%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 18 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 20 0 R /GS4 21 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 3.1.0 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20251227194453+00'00') /ModDate (D:20251227194453+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1886 >> stream x}Xے۸}WcR%sx%Ö=ƩwT $ #+ەi\4rƬ(cz׶bSQVl鱦w9%(dž]Ijt#$7O˟EϏOtFo,$+)Kr//T t>#t!ɢd..=U@{n"]H^I3|M'I"_$2&`ؙAjNjvd,59ITu2='-h(4VZ{KfrF~(AxR8pԩTU*udu!i8`dOL;c4:u?V(d2Nt=|s R%0ltXlPhQ:PŽƩ:Țv!sc 4"(>Gf,WP -UXhPs#KBe86 gWIXDd'^4ձGi#]p!, pgNL hsQu!j ~쬙wEUfң 23Ͷ@3 dr '#JX7VSB;J2r#W/΁ksdfE>7&@|}3R{cGu&2BNa02์CxcVZFڌ EYo8rSɐFT YvAgt"7XFκYdŶjf°<˚g_%Rhx㾢I n=REț8nu#zӟu#"Wm c,++}FCeqT!FE5FRCiby6}@/4b/4$ 8} qŻ7{?/m 1tKG}'h7|UCuK$qhl<!u;lg{Rq=3B?}E$}:A^elȉ |yLކ \ w#=v(aFnq`^;Bh]0_Z yrmZN:0Wg{5=vQj9ZYcwA!G m/-0),A0I_ ٣6c@1tKW4L1#@hi>8u Ez9DD7BXx`BlmP]t~LNS:4cvMn E^ 5cui+='xnO5P- IBWMh:ۭAr `)ycN1{ˣjpBCڐd!?pewG(n3[et}-7D1I%Pr']46Bi PTu1~q̓157ea վK1 8,-q  "tI !G07Lc|PV,"Yl-zPIlpOb@w)Muȓpj3nq,Ҩ,FkW,8ېSLdxt*ogXD^iE1Szd;lG;MVw<$:Ls踼R\`Nw$w?c_ endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 640 /Height 427 /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /Filter /DCTDecode /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 15048>> stream JFIFC    !'"#%%%),($+!$%$C   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" kBDT-RL,nF 9c )sfLs&-&2L&RH*R " LARl\FRR3[ LY-c ef;3ۆxf&R1K1YdYdY H%AbDX,)KAJE*⒥#%rb,Ŝ%̀:U9KAX,% "(!,QP{v^yExn2ѭyk9[w{Ο}ݠ(,-e   X,HMν_:m#(ń@Y`,RX(X(%3\yӿ?Z:;'/8]? a:ww^oc|u EYD%)(X% ) ɖ7s p߫,0\o>_m[|om꺹>^[~Cktz^he,*>_{ϒw]A_W.# ,ZK BRYI`Y@emՔs[qCuv~n]C E R%>߁suu~z_7ie@`@"RPY@oȕeq b(6>G}cw'_XY@Yh @YaPP w8gt<<,P˓_>'^ΣGgR3,EH,"-" @ fٖ"c.8,ru{?98u9a;Jqg*e=ͻ'?λ/*yz0PYb,@Ye"aAP C.Wf9pջo=Y׍53vޓ;=S>?}O>_SxO?/.x ã* ,X, (PJ XeĢ#-|f]tcgW/Oն@|=^C="8uzUle ,RX,,X) BIJAXK>_s䗛7uv=V|Ny2r6Y %aA(X @EYb,E(YD%2Ʈx@ e*PeEZ eeT,BXbK,UeXPX( E)lYe, e,YA,X,` ( YYh%E),bBYjʉaQ(X,J%,( )eXXUEP,e!d,D,,Y`K ,/ !P0`"#1@2ABp,tY mX0@,yFv[V: [@@ytg8eeac5c<0ѕX@j ㎬NVzpV!Mwef?no/z R1{5I9 E6t9>-xLœ?RGUF܊nJ@w;Dž dA9j{AsQI"- gw-2; nM}>IQvVyfnST}ѧSd5kڮ8w2v_щ#ՙj2b/.-%wT;$U-hS $O 39r/.icvFY{1]xi)};4n!.i wvI˓kTv,X\=թ_tzn%UM$2All<*K{ d[IAbض4'6󠗘/&$Ж f-v!3ӱ[K;Mp~H&˲!mP?k&l:gѦp5Nhqh`Hiς<vd&حNgɂ- i73'r7j#)sZ6PΛIm>Ho>$&Bliڣd:RXڎ }qb!#,P 'abT66ɗ6E ^r\lvp]>7{_SjjW9f/u<WdNxrxǧS-?׳ǴG,!1@"0AP 23Q`apq?/K _I}02ʩr˗/Ϩ r;/J\z3V,==&&~i a„AXI&\&l{Jt<Ϲ6}ma]Ss)\MV=~7?3SӷZGL"%yQy[9!1"AQa2BP 0@`q#Rbr3?yp*~ H5;^}t&t f(M3#Mǻ?6:"ZǢǨ̢oˎ;֘Zpf|kcZLJI\pqW~MwUjQx'\~ܽiMʌ3{m{O4cC{>>MUA}3*ZTV[{p>u.( OSd+HCTnf8sGw`zVťoޏ5GO8QV\(Ta8G*S)=mf2#TyhxC1:5P58"v܈5m`ꦥ;sN'Akw[>㫌-XHoT+hG@iW;&Q}NнrU~ɬtcާ3">m M~,Uv5(d{ ; <{0JsOrY⋩^rF&n$fTg='€CZe`nXkGˌ8hPw([o䍵rT<ˋ/M3S=CcszMߺ-p=.:8p-7+mk]ʾ'v5Sht>v *nDC;3 2B{k[5qU.y3G/:ƃ$!h e@EMq+VD{65!|ʂI4@X H OJ.4୆(6Ym]HC᩺WQsz<#^irjݏm..ASLʖݜMԞ )G<Д* 5)=ewKYx9Pp}I(*@jEd-L 3nT?Jc:Qs]d,T<+D*zTDjc}!{e~Ԝx!`ȕޏqht(5Z੃90d"ݜVŪ!()|w P\z^Ӆdgwc r*ϨX?;+!1A Qa0@Pq`?!+R.Y(I0\G865;cR)+Z{ֺn\ĩ] J*5R Qwܽ*WE˖2 11}4( D_*T.Q:mMGMWAݠS.\Ɗu+[iKK.}QRвVY(tShZ o[鿇rRF2+ygʲ˗.\re,+dEz!iFK.W.\:rRFRrg/ˡ&˗ r\m.O7bt+.\z+Br˗/ѻc&_iz_U\wٿEڭ'mda(4RT^e7Qxb t%>T ^Ŗ.}DdE {d&Ow`xؼA%N2I N+ol?XZL.CH^--9?|45S(VӶM\P=ؙvy""3`K7lʟJ :79eK/R+@C[tl(4;&r<TYkgmMLCSlz/2Z#Rؿhrc0l<.* ǀ(Sr+ ߧsUw8k[GhE|c\_@I~[QV!5]0@^P50a 2iV,P|ʺ8Ie>y]%?jʈD].|D % \&>Z$#0Taj%]EܿSV%rB>5;̳p 8Y+O8'x=U[ ,q,̵Q7WKNDza:nۭz޷޷#=OQ:T=ls^Wo[Gz#{7Uzgt} &ia3 UZ]E8y,Qf嶇C8^+ajǎk-++ %H!3=~e6ghUYOꍋ~y3%ⅉjr4 0ʹqe9[HuK3_,ZF,0פ0 ؒ1Ͽq\~C_+sܳ6A7j/;z*\%?~ ^b_>\s 9ܬ:*Q. G}龋Qg18rśO8KE|K0{R\K\y!lz].+DN}y_!mOCd;b33KmҨ\OHꞶ5o}g ukLxaXo uAփ&A \؁~a!LKĪwwb$7O$9m ;#3e!j=%d#vDU紸<=z) !01@AQaq?\*o.l͜945¼V/7,7,e1Ep+yDˆJ[JrfUw*WSYA ةY::JгvJyzpp&NɥC/.\z3^Pžбn|W&'nkScVWhMnNk$pt@`w>N`g7~~PdQNRCw2dܨmi}>xiK.z x<VYUX@tY* ׮ߙOE>HvUZ;amɥ xi=Qw^7-DCélP9(uG)MQɇQh mcfT}5qxGmU%?UZx#Uhx6D!JgOq|F1QD<ql/; sqO4%^SJjC{7)y6jx΃&]qKK7st= rɓH4VKBh8FBC&I& )!1A Qaq0@?cj2Hص]ț< Xa%z{<[;V:ٻ(GV@Ƅ00pEA x"G thܓXRiyQ YUR%j2RLQ6"ecY &~ f xblAה;~i Vdo/QQӑ,j; q5dXrB$"'&I!Mn'BP?d݆)ðΠ bPqf|ۦ@:*_Q9ݗ!+M3y"m\;< TH!) 1$ANDvYъ&XlOݨC5#ړr> !5d{$iJIt"DC%y<n p=<7}F6:<q#QHJCLn Nw0ġtw% 뒍?"%T2wLЛiNQΌhE' y$;jR_cHy7aGԒnH6I0>,#)I$a6D -R/Dؙ>vmA5jH%aTDZ8:>)Fc,IdSpr\2ijAUE&G IH=5qܑ1]EWnN ]$ Zś=dbVI2&hBwc[O Ht2)4x/T-lhVc-jfF$c鱖&EI$26hDQ⪨|t0EP<"4 .i'͈E1⪲?2A0E|R8y5)r*2<L}dYUQoVy'\s:l5"dfW//md܍QNLj3*.o|VTXCw܋Z[MJ[BI)/۠tHQEIǖHR+] %w YhBHє9!Xَ X;p8 \\1Ȳ< -YHDѹv'an)=wY8=S!|D-N&oq`&׌atQKq_3- IMzq7STŢGLihTUBjMUQN\(92‚f#ENhYA볱\p|GpBĊ0A21S?!EK_RCK^Jnzk]&Ʌb4jBY'):&~F:n fWTB=k]CpZqrbIu o\H{A}قfT͑\,4ݭeiԕvB)G 2&_-n\%ɢ=\=Fq2xvF(H%FO6tE 3=(v&SIJ&߅G &]oV9h[z~t%Cj1XU)]zy6%җ=WfI,icHfT~h/W^^_h1(iؕlEUmPql^,;z5KMi&`:3;BO!˲1܏<=ؽiɶБ/,.a!k$jY4fHi>%) JIO[C^Ѐ$6nݜғO{zdoږ<.(lBz&EEb|'`> "*6RKD:{ȧKegn{@lI-Zq3J1g /´>It1am8d2N?|]"7YosjyavZg:wXhHKe' ˦pwRL{4Բw.I5ӄ7eI6Ϯ0U#@O7ҋ-k"My(e*5vc6`c溣 Tt 7wd06.`BUKU4c NJ\ xV#Z#ezQi9K=׊ũ5Q ;Q4î» Kc<$ub34TU,ҍ.zcM0CN-.Jʳmމ-\w]q S jD^"MQkq'mwWN_bP! TE(!Atzoͫ yV?b0ؗc R&v#w8rޅ WŒhUhc9\w0_*`t-Ir,h-M<>+LQ-& Fځ4ך5dƌe7- P(0oe3cE+z4fC9b dK> U+iBv(Lh[F8 wXH7JY~ |mF>6!N50CXb ><**+*1WAb)C4E+άB|GN C^4N*=U,^ThfQc n%6J'E仫Ԗ2'{/628v>plC26rif!p,,,s<]#+ܬ!ffB8n ]'o E(,I%$FJWM&ݔ$GeSIӆ&Md~^$t{mcc^*.꘦XpN>@aD+Av[]gYUA7 'v]Y/m'8j޹n97*GYY/#J,i%?hh[|f|$[1,qwna_Ni'3yRT&ED#ШEvRdKVIDxbE8Umf;4?oc jѢ] ^+G tr8S7Y p(o- AIÁ!a8ʻL˔| l1eIV/ [}a;"WS1Koi3<\1MW]:,utH 4ɌT-=S.eOmBn}2BNnVbfQu7J%\6'^Lj];gpۗ F Dc DnwoLd;WC14X, eabgoE d}k67boEW^WY?djFIdN;]Tn\9J\Ccsb;yH Oc"GpӠwnȻPۜ&'Mf6CE-!! i,F!sP$2с`*v:j|$USFLERmZƏ kI˖jүddAo#)#ˬ5fКM4ӄrɗqOygvݫ64+P6}ifƼcsDv! U<Oa;U\U/]$2"ȌQHK׃W 45whRŚ0r,YybBq"N{Ƒ=o#GQ\y7]Gu <L&X"y $tjS氆l[VRj Ee)D9$f}.KY}hM!MwFAgڒMdcLt\ɋGD}j&iEU4Cኳ<1tc\>6Ij\cXy;L> .hnzatxGz! "b{QWd G5Tb#cETUY4Y Q{=UtY+LGȻpÄ FTF X"O#<j"ZWB6*frp=qlc*epb7WʱMQbjhuy4&h(HD!νfEVeDS ,qu "#ܦTcЕRC g2zTR`mW1C41d :Wf'"< T*͘rʵ C#rD#׎;;IF<sLDeH! q3 I)f " bx> KK<Qf],QU⊻QQx5]" Y<# endstream endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 17 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 19 0 R >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 347 >> stream xmN0ߥ$u-m4!¸x#^4Puh5psN}'_8r<2%R cG \'* 5 #xY(T;6-Rj;Yd1D1$h quiex[[1~e 6T䕷 iP6L4CLGKEYB§\` BB#JО@{½nlIV]8}qvҶٝ05yOצR.^8R(x4H0v]k$a]jOBdH6Yz=] endstream endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj xref 0 22 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000417 00000 n 0000000454 00000 n 0000000603 00000 n 0000000706 00000 n 0000002665 00000 n 0000002772 00000 n 0000002880 00000 n 0000002990 00000 n 0000003103 00000 n 0000003219 00000 n 0000003248 00000 n 0000018465 00000 n 0000018524 00000 n 0000018583 00000 n 0000018612 00000 n 0000018717 00000 n 0000019137 00000 n 0000019194 00000 n trailer << /Size 22 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 19251 %%EOF ‘And the greatest of these is love’ | Caring Magazine

‘And the greatest of these is love’

Listen to this article

By Lisa Bingham –

Every Feb. 14, we celebrate Valentine’s Day, sometimes with cards or flowers, chocolates, romantic dinners, love songs or poems. Some esteem the day as highly significant, while others would just as soon skip it altogether.

Children love exchanging valentines with their friends, hoping to find candy hearts tucked inside. But whatever our feelings about the day, true matters of the heart are seldom wrapped up in a 24-hour period. Rather it is how we express our love throughout the rest of the year that really counts.

Of the many words written on the topic of love, 1 Corinthians 13 stands the test of time, describing in eloquent terms what real love looks like. Paul’s poetic and powerful “Love Chapter” is worth reading and re-reading, and not just at weddings. Putting love into action is our challenge.

As Christians, we are called to love as we are loved by the one who gave his life for us. It is a humbling thought. Always patient, always kind? Keeping no record of wrongs? I frequently fail to meet such a standard, but I am called to do so. It is only God’s love in me that can make it possible.

Clearly, love is not always easy. C.S. Lewis goes so far as to offer this warning in his book, “The Four Loves”: “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

Then, vulnerable we must be. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. So states 1 John 4:16, assuring us that there is more than enough love to go around. And my favorite assurance, in Romans 8:39, reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

So whether our plans for Valentine’s Day do or don’t go quite “as planned,” perhaps we can determine to be of good cheer and make the most of all the other days we are given, loving our neighbors as ourselves, loving our spouses, our children, our parents, our friends, and those along the way who might appear unlovable at first glance.

Jesus has spoken and made it plain: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 ESV).

You May Also Like