A Search for Love-Why is it Actually Important?

February 15, 2016 Effie Barba

As promised I am going to start a series on Love. What is it? How do I find it? How do I keep it once found? Why is love so important? I plan to take you on a journey toward finding true love that will last an eternity. Today, I want to start with a video introduction. The series will be mostly written—it will be a journey through brokenness and sorrow; yet, will lead you closer to understanding love with all it’s beauty and it’s complexities. Where ever you may find yourself along this journey, my desire is to help you discover the true joy and beauty of love.

LOVE IS IMPORTANT. Why?

1. Love says I matter, my life matters.

2. Love gives purpose and meaning to life, beyond merely existing.

3. Love stretches me to be a better person—it reveals my own weaknesses and pushes me to overcome them

4. Love reveals the deepest scars so they can be healed. You can never fight cancer until you find it first. Often our own scars remain hidden deep inside our heart until love reveals them. Only then can they be healed

5. Love brings Joy to life.

6. Love is central to hope—always looking forward.

7. Love gives us a sense of belonging. WE are not alone.

¹⁴For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^[c]¹⁵from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—(of Love) ¹⁹to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (NKJV)

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Christian Poetry

POETRY SUNDAY- WHISPERS OF LOVE

February 14, 2016 Effie Barba 4 Comments

So many years of my life, I searched for love as though it were some illusive dream. Along that journey, my heart was shattered often. Somehow I was searching for some fairy tale illusion of love without understanding the truth of love. All through those years, always remained a whispering hope and dream of love. There came a day that with greatest sadness, I let go of that dream. It was as though a part of me was gone. That was when the most miraculous thing happened. I began to realize that God’s love had been there every step of the way. He had whispered those moments of love to give me a glimpse of what true love would be. He had whispered his love in those moments of kindness from a friend. He had whispered His love more boldly in the love of my children and grandchildren. He had shown me love through my little grandchildren who love with such purity of heart.

One day, I awoke and began to realize that all my illusions of love had been a broken, self-centered heart searching to find someone who would love me. As though they could fix the broken parts of me. That someone could remove that flaw of doubt within me. I needed confirmation that I was ok. I wanted to believe that something in me was lovable. What I did not realize was that God’s love was that!! He had given me everything I needed to be His Beloved Child and the lovely betrothed of Christ. How gently and patiently He has led me along this path. He has given me wise friends and teachers along this journey. He has given me such wondrous children and grandchildren. He has guided my hand all along this path. Love abides in me. Now I have learned to love without expectation—just to love! So where ever you are on this journey of love, let this be your song of hope. If you have someone—don’t take today for granted. It may be your last moment with them. Treat each moment as though it is your last. If you don’t have a companion—I would like to introduce you to mine. I am willing to share. Let me introduce you to Jesus.

WHISPERS OF LOVE

Whispers of Love flowing all through my life

Even in moments of sorrow or moments of strife

Whispers that came in the dark of the night

Promising Joy with the new morning light

Whispers of hope for the bleakest of day

“Love will find strength and love will find its way”

Into your heart and grow from within

Until it flows forth rejoicing and then

Suddenly out of those long and sad years

Love does spring forth out of fountains of tears

Into rivers of joy bursting forth then to see

That love had been there abiding in me

Oh, thank you dear Lord for teaching me love

As Your spirit descends with the wings of a dove

And gathered the pieces of this shattered heart

To weave it with steel, Your glory impart

A Picture so rare, its beauty unmasked

A portrait of you made in brilliant stained glass

Your love had been there inside of me

Even when I had been too blind to see

Whispers of love, it was You all along

Telling me that in your love I belong

[bctt tweet=”Whispers of love, it was You all along Telling me that in your love I belong”]

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016

Christian Blog

Why Is To Love And To Be Loved Our Greatest Desire?

February 12, 2016 Effie Barba

To Love, to be loved. We desire that, we want that more than anything else. That need for love supersedes all our other desires at least at times. We long to find someone who will love us for who we are, with all our flaws; yet, loves us enough to see the potential of who we can become. Someone who loves us enough to take our hand and gently, lovingly guide us along this journey. A companion, a friend, as well as a love that warms our hearts when the winds of life blow cold and chilling. We celebrate love! Valentine’s Day is only 2 days away! We long to believe in “love ever after”! We rejoice in love! We want to love and be loved!

Still, for so many, all this celebration can bring deep within a lonely ache of sorrow. A sense of not being included in the celebration. For far too many of us the thought of love opens wounds. Our hearts ache from feelings of pain, rejection, and scarred broken hearts. That pain, that loneliness, that brokenness is all too real in our society and our world. From the songs, “all the lonely people” to people who watch “The Bachelor” to all the dating websites; all representing people longing to believe in the hope of love. Hearts desiring to find someone to love and to be loved by.

You, might at first glimpse at my story and say, “what can I tell you of love?” After all, I have had my heart broken over and over again along this journey. I believed in the fairy

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Christian Blog

3 Truths About the Wondrous Grace of Jesus

February 10, 2016 Effie Barba

Throughout the gospel of John, he has made it very clear that his choice of events and his great detail in recording these events were to present Christ’s beauty and grace in such a manner as to draw you to Jesus Christ. The writers of the gospels had each been endowed by the Holy Spirit with a special gift to write down these memories incorporating a part of each writer’s personality and at the same time presenting God’s word to us. God loves to use our uniqueness in a manner to display the wonderful diversity of His beauty. So, it is not surprising that John’s final recorded event was when Jesus came to Peter with such grace and love. Ever so gently, Jesus came to commission Peter to lead the church. So, let’s lay the groundwork to this chapter.

photo courtesy of Jim Peregoy. I added the captions.

Privately, in the upper room at the last supper, Peter had sworn his allegiance to Jesus. He swore that he would die before he would allow Jesus to be taken. Jesus told him that before the cock crowed three times, he would have denied Jesus 3 times. Peter thought that this could never happen; yet, just as Jesus had predicted—Peter did deny Jesus three times while in the courtyard. (If you want to read more detail about that go to “What to Do If I Fail with All My Heart?”) After Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus had already appeared two times to the apostles. In neither of those appearances did Jesus mention the betrayal. No, doubt Peter’s heart was rejoicing in the truth of the resurrection. Yet, deep within lay the sorrow of his own betrayal of Jesus. There was that wound that cut deep into his own heart. That pain when you know you have caused pain to someone you love. Worse, that pain which you feel when the Holy Spirit convicts you and you suddenly realized that you have betrayed Jesus (the love of your life). I have too often been right there where Peter stood—filled with the joy of Grace while at the same time fearing that I failed God. [bctt tweet=”Truth is God knew–just as He did with Peter–every time I would fall down & He still chose me”]

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Christian Blog

How to Face This Pain, Today With Strength and Hope

February 8, 2016 Effie Barba

I awoke this morning with a sudden, severe pain in the low back. I realized it was there the moment I tried to turn over and worse when I tried to stand. I tried to remember if I had done anything different to trigger this; but, could not remember anything. It comes from time to time; fortunately, not too often. Perhaps a reminder of an old injury in which I had been violently kicked in the low back. To add to my dilemma, I awoke with a mind that is blank. Perhaps it would be a writer’s suicide to confess, that I write my post the morning of my posting it. Oh, many times the scriptures on which I will be writing have been playing day and night in my head as I spend the hours in prayer—waiting for a word, a thought, and a whisper from God’s Spirit within me. When the post is ready to upload; often, I have failed the final edit (lack of time) as I scurry off to my day job. Yet, that is the reality of my life. Perhaps the reality of most lives. We could wish that we were more polished, the perfect post which has been reviewed and refined. We wish we never had the blank mind when our friends ask for advice. We wish we weren’t bogged down at times by the pain of an old scar, an injury that tears at our heart.

As we move now into the final chapter of John in this series which we began back in August, we find Peter fishing. Jesus had appeared to the apostles twice before. Yet, neither time had Jesus brought up the one thing pressing on the mind of Peter—the denial. Had he been forgiven? What were they to be doing next? So, in the meantime—Peter had gone to do what he knew best. He went fishing. He did not sit idle while awaiting his assignment. He went about the business of fishing. This way he could provide for himself, his family and even to help feed the apostles. Life continued. Now they knew that Jesus had risen from the dead and they had yet to be commissioned to spread the gospel. Still life on this earth goes on. So what do we do when pain makes every movement difficult? Or when doubt tries to fill our spirits? Or when, our mind is blank awaiting that next inspiration?

Continue reading How to Face This Pain, Today With Strength and Hope →