What's Your Valentine Color?

There are many colors that represent Valentine's Day besides red, especially if you go by the ever popular Conversation Hearts. Pinks, purples, yellows, oranges, greens and whites rattle around in containers from fancy crystal candy dishes to pink cardboard boxes this time of year.

Then there are the chocolates:

Milk chocolate

Dark chocolate

White chocolate

Yes, many colors, but I was only interested in one — red. 

I had a few minutes to spare on my way to work this morning so I made a quick stop to pick up a Valentine's Day card and a bow for my husband's gift.  I passed on the pinks and whites and began looking through the different shades of red. Then I saw the perfect color, a dark red. As I wiggled it off the metal rack I thought to myself,  Yes, that's the one I want, blood red.

It took less than a nanosecond before the words formed 
in mind invaded my Spirit . . . blood red.

Blood red.

Jesus, God's only son, loved us so much that He shed His blood for us.

Pure love poured out.

More love than all the Valentine Days past, present and future could hold.

Rev. 1:5, 6 says "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood. . . to Him be the glory . . ." (ESV).

I bought the blood red bow, attached it to my love gift to my husband, but my display of love is nothing like the love Jesus has for us.

What's my Valentine color? Red, blood red.

Thank you Jesus for your love . . . 
your EVERLASTING love.

photos courtesy of morguefile.com

Love Letter . . . NOT!

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.

I know you cannot tolerate wicked people.

You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name's sake and not grown weary.

YET, I HOLD THIS AGAINST YOU . . .

Your have left your first love -- ME.

Jesus

(taken from Rev. 2:2-4).

No, this is NOT the love letter I would want to receive from Jesus, the lover of my soul.

I have to stop and think--if Jesus were to write me a love letter,
stating all the things He loves about me, 

would there be a YET included?

Today, on a day that is set aside for LOVE,
Let's take time to remember Jesus . . .
The One who gave everything He had for us,
and is going to share everything He has with us.

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, 

if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory." (Rom. 8:17).

If you have gotten caught up in the busyness of life and in the busyness of "doing" church and have lost your first love, all you have to do is:

• Remember from what heights you have fallen (Where did Jesus pick you up? Out of the miry clay or beside your road of broken dreams?)
• Repent and turn away from what seems to drive you away for Him
• Go back and do the things you did when you first met Jesus

Then rest in the fact that:

"To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat of the tree of life, 

which is in the paradise of God." (Rev. 2:7).

Happy Valentine's Day!

image from office microsoft.com