The Right Words for Valentines

I wasn't aware until recently how the weather had actually kept many scheduled blood donors away this winter. Those who would normally donate cancelled due to severe weather, ice and snow in the last two months, so it's fitting today's blood drive get the reserves back to where they should be. Would you consider dropping by Mississippi Blood Service's Lakeland Drive location today and donating? Remember, when you donate you'll be entered to win those diamond watches from Carter Jewelers valued at over $3,000, Olga's Fine Dining gift certificates and you could possibly win a car provided by Watson Quality Ford. The Pizza Shack will be offered FREE lunch today and make sure you get your t-shirt signed by Marshall Ramsey while he's there a Noon. Give a gift from your heart today!

As a child, I loathed Valentines Day. Every year, we would decorate a brown lunch bag, tape it to our desk at school, have a party with cupcakes, then deliver paper Valentines to our classmates. Although we were supposed to give everyone a Valentine, somehow I always up short.

One year, a school club sold colored carnations for $2.00 to raise funds. A red carnation meant "I love you", pink meant "I like you", and a white carnation meant "friendship". I watched as several of the prettier and thinner girls in my class walked away with arm loads of carnations from their admirers. Before the day was over, I was given an anonymous red carnation. The utter excitement I felt knowing someone loved me was overwhelming! Was it from the guy I'd had a crush on since Kindergarten? Maybe it was a guy in the class ahead of me? While leaving that afternoon with my carnation in had, a classmate said, "I see you got a red carnation. I bet it is from your mother." I felt like I had been hit in the stomach with a bowling ball. Not that I didn't love my mother, but I really wanted the carnation to be from a boy and not my momma. I never really cared for Valentines after that experience in fifth grade as it was obvious my classmate didn't think I deserved a carnation from someone other than a relative.

We are careful to teach our children not to run with sharp objects and not to hand scissors to someone with the blades facing them. Sharp words hurt, too.

Proverbs 15:4 says, "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life.." Are you guilty of using your tongue to cut, wound or criticize? Others may see you as someone who spews words laden with blades instead of words of healing and encouragement. Go about your week speaking words of love, hope and faith to those who have been cut too often by the carelessness of others.