Heart Hope by Olga

  What does your typical Christmas look like? Shopping, Baking, Decorating, Traveling, Church Services, Family and Friends? Or is it more like chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, yuletide carols being sung by a choir? A typical Christmas may look vastly different to individuals, but if it’s typical to us it still seems right. And when things don’t go as planned it can make the season difficult. A couple of weeks ago I discovered that Apple and iTunes has hijacked my favorite Christmas music, I then arrived at church to find the kitchen flooded just as we needed to get the preparations done for the tea. Things were hinting at a different type of Christmas. And to top it off instead of being snuggled by a fire surrounded by family, I will be traveling on Christmas Day. All of those things make this a non-typical Christmas for me. Maybe your holiday is shaping up to be different this year too. Perhaps you have a loved one who is missing

Many people are curious about their genealogy, some have it as a hobby, while a few are obsessed with it. I’m sure there are many reasons people research their family tree, but the past, the present and the future are three good ones. People want to learn about The Past – Where do I come from? Why am I like I am? They are also interested in The Present – Why am I here? What is my purpose? And they care about The Future – What is going to happen to me? What does my future hold? Who will I become? This is not a new phenomenon. It has been around since the beginning of the human race. In Genesis chapter 5 we see the first family tree and we find them scattered throughout the Old Testament. Growing up we wanted to skip over the “begat” verses thinking they weren’t important, but in God’s eyes they must be pretty significant because that’s the way He starts the first chapter of the New Testament in Matthew 1:1 it says, “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the Son of Dav

Moving will expose many things, including: How much stuff you can accumulate in a short amount of time How much you have aged since the last time you did it How much your toe can hurt when you kick one of the many boxes stacked around How bad your attitude can be when things don’t go exactly as planned And maybe most of all how much dirt can be found underneath things that seemed clean on the surface Recently as furniture was moved, dust was discovered. When carpets were rolled up, dirt was left behind. With nothing else to look at the glass revealed the smudges, fingerprints and water spots. I think I’m pretty clean, but beneath the surface, things didn’t look so good. My life can be much the same. On the surface I might look all right, even like I have it all together and live a pretty good Christian life, but if I really take the time to examine deeper it’s not always so pretty. And if it ask God to reveal to me the sin in my heart, it can get downright ugly

Surprise was my reaction when finding out that a certain co-worker had been spotted visiting my church on Sunday morning. I had been out of town, but a friend had seen him and asked him to sit with her. Excited to see him a few days later and let him know how happy I was that he had been there was met with a letdown. He said he won't go back because he saw too many people that he dealt with in his job and wanted church and work to be separate. He informed me that he usually went to a different church in the area and then added in a monotone voice, "I'm a Christian. Woohoo." His lack of enthusiasm led me to be excited for him as I exclaimed with gusto, "Yes indeed WOOHOO!" We should be excited about our faith. After all the God of the Universe has chosen us to be a part of His own family at no cost to us. He paid it all and then openly invited us. Do you show excitement or are you lackluster in your faith? What do you need to do in order to sho

It had probably been over thirty years, but someone would “not let it go.” The child had some "pocket change" and went into the store to buy a candy bar. When she arrived back at the car, her grandmother greeted her with, "Where's mine?" The child had long forgotten the incident, but apparently the granny hadn't, because many years later the now young woman was being scolded for not offering to buy a candy bar for her, by the words "Do you remember when???"? Do you hang on to the past? Do you harbor resentment? Do you have an unforgiving spirit? Do you cling to hurtful words and play them over and over again in your head? If you do any of these things, do you realize that the only person that you are hurting is yourself? In fact the other person may not even realize that you are bitter over the long ago incident. Our lives will be much happier if we let bygones be bygones and don’t rehash them at every opportunity.   Unforgivenes

The plate filled with goodies was placed at my desk. It was left over from a birthday celebration and had yummy cupcakes and cream filled cookies. The temptation was almost too risky to sit there for long as people meandered by and picked up the treats. Just as I was about to succumb to the temptation in front of me, I made the decision to remove them and place them in a more appropriate place for two reasons--the kitchen is where most people would go looking for treats and second, they wouldn't be within my reach or sight. The temptation would not be as tempting. We must do the same thing with any type of enticement, whether it is food or sex or shopping or gossip or anger or you name it. We are told to flee from immorality, the love of money, idolatry and all evil desires of youth. That means don't hang around those things or put yourself in the place where it can get a grip on you. God promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that No  tempt ation has overtaken yo

The coach was told that the players liked him better than the other coaches. Upon delving deeper to find out why, he discovered that it was because he was an encourager. However there was a caveat; it was a little strange to the players when the team was down by six runs and he would tell them, "We have them right where we want them." Who in their right mind would think that was the best scenario? The other team would seem to have the upper hand in that situation. In a little league baseball game that statement probably does seem out of place, but with God, the impossible is always possible. When according to our finite minds, situations or circumstances look impossible that's the exact place where God can prove His dominance, His authority and His omnipotence. When we look at life through human eyes, we might despair, but when we look through the eyes of Almighty God, there is always room for a miracle. In His Word, God assures us that He is capable of doin

Morning walks are my favorites. The world seems fresh and new. The sun peeks over the mountain, the cool night air still lingers, the animals are awake and busily starting their morning routine. That's why the sight alarmed me. Everything else was perfection until I spotted the curled ribbon along the way. It startled me at first, but after a closer look, I realized the snake was not alive, but had been run over and thus destroyed its power to harm or even frighten me anymore. These days, all we have to do is turn on the morning news to hear how rampant Satan is in the world today. The mass murders, the disasters, the financial crisis all make it seem that God has lost all control and that the enemy is winning, but the dead snake in the road served as a reminder that he has already been defeated; his fate has been sealed and even though he can still cause havoc, his time is short. Jesus will return in power and in glory to rule for all eternity while Satan will be thrown

How often do we say words without thinking of the way that they might affect someone else? How often have someone else's words affected us for good as well as to hurt us in some way? A decade or more I was speaking to a friend that I rarely see. She had been in a car accident and was struggling with the slow and sometimes painful healing process.  A simple statement was made, "God knit you together before you were born, so He can knit you together again."  I had long forgotten those words of encouragement that had been spoken, but my friend didn't. In fact she would need them even more when she struggled with her breast cancer. She said that simple truth had helped her get through the tough days and times.  Often times we think we have to speak a discourse to people, when all they might need are just a few short words spoken.  Lord may my words be ones of encouragement; may they be spoken with love; and may they be few in number, but

The popular TV show The View has celebrity hosts discussing the issues of the day. Most of the time I disagree with the views of the women discussing the topics, but there is one view I don’t have any qualms with…it is “the view” from my bathroom window. The panoramic view I awaken to each morning displays the vast array of beauty that God has created. The view can look vastly different depending on the season of the year. When we first moved in, the leaves had just fallen from the trees, so the mountain was in clear view with just the bare branches against the backdrop. As winter set in the snow blanketed mountain would reflect the morning rays of sunshine to greet me each day. And then in spring the leaves popped open covering the mountain from view and spreading shade from the western sun. And now in the fall of the year the green is draining from Aspen leaves and turning them to gold. I love that bathroom window, but just as the view has changed over the last year,

After applying for a new job which seemed to be a perfect fit for my skills, talents and desires I told a few people about it, so as I went through the interview process they prayed and provided encouragement to me. On the day of one of the interviews a friend brought me a card with a lovely pocket cross in it—to take with me. I felt confident in the process, so it was just a waiting game. Eventually I heard the news that someone else had been offered the position. Although I was a little surprised and a bit disappointed, I also knew that if God had wanted me to have the job, He would have placed me in it. Next came the difficult part, explaining to friends that I didn’t get the job. First the friend who had given me the pocket cross. Her response was, “Well it didn’t work.” But I quickly responded, “Oh yes it did. God must not have wanted me in the new role.” The next day another friend called to check and see if I had heard anything and when I told her the news, sh

One of my favorite things is spending time with the grand kids. Will the oldest is so bright and has wonderful questions about anything and everything, learning all the time. Molly, the only girl in the bunch is so much like her mother, with a love of people and a kind and gentle manner. Griffin is the adventurous one, athletic and always taking in life. Thomas is a little too young to see what makes him tick, but already we can tell that he loves the outdoors. This time of year, it is fabulous to be outside, so Lynn and I have been taking Thomas on hikes in the beautiful and colorful Rocky Mountains. Due to his size, we share the duties of carrying him in the BabyBjorn. The twenty something pounds might not seem too hard to carry, but when you do it for several miles, it can tug on your shoulders, making you weary. Thomas is a pleasure to carry even if he can get heavy, because of the excitement that he shows, by kicking his legs and cooing as we move along. I don’t want to

It was shaping up to be a memorable day. The car was packed with kids and adults. The sun was shining. Anticipation was high for the exciting day at the Breckenridge Fun Park. Last year it had been dubbed "The Best Day Ever." Would this one be able to meet or even exceed the expectation? First stop would be the Alpine Slide. It is a fiberglass track where you have a plastic sled which takes you down the mountain through a series of twists and turns. My grandson, Will tends to be a bit competitive to say the least. He wants to be the first, the best, the biggest...you've got the picture, so riding the chairlift to the top, he devised a plan. We would race down the track and in order to win he would need my help, actually my weight. Aunt LaLa and Molly would ride on one sled and he and I would be on the other. Weight alone would allow us to win in his mind. He was able to persuade me to go along with his plan even though I really didn't think it was a very g

A cool walk along the river makes the afternoon at work much easier to endure. It refreshes the body mind and soul. It usually is pretty standard with a couple of walkers, maybe a biker and an occasional fisherman, but today I found evidence. Now evidence can be ordinary like the golden leaves as evidence of the fast approaching winter or as exciting as the sound of the mountain lion in the night informing us of the visitor outside our window. However the evidence that I observed on the ground beneath the bench seemed out of place. White with red tipped rose petals were scattered about on the bank of the river. I announced to the passing walker, “It looks like evidence to me, evidence of a proposal.” She responded by saying, “You’re right it does look like evidence.” Every court of law requires evidence to prove a case. It is weighed, discussed, and determined correct or not. That's what ultimately determines the outcome of the case. As Christians our lives too m

Proficient--competent or skilled in using something or doing something Do you feel proficient? According to the definition above, I don't feel that I am very proficient, but according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that is exactly what God expects of His children. That's why He has given us His word...to teach us, reproof, correct and train is to be righteous. In order to do those things, we have to actually open our Bibles, read them and allow them to speak to us. It takes hard work to become proficient at playing a musical instrument and diligent practice to develop the skills necessary to play a sport and a years of training to master a foreign language. So how can we expect to be proficient in living the life that God desires for us if we only get one hour's worth of training each week? That equals out to be one out of 168 hours we have each week. How many hours do you spend watching TV, reading, at the gym, shopping or participating in any other activity that you en

Some children are just naturally funny. Griffin is one of those; he cracks me up. One morning on his recent visit to Colorado he appeared in our bedroom with bedhead and four pacifiers in his mouth...four. Most mouths are not big enough for two, but he was able to fit all four into his, including a girlie pink one. The question became why? Why would he want or need four? He sleeps with all of them each night using them one at a time exchanging them out. When one gets too hot or too wet or too something else, he pulls it out and goes on to the next one. It was complicated to me...one would have been much easier to keep up with and to manage, but what do I know? Our world has become too complicated also. We have excess everything in this country. We have too many gadgets, too many clothes, too many TVs, too many cars, too many bedrooms, too many ________ (you fill in the blank). All of these “things” distract us from enjoying the most important things people, relationships,

Walking across the Tarmac at our small airport and glancing up at the plane, I spotted the pilot in the tip of the cockpit. He looked awfully small to be able to maneuver the large plane across the country. I have never been able to understand the dynamics of how a plane can become airborne and stay in the sky going to a particular destination without complications or danger, yet I still choose to put my trust in someone I don't know and in an object that I don't understand to take me to my destination. Millions of people do the same thing each and every day. Many of these same trusting people refuse another important area of trust. They refuse to trust the Creator of this wonderfully amazing universe where we live. They refuse to believe that there is a God who cares about our lives. And they refuse to trust that God has a perfect plan for their lives. How can we trust a stranger and yet not trust the Master of the universe? Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the

My friend was telling about her daughter’s summer fun with her grandparents at Sea Island, Georgia. She said that although she missed her while she was gone, this year was better than last year because her daughter was able to describe all of the experiences of her day during the daily phone conversations. She went on by saying that last year when she would call there was silence on the other end of the phone because her daughter didn't know what to say. After coaching her to just pretend that her mom is sitting right next to her and talk to her in that way the conversations have improved. The telephone shouldn't make a difference in the conversations that they are having. Many people are fearful of praying because they don't know what to say, but the same principle can be used . Talk to God just as you would a friend or loved one just like you were sitting together. Talk about your day, your likes and dislikes, your hopes and dreams, your pains and heartaches,

Practice hospitality...that's what the morning sermon had been about. The pastor had encouraged all of us to invite others into our homes for food and fellowship. It's something I enjoy, but wasn't expecting to be able to do it in the unplanned way. My mentoring session was finished much earlier than expected freeing up some additional time, so I stopped in at Walgreens to check on a product, however I quickly discovered that they didn't have what I was looking for. Since I was already there I decided to see if there were any specials in the flyer and discovered that they had a bargain on cashews, less than half price. So I purchased a couple of bags and headed to my car. Once inside the car, I found that one of the bags had a small hole in it and was concerned that they might be stale due to the opening. I would return them and then be on my way, or so I thought. God had other plans. An older lady standing next to her car shouted to me that she had locked h

The little yellow envelope under the windshield wiper was ominous. Trying to do the right thing with the new parking process at Eagle Airport I looked for signage to explain the new system, but little was found. So I did the next best thing, asking a fellow traveler who readily explained where the free parking section was located. When I left my car I was confident that I had maneuvered the new process, but now returning to the car with the envelope positioned on the windshield I wasn’t so sure anymore. Opening the filled pouch, I was horrified to see that it was packed with daily tickets totaling almost $60 when I thought I was parking in the “free” section. I hate to waste money needlessly and felt betrayed by the system. There was a little card in the envelope that said if you felt you had received the billing in error to call the contact listed; so that’s what I did. After explaining my situation to the kind worker, she said she understood and would void the t

It hasn't been that long since my friend Susan and I went to watch a baseball practice of my Grandson, Will. We had a good laugh, because he was doing anything but learning or enjoying the game. For a while he would look at the ground and play with the doodlebugs, then he would come over to where we were positioned wanting snacks, already knowing that we hadn't brought anything with us. And then he again left the field to go over to the water fountain. We turned to each other and said, "Looks like he won't be a baseball player." But two years later he has proven us wrong by receiving four game balls for outstanding skills and performance. He was also selected to be a part of the All Stars. What brought about the change? Research, practice, videos, encouragement, maturity, coaching and conversations have all been part of the transformation.  It became a desire and a passion to play the game. I see a couple of lessons in this. First don’t be too quick to ju

It was a glorious summer morning—cool and crisp with not a cloud in the sky, a perfect day for a morning hike. So off to the Avon to Singletree Connector trail I strode. Praise and worship music was chosen for my walk with the Lord. Meet with Me, Majesty, and Lord Most High set the tone for the hike, but as I climbed higher and saw the wonder of my surroundings I became overcome with emotions. The beauty of the earth pointed to the goodness of God. Alone in a quiet spot, gazing across the valley toward Arrowhead, the song I Worship You Almighty God began playing. I stopped, closed my eyes, and raised my hands in praise of my Heavenly Father. In the stillness of the moment, I felt movement and opened my eyes to an oncoming pair of bikers. My first thought was, “I wonder what they think I was doing,” but I quickly dispelled the message in my mind and hoped that they knew that they had come upon holy ground for I was meeting with God in that moment. Psalm 96:9 Worship

What’s wrong with people? Why are they so impatient? Why do they feel so entitled? Can’t they just enjoy being in the moment? What’s the hurry? My two flights were not connecting and the wonderful agent was helping me get my bag connected through to my final destination in our small Eagle Airport. When I walked up to the counter to check in, there was no one in sight, so the agent in the priority lane offered to assist, but after a few minutes of locating all of the information for my itinerary, a couple walked up and were distressed over having to wait to get their bags checked in. The man proceeded to make all kinds of comments about having to wait so long…maybe 3 minutes. What was in in such a hurry for? Was it so he could go and wait in the security line? Or perhaps it was to wait at the gate? Or maybe it was to wait on the plane for takeoff? I wondered how he was feeling after all of the delays and then to top it off, we were ready for takeoff when the pilot came

The computer was docked, the phone cut off, the credit card cut up, the proxy card and parking passes turned in and the name plate removed from the door. An employee was leaving to take a new job. It seemed to me how quickly we can be gone and replaced from our jobs and from life. Here today and gone tomorrow. None of us are guaranteed another day. How often have we heard about a sudden and unexpected death of a loved one, a friend or an acquaintance? Therefore we must make the most of every opportunity to love well, live well and speak kindly. People come and go in our lives whether as neighbors, friends, coworkers, church or some other arena. We must make the most of every opportunity. So, if  you need to forgive, forgive. If you need to commend, do so publicly. If you need to encourage, offer up those words to lift someone's spirits. If you need to give, give wholeheartedly. And if you need to change in some way, what are you waiting for?  We have to m

I did absolutely nothing, however I was able to board an airplane without paying. And then another phenomenon occurred. I was asked if I wanted to sit in first class, again for no reason. The ticket and upgrade were free for me, but they did cost something for someone. My friend that is a flight attendant had to "pay" for them by working for the company. My salvation is a free gift to me also, but it did cost greatly. Jesus had to pay the price. And it was not just because He worked for it, but because He gave His life for it. Lord, help me not to take for granted the huge sacrifice that You paid for me. But help me to be grateful each and every day that You willingly paid it and chose me to be a part of your family, thank you. Ephesians 2:8-9    For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.   www.hearthope.org