Valentine's Day Memories

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to express love.  One of my earliest memories of that time of year is making valentines for family and friends.  Those hours were full of paper, scissors, crayons, and lots of paste.  I am amazed that Mom made time to help us do that, since she had five children. 

When I started school, we either made or bought valentines to give to our classmates.  Going to the store to purchase the cards was a big event.  You had to look at each kind to choose which ones would be the best.  Once you were home, you had to decide which person would receive which particular card and then carefully write their name and sign yours on the card.  Another important part of the celebration was decorating a box to collect your cards.  Those traditions were repeated when our sons were in school.

Mom always made each holiday special.  She usually made the four girls something to wear and had treats for us to help celebrate the occasion.  Dad was in on the celebrating as well.  When we were moving Mom to her new home, we found a little card that comes with a bouquet of flowers that she had saved.  Dad had written it to her one Valentine’s Day.  It is now framed and in her room.



Chocolate hearts with our names written on them



Micki and her heart treat



When I was in second grade, it snowed in Pasadena/Houston on Valentine’s Day!  That is the first time I ever remember seeing or playing in snow.  When Dad came home from work, he helped us make things with the snow and have a snowball fight.

On this February 14^th, my Bible reading was Matthew 27.  The verses tell the events of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion.  What an amazing reminder of the ultimate expression and gift of love.  And that love is meant to be celebrated and shared every day of the year!

I John 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

I John 4:9-10

⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Romans 8:38-39

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.