February 2026

VIEW FROM THE HEIGHTS               

February 2026

Greetings!

This month, our newsletter has a guest editor: none other than St. Valentine!

I pass the pen to him…

Happy Love Day!

I am deeply honoured that you have chosen the anniversary of my martyrdom to celebrate God’s gift of love.

You know, of course, that my “crime” was to stand up for marriage when Emperor Claudius II forbade his soldiers to wed. He thought it weakened their combat readiness. My protest was not because I’m a romantic. Even though I am!

I was deeply opposed to Claudius the Cruel’s (as we called him) continual, bloody, military campaigns. Nothing good comes from warfare.

So celebrating love is the PERFECT tribute to me.[i]

As you think about what to give your beloveds, remember that cards and confections are not the only love offerings out there. The Bible has lots of gift-giving suggestions.  So think outside the box- and inside the Bible! 

Perfume is Scripture favourite and fresh well-water. Gift something that supports clean water or bee conservation. BTW, did you know that I am the patron saint of beekeepers?

Gift your best self to your loved ones and neighbours, near and far.

Paul wrote the primer on this:

“Love is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive.

It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.

Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage.

It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people.

On the contrary, it is glad when truth prevails.”[ii]

Gift your best self to God.

Over to you, Micah:

God has already made it plain how to live, what to do,  what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,  be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.[iii]

Gift your best self to yourself:

“Love others as much as you love yourself.”[iv]

Which means, of course, be as fair and just and loving to yourself as you are to others.

Jesus was serious about that!

Friends, I wish you a LOVE-LY “Valentine’s” Day! (It’s weird referring to myself in the third person!)

And a LOVE-FILLED journey to Easter.

 Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope;

it can outlast anything.

It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.

In this life we have three great lasting qualities—faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love. [v]

Blessings & Love from us both!

Brenda & Valentine

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[i] St Valentine is believed to be the 3^rd Century Roman cleric who was martyred on February 14^th, 273

[ii] 1 Corinthians 13: 4-6 JB Phillips

[iii] Micah 6:8 TMSG

[iv] Matthew 22: 39 CEV

[v] 1 Corinthians 13: 7-8a,13 JB Phillips