Well it is officially "love day" or better known as Valentine's Day. It appears our culture is obsessed with being in love or at least having the appearance of being in love. I see this phenominon in Parker's (our 18 yr-old son) high school. If you want t o see an obsession for being in love just go to your local high school and spend some time observing. Both girls and guys value themselves based on whether they have a boyfriend or girlfriend. It concerns me deeply to watch them place their personal value in the hands of a hormone crazed, Red Bull drinking teenager. Many of these kids don't even know which way is up at this time in their life. As I told Parker; "I get it -I've been there. I survived it (barely)!" Well why wouldn’t these kids be hungry for attention and affirmation. Families are broken. Parents are so busy working to put food on the table they don't have the time or energy to put in their kids. First television and now computers have replaced active parenting. It is heart breaking.

Love is a natural human need. Being valued by another person is essential to every person at the deepest level of our soul. God created us this way. I know that would shock most teenagers to hear. "Why would God make us that way??!!!" He made us that way so we would long for, desire, strive for a relationship with Him, our heavenly Father. If we didn't need this love we would not desire it from Him. Unfortunately our culture has wandered so far away from God that they are actually looking to one another to fulfill that need. And it is starting at a VERY early age. I'll share my recent experience of shock and awe in this area.

I was filling in for the music teacher at the grade school last week. What a joy it was to share the music of the different countries I have been able to travel to! I had a 1st grade class come in. They were precious! As I was sharing with them I noticed this little boy and little girl sitting beside each other and kind of leaning in to each other. I thought to myself "oh that is sweet. They must be great friends". (I remember in 1st grade, boys were "yucky" and they carried a vast variety of "cooties") However, a few short minutes later I looked down to see these "cute friends" holding hands under their chairs. I was flabbergasted! Knocked over! Absolutely floored! I immediately took action and stopped class to tell them to "STOP HOLDING HANDS. That IS NOT appropriate to do in this class!!!!!" My heart was racing, my palms sweating, and my mouth bone dry! After this precious little class left, I sat down and found myself saddened by this turn of events. Children, younger and younger, are searching for a partner, searching for that affirmation from another. The only way any one of us will ever feel truly affirmed, is from the One who created us. The One who loves us so much He sacrificed His son that we would be reconciled with Him for eternity. God specifically made that hole, or need in our heart for His amazing love, one size. There is no one on this earth who can fit perfectly into that hole. It is not a one size fits all sort of deal. That special place was made for, and reserved for our Savior, our Lord, Jesus. Once we allow Jesus to fill that place, we begin to comprehend the true meaning of love. That love is demonstrated in 1 John 4:7-10 (The Message)

"My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God."

Have a very blessed LOVE DAY and may the love of the Savior envelope you today and always!!