End of Day 14- Happy Valentine's Day!

Busy day, started with preparing my house for Valentine pizza dinner with my sis and her family and my mom. Had a Shakeology late so it was breakfast and lunch. Then I was off to run errands with more GS cookie stuff to do and then shopping for Valentine's Day gifts. Does everyone give gifts to each other for Valentine's day? Or is it just my family? The funny thing is my Valentine and I don't even exchange gifts with each other, we're always too busy focusing on our upcoming anniversary to think about V-Day. So here is a pic of our gift bags for exchange. Though it looks like a lot, we do try to keep the cost minimal and the gifts smallish.

It's crazy though isn't it? We give and get gifts for almost every single holiday! It's just the American way! or is it the Hallmark way? Whatever it is, we do it, and we enjoy it. The best part is just seeing each other with smiles on our faces for the thoughtful gifts given. I received one candy item, Dove chocolate truffles from my mom. I told her it's a good thing she didn't give them to me last week, because of how weak I was feeling, I don't know that I could have stayed strong with those things around! This week seems to be better so far... so no pizza dinner or cookie pizza for me tonight, just enjoyed my chicken soup and grapes again. My mom asked what spiritual lesson I was learning from this...and I told her "self-control" and satisfaction with natural food choices, especially in the dessert category. My hunger is being met by my chicken soup, so I really don't NEED the pizza. And the grapes are my dessert, so I'm not going crazy with junk food and giving in to gluttony. You would not believe how many thumb print cookies I ate in one day around Christmas... it was the first time I had ever made them. I absolutely loved them, so I couldn't or wouldn't stop eating them! So bad for my health! I was not practicing self-control at all! That is a sin and I know it. It's reasons like this, that I am soooo thankful for the covenant of grace we have in Jesus Christ! If my salvation depended on me, I would fail miserably! I am soooo thankful to God, that He loves me anyway in spite of my sins. I do not want to sin, but I still do. I praise God that He judges my heart, and not just my actions! I pray that He would help me to live out my heart in all that I do, and say, and continually forgive me when I mess up. I have confidence in Christ, He sacrificed Himself for me and only because of Him, I will live with my Heavenly Father for eternity! That is AMAZING GRACE!!!!

I have to tell a funny story, on Sunday the the children's teacher Mary asked the kids what colors come to their mind when they hear the word LOVE...someone said red, then pink, then purple and my son Eli says "green". The teacher said "green?" "Why green?" And my son said, "because love is gross". Not hearing him correctly the teacher said, "Oh, because loves grows...that's a good one. Green because love grows, I like that." My husband and I looked at each other and laughed, because we knew exactly what our son had said. I'll have to thank his teacher for "redeeming" his comment! LOL!

On this day of love, I like to think about the greatest love there is, that a man lays down his life for his friends. I praise God that He calls us His friend and that He laid down His life for us!

John 15:12-14
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."