(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Why yes, that IS frost that has formed on the face of our fireplace doors!  And that is WITH our heat on.  So thankful for a wonderful working furnace!

Super Bowl Party!

Blue and green!  Guess which team we were rooting for???!!

Since I am originally from Washington State and the Seahawks were my first professional football team loyalty, we were super geeked when the Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row!  And since we barely need any excuse to have a party, we partied. ;)

Daughter G decorated our dessert cake with the hawk logo.  Didn't she do a fantastic job?!

 I made all new food for the party.  Tried four different recipes for the first time.  They were all hits!  Yay.  New food to add to our meal rotation.  This one is a crescent roll spicy Italian ring.

Cheesy meatball "sandwich."  (you eat them with the Italian bread on the sides)

 Our delicious buffet!

Daughter H even painted her nails blue and green.

So we were very disappointed when the Seahawks lost.....especially the way they lost, in the final seconds of the game.  But, it has given the christian believers on the team an incredible platform from which to speak of God's bigger plan, and it is just a football game!

But wow....what a GREAT game it was!

Reposted from February, 2011 (because I need to be reminded!)

Reposted from February, 2011 (because I need to be reminded!)

What's in a Valentine?

Do you know the origin of Valentines Day? Contrary to the complaints of some, it is not a holiday created by Hallmark just so they could make more money selling cards. For hundreds of years Valentines Day has been celebrated as a feast day in the Catholic Church. I am not catholic, and certainly do not claim to be an expert, but I do know that St. Valentine was a real person who was martyred for his faith. There were several "Valentines", but the one commonly referred to was a Roman priest who was executed by Claudius II around the year 270 A.D. Claudius was at that time persecuting christians, and Valentine provided assistance to them. Claudius considered this a crime and ordered his execution. He is said to have penned the jailer's daughter a farewell before his death, signing it "from your Valentine."


So, what should Valentine's Day stand for? Doing the honorable thing, the right thing, even when it's unpopular. Serving God wholeheartedly. Trusting Him in the face of death. Loving others from a pure heart.


The modern American trappings of Valentine's Day bear little resemblance to the devotion and sacrifice that started this holiday. We've made it into something else.


But it's good to remember the beginning.


Is my heart set on following God no matter what? Trusting him when life falls apart? Praising Him in the midst of trial and storm?



If it is, then my life is a valentine. A love letter to God. One that He delights in.



We love because He first loved us. ~ I John 4:19