Heart Hope by Olga

How in the world did he think he could keep it a secret from me? My husband had stolen my prized possession and thought I wouldn't notice. My Bible was falling apart at the seams because of the daily use, so when I couldn't find it on Monday morning I guessed that I had left it in the car after church. A search ensued   to the car, the laundry room, then my bedside table, my desk, even under the bed, but it was nowhere to be found. I complained to my husband that I must have left my Bible somewhere. His response was silence, until I continued questioning aloud where it could be. It was then that he just couldn't stand to see me fretting over it any longer and confessed that he had absconded with it. How could he take it without even asking me? I might need it for a talk or for a blog or just for my quiet time, but his thoughtfulness was abounding. He knew it was falling apart and was having it rebound as a gift. Since my Bible is so important to me, I want ...

Don't you just love the fine print that we encounter throughout life? It might be found in a contract, a statement of account, contest rules or some other type of agreement, but it usually contains information pertinent to what you are signing. Is it small not because of its importance level, but because someone hopes that you won't read it and will be stuck with it just because you signed on the dotted line without realizing the future consequences? This insight came to the forefront of my mind upon arriving at the rental car desk and overhearing the customer in front of me speaking to the attendant. The renter had decided to keep his car a couple of extra days and had called to inform the company that he was doing so. To hear his side of the conversation, he had been notified by the person on the other end of the phone line that there would be no additional fees or price increase since he had called to let them know of his delay in returning the car. However when trying ...

It’s already wildfire season in Colorado and it appears that this just might be a prolific year for them due to the small amount of snow pack this winter. We had our first major fire a couple of weeks ago which burned 6 square miles and claimed three lives.  Having lived in the Boulder area for three years, we have been close to a few fires and have known people affected by them. Residents of areas that are at high risk for the wildfires have been told to determine ahead of time what to take if they were ever to receive the dreaded call to evacuate their home. We are all familiar with calling 9-1-1 if you have an emergency situation and need assistance; however you might not be as familiar with a reverse 9-1-1 call. That’s when you get a phone call from officials telling you that there is an emergency in your area such as a fire that requires you to leave your home immediately.  Friends have told me that they have every inch of space in their car planned perfectly so as to s...

Last weekend while trying to catch a snow report and watch the Indian snow dance on Good Morning Vail there were also segments from local vendors. Realtors were on the program trying to sell multi-million dollar homes positioned on mountain tops which would be used as second or third homes. Another shop owner was talking about the new ski gear that could be purchased to make your ski experience more enjoyable. A jeweler appeared who was inviting viewers to stop in and purchase a Rolex watch as a Valentine’s gift for their sweetheart. He had displayed watches with mother of pearl and meteorite faces, ones with diamond bezels which were made of a variety of different materials including gold and platinum. They were beautiful and of great monetary value. After watching all of the opulence on TV I stopped to have my quiet time which took me to Psalm 19:9-11 that says:   The fear of the LORD is pure,    enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure ...

Neighborhood Deer As I glanced out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement out the living room window. A closer look revealed a beautiful deer. And then I spotted not just one, but two of them. One seemed at peace and sat down on the berm for a rest, while the other one was a bit more skittish, perhaps remembering our dog from previous years. I enjoyed watching the deer and wished that my grandson had been there to see them with me. So, the next time I spoke with Will, I told him about the deer and how I wished he had been there to see them with me. Instead of excitement about the deer, he simply said, “I’ve already seen deer before.” His lackadaisical attitude can be a lot like our response to God and His Word. “I’ve already read it”… “I’ve already heard that Scripture before”… or “I know who God is.” There might not be any awe and wonder towards God, but there should be. God is amazing and we can never fully know or understand Him. The Bible is fresh and new each time you o...

My five year old grandson, Will, is very inquisitive, with dinosaurs being his main interest. He wants to read all about them and has millions of questions about what they looked like, where they lived, what they ate, what happened to them, etc. so it should have been no surprise when he began questioning his mother about what the Bible says about them. That’s when I received the phone call to find out why the Bible does not mention them. I fumbled through some answers, but then the thought came to mind, why not search the internet to see what I could find. As I googled “Dinosaurs in the Bible,” I found that there were actually many articles on the subject. All of the ones that I read pointed out that the term dinosaur wasn’t coined until the 19th century, so that particular name would not have been in early translations. Most of them also pointed out a passage in Job that could have been a description of a dinosaur. Interestingly enough as I read through the material, I came upon some...

What makes snakes so frightening? Last week I had two separate encounters with snakes and I can tell you that neither time did I experience any pleasure in the incidents. However, a fox walked less than six feet in front of me during the same period and I got so excited that I was trying to get a picture of the beautiful, yet dangerous wild animal. The fox was probably much more of a threat to me than the small little garden snake. So what is the difference? Could it be that growing up in the South there were several types of poisonous snakes that we had to be cautious around—copperheads, rattlesnakes, water moccasins? Or maybe it is a memory of my mother being afraid of them and calling my dad to kill them? Or perhaps it is the Bible story in Genesis that gives us the creeps when we are around snakes. Do you remember the snake in the Garden of Eden? Eve was probably enjoying a beautiful day in the garden when she was approached by the serpent. It doesn’t sound like she was afraid of ...