Valentine Love

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the “silent treatment”. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day he would need his wife to wake him at 5 a.m. for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and lose), he wrote on a piece of paper, “Please wake me at 5 a.m.” He then left it where he knew she would find it. The next morning the man awoke to discover it was 9 a.m. and he had missed his flight! Furious, he was about to go find his wife to find out why she hadn’t awaken him as he had asked, when he noticed a piece of paper on his nightstand with the message, “It’s 5 a.m. Wake up!”


Children 7-10 years old were asked about relationships and here are a few of their answers: 1) How do you decide who to marry? Alan, age 10 said, “You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dips coming.”  2) How can a stranger tell if two people are married? Derrick, age 8 says, “You might have to guess, based on whether they are yelling at the same kids.” 3) What do most people do on a date? Lynnette, age 8 says, “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.” 4) What do you think your mom and dad have in common? Lori, age 8 said, “Both don’t want any more kids.” 5) Is it better to be single or married? Anita, age 9 said, “It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.” 6) When is it okay to kiss someone? Pam, age 7 says, “When they’re rich!” Curt, age 7 said, “The law says you have to be eighteen, so I don’t want to mess with that.” Howard, age 8 said, “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.” 7) How would you make a marriage work? Ricky, age 10 says, “Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.”


[Romans 13:8-10] This month we will celebrate the holiday referred to as Valentine’s Day. It is a time when we show others that we care for them. Small gifts of cards, candy, and flowers are part of the tradition. But it might surprise you to find out that this holiday started out as a day to remember a Christian hero. According to the history books, Valentine was a 3rd century Christian preacher who lived near Rome. At this time the Roman Emperor Claudius II was ordering all young men not to marry. He thought they made better soldiers if they were single. No man could marry until he was too old to serve in the military. He also commanded that all people worship the false gods of Rome. Valentine was arrested for performing Christian marriages and preaching that there was only one true God – the God of the Bible. Valentine knew that no man – even the king – had the right to stop Christians from marrying (1 Corinthians 7:8-9). You see, while Romans 13:1-7 tells us that we are to respect and obey our leaders, Acts 5:29 tells us that when man’s law contradicts God’s law, we should obey God. And that’s what Valentine did ignoring the king’s orders. Claudius commanded Valentine’s arrest. While in prison, many Christians threw little notes of encouragement through Valentine’s prison window. These were the first valentines. In the end, Claudius had Valentine beheaded for his faith. It was because he loved the Lord and his fellow humans so much that he was willing to risk his life to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. This gives us pause when we think of Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day represents much more than romantic love. It is a day that honors God and those who love Him … and obey Him. Have a great day!