More than just Valentine's Day to me...

Today is Valentine's Day.  A day to celebrate love.  I am blessed to have an amazing husband who treats me like a queen.  I have amazing kids who never fail to show me they love me.  I have loving friends who support me while holding me accountable.  And I have parents who show me unconditional love.  As an adopted child, I'm lucky to have not only my Mom and Dad (pictured above!), my wonderful Mother-in-law and Father-in-law, but I also have my birth parents too!  So I have LOTS of parental guidance, which makes me extra lucky!  :-)  

The reason Valentine's Day is extra special to me is because that is the day I was adopted by my Mom and Dad.  That was the day the foster family handed me over to my parents so they could love me and guide me through my life.  That was the day we became a family.  I am always amazed at the love given by adopted parents.  Their love for me was no accident.  It was planned and deliberate.  They CHOSE to bring me into their lives, forever being there to guide me and love me.  I'm sure there were a few days during my rebellious teenage years that they might have been tempted to look for the "return" clause in my adoption papers... LOL.... but they didn't.  They took me with all my good and bad.  They raised me right.  They taught me to be kind.  They taught me to be respectful.  And they taught me to love Jesus.  For all they have given me, I will be forever grateful. 

Adoption is a loving choice by all involved.  The love that my birth parents showed, by knowing they were too young to be able to give me the stable life I needed and allowing me to be raised by another couple is too precious to wrap my brain around sometimes.   For that, I will be forever grateful as well.  And then, to open their hearts to me YEARS later when I reached out to them for answers is also something I treasure everyday as well!   How lucky am I???   Seriously???  

I have a lot of LOVE in my life and I'm glad that I can remind myself on this Valentine's Day that today is not just about celebrating the love between a man and a woman, but about ALL the love that surrounds me on this day.  I hope you all will look around at the love that is in your life today.  Maybe you don't have a "sweetheart" to share a romantic dinner with, or give chocolates and flowers to.  But I'll bet if you look around you, there IS love in your life.  Love that you can treasure each day.  I know ONE person that loves you unconditionally.  That is Jesus.  He is the one true great love for each of us.

So to all my "loves"... family & friends....thank you for loving me!  Thank you for being a part of my life!  And thank you for each of the special blessings to bring into my world....

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!! 

Aunt Cathie, Robert Plant, Michelle’s Angels Foundation, and Crosspoint in India

Before I get into my above topics, I wanted to share something I read during my morning prayer time/bible study this morning.  It came from a book called “In God’s Care” which my birth Mom accidentally left at my house last time she was visiting me from Oklahoma.  (Thanks Mom!) It was thought provoking…..

“Our search for enlightenment & fulfillment, noble as it may seem, might actually come down to one thing – self-centeredness. It’s all well and good to seek spiritual truths, but many are looking in the wrong places.  Do we know someone who could use a helping hand?  Is a friend in trouble?  Are we doing something to brighten someone’s day?  -- Our faith is empty if we put concern for our own soul before the needs of another. When we overlook what we can do for our fellow travelers, we are missing the whole point.  If we are busy being helpful, we don’t need to worry about searching for God.”

Very interesting indeed!  Any thoughts? --ok, now on to updates from last week:

Aunt Cathie:  My sweet Aunt Cathie Ramirez passed away last week.  She was about to celebrate her 90^th birthday.  I spent many Christmas’ at her home in Madison, WI, as well as summer vacations at her cabin in upper Wisconsin.  She was a big part of my life as a young girl and definitely made a huge impact in my life.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the trip to Oklahoma for her funeral, but my birth mother, Valorie got to attend and used her I-PHONE to record the beautiful ceremony so I could hear it!  Isn’t technology amazing!  She also texted me pictures while she was there so I could be a part of the ceremony from miles away!  Thanks Mom!   To read my precious Aunt Cathie’s online obituary, go here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/oklahoman/obituary.aspx?n=mary-ramirez&pid=148348071&fhid=4441  She was an amazing lady and will be missed by all who knew her!

Robert Plant and Band of Joy: WOW!  Got to see this amazing show last Wed. night at War Memorial auditorium in Nashville.  This band consists of Marco Giovino, Bryron House, Buddy Miller, Darrell Scott and Patty Griffin.  If this band comes to your area, do yourself a FAVOR and GO!! 

Michelle’s Angels Foundation:  I was honored to be a small part of a benefit for the Michelle’s Angels’ Foundation at the Bluebird Café this past Thursday night.  Those people are truly doing some great work with their organization, helping so many who are battling cancer.   You can check out their website at: http://www.michellesangels.com 

Crosspoint India:  A group of good folks with servant’s hearts from my church are over in India with Pastor Pete Wilson right now.  They are doing amazing things over there to help spread the word of Jesus and make a difference in the lives of so many who have so little.  Check out Pete’s blog for updates on them: www.withoutwax.tv  And please join me in praying for them while they are there.  They have so many obstacles to overcome, yet they are determined to be a light to those who need it!  So proud of them!!

Who’s ready for spring???  ME!   … and that says A LOT considering I’m a “winter” girl!

Have a great week friends!

M

Django loves a good blow-dry