Heart Hope by Olga

It was a beautiful cool, crystal clear Memorial Day in the Vail Valley. Most people had been out enjoying the day by either hiking or biking. The day was nearing its end with a service to honor the fallen soldiers at the local park when suddenly it was interrupted. The police officers and firefighters were being called away in the line of duty. A fire somewhere in the Valley took precedence over the ceremony. A condo building had ignited and was threatening other structures in the area along with the parched hillside behind it. The smoke billowing into the air and flames engulfing the building drew crowds of people to watch in horror and amazement. The inferno was so destructive that it was difficult to determine which complex was aflame. It was just a short time later when we discovered that one of the condos was owned and occupied by a young couple that we know. Fires can be useful when providing light in the darkness or warmth in the cold. It is also valuable for cooking and pu...

It was a simple cardboard box on the top shelf of the refrigerator. The familiar white box with the red dragon on the side was often in our refrigerator signaling leftovers from Henry's the local Chinese food restaurant that we frequent. I thought that I had finished off the takeout food before leaving on my trip several days before knowing that it would be “iffy” to eat them when I returned. But since I was hungry, I assumed they probably wouldn't kill me. Reaching toward the top shelf, something was different; the box was larger than normal and wasn't filled completely. Unlocking the top and peering in I realized that this was not from our recent visit to the local spot. Apparently my husband had visited Henry and crew in my absence. The amazing thing is that my husband doesn't eat leftovers. He had brought the Mongolian Beef home especially for me. The real surprise was that he had packaged them exactly like I would have done it--rice on the bottom, meat, veggie...

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 ...

According to the Free Dictionary, the term “mover and shaker” means one who wields power and influence in a sphere of activity. We normally think of people in politics, technology, medicine, finance, or other arenas where leaders make a big difference in many lives. Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Prince William might be among some of the names mentioned as movers and shakers,   but I need to add one to my list that probably has never been heard of in most circles of important people, Sadie Wright. She is my mother and although she has only had one paying job thus far in her life (and at her age that is probably the only one she will ever have), but in her own little world, she is a mover and shaker.   If you tell her of some kind of need great or small, she doesn't stop until it has been accomplished. For example if I tell her I would like a pair of red shoes, she is then on a mission and will not rest until the perfect pair has been purchased. Mother’s m...

Sitting at the dinner table my grandson, Will said, “Raise your hand if you are good” and immediately six hands shot up. Thinking quickly, I determined that this might be a teachable moment, so I hastily put mine down and explained that my first reaction had been wrong.  Elaborating further in order to clarify to my grandson that I am not good…my actions are sometimes wrong, my thoughts are not always pure, my words are not always kind, my heart motives can be contaminated because I am a sinner. The only reason that I have anything good in my life is because of Jesus. I informed my grandson that I am a sinner saved by the grace of God. I continued telling him that I make mistakes, but that I try to make good choices because I represent Jesus to the world. By the time I had finished my confession, all of the hands around the table were down. The Bible tells us that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” but it also tells us that we don’t have to stay that way becau...

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said, "Yes and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." but the young mother was happy and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams, and the sun shone on them and the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."  Then the night came and the storm and the path was dark and the children shook with fear and cold and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle and the children said, "Mother we are not afraid for you are near and no harm can come."  And the morning came and there was a hill ahead and the children climbed and grew weary and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children...

Precious Aimsley Sitting in the arena with 3,699 other Christian leaders, there should have only been holy thoughts going through my mind, but I must be honest, the music was not my preference. Now that's interesting because I have always been open to all types of music in church. I like hymns; I know I should be embarrassed to say that and that it makes me sound old fashioned, but it’s true. I love contemporary praise and worship. And gospel can also be a favorite and when the banjos come out I can sing country Christian with the best of them, but....what I was hearing almost sounded sacrilegious.  The music sounded like it could have come out of the Munster’s House about 30 something years ago. It was rock mixed with glockenspiel. The words were all right, but the music was not. I was an old fuddy duddy, just like those people who write on the comment cards at church, but don't sign their names when critical of the music. It's too loud… it goes on too long… I hate st...