God

Ladies Valenitines Devotional

God's Special Valentine Gift

By Marilyn Peeples

In the gardon of Eden, we see that God “brought her to the man.” God presented the woman to the man. God gave the man a gift. God wanted the two to be together in the marriage relationship. God sanctioned this union. Notice what is recorded in Genesis 2:18:

And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

God said that is was NOT good for him be be alone. So that man would not be alone was one motivation for God to make the woman. God wanted man to have someone working and walking beside him. She would be someone to lean on. She would be someone to share with. Woman would emotionally and physically share life’s burdens and joys with the man.

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:33 (after referring to Genesis 2:24 in verse 31): “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Marriage is approved of God. He wants a man to have a wife. God wants man to be in this unique relationship. God wants man to enjoy the relationship with his wife. This is God’s plan for marriage.

God wants man to have a "valentine."

LOVE

By Billie Duty

(Since we are women, I am going to write this in the girl’s/woman’s view)

What is the definition for Love? If we go to the dictionary, we will find many different definitions for the word Love. The world today has a very different meaning of love than the Bible teaches us.

I think that most in the world mistake love for infatuation. Most think of the butterfly feelings in the stomach when they see a guy is love.

Sometimes in marriages that are in trouble we may hear one spouse say to the other, “I do not love you anymore”. Does biblical love end?

What kind of love did God want for those who marry?

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,… (Ephesians 5:25 ) Looking at this verse we see that the love of the husband goes farther than butterfly feelings.

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:28) Love his wife as he loves his own body!

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, (Titus 2:3-4 KJ)

These verses all show us that there is a lot more to love than the world seems to know. The older women are to teach the younger women to love their husbands. So this love has to be taught, it is not just feelings of excitement.

And Jesus answered and said to them,… “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:5-9 ; also see Gen. 2:23-25; Matt. 19:4-6)

When two decide to become one in marriage, they must know that the exciting feelings that they feel for one another will subside, what then? They must understand that they are not just in love with one another, to fall out of love. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). A married couple must be willing to commit to this love. The love that God wants between a husband and his wife is commitment!

*****Article 324*****

Cabbage always has a heart; Green beans string along.
You're such a cute tomato, Will you peas to me belong?
You've been the apple of my eye, You know how much I care;
So lettuce get together, We'd make a perfect pear.

Now, something's sure to turnip to prove you can't be beet;
So, if you carrot all for me let's let our tulips meet.
Don't squash my hopes and dreams now, Bee my honey, dear;
Or tears will fill potato's eyes, While sweet corn lends an ear.

I'll cauliflower shop and say, Your dreams are parsley mine.
I'll work and share my celery, So be my valentine.

Fill these favorites with raspberry or strawberry jelly.

Sift together:

2 1/2 c flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream together:

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar

Stir in:

1 well beaten egg
2 tablespoons Pet Milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Chill overnight before using. Roll-out dough and cut with a heart cookie cutter. Each cookie needs a top and bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

When cool, assemble cookies. Place a teaspoon of jelly on the bottom of a cookie, then cover with another cookie. (The tops of the cookies should be facing outward on both top and bottom.) Sprinkle with 4X Confectioner's Sugar.

Chocolate Surprise

Blend together:

1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 stick margarine
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Press into 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool

Cream together:

1 cup powdered sugar
1, 8 oz package of cream cheese

Fold in 9 oz. defrosted Cool Whip. Spread onto the cooled pastry layer.

Mix well:

1 large box of chocolate INSTANT pudding
Add 3 1/2 cups milk

Spread on top of the second layer.

Spread a 9 oz. container of defrosted Cool Whip on top of the third layer and refrigerate.

Splendid Raspberry Spinach Salad

2 Tablespoons Raspberry Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Raspberry Jam
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
8 Cups Spinach, rinsed, stemmed and torn into pieces.
3/4 Cup coarsely chopped Macadamia nuts or toasted almond slices
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
3 Kiwis, peeled and sliced

Dressing: Combine vinegar and jam in blender or small bowl. Add oil in thin stream, blending well.

Toss spinach with 1/2 of the nuts, 1/2 of the raspberries, 1/2 of the kiwi's and the dressing. Top with the remaining ingredients (nuts, raspberries and kiwis.)

Serve immediately.

Valentine's Day Cake

Cream together:

1/2 Cup of Crisco
1 1/2 Cups Sugar

Add 2 eggs - Beat Well

Sift 3 Times:

2 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Salt

Fold In:

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda dissolved in
1 Tablespoon Vinegar - Quickly

Use 2, 9" Layer Pans that have been greased and floured.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes

Filling and Icing

Cook on low flame to pudding stage:

1 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Flour
Dash of salt

Cream:

1/2 Cup Crisco
1 Stick Margarine
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Add to pudding and beat well. Spead between layers and on top and sides. Sprinkle with coconut.

Victorian Gingerbread Valentines

In Victorian times lovers declared their affections via words, songs, pictures and foods. One such food was gingerbread "life cakes" in the shape of hearts.

2 1/2 cups unsifted flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
1 large egg

In large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.

Blend together margarine and brown sugar until smooth. Add corn syrup and egg; beat well. Add dry ingredients, about one-third at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Chill dough one hour.

Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to one-quarter-inch thickness. (Reserve other half for decoratins or for a second batch of cookies.) Using hear-shaped cookie cutter, press out cookie shapes or use knife to cut around a pattern. Place hearts on cookie sheet. Decorate as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Remove and place on wire racks to cool. Store in covered container.

Makes about eight 4 1/2 inch cookies.