(January 24, 2010)

In schools, they still teach the I before E, except after C. In Britain, they are suggesting this rule be eliminated because it confuses people. However, nearly all teachers are resisting this suggestion because without this rule, you can change all of the rules!

Love must be our governor. In I Corinthians 13, it explains that love is the greatest of all. If we have no love, we have nothing. We can give all of our money away and witness to everyone, but if it isn't done is love. When it comes to spelling love, the rule is U comes before I. We make lots of excuses and try to justify why we do what we do without love, but it never changes the rule.

Too many people want to know what's in it for me? Most people think where can I get the biggest bang for my buck at church?

For Mothers' Day, don't most guys buy gifts for their moms or their wives that are secretly gifts for themselves? Hey, Hon! I bought you a Red Lobster gift certificate! Let's go...I'm hungry! The desire to get rid of I before U doesn't eliminate it on it's own. It takes practice to change it to U before I. God forgives us of our sins when we come to Him, but to stay away from sin means to stay close to Him. It takes hard work to remain close to God. Once you make a commitment to attend the 'perfect' church, things are not going to work unless we think U before I.

We are called to minister to each other, not to manipulate each other. How would that change the church if you practiced this? Things would glide off of your back that would have previously bothered you to no end. We would make sacrifices for the benefit of others. When our motives are pure, we receive the Blessing. We need to realize that we need to be ministers, not manipulators.

We are so screwed up in this world because love has been manipulated into a feeling. Love is a commitment, it's not a feeling. You don't need to feel love for a person to practice love. This is agape love, a different kind of love that is loosely translated into English as practicing a commitment to another person.

We need to set our will to forgive. By an act of your will, you can choose to release that person that has offended you. Love is built through actions and attitudes more than on feelings. We need to work on our attitude and work on our actions. We need to act our way into feeling. This is how things change. Compassion is a muscle that can be built and grown. Your compassion and your way of thinking can be taught--adapted--to become better and stronger. If you stay at the same level, you will stop adapting.

Once you get good at putting U before I in one area of your life, then it's time to do the same in another area of your life. If you keep doing this throughout your life, you'll be molded into the person you want to be: a compassionate, loving person who constantly puts U before I! Choose to change now and spread the message of love! People need to love people and use things, not use people and love things.

- Jon Bruney