Good Valentines Article … that doesn’t qualify

I found this Valentine’s Day article/blog through my Google Reader, written by Joe Rodriguez, titled, “Hearts, flowers and faith,” published in on the Wichita Eagle website (www.Kansas.com). It takes a different bead on the relationship of love and faith by interviewing a series of couples, whose video interviews are intermingled with the story’s text.

Rodriguez writes:

Valentine's Day conjures up familiar images for most of us. Cards, cupids, flowers and candy. But today is also a day when many couples celebrate their long-lasting commitments to each other.

For them, love means marriage, and marriage means a lifetime together, often rooted in a common faith.

Five longtime married couples share the importance of faith in their relationship.

Each talked about the difficulties and challenges they have faced.

But their faith, they say, has been a foundation for their love, and a key to the success of their marriages.
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Rodriguez goes on to summarize the testimonies of the five couples he interviewed. His approach provides an excellent telling of personal faith stories independent of himself as the writer, and this tends to have a greater impact on readers. It also gives the writer an opportunity to reinforce his central point with scripture by quoting one of the interviewees sharing a biblical quote.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see where one of Rodriguez’s interviewees provided him with that opportunity, so this well written article does not qualify for the Amy Writing Awards.

I am going to email Joe and see if he does have other articles that meet the Amy Writing Award entry requirements. In the meantime, Joe, keep up the good work!