Tag: love

3 Truths of Love Displayed In a Child’s Heart

If I am to tell you the truth of love; then, I must begin at the beginning. We arrive at every relationship of life carrying our baggage from the past. Unless we are willing to acknowledge and recognize that; we cannot develop meaningful relationships and we cannot truly love another person. My hope, my desire is that through this series I may help you to find strong, unshakeable love that warms your heart and holds fast to truth, hope and joy.

love Begins

As a young child growing up on the farm, my mother says I was very sensitive and tender toward justice. She tells me that at age 3, I would be busy playing when my older brother would take my toys. (Charlie was 10 months older than I). Mom would hear what happened and would come to spank Charlie to make him return my toys. To this she says I would protest. “Please don’t spank him! I don’t want that toy, he can have it. He can have that toy.” I do remember that horrid pain of seeing someone hit another. Years later, I felt the injustice when a teacher would spank a child. My whole body would tremble, my heart break every time someone or something was hurt. I could never have imagined back then that one day I would be crouched in the corner while my husband beat me with a steel rod.

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POETRY SUNDAY- WHISPERS OF LOVE

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.

Joy of God's LoveOne 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

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.

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

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!

looking for love

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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3 Truths About the Wondrous Grace of Jesus

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.

galileanboat

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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Can Your Greatest Agony Actually Turn To Joy? How?

Can Your Greatest Agony Actually Turn To Joy? How?

The blast of the gun!! The horror in the middle of the night!! Trembling as I emerged from the bedroom to see my husband gasping for air. Blood poured from his mouth. The gun still in his now limp hand. I gently tipped back the recliner to open his airway; but the bullet had gone through his head. I called the ambulance. A cousin who had been visiting and witness, stood paralyzed. My oldest son screaming from the back bedroom—he couldn’t breathe. I opened the windows then went back to making phone calls for help. It was in Mexico, so there was no 911, the ambulance was very slow. Agony, rage filled my heart. I had watched my husband battle inside the monster of mental illness. Too proud as a physician to get real help, he had tried to go it alone. Mental illness had won. Or had it? All the struggles we had faced as a family; always hoping, always dreaming that he would be well one day. How I had believed that with enough love, he could be made well?

God's light

The agony and despair was more than I could bare; yet, as the day moved on there came a whispering sound—deep beneath, barely audible nearly drowned out by agony’s roar. A whisper of God—assuring me that my husband was now at peace—that he had found Christ a few months before. He was with God. He was healed. In the depth of agony, deeply hidden in the recesses was this promise. Oh, don’t get me wrong–suicide is NOT the answer for anyone–God’s desire is that we find hope here in Him; but neither is it the unpardonable sin.  The scars of all those years, the years in the midst of the illness—the scars of that pain filled night remain with me and my children. They blare like sirens reminding us that this world is broken. The scars remind us of the darkness. Only when you know the darkness, can you see the true light shining into that darkness with hope, joy, and love.

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