We welcome the month of February. It begins with National Freedom Day, on February 1 and Groundhog Day on February 2. It is the month for Valentine's Day, the month when our attention is focused on love, and gifts of love are presented to those for whom we have warm and loving feelings. It is the month we celebrate Presidents Day, and have many warm and patriotic thoughts for our beloved country. I recently read thoughts about the story of Saint Valentine. Perhaps it is best understood from the poem Helen Steiner Rice wrote that describes what the real meaning of this special signifies.

This story of St. Valentine is a legend, it is true. But legends are delightful and very lovely, too. The legend says Saint Valentine, while imprisoned in a cell, was thinking of his little flock he had always loved so well. He wanted to assure them of his friendship and his love, So he picked a bunch of violets, and sent them by a dove. And on the violets' velvet leaves he pierced these lines divine. They simply said, "I love you, and I'm your Valentine." So through the years that follow from that day unto this, folks still send messages of love and seal them with a kiss. Because a saint in prison reached outside his bars one day, and picked a bunch of violets and sent them out to say that faith and love can triumph, no matter where you are, for faith and love are greater than the strongest prison bar.

As we bid farewell to January's wintry night we have many more thoughts about tomorrow's future. I like what Abraham Lincoln once said, "The best thinking about the future, is that it comes one day at a time." More Warm Thoughts: "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love." Saint Francis of Assisi. There is one word that stands out and that is respect. This is a very good thing to learn early in life, for instance, respect for your parents, your country, your God. Country singer Randy Travis. "Be the sunshine of God's love to your parents, friends, and neighbors." Mother Teresa. May we have many warm thoughts in this month of February!

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner

February 5th, 1998

Published in the Marion Record

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Till next time,

Trina