Wedding Anniversary

I sit here at my computer listening to my husband of 14 years (today) and my 12 year old son as they laugh, play, and rough-house...oh my, I think one of them just hit the floor very hard. OUCH. It makes me smile to hear the constant sounds of laughter, teasing, and conversation between my husband and my children. I am a very blessed child of GOD, wife, and mother...thus my name: BelovedMrsMom

I have so many random thoughts going through my mind right now, I certainly don't have time to concern myself with grammar, punctuation, and style. I've got love on my mind, which is the real place for love. So many times I hear people say "I feel..." or talk about love as an emotion or a feeling. Well, let me tell you, if my love for my husband was based on feelings at ANY point in the last 16 1/2 years, we'd never gotten married nor would we have stayed married.

I am a believer that love is absolutely a choice, a decision one makes, regardless of how one feels. So it's hard for me to have compassion, tolerance, or understanding sometimes when someone says things like "I can't help loving her/him" or "I wish I didn't love them so much." How is it possible for love to be just an emotion that overtakes someone at random?

What exactly is love?

Love is, IMO, wishing the very best for someone regardless of how your feel or where that best leaves you. Love is sacrificing for the GOOD of another, again, regardless of our own wants. Love is, according the the Scriptures, patient, kind, it does NOT envy, it does NOT boast, it does NOT keep any record of wrongs, it does NOT delight in evil but rejoices in the Truth. And we are also told, GOD IS love. Of course there is so much more written about the true nature of love, but I think you can get some understanding of my idea of love.

I love my LORD. I love my husband. I love my children. I love my family and friends. I love all people. I love my 'enemies' too. How can it be possible to love all of these if love were just some uncontrollable feeling that overtakes me. It is NOT possible. But with GOD all things are possible.

So, Happy Anniversary to my husband. May I love him more and better tomorrow, next year and in 40 years than I do today. I know I love him more today than I did 14 years ago, so I trust the GOD of Heaven and Earth, my Father, can continue to grow me until I am more and more like HIM and I love more and more as HE loves.

I praise you JESUS, for YOU are my first Love. You are my everything. You cause me to love and to live to love YOU more.