Sunday, February 14, 2016

validation




 

 

Well my dear ones,

 

 

 

It’s Valentine’s Day once again.

 

How did we come to associate love

with a Catholic saint martyred in the 3rd Century?

 

Two priests named Valentine were martyred

on February 14th: Valentine of Rome in 269 A.D.

and Valentine of Terni in 273 A.D.

 

The first was said to have performed marriages

for soldiers (not allowed at that time)

as well as Christians (persecuted in that era).

 

You can see the history,

as well as some fun facts,

here:

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

 

http://www.history.com/news/6-surprising-facts-about-st-valentine

 

 

So, the candy companies may owe a debt

to a 14th Century writer.

Jack B. Oruch writes that the first recorded

association of Valentine's Day with romantic love

is in Parlement of Foules (1382)

by Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer wrote:

 

 

“For this was on seynt Volantynys day

 Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.”

 

(seynt = saint; chese = choose; make = mate;

 English was in a state of flux at the time)

 

Perhaps you are blessed as I am

to have an awesome mate,

someone to give you love and validation

on this designated day.

 

Yet if not, no worries;

you are still loved,

and more.

 

 

“For we are God’s masterpiece.

 He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,

 so we can do the good things

 he planned for us long ago.”

 

Ephesians 2:10(NLT)

 

 

That’s some heavy stuff;

basically, it says that

we are more important

than any other thing God created;

hence, we are loved by God above all else,

with a love that we may apprehend,

yet will never be able to comprehend

...at least not in this lifetime.

 

Personally, I find that pretty cool,

and I need no more validation than that. =)

 

So, Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

And please pass that on to whomever

you may run across who needs

a little boost in their life.

 

Have a blessed week!

 

grace, peace, and love to you,

dave

 

Monday, February 08, 2016

best days




 

 

Well my dear ones,

 

 

A pastor I know, who is also

a Christian motivational speaker,

told a story about a woman

who had written to him.

 

Suffering from severe depression,

she decided one day

that she would commit suicide the next day.

 

The next day, just as she was getting up,

her little dog wanted to go outside;

in the process of jumping around,

he stepped on the remote control

and turned on the TV.

 

It just so happened that at that moment,

this pastor was on TV speaking about

the words of the prophet Joel:

 

“So I will restore to you the years

that the swarming locust has eaten,

The crawling locust,

The consuming locust,

And the chewing locust,

My great army which I sent among you.

 

“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

And praise the name of the Lord your God,

Who has dealt wondrously with you;

And My people shall never be put to shame.

 

“Then you shall know

that I am in the midst of Israel:

I am the Lord your God

And there is no other.

My people shall never be put to shame.”

 

And the point he made on this

is that our best days are still ahead of us.

 

When the woman heard that her best days

were still in the future,

she put off her plan,

and went to a local church to learn more

about this scripture (Joel 2:25-27).

 

So, do you think it was a coincidence

that he dog turned on the TV

at that exact moment in time?

 

Sounds to me a lot more

like a Divine appointment. =D

 

I pray the same may happen to all

who ever need such intervention.

 

 

Have a blessed week!

 

grace, peace, and love to you,

dave