the way of love.

A drop of love is more than an ocean of knowledge.

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.  If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all His mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, ‘jump,’ and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.  If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere.  So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always ‘me first,’
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies.  Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit.  We know only a portion of the Truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete.  But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.” - 1 Corinthians 13:1-10 (The Message)

Bailey & Buddy

My Christmas break was so good this year.  I stayed at home for about a week and it was very relaxing and enjoyable.  We have a bichon frise at home named “Bailey” and he is just about the cutest thing in the whole wide world.  He loves to cuddle next to you, give you kisses, and lets you squeeze and hug him like a little baby.  My sister Monica even had her Senior pictures taken with him.  We’re slightly obsessed with the little white puff-ball of a dog.  Before Bailey, we had Buddy – a beagle.  Beagles aren’t exactly furry or cuddly, so Buddy stayed outside in a nice pen inside our garage.  He also had a nice area to play and run outside.  But whenever we got Bailey 4 years ago, Bailey got the priviledge of staying inside the nice, warm house with us and Buddy had to stay outside.  I have to admit that I liked Bailey way more than Buddy and kind of felt really guilty about that.  But then one day over Christmas break, I was sleeping on the couch downstairs.. and the doorbell rang at 7:30 am.  I walked to the door in my P.J.’s and there stood a Perkins township police officer.  I was very nervous to hear what news the police officer had to share with me – obviously.  Monica had just left for Puerto Rico and her flight got cancelled because a volcano erupted in the Carribbean.  I thought her plane crashed or something and I began to become very nervous.  But then, the police officer pulled something from his pocket.. Buddy’s collar.  But Buddy wasn’t with him.  He proceeded to tell me that Buddy had run away (not sure how he got loose) and got hit by a car.  I politley accepted the collar and went back in the house.  It was a sad day.  But I felt sort of bad because I wasn’t as sad as I thought I would be.  Isn’t that terrible?  But alas, Buddy is now in a better place – puppy heaven.  R.I.P. Buddy Bressler.  I will miss hearing you howl and seeing you chase your tail.  It always made me laugh.  You are in a better place now, but I guess Bailey Bressler is now king puppy of 5401 Columbus Ave.

a little taste of heaven

Have you ever had a jelly belly jelly bean?  They are so good.  My personal favorite flavor is juicy pear.  I could easily eat a whole bag (and I think I have).  I just found out today from my sister that the jelly belly factory in Fairfield, CA gives away free mutated jelly beans called “belly flops.”  I think we’ll be taking a road trip sometime soon… well, at least before we die!  The little pieces of heaven are definitely worth the trip.