St Valentines Story
Valentine’s Day actually started more than 1,500 years ago.
According to legend, Valentine was a Priest who defied the orders of the Roman Emperor Claudius and continued to perform Marriages.
It seems that Claudius realized no young men wanted to join his Army because they didn’t want to leave their Wives and Sweethearts. When it was discovered that Valentine was still performing Marriages in secret, he was sentenced to death.
Valentine allegedly cured the Jailer’s daughter of blindness, and on the night before his execution, sent a note to her signed “From your Valentine.”
He reportedly died on Feb. 14, 269 A.D.
In 496 A.D., February 14 was named by Pope Gelasius to honour St. Valentine.
Of course there is the other Story…
Lupercalia. Held on February 15, Lupercalia honoured the gods Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
In addition to a bountiful feast, Lupercalia festivities are purported to have included the pairing of young Women and Men… Men would draw Women’s names from a box, and each couple would be paired until next year’s Celebration.
Others believe that Valentines Day is all about making Money…
To be fair to our Shop keepers they are in fact meeting Supply and Demand as many people consider Valentines Day a very Special advent…
To them It’s a time of remembering those who they Love and showing that they Care by giving them a Card and gift expressing their feelings.
So to most People It doesn’t really matter how Valentines Day first started and to them it has nothing to do with a Pagan festival or an imprisoned Priest who continued to perform Marriages… It’s all about what is in their heart and…
They just want to say I Love you to Someone Special in their Lives.
Below is a very Unique way of Looking at Valentines Day and a wonderful way to remember the Author of Love…
For God so LoVed the world,
That He gAve
His onLy
BegottE n
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish
But have Everlasting Life
John 3:16
Freedomborn 
Annie, I did not know the origin of Valentine’s Day. So thank you for the “primer.” It gives new meaning to sacrificial love doesn’t it? But of course, the best example is what you shared: John 3:16!
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Sorry Debbie, I just found this comment it mustn’t have appeared in my Valued Friends Encouragement box which does happen at times with other comments, anyway Thank you, I appreciate your thoughts.
Christian Love – Anne.
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Annie… No problem! It is always good to come back to a post about love and especially God’s agape love for us. 🙂
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Bless you Debbie, you are indeed a Special Blogging friend .- Anne
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Thank you for telling this story, it was very interesting but like you said It’s all about what is in their heart. John 3:16 was the first Bible verse ever knew, I remember hearing it as a child in a song, so I knew it from singing it. God gave us the most wonderful gift of love ❤
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So very True T, Jesus is the greatest gift of Love we will ever receive and once received He will not take it back.
Did you know T that Terrific starts with T and so does Tremendous but then so does Trouble and Terrible but it’s whats in the heart that really counts as you affirmed and to me you will always be Terrific and Tremendous because U are in The SavioUr and He makes U Terrific and Tremendous and I Thank Him because He does.
Christian Love in Christ Jesus – Anne.
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A divine connection in life
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Thanks Barb, great knowing you too 🙂
Blessings – Anne
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Beautiful! I posted that same John 3:16 acrostic on my post for today, too!
Your posts are excellent, and glorifying to our Lord and Savior.
Have a wonderful day with Ron; I’m having a wonderful day with my Mike! 🙂
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Thank you again Carolyn for your kind words and yes we do seek to glorify The Lord in all our ways, He knows our every thought, our every action, nothing in all the world is hidden from Him who we are to give account, sadly many forget this Truth, we are not judged for our Salvation as His redeemed Children but we are for His rewards.
Take Care Carolyn and If you haven’t received my comments in your Inbox, it may help if you contact WordPress.
Christian Love – Anne
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This is great Anne! Even without someone special to share the day with this day is a great reminder to me that love is a force to be reckoned with and it overcomes everything else that would stand against it!
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Hi Annie!
Thanks for the background on Valentine’s Day! It’s very interesting! And yes, the greatest expression of love was done by Jesus Christ. 🙂
Blessings!
Ivy
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Hi again Ivy, and thank you for sharing, what you say is very True and wonderful. The greatest expression of Love was indeed done by Jesus Christ.
Take Care – Christian Care – Anne
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I’ve never been one to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but celebrating love is another thing. I celebrate the love my husband and I have shared for more than 52 years and the love of my family.
Most of all, of course, I celebrate the love of my heavenly Father who gave His Son to pay the penalty for my sin. I celebrate the love of Christ who bore my penalty. I celebrate that God called me to Himself, adopted me into His own family and has cared for me, guided me, provided for me, challenged me, enabled me, encouraged me and so much more.
What an amazing God!
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Hi Angela, this is what Valentine’s Day means to many people it’s expressing their Love and if that’s what it means in our hearts than it has a very important place regardless of what others think or the money they try to make from it …it’s a remeberance of Love and thats good and not to be rejected. God is Love and all good things come from Him and Loving others is very important in His agenda and so is expressing that Love, like you do with your husband and family.
It’s wonderful the Assurence you have Angela so many have doubts and fears you also have much Godly wisdom as well as life wisdom I very much appreciate you sharing your heart focus we us and Ron does too, thank you.
Christian Love Anne.
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A beautiful way to begin looking forward to the day. I just completed a video love song for my family and can’t wait to give it to them on Valentines. God reminded me every step of the way how truly blessed I have been.
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Hi keziahcarrie, how Loving of you to make a Video to express your heart’s Love for your family, what a beautiful idea, we all need very much to be told we are Loved, wanted, needed and appreciated and if we listen to God’s voice, He assures us of all of them many times. Even before I became a Christian, a song by Anne Murry …You Needed me, had such an impact on me, I didn’t understand it’s full significance till much later but to be wanted and needed meant the world to me. God of course is complete in The Godhead but He chooses to need us. How great is His Love for us and it is eternal.
Thank you for sharing – Christian Love Anne
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I guess any opportunity to express love ,is a good thing,God`s love to us is never in doubt ,He just loves to bless us.
Happy Valentine to my lovely Anne, you are so gifted, and have a big love for people.
Cheers
Ron
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Hi Love, thank you, I was worried how you would respond, I know you have never appreciated the commercialism of Valentine’s Day and Christmas, Easter etc and I understand this as I don’t like it either but it doesn’t have to have this meaning for us, like Christmas is not about Santa or a pagan God even if others think so, the same with Easter Bunnies, it’s what’s in our heart that matters… like Cheers to you means Love.
Yes I do Love others but not always what they do, but you Ron are that wonderful significant person who like God I can’t live without. When I asked God, He gave me a strong Love for you that’s eternal, my secular love was very weak and was all about me.
Cheers Love Now and Always, your wife Anne.
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Yes, the most important “I Love You”, was JESUS dying on the cross for our sins, in order that we may have eternal life. And a beautiful touch honoring your husband. What a blessing you are to him, and others in your life. 🙂
Love you in Christ,
Dulcinea
P.S.
here is my email address again, in case you don’t see it on my gravatar:
lightingmoon98@yahoo.com
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Hi Dulcinea, that is such a pretty name, does it have a meaning ? my name Anne, Annie, Anna in Hebrew is Hannah meaning grace.
Yes very True what you shared, the most important I Love You, is God’s Love for us shown in Jesus His much loved Son, in Creation and in each of His redeemed Children’s hearts, how blessed we are … The Kingdom of God is within us.
I have been to the eye Specialist today it was good news but I’m still not focusing properly because of the drops that were used, so I’m going to bed early but will contact you tomorrow.
You are a blessing Dulcinea – Christian Love Anne.
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I’ve never been much for commercial holidays, but I love the John 3:16 version — now that is an awesome Valentine!
God Bless You Both!
Dei
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Yes I agree Dei, God is Awesome and our Love for each other should express His Love not one day a year but everyday but we also need to take time to remember and celebrate those Days that express Universally His Love. Personally I don’t find anything wrong in expressing Love in a tangible way at Christmas or Valentines Day, Mothers and Fathers Day etc, it’s what is in the heart that matters not what others think, or why it started or who makes money from it, it’s all about what it means to us, God looks on the heart man looks on the flesh.
Christian Love Annie.
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Yes, the perfect valentine of unconditional love; there is none who can compare.
Keep the Faith!
Karin
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Hi Karin thank you for visting, it’s always a Joy to share with you and it’s very True what you said there is only one True Love and that’s God’s Love, the rest is a cloudy reflection of it. I wonder how many ask God for His Love instead of thinking that what they have in the flesh is all there is. Jesus said you don’t have because you don’t ask and even some who ask don’t believe they have received, so they don’t walk in the Fruit of The Spirit they continue to walk in the flesh.
Christian Love Annie
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