"You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!" (Matt. 5:43-44 NLT)
"When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day. Do not give the devil a way to defeat you." (Eph. 4:26-27 NCV)
"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:19-20 NIV)
What is love looking like to you these days?[Love] is not rude.
1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)
When defining what love is not, Paul put rudeness on the list. “It is not rude.” The Greek word for rude means shameful or disgraceful behavior.
An example of rudeness was recently taken before the courts in Minnesota . A man fell out of his canoe and lost his temper. Though the river was lined with vacationing families, he polluted the air with obscenities. Some of those families sued him. He said, “I have my rights.”
God calls us to a higher, more noble concern. Not “What are my rights?” but “What is loving?”
Do you have the right to dominate a conversation? Yes, but is it loving to do so?…Is it within your rights to bark at the clerk or snap at the kids? Yes. But is it loving to act this way?
From: A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2005)
Max Lucado
When you put clothes on love, what does it look like to you? 
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
"Prayer is vital, but God is not in the business of rewarding the lazy."
Patti and her daughter, Stephanie (what a great name!) came up for elimination after having lost only seven pounds between them. Week 2 always seems to be the toughest, as I understand it. When they faced the rest of the cast to plead their case as to who should stay on the ranch and who should go home, I saw an incredible display of a mother's love for her child. Without any hesitation, Patti declared that she had a good support system at home and could lose the weight she needed to, but Stephanie didn't have that. She said Stephanie needed to stay on the ranch in order to save her life. For the first time that I can remember, the vote was unanimous. The grey team actually said, "We wouldn't disrespect our Mama, so we won't disrespect Patti's wishes, either." Out of respect for Patti and the apparent kindness she exhibited to all of the contestants, she was able to sacrifice her chance at $250,000 so her daughter could have a chance to live. 
In the most non-biased way I can possibly say it, we have the sweetest little girl on the planet! Gabby is such a compassionate, caring, understanding, generous soul and Steph & I are madly in love with her."Lord, thank you for reminding us how much we're blessed. Even though times are tough right now, we still have a lot more than most people in other countries. We have food to eat and a home to live in and cars to get around in. Help us to give to others out of what you have given us."
No one has to remind you of the high cost of anxiety. (But I will anyway.) Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry (merimnao) is a compound of two Greek words, merizo ("to divide") and nous ("the mind"). Anxiety splits our energy between today's priorities and tomorrow's problems. Part of our mind is on the now; the rest is on the not yet. The result is half-minded living.So, next time you decide to play the "What If?" game, take a moment to think of how you will feel afterward. It just might change your mind.
That's not the only result. Worrying is not a disease, but it causes diseases. It has been connected to high blood pressure, heart trouble, blindness, migraine headaches, thyroid malfunctions, and a host of stomach disorders.
Anxiety is an expensive habit. Of course, it might be worth the cost if it worked. But it doesn't. Our frets are futile. Worry has never brightened a day, solved a problem, or cured a disease.
I could sit here and plead my case for UT if Colt hadn't gotten hurt and the rest of the team hadn't lost the great momentum they had built over the first couple of series, but it wouldn't change the fact that Bama took advantage of the Longhorns' misfortune and played a great football game. Although Texas put up a heck of a fight, they just couldn't catch a break. Had they not had that nasty penalty that got the first touchdown called back, the missed ball on the next touchdown pass, and the pointless pick 6 at the end of the first half, Texas could've had a great win. However, that wasn't the case, and nothing can change that. Even though there were some calls that weren't made that should have been, and the great McCoy had to watch the true freshman, Gilbert, who had a fantastic game, get thrown into the fire, I'm still proud of the Horns. They didn't give up. They didn't lay down. They fought as though there were no tomorrow. They gave their absolute best effort.
No, I'm not writing about the book we had to read in high school. I'm talking about what we have on a daily basis. We expect great things out of life. We expect things to go our way, and our way is... well... great! Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.James 1:2-4 (NLT)
Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.
(Phil. 4:8 - NCV)
