Love Is In the Air

It's the week of LOVE.  It's the week of Valentine's Day.  Do you think of chocolate, candy, cards, flowers? Do you think of giving to someone special?  Do you think of spending time with your spouse or friend? Most likely one of the above comes to mind.

In our home, Joe always gets me something - always a dozen roses and usually chocolate, too, and he also gets our daughter something special.  I get him something - always different each year - and I also get each of the three boys something.  We show our love by our giving.  We also usually have a special Valentine's breakfast for the kids.  It's always something heart-shaped or red/pink in color.  Special things for the special day.

So, that's showing love within our own home, but how can we, as a family, show love to others during this time and all the time?  Yesterday I went to a larger town, about an hour away.  During the time I was there, I tried to do little things that were "random acts of kindness". These simple acts really didn't take much effort on my part, but simply showed common courtesy to others. On the way home, I thought of other things we could do for others.  How can we generate the feeling of "Love in the Air" all the time?

Here's a list of some ways we can show love to others each and every day.  Just simple and random acts of kindness....

1.  Help someone by getting their shopping cart for them at a store.
2. Help someone by putting their shopping cart in the designated spot in the parking lot.
3. Open the door for someone - especially for the elderly.
4. Allow someone with fewer items to go ahead of you.  As a really special act, let someone with a BIGGER shopping cart full go ahead of you!
5. At a drive thru of a fast food restaurant, pay for the person's food that is behind you.
6.  Leave a bigger than usual tip for a carhop or waiter/waitress.
7. Ask someone how they are doing as you're out shopping.  Really listen to them.  If they are having a bad day, ask to pray for them.
8. Look at people in the eye and say hello.  It sounds simple, but too often as we go through our day, we don't take the time to really look at those around us. See their needs.  Be sure to listen.
9.  Encourage those you see who may be struggling.  If someone you come across seems to be having a bad day, tell them you hope everything is better soon. Be genuinely concerned.  Offer to pray for them.
10.  Smile.  There's a song that says, "It's isn't any trouble just to S-M-I-L-E".  Well, sometimes it is.  Sometimes it is hard for some people to smile.  But, "A smile is a curve that sets everything straight," said Phyllis Diller, and she's right.  A smile makes everything better - for you - and perhaps, for the person you are influencing with your smile.

None of the things above will take more than a few minutes or seconds of your time, but might mean the world to another person.  It's important for us to put others before ourselves.  Why? Because that's what Jesus did, and, as Christians, we're striving to imitate Him - or we should be as His followers.  You never know what that random act will do.  Just a simple way to show that LOVE really is in the air...not just this week...but all of the time.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Leo Buscaglia

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:10

Teen Valentine Banquet & Scavenger Hunt 2014

Our annual Valentine Banquet and Scavenger Hunt was held last night. With our big Senior class of '13 gone, it was a smaller group, but a fun group that we look forward to hosting for many more years!

We served the usual: Chicken Lasagna, Beef Lasagna, Green Beans, Breadsticks, Pudding Delight (or Chocolate Quad, or Pudding Cake, or....you get the idea!), Butterfinger Cake, and Banana Pudding.

I should have cut back on the breadsticks, but they did eat quite a few of the 144 of them!  Just not as many as the larger group in years' past. We enjoyed hearing them talk, laugh, and have fun while being "served".  Kids have to go through lines enough, so to be served, is a treat for them.

 ...Desserts....

 ....Breadsticks....

After the meal, the teens were divided into 3 groups. They competed in a scavenger hunt. The first team back with everything done or brought back on the list is the winner.

My favorite "item" on the list is that the groups have to bring back two people who weren't previously at our house. It's fun to get others involved, and they seem to enjoy their time with us, as well!

We sing and have a short devotional thought. My husband did a really neat illustration of how to not follow peer pressure, but to....

 STAND OUT and be willing to not go along with the crowd.

My husband said I had way too much on the scavenger hunt list (ha ha!! I knew he would :).) BUT, these were a few of the fun things:  Someone in the group had to be handcuffed....which makes it nice to live in a small, small town, where the cops and kids know each other - and that's a GOOD thing!

And then, the groups had to buy something for someone at our convenience store.  Mr. A got some delicious donuts!

Besides, doing the above, singing silly and cute songs to teachers and elders and their wives, the groups had to do a good deed for a school teacher, take pictures of items, pick up items, and take a picture in front of the school sign. I had them text their pictures back to me so that I could see them...and have them to show you.  This one is blurry, but the best group picture in front of the school sign.

This event is so much fun for us to host, and for the teens to attend.  We thank God for this opportunity to be an influence in the lives of these young people, and for our community and the people here, that make it a great place to be able to go to homes that we know will willingly and graciously, help out.

Welcome to the Family!

After the last grandchild on my husband's side of the family was born 11 years ago, we've added two more grandchildren to the number - making #18 and #19!!  T & J were adopted into the family by Joe's sister and our brother-in-law last Friday.

Although their three children are grown and two are married and have children, my brother and sister-in-law felt like they could make a difference in the lives of children. They moved to Tipton Home and became full-time houseparents to a group of little girls.  And what a difference they've made!

Two of these little girls were able to be adopted by them, so are now a part of our family forever! We're all so excited to have them in our lives!

These special necklaces were a gift from their new siblings.  A sweet keepsake of this special time!

We decided to get each of them a piggy bank....or an ice cream bank, and.....

....a cupcake bank.  And, to get a head start, we added a little cash to the banks.

Sunday we had lots of snow (for southwest Oklahoma, anyway), so our regular worship services were canceled.

We already had a family meal planned for that day at noon, so everyone just stayed around afterwards for a family worship time together, followed by presents for the girls, then play time in the snow.

What a great day of worship and celebrating! A cold, winter's day, made warmer by the gift of love!

So Far Away....Yet So Close

I was thinking about so many people that have moved from our small town recently, all of them had been part of our church family.  The thought of them being "gone" is unpleasant. I don't really like to think about it at all.  We miss them all so much!

But, I was thinking about how I still see posts and pictures from all who have moved.  They're on Facebook, and as often as they update their posts...or as often as they post new pictures....I can keep up with them.  If I didn't know they had moved, I wouldn't know they had moved!  It's like they're really here, but I won't see them at school or at worship any more.  Kind of nice that they can still feel close, but kind of strange, too.  They're far away, yet so close. Of course, that's easy for me to say, since I'm not the one who packed up and moved away.

Many see God as far away.  And, in a sense, I suppose He is. I don't know how far Heaven is.  You probably don't, either.  But, we all know that God is very near. He's in the wind. He's in the sunshine, the rain, the storms, the mountains.  He made all of those things, so He is part of those things. He's in our hearts, as Christians. He's in the Word....the Bible, His inspired words.  He's in our prayers and our songs of praise.  He's far away, yet so close.

We can know Him.  We can intimately know Him. We can "meet" with Him each and every day.  He wants us to be with Him. He wants to be with us, too.

Hello, God.  It's good to be with you!

 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8a

Right Here, Right Now

*Printed with permission.  

Though skeptical of his teenage son's new found determination to build bulging muscles, one father followed his teenager to the store's weight-lifting department, where they admired a set of weights.

 "Please, Dad," pleaded the teen, "I promise I'll use them every day."

 "I don't know, Michael.  It's really a commitment on your part," the father said.

 "Please, Dad?"

 "They're not cheap either," the father said.

 "I'll use 'em, Dad, I promise. You'll see."

Finally won over, the father paid for the equipment and headed for the door. After a few steps, he heard his son behind him say, "What! You mean I have to carry them to the car?"


That story reminds me somewhat of my commitment to follow Christ.  Like Peter, who said, "Even if everyone else abandons you, I never will...Even if I have to die with you..." (Matthew 26:33,35, GOD'S WORD), I am committed to serving God in every big way imaginable.  I am prepared to die as a martyr if the situation arises.  I am prepared to serve as a missionary in foreign fields when my life situation allows me to.  I am prepared to offer large sums of money to the cause of Christ whenever I "strike it rich."


However, I am sometimes hesitant to serve God in small ways right here, right now.  I'm hesitant to use the $5.00 in my pocket to help someone in my presence who is in need.  I'm hesitant to give up the time it takes to watch one TV show to spend some quiet time with God.  I'm hesitant to show grace and forgiveness to someone who has hurt me deeply. I'm hesitant to speak up and talk about Jesus for fear of what someone might think.  I'm insistent on getting my way and always being right, and so I'm hesitant to say, "I'm sorry."

Father, please forgive me.  I have such grand dreams of ways I can serve you, and I tend to overlook the many ways I can serve you right here, right now.  Help me in my resolve to be committed to you in all ways, both small and great.  In Jesus' name, amen.

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much." (Luke 16:10)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina