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Love Explained (and a giveaway!)

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I’m in the Caribbean this week with my family! His Highness is volunteering with the Anguilla Tennis Academy, my son is attending their tennis camp, and my daughters and I are relaxing, enjoying the surf, and soaking in the sun. Please extend a warm welcome guest-blogger Sara Beth Williams! Be sure to check out the fantastic giveaway she’s offering at the end of this post. -Becky

Sara Beth

In my very, very first blog post, two years before I would publish my first novel, I wrote about how love is complicated.  (I hesitate to even link it – how incredibly cliché it was! In fact, that’s how I began my blog post.)

It took time to find a blogging groove, and writing about love seemed logical at first, since after all, I write Christian romance – shouldn’t I be an expert on love?

(Uh, no?)

Well are any of us really? Some of us might claim to be. I tried to “explain love” in so many eloquent words – but I missed the mark and here’s what I should’ve written instead.

Love isn’t complicated. The word “love” has been convoluted, misused, abused, and therefore, portrayed with the connotation of “complicated”. Love, or agape, is simple. It’s our human nature that misconstrues what love should represent.

In A Worthy Heart, Serena Hayes has been looking for love in all the wrong places. When she finally walks away from her most recent toxic relationship, her best friend Lacey shows her 1 Corinthians 13:4–7

At first, she is overwhelmed, as she compares her experiences with what she thought was love, with the divine love that God both shows us, and asks us to show others.

On our wedding day, as a gift, we received this beautiful framed plaque. We keep it in sight. And yet, we neglect to read or take its sage advice.

Anyone else fail daily at showing love??

Some of us may have more epic fails than others – doesn’t matter, we’re all totally imperfect.  Because we are all human, because we are all full of sin. The greatest thing I’ve learned (relearned?) through writing about Serena’s journey, is that finding the ability to love comes from, not my strength, but that of the Holy Spirit within me.

I’ve known this all along. I just needed the reminder! But still I fail. And I’ll continue to fail. Yet I find comfort in the fact that God is always forgiving, if I only remember to ask Him to help me.

My pastor has used this particular catchphrase lately in many of his sermons. “Every room you walk into – love God, and love people.” I adore this phrase and it’s helped me to change my perspective, not only in places where I work or shop, but at home. Every room I walk into, I want to love God and love people.

If someone asked you what love was, how would you explain it?

I’m super excited today, to not only be giving away an ebook copy of my latest novel, A Worthy Heart, but I’m also giving away a beautiful print of 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 by the lovely, talented Gracia, who is a calligraphy artist. Her work is adorable and she produces both handwritten and digital art. You can find her on Facebook!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOY TIFFANY, WINNER OF THE BELOW GIVEAWAY!

Sara Beth Williams is a wife, mother of two daughters, and temporary caretaker of a loveable old lady pit and a spunky Pomeranian. She lives in Northern California. When she’s not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys music, teaching, reading and spending time with her family. She is all about connecting with readers! Find her on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and BookBub.

A Worthy Heart

Joel Bennett has always known Serena Hayes as his sister’s gregarious best friend. In the three years since Lacey began college, Serena became a regular houseguest, but lately, she’s absent more than not. When Joel discovers she’s in an abusive relationship, protectiveness from within roars to life.

With only a part time job to support her and nowhere to go, Serena fears leaving her current relationship would jeopardize her chances of graduating college. After a brutal attack leaves her no choice, she courageously moves out. On her journey toward regaining confidence, self-worth, and independence, Joel falls in beside her, encouraging her. The way he emulates Godly love and compassion draws her close—not just to him, but to the God who can satisfy her longing for love better than any man,

Attraction sizzles between them, but events from their pasts cast shadows of doubt.

When the unthinkable happens, can Serena open her heart to a second chance at love, or is she destined to be alone?

Available at Amazon!

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Becky Wade

Author at Bethany House
Becky makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three children. She absolutely loves writing funny, heartwarming, and inspirational contemporary Christian romance.
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Comments

  1. Nice blog!

    I think love starts with seeing other people where they are. For some, loving may mean a kind word, for others it’s taking out the garbage, for the person on the street, it’s a $10 gift card to get a meal. So for me, love is asking the Lord to give me His eyes that I might see how to love like Him, right where people are at.

  2. We had that passage put to music and sung at our wedding. Would love to win the giveaway.

  3. Really enjoyed the guest post about Sara Beth’a novel. It sounds really interesting.
    Thank you from the opportunity to win the beautiful scripture art.

  4. I need to take that saying and carry it with me about loving people in every room. I always try to remember that no matter how a person acts or what they say, at our core we all just want to be loved. And that sometimes, loving someone can be as simple as keeping your own mouth shut to keep from saying something that is not loving. I’ve had to put that into practice as of late.

    • Isn’t that catchphrase awesome! I completely understand practicing saying nothing when you want to say something not helpful. I’m a talkative person so that for me is a challenge I’ve been especially working on in the last several years.

      • Yay! I’m super excited! Thank you, Sara Beth! I look forward to reading your book!

  6. I love the concept of remembering to love God and love people in every room you enter. It’s certainly Biblical. The novel sounds inspiring as well. Thank you for offering the Scripture and novel to one of today’s readers.

  7. Hello, I was taught early on that I should read that verse with myself or my spouse’s name replacing the word love. Kim is patient, Kim is kind… hard to live up to at times.

    Thank you for asking. True reminder for me!!

    • OH I remember learning that too sometime when I was young! Thanks for the reminder of that!

  9. I love your pastor’s quote. Being an introvert, it’s hard for me to do that. At least it’s hard for me to show that love even when I manage it.

    • I think the first step is that different Mindset. I am not a naturally positive person, so it takes changing my mindset regularly to think positively (consistently) and love people even when I don’t want to or don’t feel like it. Changing my attitude takes time, and prayer, and will gradually lead to more positive and loving actions as a result.

  10. The idea to love God and every person in each room is a wonderful inspiring idea. It is especially so at this time of the year when I am preparing to return to my high school classroom. Loving each student, regardless of his or her challenging behaviors, is sometimes difficult, but oh, so necessary. Thanks for the timely reminder.

    • You’re welcome! I’m also returning to school! I work in a kinder classroom. It’s a great thing to practice, absolutely.

  11. Love is the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for me. Love is giving freely of yourself, no holding back. I can do that with those I trust, my husband, my mom, my family. It’s the best and grows stronger each day!

  13. I am married but both my daughters struggle with their version of love. It is so true that the world has messed up what love truly is. Agape love, not the fleeting moments of a midsummer romance with a young man. They are both in their twenties. Thank you for writing a book that is not only a wonderful story but also one young people and old can relate to

    • Thank you! I hope it is a story that relates and resonates with readers. It’s layered in many ways. I am excited about it 🙂

  17. The book sounds so interesting! Since we share a name and a love of Pomeranians, I know it will be a keeper!:)

    Enjoyed the blog…reminders like this are so necessary to keep me focused on what’s important.

    • lol Our dog is a Pomeranian shujitsu mix which is just adorable. She is my brother’s fiancee’s dog and we are caring for her since they are out of state. She’s like a rag dog. I need to get her groomed again. My oldest is just in love with her. She’s spunky though because sometimes she thinks she’s everyone’s boss 🙂

      I should really put her in a book someday!

  18. This book sounds beautiful! I’d love to read it! And the biblical phrase too!
    Thanks for the chance!

  19. I think we make a mistake when we think love is only an emotion. Its really more of a choice we make to put the interests of others above our own.
    Our greatest example of love will always be God.

  20. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 is our marriage “motto” and the scripture we believe the Lord laid on our hearts. So I think this book would be especially poignant to me 🙂 This encompasses what love really is; overlooking each other’s faults, seeing the heart of the person and loving them anyway. It’s how God sees us and He’s given us a perfect example through Jesus.

    Thanks for such a wonderful post and the giveaway chance to win ” A Worthy Heart”.

  21. I loved your blog piece! Also, it is always nice to find a new author that I can’t wait to read their books!

    • Thank you so much! I love meeting new readers! Also I love discovering new authors, too. 🙂 There are SO many great authors.

  22. I like the idea of Love God and love people. Isn’t that what Jesus taught when he told about the greatest two commandments?
    Besides we have two relationships and they represent a cross. Upwards to God and alongside toward other people. I think love is more than emotions. It is actions , whether kind words or showing someone you love them by doing something for them.

    • Yes! I have been studying love languages, they’re all action-based. 🙂

  23. I just want to say that I absolutely loves this guest post!! What a good reminder of God’s love and how we should love others. Thank you for a wonderful reminder. Also enjoy your trip!!

  24. What a timely and spot on guest post! It’s absolutely essential to walk into a room and love God AND people and I’ll make it a personal goal. It’s so nice to meet you, Sara Beth, and hear all about Serena & Joel (who make me want to hid & read all weekend). Becky, hope you’re having a fabulous time with your sweet family!

    • Thank you so much! I am excited that you enjoyed the post and A Worthy Heart 🙂

  25. Sara Beth, I found your thoughts about love and your novel intriguing. I look forward to reading your work and learning more about you.

  26. There was a country song several years back that said ‘ love isn’t something that you’re in, it’s something that you do’. I always like that reminded that love is an action, not just a feeling.

  28. ” Love God and Love People ” are beautiful words to live by daily. I would add to that Love animals and nature that God has created.

  30. Loved this post. We all need to remember that love is such a fragile thing. And remembering that God loves us unconditionally,.

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