A would be car thief in Arkansas owes his victim more than an apology. Police in Fort Smith say Joseph McQuade owes his life to a woman whose cars he tried to burglarize.

Police say twenty-nine-year-old McQuade was attempting to break in to one the woman's two vehicles when he sliced a major artery on his wrist after punching through a window. The robber, who was bleeding profusely, then kicked down the door of the woman's home. He told her he was hurt and needed help, asking her to call 911.

Sgt. Jarrard Copeland of the Fort Smith Police department said McQuade was lying in a pool of blood when officers and EMT workers arrived. He needed several units of blood at the hospital. Copeland said, "He's lucky he broke into the home of someone who was willing to help him. He was not far from bleeding out."

McQuade was released from the hospital two days later, and is now in a local jail facing charges of burglary and breaking and entering.

—http://news.yahoo.com, Injured car thief asks car's owner for help, Tinuola Awopetu, Court TV, August 19, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Luke 6:35 (HCSB) "But love your enemies, do [what is] good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil."

Addressing religious and spiritual leaders from around the world at the Millennium World Peace Summit at the United Nations, Ted Turner said:

"We are all one race, and there is only one God who manifests himself in different ways.

Basically, the major religions which have survived today don't have blood sacrifice, and they don't have hatred behind them. Those which have done the best are the ones that are built on love. God had to love us, didn't he? He wouldn't have made us if he hated us."

Yes, God does love us. Unfortunately, Turner doesn't understand that God's love is what led him to the cross-to shed his blood as a sacrifice for our sins.

—http://www.sltrib.com/09022000/Saturday/18525.htm Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

John 3:16 KJV "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

In a recent interview, comedian/actor Jim Carrey was asked the question: "What do you still desire?" to which he responded: "Love." Even though he makes over $10 million per movie, and is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, Jim Carrey can testify that money and fame can't buy happiness. Not yet forty, he has already had two failed marriages, and what he really wants, is love.

—Life and Times, March 14th, 2000, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Dave Bootsma

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

In her column, Ann Landers recently passed along a joke she credit to Curmudgeon's Corner, it goes like this: "Emily Sue was going into labor, and her husband, Bubba, called 911. The operator told Bubba she would send someone out right away. 'Where do you live?' asked the operator. Bubba replied, 'Eucalyptus Drive.' The operator asked, 'Can you spell that for me?' There was a pause and then Bubba said, 'How about I drag her over to Oak Street, and you pick her up there?'"

The easiest way, isn't always the best way, or the most compassionate way. Loving often means we have to put out a little extra effort.

1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV) "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

While listening to one of my students give an oral presentation of their philosophy of ministry I learned something about the power of love. One student commented that he wanted to help his congregation integrate the Bible into their daily life—a worthy goal.

He said, "I don't remember anything my Sunday School teachers taught me when I was a youth, and I want to do a better job teaching than my teachers did." At first, his comment made me a bit defensive, but then I started thinking about it and decided he was right. I don't specifically remember anything my teachers taught me either.

About the time I was ready to agree fully, one of his classmates spoke up. "I agree with you," he said. "I can't remember any specific thing my teachers taught me either, but I do remember how much they cared for me. That's made a difference in my life."

For more information on The Boomerang Mandate: Returning the ministry to the People of God, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966177819/fm082-20

While ministering in Rural Montana, David Hansen met a feisty 94-year old blind woman whose fierce independence buffeted his early attempts to minister to her. She chopped her own wood, cooked her own meals and wouldn't accept help from anyone, much less the preacher. She would, however, allow him to drop by to give her the Lord's Supper.

For the longest time, he couldn't convince her that people loved her. "Love isn't in the Bible," she said, "The Bible calls it charity, not love." He continued to be faithful to minister to her on her terms.

With time, she began to allow the church to bring meals by and even let the Pastor chop some wood for her. Her cold exterior began to thaw. The church started helping her with her bills and assisted her niece in cleaning up around the place. Pastor David began chopping wood for her on a regular basis-it was his way of showing Christ's love for one of His children.

Before her hundredth birthday, she went into a local nursing home where she receives the care she needs. Though Pastor David didn't need to chop wood for her anymore, he continued to minister to her. In his book, The Power of Loving Your Church, he describes what happened after stopping by the nursing home to give her communion one day.

"Upon rising to leave, I stoop over and give her a hug. She reaches up and returns my embrace." Before leaving, he tells her something powerful "'I have charity for you, Kathryn," And she responds, "Well, that's nice, a person needs a lot of that."

Christ's love, excuse me, charity can melt the hardest heart and heal the deepest hurts. Kathryn was right, a person needs a lot of it.

1 Cor. 13:13 KJV "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

—The Power of Loving Your Church, David Hansen (p, 169-170) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

For more information on The Power of Loving Your Church, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556619685/fm082-20

John Gottman, of the University of Washington, is a world renowned Psychologist who can predict whether a marriage will last, or whether it will end in divorce based on whether the couple engages in positive sentiment override, or negative sentiment override. He defines positive sentiment override as "where positive emotion overrides irritability." If a husband snaps at the wife after a long day, in positive sentiment override, she overlooks the irritability. Her overall positive feelings about him override the isolated negative action.

Negative sentiment override does the opposite. The negative emotion overrides positive overtures. Gottman explains, "In the negative sentiment override state, people draw lasting conclusions about each other. If their spouse does something positive, it's a selfish person doing a positive thing. It's really hard to change those states, and those states determine whether when one party tries to repair things, the other party sees that as repair or hostile manipulation."

—Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell p. 29-30. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Have you ever been in a relationship where you've thought "I can't do anything right in their eyes?" That is a relationship in negative sentiment override. Do you also have relationships with people that tend to overlook your faults and love you for who you are? That's a relationship in positive sentiment override. Or to put it another way, it is a loving relationship.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 HCSB "Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; [5] does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; [6] finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; [7] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [8] Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end."

Sixty-five year Clive Collins was opening the trunk of his car in a parking lot when he stepped on a manhole cover, which tipped, allowing him to fall into a 5 ft hole. Collins was trapped in the manhole for 45 minutes while other shoppers passed by without helping. He said one woman parked right beside him and looked under the hood of her car. Though he asked her to call an ambulance, the woman refused to acknowledge that he was there. Another shopper acknowledged Collins, but never did anything to help. Collins said the man drove by slowly, looking straight at him. When Collins waved to get his attention, the man waved back, but never stopped.

Despite his injuries, Collins was finally able to get his cell phone out of his pocket and call for help. He was treated for two broken ribs, a chipped tooth, a strained groin, and needed 47 stitches. Collins said "Probably about 15, 20 people walked by. The more I called out, the less they seemed to notice me." Local authorities said they were investigating why the manhole cover tipped, but could not explain why no one stopped to help.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/england/dorset/5345940.stm. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 John 3:17-18 (CEV) "If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. [18] Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it."

When 41 year-old divorcee Pieter DeHond sought to bring some love into his life, he chose a unique way of getting his message out. DeHond said placing a personal ad in the local paper seemed too desperate, so he decided to use his cow pasture near Canandaigua, New York instead. DeHond cut a message reading, "S.W.F. Got-2 (heart symbol) Farm-N" in fifty-foot letters into his field. Translated, the message says, "Single White Female: Got to love Farming."

Under the message DeHond cut an arrow pointing to his home. He admitted using his field to display his message was more of fun thing. DeHond said, "I put this out in a field where nobody could see it unless you flew over it." DeHond's pasture lies on the main flight path from New York City to Rochester, New York, and was clearly visible from cruising altitude. Unfortunately before DeHond found love, he lost: He let his cattle into the field and they promptly ate the message.

—World Magazine, Bigger than A Billboard, September 3, 2005, pg 9. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Corinthians 14:1 (AMP) "EAGERLY PURSUE and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]; and earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts), especially that you may prophesy (interpret the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching)."

Following Super Bowl XLI, there will be a lot of footballs on the market claiming to be from the big game. Last year, the National Football League devised a special method of identification to guarantee the authenticity of the balls actually used in the game. Each of 120 balls designated for use in the Super Bowl XL were marked with a drop of synthetic DNA to prevent counterfeiting. When the Super Bowl balls are held up to a special laser, the DNA glows green. The DNA pattern is so unique; there is only a 1 in 33 trillion chance it can be duplicated.

http://dnalab.typepad.com/thednablog/, February. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

John 13:35 (GW) "Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other."

In his book, "Reaching Generation Next", Louis Drummond writes, "As Christ became flesh to reach out and save sinners, we must exemplify the same spirit of self-giving. To impact others, a willingness to identify with them in the spirit of the incarnation is vital. The challenge for all Christians centers in giving ourselves to the lost, just as Jesus did. Love wins most arguments."

1 Cor. 13:13 (NLT) "There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."

Dog-lovers in Britain celebrated when a judge granted clemency to a German Shepherd sentenced to death after biting a woman who tried to intervene in a fight between the dog and her dog.Dino, a seven-year old German Shepherd faced a destruction order, but his owners said the incident was out of character and spent thousand of pounds in a legal fight to save their dog.

The case went as far as Britain's High Court and the European Court of Human Rights where Dino's owner argued his rights had been compromised by an unclear law and a disproportionate sentence.

A judge at the Northampton Crown Court granted Dino clemency after hearing evidence from two animal behaviorists and a vet.Animal Lawyer Trevor Cooper who represented Dino and his owners said, "The judge was satisfied that this dog isn't a danger to public safety." The dog's owner added that Dino had the support of Britain's pet loving public and some dog charities. He said, "He's always been a pet since he was a puppy. If we had ever felt at any time that the dog represented a danger, then we wouldn't have gone where we've gone."

—Reuters, October 15, 2004 Judge Pardons Death Row Dog, Dino; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Perhaps only dog owners can fully understand the lengths this family went through to save their pet.Love compels people to do things they wouldn't ordinarily do.

Ephes. 5:2 (NASB) "and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took a break from her diplomatic responsibilities to help a young woman stricken by a rare and often-fatal disease. Rice made an unpublicized appearance at the piano during an event at the Kennedy Center sponsored by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association designed to raise awareness of the rare pulmonary disorder. The Secretary of State accompanied Soprano Charity Sunshine, granddaughter of Representative Tom Lantos from California. Doctors diagnosed Sunshine with the rare affliction a year ago. There is no known cause or cure.

As a child, Rice performed, won piano competitions and planned a career as a concert pianist. She switched her field of interest to international relations in her junior year at the University of Colorado. Rice's first name is a variation on the Italian Musical term "con dolcezza," which is a direction to play with sweetness. She learned to read music at the age of three.

At the benefit concert, Lantos introduced Rice as "a warm friend". He said the concert was her idea, describing how Rice's eyes filled with tears as he told her about his granddaughter's illness. Lantos quoted Rice as saying, "Let's have a concert and I will accompany her at the piano."

—Associated Press, Rice Takes Center Stage to Aid Ailing Soprano, June 12, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Romans 12:10 NIV "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

A new study by Swiss Researchers suggests revenge really is sweet, and has brain scans to back up the claim. The study published in the journal Science, paired 15 male students who believed they were taking part in an economic study. The first person would give all or some of his money to a second person who then gave some or none of it back. If the first player gave all his money, the amount was quadrupled, and the second person could share his reward with the first.

If the second player refused to share, the first could punish him by taking away imaginary points or by taking money away. Researchers scanned the brain centers linked to enjoyment and satisfaction while subjects learned about the other's abuse of trust and determined their response. The results showed a clear pattern of activity in brain centers indicating satisfaction when one player penalized another for being selfish.

Psychologist Brian Knutson of Stanford University in California likened the feeling to a driver refusing to let another he considers to be a cheater squeeze in front of him in traffic.

Knutson said, "Instead of cold, calculated reason, it is passion that may plant the seeds of revenge." He added, "After squeezing back the intruder, you can't help but notice a smile creep onto your face."

—Reuters, August 27, 2004, Revenge Really is Sweet, Study Shows. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

This study really shows how our natural reaction is not to respond in love. Jesus understood how people react to the opportunity to seek revenge.

Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV) "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' [44] But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"

The very thing that often attracts one person to another, later will drive him/her crazy. Which inevitably leads that person, who once was the object of affection, to become a "make over" project for their mate. The truth is, one person cannot change another. The only person I have a chance of changing is myself.

In an interview with Biography Magazine, Psychologist Harriet Lerner said, "You know, rats in a maze will vary their behavior if they hit a dead end three times. But people continue their ineffective efforts to change someone else for at least one lifetime."

Real love doesn't try to make a spouse into the image of their ideal mate, it is accepting and accommodating, not manipulating and controlling.

1 Cor. 13:4-5 NASB "Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, [5] does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,"

An elementary teacher spent an entire day teaching her class of second graders about magnets and what they do. The next day, she gave her students a written test which included the question, “My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?” When the test papers were turned in, the teachers was astonished and amused to find that half of her students answered the question with the word, Mother.

In Our Daily Bread, Richard DeHaan writes that while mothers do pick things up, they are more than magnets gathering clothes, toys and dirty dishes from around the house. A good mother gives her family love and offers an atmosphere where each member can find acceptance, security, and understanding. A mother is there when her family needs a listening ear, a comforting word, a hug, or a loving touch.

A mother has the unique privilege of being an example of Jesus. He offers love and unconditional acceptance much like a mother does. For a Christian mother, the greatest joy is helping her children know and love Jesus too. Jesus commanded those who follow Him to love each other.

John 13:34-35 NIV “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

—Our Daily Bread; Sunday, May 12, 1991; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Valentine's Day in America means flowers, cards, boxes of chocolate, and perhaps, a night out for special couples. Despite the sweet and loving connotations of the holiday, Muslim and Hindu leaders in Asia are trying to stamp out the celebration of Valentine's Day by young lovers. While the holiday seems trivial to Westerners, it is a serious issue of cultural tension in other parts of the world. Cities in India have outlawed cards, and guards spent the day searching campuses looking for couples daring to celebrate the holiday. In Brunei, Valentine's Day has been declared a threat to Islam. Religious leaders fear the "Christian practice" of Valentine's Day could "erode moral values, weaken the community and destroy Islam."

—http://www.worldnetdaily.com, February 13, 2002, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Sometimes we get a little carried away with our celebrations in America. Yet, within the context of marriage love between and man and a woman is God's plan. Love is not something to fear, it is something to be shared.

Romans 13:8 & 10 NIV."Let no debt remain outstanding, except the debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Is there really a seven-year itch in romantic relationships? Can Romantic love last? According to a new study of brain activity by Scientists using MRIs love can last. Couples who have been together after an average of 21 years still show the brain activity of those in love less than one year. The finding: love can last. The MRIs showed the brain reactions of people after they viewed photos of their partners. “The long term relationships don’t have the obsession and anxiety of new love; instead, they show increased calm and attachment,” says Lucy Brown of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

--USA Today, Nov. 17, 2008, 7D Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

“Til death do us part” is not a lifetime sentence but rather a statement of how God intended love to be. After 20, 30, even 50 or 60 years, love is for a lifetime.

1 Corinthians 13:8 (GW) “Love never comes to an end. There is the gift of speaking what God has revealed, but it will no longer be used. There is the gift of speaking in other languages, but it will stop by itself. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will no longer be used.”

In the book, Godly Love, A Rose Planted in the Desert of Our Hearts, Stephen Post says he always knew human beings longed for God’s love, but it took an encounter with a man named Jim to help him understand the need.

Post says he meet Jim in a nursing home in Ohio years ago. Jim was very forgetful, and had lost his grasp on the connection between past and present as a result of advancing dementia. Stephen says Jim could not respond to questions about his two sons, but when handling a twig, Jim’s smile would grow. Eyeing the twig, Jim struggled to put together the only words he spoke that morning, “God is Love.”

When Stephen asked a nurse about the twig later, he learned that Jim had grown up on a farm. His father loved him deeply and treated Jim with tenderness. During his childhood, Jim’s daily chore was collecting firewood for the fireplaces. Holding the twig transported Jim back to a place in his past where he felt comfort in the love of his father. Dr. Post writes, “For him, that twig symbolized the love of his father and the joy that Jim felt in doing a small, helpful chore early in life. I believe that for Jim it also symbolized Godly Love. There in the desert of deep forgetfulness, Jim was coping with the chaos of the present by clinging to emotional memories that conjured up the power of love.”

Godly Love, A Rose Planted in the Desert of Our Hearts, Stephen G Post, Templeton Foundation Press, 2008; Pg 3-6. Submitted by Jim Sandell

No matter what desert you are in today, God’s love is strong enough to make His rose bloom.

Isaiah 35:1-2 (CEV) “Thirsty deserts will be glad; barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers. Deserts will bloom everywhere and sing joyful songs. They will be as majestic as Mount Lebanon, as glorious as Mount Carmel or Sharon Valley. Everyone will see the wonderful splendor of the Lord our God”

For more information on Godly Love, A Rose Planted in the Desert of Our Hearts, go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1599471515/fm082-20

A group of a couple dozen Salt Lake City teenagers celebrated their own version of Valentine’s Day in 2009. They called it “Anti Valentine’s Day.” No, they were not the boys and girls without dates and they have no problem with love. It is the commercialism of Valentine’s Day that turns them off. They believe the advertisements say, “spending money equals love.”

"It's just like pre-packaged romance, you know … you go out and buy it from a store and it means nothing," said 17-year-old Dan Turchenko.

Instead of the traditional hearts, candy, and flowers these teens purchased heart-shaped cookies and broke them in half, and decorated them with black icing and hammered bits of candy hearts. They wrote anti-love poems based on famous poems from books taken off the library shelves.

--Salt Lake Tribune, Monday, February 16, 2009 http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11717215 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

True love does not come in a box or from a store. Demonstrations of love on Valentine’s Day can reinforce a romance, but it does not make one. Love is an action we take towards another.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NASB95) “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

The command of the Lord Jesus to love our enemies is easy in abstraction, but somewhat more difficult in real life. Gregory Jones tells a true story of forgiveness and this kind of love in his book, Embodying Forgiveness.

A Turkish officer raided and looted an Armenian home. He killed the aged parents and gave the daughters to the soldiers, keeping the eldest daughter for himself. Sometime later she escaped and trained as a nurse. As time passed, she found herself nursing in a ward of Turkish officers. One night, by the light of a lantern, she saw the face of this officer. He was so gravely ill that without exceptional nursing he would die. The days passed, and he recovered. One day, the doctor stood by the bed with her and said to him, “But for her devotion to you, you would be dead.” He looked at her and said, “We have met before, haven’t we?” “Yes,” she said, “we have met before.” “Why didn’t you kill me?” he asked. She replied, “I am a follower of him who said ‘Love your enemies.”

--Jones, L. Gregory, Embodying Forgiveness: a Theological analysis, p.265-266. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

The difficult actions of this nurse teach us the truth behind the Gospel. We can be great forgivers because we have been greatly forgiven.

Matthew 6:14 (KJV) “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:”

Louis Cozolino, professor of psychology at Pepperdine University in California says it is possible that researchers could develop a drug to make people have the impulse and the desire to move closer to one another. The research, conducted on prairie vols, is incomplete. Cozolino warns that more researchers need to do more research on a love drug’s effects on humans.

AARP Bulletin, March 2009 p. 9. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Instead of “Honey do you love me?”we might have to change our tactic. We might say instead, “Honey, did you take your ‘I love you’ medicine?”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (MSG) “Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, 7Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.”

“There was once a Christian counselor who met with a man who was having difficulty in his marriage. With sensitivity to the man’s concerns, the counselor told him that the answer was to love his wife just as commanded in Ephesians 5:25. The troubled husband replied that he just could not do that since he felt no affection toward his wife. Seeing the problem the man faced, the counselor then said the solution was for the man to move next door to the house his wife was living in. This perplexed the husband until the counselor said that if he was having difficulty loving his wife, he might have an easier time loving his neighbor (Matt. 19:19). At this, the man grew incensed, exclaiming that the counselor just did not understand how much he had grown to hate his wife. The counselor replied that the situation was finally clear to him and that all the man needed to do was to love his enemy (Eph. 5:43-48).”

The husband had bought into the romantic worldview that love is the way we feel. The Biblical concept of love is that love is something we do, and usually the feelings follow. But the feelings are not the reason for an action, nor the excuse for inaction. In the Biblical worldview a man loves his wife because that is the thing God has commanded us to do.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

A new study is providing new insight to the old saying “Opposites Attract.” The study conducted by University of Michigan psychologist Robert Zajonc suggests couples grow to look more like each other over time. The study analyzed pictures of couples taken as newlyweds and the same couple 25 years later, and found the couples grew to look more like each other over time. The study also found that the happier a couple was, the more likely they were to have increased in similarity.

Zajonc theorized that one possible reason why older couples looked more alike was that they tended to mimic each other’s facial expression over time. Other researchers have theorized that people are attracted to partners with similar personalities anyway, and over time, they may tend to develop similar characteristics, such as laugh lines. Other theories suggest individuals may even seek out others with similar DNA, which accounts for the similarity in appearance. Either way, the study suggests true love seeks someone who resembles them, and the longer a couple stays together, the more their resemblance increases.

--Why Do Couples Start to look like each other? http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100628/sc_livescience/whydocouplesstarttolooklikeeachother ; June 28, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Romans 8:28-29 (HCSB)(28) We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

Billionaire Warren Buffett is considered one of the most successful investors of our time. He recently surprised reporters when asked to describe the best advice he ever received. Rather than focus on ways of making money, Buffett said his father taught him the best way to live. He encouraged parents saying they have the opportunity to make a “better human being.”

The billionaire said, “there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child. I mean, you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it – it’s not uncritical love; that’s a different animal – but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life. That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out there that can extend that to their child at an early age, it’s going to make for a better human being.”

--Warren Buffett Interview: The Best Life Advice I’ve Ever Received, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/warren-buffett-interview_n_639536.html ; July 7, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Unconditional Love is the type of love our Heavenly Father extends to all. One of the best examples is found in Jesus’ parable of the wayward son.

Luke 15:21-24 (CEV) “The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.’ (22) But his father said to the servants, ‘Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. (23) Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. (24) This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.’ And they began to celebrate. “

--The Week, August 6, 2010 p. 17 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

This may help explain our tendency to hate this year the same people we were enough in love with to marry at some point in our past. We love and hate the people we feel intensely about.

Matthew 7:9-12 (HCSB) What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? (11) If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (12) Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them—this is the Law and the Prophets.

In Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Richard Swenson writes: “Boundaries are about establishing a perimeter around the personal and private spaces of our lives and not letting the world come crashing in uninvited. This is not an issue of selfishness but instead of self-care.” It is one way we love ourselves.

Matthew 22:36-40 (CEV) (36) "Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?" (37) Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. (38) This is the first and most important commandment. (39) The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, "Love others as much as you love yourself." (40) All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.

Liz Murray’s drug-addicted parents raised her and her sister in poverty in New York—really raised isn’t the right word, they had to care for themselves. Her father was an intelligent man, quite gifted, but lived a diminished life because of the drugs. Her mother suffered from mental illness along with her drug addiction and was content to live from one high to the next that she paid for with her government check and prostitution.

What makes Murray’s story remarkable isn’t her dire upbringing—unfortunately, these stories are all too common. Her story is remarkable because she rose from these circumstances to graduate from Harvard and is the author of Breaking Night and the subject of a Lifetime movie, From Homeless to Harvard.

In her book about her experience, Breaking Night Liz Murray writes, “love stretched between a handful of people fills a space, transforms it into a home.”

A devastating earthquake rocked the island of Japan in March 2011. Aftershocks have continued to plague the country and the world has come together to aid Japan in its time of distress. One of the surprising sources of this aid is South Korea. The Japanese and Korean people have long held a strong animosity that dates from the World War II era when the Japanese occupied Korea and took the women as sexual slaves.

Even so, Korean aid was among the first to arrive in the beleaguered Japanese shores. The Koreans raised tens of millions of dollars from private donors. It seemed for many that this was the end of the long-standing feud. However, the Japanese have uncovered old wounds over a territory dispute and the Koreans have once again taken offense. The island known to Koreans as Dokdo and to the Japanese as Dakeshima has been claimed by both countries as part of their territory. The rich natural gas deposits provide a sizable bounty for the owner of the property.

Not long after the earthquake and ensuing support from the Korean nation, Japanese diplomats published a document claiming the island as their own. This inflamed the national rivalry once again and has dissolved nearly all of the support Koreans had mustered for their Japanese neighbors.

--Los Angeles Times - http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-korea-20110426,0,6411109.story?track=rss&utm_
source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+%28L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories%29 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Miguel Martinez

Matthew 7:12(NASB) 12 "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

During the height of the Cold War, farmers in Soviet Estonia decided to use their assigned duties to send special messages to one of their communist allies. When Soviet authorities ordered the farmers to send potatoes to Cuba, the workers decided to include some messages as well. Hans Uba, who worked as an electrician at the time, said that in the spring of 1961, he and his comrades dreamed of warmer climates than their home in the Baltic region. Latin charm intrigued them and they decided to send cheeky messages to recipients of the potatoes.

Uba admitted the messages broke with the tradition of sending messages containing the required language of Marxist solidarity to other communist bloc countries. Instead, they sent messages in rudimentary Spanish to the citizen of Cuba only two years after the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. Uba said, “We sent things like, ‘besame mucho, ‘” using the Spanish for “kiss me loads.” Uba added, ” But nobody ever replied.”

--Soviet Estonians stashed love notes to Cuba in potato boxes, http://news.yahoo.com/soviet-estonians-stashed-love-notes-cuba-potato-boxes-161206310.html ; October 21, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

God continues to send everyone love notes every day, but only a few ever respond.

Romans 1:20-21 (CEV) God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse. (21) They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark.

When a lawyer questioning Jesus asked him to explain who he meant by “your neighbor,” Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. (See Luke 10:29-37) The usual interpretation is that we should treat everyone as if they were our neighbor.

Researchers at the University of Milan analyzed the friend links among the 721 million people who are part of Facebook. They discovered the average number of links between any two people on the social networking website is only 4.74 hops. “That means when considering even the most distant Facebook user in the Siberian tundra or the Peruvian rain forest, a friend of your friend probably knows a friend of their friend.”

--The Week, December 9, 2011 p. 27 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

If we are that close to people on the other side of the world, we should treat those in our neighborhood, not only as neighbors, but friends. At the very least, we should be kind to them.

Ephesians 4:32 (HCSB) And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Stephen Hawking, the physicist who is renowned for his work on the most complex questions of astrophysics, admitted there is one topic he thinks about often that stumps him. “Women,” said Hawking. “They are a complete mystery.”

--The Week, January 20, 2012, p. 6 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Everyone, even brilliant people, has a limit to his/her knowledge, but Christ’s love knows no restrictions.

Ephesians 3:19 (ESV) and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Life is Beautiful is a film about a man and his son captured by Nazis to a concentration camp. The father tried his best to entertain his son so that the boy would not realize their situation. He showed his love by keeping his son happy in the camp until he was taken away to be executed.

Love is not something which we enjoy while everything goes smooth, but the existential reality which can be experienced amidst the troubles.

--Life Is Beautiful http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Beautiful Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Bawm Luk Lagwi

1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV) So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The trainer sergeant of the military academy told the graduating candidates that they would be free from training once they left the training compound. At the gate of the compound, the cadets were ordered to line up in the queue and march. A fake grenade was rolled in the middle of the queue. Everybody fled for their lives.

Everyone, that is, except a young cadet, who threw himself over the grenade. The trainer asked the self-sacrificing soldier if he knew the grenade was a dummy weapon. The soldier replied that he did not know it was a fake grenade, but he threw himself over it to save other people's lives. Then the trainer ordered all the cadets to line up again and said that the spirit and conduct of a hero ought to be willingness to sacrifice one's life for the sake of others in case of emergency. He charged all of them to serve as self-sacrificing heroes.

--http://drlunswe.blogspot.com (Burmese literature talk ) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Bawm Luk Lagwi

A caring person took a child with malnutrition to a mission child care center but was turned away due to a shortage of space. The one who brought the child to the childcare center did not blame the staff of childcare center, but started WORLD VISION to help needy children in many countries of the world.

--http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/about/history?Open&lpos=lft_txt_History Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Bawm Luk Lagwi

Luke 10:33-34(NIV) “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.”

Though they went to the Dallas Fort Worth area to compete against one another, five NASCAR drivers recently took time out to demonstrate the love of Jesus is a needy family in the area. After a recent batch of tornadoes littered the yard of an 83-year-old man named Jay with fallen branches and uprooted trees. Unable to do the cleanup himself, the elderly man enlisted the help of Samaritan’s Purse, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, and Motor Racing Outreach. The morning after a smaller race and before the big race that afternoon, drivers Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Josh Wise, Mike McDowell, and Blake Koch joined others to move a mountain of trees in a short time.

As the volunteers worked to meet physical needs, Blake Koch told how Jay began talking with a couple about his spiritual concerns. When asked if he would live have lived eternally in heaven if he had not survived the storm, Jay said he was not sure. After hearing a presentation of the gospel, Jay prayed to receive Christ on the porch of his damaged home. Koch explained that morning he was convinced he was right where God wanted him. He said “We weren’t NASCAR drivers there. We were there to share the love of Christ.”

--NASCAR Drivers Become Hands and Feet of Jesus, April 18, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

John 13:34-35 CEV But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.

A taxi driver and self-proclaimed atheist who had once planned to sue to have a nativity scene removed from the courthouse lawn says his perspective has changed because of the love he and his wife were shown. Patrick Greene said he thought the placement of a nativity scene in front of the local courthouse was unconstitutional, and he planned to use the legal system to force its removal. Then a sudden decline in his health changed his plans. Greene began losing his sight due to a detaching retina. Since he could not drive taxi anymore, and was facing surgery with no health insurance to cover it, Greene decided to withdraw the lawsuit to focus on necessities.

When a Jessica Crye, a member of the local Sand Springs Baptist Church, heard the news, she called her pastor to tell him about the lawsuit being dropped and to ask if their church could do anything to help the Greene family. Her pastor said he thought the church had already been given the command to help, so he said yes immediately. Crye began an effort to send help and support to the Greene family right away.

At first, the Greene’s would not take any help to pay for the surgery, but agreed to accept help with bills and rent payments. At one point, he asked the church to stop giving, but the gifts kept coming anyway. Greene told reporters he had never had a Christian treat him the way the Sand Springs Church did. The only believers he had encountered before that were people who refused to pay their cab fares because they didn’t want their money going to the “devil.” He said the believers he knew had done a lot of things to him, but had never loved him. He added, “Our own families have totally forgotten our existence, and strangers –Christians and atheists form around the country—are helping us. One of the things Jesus said was to love your neighbor as yourself. These people are acting like real Christians.”

The Greenes said they expected Christians to help them only if they decided to convert. Crye said Greene told her he and his wife were moving to the same area as the church and would attend services sometimes, even though he has not changed his beliefs. She said Jesus has called Christians to love not just their neighbors but also their enemies and to love both without conditions. Crye added, “That’s what God called us to do. It’s very against our nature to one, love people, and two, to love them unconditionally. If we’re not, they’re what Jesus is like. They’re seeing that view that Patrick has always seen.”

--Atheist shocked when church helps with bills, http://gofbw.com/news.asp?ID=13921, April 17, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

John 13:34-35 (CEV) But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples

Maggie Gallagher is the founding president of the National Organization. During an interview, Marvin Olasky of World Magazine asked her, “How did having a baby and then caring for a baby change your life?”

Her answer is insightful. “You don’t love your child for anything except for being you child, and the amount of sacrifice that it takes.”

That is the way that God loves me, and you. We are His children and that is enough. He loves us because we are His, not because we deserve to be loved.

Romans 5:8 (ESV) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Musician speaker, and author Shaun Groves says he has the opportunity to lead worship at many different churches. After the services, he takes time to sit down with the musicians of that church for some one-on-one time. Groves says the musicians will often ask him about the music program at his home church. They are surprised to learn that he attends a church that doesn’t have an outstanding music program. Groves says the music was so bad the first Sunday his family visited that the worship leader stopped twice to start over. Instead of turning them away, he says that’s why they came back the next Sunday.

Groves says the 300 people gathered in that elementary school that morning were not there because they loved music; they came because they loved God and each other. Groves uses his time with musicians to encourage them to serve because they are motivated by love. He says a praise team practices so they can be free to think about who they are singing and playing for, not to be perfect. He says participation is more important that facilitation. He asks musicians to spend time with God every day and attend church even when they’re not playing. He believes communion with God is more important than excellence. Groves says the question to ask is not what you can do, but why you are a part of the community you call church. --Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Why we Chose a Church With Bad Music, http://shaungroves.com/2012/06/why-we-chose-a-church-with-bad-music ; June 28, 2012,

1Corinthians 16:13-14 GNB Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave, be strong.
Do all your work in love.

When Steve Gustafson heard a cry from Bounce, his small Terrier dog, he looked up to see it in the jaws of a 7-foot alligator. "I just knew that my best friend was going to be dead," Gustafson said. "And I took off." He jumped on the alligator and wrested his pet from its mouth. After a quick trip to the Doctor and Vet for a few stitches, both owner and pet are doing fine.

Villages grandfather saves dog from jaws of gator By Erica Rodriguez http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-18/news/os-villages-man-saves-dog-gator-20120918_1_gator-jaws-pond (accessed 9/25/12)

Taking an airplane flight with 14-week-old twins has the potential of being a complete disaster. One San Francisco couple prepared for such a disaster. They anticipated that their babies might upset other passengers so as they boarded their flight they passed out goodie bags containing candy and an apologetic note for the crying that was certain to occur. One San Francisco passenger noted that “the babies were ‘fantastic flyers’ while the parents were ‘brilliant and thoughtful.’”

We could have a marvelous testimony of Christian thoughtfulness if we took as much care to think of others as this couple. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Philippians 2:3 (HCSB) Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.

A Canadian dentist is hoping that chance and a little help from the media can help him find the girl of his dreams. On a trip to Ireland last year, Sandy Crocker, briefly spoke to a woman in a café in the Irish countryside. He says he usually does not instantly fall in love, but there was something special about this woman. The only problem is that Crocker doesn’t know her name or even where she is from. His description of her as being 5-foot- 6 with reddish brown hair and freckles, fits 80 percent of the women in Ireland.

Crocker’s two-minute encounter with the woman stuck with him, and now he has given himself one month to travel 4,000 miles and look for her. In a television interview, he said, “It is just a situation where if you didn’t come back and do it and see if you could find the girl, 50 years down the road you’d regret it.— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Love at First Sight?: Dentist Hopes to Find Mystery Woman Again in Ireland, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/09/love-at-first-sight-dentist-hopes-to-find-mystery-woman-again-in-ireland, Accessed September 22, 2012

Luke 15:4 (NASB77) " What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?

The movie Argo is set in November 1979 Iran and depicts a mob of angry locals outside the gate of the United States embassy. Tempers erupted. Cries of angry voices blared. Sounds of breaking chains and windows reverberated through the embassy compound. Finally the Iranians rushed into the building.

That was the beginning of 444 days of captivity. 444 days of blindfolds. 444 days of guns in their faces. 444 days of propaganda broadcast over the airwaves. We know it was 444 days, but they didn’t, not at the time anyway.

When the mayhem first broke out, the people broke in; six of the U.S. embassy workers took a chance and ran through the angry mob, out the door of the gate and down the street. They ran from embassy to embassy, until they finally found someone who would take them in. The Canadian ambassador and his wife welcomed them into their home, allowing them to remain in hiding, hoping that a way could be found to get them out of the country.

When the U.S. government discovered that these six workers had run for their lives and were in hiding, they scrambled to find an effective way to get them out. Tony Mendez, a CIA specialist, knew that the only way to rescue them was for someone to go into Iran and lead them out.

At great risk to his own personal safety, he devised a plan to attempt a rescue. Although he knew the cost, he was willing to put his own life on the line in order to help these six people. By following through with his plan, he showed that the lives of the six workers were just as important to him as his own life.

Most of us won’t have to risk our lives for others, but we will need to put others’ needs before our own. When you see the needs of others, imagine being in their shoes, having these same needs yourself. Ask yourself what you can do to show Christ’s love to them in their need. By answering this question through your actions, you will love them as you love yourself. —Jim L.
Wilson and Lori Blankenship

Matthew 22:39 (ESV) And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

“In an astonishing turn of events, Tim Tebow has now cancelled his appearance at First Baptist Dallas; and in doing so he has officially placed the political religious right to the far margins of society.”

In an article about the cancellation, columnist Paul Brandeis Raushenbush said in the Huffington Post:
“Dr. Jeffress has never been shy about his opinons and he offered up some great soundbites in the last election…Jeffress has also had a few choice words to say about the gays, namely that "homosexuality is perverse, it represents a degradation of a person's mind;" and Muslims who are following a religion that is a "heresy from the pit of hell."”

This isn’t about Tebow, but it shows us what your neighbors, your children, your friends are thinking. If we stand against sin, the offer of Jesus Christ is Judgementalism. But instead, if we seek to love the homosexual, love the Muslim, and love the Catholic, Jesus emerges as the loving Savior they need. --Jim L. Wilson and Tye McClain

Paul Brandeis Raushenbush Senior Religion Editor, The Huffington Post Tim Tebow Officially Puts Evangelical Right on the Sideline http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/tim-tebow-first-baptist-dallas_b_2734677.html

Romans 13:8 (ESV) Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

When a newlywed wife called 911to report her husband missing during their Florida honeymoon, police told her that he had been arrested for attempting to hire a prostitute.

A Washington state family returned home to find a burglar in their home. When he left, Buddy, the family dog, went with him and hasn’t been seen since. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

John 3:16 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

When an Oregon church was tagged by vandals, the youth group decided to send a message back to the community, rather than cover over the hateful symbols. When the pastor arrived at the church one morning, he saw the graffiti, and called the youth group to help fix the problem. They enlisted the services of an artist in the church and created a mural over the vandal’s work. Kathy Wilson, wife of the youth group leader said they were shocked that someone would feel like they could do something like that. She said the church plans to leave the positively themed mural up for a while. When asked why the youth group decided to fight paint with paint, Wilson said, “It’s covered in love. I think that’s the message of our church. No matter where you’re at or what hate you have in your heart, God covers it with love.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

CHURCH YOUTH GROUP TURNS HATEFUL GRAFFITI INTO WORK OF ART,
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Church-youth-group-turns-hateful-graffiti-into-work-of-art-214282491.html, Accessed July 4, 2013

1 Peter 4:8 (CEV) (8) Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.

A church group in North Carolina had passed out coffee and breakfast sandwich to the city’s homeless every weekend for six years. When they returned to the site recently, officers from the police department met them and told them if they distributed food, they would be arrested. Seventy people had already lined up, so Pastor Hugh Hollowell asked for permission to give the food to them, but he was not allowed to. Authorities say police were there to enforce an ordinance that bans the distribution of food in any of the city’s parks. The ministry group, known as Love Wins, said they knew they could not use the park, and had set up on the sidewalk for the past six years without a problem. They were also told that to continue the activity, they would need a permit to use the park, which would cost $800 a day. Hollowell said they would seek owners of private buildings or parking lots in the area to see if any of them would let them distribute the food there.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Church Group Members Threatened With Arrest for Handing Out Biscuits, Coffee to the Homeless, http://abcnews.go.com/US/nc-police-threaten-arrest-church-group-feeding-homeless/story?id=20062760, Accessed August 26, 2013.

A telephone survey conducted by the Rasmussen organization found that the majority of Americans think that rude behavior is increasing. The poll surveyed 1,000 people chosen at random and found that only one in ten American adults think the people they meet are becoming kinder and gentler. Instead, 77 percent of those who responded said they believed that other citizens were becoming ruder and acting less civilly. Half of the people who responded said they have confronted another person over their behavior.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

77% Think Americans Are Getting Ruder, http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/october_2013/77_think_americans_are_getting_ruder, Accessed October 17, 2013.

1 Corinthians 13:5 (NASB) (5) does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

A survey conducted by Harris Interactive has found that prejudice may be closer to home than most people realize. The survey of 3,000 adults found that most people know their neighbors and don’t mind inviting them over, as long as they are not renters. The poll was designed to look at attitudes within a neighborhood, and found about one third of people want their neighbors to speak the same language, and 16 percent want their neighbors to have the same family structure as they do. Over half of those surveyed said they preferred that their neighbors own their own home. Oddly, other surveys have found that even renters say they prefer homeowners as neighbors. Robert Borzotta, who runs a website dealing with neighborhood concerns, said three-quarters of homeowners have said that renters are bad neighbors because of things like yard upkeep, parking, and trash problems. He says most people prefer to live near people who are like them and added, ”Homeowners are perceived to care more about their property, its appearance, safety of the community, and property values.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

America’s Least Favorite Neighbors: Renters, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/america-least-favorite-neighbors-renters-113113757.html, Accessed October 30, 2013.

Romans 13:10 (NKJV) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

In 2013, 85-year-old James Gray couldn’t bear the thought of spending another Christmas alone in his London Flat, so he placed an ad in the Irish Post asking if someone was willing to spend the day with him.

The Newspaper in turn, ran a story on his plea and he was received many offers to fulfill his request.—Jim L. Wilson

http://www.irishpost.co.uk/news/irish-pensioner-overwhelmed-response-search-christmas-day-friend

A 12-year-old Tennessee girl touched the lives of those she left behind, and many more around the world because of a letter she had written to her future self. Taylor Smith died due to complications of pneumonia in early January, 2014. At her memorial service, her friends shared the ways Taylor had encouraged them, but it wasn’t until her parents went through boxes in her room that they got the biggest encouragement. They found poems, journals, and letters of encouragement she had written to people, including a letter she had written to her future self. The letter said it wasn’t to be opened until April 2023, and in it Taylor offered a lot of encouragement, wisdom, and advice to herself. Her parents said the best lines was, ”Stuff has happened good and bad, that’s just how life works and you have to go with it.” Taylor’s father said her life was “a perfect example of what it is to love God and to love people. She showed me how God loves, she didn’t see anything on the exterior she only saw the inside and what was best about you.” —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Johnson City girl's letter to her future self makes national headlines after her death, by Allie Hinds, http://www.wjhl.com/story/24389289/johnson-city-girls-life-remembered, Accessed January 10, 2014.

1 Corinthians 4:13 (ESV) when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

Dean Sparks still say he is not sure why he decided to buy the rusty old 1959 Chevy Bel-Air at a Nebraska auto auction. He said for some reason the clunker with 92,000 miles stood out to him. After towing the car 800 miles to his home, Sparks began to take it apart. He found many old things inside, but a water stained, mouse-chewed letter he found under the seat was most surprising. The thin and delicate paper was dated February 7, 1963 and was from a young woman named Beverly Barber to a man named Ronnie Waterbury in Pierce Nebraska. The letter was very sentimental, and the last line said, ‘Let’s get married’ and was underlined. Sparks and his wife did some research and finally found the couple’s son, Wade Waterbury. Waterbury, who lives in Kansas, was surprised to get a call about his parent’s old car, and the letter, He was even more surprised that Sparks had taken time to find him. He said both of his parents had passed away now, but he plans to frame the love letter and in their memory. He said, “You think about things after your parents’ pass, if you had one more day or one more minute with your parents, and Dean provided me with that. He gave me another look into their life. That’s a very important minute to get back.” Sparks promised to show the car to Waterbury when he finishes restoring it, so the sweetheart’s son can drive it one last time.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Long-Lost Love Letter Restores Glow in 1959 Chevy, By Eliza Murphy
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2014/02/long-lost-love-letter-restores-glow-in-1959-chevy; Accessed February 20, 2014.

Psalm 117:2 (HCSB) For His faithful love to us is great; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!

New Jersey legislators have found a solution for those who did not have the opportunity to express their love because it so cold in February. Many resident of the state did not feel very romantic on February 14 because they were busy digging out from a massive snowstorm. To give residents the chance to celebrate their love and to help local businesses recover economically, State Assemblyman John McKeon proposed creating a “Half Valentine’s Day” for August 14, half through the year. McKeon said the idea came from a town council in his district, which thought a summer celebration would allow residents to enjoy the spirit of Valentine’s Day without the harsh conditions of winter and promote economic activity. McKeon added, “It’s not…my crowning achievement in the legislature, but it’s hopefully something that will be simple and will be embraced by local chambers of commerce to try and help out local businesses.” —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Is the world ready for "Half Valentine's Day?", By Jonathan Berr, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-the-world-ready-for-half-valentines-day-a-nj-legislator-says-yes, Accessed May 28, 2014.

Hebrews 10:24 (HCSB) And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works,

Peder Mondrup has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair, but that didn’t keep him from completing an Ironman Triathlon, with the help of his brother Steen. Steen swam 2.4 miles while pulling Peder on a raft. He cycled 112 miles on a custom-built bike with a wheelchair in tow. Then to finish the race he ran 26.2 miles while pushing Peder’s wheelchair in front of him.

The brothers completed the triathlon after 15 hours and 32 minutes. “For the first time,” said Peder, “I felt like the person I see myself as.”
I
I am happy for Peder, but I am overjoyed for Steen. His unselfishness has demonstrated true brotherly love. -- Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (HCSB) Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, (5) does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. (6) ?Love? finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.

During World War II, Dorothy Carlberg exchanged letters with young soldiers. Now, nearly 7 decades later, she received a reply from one of the men she wrote to. Carlberg is 85 and lives in an assisted living center, was the intended recipient of letter written by Al Fragakis, who affectionately called her “Bugs.” The letter were dated July 24 and August 9, 1945 and arrived taped together at Carlberg’s former home. The new resident made sure the dated love letters got to the right person. Carlberg was married to her husband for 62 years and has five surviving children. When asked about the letters, Carlberg said she wrote to a lot of boys in the service in order to keep their spirits up. She said Fragakis was a nice person, and added, “My Dad was very strict, but he liked boys in the military. He thought they were decent.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Woman, 85, receives WWII love letters nearly 70 years later, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/06/woman-85-receives-wwii-love-letters-nearly-70-years-later, Accessed August 6, 2014.

Aurelia Mojica’s motto is you have to love and care, nothing more and nothing less. She celebrated 107th her birthday with her family in Lubbock, Texas in September, 2014where she has lived there for more than forty years. She is older than the city which celebrated 106 years in March, 2014. Aurelia has nine children and about 300 grandchildren,-great-children, and great-great grandchildren. Aurelia’s granddaughter and caretaker, Patsy Cantu says her grandmother has taught her a lot of life lessons, such as, “To even touch or hold someone’s hand, you can’t put a price on that and just touching hearts and touching people, and just giving love.” --Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Lubbock woman celebrates 107th birthday, By Ashlyn Tubbs, http://www.kcbd.com/story/26636690/lubbock-woman-celebrates-107th-birthday?hpt=us_bn8, Accessed September 26, 2014.

Romans 10:12 (HCSB) for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him.

In Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, Sue Johnson writes, “In 1939, women ranked love fifth as a factor in choosing a mate. By the 1990s, it topped the list for both women and men.” —Jim L. Wilson

Ecclesiastes 9:9 (HCSB) Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun.

In Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, Sue Johnson writes, “Emotional balance, calm, and vibrant joy are the rewards of love.” —Jim L. Wilson

Luke 6:35 (HCSB) But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.
Title: Family receives huge cell phone bill

It just looked like a mutt wandering the streets. Further research found that it was a rare South African Mastiff stolen from his yard in Beaverdam, Virginia. What looked like a lonely mutt was actually a pure bred dog worth over $10,000. His owner was ecstatic to get him back. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

http://wric.com/2015/10/08/rare-award-winning-dog-stolen-from-hanover-family/

You and I may look like ordinary creatures, but the eternal truth is we are worth more than $10,000 to our owner. Why else would God allow his only son to take our place in death that we might live eternally in our heavenly home?

When we begin to feel lost and useless, it is time to remember that we are objects of God’s great love.

Romans 5:8 (HCSB) But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Families who visited at Knoxville Laundromat one Saturday in February were surprised by members of a ministry called HELPs (Having Enough Loving People Serving) who provided food, friendship, and the money to wash their clothes. The idea for the ministry came from a teacher who noticed that many of her students came to school in dirty clothes. Her compassion resulted in the founding of the ministry to help others. Mother Ann Upton established a HELPS chapter in her church and took it to the Knoxville Laundromat. Upton said, “We do this in February, the month of love. We want to show some love to others while helping those in need.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Romans 12:10 (HCSB) “Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Tim Tebow has been in the spotlight for many years because of his Christian faith. He shares his faith openly on television interviews and in locker rooms across the country.

After the recent shooting at the Orlando nightclub, Pulse, (an openly gay night club) Tebow learned that his high school football teammate, who worked at the club, was injured.

Tebow was vacationing in the Bahamas at the time of the incident and upon hearing of his teammate’s injuries, immediately left his vacation, and flew to be by his friend’s side in the hospital. –Jim L. Wilson and Eric Gibbs

John 13:35 (HCSB)“By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Katie Davis, a young girl from Tennessee moved to Uganda immediately after graduating high school to serve others. She spends her days helping orphans, teaching school, and feeding street children.

In September 2007, Katie attended a wedding in one of the communities that she was serving in Uganda. She was delighted to be invited to the wedding but quickly felt out of place. People wore their nicest clothes and jewelry. There was food and cake for all who attended. All except the street children who gathered outside.

The street children were the very reason that Katie went to Uganda and here she was celebrating lavishly while they stared from outside the wedding, watching with amazement. Katie grew very uncomfortable and made her way outside to the children she had grown to love. She hugged them, played with them, talked to them, and loved on them in any way that she could. As she was spending time with the children, people scolded her numerous times, about how she should not be associating with the street children because “they were unclean.”

“They are street children!” the people would cry; as if it were some kind of sin, as if the children could help it. But Katie’s heart was for those children, and with those children is where she stayed.

“I am not here to eliminate poverty, to eradicate disease, to put a stop to people abandoning babies. I am just here to love.” –Jim L. Wilson and Eric Gibbs

1 John 3:16–18 (HCSB)“This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷ If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him? ¹⁸ Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.”

Now you can pretend to care for others with very little personal involvement. Microsoft has developed the LoveBot. It is an app for your smart phone that sends messages to significant others, assuring them of your love, automatically—you don’t have to do a thing. While it totally looks like it’s coming from you, it is really coming from the app.--Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Hebrews 6:10–12 (HCSB)“For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them. ¹¹ Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope, ¹² so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.”

LOVE

Halima Aden is a 19-year-old Somali American from St. Cloud, MN, who competed in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant somewhat differently than others. She wore her hijab throughout the competition and a burkini during the swimsuit competition. When asked about being different than the others she responded, “We are all born to stand out.”

That is true of all of God’s children. His love for each of us in an individual love, not determined by who we are, but by who he is. We are standouts on the mantel of God’s love. –--Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Ephesians 2:4–5 (HCSB)“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, ⁵ made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”

In Bellevue, Washington, an arsonist burned down a mosque. Those who attended the Islamic Center of the Eastside were left without anywhere to pray. The Bellevue Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints offered space, free of charge in their Mormon church building that is right next door to the burned-out mosque. Church officials pointed to Jesus’ command to “Love your neighbor,” as their motive for such a gesture. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Matthew 22:36–40 (HCSB)³⁶ “’Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?’ ³⁷ He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the greatest and most important command. ³⁹ The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.’”

A love letter lost in the walls of a New Jersey home finally reached a World War II veteran 72 later than intended. Melissa Fahey and her father were renovating her home in Westfield when they found the letter in a gap under the stairs. It was postmarked May of 1945 and was written by a woman named Virginia and addressed to her husband, Rolf, who was a sailor in the Norwegian Navy. Fahey located the couple’s son in California and delivered the letter. Though Virginia had passed away six years earlier, their son read the letter to his 96-year-old father. Fahey said it was sweet to see the long distance love the couple had so many years ago. In the letter, Virginia wrote, “I love you Rolf, as I love the warm sun. That is what you are to my life, the sun about which everything else revolves for me.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Psalm 33:5 (CSB) “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.”

For residents of Florida and Texas, the names Harvey and Irma were equated with widespread flooding and destruction. For residents of Spokane, Washington, the names of Harvey and Irma were much less threatening. While the hurricanes devastated Texas and Florida, Harvey and Irma Schulter were celebrating their love and 75 years of marriage. When they first heard the news, they thought daughter was playing a joke on them. Irma said she was sad that she and her husband shared names with such devastating storms. Her husband, Harvey said the couple had learned one thing in 75 years of marriage. He said, “Each one’s gotta have love. That’s what holds you together.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

The Nashoba Brook Bakery in Concord, Massachusetts received an official warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"Your Nashoba Granola label lists ingredient 'Love.' Ingredients required to be declared on the label or labeling of food must be listed by their common or usual name. 'Love' is not a common or usual name of an ingredient."

We would be wise to still carry out the scriptural command. Love may not be an ingredient, but Love sure should be a method in all we do. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/10/05/fda-no-love-not-ingredient/734826001/

When the Beast in the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast is put under the spell, he is told he must learn to love another, and earn another’s love in return. Is it possible to earn love? Or is love something given freely, especially to those who don’t deserve it? —Jim L. Wilson and Danny Stoops

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

Twenty-five-year-old Devin Custalow waited nearly 30 minutes on Valentine’s Day hoping a man she met on the subway in October would show up. Custalow met the man and felt a connection with him, so she created a 20-foot mural asking him to meet her on Valentine’s Day. She was surrounded by friends, family, and a lot of cameras hoping the mystery person would make an appearance, but he never did. Afterward, Custalow said despite the outcome, the search for her mystery Valentine was a great experience and she hoped she encouraged others to look for love.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Exactly one year after losing his wife to cancer, a North Carolina man and his children passed out love notes to honor her memory. Hyong Yi said after losing his wife, he understands what it means to have love and not take it for granted. He said when you find the love of your life, that person holds a piece of you forever. Yi wanted to make the world a better place by passing out love notes to honor his wife, and help others realize the value of love in their life. He said, “My hope is that they will take a moment to reflect on the love in their life. What I wouldn’t give to have one more minute, even a minute to talk, hold hands and I want people to take a minute and reflect on that.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

Jacqueline Ades, 31, went on a date, just one date, with a man she fell for. Unfortunately it didn’t fall both ways and Ades began to stalk and harass her former date. When she was finally arrested she had sent him more than 65,000 text messages. When questioned about it she agreed that the number of texts was excessive, but she explained, “love is an excessive thing.”

Wow! Did she have that right? It is a perfect description of our experience with love, but even more so, it is a marvelous description of God’s love. For God so loved the world, he gave… God did so much more than send excessive texts. He gave his only son. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Christie’s auction house offered an unusual item that could be seen as a unique expression of love. The auction house said they auctioned a 22-pound meteorite shaped like a heat known as “The Heart of Space.” Scientists theorize it was part of an iron mass that split from the asteroid belt and eventually fell to earth in February 1947. The 9-inch-long heart was one of several smaller meteorites that split from a larger mass that landed in Siberia. The shockwaves from the explosion it created in the atmosphere shattered windows, collapsed chimneys, and uprooted trees over a 200 mile radius. The meteorite is a rare type of material and the auctioneer described the piece as “One of the finest meteorites in private hands.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2019/01/31/Unusual-heart-shaped-meteorite-up-for-auction/8711548959027/?sl=15

1 Chronicles 16:34 (CSB)³⁴ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.

In the movie, Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye and Golde are a poor, Jewish couple in the early 20th century Russia. They have been married for 25 years in a matched marriage but have never told each other that they love one another. So, Tevye starts to sing, “Golde, do you love me?” Then Golde begins to think out “for 25 years I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked your cow…” Tevye keeps on asking, “So do you love me?” After some more singing and reminiscing, Golde replies, “I suppose I do.” —Jim L. Wilson and Min Lee

Deuteronomy 6:5 (CSB)⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Contestants come from all over the world to demonstrate their unique talent on the popular TV show, America’s Got Talent in hopes of winning the $1,000,000 prize. The competition is fierce and lasts for four months. Round after round contestants perform and are judged. As the rounds progress, the number of contestants shrink. Eventually there are two that remain; but only one will win.

In September 2018, those final two contestants were Shin Lim, a magician and Zurcaroh, a theatrical dance troupe. Both had worked hard and both wanted to win. In a moment of incredible tension, the winner’s name was announced – it was Shin Lim. Zurcaroh made it to the end, but still lost.

As Shin’s name was announced, Zurcaroh had a choice. They could become angry, claim it wasn’t fair, and wallow in self-pity. Many previous runners-up have done so. But that isn’t what they did. They ran as fast as they could, threw their arms around, and embraced the person that won $1,000,000. –Jim L. Wilson & Ryan B

Romans 12:15 (CSB)“Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.”

On October 21, 2018, celebrated American innovator Earl Bakken passed away. The story of his first invention is legendary.

Bakken ran a small medical device repair business in his garage. When he heard about the death of a young patient whose pacemaker failed because of a power outage, his creativity and compassion went to work. At the time, pacemakers required building power; a completely new design would be needed.

Using a simple battery powered metronome design found in a hobby magazine; Bakken designed the first battery powered pacemaker changing the world of medicine as we know it.

- Celebrating Earl Bakken http://www.medtronic.com/us-en/about/news/celebrating-earl-bakken.html

I have wondered if the person who wrote the hobby article about the metronome ever found out the potential of his design? To him it was just a basic circuit: resistors and capacitors that made a beep. In the hands of a kindhearted and innovative person, it was a way to save a life and change the world. This is the difference that love makes. —Jim L. Wilson and Eric Laudenslager

1 Corinthians 13:2 (CSB)“If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. “

On the border of Germany and Denmark lives a little old man and woman who are very much in love. Trouble is, one of them lives on each side of the border. Since their countries were locked down and the border closed, they have been unable to visit each other. Yet everyday Inga Rasmussen, 85 drives from her home in the south of Denmark, and Tuchsen Hansen bicycles from his home in the north of Germany to a border checkpoint where they can sit, share some schnapps, and chat. They never have to leave their own country. When asked about it, Tuchsen replies, “We’re here because of love.”

A former Wall Street executive and nurse started a movement to make sure everyone in the hospital in her community feels loved. Eileen Michaels had the idea originally, and asked people who lived around her to start writing cards for patients and then drop them off on her doorstep. Michaels said she did not know most of the people, but they came from all ages and backgrounds. She recruited friends to deliver the cards and soon found that the patients who received them were appreciative of the gesture. Mark Fugel received one of the handmade cards while recuperating from surgery. He said, “It is very sweet, people thinking of us in the hospital these days. There are a lot of elderly and isolated people who feel lost. Just little things like this are beautiful.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Ryun King, a tattoo artist living in Kentucky, is doing his part to eradicate hate. He is covering over hateful tattoo at no charge.

He is covering over swastikas and other racist symbols. He says they “often breath an ‘overwhelming sigh of relief’ after having their tattoos covered up.”