Bye Definition.

It has occurred to me that one of the hardships of life is learning to live with how differently everyone defines the same words.

Some might remember the spectacle when a former president wanted to defend and define his use of the word, "is." And while we found that quite ridiculous we are all guilty of something very similar. Only what we do... may in fact be a whole lot worse.

My son Jonathan has been quietly demonstrating a reference for the word Love. He keeps correcting himself when he uses the word love when he realizes he should be using the word like or enjoy or appreciate. I want to learn to do that too.

The problem is that we use the word love with our own unique definition attached. The phrase, I love chocolate, is a great example. "I love chocolate" really means I love the pleasure and sensations and satisfaction I get from the taste of chocolate, the sweetness of the sugar with which it is mixed, the texture of it as it melts in my mouth, the smell of chocolate as it mingles with the other ingredients.

The phrase I love Chocolate really has nothing to do with how you feel about chocolate but everything to do with how chocolate makes you feel.

What about "I love you?" Could it be that when we use the words "I love you" the emphasis is actually on the "I" instead of the "you?"

Jesus lived out the words I love you in their purest and most powerful expression. For Him it was not about what He derived from us but what He wanted to give to us. He gave to us His holiness in everything He did. He gave Himself to others in every word, every action, and every miracle.

When Jesus used the word love He was not talking about how He felt, He was talking about what He was and what He was going to do for others, for us.

I am sure He enjoyed fish, and honey. I am really sure He liked figs! But He only loved His father and He loved us.

So the next time you tell someone you love them, make sure you are talking more about them than yourself. Make sure your actions are going to prove that you love them and not how they make you feel.

Make sure the phrase I love you means you are intent on making their life better, more beautiful, more holy, and more wonderful. Make sure you are not looking for some selfish feeling of importance that you can manipulate them into giving you. Make love about their security not yours. Make love about caring and compassion and actions not indulgence and consumption.

I have said many times, "I love Oreos"...but that means I like to drown them in milk and crush them with my teeth...you would not want to be my Oreo! And I don't want to be yours!

But I really do want to learn how to love others...do you?

small small world

A friend sent this to me back in 2001...I just came across it while looking for something else...assuming it is accurate... I hope you take a moment to reflect on your world view and focus!

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100
people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look
something like the following:

There would be:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans

52 would be female
48 would be male

70 would be non-white
30 would be white

70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian

89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual

6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be
from the United States.

80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need
for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.

The following points are also something else to ponder...

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...
you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...
you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
torture, or death...
you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead
and a place to sleep...
you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish
someplace ...
you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married...
you are very rare.

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that
someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over
two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

Someone once said: What goes around comes around.

Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like no-one's watching.
Sing like no-one's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

moon trance

The silver moon makes its ride, across the velvet sky

And casts its magic spell, upon the rolling tide

Beneath its glow and silent draw its powers work their charm

the ocean full with depths unknown can't help but come along

So is the power of a woman’s love upon a poor man’s heart

with all the strength of his iron will her wooing he can’t stop