_Love like Esther. 

In a me-centered culture it can be hard to put others first. We are constantly exposed to messages from different mediums to buy the bigger house, the faster car, the nicer clothes, the best vacations and so much more. 

The paper cutout on the left of this photo is from some scrapbooking set that I had bought many years ago. As I am sure you can guess, the original words read "Do what makes you happy".  I pulled it out and thought that this is the way I used to think. Sure, I didn't mind helping people here and there as long as I wasn't too inconvenienced. Love in our home is not uncommon but are we willing to take it to a whole new level? 

We meet with a super special group of people (kind of like the A team... without the violence, 80's hair and connection to the military police) every 2 weeks to study the Bible, share our victories and struggles, learn things about each other and laugh A TON. We are currently in the midst of 1 Corinthians 13. 

You guessed it. Notoriously known as the LOVE chapter. You may have heard it at 1 wedding, or 10. You  may have seen the verses as artwork in homes. What is interesting is if you take it into context- Paul is actually talking about the love within a church. Of course it is not wrong to apply it to marriages and other relationships but he defined it within the unity of God's people. This is how we are to love others...not just our spouses. 

While we were in discussion; such a good point was brought up. So often, we see love as a feeling. We see love as the "Hallmark channel" love. Do I FEEL happy and cared for when I am around someone. Trust me, I love a good lifetime or hallmark movie as much as the next person. I have literally cried at Disney movies...…… I love all the feels. The feels aren't necessarily bad. But I would challenge you to look at love as something different. My title already gave it away...

Love as obedience. 

Since we have already discussed on numerous occasions that love is an inconvenience, I would like to introduce love as obedience. 

I didn't have any of those warm, fuzzy feelings when I first texted my Dad. I did not love my Dad. However, if we look at love as obedience to what God calls us to do. Then yes, I did love my Dad. God called me to initiate contact with him. I ignored him just like Jonah, (thankfully I haven't been on a boat within the last few years to have a similar outcome) and then I obeyed just like Jonah. Oh friends, love is so much more than feelings. 

Start with obedience, God will take what you have and help it multiply. 

Now we've covered that love is inconvenience, obedience and costs much. It's so tough! Just yesterday, I had wanted to join a super amazing dream team of women professionals encouraging and giving tips on how to grow a blog (just like mine!). The finances are different in our home than they used to be. Without financially supporting my Dad, I would have been able to go in a heartbeat. Ugh. I sulked. I groaned. I complained. I wanted a different outcome besides "we can't right now". I feel God is calling me with this blog to grow and inspire so many more. But I had to realize that God has the capacity to grow this blog, with or without the super amazing dream team of professionals. Better yet, by saying no and sharing a little bit of why- spreads the testimony of our story. 

I meet with a beautiful soul every other Friday and she is my spiritual mentor. She said to me last week that "when we obey God, he not only opens the door but he also blesses everything that goes through it". I hang tight to this friends. I have been blessed. I am blessed by you all joining me on this journey. I am blessed by the support of friends, family and even that amazing dream team of women professionals have continued to offer their expertise. 

I pray that you will see love as obedience and that your doors will open a floodgate of blessings in your life. 

Do what makes others happy instead. Let's turn this world upside down. 

_Love like Esther. 

_Love like Esther. 

STOP. 
STOP what you are doing and watch the Netflix Documentary "The Long Goodbye- The Kara Tippetts Story". Kara's story inspired me deeply. I really think every person could benefit from this film. Oh that sweet perspective that everyone of us living on this earth need but so few of us have. There are several quotes that stood out but I thought this would be a great start.

Many of you have been following my other category _Daughter like Esther. This could easily be filed there as well. Fort hose of you that are just tuning in, for the last year I have been stepping into a journey to help my Dad who is recovering from Alcohol addiction. At the time of writing this, it marks 153 days sober!

Not only is he recently recovering but he is also moving his home and life closer to us. This past weekend we have been making the final push to get his house on the market. For anyone who has helped a parent move after they have been living in a home for 20+ years- you know the work that it takes. For those of you that haven't travelled this road yet- start praying now to help yourself be better prepared! [Also tune into my tips on minimalism so that your kids won't have to say as many prayers when they have to help you move...lol].

So a few reflections and then I have to get on my way:) The full quote from above is " You love as well as you're willing to be inconvenienced. And I, I think lots of times we'd say "I love you", but there's no cost to that love. There's no inconvenience to that love. But my, I want to live a legacy of love like Kara did". Ann Voskamp. 

Oh this quote hit me hard. This is truth my friends. This recent journey of reconciliation with my dad has been so much inconvenience. So much pain. It has costed me much. I have said to several close friends that this truly feels like the first time I have had to repeatedly give of myself without expecting much in return. 

Yes, it is difficult. Most days I don't want to choose inconvenience. But what is on the other side of my inconvenience is of much greater value. Pushing beyond my feelings gives someone else, who is also made just as much in the image of God a start. A fresh start at a new life. A beginning to a love that is willing to be inconvenienced. 

Are you willing to be inconvenienced?

_Love like Esther. 

_Love like Esther. 

Most often times 1 Corinthians 13 is referencing a marital relationship. I absolutely loved this prayer devotional as it relates to me as a Mom/parent. 

Love is thinking about the words that I use. Am I doing more than just "making noise?". Love is admitting when you have messed up. Showing a genuine sense of regret and repentance. Only then can we begin to try and explain what forgiveness really means. 

Love is patient. Not just thinking I am patient...but actually being patient. Like the kind of patience you need when your child takes 11.5 minutes longer to climb into their car seat than it should. 

Love rejoices in good choices. As I parent a 3 year old- I realize how many hundreds of choices kids have each day. As an adult, our choices don't turn into battles. But as a  parent, all of these choices get magnified so that we are forced to not only  make our own choices, but also help our little "disciples in training" understand what the right choice is AND pick it! Oh and Lord, let me give the freedom to my child for her to make the choice. It is so easy to want to control EVERYTHING. God help me be an influencer and not a controller. You have given each child a beautiful mind and soul. They are smart and capable of working "their-sized" problems themselves. Make me a lighthouse, not the captain. God may your spirit be the captain of each child's ship. 

Living out our faith THROUGH love is worth rejoicing and striving for. Sure, we mess up and aren't perfect- but God's love doesn't require us to be. [That's worth raising a hallelujah!] He is already embracing us- the question is, will we choose to love even when we don't understand how? Will we choose to love when our feelings pull us so strongly in the other direction? Will we choose to trust that his embrace is there even if we can't feel his arms? Will you teach your child about this kind of love today?

I am going to try. Let's raise a hallelujah through our actions and heart attitudes of love. 

This excerpt is snapped from "Praying through the Bible for your kids" by Nancy Guthrie. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

_Love like Esther.