During the 40 days of Lent, we have been challenged to perform daily acts of kindness. This is a marvelous idea and one that is worthy of pursuit; however, should we not be living a life every day that is centered on being kind to others, especially those who struggle with living in economic, emotional, social, or spiritual poverty?

One of our main objectives as a “Christian” is to strive to become more and more like our Lord, Jesus. We walk this road by daily taking on His mantle, living as He lived. One of the characteristics of His life was to be kind, to exhibit lovingkindness. Throughout Scriptures, this is expressed in two ways.

The first is God expressing His lovingkindness for His people, you and me. His lovingkindness is displayed in passages such as, “… with everlasting kindness, I will have compassion on you.” (Isa 54:8, NIV); “… I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness…” (Jer 9:24, NIV); “…He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons…” (Act 14:17 NIV). Our Lord is kind to us as His provisions for us substantiate.

The second way the Scriptures describe kindness is for God’s people to be kind-hearted, to exhibit kindness to others be they our friends, our enemies, those who are wealthy, or those who are poor; regardless of their circumstances in life, treat them with kindness. Why? Because in the Scriptures we are commanded to and are given instructions on how to express kindness. His direction to us is recorded in passages such as, “Be kind and compassionate to one another…” (Eph 4:32 NIV); “And the Lord’s serv-ant … he must be kind to everyone…” (2 Tim 2:24 NIV). In other passages, the Bible expressly tells the Christian to show kindness to the poor, the needy, the oppressed, and one another.

Here at Epworth Villa, we live in a world that longs for expressions of kindness, and this 40-day challenge should be just the start. We should at all times through our days intentionally look for opportunities to show lovingkindness: a note or word of encouragement; a smile and pleasant greeting; an offer to assist; a phone call. There are many ways we can respond to the Lord’s direction and the Holy Spirit’s inner nudging. Don’t let an opportunity to brighten someone’s day pass you by.

But you know what; having talked about our Lord’s expressions of His lovingkindness and His direction to His people, we have yet to consider the greatest act of loving-kindness this world has ever seen; and that is the Crucifixion of Jesus, God’s one and only Son. It is this act of lovingkindness that provided the way for sinners like you and me to be forgiven of our sins and to have eternal life. Loving-kindness cannot be expressed in any greater, more compassionate way than that, and that is why we celebrate this Easter blessing. HE IS RISEN!!!!!! — Don Frost

Mention the words “Valentine’s Day,” and we conjure up images of love and romance — maybe Cupid (Eros), the Greek god of love, or a heart, long linked to strong emotions, like love. But why the name, and why February 14? Legends give us some interesting theories. The Roman St. Valentine, for whom the day is reportedly named, was put to death possibly on February 14, c. AD 270, allegedly for helping Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. The added love story is that the imprisoned Valentine sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with his jailor’s young daughter, whom he had befriended and healed from blindness. Before his death, he supposedly wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression still used today. Because of his sympathetic, heroic, and romantic reputation, Valentine had become one of the most popular saints in England and France by the Middle Ages. Valentine’s Day is now celebrated in France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and the U.S.

Another story claims the Christian church may have chosen mid-February for St. Valentine’s feast day to “Christianize” Lupercalia, a Roman fertility festival celebrated on February 15. In the Middle Ages, the day became definitively associated with love. The French and English believed that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, suggesting Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.

We use the word love usually to indicate affection or deep feelings. Add a bit of excitement and mystery, and you have romance! I know Jarrell loves me; he kisses me morning and night, no matter how old, disheveled, or cranky I am. Romance? He’s surprised me with: a harp-shaped cake he made himself; his own poetry; jewelry; what’s become my favorite sweatshirt (and he’s colorblind); and adventures in foreign countries. What first attracted me to my husband was his voice. Even now, hearing his voice still warms my heart.

Wes Howl’s joyful, waltz-tempo rendering of “Love Lifted Me” during a recent Vespers reminded me that God’s love for us underscores the love we have for each other. Love has been part of God’s world since Adam. God knew Adam needed a woman; adding Eve set the stage for couples from Day 8 (or so). The Bible tells of many successful marriages, and one can find plenty of romance, especially in Solomon’s Song of Songs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us a great recipe for a good marriage: “Love is patient, love is kind…” Philippians 2:3 adds to it. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Ephesians 4:2 tells us to “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” I’m still trying.

February is known as the “love” month. When we were young, we all had dreams of what love was like, but few of us had the satisfaction of a whole love relationship that fulfilled all those dreams. Our lives all have ups and downs that hit at various times with health, money, family, jobs, and relationships that affect both Christians and non-believers.

I met Bill in 1959 when I was home from college before my senior year. I needed a half unit more of Physical Education. I decided to take Horseback Riding during the summer. I used to ride a horse to school growing up, so I thought it would be easy, but I didn’t have a car to get to the stables. I ended up riding with Bill to class.

One factor in long love is knowing each other’s interests well. Bill and I dated about 18 months long distance before getting married. Check well to see if those interests match. What attitudes show up when things are going well and when there are misunderstandings?

Money, religion, and family are key points. We all come from different environments and often reflect the actions and attitudes that come from our parents. How does each person react when an issue is confronted? How willing is the person to forgive? It is always a need for long love. A big part of success is a positive attitude and the ability to have a well-developed sense of humor.

Another key factor to success is the willingness to change. It has been critical for us. Following God’s direction saved us from making poor, selfish decisions many times. It even brought us to OKC 16 years ago from beautiful San Diego.
God has rescued us in many situations and difficulties. As a result, we treat each other with caring, faithfulness, and respect. We honor our marriage commitments. After 60 years, we give thanks to the Lord for his gifts of long love.

An Airbus 380 is on its way across the Atlantic. It flies consistently at 800 km/h at 30,000 feet when suddenly a Eurofighter with Tempo Mach 2 appears.

The pilot of the fighter jet slows down, flies alongside the Airbus, and greets the pilot of the passenger plane by radio: “Airbus, boring flight, isn’t it?
Watch this…

He rolls his jet on its back, accelerates, breaks through the sound barrier, rises rapidly to a dizzying height, and then swoops down to sea level in a breathtaking dive. He loops back next to the Airbus and asks, “Well, how was that?”

The Airbus pilot answers: “Very impressive, but now you look!”

The jet pilot watches the Airbus, but nothing happens. It continues to fly stubbornly straight, with the same speed. After 15 minutes, the Airbus pilot radios, “Well, how was that?”

Confused, the jet pilot asks, “What did you do?”

The Airbus pilot laughs and says, “I got up, stretched my legs, walked to the back of the aircraft to use the washroom, then got a cup of coffee and a chocolate fudge pastry.

The moral of the story is:

When you are young, speed and adrenaline seem to be great. But as you get older and wiser, you learn that comfort and peace are more important.

This is called the S.O.S.: Slower, Older, but Smarter