I’m not a huge Valentines day person. But I do love chocolate, and I do love having a reason to celebrate. So yes, David and I celebrated today. But heavy on my heart was the idea that for such a long time this day was a reason to be sad. To feel unworthy. To know that I wasn’t good enough. Which reminded me of this picture…

I took the above image last year for an advanced photo class. The series of images is one that I probably won’t share here, but they revolved around the theme compulsive. As women, we have super high standards for ourselves. We’ve all heard it a million times. We say its the culture that promotes unrealistic ideas of beauty, presents ideals that we’ll never be able to obtain. We blame it on the media, on Hollywood, and even the other women around us. But we often forget that we are our own worst critic. We hold ourselves to a standard that is impossible to reach and we judge ourselves harshly when we fail. We obsess.

Today, please choose to believe that you are enough. Because the God who hung the stars created you. Read Psalm 139…and then challenge yourself to take it as truth.

Psalm 139:14 – I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

Let yourself believe in a different kind of love. One that’s not measured in chocolate or flowers or teddy bears or hallmarks. A love that can’t be compared; a love that never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 

Today, I’m thankful for my valentine, who reminds me every day just how very much I am loved. Not only by him. But by the One that made me to know Him. The King who thought I was worth dying for. The God who loves you too.