Love (or the lack thereof)

The two little boys I care for on Wednesdays beamed with pleasure

the other morning as they came, bearing hearts for Miss Janet!

(there's a beautiful parable in the heart that was torn

much to Lad's disappointment, but then tenderly mended by his loving mother)

(We have much to learn from the pure, unprejudiced love of children, don't we?!!)

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Love,      or the

    lack thereof,     my dear, makes 

all the difference....   Love crowns

 the common task with cheer and gladdens

 diligence. The lack thereof rues thorns, unenthralled by

  the rose. It frets life's mercy-brimming morns that love alone bestows.

Love whets a holy song for living's simple things, and never keeps score

of the wrongs that being human brings, but is patient and kind; not proud

 greedy or rude. Love freely gives and does not mind the priceless cost

 accrued. But finds the favoured key to peace and happiness. Love

 fills the likes of you and me with humble gratefulness for what

will never fail, though tried by sorrow's rod. True love

withstands the gripping gale because love comes

 from God, who first loved us, thus joy

for all of life depends on Love;

 love or sad lack

thereof makes

all the diff-

-eren

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© Janet Martin 

💘💘💘💘💘

Traditional form...

Love, or the lack thereof, my dear, makes all the difference

Love crowns the common task with cheer and gladdens diligence.

The lack thereof rues thorns, unenthralled by the rose.

It frets life's mercy-brimming morns that love alone bestows.

Love whets a holy song for living's simple things,

and never keeps score of the wrongs that being human brings,

but is patient and kind; not proud, greedy or rude.

Love freely gives and does not mind the priceless cost accrued.

But finds the favoured key to peace and happiness.

Love fills the likes of you and me with humble gratefulness

for what will never fail, though tried by sorrow's rod.

True love withstands grief's gripping gale because love comes from God,

who first loved us, thus joy for all of life depends

on Love; love or sad lack thereof makes all the difference

💗

Cruci-form

Love, or the

lack thereof,

my dear...

makes all the

difference

Love crowns

the common

task with

cheer and

gladdens

diligence. The lack thereof rues thorns, unenthralled by the rose. It frets

life's mercy-brimming morns that love alone bestows. Love whets a holy song

for living's simple things, and never keeps score of the wrongs that being

human brings, but is patient and kind; not proud, greedy or rude. Love

freely gives and

does not mind

the priceless

cost accrued.

But finds the

favoured key

to peace and

happiness.

Love fills the

likes of you

and me with

humble gratefulness

for what will

never fail,

though tried

by sorrow's rod.

True love with-

stands grief's

gripping gale

because love

comes from God,

who first loved us, thus joy for all of life depends

on Love; love or sad lack thereof makes all the difference

💝💝💝

John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give to you, 

that you love one another; 

as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, 

if you have love for one another.”

💕💕💕

Because God is love,

love helps us accomplish the seemingly impossible!

He helps us love the unlovable, 

forgive the unforgiveable

and be merciful and compassionate

 to the undeserving

just like God does for every one of us!

While we were still sinners, He died for us!

So there are no justifiable 'buts' to defend

bitterness, hatred, spite and unforgiveness.

Because of love's sacred 'buts' like these below

we are able to love one another!

💞💞💞

Rom.5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us,

in that while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us.

💖

Eph.2:4-7

But God, who is rich in mercy,

because of His great love with which He loved us,

5even when we were dead in trespasses,

made us alive together with Christ

(by grace you have been saved),

6and raised us up together,

and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7that in the ages to come He might show

the exceeding riches of His grace

in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

💝

Matt 5:43-46

3“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor

and hate your enemy.’ 44[o]But I say to you, love your enemies,

bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,

and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;

for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good,

and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?

Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

💟

John 1:12-13

But to all who did receive Him,

to those who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God—

children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man,

but born of God.

💗

Titus 3:5

He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done,

but according to His mercy,

through the washing of new birth

and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

💓

1 Peter 3:9

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult,

but with blessing, because to this you were called

so that you may inherit a blessing.