Happy Celibacy Day!

I have a date tonight with a nice Jewish boy. "So tell me about him," you might say. "What is your beloved more than another beloved?" (Song 5:9).

Well, for starters, He has eyes like fire and hair like a raven. He's never seemed attractive to the world, but to me His beauty is matchless. This Man loved me and washed me from my sins in His own blood. He did this when I hated Him and did not know Him—plucked me out of the mud, purified me and dressed me in the finest clothes, made me a king and a priest. "Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend" (Song 5:16).

It would be easy to spend the day feeling left out of all the Valentine's Day ridiculousness. But why waste the time? I would prefer to meditate on unsurpassed love today. So I'll be spending the evening of Valentine's Day in the prayer room thinking about this:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6–8)

[Jesus speaking to the Church] O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners! Turn your eyes away from me, for they have overcome me. (Song 6:4–5)

P.S. Major, major props to my family for the care package. What an awesome surprise. I just want to declare to the world right now that I have the BEST. FAMILY. EVER.

EDIT NOTE: I just received a breathtakingly beautiful vase of flowers from my dad. As usual around IHOP, there were some delivery problems. The front desk person didn't know who I was or where the FMG office is...she started asking the people in the lobby if they knew my name. Thankfully, one of my coworkers walked through the lobby at that exact moment, said, "I know her!!", and took the flowers straight to me. They're absolutely gorgeous; I will have to post a picture later. After I stop crying. *watery-eyed grin* Again: BEST. FAMILY. EVER.