This blog entry will be my only response to all the angry and vicious comments to my tweet “God has a great plan for your life! Embrace it.

Jer. 29:11 is a verse that declares this. I have stood on this verse for comfort and strength during times of suffering, loss, sorrow, pain, sickness, and disease.  I have prayed this for others as I have stood with them and walked through the difficult times they endured.

Without embracing God’s Word we would surely give up in difficult times. I believe Job stood on this truth of God’s Word, which gave him the strength to endure when his own wife told him to curse God and die.

The big picture of God’s plan is glorious. Yes, we will have times of suffering, but we must choose to trust God and embrace His plan, knowing that He loves us dearly. We trust that He will take what the enemy means for evil and bring good out of it.

With all the movies, books, and commercialization, the picture of romance is a little deceptive. Okay, maybe very deceptive.

I love a good romance story, but what you seldom hear about is the hard work it took to get there. Get where you ask? To the place of true love.

True love isn’t about being swept off your feet into euphoric bliss. Those fleeting feelings will quickly evaporate leaving a black hole in your heart unless true love is established. What is this true love? Selfless.

In today’s society, we see a fixation on “What do I get out of this?” What is called love is often a selfish desire to fill the black hole; the emptiness of the heart.

God wants to fill that place of emptiness – like only He can. Once you are no longer empty, your relationships transition to a healthy place where you have a new perspective. This transition causes you to look at what you can give to the relationship.

Only when two people have this healthy perspective, do we find the romance of true love. Yes, this romance has its euphoric bliss, but it also involves a commitment to God first and then the other person. This relationship is based on a selflessness that reaps a greater satisfaction.

It’s easy to let those little things slip: a slight attitude, a little selfishness, a lack of compassion, and so on. Have you ever noticed that when you don’t fix the little problems, increase occurs? Yes, those little problems become big problems. It might take awhile, but the inevitable will happen.

Are there problems you need to address in your life? The best time to fix a roof is before it leaks. We’re the same way. If we don’t catch the little glitches or weaknesses, you will be plagued with costly repairs.

Money can’t fix relationships, but humility is a good start. Better yet, take a good look at what adjustments you need to make so that your roof doesn’t leak or your structure doesn’t start to crumble.

Many people go to their doctor, dentist, and optometrist for regular checkups. Why stop there? Do an inventory. Have you had an attitude problem lately? Are you as positive as you should be? If not, why? How do you treat others? Self-analyze. Get a second opinion. It’s worth the time to invest in your future.