Love and Valentine's Day

Here is love wide as the ocean
Loving kindness as a flood
When the Prince of Life, our ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven’s eternal days

On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

Oh how marvelous, oh how glorious
Is my Savior’s love for me!
Oh how marvelous, oh how glorious
Is my Savior’s love for me!

Of Your fullness You are pouring
Your great love on me anew
Without measure, full and boundless
Drawing out my heart to You
You alone will be my glory
Nothing in the world I see
You have cleansed and sanctified me
You Yourself have set me free

"Here is Love" - Sovereign Grace Music

February is known for its shortness and of course, Valentine's Day. Yet, this world has blown this holiday out of proportion--I admit that throughout my life, I've fallen prey to think so highly of this day. Valentine's Day, technically thought of as the day to celebrate love (or Singles Awareness Day, as some of my friends would have it), has become a day about dates, roses/flowers, chocolate, stuffed animals--it's been made about showing public affection towards someone else.

I was listening to "Here Is Love" and I couldn't help but think that when I think of love, I should think about God. I don't do that enough. Often the first thoughts of love that come to mind are mushy feelings, roses, and companionship.

But God IS love! His love alone is perfect. His love is truly sacrificial and selfless. His love is something we as Christians need to imitate! My mind has been fooled by what this world keeps telling me what love is. Love has been made into a selfish-all-about-me thing. I want my roses, my date, my good time--and it should really be about loving God and loving others in a ways that deny ourselves! The Bible emphasizes that love is selfLESS and sacrificial. The example of Christ should show us this kind of selfless and sacrificial love. Christ loved others around him in these manners.

For Christian believers: On this Valentine's Day, if you're single, think on God's love for you and Christ's sacrifice. Don't dwell on the fact that you're not dating or married--God's plan and timing is perfect! If you're dating or married, praise God for your companion and His grace to have cared for both of you in this relationship. Use your relationship to honor God and love others around you!

praise God!

Jesse passed his PhD exam!!!! (with flying colors, I must add) :-D Which also means I am stuck in the Bay Area for at least 5 years. :-P

praise God for providing and opening doors!

It has begun

This week is the first week where I am student teaching five days a week. What does this mean, you ask? Well, this means that I am in my fourth grade classroom, five days a week, all day. It means that I have classes Monday and Thursday nights from 4:30-6:30 (meaning I leave my apt at 7:20 am, don't come back until 6:30 pm, eat, shower, and go to bed). Good bye cooking on most nights, Hello take-out. Now I finally understand why so many teachers just buy food for lunch. Oh, and my thesis is due in 2 months... But in everything that's going on, praise God for preparing me for the real world... and this is nothing compared to being married and having a family.

Please pray for my sanity, faithfulness to God as well as teaching and school, and energy to care for others.