Happy Valentine’s Day!

One of my favorite Valentine treats is Necco “Conversation Hearts.” You know the ones I mean? The small heart-shaped candies that spell one and two word phrases like “Be Mine, 4-ever, Luv ya, I’m yours, etc.” They are one of my earliest memories of Valentine’s Day – the small boxes with the heart-shaped “window” in front. They are as much to play with as they are to eat!

Valentine’s Day conjures up pictures of heart-shaped candy boxes, red roses, cupid with his arrow (I once dressed up as “Stupid Cupid” in college – just to win Robin’s heart – you’ll have to ask her about it sometime!). I must confess I’m a “closet romantic.” I actually enjoy choosing cards for Robin and leaving her notes occasionally –as she does for me. It’s fun to love and express that love for another. I think it’s a picture of God’s love for us. After all, The Bible is simply a love letter He’s written to each us. Read and reread His thoughts to us in Psalm 139; John 3:16, 1 John 3:1 and the classic 1 Corinthians 13 – the greatest treatise on genuine love ever written. God is love and He has chosen to love us with an everlasting love.

A teacher in an Adult-Education creative writing class told the students to write “I love you” in 25 words or less, without using the words, “I love you.” They were given 15 minutes to complete the assignment. How would you respond? One lady in the class spent about ten minutes staring at the ceiling and wriggling in her seat. The last five minutes she wrote frantically and later read her results:

“Why, I’ve seen lots of worse hairstyles than that, Honey.”
“These cookies are hardly burned at all.”
“Cuddle up – I’ll get your feet warm.”

I’ve said it many times before, “Love is commitment.” Love must be demonstrated for it to really be love. How are you at sharing Christ’s love with others in practical ways? Take God’s example for instance. “God demonstrates His love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Why not take a moment now to tell Jesus how much you love Him? Thanks for sharing God’s love today with me and so many others. First Church is a great place to BE!

Blessings!
In Christ’s Love,
Mark

P.S. I’m looking forward to next weekend’s Men’s Retreat – “Real Men Love Jesus!”