Reflections of the Heart

"A friend is one who reaches for your hand and touches your heart."  Today, I am thankful for my friends and I am determined to be a friend who touches hearts.

Before U were thought of or time had begun, God stuck U in the name of His Son.. And each time U pray, you'll see it's true, You can't spell out JesUs and not include U. You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name, For U, He was born; that's why He came. And His great love for U is the reason He died. It even takes U to spell crUcified. Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand He rose from the dead, with U in His plan? The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew, And this word resUrrection is spelled with a U. When JesUs left earth at His Upward ascension, He felt there was one thing He just had to mention. "Go into the world and tell them it's true That I love them all - Just like I love U." So many great people are spelled with a U, Don't they have a right to know JesUs too? It all depends now on what U will do, He'd like them to know, But it all starts with U.

Life is unpredictable. Change happens during a wink of the eye.  One minute your are smiling and the next you are crying.  I have pondered these things and have come to the understanding of the scripture in James 4:14, " whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."   Today I will purpose myself to live, love, laugh.  I will be a blessing and not a burden.  I will give the gift of a smile and a meaningful touch.  I will purpose to do good and flee evil.  I will bless the Lord and sing praises to His name. And if my life ends today as a vapor, I will live an eternity with the Lord.  May your life be a blessing to others.

Today I was pondering the season's in the life of my family.  Holidays have always been a time of making special memories.  2010 has brought many challenges from raising my grandaughter to taking care of my aging mom.  My husband is approaching 70 and my two daughters are pregnant, both with their second child.  Working full-time, caring for family and serving in my church keeps me busy to say the least.  I was thinking that I would not "do" Thanksgiving this year because of all the work it affords and I only have Thursday off of work.  Then, I began to ponder.....   I have decided that no matter what, I cannot keep from having a full-house on Thanksgving!  I would have a blank page in 2010's memories book.  I would miss the comotion, the laughter, the happy faces, and the spilled gravy!  God has blessed me with my home and my family, so why not fill it up and make memories?

  I am beginning to understand the heart of God!  Each child born holds a special place in my heart.  I wondered after the first grandchild how I would ever have room in my heart to love a second.  Then, the second grandchild arrived and I found out that there was certainly room for more.  I have two girls who will both deliver a child in 2011.  I am anticipating what special place each of them will hold in my heart! I also need to add, the grandchildren that have come from marriage.  I have six of them.  They also are very dear, although they are not always near!  From my grands we have been blessed with two great-grandchildren.  How blessed we are!

It is 6am.  Autumn has arrived and the early morning is as dark as midnight.  Stepping outside I stopped in awe and gazed up at the beautiful star-lit sky. The atmosphere was clear of clouds and heaven was a glorious abundance of glowing stars.  The Lord spoke to my heart with the analogy that just as the stars are always present, so is He.  Circumstances cause the bright stars to be clouded over; they are forgotten because they are not in sight.  We must not allow life's circumstances to dim or completely cover the light of Jesus in our lives.  He is always there.  Darkness is simply the absence of light, and the darker the night, the brighter the Light!  God Bless.

 To love is to commit.  To commit is to sacrifice.  To sacrifice is to give yourself away.  To give yourself away is the ultimate expression  of love.  To find love is a blessing.  To keep love is a treasure.  To treasure love is a gift.  To give yourself away is the ultimate expression  of love.  To be loved is good.  To know you are loved is better.  To show your love is to show compassion.  To give yourself away is the ultimate expression of love.

Children want to spend time with you!  They flourish when they receive quality time from the loved ones in their little lives.  Everyone is allotted the same number of hours and days in each week, month and year.  I believe we need to be intentional to schedule activities for our children that include quality time spent with the adults that influence their lives.  Ideas that will help you incorporate quality time with your children in your daily routine: 1.  Give them a task to do when you are working in the kitchen.  If you are cooking, have them help by handing you the items you need.  Children love to do the  mixing and stiring. Small children can help by allowing them to give you pre-measured ingredients to add to the mixing bowl. They can also be "in charge" of holding the mixing spoons and handing the proper spoons, utensils or ingrediants to you.  Hint: Make sure you have a sturdy step stool so that they can safely reach the counter . Fill the sink with warm soapy

While trying to get my five year old to express how she was feeling about a separation in her life, she proceeded to cover her ears while saying "Bla, bla, bla, bla."  I lost all eye contact with her and thought "Where did this come from?" "When did she learn to block out what she was not comfortable thinking and talking about?"  Really, she is five - not fifteen! The Lord has created mankind with all types of emotions both positive and negative.  Our emotions alert us that something uncomfortable is about to happen.  Anxiety!  Although we all experience the feeling of anxiety to some degree, we do not all manage it the same way.  Many times children's anxiety will be expressed in inappropriate behavior.  Yelling, stomping feet, throwing tantrums, hitting, hair pulling, etc. are all signs of anxiety in children because they do not know how to deal with their overwhelming feelings of frustration. Adults must learn to manage their anxiety in positive

Self-respect lets you own up to your mistakes without feeling shattered by them. Self-respect lets you notice the harm of the hurt you have caused so you can do something about it. ~ Stephanie Dowrick Making amends is about trying to repair or compensate for something you did wrong that harmed another person in some way, causing them to feel insulted, or to suffer a loss, injury, or some sort of damage. When you are in the wrong, clinging to misguided notions of a need to "preserve your reputation" at all costs, or simply being stubborn, are poor options when a relationship is at stake and the ball rests in your court to do something about it. While it is never pleasant to feel ashamed about your own poor behavior, shame does have a place in life if it makes you acknowledge your wrongdoing and seek to make amends for it. And if you're in the situation of needing to make amends, there's no place like getting started.

Isaiah 55:8 (NIV) declares: " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD".  Have you ever sat and wondered about your life?  What if I had finished college?  What if I had waited and had my children later in life?  Where would I be if I had accepted that other job offer?  On and on we go.  At some point, we must stop wondering about the what if's of our past and begin trusting Jesus to shape our future. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).  The Word is full of promises from our Lord.  Proverbs 3:4-6 (KJV)  "So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." So, the next time you find yourself crying the blues in

Healthy hearts require a daily regimen of diet and exercise.  Likewise to keep your spiritual heart healthy you must have a daily portion of the Bread of Life, God's Word.  Exercising spiritually is the fulfillment of the Word that you ingest daily.  Daily consumption of junk food will lessen the effects of the healthy food you consume.  Likewise, a diet of unhealthy living will decrease the effect that the daily reading of the Word brings to your life. Chapter 6 of the book of John declares that Jesus is the bread of life.  Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:36.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51.  Unfortunately, we live in a fast paced world and rely heavily on foods that can be prepared in a short amount of time

"Beauty is in the eyes of the Lord, the Beholder of all." Joanne Almsteadt

Early one morning while driving to work I stopped at a traffic light and was immediately drawn to a young boy who was on the sidewalk walking and crying. Approximately one half block in front of him on the incline of the sidewalk was this boy's dad, slowly but steadily walking. My first inclination was to criticise this young man for not paying attention to his crying toddler who certainly had no means to catch up with Dad. I was appalled, and my thoughts were "How could this dad be so mean and inconsiderate of his son's crying? Didn't he realize that the boy would never catch up to him?" Tears welled up in my eyes as I wore my grandmother hat that morning. The nerve of that young man to make his son fear that his daddy was leaving him behind! "How could he be so insensitive?" "What's wrong with society today? " On and on my thoughts raced until in one split second the dad finally stopped and turned around to wait for his son. Oh what a mom

Beauty is the early sunrise as the Lord paints the sky with colors that He creates each and every morning. Perfect are the primary colors in the evident rainbow that reminds us of His promise. Oh how awesome is the setting of the sun and the pastel skies that bring peace and relaxation to a long, stressful day. Constant is His love for us. Constant is His Word. Constant is His law. It is good to know that there are constant, unchanging promises that we can rely on. Life has no constant's except those the Lord has given us. "Seek the Lord while He may be found!" Live consistantly within the precepts of God's Holy Word and peace and salvation will be your reward.

Who can change the thoughts and intent of my heart? Passion bleeds from me. People all around yet invisible to each other. Going here, going there; their minds set to the task. Look! There is a playground with children laughing and playing. Who pays attention? Hurry, Hurry, Hurry... you are going to be late! Come here, go there. Wait! Wait and see! Stop and listen! Isn't the laughter of children a sound that lightens the heart of man? It is good to stop and listen. Is it not good to look to the right as well as the left? Is it not good to lift up your head to the hills? Open your eyes all of you who sleep! Open your hearts to the laughter of children. Lend an ear to the wisdom of your father. Do not disregard the tears of your mother. Slow down dear one. Take a breath. Let the Spirit lead you along life's path. Prayerfully you will lend an eye and an ear to the Lord of Hosts!