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Valentine's Schmalentine's


John 15:11-15

The Message (MSG)
11-15 “I have told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. 
No, I have named you friends because I have let you in on everything I have heard from the Father.


Another beautiful moment the Lord used this week to speak to me, again through Logan, my dear, sweet nephew....

He awoke from his sleep about 10:30 last night, "pluking" as he calls it.  He was sick everywhere!  First of all, this is NOT my strong suit.  My gag reflexes kicked in in a big way!  Ick!  But, my sister and I worked hard to reassure him it was fine and he would be okay and tried desperately to put aside our obvious discomfort.  He would be fine for 20 minutes or so, then start writhing and moaning and then "pluking" again.  :(  About midnight, he was calming down and I offered to sleep in the living room with him as my other nephew ends up coming into my sister's room during the night and would have been upset to not find her.

He agreed, but said he needed to sleep on the big couch because he could stretch out and lay on his offending little belly.  But, he wanted Aunt Vickie close by....so I grabbed what I could to make myself comfortable and sat at his feet and slept there.  As he was drifting off to sleep finally about midnight, I was praying for him, waiting to hear his familiar heavy breathing to ensure he was sleeping and the Lord brought the verse to my head, "greater love hath no man........."  

I cried for that little boy.  I WOULD lay down my life for him.  And his brother.  And his cousins.  It is amazing the love you can have for the people in your life.  Or course, at that moment I wasn't "laying down my life", but I was being asked to lay down my comfort to which there was no question!  It was my honor to lay at his little feet, grab that bucket when he needed it at 1:40 a.m. and hold his hand at 5:25 a.m. when he needed me to.


Valentine Schmalentine!  I don't need a day to remind me how to love or to remind me to remind someone I love them.  I have two amazing little reminders in my life!

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