Today is no ordinary day....today is our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, a celebration I do not take lightly.  Before I go enjoy the day with him(he actually ran to the hardware store), I wanted to share my thoughts with you as I reflect over the last twenty-five years.

I spent some time reading my Bible this morning.  I researched everything I could find on love..you know all the passages, Genesis 2:24,  Proverbs 31, Song of Solomon 2:16,  Ephesians 5, and 1 Cor. 13 to name a few.  I have to say, I'm hung up on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8....Listen to how The Message version depicts love.

"Love never gives up.  Love cares more for others than for self.  Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first", doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.  Love never dies."

What I'm convinced of is love is a choice.  We make the choice every day whether or not we will love, who we will love and how we will love.  Love Out Loud requires action. That love only comes from God.  In that twenty-five years of marriage, I have loved with God and without God.  I choose with God.  We have walked down some VERY bumpy roads, full of potholes and detours. What we have discovered through the good, bad and the ugly is.....Marriage only exists under the supernatural covering of God.  We have an enemy, named Satan, who's mission is to "steal, kill and destroy."(John10:10)  We must stand strong against the enemy. 

So, what does that look like, especially in regards to marriage.  Here's a thought:

Everything that belongs to God is available to you and is available to me.  Things like love, peace, strength, joy, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, provision and abundance.  However, there's a requirement: We must allow God to come in and clean house.  You've heard the statement "Garbage in, garbage out?"  Let's go a step further and add "Jesus in, Jesus out."  We must get rid of hate, impurity, jealousy, lust, fear, gossip, bitterness and anger.  Those are the things that attract Satan, that ultimately destroy marriages.  However, we CAN NOT get "clean" on our own, we must have the help of the Holy Spirit.  He is our teacher, among many things. (John 14:26)  We are body, soul and spirit.  What we feed our spirit will take root in our hearts and ultimately determine what comes out of our mouth.  So, look back up to what 1Cor 13:4-8 says about love.  I don't know about you, but I still have work to do!!  So, off I go today to love...Will you join me?  Let me know how you plan to love today....

Blessings my friends