Tag: heart

  • Trouble with anger issues?

    Last evening in our writer’s group, we discussed many things. One issue that continued to pop up involved emotions in the media and in people groups in general. It seemed to us that many people harbored anger. Some were angry about the way a recent election turned out. Stories abound about robberies, bullying, abuse, suicide and homicides. Anger often stems from depression and negative thinking patterns.

    The apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 4 to, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

    Personally, I know I do not always follow this thinking pattern. I know I should pray to God about everything. Unfortunately, I don’t always pray first. Seems it’s much easier to worry and be in a complaining mode. It takes a conscious effort to think positively. Nothing is too difficult for him.

    Accordingly to this verse, the rewards are huge. My heart and mind will be guarded in Christ Jesus. And peace will reign. Peace — the opposite of depression and anger. I can’t think of a more worthy or sought after reward, can you?

    ***

  • Give thanks

    “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge” — Psalm 19:1–2.    

    We’ve been having some crazy weather here in the mid-west. This spring we experienced unprecedented temperatures in the 80s followed by snow, hail, and sleet the next week. Farmers became fearful and went to extreme measures to protect their apple buds from frost and freeze. They built fires around the perimeters of their orchards and hired helicopters to hover above the trees in an attempt to maintain even temperatures.

    As I live, breathe, and work in these extreme fluctuations and witness the sky in various forms of flex, I can’t help but stop and marvel at God’s handiwork. Only he could fashion the varying temperatures and atmospheric conditions choosing rain, snow, tornadoes, or pleasant, calm sunny days. No one can argue or match his greatness or majesty.

    One thing I can do … I can praise God’s holy name and thank him for watching over us and sustaining this great earth.

    Have you thanked God lately for food to eat and water to drink? Have you thanked him for the sun shining down and for lakes and rivers that provide your daily requirements to exist on planet earth?

    Give thanks with a grateful heart.

  • Wanting just a little bit more – (Part II)

    Wise King Solomon wrote, “I said to myself, ‘Let’s go for it — experiment with pleasure, have a good time!’ But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke” – Ecclesiastes 2:1 (The Message).

    That’s the trouble with taking matters into our own (incapable) hands. At first, it seems innocent enough but often with that first step begins a slippery, spiraling slope downward deeper and deeper. Deeper into frustration, guilt, anger, sorrow, and sin. In the end (and often along the way) a person is worse off than when they began to look and dream imaginatively about the object or person once craved. Life does not become better — just more complicated and people are hurt in the process.

    “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” — Ecclesiastes 2:10–11.  

    Been there and done that.  There are times I wished I could take back the words uttered and the acts done. Trouble is: I cannot go backwards. My only choice is to move forward and forget the past. With forgetting the past comes asking God’s forgiveness for trying to run the show and do things my way. If only I had waited, God would have provided security, love, peace and confidence. I do have a choice: I can say I’m sorry to God and ask him to guide me next time. He’ll do that for me and for you. All we need do is call on him.

    ***

  • Tell it to Jesus

    “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

    God really is the only one I can go to in times of turmoil, confusion, and misunderstanding. He’s the one who understands my pain and knows my heart’s longings. People around me (family and friends) can say and do hurtful things, but only God knows their motivation and individual pain.

    I long for peace and unity in an imperfect world. Deep down I know ‘tis impossible. One thing I know for certain: only Jesus is perfect and can satisfy my hungering soul.

    Tell it to Jesus (lyrics and composer: Edmund S. Lorenz, 1876)

    Are you weary, are you heavy hearted?
    Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
    Are you grieving over joys departed?
    Tell it to Jesus alone.

    Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus,
    He is a Friend that’s well known.
    You’ve no other such a friend or brother,
    Tell it to Jesus alone.

    Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden?
    Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
    Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden?
    Tell it to Jesus alone.

    Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus,
    He is a Friend that’s well known.
    You’ve no other such a friend or brother,
    Tell it to Jesus alone.
    ***

  • God-blessings continued

    69)  Above 70 degree weather. Yay!

    70) Plucking fresh, succulent lettuce leaves from my deck garden

    71)  Sit with a friend who listens with her heart and speaks few words

    ***

  • Tending to the gardens in my life

    Tending to the garden.  It takes time and energy.  A few years ago I didn’t even plant a garden.  My excuse was that I live in a condo and there’s no room. But that’s all it was: an excuse.  Since then, I purchased a few large pots to set on the deck and two planters that fit snugly on top of my deck rail.  It works beautifully!  Just enough soil for veggies and herbs to suit our family.  There’s nothing quite like gathering a handful of fresh lettuce for a summer salad.

    I am learning that it still takes time to produce a good crop.  Just like it takes time and energy to produce a healthy heart and mind.  Weeds come in the garden of life and unless I get after them, they multiply and take over spaces where they don’t belong. 

    Prayer: Dear God, please forgive me for not tending to the garden of my heart. It’s so easy to see flaws in my neighbor and overlook neglect in my own mind and make excuses for ungodly actions.   

    Ask: Is there some weed in the garden of your heart? Maybe it’s a seed of bitterness or jealousy over what someone else has and you do not.  What can you do today to reduce or eliminate that pesky weed? 

    “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

    ***

  • Fresh start

    “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).

    Are you feeling heavy hearted or downcast like me? I blew it another time! I wonder if God will reject me and label me a big failure? Where do I start to pick up the pieces?

    I find courage and strength in King David’s 27th Psalm. If I wait on God, he will strengthen my heart and give me courage to pick myself up again. Oh God, my Rock, give me a fresh start. And before I forget it, thank you for a brand new day so I can start clean again.  

    ***

  • Coffee’s brewing!

    “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life” (2 Corinthians 2:15–16).

    My all-time favorite stop to make when I visit Rockford is Herman’s Boy Coffee shop! My first glance at the coffee bar is their current list of specialty flavors of the month:

    • Easter Sunrise – “an intriguing blend of toasted almond, coconut and orange citrus notes”
    • Grand Slam – “rich chocolate, spicy cinnamon and toasted hazelnut”
    • Sugar Cookie – “sweet sugar cookie flavor”

    The aroma as soon as I walk through the door is divine! I could sit in their coffee shop and sip coffee all day long and never tire of the fragrance. There is no mistake that coffee’s been roasting and brewing. I feel right at home in this quiet and quaint atmosphere.

    When I contemplate aromas and smells, I wonder if I am a sweet “fragrance of life” to those I come in contact with. Do my words and actions lead them toward God or away from him? When I hear gossip, do I chime in with the most recent details, or do I attempt to steer the conversation in a wholesome direction? The words that come out of my mouth originate from my deceitful heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it” (Jeremiah 17:9).

    On the way home, my car smells of coffee beans. I breathe deeply and drink in the aroma.

    Prayer: Dear God, help me to be attractive to others and not repulsive. My desire is that they ultimately be attracted to you, your ways, and your heart.   

    Ask: Are your family and friends eager to be near you, or are they anxious to leave you? Do you contribute to negative conversations or try to respond in a positive, uplifting manner?

    Teresa K. Lasher ©2011

     

  • Unconditionally loved!

    The moment I stepped over my Aunt and Uncle’s threshold, I knew we made the right decision. My sister, brother, and I were welcomed with open hearts and arms. No pretense, prior expectations even after many years apart…just pure joy, love, and a feeling of being instantly comfortable.  Sleep comes easily even after staying up late into the evenings reminiscing and catching up on current events in each of our personal lives. I feel loved unconditionally and safe. I knew I would not be judged or criticized for the words that freely flowed within the safe walls of their home.

    And that’s the way it is when I step into the presence of God as I read his Word or pray. He’s always there, available, with a listening ear. God calls me his friend. I am special because he made me this way.

    “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else…God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring” (Acts 17:24–25, 27–28).

    *** 

  • Laugh a little!

     

    “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

    Laughter can draw others to you and lighten your load in life. When you begin to laugh at life and at yourself, you gain new perspectives on your struggles. Begin today.—Emilie Barnes

    ***