"One Month to Live" Day 9

Love...

What great timing to be reading the chapter on "love" in the week leading up to Valentine's Day. That's what it's all about right? We celebrate the love we have for our children, our spouse, our friends (kids are especially excited about this). We buy flowers, candy, jewelry, all kinds of gifts as "tokens" for our affection to one another.

Today I read and learned the story of why we celebrate Valentine's day. I am sure at some point in elementary school I read the story but if I did...the memory has left me. While teaching kindergarten today to Braydon, we read the story and made a homemade valentine for Daddy (shhhh, it's a surpise for Sunday!!) For those of you (like me) who don't remember kindergarten very well, let me refresh your memory of why we celebrate love on Valentine's day.

Nearly 2000 years ago in Europe lived a priest named Valentine. At that time the Emperor of Rome was not a Chrisian. Because Valentine was teaching others the Christian way and showing love to others and to Christ, he was put to death by the emperor. It was many years before others began to celebrate "Valentine's Day" in honor of the love he showed those around him and the love he had for Jesus.

I am all for the gifts and candy and filling out Valentine cards with my children for their friends, but that is how "we" (meaning people) decided to celebrate it. Showing love to others for no reason other than to glorify God is what he did and I think he had it right. We need more than one day to do that. We should spend everyday doing that. Just think, if you lived your life like Valentine-that you spent so much time loving others and teaching them about Christ's love for them-that 2000 years later people still celebrated "love" in your honor.

But the true love I want to experience with God, and that He offers each of us, began with the greatest gift of all. A gift that never has to be upwrapped, but is like a new present every morning. It never withers like the flowers you get on Valentine's day, never melts like the chocolate, and shines brighter than the diamonds your husband may give you....His precious Son. There is no love that will be celebrated on Valentine's Day that could even compare.

On a different note, I enjoyed reading these statements made by 4-8 year olds who were asked, "What does love mean?"

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is OK."

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

"Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no."

"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."

"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."

"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."