When I say I love you...................

Good evening all. Welcome! Pull up a chair and kick back. I'm happy to have you here. Your showing up has made my day, well, my night actually. Please place your order for refreshment and it will be served up promptly. Oh yeah, don't forget to leave a generous tip for your host.
( :-D ) Tonights chapter is a continuation on Love. The topic on Love we're discussing this evening is 'what is it'. It is, undoubtedly, the most maligned, misused and mistreated word in the English language. It is taken in context with things best referred to as 'lust' and 'desire'. We use it when referring to something like a sandwich, a car, a house, a job (the list is endless). Taken in it's true context those things would be best referred to as I 'like' it. It's mostly taken out of context when referring to a physical relationship. That is, of course, a part of it, but only a small part. This evening we're going to explore a bit about 'what exactly is Love'? Again, let me say that this is not to be considered an exhaustive look at Love. Hopefully though, it will pique your longing to know more. It is, without doubt, the most potent and powerful force known to mankind. OK, on to the definition(s). Of all the places I've looked and all the research I've done I like the usage of the Greeks the best. Where we have one word "Love" they have several. I'm not going to try to talk about all of them but only three. Many of you out there reading this probably know all about this and probably know more about it than I do, but since I'm the one posting this chapter I'll do the talking. The first word I'll mention here is "Agape". It' s the most used in the New Testament scriptures. For me the most significant places it's used is I Corinthians chapter thirteen. In this particular place we're told that Love should be the motivation and the method for all we are and all we do. When we talk about the Love of God that's the kind we're talking about. When we're talking about giving our life for another it's the kind spoken of. I could go on for a long time about this but won't, in the hopes you'll learn about it on your own. If you want some more about this special type of Love you have only to let me know. Another place it's used is in John, chapter twenty one, starting at verse fifteen. Two times Jesus asks Peter does He 'agape' Him. The third time Jesus asks using the word "Philios". Peter, on the other hand uses the word "Philios" all three times in his answering. OK, on to the second. It's called "Philios". From it we get the name of a city in Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia) From this word we get the meaning of loving someone like a brother or sister. It's that long and enduring and trusting friendship that is created by a bond and exists because of that very bond. It's the kind of love that says ' I'll give my life for you, not only in death but in life '. It says ' I'll be there for you no matter what. No matter if your right or wrong. I'm there. OK, on to the third. It's not actually in the New Testament but it's equivalent is in the Old Testament. The Song of Solomon to be more precise. The word in the Greek is "Eros". The word came from one of the mythological gods of which the Greeks had so many. He was the god of desire, sex and in some cases fertility. From that word we get our word 'erotic'. It's associated with pornography and such things. In it's real sense though, it carries no 'bad' or 'dirty' connotations. Let's now wrap this up. There should be in our lives in every relationship Agape and Philios. Those are what makes a relationship good and strong. They make a friendship lasting and good. Let me now, in closing this chapter, make this statement. While every friendship and relationship will do well with the first two there is only one relationship ordained by God to have all three. That, my friends, is the marriage relationship. While Eros can ruin any other relationship, it is required in a marriage. It's the only relationship that can be made better and more healthy because of it. We should keep that in mind always. OK, OK! I'll close this for now, but first let me say that this chapter has two purposes. One is to expound to you more about Love as it's intended. The other is to set up the next chapter posting. I've already started on it, and it's in draft form now. So, keep checking. You're coming here to read this blog makes my day. ...........And so it goes............

The Promise.......

Good evening. I'm happy to see you all here and breathless with anticipation. Let's all pull up your chairs and have a seat while placing your orders. After you receive your order you can prop up your feet and sip your beverage while taking in this, another chapter. This post is a continuation of the last and long ago post introducing this series. Sorry it's been so long but I've had a lot to study and contemplate so I've taken my time.
This chapter is on the "Promise" of Love. That has taken a lot of meditation and study on my part which I've thoroughly enjoyed. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I had my work cut out for me in this chapter. Also, being one to be thorough and have every basis in truth, I decided to take all the time it took. Finally, I decided to give it a try and write this chapter. Soooo....here goes.
The promise of Love is so vast as to defy exploration. In order to simplify things I've broken it down into two parts. Let me say, at this point, that there is no simple way to describe the Promise of Love. I shall try to not be too simplistic as this is no simple thing. These two points are in no particular order. First, there is the eternal part of the promise. As I said in the last chapter, Love is from a single source...God the creator. That being the case we can go on to say and conclude that from Love comes these things. First) Joy. Notice I didn't say happiness. There is a vast difference between joy and happiness. Joy does not depend on circumstances for it's existence. Joy is in place in our lives because of what's on the inside of us, not what's on the outside, as is the case with happiness. Second) is contentment. Notice again that I didn't say satisfaction. One can be content without being satisfied. Contentment comes from a state of mind. Satisfaction comes from seeking to fulfill desires of our human nature. Third) is peace. Peace is not, as is popularly believed to be, the absence of war or strife. Peace comes from liking ourselves and loving who we are on the inside. Peace comes from accepting that we are fallible, making mistakes often, but knowing that doesn't detract from our worth. Our worth comes only from the God that created us. Forth) is discipline. Love makes us want what is best for us, regardless of any temptation otherwise. The ability to say 'no' to those things that we know aren't what we need, IE. food, a relationship, alcohol, drugs (the list is almost endless). At the same time, the ability to say yes to those things that are good and even essential to us, again an almost endless list. Having the Love of God in our life gives us all these things and Oh! so very much more. OK, I'll stop here with that list, although it could go on for a while longer. The second part has to do with our relationships. The Promise of a Loving relationship is the dream and hearts desire of us all. To Love and have the Love of someone that is special to us makes us complete in a sense. We everyone have in our natures the longing to Love and be Loved in the most real sense of the word. Now that takes us to a whole new chapter so I'll use this as a place to end this post and introduce the next one. Since I've done much of the study and research on this I won't be so long between posting. The next post will explore what Love is as far as relationships are concerned. So, I'll leave you here and invite you all back for that chapter. ..........And so it goes..........