Gracious words

This post isn't only about gracious words, although it is always nice to hear them.  I was looking at my pinboard and I noticed i've pinned so many wonderful quotes, sayings, and pieces of scripture that I wanted to share.  It just so happens it goes along well with whats been on my mind lately.

We are called to be fishers of men, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and to love the Lord with all of our heart.  At times it seems so difficult to fathom what it means to love.  I feel like no matter how many times i'm told, and no matter how many books I read, I will never truly understand what it means to be created in the image of the Lord, by the Lord, a father who loves us so much so that he will forgive everything that we've done only to be accepted and loved by him.  

And to think if we lived our lives like that, loving unconditionally, how fulfilling and pure our lives and our love would be.  The relationships we could create could withstand anything, and the bonds would be unbreakable, real, deep and meaningful.  As if forgiveness of our sins wasn't enough, this is yet another gift we've been given, the ability and the command to love, and love to the fullest.  

It's hit me more recently the importance of what we're called to do, and I hope that it to encourages you.  Sometimes it's so hard to love everyone-- but we're called to.  So I want to give you a little push, not to change over night, but just to try and love those close to you a little more deeply.  Friends and family, and then to try to extend that love to those surrounding you, coworkers, classmates, and see if the light of the Lord can indeed shine through you.  It's a take off of passing-it-forward if you will, and I think we can really change the way that not only we think, but also those surrounding us.