Love is...

So, how is that Valentine Countdown working out for ya?!

That is what I have heard in my heart every day since we started our Valentine Day's Countdown.

Day 1. Read 1 Corinthians 13. That kinda stung after I lost my patience with toys not being picked up in the living room Tuesday night. I was not proud of my own irritation. I had asked for all the toys to be put away AND all the cushions to be put back on the couch (...it was a fort building night). Reading what God had to say in those verses was so convicting. God's Word about love made me see where I was loving and where I wasn't. LOVE IS PATIENT.

Day 2 - Wear Red & Pink...was totally met with resentment from a 4 year old who thinks pink is just a "girl's" color, wants to dress himself in turtlenecks everyday (What is up with that? Someone please explain that to me!!), and my hubby who was running late for work (I didn't even offer "a friendly reminder" that morning as he hurried around the house). Instead, I grumbled under my breath as I put on my pink shirt and wondered why was I even trying to do fun family things, am I the only one who wants to do this?! But later that evening when I met "the boys" at church, to my surprise and without "reminders" each of them had on red. LOVE IS NOT SELF-SEEKING.

Day 3 - Decorate the House...are you kidding me? Today? Of all days? Don't know if you can relate, but let's just say "home (cleaning) was not where my heart was" today. Just yesterday, I was "pulling teeth," today I am the pain! :) I needed to do the dishes, laundry lingered, and I had even mentioned playing outside to a very eager son before my morning coffee. Now, I even needed to dust where the decorations would go! We did go outside. We did play. I did do the housework, laundry, dust, dinner...even fried it up in a pan!! As more and more got done today, how sweet it was to hear, "Momma, NOW are we gonna decorate for Valentine's Day?" We got it done! LOVE NEVER FAILS.

So, how is THAT Valentine Countdown working for me?

GREAT!

The whole purpose was to look for love...to remember to show love throughout the day...to be mindful of what God's love looks like. And how I have especially needed to be reminded....the "calendar planner" has needed it the most!!

Tonight, I was reminded of love in a surprising way.

My hubby came home with these...

....the table decorations were already on the table (see above story! :) ), but the flowers were a surprise. He said they were for "no reason or occasion." But I knew what they were for...see where the leaf was naturally pointing?! LOVE IS KIND.

(To be continued...)