Heart Hope by Olga

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...

One of my favorite spots to refresh, regroup and rejuvenate while getting a bit of exercise during my workday is a walk around Nottingham Lake. It’s just a short distance from my office and the valley setting helps to distract me from any cares or concerns. However this year the lake is not really a lake, but a puddle.  The lake has a leak and they have drained the water in order to make repairs during the summer season.  When the lake is filled it provides many people with hours of enjoyment with paddle boards, fishing, kayaking, paddleboats and other types of water activities. With the beautiful setting and surroundings of the filled lake you don’t stop to think of what is under the water, but now that it is almost empty you can see all of the debris that has collected on the bottom of the lake. Cement blocks, plastic bags, cups, cans and other miscellaneous items are in the lake bed when the water is gone.  As a friend and I gazed at the s...

Getting ready for a garage sale can be a monumental task. Have you ever noticed that going through each drawer, closet and cabinet not only takes time and effort to determine what to keep and what to get rid of, but it makes a big mess before you get things straightened back up? Our neighborhood is having a garage sale in a couple of weeks, so I have been methodically cleaning out different parts of the house. Sometimes I question myself by thinking why did I ever think I would need this? Other times I wonder how I got so many dish towels or other objects. And then there are the tools…why do we need to have so many screwdrivers when we really only use two? The piles of “trash and treasures” are growing in our garage awaiting the day of their departure from my home only to be carried off to another one which probably doesn't need them any more than I do. Our lives are similar. There is a lot of junk that that takes up our time and energy. We are told in the Bible that we need ...

Have you ever stopped to evaluate all of the stuff that we accumulate? When you have lived in a place for several years, you seem to load the cabinets, drawers and closets and maybe even the space under the beds with various and sundry items.   The nooks and crannies may be overflowing with things, just in case you might sometimes need them. Books and toys, games and wrapping paper, pictures and keepsakes, party goods and clothing….all important for one reason or another, and sometimes even necessary, but they sure can clutter our lives. They have to be dusted and moved and washed and cleaned and polished and sorted and organized. These possessions may seem like treasures to us, but someday when we have left this earth for the last time, someone else might wonder why we kept all of these belongings. I’ve made a purchase before and then a few weeks or months or maybe even a year later, I wondered why I bought it. However, I am certainly not like the hoarders that we see on TV w...