Heart Hope by Olga

If you have little ones in your life you have most likely heard of the book Elf on a Shelf . It describes how the elf in the house is watching the children for Santa so that he can provide a naughty and nice report. He moves from place to place and room to room so that he can supply a comprehensive list to the jolly old man about the behavior of the children. The elf is not the only one who is watching our conduct. God doesn't need to send out His helpers to see what we are doing. He already knows it; in fact He’s not just acquainted with our actions but our thoughts. This should make a difference in the way we live, but does it? Just because my grandchildren might think that an elf is watching their every move during the holiday season, it doesn't always affect their choices. Neither does the fact that God is watching me always influence my actions and reactions. What does this say about me? Does it say I really don't believe that an almighty, all powerful ...

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 ...

Today a thoughtful co-worker called me to let me know that she had been gifted a very nice size 14 pair of slacks. She said that they did not fit her and she wondered if I would like to have them. I politely declined saying that they would not fit. She announced that she was too big for them too!  Well, my first thought was to retort back with, “No…they would not be too small, but several (and I do mean several) sizes too big!” But I refrained and then had to take a deep breath and realize that my co-worker was not trying to ruin my day by sizing me up, but was being considerate in her offer even if I did feel a bit stunned at first.  After additional deliberation regarding the conversation, I realized that my friend had really paid me a compliment. She could associate so easily with me that she thought we were a lot alike in our needs, our taste and our size. I began to feel better after I had reframed my thoughts. Often times we see ourselves in one way, but our view ...

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 ...