Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Week Five Devotional - Love is a Choice

Mark and I are leaving tomorrow for upstate New York (Rochester) to visit his family for Thanksgiving.  Hunter will be here in Florida with his dad this year for the holiday and will be participating in a Thanksgiving Hockey Tournament.  Who plays hockey on Thanksgiving?  Apparently those that play on the travel team.  I think that is silly! Anyways, off track here.  We were going up to NY so that Morgan could meet her great-grandparents who were going to drive up from Philly to NY.  We learned yesterday, that is now not happening, because they are just too old to be driving in that weather.  The weather has been extreme over the last few days, lots of snow.  I am sad they they don't get to meet Morgan this trip, but hopefully they will get to meet her in January. Morgan is the first grandchild and great grandchild on Marks side of the family.  I am very excited about all the snow.  Mark and I are taking some ski stuff so we can go hit the slopes one day (or two).  We love to ski! In fact we went skiing for a whole week for our honeymoon in Jackson Hole.  This will be Morgans 3rd flight since she was born, and her first snow.  I am looking forward to the pictures I hope to capture while out there. 

Anyways, I probably will not be able to post much while out there, and I return on Sunday.  So I wanted to wish everyone a very wonderful, a very happy, and a very blessed Thanksgiving Holiday. I will post on Thanksgiving if I have some down time. I would like to share my list of thankfulness. 

God Bless! 

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Love Is a Choice
by Rick Warren









… That you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:20 (NIV) 

*** *** *** ***

Love is a choice and a commitment. You choose to love or you choose not to love.

Today we’ve bought into this myth that love is uncontrollable, that it’s something that just happens to us; it’s not something we control. In fact, even the language we use implies the uncontrollability of love. We say, “I fell in love,” as if love is some kind of a ditch. It’s like I’m walking along one day and bam! – I fell in love. I couldn’t help myself.

But I have to tell you the truth – that’s not love. Love doesn’t just happen to you. Love is a choice and it represents a commitment.

There’s no doubt about it, attraction is uncontrollable and arousal is uncontrollable. But attraction and arousal are not love. They can lead to love, but they are not love. Love is a choice.

You must choose to love God; he won’t force you to love him (Deuteronomy 30:20). You can thumb your nose at God and go a totally different way. You can destroy your life if you choose to do that. God still won’t force you to love him. Because he knows love can’t be forced.

And this same principle is true about your relationships: you can choose to love others, but God won’t force you to love anyone.







7 Personal Thoughts:

Anonymous said...

I hope you guys have a great trip! I didn't know Mark's family was from Rochester, I actually lived there before we moved to Texas! It was beautiful, but so so cold! We actually lived in Fairport...but my dad worked in Rochester. Small world!

CIRCLE OF LIFE said...

well have a great time bonding together and happy thanksgiving . we all have a lot to be thanklful for that we take for granted! enjoy your trip have fun sking , i want to see snow again. its been umm lets see emm is two gabby is 8 at least 17 years since i have sceen snow ha well my friend have a wonderful trip see you when you return!

Jennifer said...

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with Mark's family. Sounds like a great time.
My husband's from Geneva - not too far from where you're going. SMALL WORLD!
Happy travels!
Jen

daniella said...

What an awesome devotional. Hearing something like that never gets old. Thank you, dralin'!

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy it to its fullest.

Lots of love to you!

MamaJoss said...

You are good...cleaning up BEFORE you go away....bless you! Hope Morgan is feeling better...yeah it stinks when they are sick :( You DID tell me about McNabb - that is sooo cool! I'm hot/cold with him...never know what to think.

Well, have a wonderful time in NY...Happy Thanksgiving ♥

Brendon said...

Hi Misty!

Have an awesome trip,enjoy the snow!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

God Bless
Brendon

Aspiemom said...

I hope that you, Mark and Morgan (just dawned on me that you're the 3-M's) have a wonderful time in NY with Mark's family. Have a fun and safe trip and get plenty of skiing in!

Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be missing you the next few days!

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