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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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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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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Cake and cookie designer Ally Plummer shares her recipe for sugar cookies today that’s perfect for a Valentine treat.

To add elegance to sugar cookies, frost and monogram with your Valentine’s initial. This is a wonderful gift idea for neighbors.  Attach a note that says, “We are blessed to have you as neighbors.”

2/3 cup shortening, 3/4 cup sugar, 6 ounces butter at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks), 1 egg, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3 1/2 cups flour

Mix dough and chill in fridge for at least two hours. Roll dough to a 1/4″ thickness with a floured rolling pin. Use cookie cutters of choice. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes.

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It may say cheesecake, but don’t let the name fool you–this is not a dessert, it’s actually a dip. Lovely to look at and marvelous to eat, Fiesta Cheesecake is perfect for a tailgate party or a nice buffet table. My mom made Fiesta Cheesecake for the first time years ago for my brother’s wedding reception. It was such a hit that by the time I got to it, it was all gone!

Mom makes Fiesta Cheesecake in a heart-shaped springform pan, but you can certainly use a round a one if you prefer. The heart-shape pan would make it perfect for a valentine get-together this month. By the way, this recipe easily feeds a crowd. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa on the side.

Fiesta Cheesecake
Wilma Kitchens

1 1/2 cups finely crushed tortilla chips
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cup (10 ounce) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese with peppers
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
1/2 cup of each: chopped green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 medium tomato, diced
1 small can of sliced or chopped black olives, drained

Press tortilla chips and butter into a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese, eggs (one at a time), cheese, chilies, and ground pepper. Pour into pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool.

To save for later: wrap in Saran wrap followed by aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months. When you are ready to serve, let it thaw in the fridge.

To serve: Spread sour cream on top and top with green, yellow, and red chopped bell peppers and chopped green onions. Sprinkle chopped or sliced black olives on top. Serves 25.

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So often we think about Valentine’s Day being a romantic celebration.  And it is.  However, you can bring so much more depth to that romance in your marriage then just dinner and a dozen red roses.

Valentine’s Day is the celebration of marriage.  God created the idea of marriage, at least in part, to represent His intimate relationship with us.  Marriage is a covenant between three, not just two, but we often leave out the main One when we celebrate our marital love.  You can only truly be in love with your husband as much as you are in love with Jesus and allow His love to overflow through you.  And that’s what we all want, right?  A marriage full of romance, passion and deep love.

To make your Valentine’s Day especially full, meaningful and romantic change your focus this season.  You will need to work ahead, so start now.  You have two weeks to prepare for your marriage celebration.  Here are some ideas to have a Holy Heart this Valentine’s Day:

Spend time in prayer specifically for your marriage.

Confess to God and your husband any sin you’ve committed against him, grudge you’ve been holding onto and fears you have.

If he confesses to you, be prepared to forgive.  It may not be easy, so go into this ‘prayed up’.

Ask the Lord to give you a clean heart before each other so that your intimacy can be pure and complete.

Pray Scripture for your husband and your marriage.

Consider fasting for your marriage for a day or week before Valentine’s day, breaking your fast in time to celebrate.

When you celebrate your physical love remember the freedom God has given you through Jesus.  Your private moments are God’s special gift to you both.  Plan for it, prepare for it, and choose to engage with your husband in this way as worship to God, thanking Him that He knows you even more intimately than that.

If your husband is a believer, suggest that you pray together before or even during your intimate bedroom moments to actively include God in every part of your marriage.  If he is not in agreement with that, pray quietly all the while, giving thanks to God for what He has gifted to you.

A holy heart before God is the best way to be prepared to experience the fullness of romance, love and passion this Valentine’s Day.  And the best part?  It’s not reserved just for February 14^th!

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Gum Stick Cards..too sweet!

Chocolate Dipped Cupid Hearts…marshmallows plus chocolate, what’s not to love?