Most of us believe we love “because God first loved us” (1 John 4:19). We rejoice in stories about people exhibiting extraordinary love, as they are, indeed, inspiring. I call these examples of Love Lived Large. I would like to relate these stories—ones in the news as well as others observed and reported by you. If you come across an example of “LLL” in your life or the lives of your friends, acquaintances, or neighbors, please share with us. Of course, love of any sort is what matters. Indeed, each small act of love toward our fellow man may be just as important as the large ones. They are not to be minimized. The Bible says that “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). But for the purposes of this blog, I would like to focus on the extraordinary ones, as I think they are so life-impacting, memorable, and inspiring!
A wave from a stranger prompting him to turn his car around was the impetus. In a world constrained by COVID, Professor Daryl P. of
A Heart Finds a New Home As someone who has had three open-heart surgeries, I found this story about a homeless man needing a heart
Be the Nice Kid Perhaps the smiles have been less frequent. Or could it be they are there, but have been hidden by masks? Whatever
Teen is No Keeper Every day, the contents of many storage units get forfeited by the renter who is unable to make payments that are
Fred Rogers Would be Proud Fred Rogers was an icon in the world of children’s television. His kindly manner made every viewer wish we were
In a world struggling with COVID-19, a bit of imagination by some youths goes a long way toward helping people not only cope, but also survive.
It’s one thing for a 7-year-old girl to revive the old art of pen-paling. It’s another thing when her pal is a 73-year-old Covid-bound man living at a senior apartment center.
With today’s news headlines regarding the COVID-19 virus, a person must remind himself that in the end love will prevail—and not just God’s love.
When God com to mind while hiking the beautiful Beartooth Mountains along the Wyoming-Montana border, one would think it was triggered by the awe-inspiring splendor of God’s creation.
Many of us have just completed reviewing the merits of a number of charities who are particularly adept at making year-end pleas for funds to sustain them throughout the coming year.
I have an update on the story below concerning the tragic death of Jamison Pals (whom I had worked with) and his wife and three young children shown to the left. They were all killed when a distracted truck driver plowed into their vehicle from behind.
Most of us are familiar with the organization, Doctors Without Borders. Did you know that there is a similar organization for engineers called Engineers Without Borders?
A candy man he is not. No, he does not ply the streets of Minneapolis looking for children with “sweet tooths.” His customers are mostly homeless folks with real hunger pangs. He is Allan Law.
am dedicating this installment to a young man from my church who recently died at the age of 25. His name is Ian Kyle Packo, and he was just beginning to blossom with his faith.
Most of us at some point in our lives have laughed so hard we’ve begun to cry. Experts have acknowledged there’s a connection there.
So what do an old sewing machine and barber’s razor have in common? It’s hard to imagine just what. Perhaps they both have a knack for creating a certain by-product, especially when used outdoors among people.
Each month 1000 bears are shipped to Africa, but these are not your wild beasts with sharp claws. No, we are talking about cuddly teddy bears distributed to young children in search of a lovable companion.
If a smudge of auto grease got on her note pad, Cathy Heying wouldn’t have been surprised. Living two lives as a social worker and auto repair student could explain that.
They came bearing a care package. Not that the cards and stuffed animals would make any immediate difference to the 22-month-old girl who suffered life-threatening injuries at the hands of her father.
Chances are more than a few of us have been on the wrong end of the phone line at some point in our lives. The end where we’re hearing all kinds of demands.
Sometimes it feels like a great deal of courage is needed to just greet another person, especially a complete stranger. Can you imagine the courage required to do an intervention with a stranger?
Have you ever thought about what you would do if you passed a house that was ablaze in fire? Not sure? What if you saw some small children outside who in fear ran back inside to what they thought was the only safe place they knew?
If I were to get the painful news of a cancer diagnosis, I would no doubt be thinking of finishing up that bucket list.
Connie, a 50-year-old social worker in Tampa, FL, tried twice to get him placed into a new home. But Taylor had anger issues, and over a course of 10 years, the adoptive parents gave him back. Two times a failure.
When the supply of food didn’t meet the need, students at Hill-Murray High School in St. Paul, MN, knew they had more than a simple math problem to solve.
Sometimes things just aren’t the way they seem. As we all know, it is so easy to judge people by their outward behavior, only to get pleasantly surprised to find out there is much more lurking inside.
As the rest of the nation was astounded by the sweet healing that started immediately after the tragic shooting of nine black church members (June,’15) by a white supremacist in Charleston, S. C. something else involving sweet love was taking place in far-away Minnesota.
They call themselves “12 Ordinary Women.” No doubt they chose the word, “ordinary,” to show they are no different from you or me. But therein lies the irony.
I’ve lived most of my life on the outskirts of a large city (Mpls.), but I’ve often wondered about the appeal of a smaller town. Some of the good folks of Balsam Lake, WI, could give us all a lesson or two.
After a decade, Santa’s secret is out. And no one is complaining. In fact, he’s intrigued enough people that earlier stories were shared quickly by over 40 million viewers on social media.
If I were to tell you my 81-year-old grandmother was in prison, you’d probably begin to feel some sympathy not only for my grandmother, but perhaps also for me.
The Ultimate Love Comes Forth.
Welcome! I am launching this blog about extraordinary acts of love, what I call Love Lived Large, by paying tribute to a friend, Jamison Pals.