I know there are many out there who just hate Feb. 14.  It’s so commercialized… It’s so arbitrary… It only makes us feel guilty… After all, shouldn’t we really show our love 365 days a year, not just when the calendar reminds us to?

But, I confess, it’s becoming a favorite of mine.

Yes, this is my first V-day as a wife.  (It still sounds kind of weird to say that!)  But that has nothing to do with it.  It’s not the romantic hullabaloo all over the airways that makes this day special.  I love my sweetie with all my heart -- every day of the year for the past seven-plus years.  But what I really love about this time of year is that I can tell my friends I love them without it sounding kooky.

I am so thankful for all the special people God has put in my life.  I wouldn’t be the same person without them.

One friend of mine from Texas gave me a book on her last visit here, Claire Cloninger’s “Postcards For People In Love.”  It’s full of “postcards” from our Heavenly Father, each one based on a verse and full of loving wisdom.  Here’s one of my favorites:

Be Rich in Love 
“It is better to eat vegetables with those who love you than to eat meat with those who hate you.” Proverbs 15:17

Child of mine, 
I wish for you a good life, rich in the things that matter most.  And what is the most important ingredient of a good life?  Is it wealth? Many people act as though it is.  But I tell you this: Love matters far more than money.  For you can earn small wages and live in a humble home, but if there is love within your walls, you are rich indeed!  You can make a humble pot of potato soup for supper and serve it on the kitchen table, but if love sits down to dine with you, your meal will be a feast!  It is easy to look at the outer trappings of a wealthy person’s life and jump to the conclusion he or she “has it all.”  But the truth is, all the wealth in the world cannot buy life’s most priceless treasure – love.  And without love, people endure the worst kind of poverty no matter how much money they have.  So as you evaluate your own life, my child, don’t measure your riches in dollars and cents.  Look at the love you can give and receive, and you’ll understand the real value of your existence. 

Be rich in love! 
God 

And happy Valentine’s Day, from me to you.