Think About It

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 20-29; 1 Corinthians 14-15

Do you know what you believe? We live in a world filled with false doctrine. At times it is terribly hard to discern fiction from fact. Paul writes about this very thing in his letter to the Corinthian church. Somehow, this church had adopted some false doctrine. They had come to believe that there was no resurrection of the dead. Paul quickly set them straight, reminding them to use their heads and think about what they were actually saying. If they truly believed that there was no resurrection of the dead, then they were, in fact, saying that Christ never rose from the dead. If they were saying this, then none of them had anything to believe in at all, or any reason to live (1 Corinthians 15:12-14 NIV). At times it’s so easy to be misled. The only way to combat this is to look toward scripture and to see if what’s being said lines up with the Word of God. If it doesn’t, then it’s obviously false. As Paul reminded the Corinthian church:

“Come back to your senses as you ought; and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34 NIV).

We have the important task of sharing the Good News with the world around us. If we don’t truly know what we believe, how can we even begin to do this?

Sacrificial Love

Because of the demands of a new baby, I’m attempting a new, Tuesday/Thursday publishing format here on Latte Lover Devotions. I’m hoping that, by publishing twice a week, I can become more consistent for my loyal readers. Please bear with me☺


Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 17-19; 1 Corinthians 13

“ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV).

And now we come to one of my favorite portions of scripture, 1 Corinthians 13. This scripture was read during my wedding ceremony two years ago. The words are precious to me, because they speak about the kind of love I try to exhibit each and every day. They are the kind of love my Father in Heaven has for me.
An entirely sacrificial love.
With a new baby in my life I’m learning about sacrificial love each and every day. I’m learning what the Apostle Paul meant when he said that love was not self-seeking. I’m learning how to put the needs of my family above my own needs. At times this means going without sleep, going hungry for awhile while my little girl has her bottle before I have my lunch, or spending time talking to my husband in the evening, instead of having some time to myself. This type of love isn’t easy. But is the love of the Father easy? He sacrificed his son for us, the ultimate act of sacrificial love. If he could do that, then I’m up to the task of loving sacrificially here on this earth.
Loving sacrificially causes my heart to stretch and grow. At times this is extremely difficult. At times I miss simpler days, when my life was more self-centered. But then I look at my wonderful life, my military husband who works so hard, and my sweet baby girl, and my heart swells a bit. Loving may be tough, but it’s worth it in the long run.


What words from 1 Corinthians 13 strike a cord with you? How is your heart being stretched to love more sacrificially?

A Song on My Heart

Today’s Reading: Psalm 133-135; 1 Corinthians 2

^“Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant” (Psalm 135:3 NIV).

It’s so easy for me to look at the negative. I didn’t have time to take a shower this morning. I’m tired all the time these days. My little girl’s cries give me a headache at times. My house is a mess, and I never seem to have the time to clean it.

Being a new mom is rough. I feel as if my job titles of freelance writer and homemaker have gone by the wayside as I’ve taken on the role of mommy. It’s so easy for me to look at all I’m not accomplishing, instead of everything I am.

I’m feeding, changing, and loving on a little baby. I’m investing in her little life, so that she grows up confident in my love. I’m telling her about Jesus so that one day in the somewhat distant future she accepts Him as her personal Savior.

It’s so easy to look at all the time I don’t have, instead of looking at what I do have. I have a beautiful, healthy little girl who is such a wonderful mixture of her daddy and me. I have a husband who goes out of his way to help around the house, and who can’t get enough of his little girl. I have friends and family who encourage me daily and remind me that time is fleeting. And I have a Savior who gives me the strength to make it through each long night of feedings, and gives me the grace to make it through each day.

With all those things, I can’t help but have a song of praise in my heart today.

What can you praise God for today?

Tired and Weak

Today’s Reading: Psalms 130-132; 1 Corinthians 1

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1: 27-30 NIV).

Today my earthly body feels tired and weak. It’s hard work taking care of an infant. I often feel as If I have nothing left to give, but then I pray, and somehow find the strength to give a little more. For me, the nights are the hardest. I’ve always been someone who needs my solid eight hours a night. This whole waking up every couple of hours to feed a baby thing is really stretching me. I don’t know how I do it every night, but I do. Often times morning comes and I feel exhausted. It’s only by the grace of God that I find the energy to make it through each day. In 1 Corinthians 1, we read that God “chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (vs. 27 NIV). Weakness takes on a whole new meaning now that I’m a mother. Day in and day out I recognize my utter frailty in this world. I recognize my need for a Savior who understands how tired and raw my emotions are. I recognize how much I need to depend on Him for strength and love to make it through each day. Because my little girl needs a momma full of strength and love who doesn’t begrudgingly see to her needs, but lovingly cherishes every late night feeding, and every time she snuggles up close to me for a bit. Time is fleeting. These days of late night feedings will be gone before I know it. And so I choose to cherish them, and depend on my God for strength when mine is gone.

Leviticus 8-10; Mark 6:30-56

We serve a God of the impossible. He raises people from the dead, heals them from sickness, feeds thousands of people, and walks upon the water. He does the impossible, so why is it so hard to believe?
For me, at least, it’s hard for me to believe in the impossible at times because I’m stuck in this world where everything is measured and figured and explained away. It’s hard for me to comprehend things that are past my brains capabilities. It’s hard for me to understand that God has always existed and always will, because I live in a world where each of our days is numbered. It’s hard for me to understand. I could go crazy trying to figure everything out. And so I don’t. I live by faith, not by sight (1 Corinthians 5:7).
To close my thoughts for today, here’s a few verses to consider:
• “How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out” (Job 36:26).
• “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things” (Ecclesiastes 11:5).
• Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
• “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Love... always protects

To me, there’s nothing safer than feeling my husband’s arm around my shoulder on a busy street. When I feel his arm, I know that he’s looking out for me, and will make sure we get to our destination safely. I feel protected in those moments. I feel loved.

1 Corinthians 13:7 says that Love “always protects.” But what does this mean when it comes to marriage? What does protecting our marriages look like?

Around the time my husband and I were getting married, we watched several significant relationships end in divorce. It was a very sobering thing to watch during such a happy time in our lives. We have had many discussions since then on how we could prevent divorce from ever cropping up in our relationship. Still relatively new to marriage, we don’t have a full answer to this issue, but we do know that protecting our marriage is a good start.

Here’s a few areas that we try to protect on a daily basis:

Our thoughts: Keeping our thoughts pure, praying for God to banish thoughts that aren’t.

Our communication: Talking about everything, even the uncomfortable issues. Not allowing anger build up over time, but instead discussing our concerns.

Our spiritual life: Meeting together on a daily basis to read God’s word and pray. Encouraging each other in our walk with God.

Our free time: Intentionally spending time together. It’s easy to get caught up in the business of life, but we have found that our relationships thrives on simple things like a walk in the park or an ice cream run.

Our focus: We always strive to keep our eyes on God. He is the ultimate protector of our marriage.

What areas of your marriage need protected? Where does God need to mend some holes? God will provide dear ones in ways big and small.
I’ll leave you with a few verses on God’s protection. May you seek and find his help wherever you may need it.


Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Psalm 32:7
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 37:28
For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off

2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

Love is... not easily angered

The attributes in 1 Corinthians 13:5 can be really tough to carry out sometimes. The Apostle Paul tells us that love is not easily angered, but how do we live this out?

I have to admit that I’ve already had a few times today when I’ve become angry and resentful. It’s easy for me to hold a grudge when I feel that I’ve been wronged, and harder for me to show the love and graciousness God calls me to.

For me not being angry includes holding my tongue.

Proverbs 29:23 says that “An angry man stirs up dissension and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.” I know I have said many things in a moment of anger, only to regret them later. This verse from Proverbs reminds us that sin often results from anger. Isn’t it true that we often do and say things in a moment of heated argument that we often regret later? As James tells us, the tongue is a dangerous weapon. It is poison in our lives (James 3:8). In moments of anger it hurts deeply… the wounds it causes are hard to repair.
The destruction an angry tongue causes are not products of love. What does love look like then? How does a Christian respond to moments of irritation?

Instead of anger, those who love with the Love of Christ must exhibit patience. Listen to the words of wise King Solomon: “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11).

Sometimes, holding one’s tongue is what love is all about. Sometimes all it takes is a little God given patience to get past those moments of irritation and move one. For love is being patient when those we love the most annoy us the most.




Prayer: Lord, please replace any angry moments in this coming day with patience and love.

Love... keeps no records of wrongs

Our section of the Love Chapter comes from 1 Corinthians 13:5 today. In this verse Paul tells us that Love “keeps no records of wrongs.” Yikes, this is a tough one! I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but give me a person and I can easily come up with a time, even a decade or two ago, where they hurt me in one way or another. But love means forgiving and forgetting.

Consider the sinful woman in Luke 7 who anoints Jesus feet with oil. Jesus tells the Pharisee named Simon: "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." (Luke 7:44-47)

Jesus knew of this woman’s past. Yet, he knew that she was truly repenting of everything she had done. And he forgave her.

1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” It’s often hard to forgive, especially when the offense was personal. But Jesus forgave. He loved. And more than that, once the sin is forgiven, it’s forgotten as well. As Psalm 103:12, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

I won’t admit here that I have a complete handle on forgiveness. It’s extremely hard to forgive sometimes. But it’s something God asks of us anyway. I do know that, if I am going to live a life of love, I can’t keep a record of all the wrong doings in the past. I have to move forward in life, and ask God for the strength to forgive completely.


Prayer: Lord, help me to forgive and even come to love those who have hurt me in the past.

Love is... not self-seeking

1 Cor. 13:5 “it is not self-seeking”

This April has been an eventful one. At the beginning of the month my husband and I packed up our belongings and moved across the country. I love our new little place, and have been enjoying setting up house once again. At the same time, it’s been tough without friends or family close by. My husband truly is my only friend within a hundred miles. I’m depending on him like never before to fill all of the relationship gaps in my life. In 1 Corinthian 13:5, Paul tells us that love is not “self-seeking,” but I have to admit that that is exactly how I am from time to time. When my husband gets home from work at the end of the day, I want him to listen to me and get things done around the house. I want him to do the things “I” want him to do. I’m not necessarily putting his needs before my own. But putting his needs first is exactly what unselfish love looks like. As Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
This is what love is.

Prayer: Lord, help me to love unselfishly today. Reveal areas of my life that need changing, so that I can love those in my life whole-heartedly.

Love is... not rude

1 Cor. 13:5 “It is not rude”

It's hard to believe that seven months have passed since I married the love of my life. Overall they have been months of newlywed bliss. On most days life seems perfect. I can say that we really are one of those almost sickly happy couples.
At the same time, we are anything from perfect. When we're tired and cross, the less than beautiful sides of our personalities come out. When we're both tired, we become sharp with each other. And so tempers flair, things are not thought through, and we are out to deliberately hurt each other. We're discourteous, self-serving, and hurtful all rolled in one. We are rude instead of loving. These are the moments when I sometimes need to take stock and consider how I'm treating this most important person in my life.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love is "not rude." Instead, it's considerate and makes rooms for faults on those not-so-perfect days. This is an area I need to improve on, how about you?

Love is... not boastful or proud

1 Cor. 13:4 “it does not boast, it is not proud”

Dear friends, I hope you’ve been enjoying this journey through 1 Corinthians as much as me. The Apostle Paul was intentional in the way he pieced together this letter to the church of Corinth. Imagine reading this letter for the first time, close to two thousands years ago, wow! These words were meant for the church patrons of Corinth, but they still speak so greatly to Christians today as well.
We live in a world of distorted images. Movies, television, and books tell us that love revolves around beauty, money and success. Paul’s “Love Chapter” in 1 Corinthians 13 stands in strong opposition to this. Instead of being consumed with the things of the world, this type of love is self-sacrificial. As we have discovered already, this love is patient, kind, and doesn’t envy. In addition, this love does not boast and is not proud.
I have to admit that I am not completely guilt free in this department. I enjoy success as much as the next girl. I have been known to boast about my own accomplishments, instead of focusing on the needs of those around me. However, God calls us to be humble. I love these verses from Philippians 2:1-4:
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if
any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

It is when I start looking to my “own interests” that I get in trouble. At times I get so preoccupied with my own accomplishments that I forget to consider the needs of others around me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful to recognize the things you and I have accomplished in Christ Jesus, this just shouldn’t get in the way of loving others. Paul reminds us to “consider others better than [our]selves.” This is one of the best ways to love. What does this look like? For me, this involves listening to my husband a little more, investing in friendships, and truly trying to serve those around me. What would this type of love look like in your life?

Lord Jesus, thank you for the way you unconditionally love me. Help me to consider the needs of others before myself today and every day, amen.

Love is... not envious

1 Cor. 13:4 “It does not envy”

Newly married, my outlook on life has drastically changed. One look around my apartment and I can easily find myself wishing I had something better. The mismatched furniture and ancient kitchen appliances fall short of my desires for an up-to-date, trendy household. Not that there’s anything wrong with our second hand things, but they’re not new. When I was a college student the used furniture was fine, but now that I’m married, it’s not. It’s easy for me to get into the pattern of comparing my lot in life to my friends and family. Before long, I start wishing that I had what they have. This cycle of envy is never ending. If I’m not careful I could constantly pick out the shortcomings in my own life and compare myself to my friends. This is not a peaceful way of life. Proverbs 14:30 says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
Envy rots… it’s an ugly thing. My encouragement for you today is to not get stuck in this cycle of envy. Instead, thank God for the blessings he has placed in your life, big and small.


Lord, please help me to not focus on the things I don’t have, but instead focus on all that you have given me. Today I will chose to give thanks, for you are good and your love endures forever (paraphrased, Psalm 107:1).

Love is... kind

“Love is . . . kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4)

When thinking of kindness I recall my brother when he was a little tow-headed boy of four or five. On Sundays he would stand by the front doors of the church and hold the door open for the women entering. Even at that young age he understood that an act of kindness could brighten someone’s day. I’m sure his small act of kindness blessed more than one person.
Simple acts of kindness are a great way of showing God’s love. God has shown “unfailing kindness” to each of us (Psalm 18:15). He loves us despite our failings, and forgives us time and again. Today, take a moment to consider how God has been kind and generous to you, and then turn around and share that generosity with someone else. This act of kindness could be as simple as opening a door, paying for someone else’s lunch, or sending an encouragement card in the mail, but it’s one more way to express God’s love and “unfailing” kindness to each of us.

Prayer: Lord, help me to show kindness to someone today in an unexpected way. Reveal your love through me.

Love is...patient

In 1 Corinthians 13:4 the Apostle Paul tells us that love is “patient.”

I have something to admit here: I am a horribly impatient person. I keep a rigid schedule in life, and hate it when people make me late. Whether it’s church, a movie, or dinner out with friends, I don’t like waiting on people who are perpetually late. At times, I don’t act all that graciously because of this. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God, the definitive example of Love, has been waiting on human beings for centuries. As stubborn and slow as we have been, he exhibits the greatest patience of all. He loves us so much that he is willing to wait for each of us to turn from our selfish ways and claim salvation in Jesus Christ.

If God is this loving, shouldn’t we all show a bit more patience in our every day lives?


Prayer: Lord, help me to suppress my restlessness and respond with love when I am confronted with delays in life.

Love is...

What does real love look like? On my wedding day I promised to love and stand by my husband no matter what happens in life. Our vows were a paraphrased version of 1 Corinthians 13, in which we promised to be patient, kind, and to withhold envy or boasting as we work to love each other the way God intended. I meant the things I promised to my husband on our wedding day, but I have since thought that it would be helpful to study these verses from 1 Corinthians 13 in greater detail. And so a devotional series on the Love Chapter was born.

So grab your favorite cup of coffee, I recommend a vanilla latte, and take a trip with me to 1 Corinthians 13. As, always, my prayer is that you will draw closer to God through these devotionals.

Blessings my friends

Peppermint lattés and envy

Here's a devotional I wrote back on 11/22/08. I stumbled across it today and thought I'd post it online. Enjoy!

Today I sit with a wonderful espresso creation called “Peppermint Patty.” It is warm and rich, so good that I’m wondering how it could possibly still be sugar free! As I sit sipping my drink, my thoughts turn toward the holiday season. With the Christmas season around the corner, my list of wants is starting to grow. For Christmas is the time of year when I have the possibility of getting all the things my friends have. As long as it makes the Christmas list, and enough hints are given verbally to my family, I stand a good chance on getting that new sweater or electronic device I’ve been wanting for so long. Greed and envy are big nemeses of mine. In the 21st century I am surrounded by the material day in and day out. Anything and everything I want is only a credit card away. Instant gratification is key.

Wow, I’m painting a really poor picture of myself here. A picture of a greedy, envious woman who would stop at nothing to get what her friends have. And this is what I would be like, where it not for the saving grace of God. He is the one that has to rein me in from time to time and remind me of the kind of person I could become. Consumed by envy and greed, I could live my life feeding on instant gratification, never really happy or fulfilled. But I’m not.

As Paul writes in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” What a promise. He will take care of me, not necessarily supplying all my wants, but my needs. God knows the difference between the $100 sweater I want and the boots I actually do need to keep my feet warm this winter. And he will continue to provide for me, reminding me of that wonderful chapter in Corinthians where Paul talks about real love. Paul writes that love does not envy (I Cor. 13:4). What a reminder to me, when I start to envy things my friends own. Instead of envying, I need to somehow learn how to love? But learning how to love will have to wait for another day. For today, I’m praying that God will create a new heart inside of me. One that is not consumed with what I do or do not have, but is thankful for the things he has given me, such as peppermint lattés.