No Greater Love

Happy Valentine's Day!! We hope each and every one of you had a most special day, whether single, married, young or old! :-) I know I sure did! Yes, I'm about to get pretty sappy - but my hubby and I try to live each and every day as if it were Valentine's Day. We are all for showing love and appreciation EACH and EVERY day of the year! With that being said, it's still a fun holiday that gives everyone a good excuse to get a little romantic.

Anyway, I just wanted to take the time to say how thankful I am for the love of God! He loves me, even though I'm so undeserving and has blessed me more than words can say! What a privilege to be loved personally by the God of the universe! Think about that!

"We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

He paid the price for my sin and YOURS on Calvary, when He died and shed His precious blood. There redemption from sin was made possible. Through repentance and faith in Him, we can be FORGIVEN and live eternally with Him in Heaven!

"But God commendeth His Love toward, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8

There is no greater love than this!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!!

~Lauren

Love One Another

It's far too easy to think of Valentine's Day as only a "romantic holiday". In fact, it's a holiday that promotes the idea of "Love" itself. God IS love and this devotion so aptly explains the importance of it. We thought it would be appropriate to share this wonderful devotion with you on this very special day. Enjoy and be encouraged!!





LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Devotion for February 14, 2011
written by Pastor Thomas Smith, St Clair MO

"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."
I John 4:7, 8.

There are many adjectives, or descriptive words that readily come to mind when we think of God. Words such as mercy, judgment, power, holiness, and peace, are just a few. However, there is one word that perhaps comes to mind more often than all others. That word is love. "God is love."

Love is the attribute that God is most consistently known for. It is the nature of God to love. Love is an expression of the essence of His person. His love is not partial. The Word of God says that He loves the entire world. Each of us can personalize this life-changing truth. We are deeply loved by God. His love is not passive, for it is the motivating factor in His sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. As the song writer said, "No one ever cared for me like Jesus."

Because God is love, it is only reasonable that we would be expected to love. We can love in a godly way because we have experienced divine love and because we are indwelt by His supernatural love. No one is capable of loving like a Christian. There is a kind of love and a depth of love that those outside of Christ are not familiar with and are unable to express. This love is the result of God's love being a part of our lives. We have been introduced to a level of love from God that challenges us to love others more powerfully, unconditionally, and sincerely. The Bible says that a person who does not love properly does not know the Lord. The more we experience the love of God in our lives, the more qualified and capable we are to love others.

When the fruit of the Spirit is listed in the Word of God, the first word used to describe the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in a believer is love. We are at the same time recipients of and conduits of the very unique and extremely needed love of God. Each of us can be motivated to love others as we have been loved. We are repeatedly encouraged to love each other in the family of God. This is a trademark of true believers. We also need to express and experience God's love within our families: loving our parents, siblings, children, and of course, our spouse. Every person has a basic need to know he is loved. That need is met as we receive God's love and share His love with others.

Valentine's Day "Love Jar"

Ahh yes, February 1st - the "official countdown" has begun!! Some of you may be brainstorming about the perfect gift for your Valentine, and I am here to give you a wonderful gift idea! It's called the "Love Jar" or for a longer version "The Many Reasons Why I Love You" jar.
I created one for my husband a couple years ago and it was a huge hit! It's an incredibly edifying gift that's straight from the heart, and can be given to any loved one ANY time of the year! Give it to your spouse, grandparent, parent, child, etc!

*What you will need: Jar of your choice - I used a mason jar.

*Things you'd like to decorate it with - ribbon, scrapbook letters, beautiful paper, etc.

*Strips of paper to write on

*Label for the outside -you can be creative -"Many Reasons Why I Love You", "Love Jar", "I Love You Because...", "So Glad You're Mine", etc.

Next, simply write down the many reasons why you love your Valentine. Think of funny, creative, edifying, specific, and loving things to say. Anything and everything works! Everything from "I love the way you make me laugh", to "I love your cute freckle on your left ear". ;-)
It can take some time and thought to come up with so many unique and different reasons to fill your jar. However, I can assure you that once you get started, it'll just flow and be lots of fun! Not to mention that it's well worth it because you're taking time to think on all the positive things about your Valentine! What could put you in a better mood for that special day? This is a very thoughtful gift and if you use a large jar like I did, you can easily fit over 100 pieces of paper inside.


I hope this inspires you to begin your very own "Love Jar", it will mean the world to whomever you decide to give yours to. So, what are you waiting for?? Go get started! ;-D

~Lauren

Valentine Cake Pops

How adorable are these cake pops!? Seriously, what a yummy bouquet of sweet goodness! I'm sure many of you have heard of these infamous "cake pops" as they've become quite the rage, but just in case you haven't - we wanted to share a quick "how to" on our blog! The great thing about these cute lil' treats is that you can be as creative as you'd like and decorate them to your heart's desire. Kids and adults alike will fall in LOVE with them!


What you will need: 1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake) 1 can frosting (16 oz.) Wax paper Chocolate of your choice for dipping -white, dark, etc. Lollipop sticks *Sprinkles, hearts, etc.

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
4. Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)
5. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)
6. Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.
7. Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.

So what will it be? Double chocolate, Strawberry Vanilla, Red Velvet, German Chocolate, Lemon, Carrot Cake - the possibilities are endless!! Mmmm, can't you just taste them now!!
**These would make a great gift - for a teacher, students, party favors, centerpiece, etc.


Stay tuned for more Valentine's Day ideas!!

~Lauren