my best valentine's present

dear emily,

you are not going to believe what i got for valentine's day!

hans sat our youngest daughters down and told them a story
about  a family he had watched on TV.  the family kept
getting sick, but they could not  diagnose the illness.  while
the older children and parents' immune systems could fight
off the assault, their little two year old sister became weaker,
eventually needing an oxygen mask to breathe.

it turns out their home was emitting a poisonous gas that
most of them could fight off, but which the youngest was
just more vulnerable to.  once they opened all the windows
and fixed the gas leak, she recovered beautifully.

hans went on to say that life is full of negative, destructive,
and often invisible forces that come against us continuously.
the lies include "you're fat, you're dumb, you could never do
that..." many of the deceptions are insidious and sneak up on
us when we are most vulnerable.

some of us are naturally optimistic and more immune to those
lies, but others are especially susceptible.  he told them that it
was important that they recognize a lie when they hear it and
to not 'breathe' it in.

instead, hold fast the truth, and surround themselves with
positive, good influences to counteract the negative ones.
moreover, the stronger ones need to help the weaker with
occasional 'oxygen masks.'

spending their time with wholesome, encouraging friends,
reading their bible, listening to "whatever is good, noble, and
pure" will build them up.  (phil. 4:8)  it will also protect them.

so what is my unbelievable present?  a husband whose heart
is completely given to us, protecting us, and continuously
encouraging us.

love,
lea

ps....and a teeny, tiny porcelain vase of red roses!