LOVE | Terri's Wellspring

God Loves Me

12 02 2015

But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) Ephesians 2:4-5 (ERV)

I am so thankful for God’s love for me. God loves me. That truth alone leaves me so speechless and humbled. The creator of the Universe loves me in this time and this place. I am so grateful for His love that has transformed my life and envelopes my journey in purpose. His love empowers my life with peace and joy that emanates through my relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. I am thankful for His love. It has the power to save, heal and deliver every need of my heart and soul. I am so thankful for His unfailing love for you and for me.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Psalms 36:5

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Tags: Ephesians 2:4-5, God Loves Me, Psalms 36-5
Categories : GRATITUDE, LOVE

Only Love can do that….

19 01 2015

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar,
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater,
but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Tags: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Only Love can do that
Categories : LOVE

Kind, Compassionate and Forgiving

7 05 2014

And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 AMP

The “one another” instructions in the Bible are powerful. They often refer to our relational world of how we are to connect to each other. We know examples – love one another, pray for one another, encourage one another. Our passage today is a reminder of our need to be kind, compassionate and forgiving of one another. At first glance, when we read these instructions we may be quick to give ourselves a pass recalling all of the past ‘”nice” things we have done. On learning more about this scripture and what God desires of us, I realize I have more work to do. Being kind is more than a smiling face. It reflects a giving spirit and a desire to be useful and helpful to one another. Demonstrating loving-hearted compassion shows our genuine concern about each other situations. Forgiving one another freely and quickly for big and small things as our Heavenly Father does for us. Kindness, compassion and forgiveness are outward expressions of who we are as God’s children. They reflect who He is and as His children we should carry His identity and His likeness in our care for one another. Carefully considering how we respond to one another and seeking to demonstrate His example puts our relationships on higher ground. More kindness, more compassion and more forgiveness in the world are reflections that will shine bright in a hurting world.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

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Tags: Compasionate and Forgiving, Ephesians 4:31-32, Kind
Categories : LOVE

Rooted in Love

30 04 2014

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 4:14-21

We want our lives to be grounded in a firm knowledge of His love for us. The Creator of the earth and all things has a deep immeasurable love for you and me. It is mind-blowing to know and to experience His tremendous love for us. Unearned, grace and mercy has brought me to this place of knowledge of Him. I am so thankful for where I am today and where the Lord is leading ahead. It is a journey of faith moving into the fullness of life. He empowers our steps. He renews our strength daily. He provides what we need and we are never alone. His victories in our lives will never cease to amaze us. They are beyond what we could ask or think and we are thankful.

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Tags: Ephesians 4:14-21, Rooted in Love
Categories : GUIDANCE, LOVE, Uncategorized

Love One Another

22 01 2014

Treat one another justly.
Love your neighbors.
Be compassionate with each other.
Don’t take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor.
Don’t plot and scheme against one another-that’s evil. Zechariah 7:10

As toddlers, we begin to learn the lessons of living with others. Parents instruct us to “be nice” and “to share”. We later learn more complex terms like “love” and “compassion”. As adults, the lessons continue as we endeavor to live with others on a micro and macro level. Yet, as a people we struggle to get it right, even though the Bible is full of guidance about how to treat one another.
Love is God’s platform for His relationship with us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. Love is also His commandment to us in our approach to one another. Still, love, fair treatment, empathy and compassion are elusive in our society today. It must grieve God’s heart that we are so casual in how we treat one another. But each day is an opportunity to turn it around. We can adopt a higher level of commitment to love, to fairness and justice, to show compassion and to make sure the vulnerable are cared for. If we do this in love and concern for one another it will provide a salve to a hurting world.
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. John 15:12

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Tags: love one another, Zechariah 7:10
Categories : LOVE, Uncategorized

Memories of Love

20 12 2013

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I Corinthians 13:4-7

My fondest memories of Christmas are the times that I have spent with my family. My parents, my sisters and my brother all gathered in various rooms of my parents’ home engaged in conversations and family games. Over time spouses and children and now our children’s children have expanded our family size greatly. With more family has come more love. My husband and my daughter make this season bright and I am thankful. With Christmas upon us, we are anticipating another time of sharing. Our time together is an opportunity for laughter, catching up on the latest family news and to be present in each other’s lives. The expectation of a secular Christmas is a bunch of presents, too much food and other things that are distant from its true meaning. My memories of Christmas are not presents or things but of the people I love. This is a good thing to remember when your budget may fall short of your expectation of Christmas or your gift list. It is a good thing to remember if your memories of Christmas are not filled with peace and joy. Focus on your family and those who you love. Give them the present of your presence. Make new memories for Christmas.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13

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Tags: Christmas, I Corinthians 13, Memories of Love, terriwellspring.com
Categories : LOVE, Uncategorized

Endless Love

12 12 2013

Then the wind blows on it, and it is gone—
no one sees it again.
But for those who honor the Lord, his love lasts forever,
and his goodness endures for all generations
of those who are true to his covenant
and who faithfully obey his commands. Psalms 103:16-18

Christmas wreaths are familiar symbols of the holiday season. Decorated evergreen wreaths formed in a circular shape have no beginning and have no end. In the tradition of Christmas, wreaths represent God’s endless love for us. They represent the consistent, unconditional, full complete unending love of God. We will see many wreaths in the coming days. Each one is a reminder of God and His eternal existence and His eternal love for us. Each sighting will be an opportunity to take a moment to remind ourselves that God loves us and that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ for our sins. He loves us and seeks to be in relationship with us. He loves us and He seeks for us to come close. We thank God for the blessing of His love and for the Gift of Jesus. We are thankful for the Christmas season that gives us a chance to celebrate the gift of His endless love for us.

The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments! Psalm 103:16-18

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Tags: Endless Love, Psalm 103:16-18, terriwellspring.com, Wreaths
Categories : LOVE, Uncategorized

Difficult Love

25 11 2013

You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. Matthew 5:43-45
We are to love everyone even our enemies. It sounds like a tall order. This command includes people we don’t care for and people who maybe even trying to harm us, which sounds like an insurmountable task. We may say in our hearts in a very wide Agape sense that we love everyone. We don’t wish anyone harm and we hope everyone the best. This is the high level psychological framework that we allow ourselves when we think of this command. But then the hard work of daily living comes into play. We may have to cross paths with people who are mean, use harsh words or “despitefully use” us. And suddenly, loving others is a distant memory. So there lies the challenge not only to get along with others but to love them. I believe that these encounters allow us to see a little of ourselves and possibly expose areas that require more work in our hearts and minds. We may be required to be less offended by daily mishaps, to be more forgiving, or to have more mercy or compassion toward one another. It is our command from the Savior to do, so that the world will see the light in us.
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love-not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. I John 4:7-10

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Tags: Difficult Love, Matthew 5:43, terriwellspring.com
Categories : LOVE, Uncategorized

Nurturing Love

22 11 2013

The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

God is Love. His love for us is perfect and gave us the Gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. We are called to love God and we are called to love His people. One scripture says we are to love the Lord God with all of our heart. It is a powerful command to love our Heavenly Father who created the universe and blesses the big and small things of our lives. He is all powerful and shows His love, mercy and compassion for us daily. He loves us and asks for us to love one another. It is not a casual commandment and requires our careful and deliberate response. We are asked to love one another; neighbor, family member, co-worker and even our enemies. It doesn’t matter about race, class, income, age or gender. It doesn’t matter what someone has done in the recent or distant past. We are called to love. It may be easy to respond, “I love everybody.” But the evidence of indifference and even hate is rampant in the world. We can hear it in the public discourse of minimizing one group over another. Or it may be just the quite whispers of idle conversation that is designed to tear someone down. Or extreme examples of murder and war against one human being against another exist in our communities and countries across the globe. So love is in need of love today. Nurturing love starts in my heart and mind, the space where I develop responses to God’s children. I have some work to do. Time and procrastination have allowed some hard places to develop. The widespread global need for love may feel overwhelming. But God is merciful and revealed my need for more love in my heart. I need to grow and cultivate more love for all of God’s children. I am thankful for the work that He is doing in my heart to nurture more love in my heart today.

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Tags: love one another, Luke 10:27, Nurturing Love, terriwellspring.com
Categories : LOVE, Uncategorized

Forever Love

25 09 2013

The LORD is good; his love is eternal and his faithfulness lasts forever. Psalms 100:5

God’s love for us lasts forever. Forever is continually, persistently, incessantly, constantly and always. Other words help us to wrap our minds around this blessing from God that will last for eternity. His love for us gave the World the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. This gift of love made a way for us to experience salvation and to be in relationship with Him. We are so thankful for His love and the abundance – peace, joy, healing – that comes into our lives as we serve Him. God is good. He is faithful. And His love for us is forever.

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Categories : LOVE

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