My Secret Valentine

Happy Monday! Thanks for being with us as we co-host for Make A Difference Monday, a place to get intentional about starting our week focused on the positive and dream up ways we can make a difference in the world. Today Julie's talking about an idea we are SO excited about -- a secret Valentine! 
 
The internet is full of ideas on what to do for Valentine's Day this year: From "5 Expensive Date Ideas" (who does that appeal to?!) to "20 Free Things to Do on Valentine's Day," there are tons of articles, all geared to making Valentine's Day special for couples. I even saw an article (did you see the Super Bowl ad?) about how McDonald's is accepting hugs as payment through Valentine's Day!

But while it is fun to celebrate Valentine's Day with those we love, Kendra, Kristin, and I wondered aloud over  a cup of of coffee on a blustery January afternoon whether Valentine's Day might be the perfect time to think of others outside of our normal circles. What if we used this Hallmark holiday to be someone's unexpected Secret Valentine?  

Who in your life needs a little (secret) encouragement this Valentine's Day?

Suggestions of people around you who may need a little extra love this Valentine's Day:

• The single mom who works at your office.
• The elderly neighbor across the street.
• Your child's teacher, para, or coach.
• A person you know who is facing an illness or tough diagnosis.
• Your parents.
• Your children.
• The barista that greets you by name at Caribou.
• The employee bundled up against the cold, rounding up carts at Target. 
• A friend or relative you see infrequently.
• A woman whose husband is currently serving abroad in the armed forces.
• The nursing staff at your local emergency room or NICU.
• Your local police department.
• Wait staff working at restaurants during the busy Valentine's Day rush.

Suggestions of things to do:

• Send flowers.
• Send an encouraging note (even a text message is nice!).
• Drop off chocolates.
• Bake homemade goodies.
• Offer to babysit their kids for an hour or two.
• Give them a gift card to the movies.
• Drop off a meal.
• Send a pizza via delivery.
• Write a personalized note of thanks and/or encouragement.
• Leave an extra-large tip.

So tell us -- who will your secret Valentine be? We'd love for you to share your ideas with us!

Are you looking for more resources on kindness and friendship? Have you read our books? 

Our newest book, the 100 Daily Acts of Friendship for Girls is written specifically for girls aged 8-12 as they navigate friendships in upper elementary and middle school. With a scripture, short story, reflection questions and 50 fun activities to do with you or friends, it's a wonderful way to encourage your daughter, niece, granddaughter, God daughter and her friends to build healthy friendships from an early age.

And our adult friendship devotional, The One Year Daily Acts of Friendship is a perfect compliment to our book for tweens.

We've also written two kindness devotionals, The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional and 100 Days of Kindness. They tell the story of how our families embarked on a one-year journey of kindness, and include our successes, failures, and the encouragement you need as a family to incorporate kindness into your own life.

We would love to walk alongside you in encouragement, inspiration, and community. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram as The Ruth Experience or sign up for our monthly newsletter (no spam, ever), here.

If you already have one of our books and love them, we'd so appreciate it if you leave a review on Amazon. God redeemed it all in the most incredible ways. 

Julie, Kendra, and Kristin

Make A Difference Mondays is a weekly linkup designed to encourage and inspire us to live each day on purpose—making a meaningful difference in someone’s life in even the smallest of ways. Five women regularly co-host this link-up. Read on to learn more about the vision, mission, and how to link up!
 
Mission: Our mission is to provide a consistent gathering place for like-minded women to build online connections, share inspiration, and provide mutual encouragement and accountability as we seek to live intentionally and make a difference in the lives of those around us.

Vision: Every Monday we invite bloggers to link up any blog posts that encourage women to live life on purpose, including testimonies or goals from your own life, small acts of kindness or service, creative tips or ideas for showing consideration to others — the possibilities are endless. Our objective is to use our God-given time and resources to his glory! 

Also, just a heads-up: the Make A Difference Mondays team has created a Facebook community group to stay in touch beyond the blog posts AND we also have a new #MADMlinkup group Pinterest board: Make A Difference Mondays Pinterest Board.




   

    An InLinkz Link-up