God is at the beginning, middle, and end of my love list. Because I love Him first and foremost, I am then able to love everyone and everything else.  

Luke 10:27 tells us "...You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (ESV) I have always thought those words sound nice and Hallmark-y, and are good advice, but I did not always know how to put that word LOVE into action. Added to my ignorance of biblical love, I had the commandment reversed. For years, loving others was my priority, and a relationship with the Lord was an afterthought, if He crossed my mind at all.

Girlfriends, where are you relative to Luke 10:27 in your life today? I encourage you to examine your love relationships and find out. To fully love others,we must first love our God and Creator in Heaven. And to love Him, we must get to know Him. I can honestly tell you from hours and hours spent in the greeting card aisle, or online searching quotes to create my own, you will never read anything as beautiful and moving as your Father's love letter to you: His Bible. Read it! He will speak to you in ways no one person ever will.

Let me ask you: If someone gave you a Valentine's card today, but it was written in Chinese, would you feel connected to them in any way? I bet it would be difficult to experience their love written in the characters on the page, or to feel any connection to that person at all. Girlfriends, it is the same with the Bible. You are not going to develop a relationship with God if His Word seems like Chinese to you. (Unless you are reading this and you ARE Chinese, then change that word to Spanish and start over!) 

But here is the good news: God gifted numerous writers throughout time, not only to record His Holy Inspired Word into what we call the Bible, but also to translate it so all of His children can understand. And, beyond the language translations, He gifted scholars who put His Word into types of bible translations that account for different styles of learning. So, ladies, just as you carefully hand-pick a greeting card that states your thoughts and emotions in just the right way, also spend time choosing your Bible. God made a translation just for you. If you are not sure which one is for you, ask for help. (I love the Family Christian Bookstores near me. And of course, praying to God to lead you helps too!) Please do not give up because it all seems like Chinese! This is one love letter you will always cherish and treasure, read and reread, and share with others for years to come.

Girlfriends, today know that you are loved by the God of the Universe, and Love will change your life!