Love Is...sacrifice.

Love Is...sacrifice. Recipes Love Is...sacrifice.

Happy "Love" Day everyone!!!

I've learned a lot about love this past year and felt compelled to share because I'm realizing life is so short and I don't want to be silent anymore.

Through the life, and death (read her story HERE), of my sweet mom this past year, the Lord has woken me up to the power of love...and how true love is sacrifice. If we are only thinking of ourselves, if we are not sacrificing ourselves, if we are not uncomfortable, if we don't have to give something for another, then it isn't the right kind of love.

Love is laying ourselves down for another...and thereby breathing life into another. That is what my mom has shown me...that is what the Lord has shown me.

Wednesday was my mom's earthly birthday...and the first and last time we'll be celebrating it without her. It gives me so much comfort and hope to know that Sept 22nd is her new Heavenly birthday and the new day I will be remembering her birthday. On that day I will celebrate with all the angels as they throw her a big party in Heaven as she turns one! I miss her so much, but am so happy she is in the presence of our Savior!

My sister, dad and I went to see her grave stone on Wednesday. We reminisced about how powerful her legacy is...how great her love was for her Jesus, her kids, grand kids, family and friends.

As I stood amidst the 300,000 grave stones around her, I was powerfully reminded that I only have a breath with my kids, my husband and the people God brings into my life every day...a breath!

Life is a vapor and then it's gone. There were two grave stones next to my mom's of two women who were my age. One born in 1975 and one born in 1977. It's sobering to see...that one day, it will be me.

So, what do I leave behind? - what can I leave behind?

Love.

Love stands forever. For love is of God...God is love.

Love is power.

Love changes everything.

Love changes hearts and lives.

Jesus came with the purpose to share His love and show His love...that is all. And He changed the life of every single person He touched. He gave them all a new life, a new heart, a new purpose because He loved them.

Love is the legacy I want to leave those who know me. This year...and for the remaining days I'm given here, I pray the Lord would help me love deeper, more powerfully and more whole heatedly the people He has placed in my life.

Love is oxygen to our soul.

Without it, people perish. Without it, we cannot be the full and complete people He created us to be.

Lord, help us to love deeply. Help us to love sacrificially as you did...to choose to be uncomfortable and to give others the gift of your love...for it is a gift we can give, or withhold. And when we give it, we breathe life into our souls and those of the people around us.

The last night of Jesus' life, He sat with His disciples, after just being betrayed by one of His closest friends, and says,

"A new command I give you: Love one another, as I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)



Why is this a new command? - because He talks about loving God and others throughout the Bible?!

It's new because He says, "as I have loved you." Then, the next day, He showed us what that meant...by dying for us. The greatest act of love is sacrifice...and He did it for EVERY single person in the world.


Thank you mom for showing me Jesus. For living a life of sacrifice and power. There is SO much power in sacrifice...divine, heavenly, Godly power.

Thank you mom for your legacy, for your reminder that I am your legacy of love.

May I love as deeply as you did and shine like Jesus as I live out the remainder of my days!

Posted by Hodie J