...But the greatest of these is CHARITY.

When you hear the word "charity" what comes to mind?  An organization?  A kind deed?  A girl's name? ;)
Dictionary.com gives many definitions for the word charity, however, the origin is derived from Late Latin caritas meaning "generous love", from Latin carus "dear, beloved".


In the bible charity is often times interchangeable with the word "love."  And since yesterday was Valentine's day, I thought it was a great opportunity to talk about what God has been teaching me the past two months  about love.


The English word "love" is quite complex.  The Greek language, though, uses four different words to describe the various types of love.  One of those is the word agape.  Agape is a type of love that is known to be higher than any other form of love.  It is a "God kind" of love; self-less, giving, and devoted.  It says, "I love you because I choose/commit to!"  The Greek word used for charity is - agape.  


Why is it that charity is more often used to speak of benevolence than love?  Shouldn't it be both?  


God has been working a charity type of love deep into my heart and soul.  The more He teaches me about this kind of love, the more I long to express it!  Matthew 10:8 says some very important stuff that Jesus told His followers, and I won't get into it all right now.  But the last part of that verse says this, "freely you have received, freely give."  I want to freely GIVE MORE because I LOVE MORE!  


Now, everyone has their reasons for either liking or disliking Valentine's day.  I, personally, have always enjoyed this holiday.  To me it's a great reason to love more extravagantly than you normally do!  Should you do that more frequently than once a year?  Of course!  But, why not utilize this day set aside to focus on the ones you love?!  Practice charity!


We have started a tradition the past few years of having a family Valentine's dinner.  We usually all go out somewhere together, and just spend time enjoying each other!  My husband and I still exchange Valentines, but we make a point to be our children's Valentines.  I don't ever want them to feel like they have to have a "significant other" in order to have a Valentine, or feel loved on this day!  Also, it's a great way for them to learn how to love with charity! We like to teach our children that you can't just always receive love, you have to give it!  So they made cards for us too, and they gave teddy bears to two of their cousins. :)


So often people get caught up in the commercialization/romance of the holiday.  They expect a date night with their significant other, and they expect to receive a gift.  Why does it have to be all about us?  Or why do we make it special just for grown ups?  I love that my children are a part of this day with us!  They are learning what true love looks like!

Here are a few snapshots of our family's Valentine's day

All of the cards we gave each other, and some pretty roses Jeremy got me. :)

God, I Look to You

I woke up with this song on my heart this morning. It was exactly what I needed to help me through these past few crazy days. It is a fitting song for everyone, but I really felt like it happened to be exactly the prayer I needed for myself and my children. I encourage all of my mommy friends to sing this in those hard times…sing it with your children! (Gideon really likes the “yeah, yeah” part.) :)

I repeat the verse over and over, until it really becomes my heart’s cry to God. Really take in each word as it talks about vision, and wisdom. A few of my prayers on these topics are:

We need vision to see our children how God sees them, and how to specifically pray for them.
We need vision to see each situation the way that God sees it.
We need wisdom to discern proper disciplinary actions when they get into trouble.
We need wisdom to know when/how to teach them, to love them, and to let them explore some independence. (There are SO many more things, but these are just a few.)

While we were singing this, my frustrations melted away, it calmed the children, and the Holy Spirit’s presence tangibly filled our home! And as I lifted my hand, Gideon imitated me, lifting his hand as well! It brings tears to my eyes every time. Our children need to experience God, and they need us to lead them!

Worshiping with my children is something I LOVE to do. Do you do this with your children? What are your thoughts/prayers on these topics? I would love to know!

Kindness that leads to repentance

I may have the ability to react to situations, but naturally don't most of the time. I'm not saying I never react...of course sometimes I do! However, my temperament keeps me from reacting in certain situations.

For instance, I do not do well with confrontation. At all. I always wanted to be that person who told someone off, or stood up to a bully, but I'm just not. Although, I've tried...many times...it never goes well. One of three things inevitably happens, if not ALL three:

1. I break out in hives

2. I cry so much I can barely speak (much less offer a slamin' come-back line, which I always think of later)

3. I just walk away in mid confrontation, because I can't physically handle it.

Instead, I have chosen to use that time that I don't react to let God speak to me, and then in turn RESPOND to the person/situation from a better perspective.

I recently had the opportunity to listen and respond to a former friend. I haven't heard from this person in a long time. In fact, the last time we spoke we were both dealing with anger and hurt. Out of nowhere, they posted something on my Facebook, and it wasn't too positive.

Initially, I was hoping someone else would respond to them for me, and I could just stay out of it! But, then God spoke this to me:

"If my KINDNESS leads you to repentance, what can your kindness do?"

As I pondered these words, He helped me understand this person's perspective. He showed me how to respond in kindness, and even changed my heart towards this individual.

I was excited to see how God used that! After I responded to them, they wrote back an apology. I didn't say anything that sounded upset at all...but they just felt bad. It reminded me of a verse I love, but haven't fully experienced until now.

Romans 12:19-21 NKJV

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but  rather  give place to wrath; for it is written,  Vengeance  is  Mine, I will repay,  says the Lord. Therefore  If your enemy is hungry, feed him;  If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

My prayer is that we would all stop and listen to God before reacting, so that we may respond with His wisdom.

Have you ever experienced anything like this? What did you do?

Seasons Change

Have you ever felt like a season has over-stayed its welcome? Like an annoying “house guest” that doesn’t get the hint, this summer has been too hot, too long. And, let’s talk about fall! Such a tease. My favorite season of all, doesn’t stick around very long in Florida. Right about now, in the raging, humid heat, I begin to yearn for fall. And every ONCE in a while I catch a cool breeze. When the sun has gone down, and the night begins to peek, I hear it whisper through the trees, “I’m just around the corner.”

God created seasons for a reason. Ecclesiastes says that there is a time/season for everything. They ALL serve their purpose. Seasons in life are the same. Right now, my family is in an interesting, and trying season. God is still so good, and continues to walk us through, even when it seems impossible. So far, every difficult time in this season has left us stronger/more dependant on God. He continues to bless us, even when times seem tough! Even financially. We are in the financial “if it’s not one thing, it’s another” stage. We’ve had about all we can take. Just as we start to get back in control, something else goes wrong.

Just like this summer, this season has over-stayed it’s welcome. I pray everyday for financial freedom. I know that it is the Lord’s desire for us! In fact, he put this desire in my heart! He spoke to me in a dream two-three years ago, and promised financial freedom to me and my family. I am now, more than ever, longing to see that day come quickly. I believe it WILL come…And, every now and then I can hear Him whisper, “It’s just around the corner.”

Love, Twrue Wov

The English language is mysterious, and ever-changing. We use words/phrases for multiple meanings, and it can be so confusing sometimes! Especially when it comes to slang, for example: “Do you mean ‘off the chain’ in a good or bad way? Figurative or literal?” (That was a real conversation, once.) So, it’s no surprise that even the most important words end up getting twisted or confused. My emphasis this time is on “Love” and “Jealousy.”

1 Corinthians 13:4(part C) in some translations says that love “does not envy” and in others it says that love “is not jealous.” Isn’t that the same thing? I have to argue, no. Not according to the way we typically use these words. And, being that there are different ways to use them, I’m going to list their definitions.

Envy - a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, etc.

Jealous - Feeling resentment against someone because of that persons rivalry, success, advantages, etc.

Envy in a relationship deals with one being discontent, and even comparing other relationships to yours. Jealousy in a relationship deals mainly with the feeling of resentment due to rivalry. I, personally, believe they are both awful to have in a relationship, but one is a natural effect of love; jealousy. If you truly love someone, and another person or thing threatens to steal your loved one’s affections, it is natural to become jealous. The Bible also describes love in this way! Many times throughout the Old Testament, God was provoked to jealousy for his people because of their foreign gods.

When studying the Bible, I tend to lean on multiple translations for help in understanding, along with asking for wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide me as I learn from His word. In this case, where the word “jealous” was used in 1 Cor. in some translations, the Lord showed me that it is not meant how it may seem here. Because, even God’s love is jealous!

1 John 4:16 says that “God is Love.” Which means, He is the ultimate definition for love, true love.