I hope you are all having a lovely holiday.

We, at our house, celebrate Christmas because we appreciate the import of the story and the legitimate and powerful message the story conveys for all the earth and all those in it.

I also appreciate how you celebrate this time.

We got a puppy. She’s a Westie and her name is Sophie. She’s just 11 weeks old now.

I’ve fallen deeply in love with her. I was afraid this would happen.

You see, Abby, our Terri-Poo, died 2 years ago. It was very painful and we grieved for a long time. I knew getting a new dog would mean falling in love again only with the very good possibility that the new dog would die in 10 to 14 years.

So I’ve fallen in love with Sophie knowing one day I will grieve her.

C.S. Lewis, after the loss of his wife whom he deeply loved, said:

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal.”

He also said:

“Grief and pain are the price humans have to pay for the love and total commitment we have for another person. The more we love, the more we hurt when we lose the object of our love. But if we are honest with ourselves, would we have it any other way?”

When I left the ministry and the church, I experienced a lot of pain and grief. I intuitively knew that if I ever again invested in serving people again, I would be hurt again. So I avoided it. Then a couple years later TLS was born.

Yes, there have been those in TLS who have hurt me. They’re gone. So it wasn’t just hurt inflicted, but grief as well in the loss of good friends.

I know to love people means pain. Love hurts.

But love is also amazing. Which is why I will keep doing it over and over again. The amazing quality of love is worth the possible pain it may cause in the future.

I do not want to love cautiously. I do not want to be closed off, distant, guarded, and reluctant. I want to dive in the deep end. That’s where the delight is. Yes, we might get hurt, but it has always been worth it.

Think of the people we admire the most. Aren’t they the ones who seem to love deeply, incessantly, and consistently? Aren’t the ones who have a kind of torpedoes-be-damned perspective on love and relationships?

We can be that person! That’s my intention, and I know it’s many of yours’ as well.

Love to you all my friends,

David