Years ago, I read Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s list titled, “10 ways to love.” It reminded me of the sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) titled, “How Do I love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways.” That poem speaks of the loyalty and attention that is required to fully love others. But I like Chuck’s list because it helps us to know HOW
we can manifest our love. Here is Chuck’s list with my brief commentary on each item.
Listen without interrupting (Proverbs 18:13; “Anyone who answers without listening is foolish and confused.”) Interrupting others is our most common fault. Many people are insecure and need the approval of others, so they interrupt to share their own opinions. Others interrupt because they feel that the person speaking doesn’t have much to say. Yet others interrupt because they’ve been taught that kind of interaction at home. But interrupting is rude and unloving.
Speak without accusing (James 1:19a; “Be willing to listen but slow to speak.”) Stephen Covey said in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Therefore, before we accost someone over an issue, we should first find out his rationale. Even if his action was improper, his motivation may have been right. Let’s encourage others, not be judgmental.
Give without sparing (Proverbs 21:26b; “…Good people give without holding back.”) If you’re thinking of giving money, that is okay often needed; but this verse is concerned with giving of yourself. One of our greatest needs is to know that someone cares for us; and a caring listener can be a divine manifestation of God’s love.
Pray without ceasing (Colossians 1:9; “…we have continued praying for you….”) This isn’t praying without stopping; it is praying every day – sometimes several times a day. Prayer is the greatest help we can do for others because the answer comes from God. Freda Bowers in her book “Give Me 40 Days” [of prayer] reminds us that God will take care of our needs as we pray and trust Him.
Answer without arguing (Proverbs 17:1; “A dry crust eaten in peace is better 
than a great feast with strife.”) Unless you are trying to make enemies, let your verbal interactions reduce friction. Let your words be oil on troubled waters, not gasoline poured on a fire. Don’t let anyone goad you into an argument, either. Instead, allow him room to express himself in a non-threatening atmosphere.
Share without pretending (Ephesians 4:15; “…we will hold the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ….”) In the ancient world, unethical potters filled the cracks in their pottery with wax, colored the wax, then sold the pottery as good-quality ware. Honest potters, selling only high-quality merchandise, printed on the base of their pottery “Sin Cere” – which means “without wax.” Always be sincere (truthful) with others, loving them with the love of Christ.
Enjoy without complaint (Philippians 2:14; “In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.”) “Knock it off! I can’t take it anymore!” That was the response from a friend of mine to the visitor’s unending complaining about the 105 F. heat. I silently agreed with him about the complaining, but his attitude was not appropriate. Let’s be kind to others, while making sure that we are not the complainers.
Trust without wavering (1 Corinthians 13:7; “…love never gives up…and endures through every circumstance.”) This is a hard one: how can we continue to trust someone who has a history of letting us down? Romans 8:28 will help us here. It says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Seeing people and painful situations from God’s perspective will reduce the pain and disappointment.
Forgive without punishing (Colossians 3:13; “…forgiving each other…as the Lord forgave you….”) Chuck Swindoll did not say, “forgive and forget.” Forgetting is not the issue; not holding the sin against the person is the issue. Forgiving reestablishes our love for the person, enhances our maturity, and builds our relationship with God.
Promise without forgetting (Proverbs 13:12; “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.) Breaking promises to a child teaches the child to be a skeptic; breaking them to others destroys our reputation. Let’s be living examples of Godly character by keeping our word.
Practice these 10 ways to love, and I am sure you will find other ways.
“Last week we observed Native American Heritage Week here in the laboratory’s main auditorium. Every day at 8:00 AM and again at 1:00 PM for a total of ten meetings, a different Native American group opened the meeting by reciting their tribal prayer. Now, if the Lab supports or allows the Native Americans to pray to their gods on government property, then I also claim that same privilege of praying to the Judeo-Christian God. And if there are any questions about that, you know my phone number.”
Charles, “Do you want to listen to this?!”
America and everywhere else. We are to live according to the principles as found in Holy Scripture – the Bible. My reasoning is simple: if I live to please and honor Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, I will have a home in heaven forever even if I am killed here on earth for my faith. This life is so short anyway – why not prepare to live forever with God in heaven?
old, and are friends going back to 1968. Mel, a bi-vocational pastor, and I worked at Boeing in Everett, Washington together in the tooling shop; also called the jig shop. Tools, in this sense, are not hammers, screwdrivers, and pliers. Tooling is a specialized field, and those tools are what the production workers used to actually build the Boeing 747s. 
We would have dinner with them, then spend the evening discussing theology, Bible doctrine, church beliefs, personal understandings of Scripture, and a lot more. When we discovered it was two in the morning, they told us to spend the night and ask Carol & me to sing for them in the church service.
quite firm in some of my beliefs – church beliefs outranked Bible doctrine at the time – Mel helped me to grow in my understanding of the Bible, and in understanding of Who Jesus really was – and is. Mel always talked about Jesus because Jesus was – and is – the most important Person in his life. Mary comes next.
Couple) more than words can say. We are grateful that, in our formative years as a family, they invested valuable time into our lives to help us become who we are today. That is a primary reason that we, in turn, invest time into other’s lives. 
love for us. But mostly we thank you for your love and devotion to each other and to our heavenly Father; for that is what made you who you are today.
off work at the Boeing Aircraft Company just after midnight, I was heading home looking forward to the chocolate cream pie my wife had made. No one else was in sight on the road. I was driving carefully because it had snowed earlier that day, and now a gentle, slushy rain was falling. The temperature was around 30 degrees. 
the embankment into the freezing water. Within seconds, a Ford going about 45 miles per hour slammed into the back of my Toyota. But at that moment another man, who had also stopped to help, walked unseen in front of me. The impact hurled my car and me about seventy feet down the slick road; but my car hit the unseen helper. He was flung around like a rag doll, and wound up under the car we had stopped to help. 
I thought the ordeal was over, but about a year later I was summoned back to Seattle. The crippled man was suing (rightfully so) and a more detailed deposition was required from me. This time I underwent something like an FBI interrogation, and the interrogators’ questions were leading me to spin the 1970 incident in favor of the crippled man. Desiring to support the injured man but maintain total honesty, once again how should I respond?
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 
There is an unspoken condition that is inferred after “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Many “sheep” who belong to the True Shepherd may not be enjoying all the benefits that this Psalm lists because they don’t understand or may not be aware of this unspoken condition. What is it? 
Carol and I were married on my 20th birthday: August 22, 1966. Carol says, “Marriage is made in Heaven; but it comes in a kit, and you have to put it together here on earth.” She is correct, and with God’s help we did a lot of “putting together” in our marriage. 
that sometimes.) And I learned that Carol was not being a demeaning tyrant who held me over the fires of hell every time I made a mistake. She was merely interested in truth: TOTAL truth. 
Ocean water evaporates and massive amounts of warm, moist air rise. As the air rises, surrounding air, also laden with water, moves in to replace it and ascends in the unseen elevator. The invisible water condenses as it cools down in the upper atmosphere and forms a cloudy, swirling mass. Keep in mind that the water is going to be dumped in some form, by some method, somewhere. Also on land, the warm air rises and forms unseen columns of air spiraling into the heavens. Have you seen eagles or hawks circling effortlessly thousands of feet in the air? They ride up the atmospheric elevator and hang out there waiting for a hapless mouse, rabbit, squirrel, or ground hog to move. Then breakfast!
Storms of all sizes and types are an integral part of life. But as devastating as the storm may be, it is our reaction to the storm that exacerbates the problem. When the heat of life is turned up, many folk take on a negative frame of mind and cannot properly understand the circumstances or assess the situation. Many people have gone into depression, shock, rage, even committed suicide after a major loss. People try hard to regain some sense of control over their lives, and sometimes it seems to be a hopeless attempt.
Gene Linzey 