I’m Being Weird

All over scripture we can find the words, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’…

Leviticus 19:18, ‘You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.’

Matthew 19:19 says, ‘Honor your father and mother, and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

And James 2:8 reminds us, ‘If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.’

If I noted each of the many times scripture encourages and directs us with, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ then writing and reading this post may be the only thing you and I do today. Some verses note word-for-word, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ and others simply offer heavy implication of the idea. It may sound exhausting to think of repeat instructions, but the beautiful thing about that, is the fact that when something is repeated over and over it’s often for our own good and to navigate us in the correct way. In this case, through God’s word, it’s so we don’t stray wayward of His perfect intentions in calling us to love one another.

Sometimes I try to over complicate this “loving others” command, but what Jesus spoke in John 15:12 gives us simple, straight-to-the point directions of how loving your neighbor looks:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” -John 15:12

…However we have to understand what that love actually looked like. And studying the One who (first) gave us this command seems to be most fitting…

Jesus cared as he healed a man with leprosy. (Matthew 8:1-4)

Jesus showed up when His disciples feared the raging waters surrounding their boat, he walked to them on water, and the wind died down along with their fear. (Matthew 14:22-33)

Jesus helped by feeding the five thousand when their hunger grew. (Luke 9:10-17)

Jesus served when He humbly washed His disciples’ feet. (John 13:1-20)

Jesus listened while John the Baptist’ messengers came to Him with John’s question of doubt and He eased any concern. (Luke 7:18-23)

Jesus cared for others. He showed up for others. He helped others. He served others. He listened to others.

All of these ACTIONS are forms of love.

It’s that simple! It’s that whole idea of treating others how you want to be treated! Obviously we aren’t going to have supernatural powers, performing heroic miracles such as Jesus did. We don’t even deserve that kind of glory, BUT the concepts of care, showing up, helping, serving, and listening to others are certainly tangible and doable ‘love-applications’ that we should be mimicking.

Lately God has laid these words, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ on my heart, and it’s causing me to be more mindful of others…So the other day when my son’s friend (our neighbor) came over to play and his two little brothers tagged along behind, I sought opportunity…

Those little brothers are some of the cutest little guys I’ve ever met, needless to say they require some extra attention though, and often times when they’ve been over I’m too consumed with chores to entertain or visit…BUT this day, with God’s sweet prodding on my heart, I made sure to keep those little guys feeling extra welcomed—and when the one boy bumped his knee outback and I heard a wimper in his voice I quickly showed up. I helped with his owie. I invited them inside, and cared for his sad feelings.

I listened while they enthusiastically shared stories with my girls and me and left us laughing hysterically.

As the youngest boy spotted me removing cookies from the pantry he piped up before he even knew my plan, “hey tan I hab one of dos tookies?” I smiled at him and knelt down to his level, and served him a “tookie”.

And it felt good.

It felt good to show ‘love to my neighbor.’ Five different forms of love happened in a matter of moments through one encounter with our little-guy neighbors. Completely infectious…Think of the many opportunities we have day-to-day to make a positive difference in someone else’s life by choosing to follow God’s command to simply and humbly—’love your neighbor as yourself.’

Side-note: Your neighbor doesn’t have to be your physical kid-across-the-street neighbor either. For further study read: Luke 10:25-37

Final thoughts: If you made it this far in the post you’ll soon learn why I titled it ‘I’m being weird’…congratulations!

First off, we got the results back from, my daughter, McKenzie’s biopsies. She does have Celiac Disease but we’re honestly praising God, because we have answers and a solution: gluten free diet! She was pretty bummed when she first found out, but I told her since I mainly eat dairy and gluten free I’ll pull myself together and get strict, eating completely gluten free right along with her! Thank you all for your prayers and concern over all of that!❤️

Also I made it through the past few months as a fraud (sub) music teacher!! It was a fun experience, but I’m ready for a “rest” and thankful for summer break!!

To end my post today, I gotta tell ya, I need a little extra prayer!! …With all those substitute teaching days I’ve had over the past year I badgered away my earnings and last Fall booked Nathan and myself a trip to Germany to see our foreign exchange student we hosted two years ago. Now our trip is right around the corner and I’m freaking out. I’m having anxiety a bit about being away from the kids for a few weeks, even though they’re going to be in good hands! I’m just being plain weird!! So honestly I just need prayer that God would cover me in His peace, give us safe travels, keep our kids safe, and help me to enjoy this time!!—because deep down I know it’s going to be amazing, and such a wonderful blessing!! Thank you all for reading!

Love,

Alicia

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”  -1 John 3:16-18

Author: alimw2013

About For His Purpose~ My name is Alicia and I'm a thirty-something year old who loves Jesus. Only through God’s amazing grace and mercy I have been redeemed from past regret and shame. Reading His word has allowed me to look past Satan’s forceful lies, to see myself for who Christ says I am in Him. Through writing I have learned why I made the choices I made in my younger years and I now have a better understanding of why I desire to love God like crazy these days. Despite my daily failures, God remains faithful always. I am reassured of His unconditional love for me by every ink-drop spilled out on paper, each committed prayer as I cry out to Him, and deep understanding reflected through reading His word as truth. Yes keeping a blog will make me vulnerable to others’ opinions- there will be some who don’t understand, some who may criticize or judge, but on the other hand if just one piece expressed through my writing grabs someone’s attention and directs them to God, then pouring out my heart in a blog for the world to read is worth it. I choose to glorify Him alone through words streaming across a glowing screen. And it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t reveal the fact that I’m incredibly quirky; I’m my loving husband’s best friend, my vivacious kids’ craziest cheerleader and spiritual trainer (3 John 1:4). I love anything farmhouse and rustic style. I think cupping a warm coffee mug in the palm of my hands is more satisfying than the contents within. I share a common obsession with my husband for the mountains, but I would (without a doubt) settle for waves crashing against my legs at the Atlantic Ocean just as well, and I almost always have a Yorkie curled up on my lap while writing. *All photos are photographed by forhispurpose.blog and therefore may not be stored or photocopied in any manner.

45 thoughts on “I’m Being Weird”

  1. Amen, love never fails! I’m sorry to hear your daughter has Celiac Disease, but as you said, I’m glad you found out what the issue was. I will be praying for her and all of you! If you ever need any help or have any questions, please let me know. I’ve learned a lot over the last 7 years fighting Celiac and I’m here to help. Praying for your trip to Germany too! God bless you all!

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  4. Wow! I don’t even know where to start. This is so chalk full of good things! Listening really stands out to me. I can be quick to dismiss things when Andrew gets upset by something. My problem is that when people hurt me, I quickly dusmiss it, so I expect that others should be able to do the same.

    Recently Andrew was hurt because people kept taking away his opportunity to feel useful. At first I wasn’t seeing or understanding, but when I stopped and listened, rather than saying, “Oh it’s no big deal, they don’t know what they’re doing” and actually listened to why it was upsetting him, I realized, Oh…he just wants to be useful. Then I could comfort him. The amazing thing is that it was also easier for him to let it go. He was heard.

    Sometimes were too quick to correct and lead, when we should be letting love lead the way. God listens, so we should be willing to listen too.

    By the way, you’re reaction to your daughter’s diagnosis of Celiac’s is just like our Pastor’s wife’s reaction. She went totally gluten free for her daughter. You’re a great mom! I’ve been gluten free for 10 years now. It was really difficult at first, and there are still times when I would love to be able to eat what everyone else is eating, but it’s doable. It’ll be more than doable with your love and support. So kudos to you sistah.

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    1. Awe thank you! Always love visiting with you Tina!! I actually had no idea that you were gluten-free, I don’t think you’ve ever blogged about it…I feel like right now it’s one of the things that is on my mind so much because I’m trying to think of new ideas for my daughter to eat because she can be a picky eater!

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      1. Does she like Pasta? “Gogo Quinoa” pasta is my favorite pasta. Udi’s has some pretty decent products too… Gluten free bread isn’t great, but once in a while if I want a hamburger, their buns work.

        I don’t eat a lot of processed food. Mostly I make stir fries, or simple meals like meat and potatoes. If you need a decent gluten free flower “Cup 4 Cup” is good. If she’s a potato fan, potato pancakes made with some of flour is an option. I also make us baked fries, because I gave to avoid soy. (Most fries contain soy) Pasta salad, or potato salad makes a good meal, or meal accompaniment.

        With Celiac’s does she have to avoid dairy? I think most of Udi’s products are dairy free. If she has a problem with corn “Gogo quinoa” is corn free. I do have a bit of a problem with corn, but it’s SO difficult to avoid. Corn is in nearly everything. The best I can do is limit my corn.

        Oh I just realized something. People with Celiac’s can have a reaction to quinoa. Hmm…you may want to test that one. The only way to know for sure what she reacts to is by testing things. I did an illimination diet. That’s when I figured out that I have a problem with corn.

        Eggs can also be a problem for Celiac’s. It has something to do with the protein in eggs. I don’t seem to have a problem with eggs. If she does have a problem with eggs, you can find an egg replacer recipe on Pinterest. I know a lot of this stuff because I was considering doing an auto-immune diet. The illimination diet was bad enough. I couldn’t see myself restricting my diet so drastically. I’m already avoiding enough!

        I hope this helps rather than overwhelms. I know it can feel overwhelming at first, but once you find what works it will get easier. There are so many GF options out there. For me, eating more naturally has been my best option. I do give in to a bit of gf junk food from time to time. Most potato chips are GF… and most GF sweet baked goods are decent.

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      2. I’m not sure how I ever missed this comment but I did!!! This is helpful info and I’m glad you mentioned the part about eggs bc I’m wondering if I don’t have celiac also…I’ve eliminated a lot from diet (gluten and dairy) and I still struggle with gut issues but I’m pretty sure eggs are the culprit, could be processed foods too so I’m in the middle of sorting through that to figure it out …McKenzie is not dairy free so that is a huge blessing!! Thanks for your ideas and sharing options!! I couldn’t believe how cheap the gluten-free bread and products were in Germany, it was unreal!!!!

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    2. I’m so glad that you saw that in Andrew..I can honestly relate to what you’re saying because I can be quick to make sure that Nathan listens and helps me with my issues but then sometimes I get too busy to help with his or I just think that he has all the stuff together but then when it’s just the two of us and we’re able to spend time visiting not being interrupted by kids I am able to dig deeper and see that he truly does need to open up and talk:)

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  7. I have Celiacs. Something I have learned is that companies will use Gluten Free as a marketing gimmick. Look for a Certified Gluten Free symbol on a package. You can google Certified Gluten Free to see the symbols to look for.

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    1. I have definitely started becoming aware of that and I’m gonna have to educate myself more on that because I can be kind of naïve..Like seeing gluten-free on a label would be good enough for me and that’s probably actually not the case…for example I had heard through another blogger that Cheerios aren’t actually gluten-free, do you have any clue?

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      1. Cheerios says gluten free because oats do not have gluten, but to be certified gluten free the product has to be processed in a facility gluten containing products are not processed in. There can be cross contamination which is why Cheerios is not certified gluten free.

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  8. This is awesome – start to finish. I love the action points you put behind love and I hope to put some of them into play effective immediately. I am so grateful you guys found out what is going on with your daughter, and hopeful that the gluten free transition will not prove to hard of a transition. Finally, praying for your finances as you get ready for what will be an amazing adventure.

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    1. Thank you so much!!! I’ve been writing each of my kids little notes this evening so they can open one each day that we’re away from them. I’m hoping that will help ease the anxiety they have..my girls have been busy working on notes for my husband and I to take with us and open while we’re in Germany so I’m excited for that and their heartfelt kindness melts my heart ❤️

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  10. So glad to hear you have an answer for your daughter! I’m also grateful that there are so many options out there nowadays for people who have to eat gluten free, allergy free, etc. I will be sending up some extra prayers for you and your family. Have a wonderful time!! God Bless!

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  12. Okay, I finally got caught up on all my comments, and now I’m here on your blog to see how I missed the whole Germany thing. It’s funny. I wanted to try and follow more blogs to get more involved with the Wordpess community. So I went to my settings and set more blogs to show up in my news feed. Suddenly I was overwhelmed by how much was going on in my news feed…lol. So I had to go back into my settings and readjust. It’s hard to keep up with everyone! Hopefully I’ve got it sorted to a manageable amount of involvement. There are so many great blogs! It’s difficult to choose which ones to keep up with!

    That being said, I think I know how I missed the tail end of your post. I did read up to the part about your daughter having Celiac’s and you supporting her by going gf too… But I bet you anything I was over eager to respond to your post before I forgot what I wanted to say lol.. so I totally missed the last bit about your Germany trip. My bad. Now I’ve probably bombarded you with a billion comments to catch up on! I still haven’t commented on your post from Germany! I’ll save that for later in the week. Andrew and I have a bit of running back and forth to the doctor this week. Just normal blood work, but my lab requisition ran out which means a run to the doctor, then to the lab and back to my doctor. Take care Alicia ❤

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    1. I love reading your comments!! I can’t imagine how busy it must be running back-and-forth to the doctor. I felt overwhelmed the past couple months with McKenzie’s appointments.
      And I totally understand about wanting to quickly comment after reading through a post even if you’re not finished because I’m always afraid that I’m going to forget a thought that I have while reading the post so it makes me want to quickly get to the comment section LOL and yes there are so many good bloggers out there it’s so hard to narrow it down. I finally had to put my settings to receiving most posts just one day a week but then my favorite bloggers I receive those immediately and even the ones that only come once a week I don’t read all of their posts because it’s just too overwhelming..I always make sure I stay caught up on yours even if I’m behind a week or two because I love with the Holy Spirit speaks through you and I value our fellowship! ❤️

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      1. Aww. Well I made it tougher for you to keep up with my posts by going back to posting twice a week. (And sometimes on the weekend) Maybe I’ll just stick to twice a week. I’m really focusing on keeping my Tuesday post short though (300-600 words) and Thursday will be my meatier post. I’m trying to keep the longer ones closer to 800 words, but it’s not easy! I give myself a 1000 word limit, but I’m aiming for the 700-800 range.

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      2. Lol I totally get what you’re saying!! Not sure why mine always make it over the thousand mark, we’ll most of the time…long winded I guess…I think I repeat myself a lot when I write lol…Nate basically says “that’s ok, look at the Bible, lots of repeat encouragement there!”

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      3. I feel the same way as Nate. We really do need the repetion. Unfortunately, I don’t think blog readers appreciate too much repetion. None of us are very patient.

        I noticed I do the same thing you do. This is exactly what makes our posts long. This is also how I’ve managed to shorten my posts some. (Removing some of the repetion and jabber.)

        By the way, I’m not saying that you jabber. I’m saying that I feel that I jabber. My posts used to be well over a thousand words. I’ve even had posts as long as 2000+. Yikes!

        One of my mentors said to me, you don’t write for you. You write for the reader. This has really helped me to look at what I write more critically. Did I explain it well? Did I repeat myself? Do I really need to say this? Can I simplify this explanation?

        It’s still a work in progress. I haven’t wittled my posts down as much as I’d like to yet!

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      4. Oh my gosh that totally makes sense!!! I love that!! All of it! Especially the writing for myself, not others.

        I’m going to keep that in mind…I’m gonna try and do the same…I want to write with that perspective…Hahahaha
        Seriously though I do!!

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