Love, what is love? When you watch movies, like "Titanic" or listen to the radio-love seem to be the theme that are many people's favorites. However, we can sometimes get the wrong message depending on the source.
For example, I'm (Sal) not trying to point my fingers on anybody, but Hollywood can sometimes give the wrong message in it's sleazy "R" rated high sexually content-many times unnecessary movie scenes.
I (Sal) was a victim to this growing-up in my "younger years". I let the movies and music I listened to define what love was. However, I was "blessed" and "fortunate" to having great loving parents that steered me somewhat away from all this. I still had my own "dysfunctional" (see ongoing story) family (we all do!-let me know if you find a family that isn't..!), but very grateful as I learned more every day as I grew older that other families had "harder times"-it's all perspective. Then in college, I found my "true" love, which was through my personal relationship with my Heavenly Father. He taught me to first love Him through His Word (Matthew 22:37-39).
It was the start of revealing my eyes and heart of the true meaning of love. I wasn't pressured anymore to try and find a "girlfriend" (see singlehood story) and get rushed to get "married". Instead, continue to grow as an individual before God's perfect timing for that "Christ-like" woman.
As I continue to read Scriptures (mentioned 310 times) or "Love Letter" from God-Heavenly Dad/Father/Abba, my eyes become more open to the meaning of love and how to love.
Love Letter From God
"Do you have days where you feel lonely, unloved, and not wanted? We all experience days like that, don't we? When I'm feeling down and lonely, I always turn to God in prayer. Here's a Love Letter from God to all of us"
*see
Love letter form God
Love Letter From God from fortunate1 on GodTube.
" 1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,[a]we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure....
As I update this site this morning (Saturday, September 25th 2010) as the topic of this site has been a recurring theme lately, I have to admit it's been a "stuggle" or "battle" dealing with temptation of wanting what the world gives. However, I keep reminding myself of God's promises (purpose and plan) in my life. Daily Scripture reading is a "must" and "very important" in our day to day life on earth. If you need encouragement on this, I recommend getting into fellowship with others from a local church or body of believers. Reason why is that you can't do this thing called "life" solor or by yourself!!
Love one another
11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
"God's Love and Ours
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. "
Definition of Love?
This is how one (1 Corinthians 13-"Love Chapter")of many chapters in the Bible breaks it down...
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Songs of Love
"The Love of the Lord Endures"
by Joy Williams
Different Levels of Love...
A UMM Student asked a very "good" question the other night (Tuesday, August 16th 2005)-"Can Christians be the only ones that love?"..I responded yes because it's only God that gives love. Well, I brought this up at the weekly small group bible study at PCS and Ruth told me that "everybody can show or give love, but in different levels (e.g. sacrificial love-John 3:16). The example she gave me is that there are very close knit families (e.g. collectivist nations, like Asia) that offer more love than here in America-Western "collectivist" nations". I have to apologize for my answer, which was very narrow-minded.
Then I thought about other close knit Asian families who are not Christians (e.g. Bhuddist), which my friend mentioned about in our conversation. I also thought about a level of love that makes Christianity unique, which is "unconditional love" (agape-loving someone that doesn't love you) and the power of "forgivenss".
Squirrel Singing "I Will Always Love You"
*see creator's site
Valentine Background
Today (Wednesday, February 14th of 2007) is Valentines Day-wow! I wasn't able to get through work without sharing (e.g. see examples) God's love to people who appeared hurt/sad today, I was expecting this! I was just chatting with a guy friend of mine yesterday how many women will be having high expectations tomorrow. I saw it today and yesterday already! I was visiting a friend of mine and I witness a young adult women sharing her sadness to a older friend about how she will send a flower to herself tomorrow. I asked her if she had any boyfriends and she replied "no" with a sad face. I knew she wasn't being honest with me because the last time I was around her, she was boasting that she has 3 boyfriends!
Anyways, the story today is...
At my workplace, a young lady asked if I could take her out for pizza with others, like a double date. However, I already knew that this is a "no-no" because we are not allowed to date with people we "serve" in our workplace. I explained to her that I can have another person substitute for me, but this didn't work out. She was very disappointed when I told her this early this morning. Then later on, a co-worker gave me a different story that this particular lady already asked me and gave her permission to take her and her friends for lunch. I realize the desperation of this situation, so I talked with my co-worker and gave the whole story. I wasn't finished yet, so I went to this particular lady and explained to her this. Then I told her that God loves you and He would like you to be His valentine. She responded with a nod and kept her head down as I left. I would later repeat this to a bunch of others as many were heading out home from a city-transit bus. One of the passengers gave me a response of gratitude by saying "thanks Sal". I feel that people who didn't get a "valentine" they were hoping to expect (e.g. flowers, chocolates, etc... saw a co-worker and "client/consumer" we serve get flowers delivered to them in this cold-freezing weather, which they were very happy of course; however, the people around them may not all share the same feeling), we need to just give them a simple message-"God loves you" (John 3:16) with your daily lifestype/actions showing this. I challenge you to do this not only once a year or special occassions, but daily with His help.
If you are single. My challenge to you if you are waiting for someone to give you a "valentine", just ask God how you can give a "valentine" or be a "blessing" to someone less fortunate or someone that may be blessed (e.g. family, friends, physically challenged, elderly, children, or a family in my church that just had a house fire 2 weeks ago-see story). If you are married, then go right now and do something (e.g. give a card like the one down below) special for your love one.
-Children
A Scripture Lady Scripture Gram for Valentine's Day
"Encourage your child to read their Bible with this fun Scripture Gram movie. Have a special prize ready to give them when they present you with the Hidden Treasure message. If you liked this idea, log onto www.scripturelady.com and subscribe to her FREE email newsletter filled with more great ideas to help get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible."
*click on BibleGateway.com
-E-Cards
Blue Mountain
Cross-Daily, with scriptures
Day Spring
-English
GLOBAL
It's Valentine's Day - Inspirational Videos
It's Valentine's Day from worshiphousemedia on GodTube.
Stories of God's Love
The Drawbridge Keeper, from snopes.com
*I remember reading this for the first time during my "early-years" coming to Christ (late 90's)
"There was once a bridge that spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing the train to cross it.
A switchman sat in a shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed.
One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped onto the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance. Then he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position, it would cause the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with MANY people aboard.
He left the bridge turned across the river and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river, where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually.
He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man's strength.
Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.
"Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time..
The man almost left his lever to snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever in time if he saved his son.
Either many people on the train or his own son - must die.
He took but a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the on rushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked; to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.
Now, if you comprehend the emotions that went through this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of Our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life.
Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?
"
Samples of Biblical Stories of God's Love
-Parable of the Prodigal Son (WIKIPEDIA)
" 1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."-Luke 15
Many from Song of Solomon/Songs
Romantic
You know the Bible actually has some good poems to romans your sweet heart. Check out this...
River Rides
Animals
Articles
Arts & Crafts
Sunday School Craft Idea for Valentine's Day
"Here's a great Sunday School craft idea we call "Heart Pockets" that works great for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. We store our memory verses inside the "pocket" and hang them on a bulletin board"
Books
Rebecca St. James & Chris Tomlin - Expressions Of Your Love
-Romance
Song of Songs - Erotic Biblical Scripture
song of songs (from the Bible)
The Song of Songs sung for You Lord
"When I find Him" (Song of Solomon 3:1-5)
Elton John can you feel the love tonight
"..this is the elton john version of can you feel the love tonight, personally i do prefer the version actually in the lion king but since i couldn't find it this will have to do!!!
this is such a cute song!!! .."
Comedy
Sexy Sax Man Sergio Flores visits Zappos!!! (Real Sergio!!!)
"Uploaded by insidezappos on Jul 20, 2011
Sergio "Sexy Sax Man" Flores comes to Zappos to grant a wish and saxogram for the company!
"
Dating
-Articles
Women (perspective)
E-Mail Forwards
-Acoustics
You give me meaning
You give me purpose
I find my destiny in you oh God
How wide
How long
How high and how deep
Is your love oh Lord
-Your Love (blog) of Happy Slip Productions
-Contemporary Christian
Casting crowns Love them like Jesus
"These clips are of several different issues that face the church today. How do we help those who are broken? We just love them like Jesus"
-Jazz
HIS BANNER OVER ME. - KEVIN PROSCH
Lyrics
"He brought me to His banqueting table
(He brought me to His banqueting table)
He brought me to His banqueting table
(He brought me to His banqueting table)
And His banner
Over me
Is love
Is love
I am my beloved's and He is mine
(I am my beloved's and He is mine)
I am my beloved's and He is mine
(I am my beloved's and He is mine)
And His banner
Over me
Is love
Is love
And I can feel the love
Of God in this place
We believe Your Goodness
We recieve Your Grace
We delight ourselfs
At Your table, oh God
You do all things well
Just look at our lives
"
How To Have An Intimate Relationship With God, part 1
"I want to share with you today the one thing that has brought significant change to my life. I know it can completely transform your life too! "
Poems
Social Issues
Martin Luther King, Jr. - I Have A Dream - Extremely Rare Footage - Inspirational Videos
Racism: The Only Way to Conquer Hate is Love - A Karate Grandmaster Fights for God
MLK Jr: Love Your Enemies
"Martin Luther King Jr. is my greatest role model becuase he forgave his enemies and LOVED them. We need to stop judging our brothers and sisters in Christ so we can move forward and become more Unitied."
Beautiful Sacrifice - 4 Boyfriends Lay Down Their Lives For Their Girlfriends in the Movie Shooting - Inspirational Videos
Beautiful Sacrifice - 4 Boyfriends Lay Down Their Lives For Their Girlfriends in the Movie Shooting from sharethemessage on GodTube.
Black Eyed Peas - Where is the Love Lyrics on Screen!!
"LYRICS:
What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all
People killin', people dyin' Children hurt and you hear them cryin' Can you practice what you preach And would you turn the other cheek
Father, Father, Father help us Send some guidance from above 'Cause people got me, got me questionin' Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (The love) Where is the love (The love) Where is the love The love, the love
It just ain't the same, always unchanged New days are strange, is the world insane If love and peace is so strong Why are there pieces of love that don't belong Nations droppin' bombs Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug If you never know truth then you never know love Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know) Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know) Where's the love, y'all
People killin', people dyin' Children hurt and you hear them cryin' Can you practice what you preach And would you turn the other cheek
Father, Father, Father help us Send some guidance from above 'Cause people got me, got me questionin' Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (The love) Where is the love (The love) Where is the love (The love) Where is the love (The love) Where is the love, the love, the love?
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder Most of us only care about money makin' Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction Wrong information always shown by the media Negative images is the main criteria Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity Whatever happened to the fairness in equality Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found Now ask yourself
Where is the love? Where is the love? Where is the love? Where is the love?
Father, Father, Father help us Send some guidance from above 'Cause people got me, got me questionin' Where is the love?
Sing wit me y'all: One world, one world (We only got) One world, one world (That's all we got) One world, one world And something's wrong wit it (Yeah) Something's wrong wit it (Yeah) Something's wrong wit the wo-wo-world, yeah We only got (One world, one world) That's all we got (One world, one world)"
Impact World Tour Day #3 (Fargo, ND on Sun., Oct 9th 11') -Island Breeze: Finding Love
Language
Movies
Titanic Trailer
Titanic (1997 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"...The main characters and the central love story are fictional, but some supporting characters (such as members of the ship's crew) are based on real historical figures. .."
Related Sites:
The Titanic Message in the Open Air with Students from Moody from openairevangelism on GodTube.
aStory
Love Story..True Story
"NewLife Church Valentine's Day video *Please watch ending*"
My loving parents, who has and continues to support me in many ways. They first planted the seeds on how to love people as they taught me how to get along with anybody-including my enemies. My dad once said, "Instead of focussing on their weakness, focuss on their strengths. This will help you get along with anybody-especially the ones that are hard to get along with." (some interpretation). This helped me deal with all types of people, which helped me make the person I am today-Sal da pal! Thanks Mom and Dad!