And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Good morning! I did take Caleb to the doctor’s yesterday and he has croup, like a few of you guessed. He’s on medicine now, and I bought a humidifier for his room. He was up several times last night, coughing, but my husband got up with him (without me even asking). Caleb is in here with me as I type, with, of course, a train in his hands. The kids have all had breakfast and we cleaned up a little. Now they are having a little bit of play time while I write on my blog and drink a hot cup of coffee. After this, we will start school.
Anyway, did you notice the title of this blog entry?
Love is in the Air!
On Saturday, (which is also Groundhog day, which I think is hilarious), I host my 3rd annual Valentine party for a gathering of dear friends. This year we have 11 total, including me, which is a couple more than last year. . . .I wonder if it’ll get bigger each year? It’s so much fun. The girls come wearing white, pink, or red tops and they bring valentines to pass out. I make a dinner, and set the table with my rose, white, cinnabar, and scarlet Fiestaware. After we eat, we sit in the living room and hand around our cards, and of course talk and laugh the entire time!
Another tradition is the journal. Every year I have everyone write whatever they want in our special pink “love” journal. We’ve had secrets come out in this journal! I also add pictures to it. Because we’re all wearing festive colors, the pictures look lovely!
My favorite book about friendships is titled Quality Friendships. It is written by Gary Inrig and is full of Biblical encouragement to make and maintain good quality friendships. Here are a few quotes:
“The life of union and communion with the Lord Jesus Christ will never isolate me from people, and my dependence upon Him will not make me independent of others “
“The Lord commands those who are abiding in Him to move into relationships”
“As a Christian, I must live a life of love for others”
“To not practice love in my relationships is to be out of the will of God”
“The Lord Jesus tells us that love is a key to our entire spiritual life”
“By abiding in Christ, I am able to love my fellow believers. By loving them, I abide more deeply in the Father’s love. By abiding more deeply, I love more deeply, and on and on it moves”
“Love is an indispensable key to my spiritual health. More than that, it is a key to mental health. In worldly terms, a person who is mentally healthy is at peace with himself. The Lord takes us one step farther and tells us that a person who is mentally healthy is able to express love for the benefit of other people, to sacrifice for them, and to meet the needs in others’ lives.”
I am attaching a link to the book on my site. Please take a look at it, and if it is something that you think you might like to read, leave a comment telling me. I will do a drawing on Tuesday, February 5. I will send one person a free copy of the book. Even if you are not interested in the book, maybe you will leave a comment and tell us of a special friend in your life and why you love that person. 
“This is my commandment,
That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” ~Jesus’ words in John 15:12
“Ye are my friends,
if ye do whatsoever I command you.” ~Jesus’ words in John 15:14
(photo of last year’s group)
Good to be Home 
I know you are looking forward to tomorrow ~ sounds like fun. Throw my name in the hat ~ and thoroughly enjoy your day. Caleb, you get well quick, okay?
Shanda, that sounds like a wonderful book, we’ve actually been discussing with the kids the importance of friendships and picking the rights friends to form relationships with, I would love to read this book. Count me in!!!
Blessings. Prayers for Caleb to feel better QUICKLY!!!
I have many aquaintances. Few that I would call close friends. Most of the close friends that I have had have moved on to other churches, or other cities. I do have two guys that I would call friends. Paul, who lives many miles away has been my truest friend for 30 years. We rarely get to see each other and talk, but I know the minute we do, nothing has changed in our devotion to each other. The other friend is here in town, goes to church with me and we play raquetball together 3 times a week at 5am. We seem to try to “out do” each other on good deeds. He is always cooking for me (he’s a chef!!!). I try to fix things for him; he knows knives, whisks, and spactuals; I know drills, jacks and recipricating saw.
The books sounds good. I had to google pretty deep to find a review though. Gary Inrig looks to have a pretty cool church in CA.
God Bless!!
A Valentine’s Day party is such a beautiful idea!!! Hope you have a wonderful time.
– spactuals(?) – I believe I meant spatulas.
And go ahead and enter my name in the contest…. and sign me up for the spelling class.
I’m sure you know that you will always be one of my closest friends! We grew up together and have still managed to remain close. I also have many friends from my work and from our church…but as I’m sure you know – each person is a different relationship…some are closer than others. But all are worth putting time and effort into the relationships. So throw my name into the hat!
Love Ya my niece & best-friend!
A few frieend of mine just had a great girls day yesterday…I posted them on my site can’t wait to see yours….It is so good to know you have others here to walk through life with…. Friends always give fresh perspectives..
Have fun tomorrow and take lots of pictures.
What a wonderful day for a group of friends! Oh, my; you’ve even added party hosting to all of your many talents…and chores:) Thank you for being so kind toward my remarks. I guess I was remembering how overwhelmed I was at times. Of course I didn’t feel it so much at the time I was happening. I realize it now because so much of those years are lost to me. My children have memories of days and things that I can’t even recall. It’s as though my mind has blocked out the trememdous pressure I must have felt. You’re wise to record your memories so well that you’ll never lose them.
That sounds like a great idea to do with your friends. I’m sure you will be taking lots of pictures! The journal is a great idea also. It’s nice you can have that with your friends. I wish I lived closer to you!
I’m sorry to hear that Caleb has croup. I know when Matthew had it he sounded like a barking seal. I was scared at first because I didn’t know what it was.
I would love to go in your drawing, you have such a great library! I am about 1/2 way through A Woman After God’s Own Heart, and it’s funny because a Mom in my MOPS group is doing a book study on it so we have been talking about it. Have a great day!
A Valentine’s party, what a great idea! I should try that next year. Count me in for the book drawing! I really need to make some solid friendships. The ones i have are scattered all over the country but I need some close by!
oh how fabulous and special!!!
Please count me in on the drawing. I am blessed with some lovely friends. We have a group that all had babies together….24 years ago! Several of us still get together Now ladies at church are some of my closest friends because we see each other all the time. One I am closest to is Dawn and we are going today to our homeschooling/mom conference She is very caring and easy to talk to. She has four girls…David often calls his sisters as he gets to see them 2 or more times a week. Then there are homeschool moms, and my friends that I go to the beach with. My sis Mary has been my lifelong friend. We have that bond of friendship, growing up together, and being sisters in Christ…..so we can call each other any time. OK, I am blessed! Good thing to reflect on. And I should get a bunch of my friends together….maybe a tea!
Praying Caleb gets better soon. Rich is a good Daddy and husband
blessings on your day! Jenny
count me in! that book sounds so wonderful. shanda, i’ve never heard of anyone having a valentine party for their girlfriends and i love it!!! what a fun gorgeous thing to do for special friends. valentines day is my son jj’s birthday. he’ll be 19 this year and is all grown up. so hard to believe he is but it happens so very fast. anyway, our valentines day is always a big celebration of his birth, naturally. have a wonderful weekend! đ
sounds like fun~ i wanna come! đ
Sounds like a great book. I love the quote you included about our relationship with Christ will never isolate us from others. So true. Count me in on the giveaway!
What a fun idea to do a Valentine dinner with friends!
What lovely traditions you have! You are so creative! I would love to be included in your drawing.
I have two very best friends. One who I’ve known since I was 16 and we went to high school together. She always wanted to have children and married her highschool sweetheart when she was 18. She is one of the best moms and has worked to build the nicest family. My other best friend is my mother-in-law who always accepted me even before I found God. She knows of some BIG mistakes I’ve made in my relationship with my husband (before we were married) and she loves me anyway. She is a true example of “As a Christian, I must live a life of love for others.” I’m truly blessed.
your party — how fun!the book sounds really good… something i’ve been thinking about lately.
Well, I have this book , so I won’t enter the contest. :)I’m looking forward tomorrow. I made my candy this morning. đ
Sign me up Shan!! Your valentine’s party is going to be a hit. I would LOVE to be there to share in on the fun and fellowship. I can’t wait to see pics of this year’s party.
A party for girlfriends is a great idea! I hope you all have a wonderful time. I would love the book. If I don’t win, I think I will go buy it for myself. God’s Blessings!
Well, I don’t have the book, so I’m in. đ
I can’t wait for tomorrow night, I love seeing that picture, and seeing the difference in my weight loss…it makes me smile and yeah. đ
Love,
Trish
Still a pleasure to read your blog! Did you know that St Valentine’s Day is very different in France? People who celebrate it are couples (married or unmarried ones). The meaning of St Valentine’s Day is so “poor” since you don’t celebrate it if you’re a single person. Sad, isn’t it? When I was a teacher for one year in a French primary school in Minnesota, I was so surprised and thrilled when I got Valentine cards from my little students, my teacher and my host families. I think we, French people, are missing the true meaning of this day: the celebration of love that lies in friendship and family as well! You guys are blessed to have such a nice celebration like this one in the USA. I don’t know your book about firendship but I guess I can find it in Paris too. I am currently reading I dare you by Joyce Meyer that I bought in Paris, in English. Different subject but great too! Be blessed. delphine
Have a wonderful fellowship tomorrow. It sounds like so much fun. I watch for the photos to follow. Great post on friendship and love and your roses are beautiful.
Thank you for sharing the quotes and the link. I can’t wait to see the pictures from your event. its such a neat thing for you to do. I hope you have a great time!
Please include me in your drawing Shanda. I had to really put my mind to which friend I would write about, but Tonya, a woman I met on vacation comes to mind. I met her and her husband over 5 years ago in Jamaica. My husband and I stood for them at their wedding. Yes, we had just met! We have kept our friendship going ever since – did I mention that they live in Tennesee and we live in California? She is a dear, sweet woman, and I’d be lost without her in my life.
Have a wonderful time!
I have given you the “E For Excellence Award!”
I wish everyone good luck in the drawing! What a nice thing to share and pass along to others!
xoxoxo Cat
Your valentine pictures from last year looks so fun and festive.I know your friends feel blessed to be invited o such a fun intimate party!Your book caught my attention in the review. “As Inrig points out, friendship is a covenant–and as such is not made nor broken easily. Inrig outlines the friendship of Jonathan & David as an example; and gives practical, Biblical outlines of being a true 1 Cor. 13 friend. If you have one true friend, you’ve an enormous treasure. This book will help you to be that kind of friend, and help you in your search for another.”We recently studied covenants in my Sunday school class. It meant a lot to see that word covenant used relating to friendships. I am sure this is a great book and hope and pray that the gift recipient is truly blessed!Blessings,Angie
Answer to Shanda: I found your blog through another blog “Homemadejoys”. Last year, Heather visited my travel blog on blogspot and let me a comment. Then I found your link. That’s it! đ
Sounds good and I get encouragement more.I want to get this book, where r u buy it?Plz buying to me this one XD. Kidding, I like those quotes, it can use it in life. After I read finished, I get lots of great quotes and encouraging more from texts as i’m confronting worse friendship.
Have a wonderful time with your friends! Sounds like fun.
It looks like you are in for quite a wonderful time with your friends! Do you invite everyone yourself, or do you take suggestions from others as to who is going to be invited? It sounds like a great idea. Throw my name into the hat for the book. It never hurts to learn how to be a better friends, does it?
Glad to hear Caleb is on the mend. Sick young ones are a trouble on your mind.
beautiful roses! I love the idea of a “girly party”- that is so cool! I am learning about true friendship and love that stands the test of time. My favorite friends are the ones who I can go a year without talking to (not that I want to go that long) but when we see each other, it is like no time has even passed. I am blessed to have true, quality friends- it is a blessing from the Lord for sure.
Have a great day!
~Amy (Gracie)
I love the quotes from that book. Over the past year I have realized the importance of friends…of Godly friends. I have a could very dear friends one in particular that deepens my faith and is so encouraging to me. She is a daily challenge to me spiritually in my walk with the Lord…very loving, tender, and caring, but also does not hold back when she feels that there is something that she needs to confront me about or where my thoughts are not focused on God and what He is trying to work out in my life. Her name is Tami…and I do thank God for her friendship and the challenge that she is to me.I just love your idea of your Valentine get together with your friends! I remember looking at your pictures from last year! I look forward to seeing more from this year! I hope you have a wonderful and uplifting day!I would love to be in your drawing!
Have a wonderful party! You are such an amazing, giving person. I thought that your party was such a fun idea when I read about it last year. Maybe some year I will copy you!
I’ve been saying for years I’d love to hostess a party of women and bring out my nice tea cup sets, etc. Just a few hours where we could all pamper ourselves with tea and fancy things that make us feel feminine.Your Valentine party on 2/2 sounds like a wonderful idea! I may steal it and use it in the future!Have fun!
I would love to be included in your drawing. Sounds like fun!I do hope Little Caleb gets better soon! Desire’ (atthefeetofmyfather)
I came too late so I will have to order my own!!! Sigh. The quotes from it were really really good.
The journal looks delicious with the ribbon and the quote on the front, I would keep it out just to look at it!