L is for LOVE

I love chicken. You can serve it roasted, barbecued, deep fried, pan fried, a la Kentucky, grilled, poached, stir fried, boiled, braised, on a spit, with breadcrumbs, batter, skinless, in a sauce, in a soup, on bread, on toast, on pizza, on crackers, in a bap, with salad, with rice, with chips, hot, cold or even lukewarm and I'll eat it. Like I say, I love chicken, but I wouldn't want to marry one!

I love rugby. Scrums, lineouts, rucks, mauls, tries, drop goals, scissors, switches, crash balls, spin passes, crunching tackles, flying wingers, great goal kickers, cheeky scrum halves, natural fly halves, All Blacks, Lions, Wallabies, Springboks, Ireland, Ulster, Armagh and wherever my son plays. Like I say, I love rugby, but not as much as when I played.

I love music. Playing guitar, writing songs, hearing harmonies, watching musicians, LPs, CDs, iTunes, Kim Carnes, Michael W Smith, U2, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Johnny Cash, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Bruce Hornsby, Amy Grant, Fleetwood Mac,Jim Reeves, Elvis, Raymond on the church organ, Roy playing jazz guitar and, of course, the wife singing! Like I say, I love music, but I listen to it less than I once did.

I love sitting outside. Fresh air, sunny days, panoramic views, reading the paper, waving at passers-by, wondering at strange cars, birds singing, forty shades of green, cows munching in a nearby field, dogs barking, tractors growling, houses in the distance, planes passing, clouds drifting, rivers flowing, rabbits playing, cats stalking, dogs sleeping. Like I say, I love sitting outside, but I can see most of it from the living room.

I love Liverpool. League titles, FA Cups, League Cups, EUFA cups, European Cups (three more than Man U ! ), Super Cups, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Roy Evans, Kenny Dalglish, Robbie Fowler, Alan Hansen, Ian Rush, Ronnie Whelan, Stevie Gerrard, Bruce Grobbelaar, Jamie Carragher, Anfield, European nights, the Kop, You'll Never Walk Alone. Like I say, I love Liverpool, but if they lose I don't shed a tear any more.

I love my sons. Births, colic, sleepless nights, baby food, first steps, first word, changing nappies, hugs, pushing the pram, birthdays, anniversaries, starting primary school, playing football, going to the cinema, holidays in Portstewart, Disneyworld, Sunday dinner together, proud sporting days, developing talents, Christian faiths. Like I say, I love my sons and I always will.

I love God. Not in the way that I love rugby or chicken or music or Liverpool. I love him because He first loved me and I had given Him no reason at all to be so considerate. And even when I have shown no gratitude to Him, He still loves me - no strings attached. And because I understand how much He loved his son whom He sacrificed for my sins, I love Him even more.So when I use the word 'love' carelessly, I remember what real, unconditional, self-sacrificing love is. Like I say, I love God and He always will.