IF I can speak in the tongues of men and even of angels, but have not love-that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us-I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers-the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose-and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have sufficient faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love, God's love in me, I am nothing; a useless nobody.   Even if I dole out all that I have to the poor in providing food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love, God's love in me, I gain nothing.   Love endures long and is patient and kind; love is never envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vain, and it does not display itself haughtily.  It is not conceited or arrogant or inflated with pride; it is not rude or unmannerly and does not act unbecomingly.  Love; God's love in us, does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; and it takes no account of the evil done to it, for it pays no attention to a suffered wrong.  It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.   Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening. Love never fails, fades out, becomes obsolete or comes to an end.   As for prophecy-the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose-it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away, lose its value and be superseded by truth.  For all our knowledge, prophecy and teaching are fragmentary, incomplete and imperfect.  But when the complete and perfect total comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away; become antiquated, void and superseded.   When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a woman, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.   For now, I am looking in a mirror that gives only a dim and blurred reflection of reality, as in a riddle or enigma, but then, when perfection comes, I shall see in reality and face to face!  Now I know in part imperfectly, but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood by God.   And so faith, hope and love abide.  Faith–the conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things-abides; Hope–the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation-abides; Love–the true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us-abides.  Faith, hope and love remain; but the greatest of these is love.

LOVE If I love with my spirit, I don’t have to think so hard with my head.  Feeling love toward the people in my life will boost my spirit and my personal difficulties will lessen.  The solutions to my problems are rarely found in my head.  The burst forth from my heart.  I can let my concern today be on the moment and the experience.  I can let love wash over me.

LOVE 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.

COURAGE Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

COURAGE When I am afraid, I will trust in you.   In God, whose word I praise,  In God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?

COURAGE (for boys) Be on your GUARD;  stand FIRM in the FAITH;  be men of COURAGE; be STRONG.

COURAGE/believing the best This is the art of courage: to see things as they are and still believe that the victory lies not with those who avoid the bad, but those who taste, in living awareness, every drop of the good. Victoria Lincoln

COURAGE to trust I can let His Spirit within me guide me, and then I can follow that guidance directly and fearlessly.  When I am in One, not in combat with the Spirit within me, my life seems to fall into place effortlessly.  I know the feeling of moments of effortless living.  When I have the courage to trust, life begins to live, and it doesn’t feel so hard.

THE Lord is my Light and my Salvation–whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, even then in this will I be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and insistently require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord in His presence all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face, Your presence, Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require of necessity and on the authority of Your Word. Hide not Your face from me; turn not Your servant away in anger, You Who have been my help! Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation! Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up, adopt me as His child. Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies those who lie in wait for me. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me; they breathe out cruelty and violence. What, what would have become of me, had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living! Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

COURAGE to be weak The “tipping point” of my courage and strength may consist of the very weakness that I’m irrationally afraid to show and go to desperate lengths to hide.

COURAGE to recover Quiet down, far-flung oceans.  Listen!  Sit down and rest.  Recover your strength.  Gather yourself to Me.  I've picked you.  I haven't dropped you.  Don't panic.  I'm with you.  There's no need to fear, for I'm your God.  I'll give you strength.  I'll help you.  I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

COURAGE to forgive Her breasts and arms ached with the beauty of her own forgiveness.  To ache with forgiveness is to be wholly accepting of myself and others.  I am in need of forgiveness.  I can forgive and wholly accept myself.  I can forgive and wholly accept others.

COURAGE to be open to NOW Courage and openness go hand in hand.  My courage helps me to take the risk “to try.”  When I am fearful, I only see one way: my way.  Courage opens the way for new possibilities.  As I face my fear, I find a new level of courage that I can put into practice every moment of every day.  It takes courage to create.  It takes courage to do what I know is right in my heart.  It takes courage to say both “yes” and “no.”  It even takes courage to take a nap.  Courage is for now; courage is an everyday virtue.

COURAGE to be awake Even cowards can endure hardship; only the courageous can endure suspense. Life holds the potential of undreamed-of surprises and suspenseful moments from which I can grow and learn to handle well.  I always thought it true courage to suffer...but I see that being awake to my life is a special kind of courage.

. FORGIVENESS Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.