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More Than Just a Day for Chocolate
Do you happily celebrate Valentine’s Day or bitterly avoid it? In years past I revolted against this “Day of Love.” The only benefit in my opinion was the half-priced chocolate offered the following day. You might have mixed emotions the same as mine. But this year I propose a solution to transform this “Hallmark holiday” from one of stress and sadness to fellowship and friendship: Celebrate like a Mexican. Mexicans see February 14 as El día del amor y la amistad (The Day of Love and Friendship) and share cards and small gifts with close friends, family, and coworkers. Yes, much of the United States’ Valentine’s Day marketing has made…
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Don’t Be a Valentine’s Day Scrooge
I’m known to be a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to Valentine’s Day. If it was appropriate to proclaim, “Bah humbug!” to the day, I probably would. Consider Exhibit A: Buying kid’s Valentine’s Day cards for my son to exchange with his preschool classmates had me grousing and grumbling to my husband: “I stood in the grocery store Valentine’s aisle for ten minutes looking for cards that weren’t too girly, too scary (monsters), or too dumb.” “Why do they make parents do this?” “They will just throw these cards away anyway.” “I really don’t like these silly school parties.” On and on I moaned, muttered, mumbled, and whined.…
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A Single Girl’s Revolt Against the Day of Love
Many cultures and countries consider a woman over the age of 30 to be an “old maid” (in Spanish: solterona). So at the age of 34, I was definitely past my prime according to many. I disliked Valentine’s Day. Too many past disappointments and brokenhearted moments meant I just tried to survive until February 15. (Para español, lea abajo.) I ignored the flowers on my female coworkers’ desks. I ignored the male coworkers’ conversations about dinner plans. I ignored the heart-shaped cookies sold at bakeries. I ignored the stuffed teddy bears and candy boxes at grocery stores. I viewed Valentine’s Day as “The-Survival-of-the-Fittest” Day and I used various tactics throughout…
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Life is Like a Box of Chocolates…
“…you never know what you’re gonna get.” Christians expect mistreatment at the hands of unbelievers. But when disappointed by those professing faith and maturity in Christ? When the expectation remains unmet, invitation unaccepted, and longing unfulfilled? When he lashes out—again. When siblings persist in their distractedness rather than seeming to care. When parents criticize and small group members scrutinize. When the heart breaks, along with confidence in the relationship. What then? Often we withdraw, tunneling inward for self-preservation. Peter offers some counsel, nestled like Jordan Almonds amid the rows of crème and crepe-paper of First Peter: “Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude…
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How Do You Feel about Valentine’s Day?
Quick! What do you get when you mix history, myth, marketing, romance, and angst? Yes, indeed—Saint Valentine’s Day.
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Living in Harmony with the Holy Wind
When we erect windmills or wind turbines to pump water or generate electricity, we may say that we are “harnessing” the power of the wind. However, we are not really harnessing the wind as it blows where it desires and we cannot control it (Ecclesiastes 8:8. John 3:8). The wind is actually following the sun as it directs its light upon our planet causing it to heat up which results in convection currents in our atmosphere that we call the wind (i.e., wind power is actually controlled by solar or “Sun” power). Consequently, it is more accurate to say we are cooperating or getting in “harmony” with the wind so that…
