Love Is a Choice

by Rick Warren


… That you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:20 (NIV)


*** *** *** ***

Love is a choice and a commitment. You choose to love or you choose not to love.

Today we’ve bought into this myth that love is uncontrollable, that it’s something that just happens to us; it’s not something we control. In fact, even the language we use implies the uncontrollability of love. We say, “I fell in love,” as if love is some kind of a ditch. It’s like I’m walking along one day and bam! – I fell in love. I couldn’t help myself.

But I have to tell you the truth – that’s not love. Love doesn’t just happen to you. Love is a choice and it represents a commitment.

There’s no doubt about it, attraction is uncontrollable and arousal is uncontrollable. But attraction and arousal are not love. They can lead to love, but they are not love. Love is a choice.

You must choose to love God; he won’t force you to love him (Deuteronomy 30:20). You can thumb your nose at God and go a totally different way. You can destroy your life if you choose to do that. God still won’t force you to love him. Because he knows love can’t be forced.

And this same principle is true about your relationships: you can choose to love others, but God won’t force you to love anyone.

Peppermint's desktop these days...

What's Your Miracle Today?

For our 888th post, I wanna share a miracle that occurred today!

I was really really really boiling mad this morning with someone who keeps making the same mistake, who did not seems to have learnt from his mistake. The anger was fueled by my mega disappointed in unfulfilled promises.

I was so mad that my physical body temperature went up the roof, I could have killed that person today!
(almost like the anger has overtaken my physical being, like a hot pressurized steam needing to find the outlet)

As I try to relate to my anger, it got worse.....

Then I recalled having read some articles about resolving conflict & about anger.

I quickly dig them out, before long, I calmed down. As I prayed for God to guide me, help me with my anger, see that I do not sin as a result of the anger, I cooled down and was able to apologise for the bad behaviour when I was angry.

I have the right to be angry most definitely. But I have no right to vent my anger, being rude to another person, cursing or swearing or physical whacking is a No No.

And I'm so thankful that God gave me this experience today, to once again demonstrate that He cares for me, He is always around me, ready to help me deal with any situation using the resources that I have around me. :)

So what's YOUR miracle for today? wanna share?

Drooling @ D90

Am drooling at this dSLR, anyone interested to contribute towards this? Sponsors are welcomed!

then I can take more great photos and blog about them! Yahooo!!!!

Total Cost = S$1650
D90 body
15-105mm lense

More about this camera here.

Thinking Out Loud

Would you prefer to look towards the positive aspect of things or towards the darker shades?

I grow up with alot of dark shades whenever there are doubts, naturally the worse-case scenarios flashes across the mind.

The good thing with such a mentality is.... I'm always prepared for the worse-case scenarios, making extra efforts to avoid them.

The flip side of it? When things turn out well, I cant derive much joy or happiness because the mind has been flooded by too many what-ifs.

In growing up, meeting a large diversity of people with varied outlooks and personalities, I've seen how a positive mind, a positive heart and a positive soul does to others around them. They are practically infectious beings filling the air with laughter, with an ability to take things in their stride. Spreading a message that "everything's going to be ok" or "nobody's going to die from this". Not that they over-simplify things and live in denial, but they make it a choice to stay positive ahead of adversities. Which at times, this positive attitude can be life-saving.

Today, I received a call from M, telling me of her horror experience of weakened joints, deteriorated muscles that kinda gave way when she went out. Over the years, I tried explaining to her that she needs to get out of the house more often, take walks, strengthen those fatty legs of hers. But all went to deaf ears. Now she experienced this weakened state of health, she's demanding for attention, medical relief, afraid of what it means in the long term but never once suspecting that this experience is inevitable with her lifestyle of slacking at home.

There are excuses of "old people are like that", "rhumethesium", "i'm tired", "i'm giddy" etc etc.

Is it really true that aged people experience so much aches and pains NOT a result of their own inability to keep themselves in good shape but simply because they are old?

I've seen a couple of elderly folks who are perfectly happy and healthy, living everyday to the fullest, not having a care for their age.

So could it be the majority of the old folks who have endless complains about their health, their bodies etc simply not wanting to take responsibilities for themselves?

hmm..... what would I be like when I'm 70?