Define Love

On the door step of the hasty Holidays...the definition of Love has been coming up over and over again.

How do you define Love?

 

There are all kinds...

Why?? Why doesn't it ever look the same?

I had a friend tell me today that Love is not definable. Yet there are tons and tons of songs...poems...stories...pictures...hopes...dreams...all for the pursuit of love. Some mom's say that they didn't know what love is till they held their baby in their arms for the first time.

The bible says: 1 Corinthians 13:4

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1 Corinthians 13:8

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

2 Corinthians 8:8

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

1 John 3:1

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

I have always gone by the theory that each person is love...and the people we run into are designed by God so that we can share our love with them...in order for each of us to see snips and blips of God. We need to hold everything we love with an open palm as to not crush it...like a butterfly who lands to get energy to be able to fly more.

We all touch each other for moments to gain the energy we need to keep going...to run the race as Peter says in :

Hebrews 12:1

King James Version (KJV)

12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

This holiday season, I challenge you and myself to not look at what we get...but what we give and with the attitude we give. The love we show to those closest to us and the ones further from us...to perfect strangers, the ones we pass. If you pass one person and you don't know how to pray for them or show them love....learn them. The more love we give out the more love comes back. Can you imagine a season of love regardless of where people are at mentally, physically, poor, rich, fat, sick, or outrageous. What was the secret force of the Jedi in Star Wars?? It was Luke's ability to show love to his Father regardless of the pain caused physically and emotionally. Forgiveness is the ultimate release of love...right? Figure it out for yourself. Define Love.

Celebration Time~Come on!!

Holidays can be a hard time for people. Some don't celebrate at all. Some go way overboard and celebrate like crazy. Our family has chosen not to celebrate Halloween...we celebrate Harvest time.

Did you know that some people don't celebrate birthday's? What about Christmas? or Passover...Should Christians celebrate? Why would we politically correct in saying 'Happy Holiday' vs 'Merry Christmas'? Boxing Day..what is that-Do I need to start Celebrating that?

I think we can learn more about ourselves when we are open to seeing and hearing about what people celebrate and why. So I challenge you....why do you celebrate what you celebrate??

Whenever I questions things it helps me to define what the terms are. Here are some definitions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday: A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law in which normal activities, especially business or work, are to be suspended or reduced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebration_(party):A birthday party is a celebration of the anniversary of the birth of the person who is being honored. The tradition started in the mid-nineteenth century but didn't become popular until the mid-twentieth century

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_day:Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts from their bosses^[1] or employers, known as a "Christmas box". 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover:The Jewish people celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation over 3,300 years ago by God from slavery in ancient Egypt that was ruled by the Pharaohs, and their birth as a nation under the leadership of Moses. 

http://web.crownrelo.com/relo/in/india.holidays.html:Diwali - Diwali's original name is Deepawali and it is known as the "Festival of Lights." There are so many different stories about Diwali. One of the main customs is to light small candles called Diyas. Diwali is officially a one day holiday but it is celebrated for many days. 

National Unity Day / День народного единства  [dyehn' nah-rohd-nah-vah yeh-deen-stvah]
This holiday commemorates the liberation of Moscow from Polish occupation in 1612 as a result of the uprising led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky. In a broader sense, the day signifies the end of the time of foreign intervention in Russia. It is celebrated in place of the former Revolution Day.
Read more: http://learningrussian.net/holidayscustoms/russian_holidays.php#May Day#ixzz2jdNygncV

Each family has their own traditions, histories, reasons, memories, and Fun!! I am looking forward to all the fun of the holidays the way we celebrate them. Here are some pictures of year's past:

Happy Harvest!

Sept 11

 Mothers Day!

                                                                                                  Forth of July

 Easter Fun!!

Valentines day!

We open Stockings on Christmas morning after all the gifts are opened. They aren't stuffed still Christmas Eve!:)

Norwegian Ludifisk & Meatballs