The Legend of ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

The Legend of ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

February 14th has long been a day
for love and romance.
In ancient Rome,
it was the day on which young men chose their sweethearts
for the Spring Festival.
But the day takes its current name and inspiration
from an early Christian priest named Valentine,
whose dedication to love and lovers
made him the enemy of the
Roman Emperor Claudius II.

Claudius, fearing that married men
would be unwilling to leave their homes
and become soldiers,
issued a decree forbidding anyone to marry
or become engaged.
But Valentine took pity on the young lovers
separated by the decree and secretly married them.
For this, he was arrested and sentenced to death.

While in prison,
Valentine befriended the blind daughter
of one of his jailers.
Through Valentine's prayers,
the girl miraculously regained her sight.
Valentine is said to have written a farewell note
to the girl, signed "From Your Valentine."
It is because of this
that tender Valentine notes are sent on
St. Valentine's Day,
a day devoted to celebrations of
love and romance.

"CHILDREN'S RHYME"

XOXOXO XOXOXO

XOXOXOXO XOXOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXO XOXOXOXOXO

XOXKRISTYXOXO + XOXOBARRYOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOXOUPOXINOXAXOTREEXOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOX KOIXSOSXIONXGOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOXOXFIRSTOXOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOCOMESOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXLOVEXOXO

XOXOXOXO

XOXOXO

XOXO

XO

To My Dearest, Barry,

There is comfort in the strength of love:

Twill make a thing endurable,

Which else would overset the brain,

Or break the heart.
-William Wordsworth

"To My Dearest, Barry,

"Decisions were made, commitments to be kept.
"The time!"
"It is now?"

"All ready?"

"So soon!"
"Precious little time together spent,
We knew what each one meant.
Our hearts we felt beat, our Spirits did meet,
Our Souls; they became One.
God's blessings we did seek.
For safety and peace,
His help we knew we'd need.
Tears shed and hands held tight,

Lingering ... with might!
But alas, time could not last!

Our thoughts shared, we expressed our fear ...

We knew ~ We cared!

"Many more kisses ~ So-o dear!

Wished my pockets I could fill!
Your Last Kiss ... I Remember Still!

"But time marches on and the miles are long;

Hardships along the way ...
Each call was rejoiced for hearing your voice,
But ~
I'm so sorry your journey is hard!!!
Won't start? - perseverance,
"I'll pray for you!"
The Lord must need you meek!
Troubles more than double,
He needs us to be humble!
"Come. Come,
I Am, Here To Help!"
Prayers along the way from loved ones, every day.
We wished your journey was done!

"It is hard to be apart for now,
The distance; it is far!
The days linger on
And
The nights are lonely.
The question is there, of "How?"
Answers come and answers go.
So patience we must seek!

"Logic tells me, I can endure ...
But ~
My heart feels the absence of your warmth.

"I long to feel your arms about me;
To feel your presence near!
See your smile!
Look in your eyes!
Hear your voice ... "Hello!"
Feel your lips pressed to mine!
Yes ~ Heaven Be Divine!

"My heart feels breaking here ~
For loneliness? "Yes, I will endure
Long, I must wait!"
"I promise, I will faithful be
'Til time ...
Sets us free!"

With All My Love! Kristy

"Love is a Great Thing"

"Love is a great thing,

A good above all others,

Which alone maketh every burden light ...

Love is watchful, and whilst sleeping, still keeps watch;

Though fatigued, it is not weary;

Though pressed, it is not forced ...

Love is
...Sincere ... gentle, strong, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering,

Manly ... {Womanly}

Love is circumspect, humble, and upright;

Not weak, not fickle, nor intent on vain things;

Sober, chaste, steadfast, quiet, and guarded in all the senses."
~Thomas a' Kempis

It's Valentine's Day!

Last evening, I went to R.S. and it was a Real Valentine Treat!
First was helpful info on a "buddy walking/exercise/weight loss challenge" for our sisters to participate in . The goal is that by June, we will be ready to put on our swimming suits and enjoy summer cool exercise. There were helpful hints and great suggestions on eating healthy. They were even dressed with their swimming suits on over their sweats pretending to be going to the beach complete with beach towels.

Then a few demonstrated how to fix a Nice meal for Sundays to be ready for when you arrive home and hungry! We now have the early time slot for church mtgs. Number one rule, you have to plan & prepare the day ahead (Saturday). Use a lower temp. oven for baking roasts, etc. Use a crockpot. If you peel and dice your potatoes in water, bring them to a boil right before you leave, turn off the stove, put on the lid and they should be done or almost done when you get home. You will only have to heat them to serve.

One put dry rice in bottom of casserole dish, put in double the water, frozen chicken or pork chops on top, add dehydrated onion or fresh diced onion, broccoli and a can of soup on top. Be sure to season with your favorite spices. Cooked with "timed bake" in oven.

Another lady makes lots of mashed potatoes when her potatoes are starting to sprout and then scoops them into balls with a cookie scoop and freezes them on a cookie sheet and then takes out what is needed for a meal and warms them in a microwave. She stores these 2-3" balls in a Zip Lock Freezer Bag. Talk about Quick and Easy.

Roasts are always easy to do as they take a long cooking time, you just night need to lower the temp. as needed. Make sure that you know your cut of roast for water or no water cooking. Vegies added makes a more complete meal.

Being our Best was stressed throughout the evening. Just like we dress our Best for Church, our Sunday meal should also reflect our best. Use your best china and cloth napkins for your Sunday meal. This is different from the rest of the week and teaches them that Sunday is different from the rest of the week. Plus they learn how to eat, act and use nice manners for when they are older and as a reminder for the rest of us. Learning how to act in a restaurant starts at home with your nice dishes. You might even find that their attitudes change for the better eating off of nice dishes with a Special Sunday Meal after Sunday meetings .

Next came a very full table of Valentine's Day ideas. The sister who talked to us told and showed us all the many ways she reminds her husband that Valentine's Day is coming. She starts on February 1st and does something with RED to get her husband thinking. Some of her ideas were:
Learn about what started the holiday of Valentine's Day!
Wearing a red ribbon around her neck while fixing and eating breakfast.
Making toast and serving it with red jam or sugar/cinnamon/red sprinkles.
Tying a red string about his razor.
Drawing a heart on his mirror with red lipstick.
Sticking a valentine in his lunch or on the window of his car.
Putting a love note in his lunch or on his pillow.
Serve heart pancakes for breakfast with Strawberry or Raspberry Syrup or Yogurt.
Make heart shaped muffins, cookies. Cut & serve his steak into a heart.
Cut his sandwiches with a heart cookie cutter.
Serve foods that are red or garnished with Red.
Have heart decorations around. Make a heart pillow case.
Use a red table cloth or placemats for your meals
Always eat with red or valentine napkins for every meal.
Eat all your meals with you best china.
Read a SHORT Love Poem to him while he is eating breakfast. Hide it in a magazine or newspaper or a book that you might be reading and surprise him with what you read to him.
Have heart pillows out on the couch or his favorite chair.
Wear Red Lipstick.
Put a Red barrette or ribbon in your hair.
Tie a red ribbon on his toothbrush or razor.
Every day wear something that is red. It's okay if it doesn't match, it will just stand out more.
Hide a heart goody or his favorite cookies (shaped like hearts of course).
Have Valentine's books around.
Use a fancy serving dish that is a heart.
Make heart rolls - check out rhodesbreads.com.
Cut little heart shaped pieces of cheese, bread, vegetables.
Make heart shaped seasoned bread croutons for his salad./
Serve pie cut with a heart cookie cutter.
Leave him love notes on the door he leaves for work through.
Make heart shaped pizza for the Superbowl.
Peal a carrot like a heart and slice into a salad or steam for a cooked vegie.
Stick White donuts on a sticks in a glass full of red dry beans (to hold the sticks).
Serve his favorite snack on a red plate with a white paper doily.
Wear a Red Hat at breakfast or dinner (or one decorated with red.
Kiss his mirror with red lipstick on.
Sneak a candy kiss in his briefcase.
Make up a game to play with love trivia.
Play Tic Tac Toe with red, white & brown M&Ms.
Don't forget to put in the romantic touch in all that you do.
Pretend to be a stranger and flirt with him when he come home.

Use your imagination. What a wonderful way to show your children and teach them a fun way to show someone You Love Them.

One husband who was living in the basement of this home, for a while, thought that his mother-in- law reminders were really cool. So he started folding a paper rose with the meaning of that color of rose and gave to his wife (their daughter) each day. By the time of Valentine's Day, she had a full bouquet of roses. She was so impressed that he was able to do that and still keeps these roses to decorate for Valentines.( I don't know how he folded them, maybe it was origami).

Do one thing everyday building up to Valentine's Day and he certainly won't forget YOU on that big day of LOVE.
If you have any ideas, feel free to share in comment!

It was requested that there be a "report back" next month in R.S.

May You All have a Wonderful Month of LOVE

And Remember that I LOVE YOU!