Tag: heart

THE CEDAR TREE TREASURE

I received another special treasure from a friend that I consider a masterpiece from nature. Once again, I was in awe and wonder at God’s creations where I see His presence and love shining forth. It made me think about how all of creation gives glory and praise to God, the Creator.

This is from a cedar tree that was on my friend’s property. He knew I would appreciate having this to add to my heart collection, which God uses to remind me of the importance of love in our lives. Notice the outside is heart-shaped as well as there being a red heart-shape on the one side. I find it quite unique to see the wood grain color present in the rectangle area on the bottom right of the red heart. This is what the tree heart looked like when I received it. Continue reading “THE CEDAR TREE TREASURE”

ROCK BOTTOM

A huge smile came over my face when I saw an email with the subject line of “Immediately thought of you and smiled!” Needless to say, I was excited to read it, which I did as soon as I saw it. It was from the woman in Tennessee that I wrote about when she sent me a heart rock she painted. She knows, as you may, how God sends me, pretty much daily, hearts in one form or another. They are reminders of His love for me and how I need to share that love with others.

I was on my way to bed and thinking about my next reflection options right before seeing the email. After I read it, I knew she provided the perfect basis for this week’s reflection.

 

Her email shared the following:

~She was moving some big stones to her flower bed.

~There were a total of eight stones, which were stacked four high by two across.

~The original stone pile was a perch for the watering cans she was using to draw rain water, which she hadn’t used in days.

~When she moved the seventh stone, this was what she saw on the lone, remaining stone. Continue reading “ROCK BOTTOM”

THE LITTLE THINGS

“Never get tired of doing the little things for others. For sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their heart.”

Did you ever stop to think about how much the little, simple things in life can mean so much to someone?

I think doing “little” things for people is just as important as doing “big” things for people. We are not all called to change the world in a big way, but instead called to do the “little” things we can for others each and every day.

11371063513_f49aea0f71_o

PHOTO CREDIT BY PATI MORRIS UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE (CC BY 2.0)

We can help change the world one person at a time and those things can have an awesome ripple affect.

For me, something as simple as someone telling me they’re praying for me when I’m going through a medical procedure or test makes a world of difference.

One day recently when I was working lots of extra hours and very stressed with deadlines, when my supervisor finally took a minute to say she realized that my workload could not be done in my 20 hours a week, it was like a huge load was lifted from my shoulders. Just that little comment meant so much.

Something as simple as making a meal for a person in need is one example of a simple gesture you could do.

Praying for those with a special need or even texting someone to let them know you are thinking of them are other simple ways we can make a difference in somebody’s life and share the Christ in us.

You might see some person you don’t know and offer a prayer for God to help meet a need in their life.

Maybe telling an artist their picture really touched you will encourage them in their creativity.

Can you think of a time in your life when you did a simple, little thing that touched someone else?

You may never know what the impact your simple gesture had on their life on this earth. Your simple little action might be just what the person needed to change their life.

Final small things
Photo credit by Petey under Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND 2.0). Words added by hopetoinspireyou.wordpress

So continue to look for ways you can do simple acts of love for another. Remember what an influence you can have on other people with doing the simple, little things that mean so much. You can make such a difference in someone’s life today!

When I posted the opening quote on Facebook it was such a blessing to see a post by a friend who said she was just making dinner to help someone in need, and she remembered when I had made dinner for her in her time of need. That was a cool validation of this truth. It was cool to see her reading that quote just as she was living it out and also remembering when someone did it for her.

What “little” thing can you do for someone today?

“And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” –Matthew 25:40

FOLLOW YOUR HEART

Are you aware of that still, small voice deep inside of you that helps direct your path?  Do you try to listen to it and follow where it leads? The Holy Spirit is within us helping us to follow God’s leading.

I think it is important to follow your heart, that still, small voice, not necessarily what society thinks is right or correct. We might have to endure hardship because of our choices but that is better than going against where God is leading.

There was one major time in my life when after much prayer, and weighing pros & cons, I ended up following my heart rather than do what was expected. It was a difficult thing to do as I am not one to go against what is expected, but I had to follow my heart and trust God that it was the “right” decision for my life.

origin_14973407895

Photo credit by pocketful of perspective under Creative Commons License (by-nc-nd/2.0)

Recently a conversation with a friend made me think about how I followed my heart in another life choice I made. The friend believes there was a choice in my past that was not the “correct” one.  The choice was a difficult one but one that I still stand by. In my heart, I feel it was the “right” decision for my life. Yes, it still had some repercussions but it was more important to follow God’s leading.

Can you think of some incidents in your life where you followed the Holy Spirit’s prompting? Try to be more aware of that small, still voice in your life and follow it. It is so worth the hardships you may endure for going against the norm.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness.”  –Hebrews 3:7-8