…God is love.
1 John 4:8 NIV
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19 NIV
We were created from love, as God is love.
God wills that we give back, love back.
Love Him. Love others.
Love is intangible, yet love is desired within us.
Many times over though, we look for and find love in all the wrong places.
…In a pursuit for God, we would find love,
As God is love.
In knowing Him,
Might we know true love…
God is our template when looking for love.
He is our template when giving love.
He is our template when receiving love.
To understand love, God declares in great detail about Himself regarding this thing called “love” in the following inspired passages titled,
The Love Chapter.
If God is,
then love is,
as he is.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13 – The Love Chapter
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(…my last 25th Anniversary blog)
Nine months ago when preparations for our 25th Wedding Anniversary Vow Renewal began, it was our heart’s desire that God be the Centerpiece of the day, his name be glorified in every detail, including our theme,
Love is…
With marriages failing at an alarming rate, (the first marriages for both David and I are part of that statistic), we wanted to give hope to those attending our renewal, especially our children and grandchildren, that marriage can last and thrive for a lifetime.
If God is love, we wanted what that meant (taken from the Love Chapter) displayed in the details, including the signs that bordered our wedding isle.
I also wanted God’s amazing love written about in a small book of poems doubling as the seating place card for every guest to take home with them.
As a wedding decorator, especially when decorating for my own event, it’s always a wonderful opportunity to seize the moment and deposit into the hearts of those that call you friend or family.
Aligned with the theme Love is…
I gifted our guests a small book written by myself,
To remind our guests of:
Who God is…
What Love is…
Only to discover they are one and the same..
Love is…..
By Lori A Alicea
Dedicated and written
for the one…
Who knows us best…
Who sees the best in us…
Who believes the best in us..
Who wants the best for us…
Who gives His best to us…
To the one who loves us most..
To You Our God…
That we might know you more..
Your Devoted Daughter,
Lori A Alicea
Dear God,
Before the stars had filled the sky,
Before the land and sea.
Before the days were one of them,
Your thoughts, they knew of me.
A dream, a detailed plan my life,
Revealed, my heart would burst.
I long to give away this love,
Because you loved me first.
Your only son you gave to us,
Your sacrifice and his.
To trace your heart, I’d find my name,
Since you are love, Love is.
In knowing you,
Might we know true love…
1 John 4:8 NIV …God is love.
Psalm 139:16 NIV
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book before one of
them came to be.
Love is patient….
Love is kind….
So patient are you Lord of me,
Your love displayed is kind.
On days I fail and don’t deserve,
And wish my words, rewind.
And yet the river of your love,
Its banks they overflow.
To flood my heart with more of you,
In waves of kindness show.
Psalm 103:8 TPT
8 Lord, you’re so kind and
Tenderhearted to those
who don’t deserve it
and so patient with people
who fail you!
Your Love is like a flooding river
overflowing its banks
with kindness.
Love does not envy….
Love does not boast….
Possessions others have refrain,
An envy stir in me.
May never boast about my gain,
That watching eyes might see.
You long the first place of my heart,
The one to treasure most.
I praise your name forever more,
Each day in You I boast.
Exodus 34:14 NIV
Do not worship any other god, for the Lord,
whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
Psalms 44:8NIV
In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever.
Acts 20:33 NIV
I have not coveted anyone’s
silver or gold or clothing.
Love is not proud….
Love does not dishonor….
Your son He washed disciple’s feet,
Not proud, He humbled low.
And beckoned them to serve you God,
By serving those they know.
…We honor God by going low,
Example set did He.
“Should do as I have done for you,”
Who bowed a servant’s knee.
John 13:14-15 NIV
Now that I, your Lord and
Teacher have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another’s feet.
I have set you an example that you
should do as I have done for you.
James 4:10 NIV
Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will lift you up.
Love is not self-seeking….
So many times we want our way,
And firm we stand our ground.
In name of “self” forget with God,
His perfect way is found.
The cross, the bitter cup He’d drink,
Christ bowed, “Thy will be done.”
Surrendered to His Father’s Will,
Eternity was won.
Luke 11:2 KJV
When ye pray, say, our Father which art
In heaven, Hallowed by thy name,
Thy kingdom. Thy will be done….
Matthew 26:42 KJV
He (Jesus) went away again
the second time, And prayed, saying,
O my Father, if this Cup
may not pass away from me,
except I drink It,
thy will be done.
Love is not easily angered….
Love keeps no record of wrongs…
Compassionate and full of grace,
Reacts in anger; slow.
Our Father’s heart abounds in love,
Adores His children so.
Confession of our wrongs to Him,
God finds no record for.
Stamped “Paid in Full, Account is Closed”,
Remembers them no more.
Psalms 103:8; 12 NIV
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger, abounding in love…
As far as the east is from the west, so far
Has he removed our transgressions
from us.
Hebrews 8:12 NIV
For I will forgive their wickedness,
And will remember their sins no more.
Love does not delight in evil….
Love rejoices with the truth….
Whenever I have lost my way,
And wonder what is true.
Your compass re-directs my steps,
The hour I call on you.
Your love and faithfulness is mine,
When choosing what is good.
You are My Way, My Truth, My Life,
For living as I should.
Proverbs 14:22 NIV
Do not those who plot evil go astray?
But those who plan what is good
Find love and faithfulness.
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered,
“I am the way, And the truth and the life.
No one comes to The Father
except through me.”
Love always protects….
Love always trusts….
You are my hiding place O Lord,
Your strength when I’m afraid.
Your arms surround me as a shield,
My fears they slowly fade.
I trust and give to you my heart,
You love through all my fails.
You spilled your blood and love for me,
The cross, the crown, the nails.
Psalm 32:7 NIV
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble and
surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 28:7 NIV
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him….
Matthew 27:30 TPT
…driving the
crown of thorns deep into his brow.
Love always hopes….
Love always perseveres….
No matter what my eyes may see,
Or situations face.
I can’t give up, I persevere,
The journey of my race.
I fix my gaze upon you Lord,
Each mile that I run.
Find hope in the impossible,
In You, the race is won.
Psalm 71:14 NIV …
As for me, I will always have hope; I will
praise you more and more.
Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV
…. And let us run with
perseverance the race
marked out for us,
Fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the pioneer and perfecter of faith …
Love never fails….
Your love will never let me go,
My hope and trust in You.
However long, you’ll rescue me,
Together, see it through.
You are this love my heart longs for,
The breath I take, inhale.
A Father’s hand I place my all,
Your love will never fail.
Psalm 55:23 TPT
…My life’s hope and trust is in you,
And you’ll never fail to rescue me.
Psalm 62:5 TPT
I am standing in absolute stillness,
silent before the one I love, waiting
as long as it takes for him to rescue me.
Only God is my Savior, and he will not
Fail me.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, 13 NIV
And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these
is
love.
Lord, we give you praise, and honor and all the glory due you,
For blessing David and I with
25 years of marriage….
…and it continues….
Apples of Gold Encouragement 