So loved... a Valentine not to be forgotten

Roses, chocolates & teddy bears were all over the place today. I hope I will never get sucked into the whole "once-a-year affair" where couples supposedly show their love to each other through gifts that quadrupled in price overnight (put simply: $ --> $$$$), and some even feel obliged to utter that 3 words without even truly meaning it.

Today is the first time I felt "alive" again, since arriving back in Sydney from Malaysia. While the couples in church sat down for a lovely 3-course dinner & listened to a great talk on relationship/marriage, the singles cooked, served, cleaned & mind the kids.

I still can't get over the loving welcome & the many, many 'bear hugs' from my church family. I felt slightly uneasy when people stopped their conversations to tell me how much they've missed me, and got up from their seats to give me a hug! I have a great inability to handle attention, it makes me want to put my head in a shell (like a tortoise). But, it isn't so much the words or the action... it is the sincerity and the love they poured out on me!

As to why I feel "alive"... Niki & I played with the kids all night and I really couldn't think of a better way to spend valentines. As the night goes on, I finally feel like I am back where I belong! 'Hasta la vista' to my homesick feeling of Malaysia. These kids were a handful but I loved every second of it, and it just feels so natural playing, reading, painting & just making sure they treat each other well.

The English language simply uses the one word "love" for many things. The Greeks on the other hand, are brilliant! 'Agape', 'Philia'... is how I would describe my Valentines.