This Lent I'm Falling in LOVE Again

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.


This has always been one of my favorite passages in the old testament, and I'm not sure if I can put it into words why.
There is obvious joy in the writer's heart. The one who wrote this was excited.
"Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."   Don't stop talking about Him!
I'm a fan of quite a few British TV shows, I have no problem talking about one or the other, whenever. Sure some people think I'm obsessed and really geeky, but I don't care. I like the TV show. 
Am I the same when I talk/think about my saviour?

Wednesday started the season of Lent in the Catholic Church.   For about a week before my family and I spent time trying to decide what to give up for Lent.  And although I do have things I am giving up, I think this Lent, for me, is going to be a time of my obsession with God.
There is a psalm, what number it is I can't remember, but it says "He is my love, my fortress."
He is my love.

One of my favorite songs is by United Pursuit and it's called "Help Me Find My Own Flame."
I love this song because it's about taking the love of God for our own, and not letting it be "dry bones."

This Lent I'm falling in love again.  Please pray for me as I do so.

This is a long post I know, but I want to leave you with the link to the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShlmvA4-bgM 

We are called to Love

For the past two days I have been reading this book called The Irresistible Revolution.  And then this morning in our Liturgy of the hours we read Romans 12:13-21.  It's something that I've read many many many times before, and it's always been like:
"Yeah, it's a nice reading." And then I forget about it.      But today, it spoke to me an a whole new level. Here's what it says.

 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.  On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

And this reading struck me because this is what we are called to do. Share with those in need. Live in harmony with one another.  It's so easy, and I am guilty of this myself, to simply believe it's just something to read and then forget.  But Paul wrote this to the Romans, telling them this is the way they had to live.   If they had to live it? Why don't we?   

I lived in the ghetto of St. Lucia, where people were murdered across the street and we heard the gunshots.  I've lived in the dirt, in the trash, with people who could be called "unloveable''.  It wasn't fun for me, it wasn't easy.   It's easy to want to go back to the states, get married live a ''good Christian life'', raise ''good Christian kids.''   How do I do what I know I'm supposed to do?   The only answer I can come up with, and one I find echoed in The Irresistible Revolution, is to love.

If you love someone you're willing to do anything for them.  I have to love God in order to love that Romans verse.

My human love is not strong enough for that.  I pray that God gives me more of His love.

Rejoice!

This morning in our morning prayers there was a line that particularly stuck out to me. Here it is from Psalm 63: In the shadow of your wings I rejoice.

I guess it was just a reminder to me, God is always there for me and for you. He hides us in the shadow of his wings. And we should rejoice because of that fact. There was another line in Psalm 63 that says, For you love is better than life. Wow. That strikes hard. Better than life? Better than my parents? My siblings? My friends? Yes. God's love is bigger and better than all of those put together! God is amazing. Period. :D

So will you rejoice with me?

Abi

Food for thought

Psalm 119:19-20

I am a pilgrim on earth;

show me your commands.

My soul is ever consumed

as I long for your decrees

Blessings,

Lizzy