Love Language Fluency

Have you read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman? 

No? You really should. 

There's one for married couples concerning how to love your spouse well, but I read his Singles' Edition. Loved it. Yes, being able to speak my (God willing) husband's love language well will be very important some day. But we need to love EVERYONE well...parents, siblings, co-workers, roommates, friends. 

I often fall short of loving people well in the way they best receive love. But I want to! And--as hippie as this sounds--wouldn't the world be a better place if we all just tried to love each other better? After all, Jesus was all about the love...In Matthew 22, He says the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

And Paul echoes that. A lot.

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:9-10

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13

"The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Galatians 5:14

So yeah. Love. 

I've done the little Love Language Inventory thing a couple of times (http://www.5lovelanguages.com...DO IT!) and both times showed how much I really enjoy Quality Time (closely followed by Words of Affirmation).

That being said, I have been so incredibly blessed by the amount of quality time I've spend with friends these past couple of weeks, especially on my little road trip (we'll call it my "Farewell Tour"). I had a wonderful trip, spending time with my lovelies in Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville--most of whom I hadn't seen since graduation (a whole year?! TOO. LONG.)

I'm so thankful for the countless hours of meaningful conversations, endless hugs, and just plain old good times with so many people. It made the fact that I'm leaving soon so much more vividly real. 

It's hard to say goodbye for two years to the many people I love, but I'm excited to meet the people I'll grow to love in the future. I wonder what their love languages will be...

Until next time!

Love from Home,

Elizabeth

And so it begins...

Welcome to my blog! 

If you're wondering about the domain name, this is how I'd like to send you all "Love from Rome" while I'm over there. 

For those of you who don't know, I'm going to be spending the next two years in this gorgeous, ancient city working in an art gallery, teaching English and helping with a church plant. I am astounded at God's providence and leadership and His goodness in that He has been uniquely crafting my passions and talents all my life to lead me to serve Him in such a way and in such a place. As a Fine Arts major, I have studied and fallen in love with Italy for the past four years of college! I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to create and discuss art while loving people in this exciting city!

If you're wondering about the blog title, I chose it because we are told to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15)...it is the reason we go...the reason we serve...the reason we love...

Because He first loved us.

Take a look at 1 John 4:7-21:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

This is our calling. Our divine privilege and purpose. To love others as ourselves.

We, as followers of Christ, are called to do this anywhere and everywhere. For the next two years, I'll be doing it thousands of miles and several time zones away from home.

Why am I doing it? 

Because He first loved me.


Thank you for choosing to keep up with me this way! Even though I don't head overseas until fall, I wanted to get this blog underway. I hope whatever I have to say will be worth reading. And I don't want this to be about my life so much as what my Father is doing in, through and with it. I can't WAIT to see just what He's going to do!

So, until I leave...

Love from Home,

Elizabeth