Heart Hope by Olga

Bedtime is always a prime time for deep conversations. It proved true on my recent trip to Houston. While lying with Will after saying his prayers, he stated that he couldn't imagine how long eternity would be and then he added in that he thought he might get bored in heaven for that long. I started laughing, not at Will but at the thought that he might not have enough to keep him busy for that long. I questioned him about what he thought we might doing and he wasn't quite sure, so I asked if he thought we might be floating on clouds and playing harps and he shook his head in the affirmative. I spotted a teaching moment, because that is not at all the way I envision heaven or the new earth. First and foremost I feel that when we find ourselves in the presence of our holy and perfect God of the universe we will be in such awe that it will take years for us to really get to know the depth of who is and to praise Him in a manner worthy. These are probably things ...

Have you ever stopped to think that the way we pray might make the difference in how the prayers are answered? I questioned this after hearing the following story. Three years out of work can seem like an eternity. The job search, phone calls, networking, interviews, resumes get old after a while. That's where my second cousin was after being laid off from her job. We had all been praying for what seemed a very long time in our finite minds, but God's mind is not always like ours. So as Carol waited patiently or maybe a bit frustrated at times, God was indeed at work behind the scenes, but what was He trying to teach everyone during this long stretch in the desert? Could it be patience, trust, dependence or something entirely different? After the weeks, months and years of Carol's job hunting my cousin Jane, mother of the unemployed, woke up one morning and had her quiet prayer time with the Lord. As she prayed she recalls asking God for two important ...

Nineteen month old Griffin is enthralled with baseball. It is one of his few vocabulary words--baybaa. Frequently throughout the day he will put on Will's helmet and glove and pick up the bat as if he will be next hitter in the line up. At the games he wants to be on the field even though he doesn't know the first rule of the game. Why do you think he loves the game? My theory is because he sees his big brother dressed in his uniform playing on the field and he wants to be just like him. Imitating what he observes in a person he loves seems to come naturally. An almost two year old copies someone that they admire; grown ups do the same thing. Have you ever seen some one and thought "I want to be just like them"? Or maybe you have picked up certain phrases or sayings because you have high regard for the person you heard say them. Or perhaps you have tried a new sport, hobby or activity because you respect others who participate in them. So you see at one ...

There is something wrong with this picture. If you look closely you will be able to find it. As I was walking the 3 mile descent to work last week I paused along the path to gaze at the gently flowing creek, but was quickly dismayed to see the crushed beer can tucked into the water's edge.  Who would have trashed the environment? What were they thinking? Why would someone have spoiled the beauty for others?  But again if you look closely at the picture you will spot another surprise, a red breasted robin also basking in the special spot. I acknowledged him and he did the same to me and then we parted company. As I walked away I realized that I had failed to see the most glaring thing wrong with the picture. I had walked away without removing the trash. It was haunting to me that I could be critical of someone else, but failed to right the wrong myself.  As God's children we are called to care for the world He created and even though I didn't cr...

Whoever coined the phrase “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me” didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. It was probably some well meaning mom whose child was being bullied and she was trying to make them feel better. However those of us who have had hurtful words hurled at us know that the pain from them can last for days, months, years and yes even a lifetime unless they are deleted, erased or covered over by different words. Sometimes it can be a simple harmless statement that we receive, such as a parent or spouse who says you did something stupid when you may have made a poor choice. That person also made a poor choice since most people think if they “did” something stupid then they must “be” stupid. The thought gets stuck in our brain and is played over and over when we feel we have made a mistake. Other times people purposefully try to hurt someone with cutting words. Neither is good and neither is right. As import...