Happy Saturday and Valentine’s Day! Our plans for the movie went south as we arrived at the Studio Movie Grill only to find all of the movies all sold out. So we went to a Chinese buffet and had a fun time having dinner together.

1 John 4:9 says, “God has sent His only son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

A weird event today caused me to remember last Valentine’s Day. Bruce went to pick up the dry cleaning only to discover it was lost. Bruce called and asked if I still had the receipt. I went through my desk and in my search I found several copies of the folder used at the celebration of life service for Casey as well as obituary notices and a couple of copies of the service. Casey died four months ago today. I remembered what I did on Valentine’s Day last year. I prepared a dinner for 2 for Casey and his fiancé and served it to them in the hospital (he was receiving chemotherapy at the time) complete with red table cloth and a candle. I set the table, served the dinner and left them to their first and (not knowing at the time) only Valentine’s Day they would spend together. It was a wonderful event and they both enjoyed it. After they found our garments at the cleaners, Bruce picked them up. He walked in and found me in tears as I remembered the day a year ago and then remembered that four months ago today we lost our son with paper reminders in my hand. I placed the memorabilia in Casey’s memory box. Bruce held me as I cried and I told Bruce, “I’ll bet every day is Valentine’s Day in heaven.”

I have always loved red. It has always been my color. As I am a bit older I am beginning to enjoy pink, but for most of my life, red has been my color. In my classroom I use primary colors of red and yellow. I love red coffee cups and red roses, red sweaters and red lipstick. There are some Bibles that are red-letter Bibles. Most of the print in those Bibles is black but there is special red-letter print to denote the words spoken by Jesus. Louis Klopsch published the first red-letter Bible. Mr. Klopsch purposely printed the words of this passage of scripture in red ink to call specific attention to these words. Luke 22:20 says, “this cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

God sent us a valentine 2000 years ago in the person of Jesus Christ. If you ever spent a Valentine’s Day when you thought you did not receive a Valentine…think again. God sent us His heart when He sent us Jesus. God sent us His love on foot in the personhood of Jesus Christ. And God’s plan for Jesus was culminated on that cross when Jesus’ blood was spilled to cover our sins. Jesus placed that blanket of red between us and His Father so that His love is always covering us and the cleansing blood of forgiveness is never washed away.

For the believer every day is Valentine’s Day because Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. The first verse most of us ever memorized is John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, He gave His only son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” This is the love letter from God to us that holds every assurance of how much He loves us, what He has done to show us that love and that He wants to inhabit our life here on earth and life eternal with Him. Friends…that is a Valentine Card we receive every day.

Take joy in the journey. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

PS Tomorrow I am wearing pink with hearts and our dry cleaning was found. Praise God!! Love, gc`