Happy Valentine's Day from Onward & Upward!

Valentine's Day is a special day to give us a chance to tell each other "I love you". Sometimes we don't take the time to say that enough! It's a day to celebrate romance, and those close to our hearts. (It's also a day to enjoy flowers and candy. :-) Hehe)

And now, one of my favorite romantic verses from the Bible (I guess I identify with having to wait for a loved one!):

"So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her." Genesis 29:20

Some 1 Corinthians 13 always seems appropriate:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a

And the greatest Love Story of all:

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." Isaiah 62:5b

"In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling." Exodus 15:13

We hope you all have a wonderful day, whether you are spending it with a loved one, family, or friends!

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored:

And they'll know we are Christians by our love,
By our love.
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

- Peter Schools (based on John 13:35)

This song came to mind as I was reading Joanna's blog post from Monday. She linked to an article on CNN.com where Elton John said that "organized religion fuels anti-gay discrimination and other forms of bias". Joanna says in response: "If we are to be relevant and have credibility with the world we live in, we must be known by our love and compassion and creative, thoughtful responses to situations and people." She also goes on to say, "If I am known by MY love, perhaps I can undo the harm inflicted by others on the reputation and credibility of the faith."

I thought this was a very powerful statement. I am so often caught up in my own little activities that I forget I represent Christ to those around me. God has given me an opportunity to be a witness to 17 coworkers every single day, but too often I am more interested in lashing out with a vicious tongue behind other peoples' backs. Too often I play the "holier than thou" card, seeing myself as superior because I don't drink or smoke or swear. Too often I hide in my office, avoiding interaction with them because they are different than me. A simple "hi" and "how was your weekend?" can make quite a bit of difference.

Thank you, Joanna, for the reminder. I challenge you with the same question: Will they know you are a Christian by your love?

Jenny, pardon me if I steal your post for a minute!

I was reading my cousin's most recent blog post yesterday, and it tugged at my heart. There was an adorable picture of her twin daughters giving each other a hug.

Jenny's thoughtful response reminded me of my own sister. She's 5 years younger than me, and it hasn't been until recently that we have gotten to be close. The same goes for my younger brother. In many ways, we have been better friends as adults than we were as children.

While in my younger years, I may have wished to be an only child, I do believe my siblings have been a gift from God. Often in our young lives we were all each other had, as we moved from city to city and country to country. We sometimes fought bitterly and other times played lovingly. However, in the end we were family and that transcended all other previous disagreements.

Since I love quotations, here are a few about sisters and the relationships you have with them:

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. ~Amy Li

To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. ~Clara Ortega

A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life. ~Isadora James