WAYS  OF  LOVE

Written by Donna (Ensign) Woods

 

1 John 3:18

“Dear children let us not love with words or tongue

But with actions and truth.”

 

A multitude of ways to show love

As endless as stars above.

A simple hug, with no word said,

When a friend is filled with dread.

Occasional meal, for someone alone,

An act of love is shown.

A note or simple card…

Showing love is not that hard.

Smiling face for those you meet

Connect with hearts on the street.

Encourage without a  word

Love’s voice is felt…not heard.

Just a moment of your time

Adds the music to life’s rhyme.

A sunshine basket…..a little gift

And hurting hearts will shift.

Prayers lifted up for you or me

….So God’s love we can see.

Showing interest in another’s day

Seeds of love sown along the way

If you’re first…..choose to be last

Love doesn’t hurry past.

Reach out…open a door

Remember what your hands are for.

Take time to do the unexpected

…..And love is shown and perfected.

Share the words that Jesus said

LIVE the LOVE written in red !!

Ways to show God’s love

As endless as stars above.

Trust written by Donna (Ensign) Woods

Recently, Madison, my 4 year old granddaughter, went shopping with me.

It was a miserably hot day, like we have had so many of this summer.

Seeking as much mercy from the heat as possible,

I parked the van at the far end of the parking lot,

under a tiny little shade tree.

As we exited the cool comfort of the store,

we stepped out of the comfort zone into the blazing furnace-like heat.

Maddy immediately slipped her tiny little hand into mine.

She boldly announced that she was walking all the way to the van with her eyes closed!

I glanced down, and sure enough, her eyes wer squeezed tightly shut,

pony tail bouncing with every step,

face turned up toward the sky

with a beaming smile on her precious little face.

She walked confidently, with big steps,

keeping stride right along side of me....

absolutely no hesitation, no fear...in total trust.

I said,"Oh Maddy do you trust ME to lead you safely ??"

"Do you trust ME to protect you from moving cars?...

and to prevent you from running into parked cars?"

"Do you trust ME to catch you if you stumble and start to fall????"
She smiled even bigger, turning her head towards me,

eyes still tightly closed and said,"YEP!!!"

My heart flooded with an emotion that no words can describe !!!

....For her to trust my love so completely, without doubts...

without fears...without hesitation...

To boldly and confidently take one step after another....

without "seeing" where she was stepping...

Not knowing what dangers or obstacles may block her way

or threaten her from the left or right....

My heart danced a joy only a mother or grandmother can know....

....And somewhere deep in my soul, I heard my Father God whisper....

"Take MY hand and trust ME as fearlessly as Maddy trusts you..."

My heart skipped a beat, as I recognized the voice of All Creation...

and I realized, once again, God was using a little child to teach me.

I was not leading Maddy....SHE was leading me !!!!

So many treasured lessons we learn from a child !!

I guess that is why God reveals His secrets to little children....

Why He wants us to come to Him as little children....

Why a little child will lead them...lead us...lead me.

Because only a child can trust with all their heart....

The harder I try to teach my grandchildren about the love of Christ....

the more THEY teach ME about the love of Christ....

".....Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,

for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these....

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom

of God like a little child will never enter it."

Mark 10:14 & 15

Supervise by Joyce Schafer

My granddaughter, Keely, and I were playing outside when she decided that she needed a drink. After naming off the different drink choices she decided on chocolate milk. As she was going into the house she turned to me and said “Grandma, you might want to come in and supervise.”

My relationship with God is a lot like that. Even though there are many times in my life when I can do things on my own, it always goes a lot smoother if I ask God to “supervise.” I did not need to supervise Keely preparing her drink. She did a perfect job of getting a glass, pouring her milk, adding the chocolate syrup [ok, maybe I did tell her when it was enough] and stirring it up. She did not make a mess but it was comforting to her to know that I was there in case she did make a mess to help clean it up.

I am thankful for many things---my family, my friends, my job, my church and especially for a God who continues to love and “supervise” me.

Mother's Day by Joyce Schafer

May 10th is the day set aside on the calendar to honor mothers. Over the years I have been honored on Mother’s Day in various ways.

It started with an “I love you, Mommy” and a fistful of dandelions from a toddler. I have never understood why anyone would spray their yard to kill dandelions. These flowers hold so many precious memories for me.

Then, when the kids were in grade school, I was honored with lots of handmade gifts on this special day. I especially loved the handprint pictures and the flowers in milk cartons.

The teenage years were a bit more hit and miss in the honoring department. I remember one Mother’s Day coming home from a weekend trip and finding flowers from my teenage sons. I felt so honored and proud of my boys. Years later, I heard the rest of the story. My little darlings had bought the flowers at a gas station because they had stayed out way past their curfew and figured if I found out about it, the flowers would soften the punishment. Why do these kids feel the need to tell all and spoil our illusions once they are out of the house?

The Mother’s Day gifts of flowers, cards, and eating out are nice, but they are the world’s view of how to honor mothers. God’s view can be found in Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” It says nothing about once a year in May to do this, but this is something we should do every day.

How do we honor our mothers every day? I think all mothers want the same two things from their children – Love and Respect. I also think all mothers should be treated this way not only because it is the right thing to do, but more importantly, because God commands it.

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know by Susan Shull

I hate missing church. When I am not there, I know I am really missing out. Even on the days we are out of town and visit another congregation, Sunday doesn’t seem “right.” Those of us who attend Scott Avenue Christian Church are so lucky. Let me restate that. We aren’t lucky-we are blessed. We have so many opportunities to learn about the love of Jesus.

We are so blessed that our Praise Team leads us in worship each Sunday. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we sing are very powerful. They uplift us, and we pray are pleasing to God as we proclaim his majesty and glory, praising him for who he is and all he has done for us in sending his perfect Son to die on the cross for our sins.

We are so blessed that we always have an inspiring message. It is evident that Mark spends a great deal of time immersing himself in the word and praying that God will give him the words that we need to hear. I don’t know about you, but every Sunday it seems that I am convicted of sin in my life and changes I need to make. I am also reminded that my life is not about me. We are here in this time and place for a higher purpose than the amount of pleasure we can get from each day, or the amount of work we can accomplish, or the amount of money in our bank accounts.

We are so blessed that we have wonderful Bible fellowship classes to attend. It is heart-warming to me to see people heading off to class grabbing a cup of coffee and chatting for a few minutes with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Relationships are built as we open God’s word in small groups and share how Christ is working in our lives.

Even with all of this occurring every Sunday, we also know that what happens for two hours one morning a week will never completely fill the need we have to know Him more. I am so very thankful that our God doesn’t stay in a church building and only show himself to us once a week.
Because of the mercy and grace of our heavenly Father, we can have access to his perfect love 24/7. As Christians, the Holy Spirit lives within us. Those are such simple words to write, but almost impossible to fathom. I don’t understand it, but I am so thankful for it. As if that wasn’t enough, His word is always ready to be opened and He will speak to us, showing us his magnificence and splendor.

How can you not love Jesus once you meet him on the pages of the inspired word? The more I learn about Him, the more I want to know. Don’t cheat yourself. Get involved so you can partake of the best thing this life has to offer-true LOVE.

Love Letters by Donna (Ensign) Woods

We search for LOVE in so many places,
In fame and fortune and people's faces.
LOVE is spoken in every language,
Not subject to time or age.
We hunger and thirst for it,
Longing fills heart, mind and spirit.
This longing can only be satisfied
By Father, God so glorified !
Faith, hope and LOVE these three
But the greatest is LOVE for you and me.
God sends LOVE letters all our days
In a multitude of awesome ways.
LOVE leters in a majestic sunset
Breathtaking mountains we can't forget.
LOVE letters pulsating from the seas,
With salty caresses from ocean breeze.
Brids sing melodies of LOVE
Passion's seranade from God above.
LOVE letters without end
From Father, Savior, Friend.
LOVE letters in a dew drop kiss
Gentle whispers we must not miss.
The breath of Heaven makes flowers dance
....A LOVE letter...not "luck" or "chance"
His signature found on butterfly wings,
His LOVE song written as songbird sings.
Have you opened His LOVE letter today ??
He sends so many your way.
Open His LOVE letters one by one,
Especially the one about His Son.
He nailed that LOVE letter to a tree,
So we'd know His LOVE for you and me.
I believe each word He said
He signed each LOVE letter.....in blood red !!!

God Loves YOU! by Theresa Zuber

I have three children. Although each is different, I love them all. They in turn love me. How did this come to be? First, I cared for them when they were small; when they were too tiny to even understand what love is. As they grew, they began to understand that they were dependent on me for their needs. But they also loved to be near me, to have me hold them and to spend time with them. They grew to love me. You see, no one explained love to them, they just loved naturally. They loved because they were shown love, experienced love, and lived love.

Your heavenly Father has created you. He loved you before your mother ever saw your face. He has formed you, taken care of you, showered you with love, and met your needs. As you have grown in His love, have you returned that love to Him? God desires a relationship with YOU and you alone. Oh, He also desires a relationship with me, but I cannot give Him what you can.

Should I be satisfied if only two of my children returned my love? Would I not be empty and heartbroken if the third child ignored my existence? Or perhaps acknowledged me but his or her words were empty of meaning – empty of love; a half-hearted attempt at a relationship. I desire a special relationship with each of my children.

Much in the same way, God desires a special relationship with each of us. No one else can fill that special place in God’s heart that is YOU-shaped. Take a look at your relationship with the Creator. He’s waiting just for you.

Isaiah 49:15-16 (TM) "Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you—never. Look, I've written your names on the backs of my hands.”

Love Everyone by Joyce Schafer

In 1 John 20-21 it reads: If anyone says "I love God" yet hates his brother he is a liar. For anyone who does not love my brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

It is so easy to love someone we care about and who treats us nicely but it is so hard to love someone when they treat us badly. I struggled with this until one of my Christian mentors explained to me that while we should love everyone that does not mean we have to approve of everything they do. In other words we should love the sinner but not the sin.

We all have people in our lives who push our buttons. Some of them even do it on purpose. How do we love these people but not allow them to tear us down? Another of my wise mentors gave me this advice "Pray for them." Is this easy? No, it is not but if Jesus could pray for the sinners who nailed him to the cross surely I can pray for someone who hurt my feelings.

Above all surround yourself with Christian mentors. These are the friends that give you not only the advice you want to hear but also the advice you need to hear.

I Taught...They Taught by Donna Ensign Woods

I taught my children how they should behave...
They taught me to be tolerant and brave.

They quickly learned their ABC's...
I quickly learned to get down on my knees.

I struggled to teach them right from wrong...
They taught me to be patient and strong.

I taught them the importance of being polite...
They taught me to pray with all my might.

I taught them to be fair in the games they play...
They taught me what truly matters along the way.

I helped them learn to read and do their math...
They taught me to have fun and laugh.

I taught them to finish whatever they start...
They taught me to pray, with ALL my heart

I taught them to be neat and clean...
They taught me to have faith in the unseen.

I continually give them all my love...
They give me hope and trust in God above.

I taught one thing...They taught another...
It's the wonderful world of being a Mother !!!!

Dandelions by Marla Galloway

They’re baaaaack… covering the landscape, bright, yellow and dare I say, cheerful? Yes, it’s dandelions! This pesky perennial will turn white and the wind will scatter seeds to and fro, assuring its continued existence. It’s quite reliable, the dandelion. After all, you can bet every spring it will make its triumphant return. The dandelion is persistent. You can mow it down and the next day it reappears, almost mocking your efforts. he dandelion does not discriminate. It shows up just about anywhere, fields, ditches…. your lawn!

So the next time you start whacking away at this “weed,” consider the characteristics of the dandelion. Traits we should possess like resilience and dependability. We too should be spreading seeds, though of a different kind, seeds of goodness and love.