Double Love

I’ve been reading “The Silent Seduction of Self-Talk” with my friend Carly. Usually I have no problem reading books, as a former literature major my favorite past-time is reading. However, I have a weakness when it comes to Christian non-fiction...I cannot seem to finish them after I start. So having Carly read this one with me has forced me to continue through the book to the end. The chapter we are in speaks on doubt – doubting God, His truth, His character, His promises and His plan for our lives. But one passage stopped me in my tracks:

“We must become committed to living out the double love command, a lifestyle that places love for God first and love of others second out of our overflow of God’s love. We must learn to walk moment by moment in faith and repentance and to say no to temptations to choose selfishly.”

How do I choose to love God first before loving others? It’s so easy to love others and say “oh yeah, I love God.” But what does it look like – practically – to love God first? I think it means to give up my daily comforts that draw me into spiritual passivity. It means lots of little choices that add up to daily habits. It means getting up early or leaving my desk at lunch or hiding away in another room in the evening just to spend time with God every day. It means turning off the television/radio/computer when I hear Him calling me to dwell with Him.

It means putting Him first before my husband – something that will probably cause me to feel like I’m being selfish, a bad wife, or guilty over not being with him in the evening. When you love someone you want to be near them. You want to spend all of your extra time with them. You think about them throughout the day. Certain things will trigger a memory with them and you will smile. The more I think about it, the more I realize I love my husband more than I love God. The choice to either read Scripture or walk out of this room and dance with my husband to country music is easy...I would pick my husband. It hurts my heart, but it is true right now.

But in the long run this choice to put God above all else will improve my marriage, friendships, outlook on life, and ultimately my character. I will know Him deeply. I will run to Him first when I feel scared or troubled. I will be able to fight the lies that creep into my head and the temptations to doubt my Savior. What a reward to gain! Yes – this is what I will choose. Lord, help me choose You first. Help me make the small decisions that will ultimately be for my good. Draw me to yourself and teach me your promises and shower me with Your love.

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
–Psalm 25:4-5

Mad Men - Where Truth Lies

My pastor encourages us to ask ourselves these questions, “Am I feeding my mind with beauty and truth? Am I becoming a more increasingly encouraging and life-giving person? Or one who is cynical and bitter?”

Tonight I watched the first three episodes of Mad Men season one. I had heard about the show from a number of people saying it was interesting and that it had won awards for costuming and correct representation of the 60’s. But the more I watched the more I felt my soul grieved by what I saw. Deception, pride, judgementalism, selfishness, vulgarity, baseness and manipulative behavior ran rampent. Husbands cheating on wives, secretaries flirting with married bosses, homemakers judging their neighbors, coworkers stealing ideas to get ahead, being willing to do anything to make money. These were the core themes of the show. These were the people you were supposed to connect and feel empathetic with enough to continue watching the season.

Things of beauty and truth were rare and far between. I knew that allowing this show to be a part of my life would eventually tempt my cynical and sarcastic side. It would dull my senses towards truth, morality and loving others. It would creep into my marriage and challenge our unity and commitment to godliness. In otherwords, this show would not fill my mind with beauty or remind me of God’s truth. So, I took it off our Netfilx queue and will not watch any more episodes, no matter how many people tell me about the props, costuming, or time period acuracy – the underlying whispers that would invade my heart are not worth it.


Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. - Col. 3:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:1-2

Chocolat Suisse

There are many benefits about having an internationally-minded family. But the one I want to highlight is Swiss-made chocolate. The past two days I have enjoyed its smooth, creamy and luscious flavor in many forms.

Yesterday it was in squares of pure milk chocolate and then in a square of hazelnut-infused milk chocolate. Today it was in the Swiss version of a Kit-Kat. Let me tell you that I have been tortured by Kit-Kat's new marketing campaign where they show people eating the bars making the sounds of their little jingle...and every time I've been in the grocery store I have resisted purchasing one. Well today my patience was rewarded. I tasted THE best version of a "kit-kat" one that has all the crunchiness of a kit-kat but covered in the dreamy Swiss milk chocolate.

Now if only my supply of Swiss chocolate was not so small...

Nouveau

I contemplated the removal this blog from the internet for a long time. But the thought of creating a new one and parting with the history reflected in it's "pages" saddened me. Compromise was key and instead of deletion I changed a few things, shifted my focus and rekindled my love of writing.

Why the French theme? Even though I do not know how to speak French, I enjoy the sound of the language; and I fell in love with the Eiffel Tower while in Paris on holiday.

My hope is to record moments when I notice gifts of grace - the ways the Lord reminds me of His truth, love, and promises – in my day-to-day life.


The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)