Heart Hope by Olga

Prankster is not usually a word that describes my behavior, but the office has been a bit tense lately so I decided to dress up for Halloween and make people laugh. A black wig, jeans tucked into black boots trimmed with silver, a black leather vest, a black leather braided necklace with a large cross hanging from it, a black studded belt and to top it all off, tattooed arms completed my biker girl look. “Brandy” would be my name for the day. My new look was met with frightened looks, four letter words, gasps and eventually laughter. I was not recognized by many people that I work with on a daily basis. Double takes were commonly received throughout the day. People informed me that they had seen me walking down the hallway and wondered who I was.  However the thing that concerned me the most was when I arrived at the season pass office with several of the youngsters from my office and walked up to redeem my paperwork with an elderly gentleman   who scowled when ...

The couple walking along the path were obviously together. The girl with her beautiful blonde tresses blowing in the gentle breeze and the young man with his scruffy beard and short cropped hair were walking side by side. Together, yet not enjoying each other’s company. They were distracted; both holding phones to their ears. Yes, they were walking together, but were disengaged from each other. Connected, but disconnected. Together, but apart.  We do the same thing. We may be at the same dinner table, but the television may have our attention. Or we may be riding in the car together, but conversation may not be taking place because of the radio. We also do the same thing with God. He is always walking with us. After all He has promised never to leave us, but how often do we forget He is right beside us? How far do we go each day without acknowledging His presence? How long does He have to wait to get our attention along the path? How much richer would our life be...

Upset…rejected…hurt…these were only a couple of the emotions that I felt I had just found out that I had been denied the promotion that I had applied for and it stung. Yes, I knew in my head that God was in control. After all I had been praying that His will would be done, but that didn’t stop the feelings from flooding my mind. Maybe you have been in a similar position and can relate. My thoughts were not always “right, pure, lovely or admirable.” In fact I was downright ashamed of some of the things that came to my mind.  In regards to the person making the decision—I hope he sees how wrong he was in not hiring me. In regards to the person who was hired—I hope she doesn’t succeed. In regards to the department—I hope they don’t make their goals. Now some people might think these thoughts were justified because I was just as qualified, I was already in the department, and I already knew the people, places and area and would not require a move or any type ...

Stand up paddle boarding has become quite the sport in our area. Whether on a lake or down the rushing river there is fun to be had on a board.  It was a new experience for me recently when my friends Christy and Shawna took me on the adventure for my birthday. There were not too many instructions other than how to hold the paddle and to bend my knees for stability. The balancing act was not even as hard as I anticipated. A little pressure on the right, a little weight to the left and I was off, paddling across the lake. Balancing on a paddle board might be easier than balance in our lives. I was careful on the board not to stand too far to one side or not to put too much weight on the front or back because I knew I would be headed for disaster—a fall into the murky waters of Nottingham Lake.  In life we too can end up in disaster if we are not balanced. We have to eat balanced meals so we can remain healthy. Work and play must be balanced or we may lose our...

Somehow they didn’t fit in the picture. He was missing most of the teeth in his mouth, she had on overdone makeup. There were backpacks and sleeping bags beside the middle-aged couple and their white furry dog. All of this was next to the side door at church on the cold gray fall Sunday morning.   They caught my attention enough for me to want to know more of their story. Since I make it part of my mission to make people feel welcome at my church, I stopped to visit with them. The conversation went something like this: Me: How are you? Them: Doing just great. Me: What a beautiful dog. Them: Her name is Glacier; she’s 14. Me: Are you just visiting or are you from around here? Them: We are just passing through—traveling from Boulder to California by walking and hitchhiking. In fact we just got into town last night and spent the night under the covered area at the back of the church. Me: It must have been cold last night. (The temperature was probably under ...