Heart Hope by Olga

King Charlie My daughter and son-in-law were going on a trip to New York shortly after the arrival of their second dog and I was responsible for taking care of the grand-dogs for a few days. After getting lots of instructions, 2 crates and a huge bag filled with things to use for the next few days, I thought I was set. Lynn’s parting instructions were, “Charlie, (the 14 week old puppy) will let you know when he needs to go out by barking at the door and when you take a bath, take both of the dogs in the room with you.” Then they were off for a much needed break. Since it was 6 o’clock in the morning, I returned back upstairs to have my quiet time, with 3 dogs in tow, including Roxy, our 14 year old dog, and the 2 grand-dogs. With all 3 on my bed, it was very difficult to have much quiet time, so it was humorous that part of the day’s scripture was Isaiah 26:3, which says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Next it was bath ...

Carrot Cake This recipe was given to me by a girl I went to college with who was from New Orleans. I wish I could thank her for this recipe that I have used for years. The measurements in parenthesis are to be used if at high altitude. 2 c sugar (2 cups less 2 T) 1 ¼ c oil (1 ½ c) 4 eggs (same) 2 c all purpose flour (2 ½ c) 2 t baking powder (none) 2 t baking soda (1 ½ t) 1 t salt (1 ½ t) 2 t cinnamon (same) 3 c chopped carrots—about 1 lb (same) Mix sugar and oil together until blended. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon in bowl; then add t o oil and sugar mixture. Mix until smooth. Add carrots and mix well until blended. Pour batter equally into 3 greased 8 inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Frosting 1 box Confectioner’s sugar 8 oz Cream Cheese 1 stick of margarine 2 t vanilla ½ c chopped nuts Mix all ingredients together until smooth as possible. This cake is best if made a few days ahe...

Last spring while walking in the beautiful Vail Valley I came across a group of students and their coach who had been practicing lacrosse at the community field and were on their way back to the high school field house. There were about 6 or 7 husky young men walking on the sidewalk and as I approached them, they made no effort to move to one side; instead they made me shift to the grass, so they could pass by. It took me back to the days of my youth when we were actually taught to respect people who were older than we were and imagine this—to even stand when they entered the room. Today, it seems that many people do not teach their children to respect--not teachers, community servants, our country, our laws, life, etc.  When children do not learn this at an early age, it is extremely difficult to learn it later in life. The coach missed a great opportunity to demonstrate manners to his players. Maybe that is why we have so many things in the news each day about teens that are do...

In the last week I have heard it said several times that Thanksgiving is actually two parts—the thanks and the giving. I saw that happen at our recent community dinner. There were many people who were giving thanks—some for the delicious meal, others for a great church, some for a place to feel loved and still more who were thankful for a warm place to rest for a while.  Yet the attendees were not just giving thanks, they were giving of themselves to help others who were in need. There were a couple of these precious situations that I observed. One woman from the community came to pick up ten meals in Styrofoam containers to deliver to shut-ins. She makes food deliveries 4 days out of every week—two meals are provided by the county and two days she cooks for the recipients. Last week they got an extra meal, because this precious lady found out that she could get them one more for free at our community dinner.   In chatting with this lady, I found out that she and her hus...

If you know me you know that I love people. (I heard at Women of Faith that most people say that, but anyway…) God has transformed my life in that area, because I cannot say that it was always the truth about my life.  It is funny because with my personality, I must have my quiet/alone time, but when I am with people I cherish every moment spent with them. Of course, being with my family is always a priority for me and God has granted me special friends that I always enjoy being around, but strangers can also be treat for me. I can meet someone at the grocery store or other places and feel as though I have known them for years.   At our community dinner recently there was a precious little Asian woman who came to the dinner with her daughters. She was probably 70 years old and I was immediately drawn to her. I went over to tell her how glad I was that she was there for our dinner and she reached over and gave me a hug. I knew she had “a story” and wished that I had time to h...

Last Sunday our church gave each attendee a paper leaf as we entered the sanctuary. Later in the service we were instructed to write something we were thankful for on the leaf—it could be one word or a paragraph. At the end of the service they collected the leaves and the following Sunday they had tree-like Aspen branches on stage with all of the leaves tied onto it. A video had also been made using children and adult voices reading the responses and visuals of the different leaves. This activity made me think that there is not just one thing I am thankful for, but I could fill a tree by myself, so here is my list. It is only a partial one, but it is a good start. I am thankful for: God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit…My husband of 37 years…My two wonderful daughters and their great husbands…Two precious grandchildren…Two grand-dogs…My mother who is in good health at 85 years young…The best sister in the world…Extended family everywhere…Friends all across the country…The ...

Pumpkin Roll This is a delicious recipe from Libby's Canning Company. It was introduced to me by Kate Tyler at our Bible Study.  Ingredients 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel) 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup canned pumpkin Filling 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top...

It was Saturday night and our church was a buzz. It wasn’t because we were having a church service, but instead we were feeding the community—a free dinner for anyone who wanted to attend with no strings attached.  The planning and preparation had been taking place for days. Flyers had been posted throughout the area. Volunteers had been lined up to assist with parking, greet the attendees, serve the food/beverages and even wash the dishes. The brisket had been cooking for 24 hours, the 80 pounds of potatoes had been peeled, sliced and pared for mashed potatoes, the brownies were baked, and the tables decorated.  People began arriving—some came directly from work and some from the bar; some brought their families or friends while others came alone; some came not knowing that they were entering a church and some came because it was a church; some were new to town and others had lived in the Valley their whole life; some spoke English, some didn’t. Isn’t that what a church sho...

On a cold snowy day in the Rocky Mountains it is fun to think of this story about a garden:  My friend tells the story that she had a beautiful garden and the way that it came to being was that she dug a deep, deep hole and threw all of the junk from her past into it. She then covered it with pebbles and rocks and then to be sure it would not surface, she poured cement over it all. Then she began to prepare the area by placing soil, compost and other good things in the hole before planting the healthy array of plants that would become her lovely garden.  All was well and the garden did begin growing and was a sight to behold. There was only one problem; the past that had not been dealt with would not stay buried. It pushed its way through the rock and even the cement and then began to wreck the garden that had been so carefully planted. What my friend thought was gone forever, was not. It’s reappearing  does not mean that the garden will not be beautiful again, in fact,...

When on an airplane, I love to look out the window, so I always choose to sit in that position. On one particular day, I was fortunate enough to have two windows on my row. Upon sitting down I opened the window closest to me so I could watch the flurry of activity on the tarmac, but as we took off, my husband asked me to open the second window on our row so he too could look out. I slid the shade up for him, but a few minutes later the man on the row in front of us reached behind his seat and shut it. To be honest, my first thought was retaliation--to open the window back up, but how could I do that after I had just studied a scripture on submission which means being able to give up my rights to honor someone else. I could have been stubborn and pushed the shade back up, but that would have been disobedience in God's eyes. So as I sat there, I began thinking about he man in the seat in front of me. It was an early flight and maybe he needed to get more sleep. Or maybe he had some...

Today I am grateful for my biopsy result—benign, no cancer present. I was prepared for the other option-cancer… after all my grandmother died from breast cancer. Since leading the One in a Million Study this fall, I assumed that having cancer might just be the next wilderness that God had for me, but that’s not to be at this time.  As thrilled and thankful that I am that my fate was not the latter one, my heart goes out to all of the people who found out today that their results were not as good as mine. Why did God spare me and yet allow them to suffer?   I am not deserving of all of the good that God has given me in my life. Although I have suffered with a diversity of trials in my life, God has always proven faithful and trustworthy in bringing me through each of them. They have not always been with out heartache along the way, but He has provided people to help me, circumstances to comfort me and always His Words that give me hope. Lord, I thank you and praise Your...

Prince William and Kate Middleton I’m sure everyone has heard by now that Kate Middleton and Prince William are engaged. All of the news shows have been bombarding us with information on Kate and the relationship that she and William have had over that last nine years.  We are fascinated by the royal family, probably because of all of the fairytales that we watch and read as children. Every girl wants to marry her prince and live happily ever after. So with the eyes of the world upon this couple, we can look forward to “living the dream” by watching their saga as it unfolds. When describing Kate Middleton, the words beautiful and well-educated arose frequently. Her “middle-class” background was also fascinating to many. She is a commoner, just like most of us, making the dream that much more appealing. One of the interesting questions being asked was “Is she ready for the scrutiny that she will receive by the press and the public?” The British reporters were quick to annou...

While visiting my cousin Charleen Wright Dennen this fall, she fixed this easy, yet delicious soup for me. 4 ½ c chicken broth ¾ c orzo pasta 1 c cubed cooked chicken 2 T fresh lemon juice 1 T fresh lemon zest 1 T chopped fresh dill or 1 t dried dill 1 T chopped fresh parsley or 1 T dried 2 c milk Salt to taste In a large stockpot, bring broth to a boil and add pasta. Boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken, lemon juice and zest, dill and parsley. Slowly pour in milk. Simmer for 20 minutes. Salt to taste. Yield 6 cups. www.hearthope.org

A couple of times a month I volunteer at the Vail Valley Medical Center in the Sonnenalp Breast Imaging Center, where mammograms are performed. They only have volunteers on Mondays and Tuesdays because those are called “diagnostic days” which means that something was viewed on the mammogram that needs to have further study. A second mammogram, ultrasound, or biopsy may be needed to determine what the next steps will be. The center does a great job of making people feel special. Upon entering and throughout the visit, each staff member is kind and compassionate. They have pleasant, relaxing music playing in the background with a video of beautiful places in the world. Cloth towels await those who go into the bathroom. And pretty pink robes are provided for women to cuddle in while they wait. Refreshments are also provided. On any given day, you will see women of all ages and stages of life. There are a variety of races and cultures, some speak English, and others don’t. Some of th...