If I had read the title, “Look For Love” 10 years ago, I would have assumed it was regarding romantic love. Thankfully, my definition of love has broadened immensely. Reading this title now, I know that it means looking at everything from a perspective of kindness, compassion, and love. It means finding the light in every situation. Ninety-nine percent of what happens can be horrible, but I choose to believe in the one percent of hope. Because I believe all things are possible through Jesus, I always have hope. Negativity is not an option. I am uncomfortable the moment…
I want to encourage everyone that hope is here. This world is hitting believers very hard, and I am hearing moments of discouragement from many. I am here to provide hope and to say stay the course—the journey is worth the fight! I am hopeful, living in the moment, knowing that Jesus has my back. Worry and stress are not part of my life because I have given control to Jesus. I live each day with inner peace, striving to love others more than myself. Being thankful and prayerful gives me hope and the right perspective to carry me…
I lived much of my life, putting parameters around love. I only saw love as something for family and close friends. Something very precious that was not handed out abundantly, but was cherished for those close to my heart. My definition of love was very small. Being kind was easy as was living with compassion and having a loving heart. But I did not love equally. Fortunately, I was raised to treat people equally and with respect. It didn’t matter your color, your ethnicity, your occupation, or your religion, I was taught to be kind and have compassion for…
The moment I feel myself hiding or avoiding something I stop and do a quick self-evaluation regarding the issue at hand. As I recognize my weaknesses I can better put together a plan to minimize the issues. I am always striving to eliminate the negative and create something positive. From my experience, people usually can identify several of their strengths. Self-evaluation of those characteristics helps keep our positive attributes in check. Our strengths can become areas of concern if we allow things like power and pride to develop. Normally I reflect on my strengths and weaknesses in three…
Close friends are priceless and rare. For me, certain traits are consistent among those I consider true friends. All my close friends have heart. It might not be obvious to everyone who knows them, but all live life from the perspective of love. Some might not live with love fully exposed, but pulling back the layers reveals the true core. Living from a perspective of love promotes kindness and compassion. My close friends are people who choose to react with kindness. We enjoy seeing others succeed. I trust my true friends. Listening to their perspective helps me broaden my focus…
It takes self-control to conquer evil with good. Allowing someone to blow off a little steam yet responding with compassion in your voice and nonverbal communication. Some of the most difficult times for me to respond with love are when I’m caught off guard and tired. I can handle difficult situations, but when I walk into a tense situation or am involved in something spontaneously, I need muscle memory to help me quickly respond in the desired way. When thrown into the boxing arena, I want to stay calm and tactical. I am not an experienced fighter and…
Trusting the process is often difficult when we see results. When we trust in Jesus we are doing so without seeing. We can gain knowledge from The Bible, witness miracles, attend church, participate in bible studies, worship through the arts, fellowship, prayer, etc. For me, it boils down to love and trust in Jesus. Without a doubt, I trust that Jesus has my back. Things don’t always go the way I anticipate or desire, but I trust without waiver. The inner peace I feel when I live every day from a perspective of love is something I am unwilling…
Everyone’s potential is uniquely their own. We all have different strengths and weaknesses to refine if we are up to the challenge. If we are open, Jesus will work with us to help us reach our highest potential. It is important for me to set aside some time to focus on my physical and mental self, but sometimes I forget to think about how others perceive me. How well am I communicating to others and how well am I received? It is a challenge, but I work at shutting out all the chaos around me and focusing on refining…
Each of us has a purpose in life. It is unlikely that we will leave this earth before our purpose is fulfilled. The difficult part is we don’t usually know our purpose. As we walk our intended path, it becomes clearer, but it is often not disclosed. As I become more prayerful my path becomes more clear. That doesn’t mean I understand my purpose or have a clear direction regarding God’s plan for me. But I am able to better move forward as I wait for the plan to be unveiled. When I surrender control to Jesus…
As I prepare for a celebration of freedom I look forward to a time of unity and inclusion. Being inclusive to all, yet refueling in the comfort of those who understand me. Surrounding myself with people who are like-minded and live with love. Other than my children and my father, I rarely see those who know me the best. Those who unconditionally accept me for who I am understand that we don’t have to see or talk to each other to stay connected. Our community has an incredible celebration for July 4th. Most years the celebration continues throughout…