A Valentine for Jesus

Dear Jesus,

You sent me a valentine written in crimson blood. It says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). And You’ve also said that nothing can separate me from Your love (Romans 8:38-39).

This year I want to give You a valentine from my heart. What kind would You like? Would one of these hearts delight You?

A faithful, undivided heart that puts You first each day (Matthew 6:33).

A true heart that loves You with wholehearted devotion (1 Chronicles 29:19).

A giving heart that is other-centered, not self-centered (Philippians 2:4).

A loving heart that is patient, kind, and forgiving (1 Corinthians 13:4–5).

A sincere heart that bows before You in worship and praise (Psalm 95:6–7).

A devoted heart that sings, “My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine” (see Psalm 18:1).

Lord Jesus, this Valentine’s Day I want to renew my love for You. Please help me remain faithful to You and always put You first in my life. Thank You for Your incredible love for me. Help me love You more each day.

Your beloved bride

 

What kind of a valentine could you give God this Valentine’s Day?  Would you like to give Him a changed heart? Or renew your commitment to love and cherish Him? Perhaps you’d like to sing a love song from your heart, say a prayer of gratitude, or write a love letter or poem to show your devotion.

Whatever you give from your heart, God will accept with joy. “As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5).

 Express your love to God, and rejoice in His great love for you!

Favorite Valentine’s Day Desserts

Are you still thinking about what to make for a special family Valentine’s Day dessert? My criteria is simple: chocolate and easy to make.  Here are my top picks from MMCW’s Recipe Box for favorite Valentine’s Day Desserts.

Angela’s Caramel Mocha Truffle Cupcakes. Nothing sounds yummier than a truffle cupcake! Angela gives step-by-step instructions in photos to make this an easy dessert to make for Valentine’s Day.

 

Molly’s authentic Black Forest Cake is one of her family’s favorite desserts.  Using a basic boxed cake mix to save time, Molly also shares step-by-step instructions.

 

Any cake that includes candy bars is a winner in my book any day. Katharine’s Dream Cake combines angel food cake, candy bars, and whipped topping for a delicious dessert.

 

Diane’s old-fashioned Chocolate Chess Pie  is a perfect finish to any Valentine’s meal.

Are you planning a special dessert for tomorrow?

Valentine’s Game: Getting to Know You

Every month we meet with five other couples for supper in one another’s homes.  This Supper Club has been meeting together for years, and we know one another quite well.  Or do we?

My husband and I host the Supper Club every year in February, and we enjoy preparing a Valentine’s quiz for our friends each year.  The laughter—and even tears—around the table have drawn us closer as friends.

Husband and wife each answer the questions on their own, and then we go around the table one question at a time, sharing our answers aloud.  Couples who have the same answer get a point and the couple with the most points “wins.”  The second section (Things I want to say….) doesn’t earn a couple points toward the game, but everyone still feels like a winner as couples are drawn closer to one another through reflecting on happy memories and sharing expressions of love for one another publicly.  You can read our quiz from two years ago here.   Last year, we asked couples to answer the following questions:

If I recall right….

My first date with my spouse was to………?

I was first attracted to my spouse when……?   Extra Credit…Where?

The strangest thing we ever did together was….?

We named our first child (their name) because…….?

Wives: The most romantic thing my husband has ever done is…..?

Husbands: The most romantic thing I’ve ever done for my wife is….?

What is the thing we have most in common?

 

Things I want to say….

If I could relive one thing (experience, time together, vacation…etc.) with my spouse and had to relive it exactly as it happened the first time around I would relive……

I don’t think I have expressed enough appreciation to my spouse for…..

Lately, my spouse has blessed me by…….

Valentine’s Craft: Card Cans

Valentine’s Day is one of those school days that lends itself to many special memories.  Who doesn’t remember decorating that white sack in anticipation for all the valentines our classmates would pour into it.  This year, make Valentine’s Day extra special with an easy to make card holder.   Simply ask your local school lunchroom to save large vegetable cans.  On a day when they serve soup, they will probably have all that you need.  Wash these out and let them dry.  Next, take the cans outside and spray paint them red, pink, or white.  For the handles, drill two holes into each side of the cans.  Slip colorful Valentine’s Day printed ribbon, cut to the desired length, into the holes and knot on the inside.  Be careful as the drill may have left jagged edges at the holes.  If you don’t want to drill holes for the handles, simply hot glue the ribbon to the interior of the can to form the handle.  Now your children are ready to pick which can they would like and continue to decorate it.  Provide Valentine’s Day stickers, paints, and even heart-shaped stamps.  You will be amazed at your children’s creativity, and they will be so proud of their beautiful Valentine holders.  Best of all, you’ve saved a lot of cans from heading to the landfill.

Why not plan a Valentine’s Day party and have everyone in attendance make a bucket?  Invite all of your children’s friends and instruct them to bring cards to exchange.  For a complete party planning guide, visit Currclick to purchase a Valentine’s Day Party eBook which includes printable cards, games, snack ideas and more.

About the author:

Kathy Hutto is a wife, homeschooling mother, entrepreneur and author.  You can visit her online at www.toddlerbitesblog.wordpress.com.

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Valentine’s Party Newlywed Game

After dinner, hand each guest a pen and a copy of this Newlywed Game quiz.  Each person will fill out the quiz privately, without consulting with his or her spouse.

Everyone answers each question in the Turnabout and History sections.  Husbands answer truthfully for their questions, and then guess what their wife will answer for her questions.  Wives do the same, answering their own questions truthfully and guessing what their husbands will say.  In the Sentiment section, answer only the questions directed to you.  No points are scored for the Sentiment section (aside from the “points” you may score with your spouse if he likes your answer!)

After everyone has had 10 minutes to fill out their answers, go around the table, allowing each couple to share their answers to the first question.  The couple gets a point for each question that they have the same answer for.  Continue answering the questions one at a time, allowing each couple to share their answers with the group.  The couple with the most points at the end of the game wins!

Turnabout:

What place would my husband like to go for a romantic vacation?

My wife’s  favorite sport to watch on TV is?

When my husband cooks the best thing he makes is…?

If money were no issue…What car/vehicle would my wife like to own and drive?

History:

I knew my wife was the woman for me when….?

I knew my husband was the man for me when….?

My wife would say the best vacation we ever took together was…? (answer cannot be your honeymoon)

My husband would say the worst vacation we ever took together was…?

My husband would say the best gift I ever gave him was…?   (answer cannot be your kids)

My wife would say the worst gift I ever gave her was….?

Sentiment:

What he / she doesn’t know (answer the 2 questions that are directed to you)

The best thing about my husband is______________

My wife doesn’t even appreciate how good she is at__________

My husband doesn’t know how much_______________

My wife doesn’t know how much__________________

Hosting a Valentine’s Dinner Party

Everyone tends to think of romantic dinners for two when it comes to Valentine’s Day.  But getting together with a group of couples can also be a wonderful way to enjoy the holiday.  Here are some simple tips for hosting a Valentine’s Dinner Party!

• Make it as easy on yourself as you can.  Send out e-vites instead of snail mail invitations.  Evite.com has lots of free invitation templates and even lets you attach a map to your house.  Type up the party details, add your guest list, click and send.  You’re done!

• Six couples make for a great dinner party.  It’s not too many people to become unwieldy, yet big enough to allow for lots of conversation.  If you have room, consider dragging your kitchen table into the dining room and placing it end to end with your dining room table.  Matching tablecloths will give a uniform look and then all the couples can sit together.  To accommodate this in my home, we had to use a measuring tape and try various configurations before we found one that worked.  In the end, it was well worth the extra trouble.

• I didn’t have enough china for 12 people, so I used two sets of dishes, staggering the place settings every other person.  To pull it all together, place a red, heart-shaped doily on each plate.

• A simple meal that keeps you out of the kitchen and mingling with your guests is best.  Lasagna  is festive (and red!) and can be made the day ahead and popped into the oven before the party.  Add a tossed salad and garlic bread and you’ve got a winning combination.

• Purchase store-bought desserts from the frozen section.  For my Valentine’s dinner party, I found French Silk Pie and plain cheesecake, both on sale the week before Valentine’s Day.  I added some cherry pie filling to the cheesecake and voila! We enjoyed a delicious dessert that took no time at all to prepare.

• As an added touch, dip some strawberries in melted chocolate.  Serve them on trays for guests to help themselves while you are plating dessert.

• After dinner, challenge your guests to a Valentine’s quiz, “a la Newlywed Game.”   You’ll all have fun laughing as husbands and wives attempt to guess what their partner is thinking, and you’ll learn more about each other in the process.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day Wreath

Before we know it February will arrive with all its red, pink, and purple sparkles. In our corner of the world Valentine’s Day is a family affair.

The best husband on the planet gets up in the wee hours of the morning to decorate the house with hearts, balloons, flowers, and all things Valentine.  When he was old enough to understand, our son was enlisted to help with the decorating and cards. Each of the girls gets a flower, something sweet and a card signed with love from Dad and Evan.  The guys love creating it for us, and always find new ways to make the day sparkle.

Last year when I was helping the girls with these Tea Wreaths, I tucked away the idea until now.  Because I love the idea of counting down to an occasion and surprising my husband,  I came up with a Countdown to Valentine’s Day Wreath. It looks like this:

And it starts out with this… A piece of cardboard (about12x12) scrapbook paper, 14 clothespins, glue and hot glue.

 

Cut a wreath shape out of the cardboard. I used a dinner plate for a template.

Make sure the wreath is wide enough for a clothespin…cover it with scrapbook paper. I’m sure there are more graceful ways to do this…but it worked. You can cover the back as well–or not.

Using coordinating paper, cut and glue strips to fit the top of each clothes pin.

Now set the pins on the wreath and decide on spacing and color.

 

Once you’ve decided, hot glue each pin in place, making sure the closed end faces out.

Using the leftover paper, or any other color you like, cut and fold little notes that can be clipped on. I cut a few to see what size I thought looked best, in hindsight I thought heart-shaped notes would look great as well!

Funny, sweet, romantic, you decide. Get creative and write 14 messages inside each note.  Number each one on the outside and clip to the wreath. Make sure your notes are placed fold side out to prevent peeking.  Add a ribbon for hanging and you’re done!

The nice thing about this wreath is it can be put away and reused each year. While I was working on my wreath, I had a few ideas for a variation on the theme.

• A birthday countdown

• A gift for a friend with weekly scriptures and encouragements

• A smaller, 9 month pregnancy countdown

• Countdown to a trip, a homecoming, or?

It’s a very quick, easy, project to complete! I am looking forward to February 1st!

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Katharine is mom to four incredible kids and wife to the best husband on the planet. Visit her blog…

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. I want to encourage you with a bit of history.

Valentine’s Day is not a celebration that started with a little naked boy with wings flying around with arrows shooting passion into the hearts of young people. No, the cupid you see on Valentine’s cards in stores everywhere has nothing to do with the real deal.

Although no one is absolutely certain how the celebration actually started many point to a certain priest living under the rule of Claudius in ancient Rome.
The ruler was having trouble with his army. Men were leaving their families behind to fight but would become homesick and lonely while away from their wives. In order to strengthen his armies, Claudius outlawed all engagements and marriages. This did not go over well with his people, especially the Christians who wanted to reserve their expressions of love for each other to the bonds of marriage.

St. Valentine, a priest, continued to secretly break the law and marry young couples in love. He made a stand for biblical marriage. Eventually he was caught and arrested. He was sentenced to beatings and death.

While he was in prison the jailer’s daughter befriended him. She was healed of her blindness when he prayed for her. They fell in love but knew that with the ban on marriages and Valentine’s impending death there would be no future for their relationship.

On the day of his execution, Valentine left her a note and signed it ‘From Your Valentine’.

From then until today Valentine’s Day has been a celebration of love. But it is more than that. It’s a celebration of marriage itself. St. Valentine risked his life so that men and women could be married and follow God’s prescribed plan for relationships.

Today many of us are turning our backs on marriage because it’s not making us happy, or because it’s too hard. Shame on us! When men and women have died to give us the freedom we have in our country to be married according to God’s beautiful plan, we should celebrate that in our homes. The rings we wear on our fingers are not just another piece of jewelry but a sign to the world that we are celebrating marriage.

This Valentine’s Day, plan to celebrate your marriage, not just the fleeting feeling of romance. Feelings of love and romance waver from day to day, month to month and year to year. But your commitment to marriage should be life-long. No matter what your feelings are this season, celebrate the truth in your marriage, God’s blessing of marriage as a whole and the privilege of being a part of such a magnificent institution.

God bless you as you prepare to celebrate your marriage this Valentine’s Day!

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Valentine Dinner Party

Create drama and coziness for a Valentine dinner party this year. Pull in your wrought iron table from the deck (wooden or plastic will work well too). Position the table in the living room in front of the fireplace and drape with white sheets.

I used three sheets to fully cover the table and cinched the sheets together at the bottom with a ribbon to keep feet from getting tangled.

Place a tablecloth on top as the topper. I used a black 80-inch cloth to cover my 60-inch table.

Next, set the table with china and silverware and make a fire in the fireplace. Light candles around the room when guests first arrive. Then relax and plan on spending the evening by the fire with good company.

For a no-fuss menu, make crunchy tossed salad, soup, stuffed pasta shells or chicken pot pie and Parmesan roasted bread for the main course.  Creamy cheesecake for dessert.

Plate the salad 30 minutes before your guests arrive. Make the soup ahead of time and re-heat in the crock-pot to eliminate the risk of scorching. Assemble the stuffed pasta shells a day or two ahead and start cooking them 30 minutes before guests arrive. If you choose chicken pot pie for the main dish, assemble it the day before and begin cooking 30 minutes before guests arrive. Parmesan bread can be cut and buttered the morning of your party, then popped in the oven 15 minutes before you are ready to eat.

Following dinner, throw another log on the fire and serve Creamy Cheesecake and coffee. You may even want to have a cheese cake topping bar set up. Toppings can include whipping cream, cherries, chocolate syrup, lemon curd, and chopped nuts (almond slivers, pecans).

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Family Valentine Dinner

Before we were married, I didn’t like Valentine’s Day all that much.  It seemed like such a romantic thing, but if I didn’t have a date, I felt like I missed out.  But then as a waitress I would watch couples come in, sit quietly, then look at anything except the person they came with.  They wouldn’t talk to each other.  They’d just sit there eating an expensive meal so they could say they’d been out for Valentine’s.  What was the point?

When we got married, I was excited to go on our first Valentine’s date as a couple.  I have to admit now, 15 years later, that I can’t remember what we did.  I do remember, though, a feeling of that’s it? when we got home.  Why was going out to dinner supposed to be such a big deal on Valentine’s Day?  Isn’t there more to it than that?

Time went on and our children became avid fans of Focus on the Family’s Adventures in Odyssey series.  I heard a story of a Roman priest named Valentine from a cassette tape in our van.  He married young men and women, uniting them in holy matrimony even though the ruler of the country had forbidden marriage.  He was jailed for disobeying and was sentenced to death.  While he was in prison he became friends with the jailer’s blind daughter.  After he prayed for her, she received her sight.  They fell in love, but it was not to be.  On the day of his execution, he left her a note and signed it Your Valentine.  Isn’t that beautiful?

Valentine’s Day is not a holiday set out by God in Scripture.  However, it can be a meaningful way to give value to things God has established and called into being.  Things like marriage, parent-child relationships, friendships, and even the relationship Jesus has with the church, His bride.

A few years ago we decided as a family that we wanted to establish a family tradition for Valentine’s Day.  As our girls grow up, we never want them to feel that just because some boy didn’t ask them on a date that they are somehow second rate.  Neither do we want our boys to feel pressured into taking out a girl just because it’s the thing to do.  We also want to have a home where anyone can feel comfortable coming on Valentine’s Day if they don’t have a date.

We talked it up and planned it well.  After deciding that a fondue night would be our tradition, we set to making the shopping list.  Lots of chocolate, fresh fruit (strawberries, bananas, apples and mandarins), sponge cake, almonds, and cheese (yes, it’s delicious dipped in warm chocolate!) were on the menu.  We were not going to have supper, this was the meal deal of the day.

The kids wrote notes to each other and made coupons for chores and favors for each other.  We wanted them to know that we can express our love to each other, but it doesn’t have to cost anything.

The day finally came.  We all got dressed nicely (the boys put on deodorant and the girls put on skirts… nicely means different things to different people).  We sat around for hours dipping food items into chocolate and talking.  We told each other what we love about each other.  My husband and I retold both versions of how we met and he proposed (his version and my version).  We laughed.  We connected.  We had the best Valentine’s Day ever.

Just before this last Christmas we were sitting at the table eating dinner when one of the kids asked, “When are we going to do that ‘fundoo thingy’ again?  Isn’t that soon?”  Disappointment set in when he realized it would still be a wait.

Every year we wait for Valentine’s Day.  It’s become a time for us to love each other with our time, our words and our service.

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