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Greetings!

Deborah Wuehler and family

Valentine's Day is around the corner. This is a big day here in America and abroad. I don't always understand the history, as there are many stories about its origins, but I like to celebrate this "day of love" with family and friends.

With our co-op group, we always have a Valentine's Day party, where we make crafts of all kinds, eat snacks, and pass out our homemade or store-bought valentines. This is what our homeschool party will look like next week:

We will have a biblical devotion, followed by a reading about Valentine's Day. We will have age-appropriate crafts (card making with fabric, decorating heart cookies, duct tape roses, and several other crafts), and then snack time.

The kids then form a big circle, placing their decorated bags on the floor in front of them. They then step to the right so they are in front of another child's bag and start distributing the valentines that they brought until they run out (each child brings one or two dozen to share). Since the kids are all traveling around the circle depositing their valentines into the bags, all the bags get roughly the same amount of valentines in them by the end.

For our own family, some of our favorite Valentine's fun comes from having the children prepare a meal like a restaurant and serve Mom and Dad by candlelight. They all work together to set the table with candles, candies, and cards, and they hand us a menu of items to choose from for dinner (some very interesting and creative items end up on that menu!).

Some serve us, some are waiters bringing fresh water, coffee or tea, and others hover in the kitchen whispering and laughing during our "date." Of course, as the mom, I have had to walk them through some of the cooking and give them suggestions for making it special. It is priceless to see the looks on the faces of the neatly dressed, aproned waiters and waitresses.

Going out on a date with your spouse may not be an option in your home this Valentine's Day. This is a good alternative. Instead of resenting what you don't have, make the best of what you do have.

We now have the joy of going out once in a while, as our teens can babysit; however, we know the price of long years it took to wait for this time. Be patient. Enjoy your husband and children whether you get to go out or not. Love is not always a romantic feeling or fancy atmosphere. And for some seasons in your life, it is a roll-up-your-sleeves commitment to work and stand together and face the world, the flesh, and the devil together as you raise, protect, and shelter your children.

~Deborah

P.S: We always offer this help for those who struggle with feeling disappointed on Valentine's Day and need encouragement to love past the hurt. Let me know what you think. 

 

Hey from Gena 

Gena Suarez

Gena Suarez, Publisher of TOS     

~~~

Amanda Jones

I've always had a passion for holiday celebrations, Valentine's being at the top of my favorites list. When my children were in public school, we shared excitement making "mailboxes" for their class parties, then scribbling classmates' names on a stack of store-bought cards. When we made the decision to homeschool, I wasn't sure how we could still have that kind of fun. Would Valentine's celebrations still be exciting?

After entering the mission field, I was further challenged to consider celebrating this holiday differently. Yet God was faithful as he revealed this to me: The greatest commandment He gives is to LOVE. In order to implement His image in all we do, we must look at life measured with a heavenly plumb line, and suddenly we can find greater purpose and activity. Here's a glimpse of what I found:

To start, I gave the kids the option to make Valentine's mailboxes. I may not have a whole passel of pitter-pattering feet, but we few do enjoy ourselves heartily and they love making cards for each other! One year, they decorated paper lunch bags with cutout hearts, doilies, and drawings. With valentine receptacles prepared, we set out to compile a list of friends and neighbors who may feel blessed by a simple (and sometimes sweet) greeting. Then we really get to work!

Our favorite source of greetings is not the seasonal aisle at our local store . . . it is FamilyFun! What the kids don't devise and create on their own, FamilyFun's card and trinket ideas always fill in! One year, they made their father smile with a fishbowl made out of an empty (and clean) baby food jar with a foam heart fish dangling from the lid and a tiny conversation heart resting on rocks in the bottom. They even blessed the neighboring retired couple with pipe cleaner and candy kiss animals. Said neighbor still has the creations decorating his home office desk. And across the miles, they sent their grandmother hands and hearts to tell her they loved her. There are countless ways to show the love of Christ to people you know!

Small, simple, thoughtful acts of love teach the children how important it is to think of others whenever there's an opportunity. They will think of people you may never have considered. Seize these childlike hearts, pray together, and let the Lord lead you all to those who could use a sign of His love. There are no missing classroom valentines when the world is your classroom!

Our day doesn't end with craft activities and messages of love to others. No. We light the candles, set the good silver, and proceed to teach one more lesson. Single parents, don't stop here. Before Valentine's, God created love. He created man, and he created woman. He encouraged family. Sharing a special Valentine's dinner as a family shows children you love them enough to make the occasion special for them too. It isn't just about couples . . . it is most simply about LOVE. Our hearts invested on His behalf will help our children learn to love deeper, inside the family and out.

Many blessings to you and your family as you find fun things to do this Valentine's Day.

 ~~~