But the greatest of these is Love!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "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. Love never fails." One of my favorite verses in the Bible, I think this would be an excellent way to start each day with a reminder not only of God's love, but what it means to show His love to others. Our first and greatest commandment is to love God, the second to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we truly took this verse to heart and consciously strove each day to embrace this type of love, how different would our daily lives and even our world look! My personal challenge is "love keeps no records of wrongs". Although I do not tend to hold grudges for very long, I do clearly remember hurtful (even if said in a joking manner) words and actions of others. Just the other day, we were eating leftovers for dinner, attempting to clear the fridge of the enchiladas that had haunted us for too long (a testament to my overestimation skills), when my husband looked at my plate and said, "Wow, you ate as much as I did!" Although he was joking, I enjoyed reminding him of this delightful comment. However, after I reminded him once again I stopped and told him (and myself in the process) "Love keeps no record of wrongs". It might need to be a daily or weekly reminder but that's what God's word is for right? For guiding and directing our lives, words, and actions. My husband, on the other hand, truly has the gift of keeping no record of wrongs. In the midst of one of those Eeyore days where a little black cloud hangs over you and you just don't know why, I admit I was not the nicest person to my sweet husband. After this mood wore off a bit and I apologized, his response was "I already forgot it happened." I will never forget that moment and that perfect example of showing God's love and truly reflecting the Son.

Continuing this theme of LOVE, we went to see "Crazy, Stupid Love" last night. Oh my goodness if you have not seen it already, cancel all plans and go tonight!! It was one of the best movies I've seen in a while (sorry Captain America, but you were a little cheesy). We walked out of the theater feeling like it was money well-spent, even if it was just $4 with a college student ID (luckily for me, I still have my OSU id and have not aged much since freshman year...or unluckily in that regard?) With all the money the movie industry has squeezed out of us, I have to say I do not feel any remorse for using my college id post-college. Take that Tinseltown!

Speaking of love when it comes to food, I have to share this lovely recipe with y'all....Lemon Loves! The name alone invokes all kinds of lovely thoughts and feelings, especially since I am an avid lemon fan. Seriously, anything lemon and you have me sold. I got this recipe from my mom, the wonderful lady from whom I inherited my love of lemon, and it has been a hit with everyone who has tried this absolutely delish dessert!

Lemon Loves

Crust:

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

Mix ingredient in order listed. Bake in an 8" square pan for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and spread with the following filling mixture (mix in order listed)....

Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 Tbsp. lemon juice 

Return to oven and bake for 20 more minutes at 350 degrees. The top will be slightly golden brown.

When the cookie mixture is cold, spread with the following glaze....

Glaze:

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. butter

Looking at all of the butter, variety of sugars, and lemon juice, how could one not love lemon loves??? It is one of those desserts where I have to "even out" the pan every afternoon when I come home. Uh oh, that piece is uneven, I need to cut a little sliver to make it straight. Oops...my knife slipped, gotta even it out some more! Love!

Finally, I need to include one love of my husband.....beer. We're having a lazy Sunday, doing laundry and watching movies on tv the whole afternoon. When I don't have much to do, I like to whip up something with ingredients I already have. We recently inherited a plethora of leftover beer, leading me to the decision to make beer bread! This is the only kind of beer I like (except beer in a Mambo Margarita....that recipe is sure to make an appearance soon!). I just googled a recipe and found this one from honestfare.com. SO simple and so good if you like dense, hearty breads. Another love!

Beer Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. sugar

1 12-oz. can or bottle of beer (we had an abundance of Bud Light but you can use any)

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Sift well. 

3. Pour in beer and stir until a stiff batter is formed. Do not over-mix!

4. Scrape batter into your loaf pan and pour melted butter on top (I think I started to drool at this step)

4. Bake for 40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. (I believe mine baked for 46 minutes)

Slap some butter on a thick slice and you are good to go show that bread some love:)