The Love Month

I came across something treasured the other day. I've been anxious for February to get here so I could open it up! My senior year in high school I got a gift from my mom. It was a thin cardboard box with a hinge on one side... an old parchment box I believe. A red box was wrapped around it.

Here's the note I found and read years ago:

"Dear Charity,

With February being the month of "hearts" I thought I'd send some heart messages to you. Choose one packet per day and the pink envelope for February 14th. I hope these words speak to your heart and bring you hope, peace and joy.

Loving you,

Mom

P.S. The red ribbon ones are for Sundays"

Over the last decade (plus a few) there have been some February's that I've pulled this out and enjoyed it all over again. Some years it was buried deep in storage and it sat waiting... patiently for the next year to roll around.

So... I'd love to share my month of verses with you.

February 1st:

Deuteronomy 6:5

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Hmm... God's number one desire for us is to love him above all else. All else. Above your family. Above your job. Above your friends. Above your computer and email... even facebook.. Above your comfort zone. Above your agenda. Above your fears. Above your insecurities. Above all else, my friends.

When my heart is focused on loving HIM ... it bumps out the need for fear, anxiety, frustration, anger, depressed like thoughts, jealousy, lust for things of the world, worry about tomorrow or next month.

A while back I read a quote somewhere that hit me between the eyes. I doubt I remember it word for word... but the premise was "There's no such thing as I can't... only the act of choosing not to."

How often do we rationalize or say it's just too hard to do something? Maybe too hard to forgive someone. Maybe too hard to resist temptation. Maybe too hard to do the right things. Perhaps even maybe too hard to LOVE someone. And yet deep down... perhaps it's us just choosing NOT TO. Here's the good news. Ready? We have God to help. His divine love and power can and WILL enable us each day to make the choice to go from I can't..... to I CAN... recognizing it's HIS power and not your own .... Scripture says I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.

I hope this encourages you this morning. I know it did my heart good to get up and write .... it's quiet at my house still. Kids are asleep and the house is dark.... coffee is close by as my eyes are still adjusting to being awake! HA :o)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment of the Love Month.