And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

 Matthew 2:11 

For Valentine’s day this year, think of gifts that you can give that show your love to those around you. Here are some quick ideas to get you started.

Let the love of Christ shine through you!

1. Give handmade gifts to members of your family. Use your creativity to make each gift specific to the recipient’s hobbies, interests, or character traits.
   
2. Deliver a home-cooked meal to an elderly couple or individual in your neighborhood.   Decorate the packaging with hearts and flowers, and slip in a scripture verse about God’s love.
3. Gather your whole family and go to your local homeless shelter to serve meals.
4. Take your kids to the store and allow them to pick out a gift they would like to donate to a shelter.    Have them make a handmade Valentine’s card to be delivered along with the gift.
   
5. Offer to take your elderly family members or neighbors to do their grocery shopping. Or if they can’t leave their homes, offer to do the shopping for them.   Slip a “love note” in with their groceries.
6. If someone close to you is involved with a charity, make a donation in that person’s honor, or ask them how you and your family can donate some time. Let them know that their generosity has been an inspiration to you.
   
7. Invite a person who has no children to a special Valentine’s Day dinner, complete with handmade cards from your children.
   
8. Help your children make a permanent reminder of God’s love for their rooms.   One idea is to make a big heart and write in scripture versus about love in decorative writing, cover with contact paper or laminate it to keep it nice for many years.
   
9. Spend time with each of your family members individually. Let that person choose how they want to spend your time together.
   
10. Call an old friend you haven’t spoken to in years.
    
11. Send an anonymous gift to a friend who is facing hard times.
12. Write a personal thank you note to each person who gives you a gift. Let them know how much you love and appreciate them.
    
13. Write each member of your family a “Love Note.” Slip them in their books or bags or lunch.   Even very young children appreciate a homemade card from Mom. 

14.  Give your friends and family members a devotional or Christian book that would be applicable to their lives.

15.  Give a hug to those you love. Let them know that you consider them to be a gift from God.

16.  Offer to babysit for a couple who may enjoy a special night out together, or offer to help with a single mother’s children so that she can have time to take care of herself.

“And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
I Corinthians 13:13