. . . the fruit of the Spirit is
love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
and self-control.
There is no law (Jewish Law) against such things.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." 

This is the first commandment.

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

There is no other commandment greater than these.

Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;

and to virtue knowledge;

and to knowledge temperance;

and to temperance patience;

and to patience godliness;

and to godliness brotherly kindness;

and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

living water

I am made in the image of God, not your image of God.

The gifts that are offered to us in this very experience are gifts that are needed in our world today.

And ultimately, the greatest gift of all that was offered to us is just the blessed assurance that love is love; that God loves us just the way we are.

And if we are bold enough to say that God loves us just the way that we are, then we must be just as ready to accept others and love them just the way that they are.

You see, we are a work in progress. God is not finished with anyone of us yet.

And that's another cool thing our Senior Pastor told us.

PROGRAM LISTINGS & PROGRAM SCHEDULES

This thing inside! It moves us. What is it? This blending of cerebral and intuition, this awakening of muscles and unknown senses - this euphoria - balance - flexibility - indescribable motion - this expression - this connection - this rhythm - swaying and twirling - what is it - this thing inside, which joy demands and hope requires? What is this thing inside? For if it solves nothing of substance nor of wellbeing it might well prove ill-suited in harsh times. But if it does! Who-ah! Above all else, we know, it does. What is it?

Yes, Jesus loves me. It is a song many sing in Sunday Schools and camps and sundry churches around our globe; some voices engaged of formality, some with great joy. Some think it a child's song. There and then, it's gone! Abandoned. Evil, however, never leaves. What evil has established, what it continually proves true to its nature - and that, every hour, every moment, and by every mechanism of transport, and via every mode of interpersonal contact - is that it is vile, is that it is vindictive, is that it is corrosive, is that it is corrupting, is that it exists entirely to embilish and satisfy itself, and that, without let, without regret, without remorse. With resolve! Intentionally. Evil is not bold; it is bare-faced! It will not be ignored. It cannot be ignored. It must not be ignored. It is a liar. And a thief! A conniving beast. It morphs into every conceivable trick. You cannot fix it. Try; it will draw you into its cocoon and trap you, 'encorpsed' by its viral army of shielded minions whose entire function and miniscule pride is to disable you. To count you out! Disempower you. Disenfranchise you. Keep you on your knees! Immobile. You can't dance. To engage evil within the confines of its contamination is as foolish as a doctor or a nurse or loved ones rushing naked headlong into a suffering throve of viruses hoping to cuddle them into remission. There is no reasoning with evil; it accomodates only itself. It spoils unwashed blood. It contaminates unredeemed souls. It corrupts the entire being. Evil cannot be eradicated. It must be defeated. It already is. But it is not dead. Which brings me back to a song children sing: Yes, Jesus Loves me! What remedy and immunity could it possibly contain to make all the difference to hearts and minds, to muscles and senses, to those upon whom it is incumbent to rescue the patient when the hour has come for all to dance? Is there no music in the air; is it not time to dance? (Discuss.)

Love does not delight in evil. This love is huge! It is patient. It is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. This 'thing' is powerful. It is huge. We are talking love - real love - true love. It keeps us connected to the authentic rhythms of life.

Enriching experience.

Impoverished word. Love!

Let's lean on CS Lewis for a sweeter shining, aided by a swag of classsic Greek eloquence, the four loves: storge, philia, eros, agape. Yes, that love! That bond! Braided. Unravel it. Put it back together. Love. Graph it. Never mind, if you're not mathematically inclined. Look this way.

You see, this love bonds each of us to the Almighty Omnicient Ageless Genderless Creator Designer Above All That Is Imaginably Beyond Wonder! You see, this love is our bond to our fleshy, touchy, feely, tasty, smelly, hearing, seeing, sensing, flawed, flighty neighbor, whoever that is. You see, this love is our bond to that needy, nosey, sexy self that is magnificently made and awesome to look upon that hates being messed with, tricked, or trampled upon. Yes, love! A braided bond! A beautiful thing, it does not delight in evil.

Isn't that cool?

Let's do a simple experiment. Dont worry, you don't have to be a scientist nor like science to enjoy my pretty little pluck. Ready?

There is lover and there is the beloved. Right? More or less? Okay! First, you be the beloved! Somebody loves you! (You're blushing!) That's okay! Experiment begins. Who loves you? Let's put God first. Examine God's love - this beautiful thing - poured all over you! Examine it closely. Notice, this love does not delight in any evil toward you. That's true love! Love does not delight in evil. Let's put you next - the wonder you - your love poured all over your gorgeous self; you are soaked; chocolaty sweet. Examine it. Love - true love - does not delight in any evil toward you. Here comes your neighbor - a scrumptuous hotty - loving you every which way desireable. You are expressly pleased. Love! Examine it. Is it true love? Love does not delight in evil. Period! Now it is their turn. You are the lover. Pour out your love on each of them. Examine the authentic nature of your love. Is it true love? Love does not delight in evil, right? Isn't that a cool experiment?

Share what you find, if it so pleases you to do.

Being fully functional and wholly human!

Love does not delight in evil.

"Love is an active, accountable, responsible 'being' that makes decisions reflective of its authentic self."

Jiaji is one of my tennis students. Delightful fellow. And funny. He is an all around wonderful story, a student I frequently applaud for his remarkable transformation, strength of desire, courage, unbounded will, and faithful commitment to doing what is required to achieve his goal. Did I say he and I laugh a lot? This has never distracted him from his devotion to the necessary work, which is quite strenuous - physically and mentally. Then some! Our laughter enhances it.

Jiaji is an international student from China. He is competitive. He is a Christian. Here he is. I have several star students, so why am I showing you him?

Here is what Jiaji was pointing out to me!

Every life tells its story. It does so on its own. Love tells its story. It does so on its own. Love is alive: true love is; authentic love is. It tells its story on its own. Not well, if it is hidden. Not aloud, when it is locked away. And not at all, if it does not exist. Love - true love - is alive. It tells its own story.

Love - true love - unconditional love - agape - is the story of the Living God alive in a human being. It speaks for itself. Loudly. But not for long wherever it is faked. Pretense requries enormous energy.

Oh, I have a story. A different story. Remember: Love tells its own story. Naturally.

To be clear - love - it's a thing inside! It moves in us. It makes us move. It enlivens mind and body and spirit, all connected. It is an awakening of senses known and unknown - a euphoria - a balance - a flexibility - indescribable acts of compelling connections - an expression - a rhythm, swaying and twirling on the inside overflowing onto the outside into welcoming minds and bodies and spirits, all connected. It is a joy unspeakable and full of glory. It is a demand on the soul, answering the call of faith and hope. It is a thing that keeps us healthy and sustains wellbeing. Yes, this thing inside tells its own story without prompting or need.

The story I want to tell you is simple, and its conclusion is this: "Let the children dance!"

Quote on courage and justice and authenticity to gathered youths: “It is our passion, in how we support young people & how we love them in our homes. It is that love that should radiate and inform the work that we do.” Dr. Shawn Ginwright

"Knowledge that takes you not beyond yourself is far worse than ignorance." Elif Shafak.

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Something To Consider

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You are

What POWER!