Celebrate Love

Valentine's Day is less than TWO WEEKS away! Are getting your thoughts together yet? Are you just going to make a trip to the store the day before?

This year, instead of buying my husband some sort of mass produced candy, no matter how delicious, I have made up my mind that I will make him his very own personalized "Box of Chocolates" for Valentine's Day. Well, minus the chocolates. He won't have to squish them to figure out what's inside. (is squish even a technical word?)

I'm better at pastries and baked goods then candies and chocolates, so I'm sure some sort of cookie or miniature cake will be headlining the collection.

I think I'm going to put in place three standards for Valentines day with my husband:

Something sweet

Something romantic

Something sexy

...and then the three for my Malakai, as well as our future children:

Something sweet

Something silly

Something uplifting

Many people just let Valentine's day fall into the category of a holiday that just comes and goes. I think it's easy to do that because the banks aren't closed, we still have to work, and in this year's case, still will be going to church. I strongly encourage you, especially if you are married, don't just let this one slide by.

No matter your age, celebrate your love!

No matter where you are in life, what stage of your relationship or marriage, or no matter how long it's been since the spark went out... find a way to celebrate the one thing that brought you and your soul mate together. Love is a choice. It cannot be based on circumstances, time, emotions, physical attraction and really it can't even be based totally on chemistry. Chemistry just makes it a little easier. =) Base your love on the fact that deep down in your being, you know that it was destined by the One who created you that THIS is the person that you are purposed to spend your life with. It is my belief that if you base your love on THAT, no matter how routine life gets, you can always find excitement and reason to celebrate.

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first,"

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end."

1 Corinthians 13

(The Message)

Do you have any creative plans for this special day, solely dedicated to celebrating the ones you love?! If so, tell me!

Here are some edible ideas to get you going:

These ideas (instructions included) from HERE.

These lovely pictures, from HERE.