From Karen’s personal collection – “LOVE IS FROM ABOVE”

It was a beautiful day to accomplish many things. Thank You, Father, for the bountiful gift!

Romans 9:25-26 (<<click here to read the passage)

Something I was involved with today reminded me of an extremely important event that occurred in my life during my college years. I started dating my wife Karen in the spring of ’83 and not too long after that I planned a very significant date.

She was down where my dad was pastoring at the time (Ravenswood, WV) and I arranged a nice evening out which included a meal at a place called Sebastian’s (it closed many years ago…) I was not a wealthy student by any means, but I scraped enough money to buy a ¼ carat engagement ring and proposed to her that night! Her response when I popped the question? “Are you serious?” Of course, I was, and that day was the beginning of 37 years of marital bliss as of this past June 14th!

Things of great importance, take time and consideration to put together if we want them to turn out the best way possible!

My first journal entry was on April 19th, 2015, and referenced Ephesians 1:4 (and I have referenced it many times since!) We are of great importance to our Creator God, so much so, that,

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. NLT

Even knowing what we would do with the sacred relationship we had with Him, He set into motion – he arranged everything before anything was – so that our relationship with Him could be restored!

Today’s text reminds us that God has everything thought out to the minutest detail. Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Paul once more proclaims God’s words through the prophet Hosea,

“Those who were not my people,
….I will now call my people.
And I will love those
….whom I did not love before.”

And,

“Then, at the place where they were told,
….‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called
….‘children of the living God.’”

Before Jesus had been born, had lived and died, and had risen from the dead, solidifying our salvation – God announced it!

I love my wife more than words will do justice, but even that love pales in comparison to God’s love for us! Through all the ups and downs of life, cling to that irrefutable truth – God loves us!

Surely I can get an “amen”!

July 11th, 2023, Tues, 7:47 pm