😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you and fill your 2023.  This past week I watched a Netflix movie called The Christmas Calendar.  The calendar was a larger, antique wooden Advent calendar, that was given to the main character, Abby, by her grandfather.  It was her late grandmother’s calendar.  Once she got the calendar home, she tried opening the little doors, but no matter how much she tried, they wouldn’t open…until midnight the first day, when the door 1 opened automatically, revealing a small wooden pair of boots.  Later that day, Josh, Abby’s good friend, gave her a pair of boots, unbeknownst that she received the wooden boots from the Advent calendar.  On day two, there was a Christmas tree.  That evening Abby ran over a Christmas tree that fell off a stranger’s car.  That interaction sparked a romantic interest between Abby and Ty.  Piecing a few items together, Abby started to realize that the gifts the Advent calendar was giving her were “predicting” her future, so she started looking for clues to lead her where she wanted to be.  Towards the end of the movie, Abby realizes that she was so focused on only seeing what she wanted to see, where she wanted to see it, that she missed the gifts the Advent calendar was actually giving her. 

Like Abby, at different times in our lives we tend to look at a situation and only see what we want to see, instead of being open to seeing what it is that God is trying to show us.  I believe that’s partly why God doesn’t want to reveal to us the moment of His return.  It’s kind of like learning in school.  You have the choice to learn the material just to pass the test or you can learn the material to use it in a practical manner.  God doesn’t want us to learn, just to pass a test, He wants us to learn in a practical manner, so that we are better equipped to think, make decisions, and apply what He is teaching us, for our good, the good of those around us, and for His glory.

2023 is off to a bright start.  Don’t allow your blindness to the truth of what God is revealing to you, keep you in the dark.  Don’t be in a rush.  Allow yourself the time see and experience God in time, as He reveals Himself to you.  To quote Archbishop Fulton Sheen, ‘Patience is power.  Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is “timing” it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.’

As you journey your way through 2023, I pray you choose to grow with and experience God in all that He is offering to you.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#TheChristmasCalendar – Netflix

#ArchbishopFultonSheen

#RascalFlatts – My Wish

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Merry Christmas!!!  Don’t take your nativity set, tree, and decorations down yet.  Within the Catholic church, this year, we celebrate Christmas 12/25/2022 – 01/08/2023.  There’s still plenty of celebrating to do.  Reading through an Advent and Christmas daily devotional called The Little Blue Book, which is based upon the writings of Bishop Ken Untener, there were a couple items this week that caught my attention. 

First, on Monday, 12/26/2022, Bishop Untener writes: “When I read writings of the early Church, It’s striking that those first followers of Christ were convinced the difficult things happening in their lives were somehow part of God’s plan – not necessarily that God triggered them all, but that God was using whatever happened to bring about something good.” 

I’ve experienced this multiple times in my life, some of which have taken years to work through, before I was able to see and appreciate what God was working towards.  He strategically places the stepping stones, some a bit closer than others and some that will cause us to stretch more than others, but all within reach.   Take a moment to think about something that God has worked through with you this past year.  This time last year, you may not have even had an inkling that things were going to change, but they did.  Reflecting on those moments, where did He show up, that you didn’t recognize in the moment, but are now able to see clearly.  Have you taken time to thank Him yet.  I don’t mean thank Him for the outcome, but thank Him for showing up and being there with you, no matter the outcome.  Maybe take a moment now.

Second, on Tuesday, 12/27/2022, Bishop Untener asked an intriguing question that had never crossed my mind, but really got me to thinking and pondering the possibility.  “Was Jesus becoming human only a “rescue” mission, or was God going to become human whether we sinned or not?”

Father, Spirit, and Jesus were all there together from the very beginning at the creation.  We were made in His image.  Before we wrecked it with sin, do you think the original plan was for us to live harmoniously with Jesus on earth?  It’s an interesting thought.  But then that brings me back to the devotional on 12/26/22, in which God possibly reformatted some plans and found a way to take the sin we took upon ourselves and constructed a way, to instill the promise of salvation, returning us to the Lord, through the human presence of God among us, through Jesus Christ, His son. 

Think about the layers, levels, and intertwining of lives and events that had to take place, and continue to take place today, to draw us back to our salvation and original sinless relationship with the Lord.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#PhilWickham – Hymn of Heaven

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Closing out my four weeks of Advent focusing on four gifts that I am thankful for, this fourth week I’m focusing on the gift of Holy Communion. 

Matthew 26:26-28:

‘While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to His disciples and said, “Take and eat; this is My body.”

Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.’

Holy Communion…it’s not just communion. It is the true body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  In reality, there were many years that I took receiving Holy Communion for granted.  It wasn’t until I was going through my divorce and annulment and was no longer able to receive Holy Communion, that I realized how important receiving the Lord’s body and blood was to me.  Holy Communion is a very personal gift, which is why it can be so hard to relay to others.  I actually find myself at a loss for words.  For me, Holy Communion is about being in complete oneness with the Lord, His real and true presence within me.  Which is why I find it important to be purposeful and respectful when receiving Him into my body.

When people come to my home, I let then know our home is lived in, so expect that lived in look and feel.  Although my home is not perfectly put together and always ready for company, I do some straightening up and preparation before guests arrive.  This makes me think of when I was a realtor.  Looking at some of the realtors’ advertising pictures, if they walked through the door right up to you, you wouldn’t have known it was them, because for their advertisements they primped and covered up all their flaws, in an effort to be perfect and desirable to potential clients, but by doing so, they often left themselves unrecognizable in everyday life. 

That’s not what God wants from you.  He doesn’t want you to wait until you’ve covered up enough of your flaws or you and your life seem perfect, in order to received Him in Holy Communion.  Something that I really like about our God, is that He is a “come as you are” God.  He wants you to come to Him as you are, in truth, humility and meekness.  He is looking for you to come as you are, prepared and ready to receive and accept Him into your precious body, as a sanctuary for His holy presence. 

Really think about that for a moment.  He physically wants to make His home within you.  Yes, you!  Can you hear Him?  He’s calling to you.  He wants to be with you.  He chose to come to earth.  He chose to physically walk and talk with us.  All along knowing what He would have to endure at His crucifixion.  He knew this, yet He chose to come and make Himself known to you, so that you could choose the hope, peace, and love that only He can offer.  Remember, all along, His purpose in coming to us during this celebration of Christmas was all for the purpose of offering us salvation through the cross and abuse He chose to bear for you and me.  So, celebrate His gift of salvation and Holy Communion.  It was so important to Him, that he was willing to die for you.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#Crowder – Come As You Are

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Continuing my four weeks of Advent focus on four gifts that I am thankful for, this third week I’m focusing on the gift of prayer.  Tuesday morning, I read in Mark’s Gospel 14:32-42.

‘They went to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”  He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be distressed and agitated.  And He said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.”  And going a little farther, He threw Himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him, He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what You want.” 

He came and found them asleep; and He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour?  Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  And again, He went away and prayed, saying the same words.  And once more He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to Him.  He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?  Enough!  The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”’

In those few hours of prayer, Jesus showed us what it means to pray with purpose.  He wasn’t just praying to check the box.  He was giving Himself fully.  Prayer comes in many different forms and postures.  You can be on your knees, standing with your arms raised, bowed head, a simple glance to heaven, fully prostrate, lying in bed, driving your vehicle, while hiking, sitting at your desk, while completing your work tasks.  There is no wrong way, but there are also no short cuts to prayer.  There are times when the words flow easily and times in which your mind and spirit are so clouded and turned upside down that you can’t even form a word in prayer.  It’s in times like those that learned prayers, such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, St. Michael prayer, etcetera become our support to lean on.  But ultimately prayer is communication with God, Father, Son, and Spirit. 

Payer is part of my daily life.  Do I pray unceasingly as we are instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”?  No, I don’t.  Do I desire to be in prayer (conversation) with God more?  I do.  So then the question is…What am I willing to do to more thoroughly utilize the time I have been granted to keep in conversation with God.  How can I turn every action, thought, and word into a prayer (conversation) of rejoicing, praise, thanksgiving, counsel seeking, learning, etcetera, so that I am fully prepared, mind, body, and spirit to battle that which I will encounter?  In prayer we are never alone.  Never alone. 

Prayer is a precious gift because it is the gift of one-on-one time with the Lord.  And for this, I am eternally thankful.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#SanctusReal – Pray

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Continuing my four weeks of Advent focus on four gifts that I am thankful for, this second week I’m focusing on the gift of community.  Monday’s Gospel reading Luke 5:17-26 and Tuesday’s Gospel readings Matthew 18:12-14 are just two of the many passages in the Bible about the importance of community.   

Luke 5:17-26

‘One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with Him for healing.  And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in His presence.  But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies?  Who but God alone can forgive sins?”  Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”– He said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God.  Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”’

First, it’s not every day, month, or even year that an opportunity arises that would draw your community to act so boldly, that they are willing to carry your weight to the top of a building and gently lower you into the presence of Jesus.  To this I say Amen, that you don’t have situations like that arise too often.  And again, I would say Amen, in praise and thanksgiving for those so drawn by the love and compassion of Christ, your community, to so willingly and boldly move mountains to show you Christ’s love and His desire to be in your presence.  In your life, some of these moments may have been during a job loss, illness, a miscarriage, an accident, military deployment, family relocation, a divorce, suicidal thoughts, starting over, and so on.  It is by God’s grace that your community heard God’s calling and acted attentively to your needs.

Second, we hear how the man got up, and went home glorifying God. Which then ignited the fire within the community to also glorify God.  Not only supporting, but also celebrating with community is important.  It’s kind of like a smile…They’re contagious.  Support your community when God calls upon you and also celebrate and glory in their victories.

Matthew 18:12-14

‘Jesus said to his disciples:

“What is your opinion?  If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?  And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.  In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

God does not want us lost and on our own.  It is when we stray from our faith community that we become more vulnerable and susceptible to Satan’s enticements.  Your faith community is a shield against the flaming arrows trying to pierce your soul.  In times of hurt, distrust, pain, unforgiveness, depression, etcetera, these are the times that Satan finds most opportune to attack, so it’s no surprise that these are the times in which we tend to separate ourselves from community and get lost in ourselves.  In those times, I know it’s hard to want to have community around, but don’t shut them completely out.  Stay open to a handful of your community.  You’re shield may not be fully up, but at least you won’t be 100% vulnerable to Satan. 

Community is action.  Community is receiving.  Community is a choice.  I am thankful for community.  I wouldn’t be able to thrive in this earthly life without community.  Even Jesus had a community of disciples that He chose to keep close.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#Brad&Rebekah – When We Gather

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you and happy Advent.  Yes, the countdown has begun or is the countdown just continuing?  In every moment of your life, that exact moment can be the beginning of one journey, while also being the middle and end of other journeys you are traveling.  I find it interesting to be able to step back in those moments and look at the full picture, to see how these journeys intertwine. 

A couple mornings ago I was reading in Mark chapter 12 and these two verses got me to thinking.  Mark 12: 38-39 ‘As He taught, He said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!”’

My focus wasn’t on the “Beware” part, but on the thought of having the best seats and places of honor.  Which then lead me to thinking about focusing these four weeks of Advent on four gifts that I am thankful for.  This first week I’m focusing on the gift of being last. 

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the gift of being last and fading into the background a bit.  At this point you may think that sounds strange or maybe questioning why I would consider that a gift.  Well, there are multiple situations but here are a couple. 

Think about going to church.  You head up to, let’s say a seat within the first five pews.  This way you can be close, make eye contact with the priest or deacon, make your presence be known, and avoid the distraction of those fidgeting and crying kids.  From the last five pews, you can still see the priest and deacon.  You can make eye contact and greet them when they process out, after Mass.  But, you also have the opportunity to observe those at church with you and listen for whom God is asking you to pray for.  This is different than just people watching and it’s not about just scanning the crowd and not paying attention to the liturgy.  Every single one of us that step foot in the church are broken people.  We walk through those doors carrying heavy burdens and worries and we come to this place each week to be in community and communion with our faith family to seek Christ’s Word, Presence, and Peace.  Every single one of us are in need of prayers.  By allowing yourself the blessing of being at the back of the church, seeing and experiencing those around and in front of you, you are allowing your heart to be open to God’s call to pray for that elderly man that seems a little sad sitting in the pew alone.  Or maybe God’s call to pray for the young parent that desperately wants to be able to focus on the Mass, but their young child is sick or hungry and they are worried about making too much noise and distracting others around them.  Or maybe God’s call to pray for someone that is far away from family during this holiday season and is really missing the feeling of family and home.  Maybe He will call you to pray for that person a few pews over that just lost their job, or is being bullied, or has health issues.  Listen for His guidance and then pray as He asks you.  This truly is a blessing.

There are times and seasons in our lives when we have to be the bold, up front, in control, and in charge person.  As the parent of grown children who now have families of their own, I very much enjoy stepping back and allowing my children and their families be the center of attention and just watch and experience their interactions, and pray for them as God leads me.  It really does bring me great joy and I count those moments as some of my greatest blessings. 

Sometimes we all need to just step back, look at the big picture, and allow God to show us a glimpse of the wonder, awe, and opportunities He sees every moment of every day.  As you journey though this season of Advent, seek out opportunities to be last, fade into the crowd, and seek opportunities to pray for those you may not have otherwise even noticed. 

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone.  Reflecting on the past 12 months, I was trying to pinpoint one event, moment, relationship, thing from this past year that I’m more thankful for than anything else.  But there is not one that truly stands above all.  There have been so many moments, ranging from the start of our home construction, being physically able to put some sweat equity into that construction, prayers from family and friends, prayers for family and friends, silently sitting with a loved one, being challenged to go beyond what I think I’m capable of, seeing friends I hadn’t seen in over 20 years, seeing and experiencing the humility of a friend admitting they need help, at 55 still learning from my parents, experiencing conflict turn into resolution, helping a young girl find her parents, a solid job, consistent income, the ability to give, road trips, another year of visiting with you every Wednesday, and the list goes on and on.

But in every single item I mentioned and in every single moment of my day and night, the Lord is ALWAYS with me.  Because of His consistent, ever presence, we quite often forget to recognize His presence and tend to push Him in the background.  In saying that I am most thankful for the sacrifice He made for me, my relationship with Him, and His constant presence, in reality is saying that I am thankful for life itself, because without Him, there is no life. 

Take a moment today to consider the blessings you are thankful for and please share maybe one or two in the comments.  I would like the opportunity to share in your thankfulness.

May the Lord continue to pour His grace, love, and blessings upon you today and every moment of your life.  Amen.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#ChrisTomlin – Forever

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  I chuckled a little to myself Sunday morning at Mass towards the end of the second reading.  2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 “We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.  Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.” 

Yes, apparently there is Biblical instruction to mind your own business and quietly do your own work. 

Here’s something to ponder…How much more peace would you have in your life if you and those you interact with (family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances) instead of focusing on and talking about others, spent that time focusing on and speaking with the Lord?  How much more time would you have to grow your relationship with Him?  How much clearer would you hear His words and guidance when your mind isn’t blocked and saturated with gossip and negative thoughts towards others?  How much more would you be able to serve and assist others if your mind isn’t plotting and tearing others down? 

A clear heart and mind can go a long way in creating a peace filled living.  Now, take that and multiply it by the number of people living in your home.  Multiply that again by the number of homes on your street.  Multiply that again by the number of streets in your city or town.  And keep multiplying that until every state, nation, and county are touched by this God ordained, God instructed way of peaceful living.

Have you been introduced to the power of compound interest?

If you took a single penny and doubled it every day, by day 30, you would have $5,368,709.12.

The important factor is the power of doubling.  If you took a single penny and doubled it every day for only 27 days, you would end up with $671,088.64.  3 days can make a world of difference, just as Christ’s 3 days in the tomb made a huge, life changing difference in yours and my life. 

The world, the country, the nation is not and cannot be the starting point for peace.  It starts with one…YOU.  Start compounding your interest in the peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today, and see how much richer you’ll be in 30 days.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#7eventhTimeDown – Kingdoms

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  One of the books I’m currently journeying through is called “The WISDOM of the SAINTS.”  This book is composed of 365 daily quotes from the saints to help bring focus in your life.  St. Teresa of Calcutta is quoted multiple times in this book, but here are two quotes I feel compelled to share with you.

“If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family.”  I would add peace to this.  “If you want to bring peace and happiness…”  We must first take care of our core, our center, our family, before true peace, love, and happiness can move beyond our doors.  And once your home is overflowing you can then…

“Spread love everywhere you go.  Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”  I think this is a fantastic goal to strive for.  It’s not that you have to do big, grand, elaborate things to get someone’s attention.  It’s simply about meeting them where they are at in that moment, recognizing an underlying need or possibly a struggle, then show some compassion in your interaction with them. 

I would take a guess that we’ve all experienced the impersonal, lifeless, and sometimes harsh world of email communication.  It can be much easier to dehumanize written communication, than voice or face to face communication.  I experienced this yesterday at work.  An email was sent out to my team asking for assistance, to which was replied…We don’t do that.  True, on the surface our team doesn’t work with payroll issues, but inside, I could just feel this employee’s frustration.  She was just seeking guidance and a virtual door was slammed in her face.

Again, my team doesn’t work with payroll issues, but I took about five minutes researching the situation and then called the employee that sent the email. 

Did I solve her issue?  No. 

Did I give her a means to vent and express her frustration with not knowing where to turn, to address her issue?  Yes.

Did I make her feel heard?  Yes. 

Was I able to point her in the right direction, relieve some stress, and bring a touch of peace to her?  Yes. 

At the end of our 10 minute conversation so told me…”I’ve been having a really crappy day, but you just made it a lot better.  Thank you.”

Do the small things well in Christ and let the ripples flow to and touch many.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#TobyMac – Rich

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  When we were making our way through Texas a couple weeks ago, Brian and I were on our way to a national park, but took a wrong turn and ended up visiting “The Coming King” Sculpture Prayer Garden in Kerrville, TX.  It is a beautiful, peaceful place to visit and pray.  As I stood below the 77’ 7” steel cross, I felt very small and God felt very…I can’t even come up with a word to describe His presence in that moment.  Checkout that beautiful blue sky.  In case you’re wondering, no I did not do anything to edit this picture.

After we make our way through the prayer garden, we stopped in the gift shop to take a look around.  So, one of my favorite prayers and one that I pray every morning as I brush my teeth, is the Armor of God.  It just so happened that they had a life size Sword of the Spirit, that the employee graciously offered to let me hold.  I have no idea what the weight of the sword was, but it was a very humbling and surreal feeling as I thought about the “weight” of the “Sword of the Spirit”, which is the Word of God, and how He has given us the authority to use and share His word with others.  He graciously places His tools in our hands and then allows us to determine how we will use these tools. 

How will you use them?  Ponder that for a moment.  Choose just one gift, one tool that you know that God has bestowed upon you. 

How have you used it in the past? 

Will you use it in the future? 

How can you use His gift right now, today, to help others, be Christ’s presence in the world, and further the kingdom of God? 

But seriously do we really say things like that to ourselves???  No, we usually stop at “How can I help someone?”  But when we do things and serve others in the Spirit of Christ, then without really thinking, instinctively, we are being Christ’s presence and furthering His Kingdom. 

I encourage you to take a step out of your comfort zone today and allow God to show you how much more the gift that He has bestowed upon you can be, when you step out of the way and put your trust in Him.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.

#TobyMac,JonReddick – Show Up Choose Love