14 Days of Valentine's

I've been selfish and have just been reading these ideas my mom has been sending me instead of sharing them with everyone. SO--here are days 1-8 of Valentine's Day. The rest will be posted daily.

Day 8
Heart Scripture: 1 Samuel 7:3 ...prepare your heart unto the Lord.
Love Miracles:
A little miracle is a burst of unexpected happiness. It comes out of the blue to delight us with its complete unanticipatedness. Rainbows are little miracles. So is a catch-up call from someone you haven't heard from in years. My coworker Suzanne told me of one she experienced last weekend: "I rode my bike up to the top of the mountain and there, in the field in fron of me, were thousands of dragonflies!"Today, watch for a little miracle. You just never know where it might be. -- M.J. Ryan

Idea for 14 days of Valentines: Go buy a whole bunch of heart stickers. Inside your sweethearts car, put stickers everywhere. On the mirror, the seats, everywhere. For a long time they will be scraping off the stickers, but every time they do they will smile and think of you....

Day 7
Idea for 14 days of Valentines: "I love you a hole punch" and take a hole punch and punch out a heart...keep the little circles for confetti.1 Samuel 16:7 ...man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh upon the heart...

Random Acts of Kindness: For many years our next door neighbor was this very sweet and unusual old woman. She lived alone. When my brother and I were young, she always treated us as real people, not just a couple of kids. She would talk to us seriously about what was happening in our lives, and actually took an interest in things like the wins and losses of our baseball teams. She also had what at the time was a really hot car--silver 1957 Chevy--that she took great care of. As she got older, her son took over the duties of occasionally washing and polishing the car, but then he moved out of state. One day my brother and I were at our parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner and we noticed that her poor old Chevy was looking very sad. Later that night we snuck into her driveway, washed the car inside and out, waxed it, and polished all the chrome; when we were done it was shining just like a floor model.That was nearly five years ago and since then we have made regular guerrilla raids into her driveway. I don't think she knows who is doing it, but my mother reports that she has taken to going "cruising" in her car, and always laughs and tells my mother she has an "automotive angel."

Quote: "T'was her thinking of others that made you think of her." -Elizabeth Browning

Day 6
Romans 8:38-39For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.31: If God be for us, who can be against us?When you are prepared to see our FATHER, you will see a being with whom you have long been acquainted, and he will receive you into His arms, and you will be ready to fall into his embrace and kiss Him, as you would your fathers and friends that have been dead for a score of years, you will be so glad and joyful.Brigham Young JD 4:54-55

Day 5
Thought:"Only the heart knows how to find what is precious." DostoevskySurprise someone...Have you ever payed for someone at a toll bridgeLeft a surprise in the mailbox...for the mail manTucked some money in a backpackBought lunch for a homeless personScripture: Blessed are the pure in heart...Matt. 5:8

Proverbs 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance...What makes your heart merry? What makes the heart of someone you love merry? Is it music? Walking barefoot or a foot rub with scented lotion? A poem or Fairy Tale? Is it a snuggle on the couch? Chocolate Chip Cookies? Their favorite breakfast in bed? Whipped cream on top of hot chocolate? Do something for yourself or someone you love that makes your/their heart merry-- today!Random Acts of Kindness: I have a wonderful friend names Molly Fumia who is one of the best happiness boosters I have ever met. Being with her is like being wrapped ini a cocoon of unconditional love and support. Recently I opened a package from her, and a little two by two-inch card (probably made on her computer) fell out, it read, "I believe in you every day of my life."--Elliot to ET from the E.T. movie [When he touched his finger to his heart.] I felt instantly uplifted. And if it cheered me, imagine what it can do for someone in great need of support and encouragement! Who in your life needs to hear such a message? You? Your spouse? Your child? Spread some joy around--send an e-mail, write or call someone and tell them, 'I will believe in you every day of my life": and see how you--and they feel. --M.J. Ryan

Day 4
"When the well is dry, we know the worth of water." --Benjamin Franklin Personal story: Bob Ligon was daddy's very good work buddy in Los Angeles. He was a big old absent minded teddy bear professor type who always had a big stain on his tie. Several years ago he had a major stroke. For months he was in the hospital or in a care facility. He now can walk again with the help of a walker or cane, and he can talk a little. But he is not as sharp as he was. Every few weeks daddy gets little thoughts written to him from Bob. That is part of his recovery. To write. He writes daddy poems, and little thoughts that are so innocent and precious. Here is a poem he sent to Morgan...

Marital Advice Here is my important marital advice, and I do not want to say it more thantwice, First you always would see her soon and "woo" and then go to the nearby churchand say "I do". A happy wife is the key to a happy life, Buy or give her a nice shining long dinner knife. She will probably want to give birth to handsome boy and a pretty girl andreceive from you, a big white pearl, And please teach your five intelligent children how to strongly read and domath, so you won't incur her angry wrath. If you want to remain quite wealthy and healthy, do not mention her age or howmuch she weighs, If you make this big mistake, you will have to hear her many strong complaintsfor a lot of days.

How dear is that! A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance....:)
Love you—

Day 3
a nice simple pleasure and idea for someone you love:

Before I get into the shower, I put a big fluffy bath towel in the dryer. When I get out of the shower, while I dry myself with another towel my wife gets the hot towel from the dryer and wraps it around my shoulders. Its a wonderful feeling being completely enclosed in dry soft warmth after being wet all over. I've heard of people who sprinkle a little water on a towel and heat it in the microwave, but my towel's too big for that. It has to be huge for maximum comfort. ( by Robert Taylor, Simple Pleasures)


Quote: Whenever you are sincerely pleased you are nourished.--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Scripture from the heart: Psalms 69:32 ...your heart shall live that seek God.

Have a nice day!

Day 2
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." -Ralph Waldo EmersonRandom Acts of Kindness Story: For years the Oakland Calif. neighbors watches as Mary's house and yard slowly decayed. Mary was an elderly, wheelchair-bound widow who could no longer manage the necessary repairs and maintenance on her house. One day a couple of neighbors--a bus driver and an auto worker--went down to the city'[s office of Community Development, got forty-five gallons of Mary's favorite colored paint and a handful of painting supplies, and set to work. By the time they had finished, they had also put in a new lawn, cut back the tangled shrubs, and topped off the paint job with eye catching trim.Mosiah 2:9:...open your... hearts that ye may understand.Love you...

Happy February 1st!
Thoughts from the heart: It is possible to decrease the suffering in the world by adding to the joy.Mosiah 24:2 [they] did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and He did know the thoughts of their hearts.Random Acts of Kindness story: I'm a doctor, Every day I come into the office and, probably like most doctors slip into my professional caring role. I try hard to always be in a positive and attentive frame of mind for each and every one of my patients. But every now and then one of my patients will turn the table on me and it is always such a genuinely touching thing. There I am, figuratively leaning forward, ready to be the one to do the giving,then comes out a coffee cake, a bouquet of home-grown flowers. The turn around---the receiver giving to the giver--never fails to take me by surprise and always puts a large grin on my face."Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless." Mother TeresaLove you...