Happy Valentines Week!

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8

In the midst of an AWESOME day, the Lord gently reminded me throughout that we needed to get the Valentines done so Joshua could take them to preschool tomorrow. Brett teaches night school on Tuesday night and is gone until 9:00pm. The Lord told me to take my boys on a date… “Mission Valentine” :)

I thought we’d start with dinner. How blessed was I to get to take two handsome boys on a date?!

We withstood, with more patience than usual, the 217 North traffic jam as we headed to the Cedar Hills shopping center. Destination: Beaverton Christian Supply for the Valentines and Baja Fresh for dinner. It was just after 6:00pm and my two boys had already exhibited more patience the entire day than I think I had ever seen.

I wasn’t sure what time Christian Supply was to close so I took a peak before heading to dinner across the parking lot. 7:00pm the door said. Awesome! We had made it in time.

I ran to the van, told the boys we needed to pick up the Valentines quickly before heading for dinner. I saw people inside and opened the door… Well, I tried to open the door and it was locked. I looked closely and saw a small white piece of paper that said “On 2/12 we will be closing our doors early for inventory.”

“Oh, man” I thought for a second beginning to entertain the idea of becoming a tad frustrated. Why had the Lord had us sit in traffic for an hour to find the store that I was certain that day held the message that Josh wanted to share with his friends, closed? Hmm… My efforts to muster frustration failed?! I truly had not an ounce. He put me in remembrance of our traffic laden journey filled with that amazing patience never before seen between me and my two sons, or between the two brothers. What had happened? I began to replay the conversations that took place… We always have K-LOVE or the Fish or Air 1 playing in our van so the praise music was the same. What was different?

“What did you talk about while waiting patiently in the traffic jam?” “You,” I simply thought. So we shrugged it off and made our way to dinner. We sat talking, eating, laughing and sharing; A perfect dinner.

We then left, not knowing where to go to find these Valentines we were still in search of. “Mom, let’s sing!” Joshua suggested. “Ok, bud!” So we started with the theme song to Veggie Tales. “Let’s sing some more!” “Ok, let’s see what’s in the CD player,” I said. I flipped to mysterious “number 3” not certain what CD was in the player. In unity, the 3 of us sang our hearts out to the Lord via a favorite children’s praise and worship CD. “Jesus Loves Me This I know…” “Father Abraham”… I glanced back and saw my sweet Matthew now sound asleep in total peace in the midst of our singing. Joshua, of course had me skip ahead to his favorite song “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho” and we sang it. Then I turned the music off and began doing what I thought was me sharing with him about the Joshua of the Bible.

Well, my son Joshua taught it right back to me in complete and perfect understanding of the great work that was done by God through Joshua. I told my Joshua that the Lord had chosen his name for him because He wants him to be just like the Joshua of the Bible. And then I went on to “remind him” of David.

Well, once again my son did most of the teaching in his complete understanding of the amazing story of one young man taking on a giant in simple and resolute faith, trust and assurance in His God - OUR God. I told Joshua then and there that he had accepted Jesus into his heart at the age of 3 and that God had BIG plans for him… even now.

His face just lit up. So did mine.

As we made our way toward our still mysterious Valentine supply destination, at this point 8:00pm and our options and time becoming more limited, the Lord really revealed His plan.

“Josh, do you want to go home and make your own Valentines to give to your friends?” “Yes! I would LOVE to do that!” he exclaimed.

We drove home and I didn’t know what these Valentines were going to look like considering our limited time and resources.

Josh lovingly helped me get a very sleepy Matthew ready for bed. He got his brother’s dinosaur, his blankie and even picked out his jammies. Groggy but ever smiley, Matthew lay there while Josh and I got him ready for bed. We took him upstairs, brushed his teeth, tucked him in and fittingly prayed.

Matthew asked if he could pray first, in his quiet sweet way. Josh prayed next in a way that simply made my heart rejoice. It was my son’s first purpose-filled, fervent prayer. It ended with my sweet son asking for the rapture to happen soon so we wouldn’t have to die. Wow!

I then prayed a different prayer for my two sons than I had ever prayed. I thanked the Lord for Joshua, which means “Jehovah saves” and prayed that he would be like the Joshua and David we had talked so much about just an hour earlier. Then I began to pray for Matthew, his name meaning, “gift from God” and how he was so much like his Daddy, my first gift from God after I accepted the Lord.

I thanked the Lord for this sweet hearted, selfless boy. I said Amen and opened my eyes to see Josh gone. “Joshua, I called!” “I’m already downstairs Mom!” he responded. He was so ready to make his Valentines I could hardly correct him.

I looked down at Matthew, now covered in a blanket and heard quiet sobs. “Oh, my sweet Matthew, what’s wrong?” I picked him up, he cried and I rocked him gently as he sobbed in his broken but silent way. Josh then walked in the room and said “Mom, he wants me.” Josh got down on the floor and wrapped his arms around both me and his brother and we all sat there hugging in one of our most precious moments. “Matthew, is that what’s wrong?” “Yes”, he said in between sobs. “He wants to go downstairs with us and make our Valentines, Mom,” my little interpreter explained. “Matthew, do you want to go downstairs with us?” I asked.

“Yes, Mommy, I don’t want to go to bed without Josh,” he began to cry again. “Oh, my sweet little boy, all you had to do is ask.”

Josh then took Matthew by the hand and started leading him down the stairs. Clearly a big height difference, Joshua immediately noticed and the two of them went down Matthew style, hand in hand sliding down the flight of stairs on their little bottoms. I nearly burst into tears right then, my heart literally overflowing at how my Joshua was right then acting not as Joshua of the OT or David, but JESUS… The One person I didn’t mention in my prayer that he shared his name with.

“So, Josh, let’s make your Valentines!” I said now sitting at my computer. “How about a picture of you and then a Bible verse for your friends,?” I suggested.

I looked at my sweet Matthew, content as always and said “Or a picture of you and your brother?”

“YEAH!, Josh exclaimed.” And Matthew looked up and smiled. I immediately went to the pictures most near and dear to my heart and Josh picked his favorite picture. We inserted it into our already predestined Valentine and got to the ever pressing question. “Josh, what verse?”

“Let me show you”, he said running to grab my Bible still on the table from this morning.” My son, not able to comprehensively read a page in my Bible then said “I already know what one Mom.” I looked down at my Bible still on 1 Corinthians from this morning’s reading and asked “This one?” “Nope, he said turning the pages a couple to the left and directing me to Romans 12:2. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Before I read it I smiled knowing ahead what the words said. It was given to me just a couple of weeks prior. The Lord had already used it this past Sunday in two amazing ways. I was able to teach it to my sons, but then I shared it with my father (details to follow in another blog entry).

I pasted it on to the Valentine and looked at the almost completed and perfect work smiling. “Do you want me to read it to you?” “Yes Mommy.”

I read it. Josh then said “Wait, maybe it should be Romans 5:8” I wasn’t sure what the verse said so I flipped back a couple of pages. “It says that we know Jesus loves us because He died for us.” Josh explained. “I want that one instead.”

“It does fit for Valentines Day, doesn’t it?!” “Yes,” I said in awe. “It definitely does.” I then put the verse and picture together and literally couldn’t wait for my sweet husband to come home so I could share with him the greatest night I have ever had with my two boys.

I talked Josh into heading to bed and entrusting his Daddy and me to take care of the heart cutting. Joshua wanted badly to stay up late with me. I explained my reasons and he simply obeyed.

The three of us headed back upstairs. Matthew climbed back into his bed smiling as he waited while his big brother brushed his teeth. “Matthew, do you want to sing a song while Josh finishes getting ready for bed?” “Yes,” he replied.

“How about the song I used to sing Josh when he was a baby?” “Okay!” sweet Matthew exclaimed. I began to sing “Here I am to Worship.” Joshua climbed into his bed, singing along with a smile because I of course was singing his special song.



I tucked them into bed and Matthew said “Mommy, another song?” and I said “It’s late and you need to sleep. I looked at each son and then sang them our Wednesday night church blessing:

Numbers 6:24-26

24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

I sang it looking into each of my sons' beaming faces. “Good night, Mommy” they said. I left the room and I praised the Lord thinking “Nope, it was our best night!”

I have a feeling if this is the start of Valentines Day, it’s going to be the BEST. Thank you Jesus!