Cut out Hearts and Encouraging Words

February is the month where we see a lot of hearts, roses, cherubs and arrows.  A lot of pink, red and white.  Even pizzas in the shape of hearts! Some may view this day as an excuse for more candy and date nights.  But when we have a family, it can be a time in which we show our children, spouse, and other ones we care about the things we appreciate and love about them.

            An idea I found on Pinterest years ago that has stuck with me is to leave cut out hearts with a character trait, or something you love and appreciate about each child on their bedroom door.  Of course if you’re doing this for a spouse, you can leave it on the bathroom mirror or somewhere else they will see it each day. For my kids, I try to put these up on their door after they’ve gone to bed at night so that it’s a surprise for them when they wake up in the morning.

So it’s easy to do, really…You can cut a heart out (whatever kind of color and paper you want to use), write something on it that you want the child to know that you love about them, and tape it to their door.  Each morning when they wake up, they can be encouraged with the kind words you have left for them.  You can do this for the entire month, or just the week of Valentine’s Day.  It is totally up to you!  Try to be intentional with your words and compliments.  For example, “I love when you give me hugs after a long day.”

            Here is another idea if you have more than one child…So I took it a step further this year since my children are older (thirteen and nine). I cut out some hearts and asked them to write something they appreciate about their sibling on the hearts. They can make one a day. In this case, it isn’t really a surprise until they see what was written. Again, how you do this is totally up to you! Have fun with it!

One of my best friends hosts an annual Valentine’s Day dinner with friends.  Her children invite a few of their friends over and they decorate the dining room with heart balloons and red streamers.  The kids participate in making the food that will be eaten during the party and they all enjoy playing a few games or creating a craft together.  The sky’s the limit on this idea.  You can have a fancy dinner as a family, where you all dress up and eat together.  You can host a tea party with siblings or a fun party with friends!  There are many game and craft ideas online if you are needing some inspiration.  There are even recipes for Valentine’s Day slime if you are feeling extra brave this year! (Pictured below is a fun craft my husband did with my kids for me one year. I love them!)

            For so many years I thought Valentine’s Day was just a silly holiday, but as a mother it has given me a wonderful opportunity to let my children know that they are loved and appreciated.  We as parents can set the example of how to show others our appreciation not only on Valentine’s Day, but throughout the year.

If you don’t have kiddos, and don’t want to do the traditional chocolates and roses, try this with your spouse or loved one! You may be surprised at how meaningful it is for them. (Or just get that heart shaped pizza and some champagne and enjoy a chick flick together.) Happy Valentine’s Day!

Psalm 36:7 says, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.“

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Don’t Miss Out

When we first moved to Charleston, I was overwhelmed with all of the places to see, good food to eat, and events to attend. I didn’t want to miss out on anything fantastic. I was almost pressuring myself to do all the things right away.

Part of this may be because we just seem to move every few years. As much as I didn’t want to leave Hickory, God had other plans for us. Maybe in the back of my mind I was thinking…I better do it all now because I don’t know how long I have here! Or maybe it was just because I have always been one of those people who wanted to see and do all the things. I honestly don’t know. All I know is I was pressuring myself and thinking, “Don’t miss out!”

This past weekend we visited family in Asheville. I was having a conversation with my mother-in-love in which she was encouraging us to see the beauty around us and be present for it. It had snowed a foot or more, and there were 16 family members under one roof. We hadn’t seen some of our family in over a year. Snow and family weekend? These are some of the things that I don’t want to miss out on.

There will probably be another awesome event in Charleston next week, next month, next year. But none of us are guaranteed tomorrow, so we can be wise in the here and now about how and where we are spending our time.

Are we noticing the beauty around us?

Are we giving ourselves time to pause and enjoy today?

Are we taking the time to be grateful for the present beauty around us?

Sometimes the hard times leave a huge weight on my mind and heart. I get discouraged and can very easily focus on all the things I should be doing, or I could be doing, or that I want or that I am anxious about…Yikes. That was a lot of I’s.

After we left family to return home, my children shared how sad they were to leave. They had the best time with their cousins and just weren’t ready to say goodbye to family. Usually, I want to “fix it”, make the tears stop…make it all better. But the Lord reminded me that it is okay to be sad sometimes. This too is when we can pause, and think…what a beautiful thing for my children to love and appreciate family like they do at such a young age. They understand that this time was precious, and it is okay to be sad about leaving.

What sort of beauty is staring you in the face today? How can we stop and take a moment to shift our focus off of our worries, concerns and desires and see what the Lord has laid out for us today? Sometimes we can only take it one day, even one step at a time. Some have gone through intense pain and loss recently. It may be a chore to simply get out of bed. Sometimes to think about an entire week or a month is just too difficult. And guess what? That’s okay. Let’s see what the Lord is going to do today. There are beautiful things and difficult things we may face today. It may not all be pretty snowflakes and fun, but it’s what is there for us.

I encourage you to read the following verses and pay close attention to the verbs used here. All the things God the Father does and is doing for us on the daily. If we have difficulty thinking of one good and beautiful thing, hopefully this will remind us of the good things that GOD does for us.

Psalm 103:2-5 says,

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

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