The 2013 Project: February, the LOVE month!

Well, it's the last day of January, my month for PEACE.  It's funny:  when I decided on my resolutions for this calendar year, I came up with 16 theme words.  I had thought "one a month," but obviously a few months will double-up.  Peace is January's theme, and all through the month, I kept coming across scripture verses, articles, blogs, devotionals that focused on peace....just like "they" knew!  It was more than coincidental.  Wonderful words they were and so helpful to me in my quest for peace.  Our family has been through some storms this fall and winter, and we have all needed God's peace:  it defies logic, permeates the soul, so wonderful that it we cannot understand it.  It keeps our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  It is the ONLY place to be:  encompassed by God's beautiful peace.

So now, we approach February:  LOVE month!  Our church always had LOVE MONTH when I was a young adult.  Sermons, devotionals, articles, classes all focused on love.  It was a tradition I loved and looked forward to.  We had secret saints...surprised each other with acts of love and little gifts of love.  The month culminated with a Love Feast, a gathering of church family for a meal, music, and program focusing on God's love for us and our love for Him and each other...very meaningful indeed.

In 2013, love will again be this next month's theme.  I'm excited to see what's in store for me and mine as we venture into this month.  How can I better love?  How can I share this love with a needy and hurting world?  Can I love when I might instead hate or dislike greatly?  Will my love shine forth or will I hide it under a bushel, like I sometimes tend to?  Will I answer with loving words?  Will I BE His love?

Yes, 2013 is shaping up to be a fruitful year, one month, one theme-word at a time.  Here's to February, the month of love.  May it be so.  And by the end of December, may our lives and world be just a little richer for the building of a great big bowl, piled high with this fruit of His spirit, plus a few other goodies directed by Him :)