My Lord,

Good morning Father.  Thank you for another day of grace!

deep breath....

Each time that I think of you and longing to speak with you and thank you...I feel the need to pause.  You are such an amazing and constant presence in my life and I thank you for always being near to me.  I cannot imagine my life any other way.  Just knowing with certainty that people, places and things are forever changing, but you my Lord...you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Yay...cartwheels :-)

I was going over some recent notes that I'd taken from a sermon concerning marriage and relationships.  The Pastor was speaking about loving our partners according to his/her love language.  I know that it may sound strange to you God because you love everyone the same.

In the flesh...we have a tendency to love people the exact same way that we "want" to be loved.  That however, does not work effectively and therefore, causes anger, resentment and lack of communication.  I was once guilty of that.  I did not know that my primary love language was quality time while my partner's was something very different.  No wonder I was so upset that we hardly did things together and never really made an effort to nurture "our" relationship.  He was so very good at doing things for others and that left me feeling neglected.  And at the time, I didn't know how to communicate how that made me feel.

Much later, I was listening to a Christian radio channel and the topic was about our love languges. I discovered a book by Dr. Gary Chapman titled, The 5 Love Languages, and everything started to click.  Not only that, but as a couple, we weren't following your will and we had begun moving in different directions.  We were not operating as one and not listening for instructions from you.

Oftentimes, we are so busy trying to get "our" needs met, that we are completely oblivious to the needs of those we love.  And that can even be extended to relationships with our children, siblings, friends and even our coworkers.  The 5 Love Languages is universal and a great tool for a deeper connection to others.

*Quality time
*Gifts
*Acts of service
*Words of affirmation
*Physical touch

LOVE in any language needs to be nurtured.  It is a verb at all times.  Once it becomes a noun, trouble arises.  Lord, please help me to keep on your path of constant love.  It is my deepest desire to love like you and to be so busy loving others that I am completely unaware that my "needs" may not be met.  And as I type that, the world cannot meet my every need. Therefore, that's where you come in.  YOUR constant love for me is all the LOVE I need.  So with that, I look to love others with the love that you give me. 

May it always be a constant exchange of you loving me and me passing it along.  In Jesus' precious name. Amen.

Eternally yours