Monday, February 19, 2007

First Birthday

Laura, our youngest granddaughter, turns one!

Little ones learn so much in their first year of life. It is exciting to watch them grow and change. It is an opportunity for us to once again attempt to see the world through their eyes. If only we could hold on to their sense of wonder and their excitement over the simplest things.

Seize every opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a child!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Happy Valentine's Day


My husband came home with this beautiful bouquet last night! He knows I love mixed bouquets. The card in this photo is for him, as well as Celtic Women's latest CD. (He hasn't even seen them yet.) Two of my grandchildren, their mom, and I baked these lovely cookies. Right now, Paula, my eldest daughter, is down in the kitchen whipping up heart-shaped pancakes for the grandchildren.

Yes, Valentine's Day is an wonderful opportunity to express our love to those around us. However, love is so much more than our typical romantice notions---or cards, flowers, or chocolate on this one day of the year. This day will come and go. Love, whether with family members or friends, has much more to do with a relationship sustained all year long.

Lately, I have often thought about the cost of love in terms of time, energy, commitment, sacrifice, concerns, sleepless nights, prayer time, etc. While love has its tender and precious moments, in acutuality love costs me. Love costs those who love me.

When we enter into a love relationship, we have no idea of the price we will pay when we let someone into our hearts. This is true with our marriages, our children, our extended family, and even our friends. When I gave birth to my children, I certainly had no comprehension of the price I would pay to love them so deeply. The nights caring for them when they were sick. The nights lying awake waiting for them to come home when they were teens. Their concerns have been my concerns. Their dissappointments and struggles have also been mine. Even though my children have all grown into adults, I still "feel" with them. When they married and had children, I opened my heart all the more. More people equals a greater cost in terms of compassion and energy.

Regardless of the cost, I wouldn't change a thing. The blessing of loving relationships outweighs the price paid. And even if it didn't, I still choose to love. I am reminded of the price God paid to love me.