I realize that it is after Valentine's Day, but I just had to write this. In the Bicentennial year (1976) on February 14, Robert Knox Herndon married Lydia Anna Rainey. On that special Valentine's Day, Lydia Anna Rainey became Lydia R. Herndon. Personally I thought it pretty smart to marry in the Bicentennial year on Valentine's Day so I would forever remember the date! Twenty-three years later due to this "thing" called "love" we are still happily married.

I was reading my Bible and ran across 1 John 4:8, which simply states "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is Love". I realize that many things are very clear in the Scriptures and that some things are a mystery. So maybe this Scripture is a mystery, but it appears to me that whenever we talk or sing or think about "real love," we just might be dealing with God! Wow, what a wonderful thought!

To celebrate our 23rd anniversary, I brought my wife a very special gift. She is a very special wife so I brought her a bear rug that I had gotten while in Alaska. To personalize the special gift, I had the bear rug backed in her colors, forest green and burgundy. Personally I thought it a great unique idea for a great unique lady, but for some strange reason, she didn't fathom the uniqueness of the gift, so off to Friedman's I go. I went into the jewelry store and asked if they had any dog houses in gold with a guy's head coming out of the entrance She said they didn't have anything like that so I had to buy her a very traditional gold ring with several stones in it. Guys, there is a lesson here somewhere!

To further redeem myself, we took a trip to Helen, Ga., the day after Valentine's Day and it was really special. The town was virtually deserted and the best part was that the hotel was only $35, since it was on an off day. The weather was wonderful. We found a superb little German restaurant and ate and talked about all the places we had lived and all the wonderful people God had allowed us to meet and work with over the years. As I sat across from my bride , I realized that only God could have put all this together and that again the Scriptures ring true that "He is love." So remember when you say "I love you" you are dealing with The Almighty. His love is the "agape" love, not brotherly love, not sexual love, but it's a love for the other individual with no concern for any material gain in return. We are currently sending out our end of the year church non-taxable donation documents They read "intangible, religious benefits provided only." That's what this type of "agape" love is It's a spiritual love whose only source is God Almighty.