The Legend OR The True Valentine?

With sickness in the house, hospital visits for family these last few weeks, taxes, and doing re-writes on my most current book, Lost Song, this blog has been put on the wayside.

 So, I am bringing out an oldie from a few years ago to share with you once again.

 I hope you enjoy it and know that you truly are someone's special Valentine... 

 I was reading the history of Valentine’s Day, and from what I found, romance is not its true root beginning. So they say.
From the information I gathered, it was a day to honor a Christian martyr that was named Valentine. Now a martyr is someone who faces death rather than renouncing his religious beliefs. I’d say there had to be a lot of love and conviction to face death for anything. Still, it’s not romantic love.
I also found various versions of one legend that I particularly like. I’ll give you the paraphrased version.
There was this mean, horrible emperor who wanted men to be in his military, but he couldn’t get people to sign up. He figured it was because they didn’t want to leave their loved ones. So the guy banned marriage. (Whatever!) Still a priest named Valentine married people in secret. When he was caught, he was sentenced to death, and while in prison fell in love with a girl that visited him often, who may have been the jailors daughter.
Before his death, he wrote her a letter and signed it, “From Your Valentine”.
So I don’t know if it’s true or not, but that’s a pretty romantic story and would even be a great movie.
Whatever the start, Valentines Day is when people make card industries, “RICH” by buying over priced Valentine cards with sweet sentiments. And one of the best parts, CHOCOLATE is everywhere. I think that is an incredible part of this day.
And it’s a day to give fun presents that make people feel good. And some people get engaged and may be getting engaged today! 
But in reality, whatever the reason, it’s a day where in the hustle and bustle, we actually spend the entire day showing people through our gifts and actions exactly what God commands us to do in His Word.
When Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest, He answered, to love God with all of our heart, mind and soul and to love other’s as we love ourselves.
The Word also says to love one another, forgive one another.
The fruit’s of the Spirit are love, kindness, goodness, patience, joy, peace, PATIENCE, (that’s a toughie in this day and age) faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galations 5:22)
And the hardest one of all…to LOVE our enemies!
The Bible is the best Valentine book ever. It is filled with a love story that is unexplainable.
The wonderful thing about it is…today there are romantic, movies, books, and stories, where we hear about people finding love; a person is either a participant, or an observer. But when a person hears about the love story in the Bible, they can move from observer to participant, and say I want that love in my life, too. I want to wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night and have this love that never changes or goes away, no matter if I’m having a good or bad day. And Jesus says okay. I’m here for you for ETERNITY.
While doing a study on the book of James the half-brother of Jesus, it appears that James and his brothers didn’t believe in who Jesus was before his death. But after Jesus resurrection the Word shows James and his brothers in the upper room with the disciples the day of Pentecost. James is the leader of the church in Jerusalem. James writes a letter to the believers that becomes an incredible book of the Bible.
How did that happen? The Bible tells us that Jesus appeared to James after his resurrection. It doesn’t let us know what the conversation between the two of them was, but it clearly was a good one because it changed James life. And through James testimony of Jesus love, many other lives are changed, including mine.
To me, what happened in James life is a wonderful example of how Jesus wants us to be in our own relationships, to go the extra mile for the people in our lives.
I mean, He loved us so much, He let them pierce his hands and feet with nails so HE could die and pay the price for the wrong things we do.
If there ever was an example of love, He gives it.
Galations 5:13-14 “….Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love, for the whole law can be summed up in this one command; “love your neighbor as yourself.”
My prayer for you today, is that you will walk filled with the love that can only come from Him. And that someone else will be blessed too, because of it.
Happy belated Valentine’s Day.
Bible verses from the NLT



Comments

Janalyn Voigt, escape into creative worlds of fiction. said…
Happy Valentine's Day, Linda. Thanks for a beautiful post.
February 14, 2012 at 8:06 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Wish I Didn't

Image
  I read the text that said you were gone. The disappointment, the deepening of missing you, increased immediately, and grief filled my being. My mind struggles when I am at work or at my sister's with the knowledge you won't be walking in the door with your friendly smile and hello. I won't hear your friendly words or your snarky comments when things go wrong.  I know, I know, I know we all get to be gathered together again as Jesus said, however, there is a hole here in the lives of those who knew you that only you filled. Right now it really trips us up. I know we will figure a way to deal - as you would say. You never made a million in dollars, but you certainly made more than millions in love. We all enjoyed you. You brought so much to your relationships even when you struggled. I am so sorry for your struggles. I know you are at peace now. That energetic smile is probably beaming standing in the presence of our heavenly Fathers love. I believe with all my heart you ar...
Read more

Let Love Shine

Image
When I picked up my phone yesterday I had the thought, I wonder what is happening on Facebook today. My next thought was, I hope nothing bad happened . The first post - something bad had happened in Vegas. I looked at the news. Are there any words to express about something, that my mind cannot grasp, had  happened? Then it got personal when I discovered a couple of my family members knew people who had lost their lives at this concert and others who were injured. I have no words. I cannot grasp who or why would do such a horrible thing. And whenever I think of what the people at the concert went through, while running away from the bullets, there is no words, only tears. I am not normally a name caller, but no matter what his mental condition was at the time, no matter what his reasons, only a little coward would do what he did. The people had no way to defend themselves. No way to counter attack. Purely an evil cowardly act of violence. And the point? There is none. ...
Read more

Praying? Really?

Image
  I made a comment couple of days ago, of how I would like to be like Peter or Paul right now. I would like to be so close and open to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit that I can say to her, as she lays before me on the hospital bed, with machines, and skilled nurses working to keep her alive, and comfortable, "Rise and walk, in Jesus name." Or I could clearly hear God say she will, but she will rise into eternity with Me. Instead I pray desperate prayers. I know stories of miracles. I want one now.   I also want to be able to accept if what I want Him to do, is not what He is going to do. I asked myself, and God, How does my faith apply here? How? Looking at the situation, a negative statement made about prayers and miracles frustrated me, and I wanted to have an opportunity  to have a comeback. I suddenly wanted my prayers for a miracle to say, THIS IS WHY I PRAY! Science is silent when God speaks and God moves! Then I asked, how does my faith, my prayers...
Read more