A Message of Love: A Guide to Finding Real Love and Your Purpose in Life

By Ms. Sandra and Dr. Karen Ratliff

Are you searching for real love? Do you have dreams and goals that you have not yet accomplished? This book will guide you on love, what it is and what it is not. Guided activities at the end of each chapter will help us with the understanding of true love. Our lives are journeys, filled with purpose and promise. We must be diligent, get over ourselves, and help one another. We can start by refocusing on all areas of our lives at the beginning, with love. A Message of Love will help us refocus on what is really important to ensure that we live happy and healthy lives.

My heart goes out to so many people. I talk to many people about love and the common phrase that I often summarize as I am searching for love. My challenge to them is Do you know what love is? As we search for love, we are really and truly searching for God because, simply put, He is love. Once we grasp that He is love, He is all we need and all we should desire, everything else in our lives will fall into place. So, I challenge everyone in search for love to stop searching and focus on building a relationship with God. He will show you love, because it is the very essence of Him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499065237

Ms. Sandra

Ms. Sandra Brown is a child of God who is motivated to birth out her dreams and purposes in life. Born and currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, she is the blessed mother of two sons – Shannon and Sterling Brown - who play professional and college basketball. She is also a proud grandmother. Founder of a non-profit “Stand-Up, Inc.” Sandra Brown focuses on community development, empowerment and mentoring. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Management, with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She has a passion for sharing her faith, inspiring and encouraging others through this journey in life; which led her to become a Certified Professional Life Coach as well. She loves spending quality time with those she loves. Above many things, Sandra enjoys laughter and fun - with her family and friends.

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Copyright © 2014 by Ms. Sandra.

Cover design:AMB BRANDING DESIGN by Aija M. Butler

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Rev. date: 07/22/2015

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1:  Definition Of Love

Chapter 2:  Love Thy Self: Self-Love

Chapter 3:  Loving Thy Neighbor And Commanding Respect

Chapter 4:  Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places

Chapter 5:  Follow Your Dreams

Chapter 6:  Write The Vision

Prayer

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my mother, Betty J. Richardson. To my sons, Shannon and Sterling Brown, and my daughter-in-law, Monica Brown. To all of my grandchildren, family and friends, and to any and everyone who wants to know Real Love.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

F irst, I would like to thank Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who gave me the vision and guided me to share the message of love.

I would like to thank my sons, Shannon and Sterling, for their love, support, and encouragement. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Karen Ratliff and Irma Holloway for their support and wealth of professional knowledge in guiding my vision for this book into reality.

CHAPTER ONE

DEFINITION OF LOVE

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,

it does not boast, it is not proud

(1 Cor 13:4 New International Version).

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that.

—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

F or many, the word love is difficult to define. In fact, what is love was the most commonly searched phrase on Google in 2012. 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 New International Ver sion).

While reading this book, you will find out what love is and, perhaps just as importantly, what love is not. I provide real-life situations, even my own, to demonstrate and to allow you to gain a better understanding of this concept called love. If we truly love one another, as God loves us, the world will be a better place. After each chapter, you will be able to practice what you’ve learned through journaling, activities, creating a vision board, and making proclamations—so get ready.

Throughout the book, I speak from a place of experiencing true love, what I thought was love, and understanding that my relationship with God showed me ultimate love. I’ve been in seasons where I found myself at rock bottom in a relationship and later transitioned into a true relationship with God that caused my entire life to change for the better. Now that I know what love is, I have great confidence, I love others, even my enemies, and I am at peace with who God made me to be and the purpose that He wants me to achieve.

So, my question for you is, What is your definition of love? Webster’s Dictionary describes it as