A New Kind of Valentine's Day

Chris and I have never been "big" on celebrating Valentine's Day. Well, I take that back, we love having an excuse to spend one more evening together but we don't like dishing out the big bucks for it. We usually have dinner "in" and I might be given flowers (after the price goes back down).

This year was a little different. Valentine's Day fell on our normal community-group night which we sometimes host at our apartment. I didn't want to cancel our get together just because it fell on Valentine's day, but I also didn't want everyone to feel like they were missing out on a night of love/romance/ or a fancy meal with their significant other or friends (since not everyone in the group is married).

I decided to plan a special meal for everyone. We set the table up really nice and formal, Chris did buy some flowers for our center piece and I served up some roasted asparagus and pork chops with a herb-cream sauce and rice. (Sorry, I was so concerned with serving the food I forgot to take photos of the meal.)

Dinner turned out really well (if I do say so myself) and the conversation that flowed around the table warmed my heart as I reflected (silently) on the blessing that each person is to me.  After dinner, one of our guests treated us to chocolate covered strawberries!

During the day on Tuesday I was thinking about how glad I was to be celebrating this holiday of love with such close friends. Friends who are teaching me every week what it looks like to love as Christ loves. To serve as Christ served. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about the romance between a man and a woman. Why not celebrate the romance between God and his creation? Why not celebrate the one who created love?

I felt like last night was a night that honored the Lord and celebrated the love and community He had blessed us with in each other.  It was a new kind of Valentine's Day -- and it was wonderful.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."


"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Chris and I have never been "big" on celebrating Valentine's Day. Well, I take that back, we love having an excuse to spend one more evening together but we don't like dishing out the big bucks for it. We usually have dinner "in" and I might be given flowers (after the price goes back down).

This year was a little different. Valentine's Day fell on our normal community-group night which we sometimes host at our apartment. I didn't want to cancel our get together just because it fell on Valentine's day, but I also didn't want everyone to feel like they were missing out on a night of love/romance/ or a fancy meal with their significant other or friends (since not everyone in the group is married).

I decided to plan a special meal for everyone. We set the table up really nice and formal, Chris did buy some flowers for our center piece and I served up some roasted asparagus and pork chops with a herb-cream sauce and rice. (Sorry, I was so concerned with serving the food I forgot to take photos of the meal.)

Dinner turned out really well (if I do say so myself) and the conversation that flowed around the table warmed my heart as I reflected (silently) on the blessing that each person is to me.  After dinner, one of our guests treated us to chocolate covered strawberries!

During the day on Tuesday I was thinking about how glad I was to be celebrating this holiday of love with such close friends. Friends who are teaching me every week what it looks like to love as Christ loves. To serve as Christ served. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about the romance between a man and a woman. Why not celebrate the romance between God and his creation? Why not celebrate the one who created love?

I felt like last night was a night that honored the Lord and celebrated the love and community He had blessed us with in each other.  It was a new kind of Valentine's Day -- and it was wonderful.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."


"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."