love is a choice.

"My command is this:

Love each other as I have loved you.  

Greater love has no love than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 

You are my friends if you do what I command.  

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  

Instead, I call you friends, 

for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 

You did not choose me,

but I chose you

and appointed you to go bear fruit -- fruit that will last. 

Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  

This is my command: 

Love each other." 

- John 15:12-17

FACTS:

we are called to love just as he loved us.

what his love looks like:

he laid down his life for us.

what he calls us:

his friends


friend (frend) - n
a person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection, and loyalty; 
an intimate

friendship (frend-ship) - n

1. the state of being a friend; association as friends

2. a friendly relation or intimacy

what it all means:

love like him.

love our friends like he loves us.

lay down our lives for our friends

he is our friend.
what do you do with your friends?
do you spend time with them?
do you talk to them?
do you ask them for advice? 
do you laugh with them?
perfect! 
Jesus is exactly what you've been looking for!


we are to spend time with him like the friend he is.
with liking, affection, and loyalty.


this gives devotion a new meaning to me.
my morning devotions are literally that. 
i am devoting my time to uncover more about my friend.
i want to devote myself wholly to him,
 giving him the attention he deserves.
just like any friend i have on earth.
daily
hourly
thinking of him F I R S T before acting.
are my actions going to be detrimental to our friendship?

we are to lay down our lives for him.
because he did it for us,
and because
that's what's friends do when they love you!


putting it all together:

put aside selfish desire and want.

and serve him out of love.

serve him by sitting by someone you don’t want to.

someone that you know doesn’t know him.

serve him by reaching out to someone in need.

serve him by shining,

even when a lost person tries to put your light out.

they want that light.

and eventually their darkness will crack.

love is a choice. 

he chose us. 

and we must choose to love others. 

love must be learned again and again; there is NO end to it!

just like His love for us. 

unending and everlasting.

be blessed & keep shining!

crazy God.

fall of 2005, I went from my little box at NCSU

to the University of Hawaii for the National Student Exchange program.

I had the privilege of living in a tropical paradise, while studying a semester of

school, and paying their in state tuition.

before I left, I exchanged emails with a cute girl from UNCW.

quickly, we became very good friends.

it was like a little piece of home had traveled that long distance with us.

here we are in september 2005

after that fall, we kept up via emails, phone calls, texts (well...that was several years later ;))

and visits to one another.

this april, it had been over a year since seeing each other last & we decided to meet for coffee.

every time we sit down together, it's uncanny to see how God has ordained this friendship.

while catching up, I pulled up my sleeve and showed her my new tattoo,

explaining what it meant.

"Melanie...," Kelly said, "I got one TOO!"

"WHAT!" I screamed.

she stuck her foot over to my side of the table, showing me "agape" beautifully

printed across her foot.

crazy.

we talked some more and then discussed our summer plans.

"Well, I'm going to Kenya," she said.

"ME TOO!" I said

[if you haven't realized this already, I get excited over things very easily]

talking more, we realized that we will be on the same continent,

with a completely different group and purpose,

at the same time.

God. you are the craziest.

we understand that You need us to be together.

she is going on a medical missions trip in Nairobi June 25-July 20.

you can keep up with her here

Kelly is one of the most selfless people I have ever met.

her huge heart is evident upon meeting her and seeing her beautiful smile.

she is such a blessing to me

with her words of encouragement and counseling,

it's clear to see Him speaking to me through her.

I am overjoyed to see what that crazy guy is gonna do in each of our lives

while we're there, and when we come back.

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Prov 16:9

oh, ps: I leave for Kenya in 2 days.

no big deal.