by Korie Robertson | Feb 14, 2020 | Motherhood, Relationships |
[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” overlay_strength=”0.3″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]Let’s talk about LOVE! It’s Valentine’s Day, of course, what else would we be talking about? But more than just because it’s the day everyone talks about love (which might be annoying at this moment depending on what your relationship status is right now) I want to talk about love because I think it answers the biggest questions of life.
We seem to be looking for love everywhere, but here’s the thing. You already have it.
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:38
God loves you, it’s settled. There’s nothing you can do to stop it. If you aren’t convinced read more of His word, get to know His Son. There is absolutely no denying it.
Now for those hard questions: What is this life all about? Why am I here? Do I have a purpose? What happens after this? Those are a few of the big ones right? I think love answers all of these.
Here’s the answer in the simplest way I can say it: You were created by love, your job here is to love, and you can spend eternity with God because of love!
Let’s dive in.
You were created by love…
The bible tells us God is love. 1 John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love.”
It’s not just God shows love, or God is loving. God IS love. It’s His nature. It’s who He is.
You were made in His image. Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female, He created them.”
I love how this is written three ways here, just in case we didn’t get it the first time. The writer wants to be very clear: We are all created by God in His image.
God is love, you were created by Him; therefore, you were created by love! You are here because God’s love is so great that like the good Father that He is, He created you, He wants life with you.
ALSO He wants you to love Him back with everything that is within you.
(By the way, if you’re a parent you might relate to this. We create our children because of love, and there is nothing we want more than for them to love us back, right?)
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Which leads us to this; you were created for love…
Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment,” and he replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt. 22:37-40
If you’re trying to figure out what you’re supposed to do in life, there you go….Love God and love others. Do that first. That’s the fencepost. Everything else hangs on those two things.
We love others not because of what they do, their status in life, or what they can do for us; we love others because every single person you meet is an image-bearer of God. “We love because God first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
Okay, I need to tell you one last thing about love, you were not just created by love, for love. Your eternity is set, your future is secure because of love.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
And 1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
The greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He came, he died, he was buried, he was raised so that you might be with Him and the Father forever!
I hope you understand how much you are loved, not just today, but every day! Anytime you doubt it. Just pick up God’s word, or pull out your phone and search verses about love, and read all of them until you start believing it!
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I’ll leave you with 1 John 4:7-21 I think John sums all of this up beautifully.
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”
Korie Robertson is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker who is passionate about motherhood. Korie (K-Swaggy) is a mom to Sadie — and five other amazing kids. In her free time, you’ll find her playing tennis, drinking coffee and spending time with her kids and grand babies.
Follow Korie on Instagram @bosshogswife[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by Korie Robertson | Nov 22, 2019 | Motherhood, Relationships |
Note From Team LO: In honor of Sadie and Christian’s wedding day quickly approaching, we have invited some very special people to share letters of love, encouragement, and wisdom. Today we have Sadie’s mom, Korie.
Sadie,
I’ll never get over how cute your hands were when you were little. I promise you’ll understand when you have a baby girl. I would stare in wonder at your tiny hands as the held onto my finger while I fed you. As a toddler I would hold you over the sink to wash your hands, place them under the running water and just marveled at your tiny fingers. I’d look into the mirror with you smiling back and think how amazing and incredible God is to have given you to be mine.
With your deep dimples and spunky personality, you had us all under your spell. You told jokes and did impersonations from the time you could talk, you made up dance moves and put on plays, you organized your siblings to go along with your plans, and were the first to put on a costume to entertain the guests at their birthday parties.
You were always so aware of the feelings of others, and had a crazy understanding of God and Jesus at the time most were just learning their ABC’s. You asked all the questions and never got tired of listening to the answers. You love God, your family, and others so beautifully and completely.
You have brought me immense joy, wonder and fun.
Now you are all grown up. I’m not sure how that happened, but I see all of those things you were as a child so clearly in the woman you are today. God truly made you an original. He knew all along the things he was preparing you for. Including this moment, the most special of moments, that we are about to celebrate. You’re getting married to the love of your life! Those cute little fingers are about to have a wedding ring on them! You are going to be the most radiant bride.
I have been praying for this day since the time you were born. Praying that the man you would marry would be a Jesus follower and a lover of God and His word. That he would be strong and kind, wise and fun-loving, faithful and true; a constant learner, with that perfect combination of confidence and humility that only comes from knowing who he is in God. I prayed that he would cheer you on when you achieve your dreams, and lift you up when you fall, that he would love every single part of you, laugh at your jokes, and light up when you came in the room. I prayed that he would be your best friend and biggest champion.
I asked God to give you someone that would be an amazing dad to your future children; that he would be hardworking and up for adventure, and would show your children what the overflowing love of a good father looks like. That he would lead your family always to the cross with the grace and sacrificial love displayed by Jesus.
I thank God today that you have found that man in Christian! He will not be perfect. He will make mistakes and so will you, but now I pray that when the tough times come you will always find your way back to one another through love, compassion, and forgiveness. That you will never forget the promises you made on this day, and that your love for one another will be a light shining bright in this world, bringing glory to God, because He is love.
I love you dearly, sweet girl! I can’t wait to see you walk down the aisle to begin your life as Mrs. Sadie Huff. I will be there as always cheering you on. I might shed a few tears, but I promise every one of them will be tears of joy and thankfulness for the blessing that your life is to me, that I get to be your mom, and on that day the mother of the most beautiful bride.
Love always and forever,
Mom
Want more letters? Check out the other letters to Sadie from earlier this week!
Letters to Sadie: Katelyn Taylor
Letters to Sadie: Mamaw Jo
Letters to Sadie: 2 mama
by Korie Robertson | Nov 13, 2019 | Life Advice
Note from Team LO: We are so thankful for a day like World Kindness Day. We can’t think of anyone more equipped to talk about acts of kindness than this strong and kind wonder woman, Korie Robertson! We hope you love this post and end your time here feeling inspired to spread kindness wherever you might be today.
ALSO! Speaking of spreading kindness, season 3 of WHOA THAT’S GOOD PODCAST is officially back today! We’re kicking it off with a very special, very kind guest 😉 Check out the episode HERE!
Breaking News: Today is World Kindness Day! How great is that! It’s fun to read good news every once in a while, right? A quick backstory, because don’t you always wonder how these days get started? World Kindness day was launched in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement. I didn’t even know that was a thing, but the World Kindness Movement was formed in Tokyo at a conference of like-minded kindness organizations around the world. (So awesome that there are “kindness organizations” all over the world!) The movement seeks to create a kinder world by inspiring individuals and nations toward greater acts of kindness. Currently there are over 28 countries that celebrate creating a kinder world on November 13 every year.
When most of the news is filled with troubling, sad, and even terrifying things, this day is a reminder that alongside of all of that, there are beautiful, hopeful and kind things happening as well. I love that this day re-directs the spotlight a bit. The focus is simply on creating a kinder world.
How are you going to spread kindness today?
You know that you actually have the power to make the world around you better by how you choose to live and the ways you choose to interact with others. We can choose kindness over bitterness, kindness over rudeness, kindness over thoughtlessness, kindness over contempt, kindness over niceness.
You didn’t expect that last one did you? I know your mom told you when you were young to “be nice.” The definition of nice is to be “pleasant, agreeable, satisfactory.” I’m not saying don’t be nice. Being nice is an okay goal for when you’re playing in the sandbox with friends, but I think being kind goes even deeper than that.
Kindness is defined as “to show a friendly, generous and considerate nature”. Being kind is not just looking to make oneself agreeable or satisfactory. It’s more outward focused. It’s about friendliness, generosity, and looking to make someone else feel loved and considered.
Kindness is in the way that you interact with your family, friends, co-workers, and strangers on the street. Honestly, it’s not the big things. You really don’t have to make huge, sweeping changes. It’s in the little things, but those little things add up to big things over a lifetime. Your small acts of kindness with make the world around you better, I promise!
Here are a few suggestions for how can do your part to make this day count:
Write a note on your bathroom mirror for your husband or roommate to find.
Take a coffee to your co-worker.
Send a text to a friend you’ve been thinking about but haven’t heard from in a while.
Anonymously pay for someone’s meal.
Give a compliment to the grocery story clerk.
Write a little thank you note on your lunch bill to your waiter telling her she did a great job.
Include an extra snack in your kid’s lunch box with a note telling him to share with a friend.
Kindness is mentioned all throughout the bible. In the old testament, we see praises for a God who shows His kindness by caring for His people, then the new testament references Jesus as “THE kindness and love of God.” God isn’t just asking us to be kind, He is a kind God, He cares for us, and He fully expressed that kindness by giving us Jesus. Everyday is world kindness day when you are a follower of His. Read below for more, and I pray that you have a great day!
Ephesians 2:4-7
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Titus 3:4-7
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
2 Peter 1:5-8
Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:12
As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Galatians 5:22-23
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Proverbs 14:21
He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.
Korie Robertson is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker who is passionate about motherhood. Korie (K-Swaggy) is a mom to Sadie — and five other amazing kids. In her free time, you’ll find her playing tennis, drinking coffee and spending time with her kids and grand babies.
Follow Korie on Instagram @bosshogswife
by Korie Robertson | Nov 1, 2019 | Life Advice |
Why don’t we just do what’s right? We KNOW what’s best for us. At least in our rational moments. Our thinking moments. The times that we aren’t letting our emotions run away with us. Those of us who believe that God is the Creator of all things know that since He made the world and all of us who are in it, surely His way is the best. Surely if we just do what He tells us to do in His word then it will all work out all right. Right? Then why don’t we do it?
I was talking to a friend the other day who sells drugs. Not like on the street or anything, like actual drugs that you get prescribed from a doctor and pick up a the pharmacy. Drugs that can help heal you from serious illnesses, or can lessen the symptoms, or can literally save your life. She was telling me and another friend that the biggest problem with most drugs is compliance. “What do you mean?” I asked. She replied, “I mean most people just don’t take them.” She went on to tell us that there is a certain percentage of people that never actually even fill the prescription, then of those that fill the prescription there is another percentage that start taking them but don’t finish, and them some that don’t take them the way they are supposed to be taken, and many that even after the fill the prescription, they still don’t ever even take them at all.
My other friend who was with us said, “Why would they do that?” It’s proven that it will make them better, why don’t they take it?” Therein lies the big one hundred million dollar question. Why don’t we do what we know is good for us? Notice, I didn’t’ ask that question. I totally get that. There are times when I just don’t want to do what I know is good for me. We probably all do this every single day. We know exercise is good for us. There are studies that say how many years, literally years, you can add to your life just by doing some form of exercise 30 min every day. Yet we don’t do it. Well, at least I don’t do it. Most of us have probably had a time in our lives when we actually did do it and we felt better. Right? More energy, less out of breath walking up stairs, felt more confident in our skinny jeans. But we still sit on the couch eating ice cream and wonder why we aren’t doing the thing we know will make us feel better. How about washing our face at night, or wearing sunscreen, or eating our vegetables, or you can probably fill in the blank with things you know you “should” do, but you don’t when it comes to our health or achieving goals, but what about spiritually?
Thinking about those percentages of people, I’ve been all of those at different times in my life in my spiritual walk. I’ve gone weeks without filling the prescription to read the bible and dig into God’s word. Days where I didn’t pray or tap into His power within me. I thought I could do it on my own. I’ve got this. Somehow I’m going to miraculously heal myself without the life-saving medicine that is Jesus Christ. We try it our own ways, fall into bad habits, or worse, old sins that we know don’t lead to the good life God has for us.
Paul knew exactly what we’re talking about here when he said in Romans 7:15-25:
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Can you relate? The best thing about this whole section of scripture, however, is how he wraps it up. Read that last line again. He ends all of his inner struggle with thankfulness to God.
You see Paul knows that it’s not really about him doing it all right after all, it’s about a God who knows every single thing about us and still loved us enough to send His Son to save us. Just a couple of chapters before Paul wrote in Romans 5;6-8, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Korie Robertson is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker who is passionate about motherhood. Korie (K-Swaggy) is a mom to Sadie — and five other amazing kids. In her free time, you’ll find her playing tennis, drinking coffee and spending time with her kids and grand babies.
Follow Korie on Instagram @bosshogswife
by Korie Robertson | Jun 14, 2019 | Motherhood, Relationships, Sisterhood |
We asked what you wanted to read more about on the LO Blog, and by far the most common theme requested was relationships. I totally get it! Relationships are hard! We are imperfect people loving imperfect people. How do we navigate that? There were a lot of questions that went something like this…How can I be a better/more Godly/happier wife/mom/sister/daughter/friend?
I love this question and I’m going to give you a simple answer because I believe that most things in life don’t take a rocket scientist to figure out (except for actual rocket science, for that you will need a rocket scientist). Here ya go: The best way to be a better you in your relationships is to treat the ones you love the most the very best. It’s that simple and, also, as difficult as you would imagine.
Why is this so difficult? Well, one reason is, the ones we love the most don’t always treat us the best. The first thing to remember in any relationship is that you can only work on you. All you can do is work to be a better, healthier, happier, kinder “you” which was exactly the question asked at the beginning of this blog—remember the question was, “How can I be a better….?”
A wise woman once told me, “You aren’t your husband’s Holy Spirit.” Neither are you your mom’s, your friend’s, or your sister’s Holy Spirit. Let the Spirit work on those around you and you work to be the best “you,” you can be. Even though you are only one part of the equation, when you change you, those around you will notice and over time they will start to change themselves. If they don’t, maybe you need to re-think that relationship, but that’s a whole other blog post.
Why do we give our best to people we don’t even know but treat the people we spend our lives with, the ones we promised to love forever and always, the very ones that hold our hair when we are throwing up, the ones that saw us through the hard times, so terribly? I think part of it is we feel safe with our loved ones. They are stuck with us. They literally can’t leave. We live in the same house; there is nowhere for them to go. We feel free to be “ourselves.” Unfortunately sometimes we are only giving them the bad parts of ourselves. It’s good to have people we can be real with, be vulnerable with, show the not so pretty parts to, free feel with, but it doesn’t mean we get to treat them badly.
“Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Hmmm, if you say you love your husband, boyfriend, sister, mom, dad, friend, you should probably check to see if the way you are treating them stacks up to this biblical definition. If it doesn’t, you’ve got some things to work on.
I’ll never forget a lesson a bible teacher I had in high school taught me. He had us write our name in the place of the word “love” in this verse as a reminder of how we are called to act toward others. So it would go like this, “Korie is patient, Korie is kind…” you get the idea. Do it for yourself. I promise you will re-think some of your interactions with the people you love the most.
Now for some practical ways to treat those you love the very best. I really believe that if you just add these three things into your daily life with your nearest and dearest, it will begin to change your relationships for the better.
1. Act excited when you see them. Think about what you do when you see a child that you love but haven’t seen in a while. A big smile comes across your face, you stretch out your arms, scoop them up into a big hug, maybe even swirl them around. Now contrast that with how you acted last night when you saw your husband for the first time after work. Ouch! I know! Did you even look up from your phone? Did you stop what you were doing to ask how his day was or did you launch into all the things that went wrong that day or all the things he forgot to do? What would happen if you ran over and gave him a big hug and then twirled him around when you first saw him after a long day? Would he think you had lost your mind? Maybe, but I bet he would love it! Think about your reaction you have when you see your kids, your friend, your mom, your roommate. Do you act excited when they walk through the door? Do you show them that you are happy that they are there? That first interaction can set the tone for the rest of your time together. Stop what you are doing, smile, walk over and give them a hug, ask them a question about their day. Think about how you would feel if someone did that for you. It would make your day better, right? Do that for the ones you love and see what happens.
2. Lead with the positive. I was reading Revelation the other day (I know you probably didn’t think I was going to bring up the book of Revelation in this blog about relationships did you!). Something struck me in the way God gave John the messages he wrote to the churches. He always started with something positive. These churches had some real problems, but every single time, before he said something they needed to work on, he praised them for something they were doing well. Here’s an example so you get the idea, Revelation 2:1-4: To the church in Ephesus, “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance…you have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet hold this against you: you have forsaken your first love….” He then he goes on to tell them what they need to change.
I thought about it and realized God doesn’t have to do that. He doesn’t have to lead with praise or a compliment. He’s God! But He does, so maybe I should learn a little something from God’s example. I challenge you to incorporate the principle of leading with the positive into your relationships. It will change the way you are received by those you love.
Also, in doing this, it will force you to actually think of something positive about someone you might be having some struggles with. It might be difficult when you are angry, right? The person you thought was the love of your life just days before, suddenly you can’t recall anything they are doing right. But, if you make yourself think of something positive about that person, and say that first, you and the other person will be in a better state of mind to tackle the problem. Sometimes the hard things need to be said, but lead with the positive and the other person will be more ready to listen.
3. Always kiss them goodbye. A mother who lost a son to a motorcycle wreck years ago broke my heart when she reminded me, “You never know when it will be the last time you get to kiss them goodbye.” I know this is a difficult thing to think about, but it has stuck with me because it is so true. We aren’t promised tomorrow. We should live each day like it might be our last. If we do that, how would it change the way we treat the ones we love? Take the time to give them a kiss goodbye and tell them you love them every time they walk out of the door. It only takes a few seconds, but it may make all the difference.
I hope this is helpful! Every time I write to you I am in prayer that the things I write are meaningful to your lives. I know life can be difficult, and relationships are not easy. By giving you these simple things, I can’t promise you that it will solve all of your relationship problems, but I can tell you that these are things that have made a difference in my relationships. I do know that when you work on yourself, even if the other person doesn’t change, (because people can be stuck in bad habits that are hard to change, so be patient, this isn’t an overnight fix) you will be happier and more at peace because you are doing all that you can do and that always matters!
Try these 3 things for a week and let us know if it’s had an impact on your relationships. We’d love to hear!
Korie Robertson is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker who is passionate about motherhood. Korie (K-Swaggy) is a mom to Sadie — and five other amazing kids. In her free time, you’ll find her playing tennis, drinking coffee and spending time with her kids and new grandson, Zane.
Catch Korie and Willie on the Getaway Night Tour this fall in a city near you!
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