Valentine's Day

I feel like Valentine's Day has gotten its fair share of negative publicity over the years. Whether it's referred to as Singles Awareness Day, or just another American Consumer Holiday, it's not always welcomed with open arms. 

And I get it, I do. As someone who has been sans-date for nearly all of my Valentine's Days, I understand the lukewarm sentiment. But today, I want to share my love for this holiday, single or taken. 

Some of my most memorable Valentine's Days were not the ones celebrated with a significant other. They were not the ones spent on an elaborate or not-so-elaborate date night out. They were the ones where a single act of completely voluntary love caught me by surprise, and left me feeling blessed. 

Like my first Valentine's Day away at college, when a friend knew my heart was still bruised from that high school relationship, and stole the key to my dorm room to surprise me with a teddy bear and chocolates. 

Or last year, when another friend sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers to my office, to make sure I felt loved, appreciated, valued and celebrated. 

Love comes in many forms. February 14th seems to bring a microscope to the romantic kind in your life, or lack there of. But what about all the other kinds that deserve to be celebrated?

We are born into this world through love; the single greatest act of voluntary love belongs to each and every one of us. 

"Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and 

it gave Him great pleasure."

Ephesians 1:4-5

We are born with the craziest love we'll ever experience right in the palm of our hands, and best part ever? Nothing can take it away! {Romans 8:38-39, check it.}

I pray that this Valentine's Day, you know that you are so loved. I pray that you feel the insane love of God, and you see the outflow of that in the relationships that surround you. 

Regardless of who you're celebrating with, I pray that you celebrate fully and joyfully knowing that yes, we celebrate love every day. But why not go a little harder once a year? 

The roomies and I pumped things up a notch this year by ordering Valentine's Day cards through Tiny Prints. We had so much fun taking pictures together, and looking through all of their Valentine's collection. I was so excited to see that blue box arrive, and couldn't be more thrilled with how they turned out. It's the perfect way to send out a little personal love on this holiday. 

So from our house, to yours: Happy Valentine's Day! May yours be filled with love, hugs, laughs, joy and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.