Word for 2008 - LOVE

I read several blogs for enjoyment and inspiration. I read one this week that directed me to christinekane.com, a very inpirational site. The author speaks of new year's resolutions and how they always involve "doing" instead of "being" and that really spoke to me. She then lists words that you can look through, contemplate, and choose. As I was looking at the list, I thought - I can do at least 4 or 5! Then when I actually read what she had to say, she wrote that many people do that, wrongly! The point is to just stick with one word in our rush, do everything, multi-task world. Wow, does this woman know our lives or what?! She did say if you feel like you have mastered your focus on the word by June, you can pick another one but I want to focus on one word all year long. So I looked through the list again and, as she suggested, chose only one word. She said to let one pop out at you and indeed, one word did.

The word is love.

The reason the word jumped out at me is because it's a word that is in the byline of the new skins for this blog. (You will see soon!) Also, last week while shopping for the post Christmas sales, this little pink sign with the word LOVE just sort of called out to me. I am not sure why. I didn't even look at the price, something I ALWAYS do. It was one dollar. I think it was from Michael's but I am not sure. The thing is, I usually don't buy little signs like this and it was rather funny to see it in my cart on top of all the red and green wrapping paper, bows, tags, boxes, and tins that I was buying for next year's Christmas wrapping.

So why love? Many things fall under love. But I will leave you with this first reason:

... And now I will show you the most excellent way. 1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10. but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

11. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

12. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13, NIV)