Valentine's Day

Isle of Palm Beach, SC 2010

It's Valentines Day.

A day to celebrate God's love for us. 

" Tell a best friend, spouse, family member, child, grandchild, or loved one that you love them and look them in the eye when you say it.  Give them an extra hug or squeeze their hand and tell them how special they are.  Make someone smile this Valentine's day by sharing a kind word or showing someone they are valued and loved through a simple act of kindness.  Life's moments are short.  Time passes much too quickly.  Make your moments count."    ~JPC

 I want to make mine count.....not just sometimes.  As often as possible...


God has shown me his love through my family.  They are reminders that He loves me and He's given me these tremendous gifts of people in my life who are special.  


I can't think of a better way to say, "   I love you too "   to the Lord than to thank Him for the gifts of my immediate family.

 Michael

Thank you Lord for Mike.  You knew what you were doing when you brought us together as friends twenty-seven years ago.  You knew that friendship would grow deeper than we ever imagined and would flourish into a love for one another that  would remain so amazingly special to each of us.  He is my absolute best friend in this world.  He always has been.  He is my confidant, my encourager, the one who helps me process life's journey and a tremendous father to our boys.  We talk, I mean really talk.  That is something I've always loved about him.  His insight and understanding, his willingness to share, be open, and show me God's love.  No one shows me God's love more in this life than he does.
He is the love of my life. 

Joseph.
Thank you Lord for my oldest son, Joseph.  He is such a gift to me.  He is my happy go lucky one.  He doesn't always like change, he's a lot like his mama! Yet,  he will roll with life's stresses and looks on the bright side of life.  He has the gift of encouragement and sharing joy with others.  If you're having a bad day, Joseph is the one who will always hug you, tell you things will get better or things will be alright.  He is constant and steady.  He's had a happy attitude since he was a baby.  That has never changed.  I love his joy.  I love his smile Lord and his funny antics.  He and I can joke and play and be serious too.  Thank you for letting me be his Mom and for being able to talk to him about anything and nurture his growing faith in you.  Thank you that he knows you personally and loves you.  Please deepen that faith and help me to guide him and walk along the path with him. Give him a love of your Word and help him be unashamed in sharing it.  Help him to love you with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love his neighbor as himself.   I don't know your plans for him Lord, but I know that whatever they are he will be a bright shining light for you!

 Philip

Thank you Lord for our youngest son. Our little "ball of fire", full of passion, emotion and compassion.  My barefoot wonder, who sees life in the light of summer every single day.  He is so loving and feels things so deeply.  There are no pretenses with Philip.  What you see is what you get.  He is honest and will always let you know how he's feeling.  It is the way you made him Lord and I know you have a purpose in that.  He is my companion.  We spend a lot of time together.  He is always quick to just sit and stay close with me, curl up next to me and quietly want to just "be."  He is content like that, just drawing near.  That is something you have specially ingrained in him. I pray that this translates later in life to knowing what it means to draw near and just "be" with you Lord.   I don't know your plans for him either, but I do thank you that he has asked you into his heart recently and wants to grow in you.  Thank you for letting me be his Mama.  Give him your strength and peace to weather life's storms.  Help him to love you with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength and to love his neighbor as himself.  Help me to teach him how to hide your Word in his heart. 

 

 Such gifts of love Lord which I see in them every day.  Thank you so much for their hearts, hands and feet, which I pray will always desire to serve you.  Keep our hands to the plow on this journey of faith.....steady we go. When we are weary help us rest, when we are jubilant and full help us to overflow into the lives of others. Help us to always see this life is not about us; it is about you. Steady we go....with your love and grace.  
Great is thy faithfulness.

Our most recent family photo.  Yes it is a Christmas photo and it is Valentine's today.  That's ok.  As Mike says, "He's my Valentine and I'm his Valentine 365 days of the year.  Not just on February 14th."