God is love...

I've been thinking a lot about the "greatest commandment" lately.  And then I started reading 1 John and I had to think about it more.  The depth of the words "love the Lord your God will ALL of your heart, ALL of your soul, and ALL of your mind...and love your neighbor as YOURSELF" has been consuming me.

All of me.  

Just like I love myself.  

Do I even know what that means?

I am especially convicted as I consider my sinful state and then also remember that I'm privileged to raise two precious boys.  And all I do and say teaches them how to behave. When they are old enough to leave my care and live on their own, when my boys are men, I truly want them {more than any other thing} to know and live and believe that loving God with ALL of yourself and loving other more than yourself is the greatest and most fulfilling way to live {and love}.

That's a tall order.  

But I'm in this for the long haul.

And I want desperately for God to be glorified in my life and my children's lives.

How do I love God? Am I reflecting that love to my children? Do they see that God isn't a religion, something to believe in to me?  Do they see that my whole being desperately needs and lives for the Almighty Creator? Do I give God glory? Do I remember that I am clay? Do I live a life of repentance and confession in front of my boys? 

These are questions I don't know if I can answer right now. I feel like that will take days of self-evaluation and asking some questions to Patrick.  But I want to be able to answer "yes" to those questions.  Whether it's tomorrow or in five years, I want my life to be a living example of the power of the Cross -- freedom, redemption, glory, grace!

This I know: God is love. He gives abundantly and freely.  He fills and satisfies.  He is the only thing on this earth that could make me whole.  And He is the only thing that could make it possible for me to love Him with all of me and to love others with all of me.  What an incredible reminder to seek His face and call upon Him always.  Not just to love my boys and teach them to love -- but more that I can be a first hand example that loving God with all my heart, soul and mind is simply the most beautiful treasure that I could enjoy {or give}.

How do you do this? How is this command reflected in your parenting?