My Jesus, I Love Thee

By Ana Renee

A few Sundays ago, we sang the hymn, “My Jesus, I Love Thee.” As I thought through the words I was impressed at how the hymn-writer poured out his heart with adoration for Jesus Christ. I began to ask the question, “Why do I love Jesus?” The answers came quickly, and many of them echoed the hymn-writers’ words. I love Jesus because He died in my stead. I love Jesus because He made it possible for me to have a personal relationship with Him. I love Jesus because He cares for me. I love Jesus because He shows His love for me in so many different ways. And the list goes on . . .

Today, do you love Jesus?? Why do you love Jesus?

Image from stockfreeimages.com

Here are the lyrics to the hymn, “My Jesus, I Love Thee.”

Words by William R. Featherston

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou:

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,

And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow:

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,

I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;

I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.

 Has a certain hymn spoken to you recently? What was the hymn? What does it mean to you?

Loving Each Other More Than Butter

By Julia (read her blog here) 

"We love our bread, we love our butter, but most of all, we love each other". :)

That was what the little girls in the Madeline stories always said before they ate their dinners. It's cute, and happened to be the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the topic - "Love Each Other".

But is that true for us? For you?

Okay, instead of 'butter', pretend that sentence includes something you love a lot. Like chocolate. Or your computer. Or your very favorite pair of adorable shoes.... or: ________ <-- insert your favorite thing there.

Now imagine your friend (or sibling) comes along and suddenly, accidentally, wrecks your favorite thing. They spill their glass of water right on your laptop. They knock your box of chocolates over, scattering them across the ground. Whatever your favorite thing was, it is now totally ruined at the hands of this other person.

What is your response?
Honestly, most days I would be sorely tempted to get quite upset at the other person who had damaged one of my possessions. I might even yell if it was something I was really attached to. The stammered apologies from my friend/sibling would not soothe the pangs of loss of my-favorite-thing.

But this is wrong.

My heart should be so loving and open and tender towards the other person that it doesn't matter what they've done. I love them anyway. I would wrap my arms around my loved one and whisper "It's okay. Don't worry. I forgive you." without an ounce of bitterness or anger lurking inside.

"Now hang on a sec!" you might be thinking, "Why would I want to be that much of a pansy? Give me one good reason I should act like such a pushover if somebody messed up my iPhone!"

(Oh, so it was your iPhone, was it?) ;)

We love Him, because He first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar, for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God loves his brother also. (1 John 4:19-21)

Dear friends, the God of the universe who holds the world in His hand loves you more than anything. YOU are His favorite thing. Because He loves us, we show, give, and have love for each other.

This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

Let's focus on loving one another selflessly, the way He wants us to love each other.

Even more than butter. ;)

About Julia: 

Julia loves her Lord and Savior with her whole heart, and thanks Him daily for the blessing of her wonderful parents and two brothers. She lives in a log home in the country with a big garden and lots of chickens, although she grew up near the beach in South Florida. She designs handmade jewelry, crochets intricate afghans, and writes novels, among many other hobbies. An avid reader of Jane Austen, Julia adores English Country Dancing. Julia loves colors and sparkle, music and laughter. She blogs at http://www.jewelsbyjulia.wordpress.com/.

The Law of Love

By Ana Renee

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Galatians 5:16

Jesus mentioned love and the law in Matthew 22:37-40:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

If you think of the Ten Commandments briefly, you will discover that they fall under two categories: 

1) Love for God

2) Love for others

Photograph by Ana Renee

-Love for God-

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

(Exodus 20:3-11)

-Love for Others-

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

(Exodus 20:12-17)

Are we obeying God's law and showing love?

~~~

This was originally posted for our 52-verse challenge.