We live in a culture that prizes personal freedom. “My rights.” “My choices.” “My preferences.” “My way.” But Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 8:7–13 and 10:23–33, paired with the simple but challenging line from 1 Corinthians 13:5, offers a radically different vision: Love does not insist on its own way — it uses freedom to build…
Month: February 2026
First Impressions – Assessing the Garden
I find there’s something magical about stepping into a new garden for the first time. I admit that for me here on Wildwood, that magical feeling did not come right away. In full disclosure, it was underwhelming. The beds were either empty or filled with English Ivy (ugh!) or sunburnt and dehydrated plants. I immediately…
Love Honors Others With Kindness and Courtesy
Courtesy isn’t a word we use often in church conversations, yet Paul treats it as a central expression of Christian love. In 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 and 14:26–40, he confronts a church whose worship gatherings had become places of rudeness, disregard, and self-promotion. When paired with 1 Corinthians 13:4–5, the message becomes unmistakable: Love expresses itself in…
Love Refuses Envy and Celebrates Others
Envy is one of those quiet sins we rarely talk about, yet it has a loud impact on our hearts. It creeps in when someone else succeeds, grows, or receives attention we wish we had. It whispers that we’re falling behind, that we’re not enough, that someone else’s gain is somehow our loss. Paul addresses…
February Reading Plan: The Six Loves of Scripture
My affection for February—and for all things hearts—goes all the way back to first grade. Mrs. Merando, my teacher, visited my Sunbeam troop and taught us how to cross-stitch a little heart. We turned those stitched hearts into Valentine’s Day cards, and something about that simple act made the month feel special to me ever…