Even in the best of earthly relationships or the closest marriage, we don’t always feel loved. We long for a perfect love from one who knows us intimately and loves us sacrificially and unconditionally, but only God can give us perfect love. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, it’s a great time to ponder a few of God's words of love. I hope you read them as a Valentine to you today.

Whoa! Started my day with a little conviction today--ouch.

God laid it on me that I have not had a thankful, grateful heart lately! So I spent some time in the Word today looking at thankfulness. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 summed up a lot of what God desires in me:

“Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NET)

The last part of that brief verse is at least as important as the first part.

Several years ago, I presented a paper at an academic conference about how literary classics owe a debt to the Bible. I pointed attendees in my workshop to content in works such as Pilgrim’s Progress and Les Misérables, The Divine Comedy, and Robinson Crusoe. I mentioned how Dickens and Dostoevsky drew on themes, imagery, and phrases from the Old and New Testaments. I spoke with admiration of the Bible’s metaphors, similes and other figures of speech. And I used examples such as God represented as a protecting hen, nursing mother, and angry mother bear. 

I am often reminded of a simple truth: It’s in remembering the forgotten that we have the most opportunities to share the love of Christ!

As we spend time celebrating Valentine’s Day with our families this week, how can we share the love of Christ with others?

I see you. I see your newsfeed with smiling photos, happy videos, and the latest accomplishments. When someone asks, “How are you doing?” what do you say in response?

“We’re hanging in there.”

“We’re taking one day at a time.”  

“It’s harder than we expected, but we’re still standing.”

“I showered today, so it’s a good day.” 

So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.   (Matthew 5:48 NET)

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Being a Director of bible.org I am swamped with emails of all kinds. I am sure you are as well. So when one grabs my attention, I want to share it. What makes an email grab someone's attention? I think it's when it affirms a person's thinking. This one did as it talked about retirement, which if you ask my wife, she will tell you began back when I was in college at Syracuse University. I know, I know you are saying...back when? Then years later, at my "official" retirement ceremony several of my employees told my wife; your husband is a visionary. Yes I guess that is also true and why I was envisioning even back in college what my life would be like if I ever reached retirement age! So where is this blog going?
Today in my inbox arrived a note from a well known author who has the same conviction as me; that when that "official" retirement age arrives, it is not the time to sit back, play golf, go fishing etc.

When did evil and sin enter the world? In the Garden of Eden? And who created evil? Some blame God for temptation and evil by default since he created everything. But let’s rewind. In a galaxy far far away, God created all the angels all at once. And they lived in the stellar places amongst the stars. (Since this is just a blog post and not a seminary paper, I’ll let you verify those gems on your own. A good Systematic Theology text should suffice.)