My Valentine

Well technically I have two valentines this year! The first is a 9 (I think...oh dear, she might be older) year old girl at my wonderful church in Estacada who gave this precious valentine:

and she gave me this lemon taffy

So cute! 

And my second valentine...He's my favorite. May I introduce Him to you? 

I officially became His friend when I was four, but the last few years He has pursued me like never before. Well...the truth is, He has pursued me my whole life, but I have only recently been able to understand how much He really loves me and begin to appreciate how much He has done for me. It continues to astound me, but He died for me many years ago and gave me His Spirit to guide me until He comes back for me or tells me its time to go meet His Father face to face. I can't wait for that day, but while I'm still here waiting, He has given me a mission to complete: tell the world about Him. I must be honest and say that I have not done the best that I can so far, but with whatever time I have left, I hope to do my part well. He loved me enough to die for me on a cross and take on Himself the punishment of my sins. And He wants me to tell you that He has done the same for you! How can I not share such wonderful news? This year, He is my favorite valentine. And guess what! I already know that He'll be my valentine again next year, and the year after that, and the year after that...even if I have other ones as well. Would you like to know His name? It's Jesus. And I know that He loves me no matter what I've done and no matter what I will do, because I am His beloved...and so are you if you believe and accept what He has done for you. 

"This is how God showed his LOVE among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is LOVE: not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so LOVED us, we also ought to LOVE one another." 1 John 4:9-11

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE." 

1 Corinthians 13:13