Heart Hope by Olga

Does anyone remember the Peter Pan song where he sings, “I won’t grow up…I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up, No sir, Not I, Not me, So there!” Those were my thoughts as I biked the 14 mile trail through the Glenwood Canyon. With beauty surrounding me, friends beside me and the sun shining on me I felt like a kid. And I didn’t want to grow up or grow old. For some of you that might seem comical because you already think of me as being old…after all the number associated with my age is well past the half-century mark, I have multiple grandchildren and am closer to retirement than I care to think, but I feel young at heart. When I think of my grandparents, I remember them as old--they looked old and acted old. Why is that? It’s not the number associated with my age or the fear of getting old, it’s that I don’t want to give up enjoying life, trying new things and serving God. The Bible promises us that we can be productive into the twilight year

Do other people sometimes make your feel inadequate or put down? This was a recent experience with a friend who was visiting. No...they didn't make me feel that way, but they had been put in that position. You see they were attending a wedding in Bachelor Gulch for the weekend and had intended on staying at a ritzy hotel property, but upon going up the hill, they were stopped at the guard gate and asked if they were on their way to work--#1 hurt. The second experience was driving into the valet area and having the attendant upset over the tip. But the final blow came as they were visiting with some of the other guests in attendance. There was a young man; you would most likely recognize him because you have probably encountered the type. He was dressed in his sport coat with his bright orange tie, no socks with loafers. His attire was the first indicator, but when he opened his mouth, the rest was revealed. He was the best at everything, had been everywhere and was in

Have you ever sent a text or an email to the wrong person? Well, I must admit that I have. I have also received texts that I had no idea who they were from and was unsure if I should call them to find out if it was meant for me or just let it go. During the recent Priscilla Shirer simulcast they had us write down our prayer requests and place them on the altar to be prayed over or we could text them to the number provided. Since I would be the one gathering the requests from our church and praying over them I decided that I would text mine to the prayer line so I too could have others praying for my concerns. As I hit send on my request I had a warm feeling that many people who are a part of the Lifeway conference ministry would be praying for me. It was late when I arrived home and I took the prayer requests and spread them across my bed, picking each one up as if touching each woman while praying over their needs. Prayers for the salvation of loved ones, prayers for ch

Birdie and Chic--two uncommon yet intriguing names for a couple of old people almost 40 years ago, but they made a lasting impression on a teenaged girl. You see, I sang in the choir at my church when I was in high school, just a filler voice, but nevertheless, I sat in the choir loft and from that spot I could see everyone in the audience. The sleepers, the bored, the wiggling children, the doodlers, the talkers…you get the picture. Birdie and Chic always sat at the front of the auditorium. Although they never had children of their own, they were loved by many of them. There was nothing beautiful about the couple; he was bald with a big nose and she was as wrinkled as they come. In fact the story was told that a child looking up into Chic’s face said, “Why is your face cracked all over?”  However the thing that I remember most about the couple was the expression on their faces. They exuded joy, excitement and anticipation. You could tell that they wanted to be in church

Our local NBC news station recently told about a new invention that allows you to make a square egg. It was on the segment called “Gadgets to Make Your Life Easier,” but I didn't realize that making a square egg would make my life easier than making an oval one. In fact I think just having one more piece of equipment in my kitchen makes my life more complicated. My drawers are already filled with gadgets that have been used only once or twice for special occasions purchased in hopes of making life easier. One of the newscasters questioned who would want or need a square egg, I happen to agree. It seems that the way it works is that you cook your hard boiled egg as usual, peel it and then shove it into the square slot while still warm and then squash the top down until the egg molds into the shape of a cube. I wonder how the egg feels about it. Does it want to change shape? Does it want to be made to conform to someone else's expectation? Does it like being crammed into a