It's Valentine's Day

I have been wondering what this day would be like.   Another of the seemingly endless “firsts”.   It’s now early evening and I’ve got to say, this was not a bad, or even a rough day.   

Did I think about my sweetheart.   

Most definitely.   

Did I miss wishing him a happy Valentine’s Day first thing this morning.  

Sure did.

Did I miss getting the sweet “For My Wife” valentine’s card that he would have picked out especially for me?

Oh, most definitely.

Did I miss his huge smile when he saw the hand-made Valentine’s Card I made for “my husband”.

But must definitely.

Did I miss MAKING a Valentine’s Day card filled with my love and thanks.

Oh, yes, most definitely.

Did I miss having our traditional, quiet dinner at Pixie & Bills? 

Oh, yes, definitely.

Did I miss his hugs and kisses.  

Oh, without a doubt, definitely.

I missed all these things today.   But I miss these things every day.   Valentine’s Day, to me, is a day set aside for openly expressing and demonstrating your love for those near and dear to you.   It’s a day of love and, of course, chocolates.   

I tend to be pretty outgoing with my hugs and telling people I love them.   On Valentine’s Day I take the liberty of spreading my love around even more!  I wished everyone I ran into a happy Valentine’s Day …. Sandy at the Post Office, a sweet young girl at Ingles, the cranky guy at the dump -- they all got and gave big ole Valentine’s Day smiles!    

What a lovely day.....it’s almost like Christmas --- everyone is more than willing to outwardly express love on February 14th --- too bad we can’t do that every day.   What a much more pleasant world this would be!

So, of all the “firsts” I’ve been experiencing, Valentine’s Day is one of the easiest so far.   I’ll take it!    


I received this Valentine from my grace sister, Sharon …. and I just have to pass it along.   

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.          Ephesians 1:4

We are so, so loved!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, My Friends!

God Uses Change To Change Us

What an interesting thought -- God uses change to change us.   Now, why didn't I think of that before?   It seems to make perfect sense, now.


In my youth I LOVED change!   I was restless, unsatisfied, curious, searching --- you name it, I was looking for "something" and change was the ticket I chose.  New places to live, new jobs, new people .... the more change (from where I had come) the better!  At this point in my life, however, change is painful.   Especially change I didn't ask for.   


WHY?   Why did my life have to change JUST when I thought it was PERFECT????   Why do I have to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing when I FOUND just what I wanted to be?   Why do I have to figure out who and what I am when I was HAPPY with who and what I had become?


Oh yes, these are the questions we ask when life deals us a change we didn't ask for.   I laugh as I write that sentence as it now occurs to me how silly the sentence is.   Oh, you silly girl, WE don't control what happens.   We don't hold the master plan of our lives.   We are not in charge of the journey .... God is.


I have been on this journey of change for 11 months now.   As I continue down this path I am constantly amazed at the blessings that my Lord pours on me.   I know they are blessings I would not have received without going through this pain, this loss, this grief ... yes, this change.   


Last Saturday was the Grace In The Wilderness Valentine's Tea for Widows.  During her talk, Mary Beth Oxendine played a song I had never heard before and it validated everything I had been feeling and experiencing this last few weeks.   The song is called Blessings and it poses the question .... what if God's mercies come in disguise?    My answer to that question is a resounding YES!   God's mercies do come to us in disguise!


Blessings (Laura Story)

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?