Love Beyond Feeling

  

 

  

Dear Reader, 

Today I found myself reflecting on a word we use often, yet may not fully understand: love. 

In modern speech, love is often linked to romance, attraction, or strong emotion. But in scripture, it often means something deeper. 

Consider three relationships: 

• Jonathan and David. 
• Jesus and John. 
• Jesus and Mary Magdalene. 

In each case, scripture describes deep affection, loyalty, and devotion. Yet the writers seem less concerned with labeling the relationship than with showing the kind of love it expresses. 

Jonathan loved David so deeply that he gave up his own claim to the throne and repeatedly risked his life to protect him. His love was shaped not by what he could receive, but by what he was willing to give. 

John, often called “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” stayed near the Savior when many others fled. At the cross, he stood as a witness to faithfulness in Christ’s darkest hour. 

Mary Magdalene’s devotion was just as striking. She remained near the cross, went to the tomb while it was still dark, and became the first witness of the risen Lord. Her love endured even when hope seemed gone. 

What do these relationships have in common? 

They reveal a love that reaches beyond emotion. 

• A love that stays. 
• A love that sacrifices. 
• A love that remains faithful. 

Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul declared: 

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (1 Corinthians 13:13) 

The highest form of love is not possession, control, or mere affection. 

It is a covenant of the heart that seeks another's good, even when no reward is expected in return. 

It is a commitment to another person’s good, even when that commitment requires sacrifice. 

In recovery, I have seen this kind of love in sponsors who answer late-night calls, in friends who stay when life grows hard, and in family members who keep believing when belief feels impossible. 

And I have seen it most perfectly in Jesus Christ. 

The Savior’s love was not only spoken; it was shown. He taught, healed, forgave, comforted, suffered, and ultimately gave His life for others. 

Perhaps the deeper meaning of love is found not simply in what we feel, but in what we faithfully choose to do. 

• Love is choosing to remain. 
• Love is the willingness to serve. 
• Love is the courage to sacrifice. 
• Love is faithfulness in action. 

Seen this way, the relationships of Jonathan and David, Jesus and John, and Jesus and Mary Magdalene bear witness to a timeless truth: 

Love is not measured by what it receives. 

It is measured by what it faithfully gives. 

May we all find this LOVE in each of our days

Amen

🙏🧘‍♂️💕🤗☮️

 

Finding One True Course

Dear Reader,

At times, we feel tossed on a sea of indecision. We grieve what might have been. In that sorrow, we can lose our sense of direction and feel adrift in mind and spirit.

In moments like these, I remember a quote often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up.”

Emerson’s words invite us to live by faith. They call us to turn from the pull of the past and the pressure of the present, and to align our lives with a higher authority. When we look up in faith, we find a steady reference point where God, Truth, and Love offer strength and comfort.

In recovery, I have learned that looking only behind me can trap me in regret, and looking only around me can leave me overwhelmed by fear. But when I look up, I remember that I do not need to see the whole road at once—I only need to take the next right step.

Scripture teaches, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Faith may not remove the storm, but it can steady the traveler.

Perhaps the truest course begins here—not by denying sorrow or hiding worry, but by lifting our eyes to the One who can guide us through both.

Sorrow may look back. Worry may look around. But faith looks up—and there the soul begins to find its way.

🙏🧘‍♂️💕🤗☮️

250 Years of Freedom, Law, Responsibility and Love

 "Freedom is not sustained by monuments alone. It is sustained by hearts willing to heal, forgive, and serve." 

Dear Reader, 

As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I find myself reflecting on the meaning of freedom. 

The founders of America declared political independence from a distant king. Their courage gave birth to a nation founded upon the belief that people possess God-given rights and the ability to govern themselves. 

Yet after 250 years, I believe one question remains: 

What does it truly mean to be free? 

Three modern writers offer insights worth considering. 

• "If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable." — Louis D. Brandeis 
• "Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses." — George Washington Carver 
• "Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold."  — Zelda Fitzgerald 

At first glance these statements appear unrelated. Yet together they reveal three pillars upon which lasting freedom rests: law, responsibility, and love. 

Brandeis reminds us that freedom without law eventually becomes disorder. Throughout scripture, God provides commandments not to limit His children but to protect and guide them. The most enduring laws are those rooted in justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity. 

In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin taught that a righteous society is built upon service to God and service to one another. Freedom flourishes when people willingly choose what is right rather than merely insisting upon their rights. 

George Washington Carver's observation speaks directly to my experience in recovery. 

One of the great discoveries of Alcoholics Anonymous is that excuses rarely solve problems. Blaming others, blaming circumstances, or blaming the past may provide temporary comfort, but they do not create lasting change. 

Recovery begins when we become willing to say, "What is my part?" 

Freedom requires responsibility.  The alcoholic seeks freedom from alcohol. The fearful seek freedom from anxiety. The resentful seek freedom from anger. Yet freedom is rarely found by changing everyone around us. More often it is found by allowing God to change what is within us. 

The Book of Mormon teaches that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass." Real freedom often grows from small daily acts of honesty, humility, and willingness. 

But law and responsibility are not the destination. They are the pathway. The destination is love. 

This brings me to Zelda Fitzgerald's beautiful observation: "Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold."  

I believe this is one of the great miracles of life. The human heart has an astonishing capacity to expand. 

• It can recover from disappointment. 
• It can forgive injuries once thought unforgivable. 
• It can learn compassion through suffering. 
• It can discover gratitude in circumstances once considered impossible. 

The prophet Moroni taught that charity is the pure love of Christ. As that love grows within us, our hearts become larger than our fears, larger than our resentments, and larger than our limitations. 

Perhaps this is the highest purpose of freedom. Not simply the freedom to do as we please. But the freedom to become what God intends us to be. 

"For 250 years, generations of Americans have labored, sacrificed, and sometimes suffered to preserve these freedoms. Their legacy invites us to consider how we will use the freedoms entrusted to us." 

• Can we respect laws worthy of respect? 
• Can we stop making excuses and accept responsibility for our choices? 
• Can we allow our hearts to grow beyond what we once believed possible? 

Political freedom may begin with a declaration.  Spiritual freedom begins with a decision. 

A decision to live honorably, take responsibility, and allow God to enlarge our hearts through faith, service, and love. 

For nobody—not even poets—has yet measured what the human heart can hold.  Nor has anyone fully measured what God can do with a willing soul. 

🙏🏻🧘‍♂️💕🤗☮️