Valentine's Day

So I did something a little different this Valentine's Day for Joey, which we actually celebrated on Monday afternoon instead of Sunday. I got this wonderful idea from my friend Monica. She did this a while back for her husband and it proved successful.

I asked 7 of Joey's friends to write a few sentences or a small paragraph on how he has displayed a certain fruit of the spirit in his life and in their relationship. I assigned each of them a random fruit of the spirit and hoped that everyone would participate. I wanted to write on love and faithfulness. As everyone sent me their's back, I printed each one out and put them into separate envelopes.

The same day I received two back and within a few days all of his friends had responded. Throughout the day on Monday I would give him an envelope to open. At first he said this was embarrassing. He doesn't like people doting on him and him being the center of attention. But as the day went on he found himself asking, "So when do I get to open another one?" It was fun seeing the excitement on his face when he read what other's had said and then to see who it was from. I had asked friends from high school to present day friends, including his boss.

I wanted this to be a source of encouragement for him. It was a reminder to me also that I needed to be more forthcoming in my encouragement and praise of others and not always wait for special moments. People like to hear that they are special and it could very well brighten someone's discouraging day to hear someone speak blessings to them, either in person, over the phone, or in a card.

Here is what some of Joey's friends had to say:

"Joey, you truly are a peacemaker. I appreciate your heart for unity without sacrificing truth. I have never known someone easier to get along with and harder to offend than you and this brings a spirit of peace to every situation you are in. I believe that the reason for this is that you are more concerned about others than yourself. I appreciate this quality in your life. I miss you man."

"Vines dictionary has one and a half pages for good and goodness. The phrase that I found that I think sums it up best is," True goodness can only flow out of a life right with God and yielded to Him." That is Joey. He has a heart for God and it shows. I know that he truly cares for my family, praying for us and being one of the few friends I have here in Texas. If I ever needed him for something I know he would do his best to help me."

"Joey is often kind, doing things for others. There are lots of examples of this in his life. The family that was helped at Christmas is one. The way he's always ready to serve Bonnie (Pregnancy Resource Center director) is another. I'm sure there are many things he does in his day to day life that we don't know about. It's his way of being kind. One way that stands out the most is Joey's compassionate attitude towards the unborn, children, and big families. Joey doesn't just talk the talk, he walks it when it comes to these folks. He will always go the extra mile when it comes to being kind to them or advocating for them. Babies, children, and big families will always have a friend in Joey."

I did not post them all, but everyone's comments were sweet and touched him deeply. Try this idea sometime for your husband. If not for Valentine's Day, maybe for his birthday. I know it will encourage him.