Last year I wrote a post about Making Love. The title alone caused many of my Grandparent demographic to “unlike” me. So this year I think the only group that will be annoyed with my day-o-valentine’s post are those who don’t like to laugh and those who don’t like free things.
If that’s you, feel free to hit the X in the upper right hand corner of your screen.
We know this day can end in fights between couples who had different expectations (one guy I know said, “Is it really a holiday?”) and many single friends of mine like to say they “hate the day” and dress in black and scowl at anyone holding hands.
I get it.
Married or single, we all have our disappointing days and our lonely days- so why celebrate a day that might increase the chances? Because ultimately the day ends up being a matter of perspective and choice. So before cynicism or disappointment sets in, I decided to try and bring some smiles to our faces by creating some “less than cute” Valentine’s Day cards!
Thanks for not taking this holiday, (and life) too seriously along with me.
_________
Caption Winner: Matt Gates
Caption Honorable Mentions
“Your love’s got me lookin’ so crazy right now.” —Adam York
“Joy looks like the type of girl that would agree to a Valentine’s day date, but demand we sit on the same side of the booth.” —John Crist
Caption Winner: Liz Vice
Caption Honorable Mentions
“When you’re engaged to The Lord, He won’t care if chocolates make you fat.” —Annie Bethancourt
“What I really need is a man to buy me some heart-shaped Rolaids.” —Sara Wheland
_________
I had the privilege of reading and endorsing (with full confidence), The Sacred Search, Gary Thomas’ new book. Thanks to the generosity of Cook Publishers, we are giving away TEN copies!
ONE “autographed” copy of The Language of Love and Respect will be sent to you from me personally. I am really good at forging my dad’s signature so it will have a personalized inscription and “signature” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Sort of.)
Love and Respect (Now) is a division of Love and Respect. Please be considerate.
From My Heart
All of the Love and Respect Now Posts…In One Place!
Emerson & Sarah Eggerichs on Marriage, Parenting, Family of Origin, Work & Death
Fighting for Love (and Other Potentially Hazardous Cliches)
So funny! I love your website. And I love to ready, so a book giveaway is great! 🙂
I can never turn down the chance for free books. But that last picture is seriously frightening.
LRN always brings a smile to my face. Thanks for not taking life too seriously!!
too too funny. thanks for the laughs this morning!
Love the last pic! And I’m always in for winning something 🙂
You won Julie!! Be looking for an email from me shortly!
Yeah Julie! Congratulations!
First Card was my favorite!
“ONE “autographed” copy of The Language of Love and Respect will be sent to you from me personally. I am really good at forging my dad’s signature so it will have a personalized inscription and “signature” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Sort of.)” — So you were one of those students too!
Too funny! Love the captions. 🙂
Joy, after seeing these cards I have one question for you…
Where can I find that sweater?
But seriously, thanks for these! Made my morning! 🙂
Loved this!!
Yay giveaways! Yay valentines day! I love books/reading, specially when they be free
I’m so glad other people don’t want to take this day too seriously either. 😉
Really thankful for what you guys are doing to bring encouragement, hope and healthy, God-honoring habits to our generation. 🙂
Erica! You won the copy of my dad’s book with a his forged signature via me. Hope you enjoy. (-:
Looooove these cards! 😀
Love the cards/captions. And I would love one of those giveaways too!
Thanks R.J. Also- you won!! Be looking for an email from me shortly!
I would love to win this book!
You have no idea how happy it makes me to see your posting again since Christmas. Almost as happy as chocolate unicorns galloping through meadows of carmel.
Oh my gosh, these are priceless!
You won! Be looking for an email from us shortly.
I’d love to win either book! Thanks! 🙂
Haha, LOVE the valentines cards!
hahahaha you freaking crack me up! is it too creepy to say i wish we lived closer and knew each other in real life so we could hang out?? well, i went there. no going back now. happy valentine’s day!
Love your since of humor… now pick me
um. epic!
Love the post, Joy. 🙂
Nathan! You won! Be looking for an email from me shortly. Thanks!
Wewt! Free books. What can go wrong?
I love this! I personally thought last years post was great. I shared it with my roommates. Have a happy valentines day!
So funny! I think a giveaway is a great idea. Happy singles’ awareness day! 🙂
I love those! Such creative comments. Especially the eHarmony profile pic. :]
Since I happen to be single this particular Valentine’s Day (and for the past several) I am going to focus on spreading love to friends and family. Although we are called to share our love eash and everyday, why not take this opportunity to make someone in your life feel special, whether it be your husband, mother, brother, or best friend. It a far better way to celebrate this “made up holiday” than to say bah! humbug!
Love your ministry, and your heart!
Thanks Rebecca! You won! Be looking for an email from me shortly.
That last picture just really takes the cake!
I love your sense of humor, Joy! I bet you would make a great best friend!!
Great Photos
Great post, as usual. And awesome pics! 🙂
Excellent way to start the day 🙂
Too funny!
Thanks for the smile Joy! I love that you emphasize our take on this holiday as a choice…. there are a lot of choices in life and sometimes we need to be reminded we have more ability to “do something about it” than we allow ourselves to believe 🙂
Thanks for the ideas for my new e-harmony profile picture! I’ll get right on that.
Haha yes. You’re welcome. Also…YOU WON! Be looking for an email from me shortly.
Love ya, Joy! And kudos to the caption contest winners and honorable mentions.
I *might* have been the wife that started the day in tears and fits … until I went to the grocery store at lunch and saw all of the husbands getting last minute flowers for the other-wives-who-started-their-day-in-tears-and-fits.
Being married does NOT make this day suck any less. But your post today does! 🙂
Wait, what its Valentine’s Day? JK. JK. JK. I am single and I did wear black today but not on purpose. (that is, I didn’t wear black on purpose). YAY GIVEAWAY!
Happy valentine’s day! Yay for free books!
LOL. Awesome! Truly love a woman who can laugh at herself and who can make others laugh.
Funny pics! Thanks for the chance to win!
We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Hilarious Joy! Thanks for the humor! Having the best Valentine’s Day I’ve had in years with my man, as we “let go” of the old and “begin again!”
Happy V-day, Joy : )
Great pictures!
Love the winning captions!
First of all, the cards are hilarious – I love the second one!
Second, I completely agree that today is “a matter of perspective and choice.” You can choose to lament in singleness (and lack of chocolate and roses), or choose to embrace it (and get your own chocolate and roses). Ultimately, it’s a fun day to celebrate all whom we love.
Thanks for the laughs! Keep them coming! I loved the middle one…..
I”m Fine!
“I’m Fine”….one of my FAVORITE phrases 🙂
ME TOO! I laughed so hard. Guess what…you won!! Be looking for an email from me shortly.
So, by “US Citizen” — would this include US citizens who live out of the country for a while? (but I do have a permanent address in the states!)
Hilarious photos!! 🙂
Love the pics! I can so relate—–haha. The Sacred Search has been on my radar the last few weeks and it keeps popping up everywhere I turn. I guess it’s time to read it-even if I don’t win one of the free copies : )
Joy, you’re a real treat.
Thanks for always making us laugh, Joy!
Can’t turn down a chance at free book, and ‘Sacred Search’ looks like such a good read…….fingers crossed(with a little bit of prayer lol….but seriously ) 🙂
LOVED it. Unicorns and chocolate are my favorite combination.
I love giveaways! Best thing about Valentine’s Day! =)
Love it!
Hahah, loved the caption that won!
Love your site Joy!
Haha! Love it! Totally how embraced today!With joy and uniqueness! And with my nephew 😉
A funny take on this Feb 14th!
Wendy! You won the copy of my dad’s book with a his forged signature via me. Hope you enjoy. (-: Be looking for an email from me shortly!
Free books!?! Yes please!
“Thanks for not taking this holiday, (and life) too seriously along with me.”
Such a good reminder.
Let me win. I just had a baby and I am broke.
Would love to win one of these prizes. Thanks.
So awesome!
I came here to see how many comments this got. I counted to 28 before thinking to check for some kind of counter.
Happy Valentines Day, Joy and the rest of L&R.
So funny! Love the pictures!! Thank you for share with us!!
So funny! LOVE THE PICTURES! thank you for share with us!!
Those photos really got the creative juices flowing, after the laughter. Thanks for mentioning me honorably!! And thanks to Miss Trina Lee for the alert 😉 I am wondering what happens if one of the “Anonymousus, Anonymi…” is drawn as a winner. Feel free to substitute my name if you need ;)-
You won! Look for an email from me shortly!
both books sound like good reads!
This post brightened my day and I’d really love to read Gary Thomas’ or Dr. Emerson Eggerichs’ books! 🙂
So glad it made you smile. Guess what else will make you smile?? YOU WON! Be looking for an email from me shortly.
I <3 LR & LRN !
This is absolutely fantastic! Thank you for the laughter, Joy!
Love that you got to eat your weight in chocolate for those fabulous shots 😉 And have seriously loved the thoughts of this blog over the past year or so. It’s been awesome to read and grow because of your insights!
I have so appreciated your commitment to truth. Thank you for the giveaway. This is hilarious.
Thank you Anita! You won! Be looking for an email from me shortly.
My husband and I are watching the dvd’s! 🙂 I would LOVE to add ANYTHING from this ministry to our collection! 🙂 God Bless!!
Haha love the pics!
Hah! I’d love a copy of either book, hope I win!
Funny stuff
Love the pics!
We share the love with our kiddos every other year, this was their year. Dinner and chocolates “)
This is amazing! So glad I found this website!
book, book, book… I want the book 🙂
Chocolate is always a good thing….just not to excess 🙂 Have to say I want your brass unicorn! Love it!
Joy, I can’t believe you’re single. If you lived in the Detroit area I’d totally ask
you out.
Even with all that going on, you are beautiful! And I can always use a good book.
Love this! My daughter recently got me into your blog and on facebook. Your father’s book brought more understanding to me than any marriage book ever has….and I have been married for 27 years and a good marriage…but the book brought revelation and improvement 🙂 And I LOVE that a young woman such as yourself is speaking to the issues you do!!! Good job and keep it up!!!
That time I left Catalyst too early to have a real conversation with Joy. Good thing there’s eternity. Yay, free books!
I love any chance of getting free books!
Haa haa looks like somebody had a little too much fun with a photo shoot. Chocolate has a way of doing that 🙂 Or maybe it was the power of the unicorns….
I just laughed out loud in class at the eharmony profile picture…and snorted.
The Love and Respect book was the beginning to the saving of our marriage. So glad you are bringing this message to the next generation!
pick me. pick me! all those pictures are great! i just love the LRN community!
Love book giveaways!
Lea thinks...
Hilarious. Great way to start the day.
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