LOVE is a CHOICE

Hey everyone, I finally gained access back to my blog page. :D The past 3 & 1/2 years have been rough, my precious mama passed on 1/2/09 & in  2010 I was diagnosed with a Thyroid disease Hypothyroidism with Hashimotos Thyroiditis Disease & I was hit in a 4 car accident. Praise the Lord my injuries were minor due to the fact I was the front & last car to be hit, however because of my physical disabilities I was on a walker for awhile had some trouble getting around for awhile. 
I have also been bedridden for periods periods of time this year with Sciatic Nerve/Fibromyalgia & Osteoarthritis/Back pain. My healthy 51 year young hubby started having some health issues as well, then our daughter had Sinus surgery, turned 18 & graduated High School & left the nest. My Daddy recently became critically ill & went home to be with Jesus on 9/4/12. I was able to be with Daddy in the hospital before Jesus came for him. :D  So that's what I have been up too ministering to my family, resting & letting my body heal. For whatever reason I couldn't access my blog until today. Guess it was the Lord just wanting me to take a break. Today I would like to share with you some encouraging, inspiring, motivational quotes, & encouraging words from various people from a book I have read & re-read this last year titled "The Choice Is Yours " by John C. Maxwell. I gave this book to my daughter in her Jr year of High School & for some reason it got left behind when she moved into her own apartment. I believe God knew I would need to re-read it during this season in my life.God has been working in my heart for a very long time regarding walking in forgiveness & unconditional love for many years now so I can really relate to this topic & have learned these lessons & am still learning everyday.  I hope & pray these words & songs I have posted bless you, inspire you, speak to your heart, help you & encourage you as much as they do me.  God Bless You All.

                             LOVE  is  a  CHOICE

YOU WILL FIND AS YOU LOOK BACK UPON YOUR LIFE THAT THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU HAVE REALLY LIVED, ARE THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU HAVE DONE THINGS IN THE SPIRIT OF LOVE. 
                             (HENRY DRUMMOND)

                           

The love of our neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self.
                                  (GEORGE MACDONALD)

While faith makes all things possible, it is love that makes all things easy.
                                  (EVAN H. HOPKINS)

The supreme happiness of  life is the conviction of  being loved for yourself, or, more correctly, in spite of yourself.
                                        (VICTOR HUGO)


I have found the paradox that if  I love until it hurts, then there is no more hurt, but only more love.
                                     ( MOTHER TERESA)


To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket---- safe, dark, motionless, airless---- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.... The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all dangers... of love is Hell.
                               (C.S. LEWIS)


Lessons I Have Learned about LOVE: 
                           1. Love People Now: You never know what's going to happen tomorrow--or if you will see tomorrow at all. Love people now. It's said that the bishop of Uganda, during a especially tumultuous time in his country, said, "If you are going to love someone, do it quickly!' That's advice each of us needs to take to heart.

2. Love is Vulnerable: If you love others, then you will be hurt. Because when you open your arms to another, you make yourself an easy target. Do it anyway. Only the pain of never having loved is worse than the pain of having your heart broken.

3. Love is Powerful: Love has the power to change the world. It was love that prompted God to create the world. It was love that caused him to send Jesus to save it. When you love others, anything is possible.

4. Love Only Lasts with Hard Work: No friendship lasts for decades without hard work. No marriage survives half a century without both partners fighting to make it work. No relationship thrives without sweat  and tears and toil. If you want a relationship to last, you will have to give up other things for it.

5. Love is Unconditional: If there are strings attached, then it isn't really love. A person needs to be loved the most when they deserve to be loved the least. When you love people, you keep on loving them. You make their problem, your problem. You stick with them to the End.
                                      (JOHN C. MAXWELL)

 You can break God's heart, but you cannot break God's love.
                                (JOHN C. MAXWELL)

Things human must be known to be loved; things divine must be loved to be known.
                                    (BLAISE PASCAL)
                      
                   
          Love is an act of endless forgiveness.
                                   ( PETER USTINOV)
   

1Corinthians : 13:13:   And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest these is love.                                      ( The Holy Bible)

ANYWAY (Martina Mcbride)

You can spend your whole life buildin'
Somethin' from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

[chorus]
God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This worlds gone crazy and it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
An in a moment they can choose to walk away
love 'em anyway

[repeat chorus]

You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in
but tomorrow they will forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway!

Yeah I sing, 
I dream,
I love anyway!