2/6/06 12 CREATIVE IDEAS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY, TIPS, MUSIC, CHALK
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
AN INTERESTING ARM RAISING EXPERIMENT
That He gA ve
His onL y
BegottE n
SoN
T hat whosoever
Believeth I n Him
Should N ot perish,
But have E verlasting life."
John 3:16
By Lois Breneman, © 2004, Revised 2006, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
(Dating couples could use or adapt many of these ideas, as well.)
<3 I REMEMBER WHEN ...
Write out reasons why you love your husband or "I remember when..." (remembrances of your special times together). Cut strips of paper (about 2x3") or hearts from card stock or construction paper and punch a hole in each one. Buy a bouquet of roses or other flowers and arrange in a vase (fresh or silk flowers). Then tie your love notes to each flower stem with ribbons.
<3 HIDDEN HEART-SHAPED NOTES
Another way that you could revise the idea above is to tie Heart-shaped Notes everywhere around your house, so your husband will find them throughout the day on his socks, toothbrush, toothpaste tube, to the stem of an apple in his lunch, the doorknob, the steering wheel (after he comes home), his car keys, his silverware, around his glass at dinner, his coffee mug, under his plate, etc. Examples for notes:
- I first knew that I loved you when...
- I remember our first date...
- I remember when you asked me to marry you ...
- I love you because ...
- I admire you for ...
<3 COLOR COPIED ROMANTIC PICTURE BOOKLET
Color copy an entire page of old pictures of you and your husband from during your dating years and afterwards for just a dollar or two. Crop the color copies and use a glue stick to adhere these pictures in a little romantic booklet for your sweetheart with your own special captions. Use card stock for the title page - "The Romance of Joe and Beth!" He will love it!
<3 A HANDMADE VALENTINE - OR WRITE HIM A LOVE LETTER
Rather than going out and buying a valentine for your husband this year, why not make a personalized card? Fold a plain 8 1/2 by 11" piece of paper in half, then in half again. On the front, you could use a rubber stamp of a heart or flowers, paste a floral picture from an old card, paste a cut-out heart, or use a paper doily with the words, "How do I love thee?" (Or "How do I love you?").
On the inside write, "Let me count the ways." Then list for your husband the things you like about him - (1) His character (honesty, integrity, dependability, godliness, faithfulness, hard working, kindness, sensitivity to your needs, the way he treats his parents, the way he spends time with your children, etc.); (2) His talents (being able to fix things around the house without calling a handyman, his organizational ability, his singing ability, his ability to remember names, his ability to plan for the future, his financial ability, etc.); (3) His looks (his nice smile, gorgeous blue eyes, broad shoulders, tall, his strong muscles, handsome, etc.); (4) Etc., Etc. Etc. Also let him know how much you appreciate his going to work every day to support your family. If you have trouble thinking of many good qualities, just think of the things that attracted you to him in the first place.
On the back of the card, draw a simple flower or a heart and write, "Made in (name of your city and state)." Write the date too. I guarantee that your husband will appreciate your handmade card much more than any $3-4 card!
Another idea is to make a giant card out of poster board or even a big cardboard box. Or make a booklet, telling about your courtship ( places you've been and things you've done together). With computers these days, the possibilities are unlimited!
<3 TREASURED VALENTINES FOR DADDY AND GRANDPARENTS
Color copy recent pictures of your children or print digital pictures. Below are some photo ideas. Make a personalized Valentine for Daddy and the grandparents from each child. Have older children help with their own Valentines.
Ideas for Baby Pictures and Pictures of Older Children to Use on the Card:
Baby's hand in Daddy's hand
Baby dressed only in Diaper and Daddy's Necktie
Baby Sitting in the Buff with his back to you - call his name and snap the camera!
Close-up of Child's Face with Daddy's
Group Picture of all your children with a big poster board valentine saying, "We Love Daddy!" (Some of you with 8 or 9 children are laughing at the thought of doing this alone! Maybe a friend can help.)
Picture of you with the children. (Maybe a friend can snap the camera for you.)
Parents and Grandparents: Be sure to remember your children and grandchildren as well!
<3 VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT IDEAS FOR YOUR HUSBAND
(Rather than an expensive gift, be creative and give of your time and talents, asking yourself what he would especially enjoy.)
A good back massage with lotion or oil
A foot massage
Make him a banana split, hot fudge sundae, or a healthy dessert
Coupons for any of the above for another time, as well
Coupon to join him in an activity he loves (hiking, biking, sailing, fishing, etc.)
A special candlelight dinner - or breakfast or lunch.
Make your husband's favorite meal and eat by candlelight, with romantic background music.
Or do all of the above - some in the form of coupons for later! He will feel like a king!
<3 "I DID IT BECAUSE I LOVE YOU"
When our children were small, we made hearts (about 3") out of construction paper, and wrote, "I did it because I love you!" on each one. Every family member had several and we each signed them on the back. In order to preserve them, we covered them with clear contact paper. I still have some of them! Next we found little things to do for other family members, and left our heart for the other person to know that we did something for them just because we love them. It was fun and helped bring harmony to the household. Some things we did for each other were the following: make a bed, wash dishes, get the mail or newspaper, sweep the porch, empty the trash, set or clear the table, pack a lunch, make a special meal, dust, vacuum, etc. It helps to let others know that we don't just do these things because they are expected, but we do them because we love the other person. Try it!
<3 CANDLE AND ROSES CENTERPIECE
Create a beautiful centerpiece for Valentine's Day, using some things you may already have at home. Place a candle jar of any size inside a larger clear glass bowl or vase. Tuck red or pink silk roses or rose buds all around between the candle jar and the vase, making sure the roses are not close to the top of the candle, so as not to be a fire hazard. Having the candle taller is best. Some of you might like to use wrapped peppermint candies or red cinnamon candies or hearts, but remember that roses have no sugar!
<3 PRAY TOGETHER AS WELL AS PRIVATELY FOR EACH OTHER
I can't emphasize enough that husbands and wives pray together for their family and others. Stormie Omartian's books, The Power of the Praying Wife and The Power of a Praying Husband are wonderful helpful guides! Along this same line, she has also written The Power of the Praying Parent. These books and others of hers are so helpful and powerful!
<3 WORK TO IMPROVE YOUR MARRIAGE - ATTEND A CONFERENCE TOGETHER
http://www.familylifetoday.com - Family Life - Dennis and Barbara Rainey http://www.iwanttomakemymarriagework.com - Chuck and Eileen Rife
<3 UNSELFISHNESS IS THE KEY
If you want your marriage to be happy and one that honors the Lord, put the needs and desires of your partner before your own. Philippines 2:3-5 says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." When you stop and think about it, almost every problem in marriage stems from SELFISHNESS. Make a conscious effort to be unselfish and show consideration to you husband. It really does work, and your home will be happier! Ask the Lord for His help.
It's 7:30 on a Saturday evening. I am seated with my family in the Cowan Center at the University of Texas at Tyler, full of anticipation. My sister, Elaine, is a member of the newly formed East Texas Symphony Chorus, and tonight is the group's appearance with the full orchestra.
Suddenly, the maestro enters. As the lights dim, he lowers the baton, filling the auditorium with the harmony of angels. While the voices rise and fall to the swell of the instruments, I feel the day's worries melting away. I'm reminded once again of the remarkable power that music has to soothe the soul and refresh the human spirit.
When my daughter was born prematurely, she spent the first few weeks of her life in a neonatal intensive-care unit. Every day I stayed with her as much as possible before driving home for the
night.
In the lonely hours between visits, I could often be found stretched out on my couch, listening to inspirational music. Even if I hadn't been a believer, I would have found comfort in the songs. Their gentle tones wrapped around my deepest emotions, calming my spirit and offering hope with each measure. Finding solace in music is not new. In the Old Testament, David played his harp to help King Saul escape his demons. Historians say that Alexander the Great was restored to sanity by the music of a lyre. Today, science continues to evaluate the restorative powers of music.
Dr. Raymond Bahr of St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore has said that having patients in the critical-care unit listen to a half-hour of music through headphones had the same calming effect as 10 milligrams of Valium.
Premature babies who were exposed to music appeared calmer, used oxygen more efficiently, gained weight quicker and spent less time in the hospital, according to a study by Jayne Standley, a professor of music therapy at Florida State University, published in the Journal of Music Therapy in 1986. In fact, some who listened to music were discharged as much as 11 days earlier than those who didn't.
Susan Hallam, a doctoral member of the Department of Psychology and Special Education at the Institute of London, concluded in a 2001 study that music helps sufferers of chronic conditions manage their pain and that it can reduce anger, anxiety and depression.
I was born into a musical family, and I learned to play piano at an early age. Through the years, I've played for choirs, weddings, parties, funerals. And on dismal days, I've sat at the piano and played away my blues. Without question, the sound of music always brings a certain comfort and stability to my world.
Thoreau wrote: "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe." As for me, I can't imagine a world without it. Like food to the body, music feeds my soul.
____________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2006 Cheri Fuller, http://www.cherifuller.com - All rights reserved - Used by permission
out for errands. Then search out the answer together. You'll be giving your child a powerful demonstration of how to conduct an inquiry and it will only cost a few pennies for the cards!
curiosity!
What is going on? Two things are working together to make this happen. The first is muscle tension. If you tense a muscle until it gets tired, it will keep some of that tension even after your brain stops sending it a signal to push. You can try that by making a fist and squeezing it as tight as you can for about a minute. Then if you slowly open your hand, you can feel the muscle tension that is still trying to keep your hand closed.
This muscle tension by itself is not enough to explain what happens to your arms. The other part of the experiment involves suggestion. An important part of this trick is telling the person that is trying it what will happen. Because they are expecting it to happen and they are prepared for it, as soon as they feel the muscle tension lifting their arms, they unconsciously help.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/krampf/messages
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The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was "impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean. "Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out."
That is the work of God in our lives. To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son. Take time to read a portion of God's word each day.
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