Women of Faith, Imagine Conference, Atlanta, Georgia

I am so very excited!  This morning I opened my e-mails and had an invitation from Women of Faith to join them at their Atlanta Conference on August 12 and 13 (if any of you are planning to attend, I would love to have a chance to meet you)!  I have been to one other Women of Faith conference, and that was probably ten years or so ago.  I am looking forward to being refreshed in so many ways.  Believe me ladies, if you have an opportunity to attend one of these events, your life will be changed.

Check out their site:  http://www.womenoffaith.com/events/2011-events/

Reese

Who Made the Sacrifice?

I have been reading Max Lucado's book A Love Worth Giving: Living in the Overflow of God's Love.  Very good book.  I know I have mentioned this before, but everything I have read of Mr. Lucado's makes me think.  Really think! In chapter 12, A Cloak of Love, Mr. Lucado brings out the point that Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, made themselves coverings of leaves, and hid themselves from God.  When God came looking for them (of COURSE He knew right where they were), He asked why they had hid themselves, and why they were covering themselves.  Genesis 3:21 simply says "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."  Mr. Lucado points out that God made the sacrifice of life, God made the clothes, and God dressed them.  He didn't tell Adam and Eve to put on the clothes, God put them on them Himself.  

Here's something that I have been thinking about.  I'll bet Adam and Eve knew the animal(s) that was killed for their sins.  Something else had to pay the price.  Can you imagine how they felt?  Maybe they were thinking "No, God! Please don't sacrifice that one!  Or that, or that one!  They mean so much to us.  Didn't you tell us to take care of them? Didn't you allow us to name them?"  On top of the tremendous guilt of disobeying God and being separated from Him, they were totally responsible for the first loss of life. 

Brings to mind the sacrifice of the Perfect, Sinless Lamb of God for the sins of the whole world. He freely, willingly gave his life for ME!  And YOU!  John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Just some ramblings...

Reese

What could have been considered a disaster...

Some days it seems that EVERYTHING goes wrong!  And I mean from beginning to end.  Friday was one of those days for me.  Fortunately, things did get better...

It started out with getting to work and finding out that the a/c was not working.  We called the repair company who gave us a price and later a time frame (Monday or Tuesday of this week!).  It kept getting hotter and hotter in the office.  Granted, I do live and work in the hot, sticky south, so being hot is not anything new -- if I am outside.  However, one does expect a certain level of comfort inside.  That wasn't happening Friday.  I had a fan blowing, but by the time the afternoon rolled around, I had sweated (oops, one of my friends says I should use the word "glisten" instead of sweat) so much that my entire backside was wet.  Yuck!  I asked my boss not to ask me into his office if clients came in, I was so embarrassed.  By the time I left at 20 'til 5:00 it was 85° inside the office. 

I went home and thought I might go to the gym and sweat legitimately.  But when I walked into the sunroom at my house, I started smelling something and noticed water on the floor along the wall.  What on earth!?!  I tried to clean it up, then traced it to it's source and found the door to the freezer popped open, and the freezer dripping.  I don't know if the freezer died, but everything inside it had!  I spent the next couple of hours emptying the contents of the freezer -- I was able to save all of the non-meat items for my compost pile.  And I really didn't have that much meat in there.  And I had bought the meat at Winn Dixie in their buy one get one free deals, so it really wasn't that bad.  Then I pushed the freezer outside onto the back patio so it could air out.  I took a mop and cleaned up the water, then used a heavy hand with the Lysol and mopped the floor again.  By this time I was drenched with sweat!  No need to go to the gym, I was literally worked out!  Oh, the rain started to fall!  The temperature dropped -- well maybe a degree or so. 

That wasn't the end of the day.  The boys were stirring for a fight.  Two teenage boys.  Why don't you do this?  Why don't you let us do that?  We are old enough to make our own decisions (NOT!!).  You don't let us have any freedoms (SO not true!).  Why?  Why?  Why? they said. You don't love us.  We don't love you... Hey, guess I'm doing a good job if I'm getting these kinds of complaints, right?

Oh my, the day was finally over and I was totally exhausted, physically and mentally.  I think I finally went to sleep about 1:30 in the morning.

Then I was up at 8:00 on Saturday.  I tried to sleep late.  I really did, but I couldn't (don't laugh, mom!).  So I dressed to exercise.  I tried to wake up my youngest and see if he wanted to go play tennis, but being a teen and having stayed up so late, he was not interested!  So I made cinnamon rolls (the kind out of a can, I wasn't going to be THAT domestic), told both boys through their haze of sleep that I was going to the gym, and went and had a very nice work out.  Isn't it amazing what physical exercise will do for you mentally?  Well, it also makes me want to do stuff physically, too.  When I got home, I made home made bread pudding, potato salad for supper, meat loaf for Sunday's lunch, pasta salad as a special request for Sunday and prepared pizza burgers for dinner.  Then I "walked" the freezer out to the shed and left it inside with it's door open (later I'll plug it in and see if it still works, but I'm not moving it back to the sunroom!).  I even managed some time to make a pillow case for my youngest son out of some camouflage fabric he found in my scrap bag. 

Sunday was a great day at church.  The sermon was from Ephesians 3:14-21 and our Sunday school lesson was on Revelation 13.  At six my regular Sunday night Bible study group met a my house and had a great lesson on the topic of prayer by Max Lucado.  Getting together with girlfriends, my sisters in Christ, is always wonderful and a highlight of the week.  To finish it all off, I had a phone call from another girlfriend, and the boys and I went out and had ICE CREAM! 

And what girl doesn't need to hear this every once in a while:  "hey, you look like you've lost weight!"  Spoken by a friend while at the gym yesterday afternoon.

Listen to this (pointed out in yesterday's sermon) from Ephesians 3:20 - 21 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end."  Think about this.  God is able to do what we ask or think.  That's great! But not only is He able to do anything we ask or think, He is able to do ABOVE ALL that we ask or think.  And He is able to do ABUNDANTLY above all that we ask or think.  And finally, most importantly, He is able to do EXCEEDING abundantly above all that we ask or think! I feel that's exactly what He did for me this weekend. 

Reese

Book Review: Why God Won't Go Away

Why God Won't Go Away

By:  Alister McGrath

Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers

Copyright 2010

When I ordered this book I was eagerly looking forward to reading and finding out "why God won't go away."  I felt that as a believer, it was and is my responsibility to stay informed about what others believe.  Since Alister McGrath is a former atheist, I hoped he would give me facts I could use if I ever came across a situation where I had a discussion with an atheist.  Why God Won't Go Away truly was an eye opener for me, and I read with pencil in hand and underlined many parts of the book.   

Mr. McGrath divided his book into three easy to read sections, the first being "What is the New Atheism?"  I had never before heard this term, so I found this section very informative. Basically, Mr. McGrath points out that New Atheists not only refuse to believe a God exists, they also believe that anyone who believes in God is irrational, that all evil comes from belief in God/religion (they reference Sept. 11, 2001).  According to Mr. McGrath, New Atheists also go one step further and say that all who believe in some form of god or religion need to be eliminated.

The second section is "Engaging the New Atheism: Three Core Theme" whereby violence, reason and science are called into question.  Once again Mr. McGrath points out that New Atheists believe that "religion poisons everything".  In chapter 4 Mr. McGrath points out that "New Atheism seems to think it has a monopoly on truth, refusing as a matter of principle to concede the rationality of other positions, above all of religious faith".  New Atheism also believes that humans have invented God, and a "nasty" God at that.  Here's an interesting excerpt from the book: "God can be scapegoated for everything that's wrong with society, and that allows some people to feel better about themselves.  But if there's no God, the spotlight of blame shifts relentlessly onto us."  In other words, from my understanding, New Atheists state that all evil comes from God; but since they believe that there is no God, where does the evil come from?

Section three concerns "Where Does the New Atheism Go from Here?"  According to Mr. McGrath, interest in New Atheism is waning.  They have been unable to prove that there is no God.  Also pointed out is that mainstream atheists are embarrassed by the accusations and manner in which New Atheism presents itself.  Also, Mr. McGrath points out that "one of the reasons Christianity makes such a powerful appeal to humanity is its ability to make sense of our experience."  Even Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennet (two of the "four horsemen" of New Atheism) agree that human beings are preconditioned to believe in God! 

A final excerpt:  "Christian beliefs, like those of the New Atheism or any other worldview, ultimately lie beyond final rational proof.  But they're clearly of no small importance in understanding the current worldwide resurgence of interest in faith and its implications for more aggressive forms of secularism...There's something about human nature that makes us want to reach out beyond rational and empirical limits, questing for meaning and significance." 

Once again, this was an easy to read, enlightening book, which I found very interesting.  I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know what the other side thinks.  Also note that there is an extensive reading list, a bibliography and a section of works cited. 

In order to comply with new Federal Trade Commission regulations, please note that this book was provided compliments of Booksneeze.

Fireworks...

Reese

WOMEN of FAITH

Have you ever had the opportunity to attend a Women of Faith weekend?  If not, you don't know what you are missing! 

Several years ago my mother, grandmother, sister, a couple of my sisters-in-law  and myself (I know, really big family -- and there are even more of us now!) loaded up in a van and made the drive to attend the Women of Faith conference in Atlanta, Georgia.  Not only was the fellowship with my family wonderful, but the experiences of being in so large a crowd of women, all praising, honoring and glorifying God, was truly amazing!  The teachings were right on target.  The humor was... hilarious!  And hearing all those thousands of women lifting their voices (hearts and souls) in song was breathtaking!  The experiences of that weekend were a great encouragement to me. 

If you ever get a chance to attend one of these conferences, I guarantee your heart will be renewed and your soul just might be set on fire!

Reese

Women of Faith 2011 Conference Schedules

Today is my parents’ 44th wedding anniversary!

When I was about six (and had two younger brothers) daddy gave up his good job at the bank and the decision was made to attend Hyles-Anderson College in Indiana.  Daddy went to school and worked full time.  My mom also worked full time.  We kids were enrolled in Hammond Baptist Grade School and we attended First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana (to me, the preaching was exceptional and I heard great preachers such as Dr. John R. Rice, Dr. Bill Rice, Dr. Lee Roberson, heard Rudy Atwood play the piano, and laughed at ventriloquist Geraldine and Little Ricky, too!).  Three more kids were born, one with life a threatening birth defect that required major surgery over the course of a year or more, which in turn extended Daddy’s years in college and our time in Indiana to a total of seven. 

It was encouraged that all men who attended Hyles-Anderson should become “preacher boys” and that they should go out on weekly “soul winning” visits.  My brother Brian and I sometimes went with daddy to the ghettos of Chicago, knocking on doors and telling people about Jesus.  Some people closed doors in our faces, some invited us in, some invited HIM in! What a great learning experience for us kids!

I remember my mom’s boss, who was Jewish, coming to our home.  He was loud.  He stretched himself across my parents’ bed.  Daddy had his Bible out and they talked about Christ as the promised Messiah.  Because of my mom’s witness at work, daddy was able to lead him to the Lord. 

We lived in Oregon for three years while daddy pastored a small church.  I distinctly remember hearing that one of the women in church told my mother we kids were not going to turn out right because my mom had a job outside the home.  Can you imagine being told that?  However, God used my parents in that community.  Souls were saved and lives were changed.

According to my sister, Elizabeth, what influenced her the most “was the closeness that (was) experienced as a family.  Even if it was just a Sunday afternoon drive, Mom and Daddy always tried to make things enjoyable and interesting. Everything was a learning experience, but fun at the same time.”  I remember those drives and trips! I remember standing under the rocket in Huntsville, Alabama (1970s).  We went to Mount St. Helens (which had erupted a few years earlier) in Washington.  We camped at Crater Lake in Oregon.  We hiked  and rode horses all over Oregon.  We saw the redwoods in California.  We saw the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, the Rocky Mountains…!

Some of Elizabeth’s best memories as a family? Our “moving from Oregon to Alabama. What an adventure! Being able to see sights as a family that we knew we may never get to see again was awesome.” 

About that move… my parents sold just about everything so we could take our two horses with us.  My parents said it was easier to take the horses than to leave the kids!  Taking the horses proved a grand adventure!  We stopped more often because the horses needed exercise (so did the kids!!).  We had some fun riding down the side of the highways!  At one roadside stop in New Mexico a state trooper pulled over and ultimately invited us to his home.  We made such an impression on him (don’t know if it was good or bad!) that he sent cards for several years.  It took us two weeks to get from Madras, Oregon to Montgomery, Alabama, arriving on an extremely hot Mother’s day weekend in 1985. 

We have been back in Alabama twenty-six years.  Daddy has built a family business where three of my four brothers are partners.  He honors God through his business and is quick to witness to everyone he meets.  The reputation of our family is such that people come up to us kids and say, “you’re one of those Coons, aren’t you?”  Yes, we are! 

Proverbs 22:6 says “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  Because of my parents’ training, all six of us accepted Christ as our Savior at an early age.  My brothers have all married Christian women.  All of the grandchildren who are old enough have also made early decisions for Christ.  And all of my brothers serve in lay positions in their churches.

Happy Anniversary Daddy & Mama!

Reese

Ephesians 6:2  says, “honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise.” 

Bear One Another's Burdens

I am slowly learning things about myself.  Things I wish I would have learned years ago.  Maybe I already knew these things, but just never put them into practice. I am talking about how to accept help from others.  Even when I feel like I don't need it. Even when I don't know I have something I need help with! 

This past Saturday afternoon I hosted a Sunday school party at my parents' place in the country. A friend volunteered to come down early and help set up, and he would bring another friend to help.  I thought I could do it myself, but remembered what my grandmother told me not too long ago, that I might be robbing someone of a blessing if I don't accept help when it's offered.  Even if I don't think I need the help.  Puts a whole new perspective on things!  So I accepted the offer.  And I was glad I did!  Apparently I worked too hard in the morning and early afternoon, or maybe I just got too hot from staying out in the Alabama sun so long, but I was tired, and ready for some help when it came along. Thanks, guys!!  It was nice to be able to finish setting up early and then sit back and relax, waiting for the rest of the gang to show up.  And you know what?  It didn't hurt me one bit to accept that help.  In fact, it was really nice!  I even let them help take things down!

The Bible talks about helping others.  "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ," Galatians 6:2.  That's not a suggestion, it's a command.  How can we help someone today?  Oh -- and how can you let go of your "control" on things and let someone help you?

Reese

Why Not Share God's Word?

Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011

Isn't it wonderful when people share with you?  Even better when they open their hearts and share.  But better still is when a friend reads verses of Scripture, thinks of you, and just has to pass them on.  That's what happened to me recently. 

My friend shared John 16:33 which says "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  And he also shared John 14:26-27 which says "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  My friend said that these verses had been an encouragement to him that day, and hoped that I would be encouraged, too. Of course I was!  First, someone had been thinking about me.  Secondly, God had impressed on his heart to share God's Word with me, and he obeyed.  So it actually felt like GOD was whispering these words to me, Himself!

Have you allowed yourself to be used by God lately?  Pay attention.  Listen to Him.  Give it a shot through obedience!  Who knows how you might encourage another believer!

Guess what?  I was able this week to use these same verses to help another friend!

Reese

Raising kids!


My sons and I are enjoying summer.  My oldest has his learners permit and although he has driven a good bit with his dad, including on the interstate, his dad has an automatic transmission and I don't!  I thought I was going to put holes in the floor boards on the passenger side last night, I was pushing against them so hard!  And that's when he was practicing in the neighborhood, going from stop sign to stop sign.  Oh, boy!  Today the boys went to the movies with my sister-in-law and her kids, and planned to go swimming afterwards, but they were rained out.  So instead they played indoor games. 

It's sometimes difficult to balance freedoms and privileges with responsibilities, but I have to remember that freedoms and privileges are part of responsibilities.  I try to give my kids freedoms, but with reasonable limits.  Such as: you can go to your friends house, or to the ball park, etc., but you need to call me first -- so I will know where you are. 

I remember when I was growing up.  I am the oldest of six kids, the youngest is ten years younger than me.  Both of my parents worked outside the home, so from the time I was thirteen on it was my responsibility to take care of the younger kids.  I also took care of the laundry and making sure we had dinner on the table every night.  I wanted a horse so bad during that time.  So my parents offered to pay me for taking care of the younger kids, doing the laundry and dinner.  It was an awesome experience to take that money and buy my first horse when I was fifteen!  The thrill and responsibility of making that purchase, and then of taking care of the horse, buying it's supplies myself --wow! 

And then when it came time to ride my horse, my brother and I were sometimes driven out to BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land with one of his friends (we were 15, 13 and 13).  We were dropped off in the morning, and told to follow the railroad tracks back into town.  Off we would go, just the three of us.  All alone.  On horses.  No cell phones.  No one for miles around.  We were completely responsible for ourselves. Thinking back on it now, I wonder what would have happened if one of us had an accident.  We were allowed these privileges because we were trustworthy and responsible, but I imagine our parents also worried about us while we were gone. 

Sometimes it's tough to be a parent.  It's hard sometimes to know how to raise your kids.  The Bible is full of wisdom regarding raising kids, and also on how kids are supposed to respond to their parents.  "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).  Isn't it wonderful that God says He will honor our Godly training of our children?  We have to be careful though.  Sometimes kids don't turn out the way we think they should, even if we have done everything according to God's plan.  We have to trust God to do the rest. 

Other times we have to discipline our kids.  The Bible says that "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes" (Proverbs 13:24).  I know our kids don't believe that, but it's true!  Who is going to discipline someone they don't care about? 

Kids are also given responsibilities in the Bible.  Paul said in Ephesians 6:1-3, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."  Do you see God's promise to the kids if they do what He asks?  

Look a little further, in verse 4.  Parents are also given responsibility and directions.  Paul says, "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."  Don't provoke your children to anger or wrath.  Sometimes that can be done unintentionally, but sometimes it's done on purpose.  How does the child, especially a teenager, react when we provoke them? It's not pretty, I can guarantee that!

This day and age, we Christian parents need all the help we can get.  We need to remember to use all our resources, including the Bible, church, family, friends, and other outside sources.  We need to never be afraid to ask for help.  And if help is refused, find someone else!  After all, our kids (and their kids) futures are at stake!

Many prayers on your wild ride of parenthood!

Reese

Here are a few parenting sites I have found helpful:

Focus on the Family
Ministry-to-Children
Heartlight Ministries



Rest!

Tacky Jacks II, Fort Morgan Road, April 2011

Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011

Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011

Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011

Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011

Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011

Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011

Pool at Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011



Pelicans sitting on pilings in Mobile Bay, April 2011



Bellingrath Gardens, April 2011

Bon Secour Wildlife Preserve, Gulf Shores, Alabama (at the Gulf at last!), April 2011



Bon Secour Wildlife Preserve, Gulf Shores, Alabama (secluded cove off the Gulf), April 2011



Bon Secour Wildlife Preserve, Gulf Shores, Alabama (this beautiful trail ends at the Gulf), April 2011

In April I was given a wonderful gift of personal downtime, refreshing my mind, body and spirit at a beautiful place in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  A friend Charlotte (Cholly) and I went down for the long Easter weekend.  We hung out, relaxed, sunbathed (okay, I sunburned), ate some wonderful food, explored a nature trail and ended by visiting Bellingrath Gardens.  Of course I took tons of photos!  That's just what I do. 

I had debated taking the trip because my sons were away, and I felt a little guilty going without them.  However, God knew that I needed the time alone, time to get my thoughts in order, to focus and prepare for the trials of the next few months. 

Sometimes God gives gifts of rest before trials, or rest after trials.  But you know what, God is there DURING the trials as well.  As a Christian, I know that God is the One Who supports me, Who gets me through.  One of my favorite passages of Scripture is II Corinthians 12:9 which says ..."My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  It would be foolish for me to go through the struggles of life alone. 

Give thanks for those periods of rest!

Reese

For more information, click links below:
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama
Tacky Jacks
Mobile Bay Ferry
Bellingrath Gardens

Flowers from my Garden

Daylilly -- this is a descendant from my great grandmother's garden.

The flowers in these photos remind me of this verse from Psalms:  Psalm 139:14
"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." 

Hope you enjoyed these first photos from this year's garden!

Reese

The Question Was Asked, "What is Love?"



This past Tuesday afternoon my two teenage sons were asked "what is love?" They answered "trust" and "feelings". They were not corrected. What IS the real meaning of love? When my oldest son brought the subject up with me, I asked what he thought, and once again he said that love is about feelings and about trust.  I took the opportunity to tell him that love is also a choice. It is doing what is best for someone else even when it might hurt you.

Today's society is filled with too much concentration on self, and not on others.  Our commercials and shows are focused on how to make ME look better or feel better about myself. How can I look just as good as or better than someone else?  Most ads and shows are not about making someone else feel better. 

What did Jesus say about love?  In Matthew 22:35-40 He says, ³⁵Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, ³⁶Master, which is the great commandment in the law? ³⁷Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Nowhere in these verses does He say you should love yourself.  All the love is directed outward, to God first and then to others. 

God gave that ultimate gift of love -- Jesus said in John 3:14-21 ¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. ²¹But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.    Everyone recognizes John 3:16. It has been said that it's the most well known and most quoted verse in the Bible.  Take a peek at verse 18. Although God is love, God also must punish those who reject Him.  -- God gave His only Son!  Do we want to WASTE that GIFT?

Love is also correction.  What parent wouldn't snatch their child back from danger?  The child might not recognize the danger and feel like he is being unfairly treated.  After all, it HURT when he was yanked back. But the parent saw the big picture and was protecting the child.  Proverbs 3:10-12 says ¹¹My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: ¹²For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Look at Ephesians 5:25-33.  Now this passage might step on some toes!  Paul exhorts husbands to love their wives, just like Christ loved the church.  Husbands are to love their wives just like they love themselves.  However, wives are told to reverence or respect their husbands.  Hmmm...if you reverence or respect someone, aren't you putting them before yourself, which is showing love? 

There are many other ways to love or show love, but remember this acrostic most of us learned when we were little:

Jesus

Others

You

If we would show love to others through God, what would happen?  We would experience true love. And as a result, we would be blessed and have great joy.

What do you think?  How do you know what LOVE really means?

Reese