Nothing says love like....

"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." John 13:35 (MSG)

It's always fun to hear how other families celebrate Valentines Day. Everyone has their own way to express love to one another whether it be through gifts, flowers, cards with written expressions of love, or as in my case FOOD ! Nothing says I love you like cooking for those you love. I absolutely adore it. The Perrys have actually celebrated two nights straight this week and I'm happy to share some highlights with you.

Monday night we made reservations to participate in our local Chick Fil A's family Valentine dinner. It was a huge hit with the kiddos. We enjoyed tableside service by candlelight complete with a visit from Whiskers the clown and an ice cream sundae buffet at the end. It truly was a "sweet" experience.

Tuesday night we dined together at home for our traditional candlelight dinner. This year was a little different in the fact that we had to be out of the house by 5:30 for my daughter's karate class so instead of our usual menu of grilled steak with all the fixins...we opted for a quick dinner of pancakes and sausage. In the end, it wasn't so much what we ate together, it was the time together that counted. My Valentine treated me with a sweet card and small box of my favorite candy. My gift to him, well maybe not so much romantic as it was a testimony of our quirkiness after 19+ years of marriage. Yes honey, you really did "sweep" me off my feet. (and Yes I really DID buy him a dust mop for his shop.)

Finally, I spent some time baking some special cookies for a few of my other valentines. My Grandma Brooks passed down this cherished recipe to me for "Horseshoe Cookies" which was always a part of celebrating Christmas with her in Virginia. I decided to give it a Valentines spin and make the cookies into hearts. Everytime I bake these cookies, I cherish the time I had with her.

So I come back to the verse above, how will the world know that we are His ? By our love for one another. In a very simple way, it is my hope that ALL my Valentines could sense that with every single bite.