In Honor of VALENTINES day....

I hope that you are able to celebrate LOVE in some way today.

It is different for each of us and it is even different for us in the various seasons of life.

There once was a time when this day would have been filled with class parties,

homemade goodies, love notes left on pillows for my kiddos,

there has even been Valentines days when I did not feel like celebrating...

but I always did,

because I KNOW that LOVE is always worth celebrating!

No matter where you are in your life, in your walk, in your heart....

you must know that there shall ALWAYS be LOVE!!

God loves you and that is a love that is unconditional and comes no matter what

you have or have not done!!

It just IS!!

It is such a powerful love that God GAVE us the ultimate gift of all.

HIS SON!

I hope you KNOW that love today and that it fills your heart!!!

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I also want to share about love and marriage!

You see today is the day I fell in love with the love of my life

and we have been on this journey now for 34 years!!

It is a journey like anyone else's,

it has not been without troubles,

sacrifices, trials, JOYS, hopes and misery alike.

We are no different than any other couple.

I want to talk about the things

I believe have helped us to get this far in life and in our marriage!

I want more than anything to encourage any of you wherever you are in your life.

If you are married and miserable or married and blissful!

First of all....

you must know, and remember....

marriage does NOT come without great effort!

It is a lifetime of give and take.

One of the greatest realizations for me is that

it is NEVER a 50/50 endeavor.

NOPE.

It is ALWAYS a 100/100!!!!

If you figure that out, you have made great strides towards marital happiness!!

Another thing I KNOW has been beneficial is that

"IF YOU TREAT HIM LIKE A KING, HE WILL TREAT YOU LIKE A QUEEN!"

Oh how I have loved this one!!!

Nothing melts my heart more than to hear my husband call me "his queen"...

I mean, really, who does not want to be the Queen of their life/marriage?!?!?!

My husband and I happen to be in the "empty nest" season of our lives.

The focus has shifted from pouring out on our little ones who are now all grown up...

to being able to focus once again on one another

(oh and of course our precious grand-angels).

It is a fabulous time of life!!!

For all of you out there with children afoot...

KNOW that this is a season to look forward to and enjoy.

YET, let me warn you of something.

IF you do not nurture your relationship NOW,

you will have NOTHING when you find yourself home ALONE with this man you married. Looking across the table at the stranger that you fell in love with

but have failed to nurture a relationship with.

I want to urge you to take the time....

let me re-state that,

MAKE the time to spend and enjoy the love of your life.

I know it is not easy, I have been there...

BUT, once again......it is vitally important!!

It will make all the difference in the world, in your marriage!!!

One of the greatest gifts you can give your children.........

and this is a PRICELESS GIFT....

is to love one another and to be role models to them of what a loving relationship looks like.

No doubt, not every moment will be loving and easy to model

(that is when you postpone the discussion

til they are in bed and you can hash things out without them as an audience).

I am thankful...I KNOW that God brought my husband and I together

in a way that was divine.

(not that I knew that THEN!)

I am also acutely aware of the sad realities of broken and distressed relationships.

(our own little family has suffered it's fair share).

It all begins and ends with HIM!!!

HIS LOVE is amaZing!!!!

He will never leave you or let you down!

He is the only person you can fully rely on....

Until you figure that out and quit hoping your spouse will fill all those voids,

you will be disappointed and dismayed!

Truly...I know how easy it is to think that a PERSON

should and can fill all those empty places in your heart.

But it is not possible, for ONLY GOD can do that!!!!

So no matter where you are at today in the name of marriage/relationships,

I pray that it is a day filled and overflowing with great LOVE!!!!

For my love and I, in this empty nest season...

we are going to have a quiet dinner out tonite and celebrate our 34 years....

surely the conversation shall turn to our kiddos and our grand-angels...

and all that would have never come into existence

without the love we share with one another!!!

Here's to LOVE and wishing you a day filled with

amaZing LOVE!!

XO

Sherry