Dinner Out For Valentine's Day

A few years ago, *OUR STATE* magazine wrote an article on a little soda shop in a nearby town. On a typical day this soda shop (that use to be a drugstore) sells ice cream, banana splits, hamburgers and typical soda shop foods. But every year for Valentine's Day they take reservations and open the upstairs for a sweet meal. (Yummy steak and other choices)

Thus began a tradition.

Pictures to follow...

Must go powder my nose!

ONE WORD 2010

I've been thinking since I read Shawni's post HERE(one of my very favorite blogs by the way)about what my WORD for 2010 would be. Words come easy for me. I talk a lot and the written word is one of my favorites. I love to read and I love to write. But to choose ONE WORD out of all of them was more difficult than I imagined.

Because my focus this year is on one particular thing, my word has been chosen. It is

RECOGNIZE.

I want to *recognize* a need and act on it.

I see the BIG PICTURE...ALWAYS. I don't read between the lines EVER. You have to knock me over to let me know you don't like me or you are saying something that should hurt my feelings. You may tell me something and ASSUME I understand and get it....most of the time I don't. If you tell me "My brother and I didn't say much to each other at Christmas", I don't read into that that there is a problem. I just assume you didn't have much of a chance to talk, or I don't assume anything...I just figure you didn't say much to each other.

Call me SHALLOW.

Anyhoo, back to my word.

I want to RECOGNIZE a need

AND

I want to act on that need.

That may mean I pray for you. It may mean I make you a meal or buy a gift for your child. It may mean I send you a card or I donate in your honor. It may mean I give a bag of food to the needy or give words of wisdom to a young mom.

I WANT it to mean that Jesus has given me discernment so that I can bless others because of HIM.

Because it is not natural for me to RECOGNIZE a need, I am asking HIM to show me the needs of others. I have been given the desires of my heart...I want to share that with others.

RECOGNIZE.

You may not recognize me when I begin reading between the lines.

I hope not.

Lord, that I may RECOGNIZE the needs of your people is my request for 2010.

(Oh, and the desire of my heart?
Them.
RECOGNIZING YOU.
Thank YOU for that.)