Well, I did it. I spent 24 hours unplugged. No Internet. No TV. Just time with my church family, my husband, some of my kids, my grandkids and some friends. What a lovely day, starting off with an inspiring sermon from our minister, a very wise young man (almost 30). Tom Fodi blesses us on a weekly basis with his wisdom, insight, and refusal to put God in a legalistic box. I love that.
Yesterday, in light of the blown-out-of-proportion Chick-fil-A debacle this past week (which, in my mind, was all about the freedom of speech and opinion and personal beliefs than anything else), Tom preached on I John 3: 11-24. He talked about love.
Years ago, Gary Smalley wrote a book called The Language of Love. It was quite popular in Christian circles at the time, and still is, mostly because of its universal practicality. Tom shared 5 principles from the book and I encourage you to embrace each one of these in the coming week. Do you want to express love? Here are some suggestions:
- Give an unexpected gift
- Spend quality time
- Physical touch (people need hugs... even if they refuse to admit it)
- Say a kind word (or send a note or card)
- Perform a selfless act
That's it. Pretty simple, huh?
I love the story I read late last night on Facebook. One of the single women in our church was in line at the grocery store after the service yesterday. A couple from our congregation was in front of her. After they finished paying for their groceries, they paid for hers! Love in action. It can change the world, folks. Why not start changing your corner of it today?
Sharing my glorious Sabbath experience with you,
Hana
