Intentional Living

For the love of wine and chocolate??????

Roses, chocolate, wine, gourmet meals, and romance galore. This is the picture of all the Valentine’s advertising we see. Restaurants try to lure us in with endless menu options, florists with rose specials that can’t be beat, and all other vendors marketing us new jewelry, wine baskets, and more.

I have been happily married for over 23 years and with the love of my life for going on being together for almost 30 years. I have enjoyed a memorable Valentine’s Day at a local venue and received a big bouquet of flowers a time or two. However, I soon realized that for us it wasn’t the chocolate, nor the meal, nor flowers, or the piece of jewelry. 

I am such a simple girl at heart. I love flowers but those that I plant and nurture myself best. I love food, gourmet and chocolates, but those I make myself are most enjoyed. Oh and I love a glass of good red wine but have no desire to be a winemaker. Ultimately I most enjoy TIME with the one I love.

Extravagance doesn’t make your love better or stronger. Doing all of the marketed Valentine’s day events/traditions doesn’t make it any more enjoyable…sometimes it makes it more stressful! Making sure you get the biggest and best bouquet over what your co-workers ordered, the best table at the restaurant with the greatest view or making sure you order the gourmet chocolates so that they arrive in time…exhausting to say the least.

As we mark this Valentine’s day on the calendar, I encourage you to celebrate the love of your life everyday, not just today. Celebrate the small and simple things…a hot dog cooked over the campfire, making a meal together while remembering treasured times or talking, leaving a love note in the sock drawer or a walk in nature to pick a wild flower bouquet.

God calls us to love our significant other with all our being…he doesn’t call us to be extravagant.

Contributed by Jessica Clemens

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