Heart Choices: May 2015 -->

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Enjoy the Moment



Enjoy the moment.

I've heard it and said it so many times. I try to do this in my daily life.

But I have to admit there are times when I think back and realize I missed out on the joy of a moment because I allowed worry and anxiety to take over. And often the issues I worry about never end up actually happening.

I've been looking back over photos from this school year. Since January I began teaching the youngest class at our school called the Mini-Mustangs. These are children who are aged 2.75 to 3 years old. You would be surprised at how much these little ones can learn. They surprised even me!


One thing that reminded me to enjoy the moments was something that happened when I came home after work.  My husband Greg would ask me to sit down with him and tell me how my day went. He didn't want to hear me say 'fine' and that was it.

Greg loved to hear the stories. How fortunate I am to have someone who really cares to listen. He'd give me his undivided attention so he could hear about what Vivaan, Gabriel, Lacey or ILI said or did that day.

I'm realizing more and more how rare that is.

When I go out to a restaurant, I'm amazed at how little face to face conversation occurs. Couples are texting. Parents take photos of their outing to share on Facebook. While I am not being critical of social media in general, I think sometimes we simply need to put our phones down and ...enjoy the moment.

Lately, I've been hearing news of people I know and cared about dying. It's sobering to realize how fast time goes by.

My dad drove with me when I moved to Arizona

It seems like only yesterday when I was moving out to Arizona as a single gal, driving my red Corvette. It actually was more than 30 years ago but it still seems like yesterday.

Time goes by so quickly.

Bill Leonard fixed my car up to be sure it was safe for me to drive cross country. And recently my dad called to tell me Bill died.

The talented pianist at my church died suddenly this week of an apparent heart attack. Every Sunday I would see Connie faithfully playing so beautifully.

Time goes by quickly.

Enjoy the moments.

Treasure the moments.

Give your entire attention to those moments.


Take time to smell the roses.

Do you enjoy the moments? Will you make the choice to savor and treasure those little moments each day? It can make such a difference in your day.

Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

National Day of Prayer 2015


Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. I believe our nation needs desperate prayer. As I watch the news unfold, I'm amazed by what I see and hear. I believe Washington can't fix all of our problems. We need wise and humble leaders but most importantly ...we need to get on our knees and pray. 

Our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Freedom of religion was so important to our founding fathers. They didn't want to be dictated to about how they could worship. The United States has opened its doors to people of all faiths. God gave us free will to make choices. We aren't coerced to believe in Him.

The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer is ...LORD, HEAR OUR CRY.

The verse for this year's National Day of Prayer is ...

"Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day." 1 Kings 8:28

Here is the video that was created for this year's National Day of Prayer.



As Christians, we have a wonderful and amazing privilege to come before Almighty God and pray.

Recently I spent some time with my good friend Susan. She and her husband are on furlough for three months as they work as missionaries overseas. She told me how so many people they encounter worship many gods.

There is a common practice of worshiping their ancestors who died. They offer gifts on behalf of their loved ones. And as they pray to many gods, they remind them of who they are. My friend said they would  tell them their name and where they lived. They didn't want someone else to receive the answer to their prayers.

As I listened to Susan, I was reminded of how my God knows my name. I don't have to remind Him of who I am and where I live.

He even knows the number of hairs on my head. (Luke 12:7). I have to laugh as I well remember the day I shared that with my nieces while we were on a trip to Washington DC. Kristin and Katie were getting ready fixing their hair. I can still see Katie's face as she looked at me in amazement when I told her that was in the Bible.

How amazing is it that He knows my name? I love this song by Francesca Battistelli.


Here is a link to the National Day of Prayer 2015 website for more information.

Will you make the choice to pray for our nation?

(If you are reading this via email, click on the title to this post so you can view the videos)

Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

Counting My Blessings


How can I not count my blessings? I never would imagine I'd be doing what I'm doing at this stage of my life. If someone told me years ago, I would have laughed. But I have to say that I love it!

The following Scripture comes to my mind:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes.  Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Little did I know that I would return to work after retiring for ten years from my nursing career.

Little did I know that I would be working in a profession quite different from nursing.

Little did I know how much I would love it.

Little did I know how God would comfort me in my losses with little children to love and teach.

Little did I know that even though I was unable to have my own children, I now have MANY children that I've come to love over the past five years at my school.

My desk is overflowing with so many goodies. The students brought me flowers. Our parent teacher association is amazing and so generous. They hosted an amazing lunch with fabulous desserts. I guess I'll have to exercise longer for this one but ...it's so worth it. 

Each day this week there is a raffle for wonderful gifts. I won one of the gifts this morning. So I am going to schedule a facial. Woo hoo! I need all the help I can get. :)

I'm just so thankful that the Lord never forgot my desire for children. He gave me a school full of them. I have to say I like it like that.

Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

Whose Voice Are You Listening To?


There can be so many voices clamoring for our attention every day. Sometimes it seems that the loudest voices get the most attention. When I turn on the news I hear "NEWS ALERT" and stop in my tracks to see what's happened now. 

And what about those voices that echo in your head from childhood?

Maybe you weren't always given encouragement as a child growing up. The voices may continue to shout: 
  • You're not good enough 
  • You're not that smart
  • You're not very pretty
  • Who do you think you are?
  • You come from the wrong side of town
Maybe the voices you listen to come from doubting yourself.

Fear can keep you from stepping out of your comfort zone. The voice of fear seems to be the one that plagues me the most. It can be easier to continue doing what I know how to do than to venture out into the unknown. Why take the risk? What if it fails?

And lately the voice that crops up in my mind is ...you're too old! 

But deep inside, in the inner parts of me, inside my Spirit ... I hear His voice.

Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say,"This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left. ~ Isaiah 30:21 NLT

I have to admit it's not always as clear as this verse. But every single morning I take the time to be quiet and read my Bible and pray. There are times when a Scripture that I've read many times before will practically leap off the page. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide me and nudge me when I should speak and when I should remain quiet during my day.

I know the voice that I want to listen to. It is the voice of my Jesus, my Savior. That voice does not contradict Scripture. That voice has my best interests at heart. That is the voice I want to follow. He knows my name. He loves me. So I make the daily choice to be quiet and tune in to His voice.

Last week I wrote about the dreams I carry inside. If you didn't have the chance to read it, click here.

This week Bonnie of Faith Barista asked us what God's voice is saying to us. I love the image she shared and invited us to use.

God's voice is telling me to trust Him completely. Even though it seems that the world is falling apart, He is still in control. He is sovereign over all.

I'm linking up a few days late for Beloved Brews Thursdays.

Beloved Brews Linkup


Blessings and love,

QuickEdit
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