Act As Though You Love and You Will

As I've been reading books are marriage this summer I've been thinking a lot about what it means to love people, not just your fiancé/spouse, but anyone that God places in our lives. Specifically I've been thinking about it in regards to siblings and close family members. What does it mean to love? How do we force ourselves to love people we are not naturally inclined to love. Perhaps we have been hurt by people close to us, people who we want to have a relationship with, people we want to trust, or people who are daily involved in our lives––yet there is a barrier between you and them. I've been, and sometimes still am, in that position with my family. I am sure that there will be times that I find it difficult to love my husband, though right now that seems nearly impossible. =) What I've been reminded of is that love is not all about an emotion. It is not just a feeling––it is a commandment. We are commanded to love others as Christ loves us. Emotions cannot be commanded, but they can be taught. When we struggle to love someone, we have to ask God to love them through us and to teach us how to love with action and not just emotion. There are a few quotes from Tim Keller's book The Meaning of Marriage that have really stood out to me.

"It is a mistake to think that you must feel love in order to give it."
"Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the greatest secrets. WHen you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him."

We have to act as though we love someone even when we don't feel like it. As we do so, we should pray for two things, that God would give us the grace to love them, and secondly pray for that person. When you pray for someone else you will come to care about them more, you will look for the good, you will rejoice in the little triumphs, you will see more of their strengths and less of their weaknesses. It is so important that we be in prayer for our siblings, our spouses, and our children. How much greater could our love for them be if we forget about satisfying ourselves, forget about feeling love, and focus on the act of loving as Christ did? However we can not love with Christ's love if we do not have a proper relationship with God ourselves. We have know His love for us and understand the sacrifices He made for us out of love.
We are to "bare the cross of Christ," the trials of everyday life, but we should not see them as burdens, but as a way to lose our own life for the sake of someone else. To serve, to put the needs of others above our own, and to love with Christ's love. We are told that we if try to save our lives and live for our own pleasure and happiness, we will lose our lives, but if we live a life of service and humility as Christ did, we will find true life and true joy.

"Seek to serve one another rather than to be happy, and you will find new and greater happiness"


*All Quotes from Tim Keller's book The Meaning of Marriage.

Week Zero and Commonplaces

 My stack of books for this first 8 week term (minus a couple). 

"Week Zero", as it's called here at NSA, is coming to a close. This week was mainly pre-school classes geared to help incoming freshman get ready for the year and understand how things are going to work, what to expect, and tips on how to do well in college. I found it very helpful and overall I'm not too stressed out. =) I know it's going to be a difficult and rigorous road ahead, but with perseverance and God's grace I will survive. It's humbling to know college is not something I can do by my own strength and I have to trust God to help me. There will be times when I don't think I can stuff one more latin word in my brain or I can't keep my eyes open one minute longer, but I can't stop. I can't give up. I have to keep going and force myself to go beyond the limitations I think I have. Those limitations have been set in my mind only because I have never been pushed to go beyond them before. If I throw up my hands and give in when the going gets tough I will never succeed. I will never know how far I can push myself and I will have wasted all the time and money invested in my education.
As part of our preparation for college one of our professors assigned us a 300 page book, Thriving At College by Alex Chediak, on Tuesday to have ready to discuss by Thursday afternoon. It was really gratifying to finish the entire book Thursday morning and still have had time in the previous two days to spend time on other things. I know going into college, one of the challenges of this year will be learning to read faster.

This year as a part of our rhetoric class we are required to keep a commonplace book and have at least 10 new quotes a week. Awww shucks. =D
I've kept a commonplace book for several years now so it shouldn't be a big deal. I'm looking forward to it. =) I found a notebook that says on the front, "Some people dream of success while other wake up and work hard at it." I thought that would be fitting. =)

There are a couple quotes from Thriving at College that are going in my book and I thought I'd share them here as well.

You are in college to learn how to think so that you can, for the rest of your life, increasingly love God with a well-trained mind.

Thinking you can know God's personal will in advance magnifies the stress it claims to remove. Trusting in God's control brings peace and rest.

You can love God with all your mind by being fully present in your studies, knowing that God is preparing you for what lies ahead in ways you cannot fully comprehend.

You are serving the Lord when you faithfully attend classes, do your homework, complete course projects, and study for exams. 

Whatever you're doing be fully present in it. 

College is a temporary season of academic preparation and growth so that you can serve God more effectively with the rest of your adult life. If you've chosen to go to college, then God's plan is that college be a springboard into all that goes with responsible Christian adulthood.

A Christianity not practiced today becomes a Christianity that is absent tomorrow.

"There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior."

Momma, this is for you.

Let Go and Let God

Each day passes reminding me that I have one less day at home. This summer has flown by. I knew when I got home from the graduation/wedding trip at the beginning of June that I would have 8 weeks at home, and though I knew it would be short, I didn't realize just how short it would feel! I am down to 9 days at home. For 28 days straight we have had constant and overlapping company, which was a blast and I wouldn't trade for anything, but then when the house is quiet and our lives return to their normal routine, I realize just how little time is left.
Our last Sunday at our church. The last time I see different people. The last Bible Study. Last ladies' prayer. Last frisbee game. Last. Last. Last. . . Each one marches on no matter how much you want to hold on - to savor the moments and drag them out. They slip by. There is a season for everything, but sometimes it's hard.
I am looking forward to college, don't get me wrong. I know God has many things to teach me in many different areas of life, and for that I am excited, but at the same time it is bitter sweet. The uncertainty of the unknown lies ahead. How will I be changed? Both positive and (hopefully very little) negative. What will change at home? How long will I be called to go to NSA? What will come next? How will friendships change while I'm away. What new friendships does God have in store and how will those change me? In what ways will I be drawn closer to God through it all?
So many questions, and so far, no answers. Time will tell. I must let it rest in His hands.
One thing that comes to mind every time is that God is in control. He has a plan. He holds every day and every moment in His hands. My job is to live each day to the glory of God and let Him work out His will through me. He is the Potter, I am the clay. My life is His to mold and shape for His glory.

There is a really good quote from Kevin DeYoung's book Just Do Something that sums up our lives.

‎"So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you'll be walking in the will of God."

[Quote]

"Look after the purity of your heart and the purity of your life will follow." - Pastor Brainerd

For a good man out of the treasures of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45