Love, Love & More Love

So this week, as you know, was Valentine's Day.  When my girls were growing up, we loved any excuse for making home-made cards, baking cute cookies and giving gifts so Valentine's Day was right up there with Christmas and Birthday celebrations!  Now that my daughters are grown with lives of their own, things haven't really changed that much. We still give little gifties and send cards to demonstrate our love to one another (even if at times, it doesn't get delivered exactly ON V-day).

This little jar of yummies was delivered to my office on Monday by one of our regular customers. What a way to start out a Valentiney week!

And I received this flower early on Tuesday morning from the older's fam and Little E!!  It made it's home on the corner of my desk all week! Flowers are just cheery all the way around!  Love, love posies!

Even though MY Valentine is far, far away in Florida, I still had a lovely dinner date with my favorite little darling!

And while Aunt B was home she made some of these tasty treats for some of her friends:

As you can see I sampled a little bite!

And, of course, no Valentine's Day is complete without making some really cool Valentines to send to, well, to whoever is on your list of recipients!

All in all I felt very "loved" this week with all our family traditions and little gifties exchanged! 

We love Him BECAUSE He first loved us!!

What is the difference?  Why do some families make intentional plans to show the people they love how they feel about them?  Why the need to express to others that they hold a special place in your heart, that you think about them, and care about what goes on in their lives?  That you want to"know" them?

We love Him because he first LOVED us!!

There are many people out there, in the world around us, who have no one to express to them that they are thought about and loved.  During this week of cards and kisses there are those who go without one Valentine, one person to express to them that they are thought of or cared about.

We love Him because he first loved US!!

 This week I happened upon (I don't really believe in such a thing) some words that were written from the heart of one friend to another, a consoling, encouragement for that one who doesn't have a hubby to share Valentine's day and express to her how special she is.  This is what I read:

Tonight of all nights, don't you dare forget how loved you are.

Don't you dare scroll through the mini-feed, looking at patched-together pictures from couples struggling to keep on giving in a world that rolls downhill to taking, and feel like you are the only lonely one.

Don't you forget that people rarely post their emptiness. They rarely post their fears and their doubts. They rarely post their fatigue. Sometimes they post trying to prove love to themselves as much as to the world.

So when you see that stuff, don't let it fool you.

Don't you dare forget that you are beautiful.

Don't you dare forget that you are funny, and tender, and smart, and how you bring life into the dark places of the world.

Don't you dare forget how you make me laugh, and how my life would be less without you in it.

I need you. I love you. I'm not the only one who does.

Tonight a lie will slither and bite, whispering that being single makes you somehow less desirable. When that happens, step on its head and crush it. Nothing could be further from the truth.

You are blindingly appealing. You are a vessel of light and love. How I love you for it.

Don't you forget that you are seen, and known, and wanted. And don't you forget that all of those hurts that you keep pushing down inside, that resound today like some sort of cruel clock striking, are held tenderly in the heart of the One who made you.

He will never stop chasing you. He has been writing a singular romance with your name on the envelope since time began. May you fall asleep tonight hearing that love whispered softly over your pillow.

Thanks to my sweet friend Gina for allowing me to steal from her Facebook!  Oh, to be a woman who could give such a wonderful gift of encouragement--to strengthen, and build up a friend who might be failing to see the real TRUTH.  This life is oh.so.hard and we have an enemy who whispers lies in the darkness of our loneliness with intentions to kill and destroy!!

There is ONE who thinks of us, even though we may not think of Him. And He speaks to us through His Word:

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! 

how great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they are more in number 

than the sand

 Psalm 139

By grace alone,

Lisa