Happy Valentine's Day and So Much More!

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends! This was how we started our day today...Mommie said this is a Great Blue Heron, and he came to say good morning to us from Still Waters Pond. Isn't he so beautiful?

Mommie said he is another of God's wonderful creation, and we are so blessed to be able to see him fly in and out here at our pond.

Today being Valentine's Day, Mommie and Daddy and our family and some friends went out to lunch after church.  I didn't go with them, but Mommie shared these pictures with me when she came home.

This is my Mommie and Daddy.  I said to Mommie that it looks like she has horns growing on top of her head. She thought that was pretty funny. She explained that they are horns from a bull that are mounted up on the wall.  Oh! That's good. I was getting worried...

Not only were they celebrating Valentine's Day, but they were also celebrating Daddy's birthday, which is coming up in a couple of days!!

Here is my big brother Benton and my "Auntie Rose" (or you could say my big sister Rose, but I like to call her Auntie Rose).

And my big brother Scotty got to join us too. He had to work early this morning, but he was able to get there in time for lunch!

And oh guess what! My Auntie Pamela also joined us to celebrate, 'cause Mommie said that her birthday is also in a couple of days, on the same day as my Daddy's birthday!! Isn't that amazing? I asked Mommie if they were twins like me and my cousin Tracie, but she said no. They weren't born in the same year, just on the same day in February. But they are kind of like twins..."birthday twins". That made the day extra special.  Mommie said there were more people there too, but she didn't know if she should share everyone's pictures without asking first, but they were all very special friends.

OH, my big brother Scotty likes to makes things from paper straw wrappers.  This is his Straw Wrapper Guitar Player.  He also made a Ninja and a moose, but Mommie forgot to take pictures of those. He likes to make all kinds of interesting things from paper and candy wrappers. Mommie said sometime she will have to show me some pictures of the things he has made because they are so special. I said I'd really like that. My brothers are so smart and talented!

And guess what else?  When Mommie came home from lunch, she had this special gift for me from Auntie Pamela!  She made me this bea-u-ti-ful TEAL Rain Poncho! Isn't it wonderful? And it has a little heart on it for Valentine's Day!!

And it just so happened to be raining, so Mommie took me outside to see how it worked in the rain.

I said it works just fine! I didn't get wet at all!! Thank you, Auntie Pamela!

After a while my big brother Benton came over to watch the Daytona Race on TV with my Daddy. I showed my brother my new t-shirt that says, "I'm Mom's Favorite!"  He said he'd have to remember to wear HIS t-shirt that says the same thing, and then we'd see who is Mom's REAL favorite! Ha Ha. My brother Scotty has one too...so Mommie will just have to make up her mind who is her real favorite!

(Mommie said she really doesn't have a favorite...she loves ALL of her children equally! Just like God loves everyone equally too!)

It was fun to watch the cars go round and round the race track.  

But then something really sad and bad happened...there was a great big wreck and a bunch of cars got run off the track and got all smashed up.  That was so scary!

I hope no one was hurt.  And then not long after that a big raincloud rolled in and lightning flashed and they had to call off the race for a while. We stopped watching then so I don't know if they ever finished the race or not.  I just hope and pray no one was hurt.

It rained a lot this afternoon, and Mommie said there were even some tornado warnings, but none came to our house, thank You, Jesus!! And so after while when it was safe to go, Mommie and Daddy took me for a walk.  We decided to try out my new rain poncho . Hey looky! My poncho matches Mommie's jacket almost!! We both like the color TEAL!!!

I wanted to go see my pretty white blossoms on the wild plum tree, and would you look at this?

They aren't white anymore?  They all turned pink for Valentine's Day!

And looky at the raindrops on the flowers...they sparkled like diamonds, but you can't see it all that well in these pictures.

I just thought they were SO pretty. Mommie said the flowers are changing because they will soon develop into little tiny wild plums. She said we will check them every time we go there and see how they are changing.  

I think that is exciting!! God sure made these trees and flowers and plums very special, didn't He?

Oh, and then we looked at a couple of little pine trees.  The water droplets on the pine needles also sparkled like diamonds.

I just loved them SO much!!

After we came home from our walk we got to see the prettiest sunset:

Mommie said the sunsets change moment by moment, and you have to keep watching them to the end.

She said this is God's way of setting a "grand finale" in the skies for us to enjoy in the evening.

I didn't know what a "grand finale" was, but she said it's is like saving the very best for last!

God loves to bless us with His masterpieces to remind us that He is still there for us, showing us His glory in the skies to let us know He loves us and will never forget us.

Oh, that reminds me...or, well, it reminded Mommie of something she wanted to share with you.

Here is the sermon from church this morning, and if you start it in the beginning you can hear the choir singing a very nice song called

"I Will Be With You" 

Song: I Will Be With You

When you pass through the water, when you walk through the fire,

When the rivers overflow, I will be with you.

When you walk through the desert, when you’re caught in the storm

When you lose your way, I will be with you.

When you can’t find the answer, when you’re filled with despair

When you stumble and fall, I will be with you.

When you’re tired from the struggle, when you’re weak from the pain,

Lean on me. I will be with you!

For I have called you by name, you’ve heard the echo of my voice

Whisper “I love you, you are mine.”

For you are precious in my sight, and I will guide you through the night

When you walk, walk by faith, and I will be with you.

In your joy, and in your pain, if you call out my name, I will be with you.

When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

Have no fear, I will be with you!

For I have called you by name, you’ve heard the echo of my voice

Whisper, “I love you, you are mine.”

And you are precious in my sight, and I will guide you through the night

Through the storm, through the rain,

Through the joy, through the pain

When you walk, walk by faith, and I will be with you.

I will be with you, I will be with you

I will be with you, I will be with you.

We hope you will enjoy the message of the song.  Sometimes the singing isn't "perfect", but the message this song conveys is very comforting.  And the sermon was also wonderful...from the book of James 2:14-26.

We hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day today. 

Remember that Jesus loves you always!!!

And He will always be with you!