May all your resolutions be of your heart and not the world.
Romans 12:2 ~ Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
Lynnae over at BeingFrugal.net posted a really fun Christmas idea. We are all avid readers here so this one is going to be a hit with my children. 
It’s that time of year again. Time to mail out the holiday cards. Whether you send out 10 or 100 would you think about sending even just one to someone in our military? Many of our service people will be far away from home this holiday season. Many do not have anyone to send them greetings. Please visit the following link and give a little hope and love to our troops.
While you’re at it…share the link with someone else too!
Doesn’t that just get you excited to hear those words?! It makes me smile from ear to ear. My precious Savior is ALIVE!
It’s not about painted eggs, bunnies and chocolates today. It’s not about the spiral cut hams, deviled eggs and mashed potatoes. It’s about HIM. Pure and simple today is about The Resurrection. Today is about our promise of eternal life with Him. All because He died and rose again. Enjoy the ‘treats’ of today but keep your focus on Jesus. Thank Him for the most precious gift of all time. Freely given to us all.
Please have a blessed Resurrection Day!
Valentine’s Day is a day of love. Sonnets and poems have been written professing undying love to another. Roses are shipped all over the globe. Chocolatiers work round the clock. Restaurants are booked solid. All in the name of Valentine’s Day. No one knows for sure the origin of the day. This website gives a brief description of the most common held thoughts on origin. Personally I think it’s a Hallmark holiday meant to break our pocketbooks. But hey, what do I know?! 
I would ask why do we need to dedicate one day of the year (or two if you consider the Hallmark holiday called Sweetest Day too) to exclusively dote on our loved ones? Why can’t every day be Valentine’s Day?
In our home we don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day. We might buy a little treat for each other to mark the day. However we never spend more than about $20 for the four of us. It’s not that we don’t have it to spend we just don’t see the need to spend hundreds of dollars just for this “holiday”. We truly believe Valentine’s Day is every day. It is not uncommon to find love notes in a kitchen cabinet, a dresser drawer or a lunch box. We never leave each other’s company without a hug/kiss and an “I love you”. We show our love in little ways all day, every day.
Let us go to the greatest love letter ever written. That being God’s love letter to us, the Bible.
From Matthew 22: 36-39 (NIV):
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
God’s greatest commandment to us is that we LOVE. I do not believe He intended this to only be on February 14th. Rather we are to show the love we give to others on Valentine’s Day EVERY day. Send a card to a loved one or neighbor on April 12th or September 24th just because. Send those lovely roses to your loved one on August 15th. Take out your widowed neighbor for a fancy dinner on November 1st. You get the idea. Do those treasured “Valentines” ideas ANY day of the year. Make every day the day you celebrate LOVE.
Now am I saying I think Valentine’s Day should be banned? No I do not. I think it is a lovely reminder to people to think of their loved ones. I just don’t think the festivities of the day should be abandoned on February 15th. What I propose is that you spread that love throughout the year. Write down your 12 favorite Valentines ideas on a sheet of paper. Try to do one of those a month and you are well on your way to celebrating all year long! If you’re really adventurous do 52 ideas or 365 ideas!
Whatever you do just don’t let Valentine’s Day linger lonely on the calendar only celebrated one little ol’ day of the year. Let it live in your heart every day in every way.
Let us also not forget that we should be showing LOVE to our Lord every day. That was the first of the greatest commandments given. I know with everything in me that if you love on the Lord moment by moment then He will fill your cup to overflowing. You will be so full of love that you won’t have to even think twice about how to show love to others…it will just be pouring out of you! So maybe it’s not about making a list of ideas but rather about giving your all to the Lord. Read your Bible daily. Pray without ceasing. Praise and Thank Him in everything. It is through our servant attitude to HIM that makes every day Valentine’s Day.
Wow. Once again I am humbled by how He speaks to me through this blog. If no one else ever reads this I would not care. HE reads it and HE speaks to me through it. What an amazing God we serve. I am truly humbled in His almighty presence.
May God’s greatest commandment to us live in your heart in a special way from this day forward. May the LOVE of Christ be shone through you. May the LOVE of our Heavenly Father lift you in all your days. In Jesus’ precious name ~ Amen.
I love reading Beth Moore’s blog…well honestly I love reading anything by her. Her most recent post about the New Year is a must read. She makes an excellent point that we can have a “new year” any day of the year. To quote my favorite part of her entry…
“Because of Christ, we can have a new beginning any old time. We are never further than about 18 inches from the next new start. All we have to do is hit our knees, repent, and ask God sincerely if we could just begin again.”
How right she is! Kneeling in prayer is so powerful. We need not wait for the new year, new week or even the start of a new day…right now is our new moment.
Head on over to her blog and take a few minutes there to read this fabulous post… The LPM Blog
A new year and a new blog. I can’t help but wonder what treasures lie ahead for both. I think that is how we have to view a new year. Not look at empty resolutions and “I have to’s” but rather look for the treasures God has waiting for us. He has so much He is eagerly holding for us in His loving arms. So in this new year instead of writing a resolution list I would challenge you to start a new tradition of a treasures list. Open His Word and seek out the scripture treasures that speak to your heart. That is a list of promises that will NEVER be broken!
Happy New Year!