My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
VALENTINES, LOVE, AND KINDNESS
Do you remember exchanging Valentines when you were young, choosing a brightly colored card for each classmate? There was something exciting about placing each little card in a heart-shaped envelope or a decorated shoebox. Those shoeboxes, just bursting with cheery cards, provided such a fun read, one that was even better when there was a candy treat attached.
What a sweet, simple concept – saying something kind to others and accepting kindness from others! Fred Rogers famously said, “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind.”
Color Your Own Valentines are brand-new printables for our Littles. Why not print them out, tap into your creative side, color the Valentines, and enjoy the delight of sharing them with children, grandchildren, nieces/nephews, or neighborhood children? (Don’t forget the candy. It makes each little Valentine even more fun! 😉)
LOVE FROM CHRONIC JOY ❤️
Chronic Joy is like an every day Valentine. From the beginning, our heart’s desire has been to share God’s love and kindness through:
- our website; chock full of inspiration, tools, and resources
- hundreds of encouraging blog posts with audio
- Chronic Joy publications and Books We Love, hand-curated to make this journey a little easier
- more than 200 FREE printables (with even more in the works)
- flat cards and Service-in-a-Box products in our store — gift-giving and serving made simple!
- You Get Mail! — thousands of #PenToPaper packets winging their way into mailboxes around the world several times a year
SELF-CARE AND LOVE
Self-care is how we show love to God’s people (you and me). Leaning into the Holy Spirit and caring for ourselves is the foundation from which we can love God, others, and ourselves.
When chronic illness, mental illness, or chronic pain is a constant companion, life can feel overwhelming; we can doubt our value, worth, importance, or necessity. That’s why it’s so important for us to care for, be kind to, and be generous with ourselves. Let’s get to know ourselves and discover the beautiful ways we can feed our hearts, minds, and souls.
AN INVITATION
Although our surrounding culture often views self-care as selfish, we at Chronic Joy pray that our tools, resources, and free printables will kickstart your adventure with self-care, reminding you of how deeply God loves you and how very precious you are to Him. If each of us begins practicing intentional care of ourselves (while inviting others to care for themselves), our hearts will be ready to serve the body of Christ with great joy.
Healthy Boundaries
Healthy boundaries (an important part of self-care) create an understanding of what we have responsibility for and what is outside of our control. The healthier our boundaries are, the greater our capacity to offer empathy and love to others. We are responsible for what happens inside us and for the ways we act and relate to others.
Self-Care for your Soul
Spend a little time getting to know God better — who He is, what He’s like, how He feels about us, and how He acts toward His creation. Pray through these verses, asking God where to grow from here.
Self-Care • Body & Community
Practicing physical self-care is showing your body simple kindness, generously giving it what it needs, and doing things that help you live well. Community is rooted in love, nourished in prayer, and strengthened in courageous vulnerability as we extend and receive love, kindness, and compassion.
Self-Care for your Emotions & Mind
Exercise your brain, keep your mind sharp, redirect your thoughts, and focus on what is positive and true with these ideas. Emotional self-care helps us identify what we’re feeling and how to express it in healthy ways.
NEWEST ADDITIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN
Is there a Little in your life? A grandchild? A neighbor? Sunday school class? We have dozens of printables featuring the CJ Star and the Sonshine Squad, who share God’s love and kindness with children. Our Kids Get Mail! envelopes are filled coloring sheets, games, cards, jokes, stickers, and this month, Color Your Own Valentines.
How to Love Like Jesus
We can love like Jesus when we listen, sing, smile, tell a joke, dance, run, pray, and help others. We're also like Jesus when we're brave, quiet, and kind. Love like Jesus by just being you.
Celebrate Friendship
Check out this fun activity sheet to encourage our Littles to celebrate the sweet gift of friendship. Siblings and pets can be friends too.
Valentines (CJ) • Color Your Own
CJ Star and the Sonshine Squad want to share a little Valentine's Day fun with friends and family.
Valentines (Liana) • Color Your Own
CJ Star and the Sonshine Squad want to share a little Valentine's Day fun with friends and family.
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