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Two or more threads came together to birth this holiday...
For eight hundred years prior to the establishment of
Valentine's Day, the Romans had practiced a pagan celebration in mid-February
commemorating young men's rite of passage to the god Lupercus. The celebration
featured a lottery in which young men would draw the names of teenage girls from
a box. The girl assigned to each young man in that manner would be his sexual
companion during the remaining year. Now to be fair these lottery windfalls
usually led to marriage.
Instead of the pagan god Lupercus,
the Church looked for a suitable patron saint of love to take his place. They
found an appropriate choice in Valentine, who, in AD 270 had been beheaded by
Emperor Claudius.
Claudius had determined that married men made poor
soldiers. So he banned marriage from his empire. But Valentine would secretly
marry young men that came to him. When Claudius found out about Valentine, he
first tried to convert him to paganism. But Valentine reversed the strategy,
trying instead to convert Claudius. When he failed, he was stoned and beheaded.
During the days that Valentine was imprisoned, he fell in
love with the blind daughter of his jailer. His love for her, and his great
faith, managed to miraculously heal her from her blindness before his death.
Before he was taken to his death, he signed a farewell message to her, "From
your Valentine." The phrase has been used on his day ever since.
Pope Gelasius declared February 14
St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic
pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it
was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning
of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February —
Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance.
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Send me some film ideas for me to review...
Last of the
Mohicans: brave Nathaniel has captured the
heart of the beautiful Cora. With tremendous courage and cunning, he rescues
her from an ambush set by the black-hearted Magua, leader of a warring
tribe. Nathaniel leads Cora, her sister, and a few other survivors to a
hidden cave behind a waterfall. Just when it appears they will escape and
live happily ever after, Magua and his savages discover their hideout. Once
captured, the women may be spared but the men will surely be executed. With
no powder for their rifles, Nathaniel’s only chance is to leap from the
falls; by saving himself, he will live to rescue Cora another day. One of
the other men calls him a coward, accusing him of foul and selfish motives.
How is Cora feeling? What looks like abandonment may not be. Her only hope
in the face of such wildness lies in the goodness of Nathaniel’s heart. At
this point, it’s all she has to go on. It’s all we often have to go on too.
Forrest Gump:
“The story of Lieutenant Dan is a
poignant and revealing portrayal of God's fierce intentions to use both
crippling and blessing to redeem us from our self-redemptive and purgatorial
stories.”
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Ransomed Heart
Ministries
Semi-Homemade
The Artist's Way
Everyday Matters
Pioneer Woman suggests a
fabulous meal: a
juicy rib eye steak,
garlic mashed potatoes, a
chocolate mousse pie.
Martha Stewart offers up a not- too- sweet and
stunning
couers a la Creme.
and how about a simple chocolate fondue? well basically
simple...
Melt 1 bag (large) chocolate chips and 1 1/2 heavy cream in glass measuring
cup in microwave for 1 minute stir with fork until smooth and melted. .
Repeat in new measuring cup with white chocolate chips. Put into two
separate ramekin bowls... this looks so sleek in the Corning Wear French
White. Add some skewers and an assortment of dippers...dried fruit, homemade
marshmallows, poundcake, small brownie squares, fresh fruit...
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