Valentines 2010: Live boldly. Love boldly.
Live boldly. Love boldly.
A great idea, but how exactly do we do this?
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner -- Do we cringe at the thought of sappy declarations of love, pink teddy bears and over-priced flowers? Or do we consider that this may be a prime opportunity to bring truth, love, forgiveness and joy into the relationships we have with those around us, particularly our immediate family? Sometimes we may find it is easier to reach out to strangers rather than to those who share our very own DNA. But, consider this…
- What if we loved out loud?
- What if we took a leap of faith and put ourselves out there?
- What if we reached out… first?
You are invited to do exactly that -- love a family member out-loud this Valentine’s Day. Set a goal to connect-- or re-connect -- with a parent or immediate family member on a day that is ripe for meaningful expressions of love. Be intentional and take the time to convey a sincere, concise heartfelt message to a parent, parents, or other immediate family member. Humble yourself, give or ask for forgiveness, share how they have impacted you. By making a simple, deliberate and direct effort, you have the potential to impact the future trajectory of your relationship. Don’t underestimate the power of your words -- for better or for worse -- and make a commitment to share your love openly.
Of course, loving boldly can be scary - examples, stories, motivation and resources are attached.
- Valentines 2010 Details: The specific details, an approach, a framework, tangible ideas and resources to further facilitate your move to live and love boldly your immediate family. Intrigued? This is where to start.
- I Wish I Knew You Better by Stephanie: Transformed her relationship with her mom after asking herself, "Do I wish I knew my mom better?"
- Integrity - The Journey by Jason: Communicated to his father the message which had never been clearly told, "You ARE an amazing, loving, sacrificing, compassionate, and noble father’ to his father."
- Daring to Love by Andrea: Persevered through heartache with tangible direction to begin the journey to a revitalized relationship with her farther.
Those who accept the challenge, let’s celebrate your admirable act of love on Feb. 19, 2010.
RSVP and details: http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/3g8wny38zx37w6jwc
Everything is more fun with friends - pass this on to your friends so that they are reminded to convey a sincere, concise heartfelt message to a parent, parents or other immediate family member.
For me, ultimately, this motivation comes only because of Christ’s outpouring of love for me. I am compelled to express, only in a small way, what Jesus has given me and offers to you – a life of fullness and joy.
I’m always available and my door is always open, if you ever need anything. Many blessings!
Compassion – If you love one another…
For me, I neglect to realize the profound joy that exists in my life when life is going along easily. For some reason, I am busy doing life rather than fully existing in life. However, God steps in occasionally and rocks my world just a bit. My parents have been stressed due to both mounting farm chores and health issues. As I came to realize this, I mentioned it to some friends in conversation. This is the opportunity to experience great joy - it's where the "rubber meets the road." These friends saw this opportunity and reacted out of love and compassion by immediately volunteering their time and talents to come alongside and carry the burdens of my parents.
I've talked about this idea of "Love in Action" before (see http://www.jason1365.com/2007/03/11/love-in-action/), but recently I have been on the receiving end of the love. It is completely mind-blowing to receive love through these friends; I am humbled because I do not deserve it, nor can I repay them for their expressed love through service and companionship.
Two passages from Scripture come to mind as I reflect on the blessings of relationship. These passages have continued to resurface over the past couple of years. I am compelled to let these permeate my lifestyle and being; however inept I am now.
John 13:34-35 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
1 John 3:16-18 - This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
So, to you, friends, you do not know how your service releases the worry from the mind of my parents (in particular my dad). Thank you, the following is for you.
Birthday Toasting and Quarter-Life Crisis
My birthday was this week. As I embark on my quarter-life crisis, I realize again that I am profoundly blessed with amazing friends. I also realize that I do not express my esteem, love or respect to my friends as I should. So, I’m eating dinner this week with some of my closest friends and, as expected, Phil stands to initiation the awkward toasting (where friends voluntarily express why one is great or has impacted their lives). But, although it is always tough for me to receive compliments or have others say that some of the things I have done are great, I was very encouraged that my lifestyle has been (to some degree) what I have desired – to be one of Integrity, Intention, and Impact.
So, with these encouragements and a renewed energy and passion for life, I am excited to take the quarter-life crisis head-on. I will be traveling to Ethiopia to diagnose and treat as many people as I can (for free) (I also get to learn and practice basic nursing techniques). I will then head over to Thailand for a couple weeks with a friend to experience part of the continent that I’ve tried to get to for 5 years. I may have an opportunity to work in Korea (long-shot) for 6-12 months as well. I have starting taking public transportation so that I can reduce daily stress, but also focus myself on bigger, more fun, dangerous, and noble things. I realize that the constant daily activity is keeping me from writing a thrilling story with my life.
With that, I conclude with something like the roasting that was given to me by a great friend on my birthday.