Tag Archives: heart

The Willing Heart

There are many days when I have an un-willing heart. I don’t always want to hear God’s voice. I don’t always want to follow His path for me. I don’t always want to live in faith and wait for His guidance. I want to just be…and wallow in my own issues and needs. I want to just live a life without purpose, and just follow my own instincts. It’s easier, isn’t it? To be able to live a life without having to worry about disappointing God, or others. No pressure. No expectations. No striving.

Also no reward….

Good thing that the heart is changing. Continue reading The Willing Heart

A Mother’s Heart

Being a mother is a lifetime journey of ups and downs. There are those moments of joy when we celebrate the firsts. The birth, the smile, the laugh…and those first steps. The first day of school is one of those firsts that fill us with dread. Will my baby be okay? Will he find friends? Will he be smart enough so that school won’t be a constant struggle? This day, and many of the days that follow, can potentially break our heart. We see struggle, we see pain…and we can’t do much about it. We can’t walk that walk for them…no matter how much we want to. We try to comfort and encourage them, and pray that it gets easier. We hide behind the encouraging smile, and cry, and rail at God…”why can’t this be easier? Why does my child have to suffer?” Continue reading A Mother’s Heart

Passing the Buck

For most of my life I would sit in the pew and listen to pleas for some cause or another. The television shows that I enjoyed watching had long commercial breaks showing hungry children and opportunities for helping someone in need. I would tune it out, change the channel…it made me uncomfortable. It’s not like I could help anyone, I didn’t have any money. And aren’t these commercials and speeches just a money grab for a large organization? It was easy to forget it all and think that someone else will take care of it. I didn’t need to make it my problem.

Now I am on the other side of the equation, seeing first hand the endless opportunities to help. Now I can’t change the channel. And there are days when I wish I could. It still makes me uncomfortable, and I still don’t have the money. Or do I? Don’t I have just enough to help a little? Isn’t that all I need to do? Didn’t the widow in the Bible just give her 10 cents? Jesus isn’t asking us to come up with millions of dollars for a big cause! He just wants an open heart and the willingness to be used. Continue reading Passing the Buck

“Just Sayin'”

This last week I had the privilege of being part of a mini mission conference, learning with and from my colleagues. A real blessing and encouragement. During one of the breakout sessions we were discussing communication and honesty, and how difficult it can be. One of the missionaries was giving us an example of how some people can be. They pride themselves of being honest, and go even to the point of saying, “I say it like I see it.”

When we say it like we see it, we can also be quite off. What happens if we see everything from a negative viewpoint? Then everything we say comes out with that negative slant. It might sometimes be the truth, even can be most of the time…but does that mean it is really the right thing to say? What happens to the one listening to this “honesty”? Does it bring them down? Does it cause them to start seeing things from the negative point of view? What happens to their perception of us in the long run? Do they avoid us? Do they think of us as a negative person, even a negative influence? Continue reading “Just Sayin’”