Thursday, February 14, 2008

Spread the Love

It’s Valentine’s Day, not a bit deal in the M house. We will celebrate by having fondue at home (cheese with dippers and garlic beer broth with dippers), per our tradition developed over the past years. We always have chocolate covered goodness too. I started with just strawberries and had some left. So I did marshmallows and graham crackers. But there was still chocolate left. I tossed in a couple handfuls of pretzels and pecans, swirled it all around made all the goodness I could stand. It should last through tonight for a week. Being that my love language is quality-time, having my husband’s complete and undivided attention for a long, leisurely dinner will totally make my day! Especially since school has been really rough this semester and he has to spend a great deal of time studying.
(Notice the missing strawberry, it was quality control, really it was!)
Although we at the M house are low-key, our niece Pie had a big day! She had her first date, at the ripe old age of two and a half! Her boyfriend picked her up and brought her a flower before his mama drove them to McDonald’s for a romantic lunch of chicken nuggets followed by some love for the indoor playplace.


It makes me think of a little song:

“He showed up and took me by the hand, his mama drove us in her caravan and that’s alright with me.”

I’m not a huge Valentine’s Day fan in the traditional sense. It seems to be an occasion where everyone who is single needs to feel sad and lonely about not having a “Valentine.” Why does Valentine’s Day have to be about romantic love? Why not use this time to show everyone you love them. That said, I feel that J and I show we love each other everyday, as well as showing our family and friends everyday. While I don’t feel that one day is necessary to get all the love out, it can be a good occasion to stop and think how you can spread the love.

J and I have discussed options of things we can do today rather than give each other flowers, candy, and cheesy stuff animals. We discussed making a donation to our local community ministry for the homeless. Less than two dollars helps someone eat for like a week! This is a ministry we really believe in and support often. Other charities to spread the love to could be your local Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity. If you don’t have the extra cash to donate, volunteer your time. Homeless shelters are often looking for volunteers to help serve meals, charity thrift-stores need volunteers to assist with daily retail duties, and you can always take your hammer and hardhat to the construction site. If that’s not your thing, consider donating clothes you no longer wear but that are in good condition to a women’s shelter. This take very little time and energy and now money is involved.

I’ve also been praying about sponsoring a child. I’ve always known I wanted to do this once I have children. I think it would be a neat way to show my thankfulness for my child by assisting another in need as well as teaching my child about giving-back, being grateful, and how to pray for our sponsored child. I’ve been following a special mission trip to Uganda made by fellows Bloggers and I’m feeling the urge that I might want to sponsor now. They are ministering to the residents of Uganda and raising awareness for Compassion International. It seems so real to see their pictures and read their stories. Previously I wondered if it really was that bad or if just the most pathetic photos ever were being shown. When I think about doing it I wonder if we should do more domestically than internationally. But by sponsoring a child you can help give them an education, life skills, and prepare them for a bright future that will ultimately assist in reducing the situations in these countries drastically. In addition they are learning the Bible with many of them becoming followers of Christ.

Anyway, as you can see I have a bit more soul-searching and praying on this subject as well as discussion with my husband.

My Valentine wish for you is that you'll use everyday to let your significant other, family, and friends know that you love them and use Valentine’s Day as a reminder to reach out and show a little extra love in whatever way is closest to your heart.

2 comments:

Kristen Miller said...

What a sweet post.

It sounds like you and DH have a great Valentine's Day tradition. Very romantic! I'm glad he was able to put the books aside so you could spend the evening together. Very nice!

Platinum Rose said...

What did you end up doing to "spread the love"? I think that's a great idea. I too think that Valentine's Day is more than just between husband and wife (though my husband does not agree with me at all). I always send my closest friends, and our parents, cards.