Christmas Love

Christmas is a time to celebrate love, both God's love for us and our love for each other. But what does that mean?

One of my college psychology professors taught us this definition: "When the happiness and well-being of another is essential to one's own happiness and well-being a state of love exists."

Author Gary Chapman says there are five basic ways people communicate love to one another. Those ways, which he calls Love Languages, are: speaking words of affirmation, spending quality time together, giving gifts, performing acts of service, and physical touch such as hugs, handshakes and pats on the back.

( http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ )

As we gather with friends and family during the holiday season we tend to use all five love languages.

If the incarnation shows God's love for us how can we show our love for God?

Memory of Love

How do parents show love to their children?

Some people seem to think spending money on them is the best way to do that, but if earning the money interferes with spending quality time together it may do more harm than good. Having fun together, hugs, words of praise, and listening are all wonderful ways to show affection.

My mother showed her love to us in all those ways, but when I remember things that showed her affection the ones that stand out are sacrifices she made; one in particular.

Mom was never especially fond of animals, but I had a soft heart for all living creatures. One day my best friend and I found a nest with two baby birds in it and we each took one home. My friend's mother made her return the bird to the nest and an hour later we found it had been pecked to death.

When my mother got home from work she wanted me to return my bird to the nest, but relented when, crying, I told her what had happened to the other one.

The baby bird was obviously hungry. I knew birds ate worms, but couldn't bring myself to harm an earthworm, so I gathered some from the yard. My mother, who was extremely squeamish and couldn't bear to touch anything slimy, cut them into pieces and helped me put them into the bird's mouth.

The bird only lived for a few days, but the memory of my mother doing something that difficult for her because she loved me still lives on in my mind.