Life, Love, Chocolate

Be imitators of God... And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us. - Ephesians 5:1-2


An entry I read on a favorite blog caught my eye. It was the morning of his ninth wedding anniversary. Not haveing a lot of money, the writer ran out to get his wife, Heidi, their favorite French pastry - pain au chocolat. After sprinting several miles, he arrived home, exhausted, to find her in the kitchen just pulling a chocolate-filled croissant out of the oven. It was pain au chocolate.

That husband, Jeff, compared his wife with Heidi to the lives of the people in O. Henry's short story "Gift of the Magi." It tells of a man who sold his lone possession of value - a pocket watch - to buy hair combs for is wife, who had sold her long, beautiful hair to buy a gold chain for his watch.

Having no money concerns would be great - but realizing the immeasurable value of the people we care about is more important. We sometimes need a reminder that acquiring "things" is not nearly as important as appreciating the people God has placed in our lives. When we practice putting other's interests before our own (Phil. 2:3-4), we learn what it means to love, serve, and sacrifice. In fact, that's how we pattern Christ in our relationships (Eph. 5:1-2).

Life, love, and chocolate taste better when shared with others. - Cindy Hess Kasper


I want to share with those I love
The highest joy I'm thinking of,
Not just what brightens all their days
But what will give God highest praise. - Hess

Love is never afraid of giving too much.

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1 John 3:16-23

By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him?

My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him, because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

Beloved, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have boldness toward God; and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.

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We can't do those visible, what more those invisible?!