Hey, Loves!

I hope you had a great Valentine's Day yesterday. We put a bunch of pressure on ourselves to impress our significant other, don't we? Or are we trying to show the world that we love each other so much? I don't know, but I know that it is a choice. My opinion on Valentine's Day spans the spectrum: I love any reason to celebrate, especially celebrating romance, but I also think people shouldn't feel pressure to outdo one another or feel "less than" if their Valentine's aren't the same as another.

Now, I am going to brag on my husband. Here's a secret, he is much more romantic than I am. I cried because his card was so romantic. My card to him was a sloth that says "Happy Valentine's Day." And, look at what he gave me!

I love, love, love this sign from The Sweet Tea Art Studio. It represents so much: love, unity, endurance, loyalty, and so much more to come. Chad and I have been together now for 10 years, married for almost six of those. I know many readers think we are just babies in the marriage game, but God has blessed us with experiences that have tested our faith and our relationship. We've come out stronger and more appreciative of what we have. Of course, everyday has its set of trials, but we are happy to be facing them together.

I wanted to post yesterday, but Lincoln and I decided to drive down to surprise Chad on Tuesday afternoon and we have been just enjoying our time together since then. I didn't know what to get him. He is the most difficult person to shop for, but it's for a good reason. He says he has everything he needs already and I know he means it. Get him a game? He barely plays it. Food? I end up eating it. Clothes? DO NOT GET ME STARTED! The man has twice as much clothing as I do. So, we decided to deliver ourselves to Durham! Grandma was kind enough to keep Linc while we went out to dinner. It was great! Linc and I came back to Richmond last night and I was just too tired to think--that always happens to me after 9pm. 

So, I'm taking advantage of a rainy morning and the Nick Jr. app on the Kindle Fire to reach out to you this morning about what God has been talking to me about lately. I know I've mentioned it before and I'm not the only one, but when God has a message for me, He repeats Himself several times. It's almost unbelievable. "Service" has been the word of the month for me so far. Just this morning, I was reading in Nehemiah, chapter 3 (they are rebuilding Jerusalem after being exiled), and this verse stood out to me:

"but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord." Nehemiah 3:5

This is in the midst of men and women serving God by rebuilding the city. There is no differentiation in status from those who are working on the Water Gate to those who are at The Dung Gate. They all worked hard for God. This chapter fits perfectly in with what I was reading in the Timothy Keller book also! God gives us a task before us and our job is to complete that task, no matter if we think it is building us up or if it is below us. 

It has been on my heart that I have a hard time humbling myself like those working so hard in Jerusalem. I am frequently afraid of what people will think and honestly, I spend a lot of time distracted. Is this you too? It seems like this world's goal, or more precisely this American culture's goal, is to keep us distracted, busy, concerned with the immediate things of this world: TV, politics, material wealth. 

I frequently pick up my devotional after I have read my morning chapter. I want to see if there is any correlation between the two messages and--weirdly enough--there often is. It was no different today. My devotional (My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers) was expanding on this verse from Romans: 

"None of us lives to himself . . . " Romans 14:7

As Chambers was elaborating on this passage, he was writing about how we are servants for God. We must be willing to be broken in service to Him. And this quote stuck in my mind, "Remember, it is quite possible for God to set any of us aside if we refuse to be of service to Him". I don't think this means that we won't be saved, our salvation is sealed when we accept Jesus Christ as our savior. But, I don't want to be in a situation where God is not using me and communicating with me. The best, most peaceful place to be is close to God. If I am not seeking Him and hearing from Him, then I am just whipping in the wind, going with the culture and the whimsies of this life. Lost. 

Loving one another is serving each other. Sometimes that is easy: spending time together, cooking, chatting, but sometimes it is difficult. Service could mean getting into the mess of life with someone, telling them what they don't want to hear (always from a place of love), or taking time out of your scheduled day to be there for them when you know you have somewhere else you "should" be. The most difficult thing I face is talking to others about salvation through Jesus Christ. Oftentimes I don't humble myself to bring up that conversation. But, God is working on me and showing me that in these situations, I am loving myself more than the other person. I encourage you to join me in going out today and thinking consciously about how to love those around you, forgetting about yourself. Let me know when amazing things happen!