Love as a Verb

This time next week, we'll turn our calendars to February.  Can you believe that? Seems like Christmas was just yesterday.

As a family, we've been looking forward to February.  Last year, I posted every day for the entire month about things I love or ways we were showing God's love.  We had so much fun doing that as a family.  We took a month/holiday that is made up by the world and turned it into an opportunity to learn about God's love and what He meant by us sharing it with others.

So ... for months the four of us have been thinking about how we will put that into action this February.  I told the girls we weren't going to focus so much on what we love, but instead, seek God's direction on how He wanted us to serve Him.

I love the conversations that have sparked since bringing this up.  I have enjoyed sitting down with Olivia as she comes up with her own list of who to serve and what to do.  It thrills me to watch Emma make her own list that includes people she would like to bless.  I have found that once you set your mind to it, the possibilities are endless.  And, I'll even go as far to say, since talking about it, we couldn't help but to go ahead and put some things into motion.

What about you? Wanna join us? All you have to do is post each day during the month of February about something you love or how you are serving someone that day.  I hope to have a button you can grab for your blog by that day.  I can't wait to see what others come up with.  We can encourage each other, looking for creative ways to allow God to stretch us beyond our normal boundaries and take us out of our comfort zones.

One general theme we've enforced with our girls already is oftentimes a bigger blessing comes with sacrificing something.  We've asked them to consider what they will sacrifice.  That's been the tough part, but they are loving the thought (right now - sacrifice is hard).

This doesn't have to be hard.  Some days I'll be posting on ways I'm loving my family - making special meals, leaving notes for them to find or just making them feel valued.  It doesn't have to be huge ideas ... just something we follow through with.

A few ideas we've knocked around are ...

** How we will love/serve each other under our own roof.
** Reaching out in our community
** Is there a need in our neighborhood?
** Do we know someone who is hurting that needs encouragement?
** Is there someone we don't particularly care for that God would like us to reach out to? (this is a toughy)
** What about our classmates/teachers/pastors?

Endless possibilities.  Ask God to show you who you are to serve.  By the way, He WILL show you.  It's absolutely His will for us to reach out and take the focus off of ourselves.

 "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,

but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:28

Who's with me?