Do You Reflect Hope and Grace?

In Luke 7, John the Baptist hears of the work of Jesus and sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the Messiah or should they keep looking. I find the response to John's question very interesting because Jesus' proof is this:

"Go back to John and tell him all you have seen and heard here today: how those who were blind can see. The lame are walking without a limp. The lepers are completely healed. The deaf can hear again. The dead come back to life. And the poor are hearing the Good News. And tell him, 'Blessed is the one who does not lose his faith in me.'" (TLB)

I've shared in previous posts about the disturbing results from research done by Barna research on how those outside the Church view Christians (read the book unChristian). What might it look like if we, as Christians, were defined not by that research but by how Christ's proof in Luke 7?

I've been following the Shift Youth Conference being held at Willow Creek and Shane Claiborne spoke about this very thing. His answer to the question is by living in a dangerous part of Philadelphia and traveling to Baghdad. Below is a clip from the conference.



I love Shane's final comment - It's not by how much we do but by our love that people will know we are Christians.

What Are You Giving to Your Valentine?

What do you plan to give to your Valentine this year? Each year Americans spend over $3.6 billion on gifts during the Valentine's holiday. Most of the money is spent on a beautifully written card and some roses.

Valentine's Day is second only to Christmas as over 900 million cards are exchanged. The Hallmark Company produced it's first Valentine in 1913 and now offers over 1,300 different Valentine's card.

What about those roses? Did you know that there are over 900 varieties of the rose, and that 60% of the roses grown in the United States come from California? Unfortunately, most of the roses sold during Valentine's Day come from South America.

Don't forget to get to the store before you go home tonight! Just some advice from a friend.

The Origins of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day -- a day reserved for sharing thoughts and feelings to those that are closest to you. But how did this holiday get started? According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius II had issued an edict forbidding marriage.

The Roman empire had grown to such a size that there were not enough men who were not emotionally attached to recruit for perilous duty. So to make sure he had quality soldiers he banned marriage.

Valentine, a bishop, seeing how much young couples desired to be married, did so in secret. Once Claudius learned the identity of this "friend of lovers", had him arrested. The emperor, who was impressed with Valentine's convictions, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods in order to save him from execution. Valentine refused and at one point tried to convert the emperor.

While imprisoned, Valentine came to know his jailer, Asterius. Asterius had a blind daughter and pleaded with Valentine to heal her. Miraculously Asterius' daughter was healed, and just before Valentine was executed he requested pen and paper to send a farewell to Asterius' daughter. The letter was signed "From Your Valentine," a phrase that has lived on to this day. Valentine was executed on February 24, 270.

The tradition of sending notes of affection followed not long after Valentine's death. Young Roman men, wishing to court young women they admired, sent handwritten notes of affection on February 14. These notes acquired St. Valentine's name

Thoughts on Marriage, Dating and Love from Kids

You gotta love kids. They are so real and honest. You never know what you are going to get from them. Here are some thoughts from kids on marriage, love and dating.

How do you decide who to marry?
You got to find someone who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides all the way, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kristen, age 10

What is the right age to get married?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camile, age 10

No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married. -- Freddie, age 6

What do you think mom and dad have in common?
Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8

What do most people do on a date?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. -- Martin, age 10

When is it Okay to kiss someone?
When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. -- Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -- Howard, age 8

(My personal favorite) How would you make a marriage work?
Tell your wife that show looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. -- Ricky, age 10

10 Rules to Help Men Understand Women

With Valentine's Day right around the corner here are some rules that we guys need to better understand that special lady in our lives:

1. A romantic weekend does not include baiting a hook
2. "I ate it, didn't I" is not considered praise
3. An order of takeout ribs and an Adam Sandler movie is not everybody's idea of a good time
4. Yeah, yeah, you look fine" is not a compliment
5. Women DO tell their best friends everything
6. We (guys) have enough ball caps
7. We (guys) have enough t-shirts
8. When women ask "Are you listening?" they already know we are not
9. Nothing says, "I love you" like offering to go to the grocery store
10. If you can rebuild the carburetor on a '66 Mustang, working the washing machine should be a snap

Guys, follow these rules and your life may be just a little easier.