Great question, and some great responses so far.
I think 'love' has been adequately defined above, so I won't add to that. Perhaps I can offer a thought on the "falling in" part though. What is felt in the beginning stages of a romantic relationship is no less real than what is felt several years into a healthy, vibrant, Christ-centred marriage, but it is very different. It is intense, exhilarating, wonderful, and dangerous, as it can trump rational thought and spiritual commitment. Handled well, it can help you to bond to another person enough to get to know them, and to open up to them, fostering development of real love. Handled poorly, it allows you to bond too much and in the wrong ways. So it needs to be handled with prayer and godly guidance.
In some ways "falling in" is like alcohol (please let's not derail; this is just an illustration), it is not a requirement, but where experienced, it is to be treated with care, taken in moderation, and not given the place of control. Within those boundaries, it may be shared and enjoyed for what it is... when you're at an appropriate level of maturity otherwise.
PS, regarding dating; Arigirl, if you haven't done so, may I recommend prayerfully reading Joshua Harris's books "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" and "Boy Meets Girl". His certainly isn't the only perspective, but there is wisdom in those pages.
I think 'love' has been adequately defined above, so I won't add to that. Perhaps I can offer a thought on the "falling in" part though. What is felt in the beginning stages of a romantic relationship is no less real than what is felt several years into a healthy, vibrant, Christ-centred marriage, but it is very different. It is intense, exhilarating, wonderful, and dangerous, as it can trump rational thought and spiritual commitment. Handled well, it can help you to bond to another person enough to get to know them, and to open up to them, fostering development of real love. Handled poorly, it allows you to bond too much and in the wrong ways. So it needs to be handled with prayer and godly guidance.
In some ways "falling in" is like alcohol (please let's not derail; this is just an illustration), it is not a requirement, but where experienced, it is to be treated with care, taken in moderation, and not given the place of control. Within those boundaries, it may be shared and enjoyed for what it is... when you're at an appropriate level of maturity otherwise.
PS, regarding dating; Arigirl, if you haven't done so, may I recommend prayerfully reading Joshua Harris's books "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" and "Boy Meets Girl". His certainly isn't the only perspective, but there is wisdom in those pages.