Heart Hope by Olga

Most children have good and bad days, up and down periods, delightful and challenging stages.  My grandson Will has had a great year with a wonderful teacher and my daughter wanted to compliment him on the current positive phase in his life, so she said, “Will I am so proud of all you have learned this year.” Without hesitating, 7 year old Will responded, “You shouldn’t be proud of me. You should be proud of my teacher, since she is the one who taught me.” His statement made me laugh, but I thought there was a bit of truth to it. We tend to want to take credit for what we know, what we accomplish or what we can do. However if we really stop to recognize the one who deserves it, we will thank God because without Him we would be nothing.  God gives us wisdom and knowledge along with skills and talents to learn, to achieve and to succeed. He is the One that needs to be praised and honored. You are awesome, O God , in your sanctuary; the God o...

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Holy Week in the Christian faith. It is celebrated the Sunday before Easter and represents the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. In that day kings rode donkeys in time of peace and horse in times of war, so Jesus was coming as the Prince of Peace. As He rode into the town, they people were rejoicing over the arrival of Jesus. They were spreading their own garments along the road and cutting branches from the trees to lay down in honor of His coming, treating Him as royalty. They were singing and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Hosanna means save us. They probably had no idea that they were really prophesying about the purpose of His coming, they simply hoped He was going to save them from the Roman government.  The Pharisees didn’t like what they saw and heard, and actually told Jesus to rebuke His disciples for their praise of Him to which Jesus replied, “...

It just doesn’t get any better than this…a cool evening…a slight breeze…riding my bike…birds chirping…children laughing…the river rushing…bees buzzing…butterflies fluttering…dogs prancing…tall grass swaying…regal flowers strutting their vibrant colors…families walking…friends talking on a park bench…the sun shining brightly one moment only to disappear behind the clouds the next… smells of barbequing and fresh mowed grass… trees glistening in the setting sun…men fishing…bocce balls rolling…but my favorite part had to be when I entered the play area of a group of swallows. There were probably twenty birds that were dipping and diving, sweeping and swaying, following and flitting all around me. It was hard to distinguish if they were so caught up in playing with each other that they didn’t notice me or if they were trying to include me in on their fun.  As I rode, basking in the beauty of they day it was as if the world seemed to say “Enjoy the moment--be thankful for the little ...

Wildflowers are a sight to behold no matter where you live. Whether it is the bluebonnets in Texas or the pink buttercups in Mississippi, or the orange poppies in California, it can be breathtaking to look at a field of flowers that God Himself has planted, watered and grown so that everyone can enjoy them. However, I think the wildflowers in Colorado have to be more beautiful than anywhere else. I’m not sure if it is because there are so many different varieties or if it is that I am so excited to see color exploding everywhere after the long cold days of winter. One of my favorite wildflowers is the lupine which may be found in pink, purple, yellow, white and red. While hiking in the woods, I spotted a purple lupine plant that had finished blooming and had seeds pods hanging from the spike. I took a few of the pods off of the plant, thinking that I would try to grow a few plants from the seeds in my garden. Upon returning home, I laid the pods on my kitchen counter. Tonight while do...