February Twenty-Twenty

February Twenty-Twenty 

some quotes on love to celebrate Valentine's Day and this past month.... 

If our hearts have already been tempted this day to believe anything about ourselves or others that does not take into account your creation, your mercy, your sacrifice, your grace, your forgiveness, your redemption, and your unspeakable love, O God, remind us again of these truths, giving us faith enough to believe and hope enough to choose to embrace them again and again. Shape our thoughts, O Lord, by your truth even as you shape our hearts by your love.

Douglas McKelvey, A Prayer at Midday, Every Moment Holy 

““You are the Beloved,” and I hope that you can hear these words as spoken to you with all the tenderness and force that love can hold… Every time you listen with great attentiveness to the voice that calls you the Beloved, you will discover within yourself a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert. Once you have touched wet ground, you want to dig deeper.

–Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved

Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.

― Brennan Manning, Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging

How glorious the splendor of a human heart that trusts that it is loved!

― Brennan Manning

Live in the wisdom of accepted tenderness. Tenderness awakens within the security of knowing we are thoroughly and sincerely liked by someone...

Scripture suggests that the essence of the divine nature is compassion and that the heart of God is defined by tenderness.

― Brennan Manning

Today, O Lord, I accept your acceptance of me,

I confess that you are always with me and always for me,

I receive into my spirit your grace, your mercy, your care,

I rest in your love, O Lord,

I rest in your Love.

Amen.

-Richard Foster, (inspired by the Brennan Manning quote above)

We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.
― Brennan Manning

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. -Oprah Winfrey 

The litmus test of our love for God is our love of neighbor.
― Brennan Manning,