What Is Love?

Hey, Gabriel Girls!  I have a question for you today. How would you define love? 

Here are some definitions I’ve heard in my daily rounds:

• Love is that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you fall for a guy.
• Love is that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when that special guy falls for you.
• Love is being crazy about something, like chocolate.

Photo Source: Lightstock.com: Photo ID: 137736

In our culture, we throw the word “love” around very loosely.  For example, we use it to describe our favorite ice cream flavor (“I love chocolate ice cream!”). We use it to describe a favorite sweater (“I love that sweater!”).  We use it to describe a great book we’ve read or a cool movie we’ve watched (“I loved that book” or “I loved that movie!”).

All of these different uses of the word love cheapen the word, don’t you think? Because true love is not any of those things.

I can hear you groaning now.  So, Dr. MaryAnn, what is love?

Great question, Gabriel Girls! And actually the most important question you can ever ask, as long as you get the right answer to your question.

And the right answer is found in the Bible. Here’s how the Bible (also called the Word of God) defines love in I Corinthians 13:4-8:

THE MEANING OF LOVE

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up. Love never comes to an end.

WOW! Now that’s quite a different definition from the way we use the word love in our normal, everyday language. Wouldn’t you agree?

And wouldn’t you agree that most of us are not always loving?

Guilty as charged. But that doesn’t mean we should not strive to be everything that I Corinthians 13:4-8 describes that love is.

So, here’s your homework for this week. Make a list of the things love is as described in I Corinthians 13:4-8.  Your list may look something like this:

• Love is patient.
• Love is kind.
• Love isn’t jealous.
• Love doesn’t sing its own praises.
• Love isn’t arrogant.
• Love isn’t rude.
• Love doesn’t think about itself.
• Love isn’t irritable.
• Love doesn’t keep track of wrongs.
• Love isn’t happy when injustice is done.
• Love is happy with the truth.
• Love never stops being patient.
• Love never stops believing.
• Love never stops hoping.
• Love never gives up.
• Love never ends.
• Love never fails.

If you want, you can even get creative with your list by painting it or making a poster or collage. Whatever you choose, keep this list in front of you. Maybe you could copy it and tuck it in your Bible where you will see it every day. (You are reading your Bible every day, aren’t you? :)

If you’d like, you can take a photo of your Love Project and send it to me. I’ll post it on our blog so all the Gabriel Girls can see it.

Until next time, I send you . . . 

Love in the Lion of Judah! (That’s another name for Jesus!)

Dr. MaryAnn

_____________________________________________
Copyright 2015 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:

• You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life.If you don't know how to do this, click here.
• You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
• You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
  ____________________________________________________

You can find me on the following Social Media Venues:

Website: www.maryanndiorio.com
Blog (Matters of the Heart): http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/maryanndiorioblog
Amazon Author Central: www.amazon.com/author/maryanndiorio
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DrMaryAnnDiorio
Twitter: https://Twitter.com/@DrMaryAnnDiorio
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6592603.MaryAnn_Diorio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=45380421
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drmaryanndiorio/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DrMaryAnnDiorio/posts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/drmaryanndiorio/

I Wish I Were . . . .

Hey, Gabriel Girls!

Do you ever wish you were someone else? Like the girl in your class who turns every guy's head? Or the girl who aces all her tests? Or the girl who has that hourglass figure and eats everything she wants and doesn't gain an ounce?

Ugh!

Do you think that maybe if you were prettier, or smarter, or thinner your life would be perfect? Or you would be loved more? Or even loved at all?

Photo Source: Lightstock.com Photo ID:67366

Think again!

THINKING WITH GOD

In fact, let's think about this with God. That's what God wants us to do, you know.  He wants us to think about everything together with Him. 

This is how He puts it in the Bible: "'Come, let’s talk this over,' says the Lord." (Isaiah 1:18 TLB). 

Isn't it amazing that God wants to talk things over with us? So, let's do what God says and talk with Him about the issue of "I wish I were (fill in the blank)."

Okay. How? Here are four things I do whenever I need to talk something over with God--which, by the way, is every day.

First, I get quiet. Sometimes I put on soft praise music. Sometimes I just go sit outside under a tree. Sometimes I go to the beach (my favorite place in the whole wide world). Or sometimes, I just go to my room and close the door.

But, always, I take my Bible with me. And, always, I read a part of it. (If you don't own a Bible, let me know). 

Second, I start picturing Jesus. Sometimes I picture Him walking along the Sea of Galilee. Sometimes I picture Him sitting in the chair next to me. Sometimes I picture Him walking on the beach with me.

Next, I ask Him a question. I'm always sure to have a pen and my journal with me because Jesus always starts talking after I ask Him a question.

Finally, I write down what comes to my mind after I ask Him the question. Those thoughts that come to my mind after I ask Jesus a question are His words in response to my question.

"'Come, let's talk this over,' says the Lord."
(Isaiah 1:18)

How cool is that?

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK GOD

So, what question do you want to ask Jesus today?  Write it down in your journal and then follow the four steps above. Trust that the thoughts that come to your mind after you ask Jesus your question are His words in response to your question.

Here are some sample questions to get you started:

• Jesus, why did you give me brown hair instead of blond? (I'll ask Him why He gave me gray hair. SMILE!)
• Jesus, why did You make me short? Tall? Blue-eyed? Hazel-eyed? Brown-eyed?
• Jesus, why was I born in America? South Africa? India? (Or whatever country you were born in)?
• Jesus, do You think I'm pretty?
• Jesus, why did You make me?
• Jesus, do You love me?

If you'd like to share your question and Jesus’ answer to you in the comment box below, please do so. When we share our hearts, we discover that the hearts of girls all over the world are very much the same.

With love in the Lion of Judah! (That's another name for Jesus. :))

Dr. MaryAnn   

_____________________________________________
Copyright 2015 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.
To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:

• You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life.If you don't know how to do this, click here.
• You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
• You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
  ____________________________________________________

You can find me on the following Social Media Venues:

Website: www.maryanndiorio.com
Blog (Matters of the Heart): http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/maryanndiorioblog
Amazon Author Central: www.amazon.com/author/maryanndiorio
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DrMaryAnnDiorio
Twitter: https://Twitter.com/@DrMaryAnnDiorio
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6592603.MaryAnn_Diorio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=45380421
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drmaryanndiorio/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DrMaryAnnDiorio/posts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/drmaryanndiorio/

How Much Are You Worth?

Hi, Awesome Teen!

Well, the response to our first post has been better than I had expected. My mailbox has been full of emails from people who are excited about the Truth to Teens blog!

But they can't be more excited than I am about all of you!

 Photo Source: Fotolia: File: #29169886 | Author: vladischern

So, please chime in and tell us a little about yourself. Things like your favorite color, your favorite subject in school, your favorite food.  Or anything else you'd like to share. This is a group of girlfriends from all over the world. Although our cultures may differ, deep down we all share the same hopes, dreams, fears, and challenges that go with being a teenage girl.

Today, I'd like to talk about one of those challenges. I call it the challenge of self-worth.

WHAT IS WORTH?
If I were to ask you what you think you're worth, what would you say? Would you describe your worth in dollars (or whatever currency your country uses)?  Would you describe your worth in looks? In smarts (that's another word for intelligence or brain power)?  In the fact that a guy likes you or not?

If you describe your worth in terms of any of those things I mentioned above, then I need to let you in on a secret:  Your worth is not measured by anything or anyone here on earth.  Your worth comes from God. He gave you worth when He made you. And no one can take that worth from you.

Your worth is not measured by anyone or anything here on earth!

So, no matter who puts you down or says you have no worth, don't believe that person. He or she is not telling the truth about you. And don't look to anyone or anything for your worth, because you won't find it there.

WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR WORTH?
The truth about you is that God says you have great worth.  If you want to know how much worth God says you have, just look at the Cross.

The Cross is Jesus' statement about your worth. On that Cross, He showed you that having you forever was worth His life. And so He gave His life for you so that you could spend forever with Him.

But not only that. He gave His life to you as a gift. But there's one thing you need to do, and that is you need to accept His gift.

Jesus won't force His gift on you because He is a Gentleman. But He is asking you to accept His gift of Himself. Won't you do so today?

Here is a little prayer you can say to accept Jesus' gift of Himself to you:

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me the gift of Yourself by dying on the Cross and rising from the dead. I gladly accept Your gift of Yourself to me. I will treasure Your gift all the days of my life. Amen." 

If you prayed this little prayer, you are now an OFFICIAL GABRIEL GIRL!  Congratulations! Please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com to let me know.

Also, start reading the Bible every day. Begin with the Gospel of Mark found in the second half of the Bible. You can find this part online at http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mar&c=1&t=NLT&p=1 

If you have any questions, please write to me or post them at the end of our blog.  Meanwhile, I will be praying for you!


With love in the Lion of Judah! (That's another name for Jesus. :))

Dr. MaryAnn    

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Copyright 2015-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, All Rights Reserved.

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).