Valentine’s Day – To Hate or Partake?

Ahh…Valentine’s Day! The day when love is in the air and retailers make plenty of money from the sale of flowers, candy, cards, and jewelry.

Legend has it (at least according to the History channel) that this day back in 278 A.D. a holy priest in Rome by the name of Valentine was executed. In that time, Emperor Claudius II wanted an all bachelor army, so he banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.

BUT, as you may know, it is not good for your health to defy the emperor! St. Valentine was beaten and beheaded. Before his death, he left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine."   Romantic, huh?

   

As I reviewed my friend’s facebook statuses this morning, I noticed a clear line between V-day haters and partakers. You can take a guess about which status goes in which category:

•  Haappy Vday FB! Its my most favoritist holiday (after christmas of course). Love is great (bc God is love)? Tell someone you luv em 2day. And do something sweet 4em while ur at it. :)
• So blessed to be in love....
• Valentine's Day is not for love. You should tell your significant other everyday how much they mean to you. Valentine's Day is actually a day to remind all the single people that you are NOT in love. And a day to remind you of your ex even though you don't want to think about it. Worst. "Holiday." Ever.
• Shout out to those that have given up on love or don't feel loved. God is love and He would never give up on you. Seek the Lord first. Hang in there! I love you!

So, what do we make of this joyous, fun-filled, industry dictated, love mandated holiday that is full of perhaps unrealistic expectations?!

 

I say we go back to the definition of LOVE found in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a:

"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails."

Would your friends and coworkers describe you as patient, kind, hopeful, trusting, and never failing or would they describe you as proud, angry, self-seeking, etc? 

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35

We are recognized as God's people by our LOVE for one another!! So weather or not you have a hot date tonight, don't miss your opportunity to show LOVE to others as Christ showed to us :)

What is a picture REALLY worth!?

We have all heard the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words."  I would agree SOME pictures are worth a thousand words.  Here are a few of my favorites:

And of course....



Well...I spent most of the month of December gathering my favorite pictures from 2010 and scrapbooking our sweet memories from the past year...everything from my sister's wedding to Adam's 1st Georgia football game to our 11 day trip to see all of our friends in Florida. 

I do, in fact, realize that there is "new" technology that will allow you to make photobooks quickly online by simply uploading pictures, inserting your credit card, and waiting for the arrival in the mail!  BUT I LOVE reliving the memories, cutting fun shapes, and gluing in ticket stubs, invitations, and any other 'scrap' that I saved to inlcude in the book.  It does cause quite a mess in the dining room, but Adam is pretty patient with me.

As I was scrapbooking, I talked to my dad and told him what I was doing.  He laughed and told me about a home he recently bought after a gentleman passed away.  He said that he was going through the attic and found several scrapbooks that this man and his late wife made.  He looked through some, but tossed most things as he had several rooms to clean up before he could rent the house out. 

Then he asked, "What do you think people will do with your scrapbooks when you are dead?" HA!  Seriously, dad!   That wasn't really where I thought the conversation was going.  I guess now that I think about it, I hope that when I die (hopefully in 100 years) that I leave more than scrapbooks and pictures.  I hope I leave a legacy (for lack of a way better word!) of joy, kindness, peace, and patience.  Those are the things can never be tossed. 

In the meantime, I say, "Happy Scrapbooking!"  May your pictures be clear, your cuts be straight, and your books be filled with lots of beautiful memories!