hey there & happy sunday morning! I’ll be praying that this month for you is going to be a very happy one full of love & memories. thank you for being here! if you enjoy my content, please make sure that you are subscribed to get weekly updates straight to your inbox:
the dove · ansley claire’s editor’s letter · february 2026
dear sweet friend,
would you like a coffee? or a tea? with cream or with sugar? here’s my favorite mug, just for you. as you gently waltz, maybe even tiptoe, into my writing, my very heart, I promise to always be here to greet you with a warm hug & to remind you of how sweet the Lord is from week to week & from month to month. as February slips into our midst, it’s time, all over again, to close one chapter & move on to the next. you are allowed to feel grief, even longing at this. remember, speak it to yourself as many times as you need, that each sunrise is evidence of God’s mercies & the smell of a fresh month embodies even more Kingdom possibility. I myself am moving from chapter four to five in Mrs. Mary Rowlandson’s The Sovereignty & Goodness of God & from New Year’s resolutions to Valentine’s Day love letters.
whereas our God is the same today, yesterday, & forever, the seasons we face in this world lead us down the path of topsy-turvy uncertainty, & they slyly entice us into thinking that we must always try to be better people, people who stick to their resolutions & who make the perfect loved one, rather than to just fall more in love with Jesus & becoming more like Him at each breath. we are His beloved, afterall.
“I know it is very hard to accept a love that is without conditions, but I know it exists: — that He loved me when I was useless to Him.” - Brooke Fraser
our culture markets Valentine’s Day as a holiday of sweet Hallmark cards, pink hearts, expensive chocolates, & extravagant bouquets; while it sweetly invites couples to share in its joy, unfortunately, it excludes those who have no one to celebrate it with. true love, Biblically, is more than roses being red & violets being blue; God is the embodiment of true love. God IS love. He has lavished upon us the power to know pure love when we know Him - minus the physical roses & goodies. He even wrote His beloved children a book full of His love.
in January, the Lord reminded me of His unconditional love. that there are no strings attached because He wouldn’t dare tie His children down. that He would even think to create us, not because He was lonely or needed us even a little bit, but out of an abundance of Himself, of love. you & I were created so precisely to be lavished in the Father’s love, which is never ending, & to learn how to love Him, to reflect it on this Earth. we fall short, we mess up, we get angry, we lose patience, we feel shame, but we must always hold God's love - God Himself - close to our hearts even still.
do you feel radiant once again!!!!! with the reminder tucked away in your heart (like a love letter used as a bookmark in your favorite novel) that the Lord loves you even when He knows all of you? that He loves you to the point of dying for you, death on the cross nonetheless? radiate! I beg you!
would you like some bread & jam for your journey home? I must know how you’ve been doing! where have you seen the Lord’s love recently? how do you feel most cherished?
oh, here! the book you lent me last month. thanks again! & thank you for sitting down with me in the dove for a fruitful chat.
how to radiate the Lord’s love during this sweet month (to yourself & to others): go on a solo date with the Lord (to a coffee shop or a picnic) to read your Bible/pray, gift your friends flowers & a sweet note, compliment at least one stranger a day, tidy your space, write Biblical truths on your mirror, bake a treat for your neighbors, host a galentines, incorporate more quiet time into your routine, smile always, & write a love letter to yourself (maybe even one to open next year).
a recommended read or two from another sweet writer on a similar topic:
“let Him romance you. let Him surprise you. let Him woo you with the wonders of His love. ask Him to help you feel it & let Him teach you what it means to be loved.” - so you want to be romanced, seren 🩰
“that longing for love is beautiful, but it should lead us closer to Christ — not in the arms of someone who God never intended for you to be with in the first place.” - what if marriage isn’t your portion, marie angèle
the jan. dove dispatch!!!! things I’ve been loving & consuming:
following in my sweet mother’s footsteps, or should I say handsteps, I have been obsessively applying the L’Occitane shea butter hand cream ($29). it has done wonders for my skin in this weather!
on substack, the brand-new grandmother says series by Victoria Cardona! the first one is titled the teacup with the crooked handle & it is just so gentle, so life-changing. a breath of fresh air as compared to other relentless online media I have been consuming!
my grandma hobby of the month is that I have found myself most evening cozying up at my puzzle table doing a cutie pink & pastel puzzle of a flower shop window.
discount code: VAtues for 25% off at vanimy jewelry! I have been loving & literally wearing the Butterfly Cross Hand Chain & Parable of the Pearl necklace every day!
a favorite read from this month includes Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane. five stars on my Goodreads. this novel is a masterpiece!!!!!! beautifully written romance plot, but mainly literary fiction about sudden loss & growing into who you are despite setbacks/the past. I love this author’s style, but most of all i loved how this felt so real, as if it jumped off the pages.
I just wanted to let you know that I have consumed like a hundred peanut butter & jelly sandwiches this month. & I have been making my coffee from a Moka Pot on the stove & I feel like this is + whimsy points for me!!!!!
for Christmas, I received Barefoot dreams socks from Santa Clause, & I simply haven’t taken them off. they feel like I’m wearing little blankets. I am so thankful for them, especially considering I am all snowed in!
may you be absolutely drenched in the Lord’s love, when sleeping & waking.
+ may you never forget to be unashamedly radiant because of your love for Him!!!!!!
with love,
ansley claire
a prayer request: this month, I really am praying for myself & other students that instead of letting grades be our everything, that we would let the Lord take His rightful place as our everything. also, that Valentine’s Day becomes our reminder of God’s love for us - He is the reason we love!
the prayer mailbox (in progress!) is a quiet place for you to leave a prayer. I’ll be reading each one of them & holding them in prayer with you. some prayers are meant to be shared & held. if you feel lead, the mailbox is open (for now, you can leave a prayer in the comments or email me 💌 strongansleyclaire@gmail.com).
tuesday mornings is like the weekly news, but the news of an ordinary girl who writes about what the extraordinary God of the universe has done in her life!
make sure to check out the blog’s Instagram & TikTok! I have so much fun on my socials! (pssst…any image that is not taken by my camera is found on Pinterest).
also, pretty please tell me your thoughts about this post, what you’re learning in your faith walk, or just whatever is on your mind - I pinky promise I want to know!
I hope each of you has a very happy rest of the week! praying for you! peace! thank you for being here & I hope to see you again soon! 🕊️ I love you so much & so does Jesus Christ!
“therefore, encourage one another & build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - 1st Thessalonians 5:11
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