Breakfast For Your Soul

Monday, February 14, 2011

 

  

    

It’s All About Love

 

 

   

Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine”. Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine… Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that Roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off….

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of GOD’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as GOD now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

[1 Corinthians 13:1-13]

 

And… there is that romantic love between a man and woman.  There are those who dislike this day for the same reason many dislike the Christmas Holiday.  They feel it is all commercialization and hype.  Folks say, “well, if you don’t know I love you 364 days a year, one day won’t make a difference”.  Well, I’d like to go on record saying that I’m a hopeless romantic, who happens to be single (at the moment) and I LOVE Valentine’s Day.  I’ve watched my co-workers beam this morning when I wished them a “Happy Valentine’s Day”.  It is Monday, and everybody has an extra little spring in their step this morning.  No groggy “good mornings”.  So, a day that celebrates love, and makes people smile and feel special is OK in my book.  Should you make folks feel special every day? .. absolutely.  However, I’ve noticed that when a day is global, something shifts in the atmosphere.. so enjoy this day.  If you have a “Boo” or a “Sweetheart” .. be extra sweet to them.  If you don’t have one yet, know that you are loved beyond your comprehension by a King. You are loved by your family.. you are loved by your friends… and you are loved by ME!  HUGZ!!!!

Love Is the Greatest!

 

…and what’s so nice is that~

HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

I Love U! … but God Loves U More!

 

 

“Love”, Kirk Franklin and God’s Property

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfsrqvRsqvc

 

“First Love”, Kirk Franklin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TWQ3uwOSVw

 

“I Really Love You”, Fred Hammond

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Dub2ssfGg

 

“Unstoppable Love”, Fred Hammond

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk_Y5WFk-zc

 

“I Love The Lord”, Whitney Houston (Preacher’s Wife soundtrack)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcjP4LgW0Rw

 

“I Love You Lord”, The Accapella Company

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6QE2k1FepQ

 

“As The Deer”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

 

“Power of Your Love”, Hillsong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga6Qtxzd6vk

 

“I Just Wanna Be Close To You”, BeBe & CeCe Winans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0YKQnzw49c

 

“Addictive Love”, BeBe & CeCe Winans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YRKIu3oiYs

 

“Nobody Greater”, Vershawn Mitchell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBPrJ9XvsAI

 

“Draw Me Close To You”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLNL49TFC_8

 

“Power of One”, Israel Houghton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlmOzJ4rGck

 

“You Are Not Alone”, Kevin LeVar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP1d4KU8iLQ

 

“You Hold My World In Your Hands”, Israel Houghton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtD-Z7S5EB0

 

“Love God Love People”, Israel Houghton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js-x8C0_BLE

 

 

Friday, January 29, 2010

 

 

 

 

I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I know the LORD is always with me.  I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.  No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.  My body rests in safety.  For You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.  You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your Presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.

^{[Psalm 16:7-11]}

 

 

Happy Friday Beloved!

 

Bless the Lord!!! … This morning as I was listening to Dr. Tony Evans of The Urban Alternative, he used an illustration that captured my attention.  It was that of a person who falls head over heels in love with someone that met on line.  They have never seen the person face to face, sometimes they have never even heard their voice, and yet are willing to come out from the safety of their home or office, and meet these people, because the feel that they “know” them.  Words … I found it especially interesting, because my first thought was the teenager who killed herself over the “break-up” of her on line romance.  It wasn’t a romance at all, in fact, the young “man” she fell for wasn’t even a male.  It was a cruel hoax orchestrated by the mother of a former “friend” of hers, to see if this young lady was talking about her daughter behind her back.  This case made international news because the courts did not know how to proceed in this case.  I don’t know why… but there was a lot of confusion as to how to charge these people.  The other girl’s mother was convicted, but was then acquitted July, 2009 (http://techliberation.com/2009/07/02/lori-drew-acquitted-in-megan-meier-case-what-to-do-about-cyberbullying/).  That was a child.  On the other end of the age spectrum, while channel surfing one evening, I came across a show where a woman was excitedly telling her friends that she was finally going to meet a man with whom she had shared a very ’intimate phone relationship’ for three years.  They had exchanged pictures, but she had never seen him face to face.  When she met him, she was happy with what she saw, but when her physical advances towards him were refused she was crushed.  He left her in her apartment, in her underwear.  My point?  In both of these instances, these ladies put their very lives on the line for someone they only thought they knew.  What fascinates me is that there are those who can’t understand how we as children of God can believe in a God we can’t see, can’t touch and haven’t heard audibly.  What attracts not only these ladies, but many other men and women? “Words”.  Words are powerful.  They can be extremely intimate and can touch places deep in our soul.   The word “word” is mention 1179 times in the bible!  Our very salvation is predicated on a Word.  

Powerful!  In fact God’s Word also declares that, “He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (John 12:48). 

We are as close to God as our next breath and as near as His Word that we have hidden in our hearts.  How do folks become acquainted?  By spending time together… fellowshipping.  Sharing, Listening, talking.  Over time, trust is built and love is deepened. The same holds true for our relationship with God, and a added benefit (as if that weren’t enough by itself) is a promise Jesus made that ~

If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done for you

[John 15:7]

 

… and that Beloved is Good News!

Y Stress? … U Blessed!

Have A Fabulous Day and a Wonderful Weekend

Regina

“Thy Word”, Marantha Singers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SLHWFpSlq4

“Your Latter Will Be Greater”, Israel & New Breed

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j5gTIXmsOs

“Your Latter Will Be Greater”, Martha Munizzi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8ujeIQMr80

“All Around”, Israel & New Breed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKov_X5PwqE

“Friend of God”, Israel & New Breed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty0SO7IvtXM

“You Are The Living Word”, Fred Hammond & RFC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyTYEeZdhK8

“Bless The Lord”, Tye Tribbett & GA, w/Mali Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdu7fb0g6Mo

    But what does it say? The Word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the Word of faith, which we preach; That if you shall confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS, and shall believe in your heart that GOD has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

[Romans 10:8-10]