Happy Valentine's Day!

Alan has always been so wonderful about sending me flowers on special days or "just because", this Valentine's Day was no exception. But I messed up his plans this time-twice. He ordered the flowers a couple of weeks in advance. Early last week, I asked if he had done anything for Valentine's Day, "Not yet" he lies (he's all about surprises on holidays). So I tell him not worry about sending me flowers, that I'd rather he get me some pansies to set out, something that will last longer. Then Thurs. & Fri. I stay home sick with a cold/sinus/aching something or other. He leaves the house Friday morning to try to catch the flowers before they're delivered to school, but they've already been delivered & returned, so he brings them home. At this point, his presentation could have still been saved, but I was knocked out with medication and hardly knew he was home. Poor thing, he just puts them on top of the refrigerator (out of cat's reach!) and goes to Mama & Daddy's to work at the shop. So he misses the smile when I get up some time later and see the flowers. They're still just a pretty and meant just as much, but his best laid plans were messed up.

How often do we "mess up" God's plans for us like this? We take a wrong turn, make plans to suit "our" will not His Will. He often turns still uses us, turns our mistakes into something good, but how much better it would have been if we had listened to Him & followed His path for us from the beginning!

We had a beautiful Baptist Women's Day service at church today. Rev. Mari Wiles, the Campus Minister from Chowan University brought the message. Several ladies and three of our teenage girls took part in the service. Mari shared from her mission trips to Burma/Thailand and to Africa twice, were she & her students worked with orphans. Very touching and inspiring. She asked us to pray for Burmese Christian refugees in refugee camps in Thailand, and the children at the orphanage in Africa, and especially Sarah, a one year old girl (not an orphan) they helped get medical help for while there. Students from Chowan will be going on mission trips to Asheville over spring break to work with the Slavic community, and to St. Louis to help with at a camp during the summer. Please pray for them also.

Tomorrow starts "Random Acts of Kindness Week". Look for unexpected ways we can brighten someone's day, this week and everyday. Let's continue sharing love past Valentine's Day.