Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A Stubborn Lump


"But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." Isaiah 64:8

I love the word picture this creates....
I am a lump of clay and God is the Potter molding me.

Lately it seems He has been working a bit extra on me--  pressing, pinching, forming, remolding, and removing excess clay. 

It sure has been painful at times. 

You see...

 I am a stubborn lump. 

At times I get dried and hard, pretty much refusing to let Him to do any work at all. 
Countless other times I do not give in easily to how He wants to mold me. 

I have this vision of what I want to look like and sometimes I am pretty bent on getting there...

MY way

what I think is the easy way. 

Yet, He already knows what I am to look like and if I would just soften to His touch and trust Him, then He could do His work on me. 

While I am busy striving, He is gently but firmly molding me...




As I have resisted and fought against His touch, I nearly missed out on an important truth.

Look at the potter in the picture above, busy spinning and molding a lump of clay. Pressing his fingers into the clay to make interesting grooves. Scraping away the excess. Wetting the clay when it dries, etc.

We can't see his face, but I bet if we looked deeply into his eyes we would see a deep sense of pleasure there...

Here is the awesome part (~smile) :

All the while the potter is working away on this stubborn lump, he is enjoying the process. And what's more, 
 he is happy working with the clay - it is what he likes to do.


As I wrestle with the knowledge that God has done so much work on me and still has so much work left to do... 
 and as I struggle with the thought of the pain that may create... 



What a joy it is to remember that He loves me!

 He is molding me with gentle, loving hands.




And the work He is doing is for my good.



So in the end... 



I can be a vessel He can use. 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Won't you join me for a walk in the woods?

I so enjoy walking in my little woods. Each time I go, I am blessed.

And since it is always fun to walk with a friend,
won't you join me today as I take a walk around my little woods?


Put on your comfy shoes and come along...

The first thing you will notice as we step into the woods is the smell. It is impossible for a picture to capture it, so just imagine a sweet fragrance, similar to that of crisp, fresh apples.

Next you will notice the simple beauty of the woods... 
just plain old trees and weeds, but when the sun comes dappling through the branches, the brightness and variety of colors will leave you in awe. 

(Please pardon my pictures. My photography skills are limited and don't do justice to how this spot truly looks.)






As we walk, you will notice that the path at our feet is a velvety green carpeting of moss,
 so soft, cushioning each step.






All along the path are thousands of wood ferns. Their leaves so green...





 and their tips all rusty as their season begins to come to an end.





 As we turn a corner, we see a small maple tree, only about about 3 feet tall, yet covered with leaves of the deepest brown and burgundy.





Across the path is another small tree with leaves that remind us of the Christmas season yet to come..




We walk on...  

along the way we encounter a number of fascinating creatures, (of which we get no good pictures)...  several tiny frogs, butterflies, bees, and a caterpillar so big - at least 3 inches long, so plump, so green, so intent on his journey that our stopping to look at him as he crosses our path, doesn't phase him in the least. 

We walk slowly, enjoying the warmth of the sun on our backs. 

All too soon, we reach the end of our walk. Here, we see an ancient rock wall covered in moss. We are tempted to climb up on it and follow it.. but we know our time together is growing short.




Thank you so much for joining me today! I hope you enjoyed our time together as much as I did. 

God has given us such beauty! What a joy it is to get out and spend time in His creation!





Thursday, September 6, 2012

Be Bold!

"Boldness is critical. Without boldness, my life story will be one of great deeds left undone, victories left unwon, petitions left unprayed, and timely words unsaid. If I wish to live only a pathetically small portion of the life God has prepared for me, then I need no boldness. But if I want my life to bloom full and loom large for the glory of God, then I must have boldness - and nothing so nourishes boldness in me like the gospel!"
~Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer for Christians

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Will they know we are Christians by our love?

There is an old song that goes 
"They'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love." 
Brother or sister in Christ, 
WILL they know we are Christians by our love??


Are you kind to others? 
"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." Romans 2:10 

Are you kind in your actions? In your words? In your tone of voice?  Would your brothers and sisters in Christ say that they know you "prefer" them? - Do your actions show that you have affection for them? That you do indeed prefer them?

 Do you put the needs of others, whether they be physical or emotional, before your own?

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." Philippians 2:3

Would your brothers and sisters in Christ say that you "lift them up"? -esteem them better than you do yourself? Do your actions show that you value others more than you value yourself? Does your tone of voice show a peaceful, loving, humble attitude or does it show strife and vainglory?


"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:45
By the standards of this verse, are your actions, words, attitude, or tone, good or evil?

The way we treat others is a direct result of what is in our hearts.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:22-25

Christian, are you walking in the Spirit? Would your sisters and brothers in Christ say, they know you are a Christian by your love??

Note: I do include myself as part of the pronoun "your". This is a post of self examination for myself as well.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Vertigo


Throughout much of the spring and summer of this year, for nearly 8 weeks now, I have been dealing with vertigo, which at times has been debilitating. Many times it has felt as though I lived inside my own little tornado, spinning round and round. It has been a long journey. I am now on the road to healing, still have a bit of a journey to travel but am trusting that soon I will feel like my old self.  (I am so thankful to be able to say that as of this update - August 10- the vertigo has been gone for over 2 weeks! Praise!)

[~~ I would like to preface this post by saying that I know many people deal with much worse conditions than this each and every day. What I experienced can in no way compare to what they endure. However, God is teaching me a lot during this time of illness and I feel compelled to share...]

1. When I think that I "can't take anymore" or that I have fully reached my limit, I can indeed push on.
 For most of the better part of 2 weeks my world swirled around at a fast pace and my ears/face hurt so badly that at times I couldn't help sobbing. Several times I thought, I can not do this anymore... well... I did do it and am now on the other side. ~smile
The really awesome truth is that while I was tired and weak, I didn't have to do it in my own strength.
 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." ~Philippians 4:6-14


2. Although I hate to, there are indeed times to say, "I need help" and "I need prayer."
 I, like most people, hate admitting there is a problem. Even writing this post is not easy for me. I hate to be seen as weak or sickly in any way. There were times, though, when I did need help- physically couldn't do what needed to be done and am thankful that others were here to help! I admit to feeling like a bit of a failure for doing so, but if the meal was going to get made, the floors washed, dishes done, etc - someone else had to do it.

At one point I had reached an all-time low and I knew I NEEDED others to pray for me. I sent an email to a friend asking for prayer. Later that night God did a great work in my heart. During this trial I was doing my best to "accept" this as a time of learning from God. However, God made it clear to me that night that He wanted me to REJOICE in it. Yes, that is right. While everything was spinning around so badly that I had all I could do to walk from my couch to the bathroom, while the pain was so bad in my ears/face that I thought my ears would explode... during this He wanted me to live a life of rejoicing in Him. A life of passion, fullness, and richness in Christ my Savoir!
 "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." ~Philippians 4:4

"Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually." ~1 Chronicles 16:9-11

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." ~Psalm 5:11

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience." ~Romans 5:1-3



3. God is REAL - He is here with me.
What can I say? He has proved Himself time and time again to me. While having an MRI the pain in my head was extreme - I thought it was more than I could bear. As I was about to push the little "get me outta here" bulb, I felt His presence in an incredible way- nearly physically, as if He held me. I can't adequately explain it. God is so good!
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." ~Psalm 46:1


4. Life will go forward and events will happen, even while I'm sick.

During this period of time, my oldest son and daughter in law were married. It was a time I had been looking forward to and praying about for years...yet I don't remember a time that I ever felt so sick. It was really hard for me not to help out more than I did, not to walk around and chat with people at the reception...  God blessed wonderfully though, He allowed me to light the candle during the ceremony without even a wobble and I would hazard a guess that the average person attending probably had no idea what was going on with me (I hope!).Yes, He is an awesome God!

The wedding went off without a hitch and was truly beautiful...

What JOY...
I have another daughter-in-love!!!

5. I can sit/lay on my couch for the better part of 2 weeks and I will not die of boredom...

Hours and hours of sitting and spinning around, not able to read, hardly able to think. I enjoy spending my days working in the garden, taking walks in the woods, reading, writing, visiting others, keeping busy... to sit like that and not even be able to read.....So thankful that is past. ~smile.
All I was able to do was call out to Him in prayer much of the time. I called upon Him and He heard me- I knew I was not alone. At times I would get discouraged (yes, very discouraged more than once) and doubt my ability to go on but I never doubted His presence (although, a couple of times I did ask "Why?").
 In this time as well, He taught me that when I have a limited window of time to read, the only thing truly worth reading is the Word of God. When I could only read in snippets, nothing else would do.



 I learned much, much more as well, but I won't bore you with all that. ~smile
 Instead I'll leave you with the one most important point God has made clear to me:

Each day contains a blessing... 

each day IS a blessing...

live it with passion .... 

for Christ!




Monday, August 6, 2012

All I desire

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee."
Psalm 73:25 


I used to read this verse and wonder... is such a thing possible? Is it possible that ALL I would desire is God? Is it possible that I would desire NOTHING other than Him? Can I train my mind to focus 100% on Him, giving up all my earthly desires? Are others able to do this? And if so, will I one day be able to say the same?

A few weeks ago I was studying this passage again and I realized something for the first time. Finally, I understood! All this time I had been missing the point.

The point isn't that I won't ever desire anything other than God, what I needed to realize was


ALL,


yes, ALL


 that I ever could desire...

ALL that I think I need or want ... 

IS fulfilled 

in HIM



An awesome thought and a wonderful truth! 

I may indeed still struggle with my earthly desires. As much as I would love to be able to say that I will not struggle, I am afraid that I always will in one way or another...


BUT

everything 

I truly need is provided for in Him. 



    ~Love

    ~Peace

    ~Fulfillment

    ~Joy

    ~Security



      It's all there. 



      Isn't God good?

      Thursday, June 28, 2012

      Goals updated...

      It has been quite a while since I have posted anything here - nearly two months exactly. I purposefully wanted to take a break to do some serious thinking (and praying) about what this, my little spot on the web, should be. I have come to no firm conclusions, but do continue to pray that anything I write here will glorify God and be a blessing to others.

      I thought I might give a little update on my goals that I posted a couple of months ago. You can read that post here: Exciting Changes Ahead

      I am afraid that this post will not be terribly interesting to read, but in posting my goal updates, I find it keeps me accountable and, in at least one area (oops!), reminds me what goals I have set for myself. ~smile



      The following are my goals and the progress, if any, that I have made.



      1. Be ACTIVE at least 45 minutes everyday. ~~ I have been implementing this goal into my life faithfully when illness has not prevented me. I am happy to report that in the last 3 months or so, I have lost 15 pounds! I couldn't be more thrilled and I look forward to becoming more healthy in the future. ~smile

      2. Learn to drive a standard.  ~~ Haven't had the opportunity to do this yet...

      3. Be confident using firearms. ~~ Haven't spent anymore time using these yet...

      4. Get out on the water at least once a week, either in my kayak or in my canoe. ~~~Haven't been out on the water yet this year! Sure would like to -- soon!

      5. Build up the soil in my garden.~~ I have worked hard in my little garden this spring and it appears to be doing very well.

      6. Keep my furnace room organized. ~~ This is still a bugaboo for me. And I must confess that I had forgotten I had set a goal for myself to work on this!

      7. One day out of every 10, visit shut-ins, people who aren't feeling well, etc. ~~ I need to be more faithful in this area!

      8. Be bold about sharing Christ with others.~~ This is an ongoing process for me --of getting myself out of the way and sharing Him.

      9. EVERY day, spend time talking to my Lord and drinking from the Water of His Word. ~~Wish I could say that I didn't still struggle in this area, but I do! However, I do use my time on my elliptical to pray. There is nothing like working out and praying. It brings out so much- I find the more tired, hot, etc. I get, the more open I am with my Lord- literally crying out to Him. It is a precious time.

      10.  I will be ON TIME or even early...~~ My best friend mentioned just the other day how I am not late to things anymore. :) Yup, I have been striving in this area...so that others will not be inconvenienced because of my tardiness.

      WOW... I have a LOT more work to do--- here's to the future!!

      And always remember:

      Friday, April 27, 2012

      Where God talks to His own

      "Without prayer the Christian life, robbed of its sweetness and beauty, becomes cold and formal, and dead; but in the secret place where God talks with His own, it will grow into such a testimony of Divine power that all men will feel its influence and be touched by the warmth of its love." 
                                                                                         ~EM Bounds  
       
                                                                                     

      Friday, April 20, 2012

      Exciting changes ahead...


      I like to make goals for myself. Why? What is the point? Mainly because I see so much work that needs to be done in me! If I hope to improve, I must set goals and work to achieve them (with the Lord's help) or else I will always be stuck back in the same old rut. I also find goals to be fun and exciting. I love to learn new things and new goals keep life interesting and fresh!

      Recently, I revised my goals for this year. My new ones are as follows:

      1. Be ACTIVE at least 45 minutes everyday. (Sunday is my only exception. If I want to just rest that is fine, although generally I like to do a little something in the afternoon as well.) I have been implementing this goal for the most part for about a month and a half. I feel like a new woman. I never want to go back to a more sedentary life again! Life is for the living!! Bring it on!! Whoot!

      2. Learn to drive a standard. Yup. I will learn THIS year.

      3. Be confident using firearms. I know the basics, but still do not feel comfortable using them. This is mainly from lack of experience. My goal is to target practice at least once every two weeks in warm weather.

      4. Get out on the water at least once a week, either in my kayak or in my canoe. Also, I would like to become confident enough with my kayak that I could just take it and go paddling by myself. I so enjoy the water. For me it is very close to being a spiritual experience. It is calmly and comforting, (yet can be exciting, too.) Somehow, when I am on the water, I feel at home. It is as though there is a need in me to be out there. If you are a "water" person, you will understand this. For years, I did not get out on the water and I missed it terribly. It is also great exercise. I plan to be out there every chance I can get.

      5. Build up the soil in my garden. My garden was just a piece of lawn two years ago and the soil is very poor. I am working diligently this year to build it up and have a bumper crop of produce in my little garden! As of right now about 1/5 of my garden is done. This is hard, satisfying work. I will reap the benefit of better veggies and herbs and am also reaping the benefits of the hard physical labor on my body.

      6. Keep my furnace room organized. This room is the catch-all of the house. It is nearly always a mess. My goal is to KEEP it organized and tidy! So often people come through this room from our garage to enter our home, I cringe each time at the mess!!

      7. One day out of every 10, visit shut-ins, people who aren't feeling well, etc. I SO often overlook this opportunity to be a blessing and be blessed! That's right, I go with the intent of being a blessing to someone and every time I leave I realize I was the one who was blessed!!

      8. Be bold about sharing Christ with others- get myself and my pride out of the way! Our church has a visitation program once a week in the summer. We go door-to-door and meet people, invite them to church, etc. I look forward to being involved with that again this summer. I also want to be bolder in my day to day life to share Christ. By bolder, I do NOT mean shoving it rudely in any one's face but rather, telling others of the GREAT and awesome blessing I have in being a child of the King and that they can KNOW Him and have their sins forgiven, too!

      9. EVERY day, spend time talking to my Lord and drinking from the Water of His Word. NO excuses. NO exceptions. Time spent with Him is the most productive time of the day and it is so precious!! All too often I do not "make the time" to be with Him. - I need to change that and do it each and every day!

      10. Number 10, not my final goal by any stretch, but the last one I will post here. ~smile. This one I expect to hear a great "Hurrah" from many people in response to it! My goal is to be ON TIME from now on!! Yes, no more "doing one last thing before I go." I will be ON TIME or even early... is that applause I hear???

      Tuesday, April 17, 2012

      Don't Give Up





      "I think Christians fail so often to get answers to their prayers because they do not wait long enough on God. They just drop down and say a few words, and then jump up and forget it and expect God to answer them. Such praying always reminds me of the small boy ringing his neighbor's door-bell, and then running away as fast as he can go."
       
                                                                                                 - E. M. Bounds



      .

      Monday, April 16, 2012

      Easy, inexpensive, EXCELLENT dishwasher detergent

      I have been using this "detergent" in my dishwasher for the past week.
      It is
      inexpensive,
      easy to use,
      and won't harm the environment. 

      The best part is...
      it works great!!
      My dishes are sparkly clean!

      Dishwasher Detergent

      In the compartment where you would normally place your store-bought detergent, place:

      1 tsp Borax
      1 tsp Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
      1 squirt of Dawn dish soap

      Close the lid and run cycle as usual.


      Friday, April 13, 2012

      Is there an answer to this question?

      I woke up early this morning. 

      I grabbed my Bible, 
      notebook, 
      my snuggly fleece throw,
      and sat on my couch.

      As I sat there reading in the book of Romans, 
      a thought kept running through my mind.

       A thought that stems from an entirely different passage of scripture.....

       2 Timothy 1:8-9,"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 

      God has called me with a holy calling before the world began. Hence, He knew me before the world began. 
      This is an wonderful fact, but not the persistent thought that was running through my mind. ~smile

      Since God has known me since before the world began... 
      then in a sense... 
      {and someone feel free to correct my line of thinking if this sounds way off base.... }
      then would it not appear...
       that my soul existed before the world began? 
      Certainly not in the sense that it does now- but... 
      if God KNEW me than I had to exist.. one could not be known who does not exist...could one?

      I know this is a strange line of thought... but since He did indeed know His calling for me before the world began... then if my soul existed by the world began..
      (and again I am open for clarification and correction from God's Word on this, please share if needed.)

      This was the thought that kept running through my mind....

      How old is my soul?? 

      This is something I have spent a little time thinking about before... I find the thought fascinating..... Knowing that God's sense of time is not like ours and that He has always existed... our human minds may not be able to fully comprehend such things (my mind anyway).... yet, I do find it interesting to think over.... and it makes me feel blessed that God does make some things a bit more difficult to comprehend with our human minds. It thrills me as I rest in the fact that He is in control and knows everything.. and that He allows me to have little puzzles to ponder over. ~smile.

       For me, it makes life more interesting.

      Sunday, March 25, 2012

      Correction

      I don't know if the anonymous commenter on my last post will visit here again or not. But I would like to thank them for the correction of my error. A hastily written post resulted in my confusion/blurring of 2 separate passages of scripture. Not revisiting the post again, resulted in my not catching the confusion until just now. I am sincerely thankful for the correction! I have deleted the post.

      God bless!

      Friday, March 2, 2012

      One Fine Chick

      Would I sound a little crazy to you if I said one of my best friends is a chicken? Hmmm.... just maybe. ~wink

      I promise this post isn't about my chickens... well... mostly not anyway. ~smile

      I have 8 Rhode Island Reds that are a delight to me. Seven of my girls are big, red and beautiful. Feathers nearly always in place and they are so beautiful to look at in the sun.

      (Photo copyright Penni Hill, March 2, 2012. Please do not use or pin without permission.)


      Then there is Prunella.

       Pru isn't as plump as the other girls. She is nearly always missing at least a few neck feathers - sometimes most of them are gone on the front. When wet her feathers totally "deflate" and she looks down right pitiful. To top it off, she is missing the end of three toes. Yeah, physically she is a wreck.

      Here is the thing though, Prunella is very dear to me. She is the first one out of the hen house when I open the door, she will follow closely at my heels when I walk around in the yard, and she loves to have me pat her and pick her up. She is my favorite - I love that silly little chicken. She isn't much to look at, but she brings a lot of joy to my life.

      This is Prunella.  ~love~  (photo copyright Penni Hill, 3-2-2012)



      At my church there is a dear sweet older lady who doesn't have a lot of money and doesn't wear the latest fashions. She has a hard time understanding how things work sometimes. Yet, this little lady always has a smile. She never lets me pass by her without speaking to me and each church service when she first spots me, she calls out to me. She doesn't have an outstanding singing voice, yet she joins in singing groups and sings with a heart so cheerful and joyous that her voice is indeed beautiful to listen to. She is a loveable soul and a precious friend. I have learned a lot about joy from this woman.

      Now, do not misunderstand me, I am not comparing my friend to a chicken!! However, it does make me think of how we look at the people around us. Sometimes we look at the bright and beautiful, the well spoken and think "Wow, they have so much to offer." (This brings to mind a message our Pastor did recently Three Cautions and a Call ) We look at those who are so obviously gifted with looks, intellect, etc. and so often pass right bye those who don't appear to offer as much. Sadly, many times we overlook the Prunella's of this world.


      But here is the thing....


      When we pass them by or don't take them seriously, we are missing out on knowing and receiving a real treasure.



      Because they have a lot to offer...



      .


      Monday, February 13, 2012

      Valentine's Day (a short history)

      A short article from the old "Harvest Times" newsletter I used to produce for home educators in the Bangor area. I debated adding more to it, it is quite short (there was limited spaced in HT), but I decided to leave it as it is, including the jokes at the end ~smile. I found the vintage Valentines on Pinterest.com. Aren't they great?



      Valentine's Day, A Holiday of Love
      by Penni Hill




      Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day? Where did the customs we use today come from and when did they begin? There are several ideas of why we celebrate Valentine's Day the way we do.

      Thousand's of years ago, February 15 was the day the Romans held a festival to honor one of their gods, Lupercus. It was a day of games, music and dancing. This was also the day the Roman’s had their “love raffle”. The names of young women were written on pieces of paper and put into a jar. The young men would draw out the name of their sweethearts for the coming year.

      On February 14, 269 A.D. a Roman priest named Valentine was put to death for teaching about Christ.  In 496, Pope Gelasius named Valentine as a saint and made February 14 a special day to honor him.

      Over the years we have combined many of the customs of these two holidays. Today, we consider Valentine’s Day as the holiday of love. We send beautiful cards of love, give chocolates and flowers, and have romantic evenings out. It is definitely a day for romance, but is romance love?

                  1 John 4:7-10 gives us the definition of true love. "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins."




      This Valentine's Day, let’s remember the man for whom this holiday was named and why it was named for him. And on this day may God’s love through His Son Jesus Christ become real to you.






      Valentine Activities (for children and families)


      Make some Valentine cookies. Put them in a pretty box and take them to an elderly neighbor or someone you know who is sick. Be sure to include a Valentine with a verse from God’s Word on it.

      Visit a nursing home and take along Valentine’s you have made for all the patients (call ahead for exact number). While there sing love songs such as “Love Lifted Me”, quote scripture or put on a skit that tells what love really is.
       
       
      Study about the human heart. Draw a picture of what a real heart looks like and learn how it works. Learn how to take your pulse rate.

      Do a study on chocolate. When was it first made? What exactly is it made of? What place in the world makes the most of it? Where do most of the cocoa plants grow that we get our cocoa from here in the USA?



       


      Be sure to send your loved ones a valentine this February 14. Why not take this chance to let them know how much they really mean to you!







      Valentine Jokes 
      from the book "Valentine Fun" by Judith Stamper



      1. How do vampires fall in love?

      2. Which month has twenty-seven days?

      3. What flower is used most on Valentine’s Day?
      (Answers at the bottom of page)







       
      Knock, knock.

      Who’s there?

      Olive.

      Olive who?

      Olive you.






      Answers to jokes
      1. It's love at first Bite
      2. All of them
      3. Tulip

      Happy Valentine's Day!