Category: heart

Posted in heart, Jesus, pain, Physical, scripture, Spiritual, thankful, truth, words, write

What Kind of Words

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

What kind of words come from my lips when I am in arthritic pain? Kind words? Not most of the time. I stay silent as this is better than cursing. But if truth be told, if cursing is your only expression while in pain, go for it. Your existence matters, whether kind words come out or the sobering truth words are uttered aloud.

“Be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 GNT

Words of gratitude is what I aim for. I started a daily gratitude practice this month. On paper I list out three things I am thankful for each morning. It ranges from my arthritic joints, my breath, boundaries, a budget, Earl Grey tea, blueberry kuchen, my job, skills to be able to work, my Dean, my Rachel, my Elisabeth, my Ben, knowing my father and mother for many years, an ability to write, communication, words … the list goes on and on. Pain is such an annoying state of being. So many of us bear through it. Several of my loved ones lived with it and others still live with it.

My prayer and words of encouragement are to take your pain to the arms of Jesus. He is there for you always! Whether it be physical and/or emotional pain, He is wanting your heart, curse words, and all. Words of thanks are what changes your heart.

Posted in compassion, Emotional, eyes, faith, God, heart, heaven, hope, Mental, mercy, Physical, prayer, scripture, Spiritual, temporal

A Heart Knowing

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

Do you ever talk until your blue in the face, like talking to a wall or deaf ears? Maybe the trouble is that the person you are trying to reach has a stoppage somewhere. Either the head doesn’t know, or it is that the heart doesn’t know, or both.

Uh, prayer! Prayer for me for more patience. And prayer for him to open up his doors to God’s heart of compassion and mercy. Look beyond what can be seen with the physical eyes. Big eyes of faith, I call to our Father for this because I lack right now.

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. ~ Hebrews 11:1 GNT

And for him, that he realize what is more important. The physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being of our loved ones or stuff, stuff that is temporal. Give each of us a heart knowing and then, living out God’s heart in these matters. Two hearts melting together for a heavenly purpose.

 For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18 GNT

Posted in breathe, brother, challenges, comfort, day, death, devastation, Family, feelings, friend, God, grief, heart, help, Holy Spirit, hurt, Jesus, love, need, pain, praise, prayer, scripture, sorrow

The Grief

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

This day before the winter solstice is a cold blustery day. It is colder this afternoon than it was when I was up at 5am this morning. The forecast promises the winter solstice to be the same. The cold wind slaps my face and takes my breath away like the cold-hard fact that my brother is not here on earth any longer.

The grief of it all is too much some days. I went into my boss’ office the other day and had a “good cry”. Just days ago I wrote on my other blog a post about my 65-year-old brother’s untimely death, and how good will come of it. Today, I am thinking, why, God? What good comes from the death of a loved one? And if only Dean or I had been available to take Rick and Joan to the airport, so he wouldn’t have had to clean the snow off their car and have that heart incident the day they arrived back at Lambert Field.

I know I am bargaining now. I cannot reverse what has been done. The “if only” cannot change the outcome. Bargaining is one of the stages of grief. This online resource describes the 5 or 7 stages of grief. These are the basic five: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The seven stages expand on the five: shock/denial, pain/guilt, anger/bargaining, depression, the upward turn, reconstruction/working through, and acceptance/hope.

A friend of ours lost his son and two grandchildren in a fatal car accident on Tuesday. The pain these friends and their family are feeling must be incredibly deep. The wife and mother of the two children, I cannot even fathom where her heart is right now. All I can do is pray, “God, gracious Father, send your Holy Spirit to comfort. Bring each sorrow to a place where a healing salve gently massages the raw, open heart to receive Your Love, Your Words, Your Comfort.”

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
Posted in blankets, clothing, comfort, community, donate, Emotional, faith, Financial, God, health, heart, People, Physical, provision, share, soul, Spiritual, thankful, warm, warm, weather

Warmth For Wear And Your Soul

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

Yesterday my 5-minute drive to my morning occupation was met with a cold fog.  I craved a hot cocoa and anticipated fixing a mug of frothy warmth and comfort when I got into work. No hot cocoa mix in stock at work and its now placed on the order list for next week. All day I was craving that chocolatey comfort which only hot cocoa can provide. After a long, busy week, Friday evening I finally sat down on my living room couch and indulged in a cup of warm cocoa. My daughter’s two dogs, Beatrice and Grimmy joined me for some cuddle time while I cradled the hot mug in my cold hands and my favorite blankie hugged my legs. This is comfort at its best. I am thankful to be given this comfort I craved. Let me not take this privilege for granted. 

October’s brisk mornings have led to November’s colder air arrival and the promise to get even colder, prepared or not. By the grace of God, Dean and I have several layers of clothes and warm bedding to prepare for the impeding winter season. Jeans, leggings, long underwear, long sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, wraps, ponchos, capes, coats, gloves, hats, scarves, socks, boots, slippers, blankets, throws; plenty to layer up in. Most of us go into the cold-weather season equipped to stay warm while about outdoors or living snug in our homes. But some folks have less for one reason or another, so why not share? How many people do not have these garments and blankets, wrought with poverty, calamity, crises, poor health, and a devastating hurricane?

“Know that all things of the heart root for you on this new day…Your heart knows what to do. Trust it.” 

~ SC Lourie, Butterflies and Pebbles 

My heart has been preparing for the people of Asheville, North Carolina. No way could these people have known what would happen with a tropical storm that started hundreds of miles away from them late in September. Preparations were none. Dean and I are traveling to Asheville in less than 2 weeks. We hope to bring the SUV filled with winter wear for the folks who are recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. This will be a very long recovery for so many. Their first full winter in the mountains will be a trying one. We have gathered some clothing items and a couple of throws but could use more gloves and hats of all sizes as well as blankets and throws. These provisions are a dent in the great need.

If your warm soul would like to donate, you are in the St. Louis area, and we are FB friends, please send me a personal message. Together we will figure out the best way to get your donation to us before we leave. Also, if you care to directly donate funds to the Asheville folks, I have this donation link to an established non-profit organization called BeLoved Asheville. This faith-based group has provided clothing, housing, food, job training, etc. to the community of Asheville for years. Here is a link to a news article about this wonderful organization. Pray, and let the Holy Spirit guide you.

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

~ Saint Francis of Assisi

Posted in barrier, book, boundary, change, feelings, God, heart, Holy Spirit, hurt, listen, memoir, path, prayer, quote, rejection, scripture, season, spirit, Spiritual, time, write

A Turned-Up Hand

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

“There is a time and place for everything“ an old saying goes probably based on the holy scripture in Ecclesiastes. I know it is not what you or I want to hear after a turned-up hand shows up in the face. I have had plenty of turned-up hands, rejections, and boundaries set lately. But a boundary set gives me permission to thrive and live within the boundaries God has given me.

“There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens …” Ecclesiastes 3:1

For the time being I have laid aside teaching culinary classes. The continuing education courses at the local community college have made too many changes I am comfortable with. Hence, the boundary set, and I take heed to. I will and have taken opportunities to teach culinary and writing-related workshops to young adults and adults. I am open to more venues to share my love of cooking and writing. In the meantime, God has prepared a time space whereas I can be more available at the senior center. Besides being a culinary professional, I have taken on more training and duties with regards to inventory and ordering at this season.

“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” ~ Flannery O’Connor 

I have completed the first draft of my memoir. I have two readers combing through proofreading and making edit suggestions. The next steps are a professional editor, then the publisher. I have folks in mind for each of those roles for my first full-length book. There may be a hand turned-up in the process, but those brakes are a barrier that leads me to something better. In the meantime, I completed a 49 haiku challenge, seven haikus written for seven days. It was very therapeutic, and I was able to see my thought and feeling process after a difficult week. Writing does that for me. A green light means “go for it”! I have taken the opportunity to have my haikus printed into a mini book entitled Balancing The Seesaw.

Prayer was a very significant part of my difficult week, too. Relationships hurt sometimes. I was able to give my feelings of rejection to our God, who “knows when I sit and stand … understands my thoughts from afar” as Psalms 139:2 tells me. Are you listening to your own comfort zone? What stop sign have you encountered? What has God laid on your heart? What new path is the Spirit directing you to? There is a season for everything.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time for hate,
a time for war, and a time for peace.
~Ecclesiastes 3: 1 – 8

Posted in blessings, color, creative, flower, God, heart, humble, memoir, passion, People, Physical, provision, purity, quote, royalty, season, Spiritual, thankful, warm, write, writer

In The Pink Reflections

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

These past few days have been a mixture of memories and enlightenment as I continue to write my memoir. Original poems, short stories, and recipes collected in one place. I am thankful and humbled by all the experiences I have lived with some incredible people. My Father God has blessed me beyond measure. Surely, I am having in the pink reflections.

“Pink is a beautiful color, because it is one of the colors that the sun makes at twilight and in the dawns.”
~ C. Joybell C.

Pinks, purples, fuchsia, and orange melt the evening skies this month. Fuchsia painted the night sky when the Northern lights came to us on May 5. Varied shades of pink roses, peonies, and wildflowers bring color to the yards, fields, windowsills, baskets, and vases. The warm weather season’s clothing and linens shout pink, the color between red’s passion and white’s purity. My heart.

My favorite is the brightest pink color, fuchsia. It evokes feelings of happiness, excitement, romance, maturity, assurance, acceptance, safety, self-confidence, and achievement. It’s warm red characteristics can have a comforting effect, promotes relaxation, intuition, and reflection. Fuchsia represents femininity, creativity, luxury, royalty and wealth.  All provisions from God.

Posted in Christmas, church, courage, God, hate, heart, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, peace, prayer, purpose, scripture, strength, strife

Willingness and Readiness

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart 
“Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
    a highway fit for our God."
 ~ Isaiah 40:3 The Message version

Christmas Day is two weeks away. Are you prepared in your heart? Am I prepared in my heart? All the commercialism can get me off track. Even going to church this past Sunday white twinkle lights at the altar are blinking to catch attention. Has the commercialism invaded the church sanctuary, too? Preparing for Jesus is a heart matter.

This craziness this world is in can have our heads spinning and our hearts aching. The hatred, wars, and unrest are disturbing, distracting from what matters. The love of God is there for each of us to embrace. Hatred has to stop! We think we arrive with our religious views, rituals, and teachings. But what is in each heart of man, woman, and child?

"As John preached he said, 'The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will change your life. I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.'"
~ Mark 1:8 The Message version

God, change me from the inside out. Help me to be an instrument of Your peace, Your love, and Your purposes. Give me courage and strength to carry out Your will today, tomorrow, and always.

Posted in art, atelier, battle, blessings, challenges, Christian, corner, creative, eyes, faith, garden, gardener, gift, give, God, heart, Holy Spirit, husband, mind, passion, path, prayer, road, share, time, walk, words, works, writer

Round The Corner

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

“Still round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Hard work can be disguised in a hobby. Passion and interest can occupy one’s attention, energy, and time. One starts on a project of great detail. Maybe a cup or two of coffee or tea to keep the momentum going. Then 5, 6, or 8 hours later you are scrambling for a bite to eat and cannot believe what time it is. This is how it has been with baking, gardening, birdwatching, crafting, reading, and writing for me. New brain pathways travelled, mysteries are discovered, prayers said, challenges are overcome, and beauty is found in whatever has been created.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas Edison

Still round the corner awaits another adventure. One that God has placed in my life, your life. A path waiting to be uncovered and walked on. There are bends and forks in the road, and the Holy Spirit is our guide and protector. With eyes of faith an atelier at the cottage here or elsewhere is in the making. A place designated to work on these projects the heart has passion for. A place of our own to create and bless others with God’s gifts. What is around your corner?

Posted in clean, daughter, dirt, feelings, flower, God, health, heart, Holy Spirit, Jesus, life, mother, quote, redeemer, renew, scripture, unworthiness, walk

The Dirt of Life

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

Life can be messy sometimes. For some folks, maybe more so or less than you. We all have it. No one is immune to it. Dirt, the stuff that causes disorder, turmoil, feelings of unworthiness, unclean inside and/or outside. My daughter gave me a framed picture for Mother’s Day that says these words, “Every flower must grow through dirt.” What a lovely reminder, that beauty can be found in the midst of a mess. And fun, too. Remember those mud pies you made as a child? Also, healthy foods come from the dirt.

You can find dirt in my life, and I know there is some in yours because we are human. But let’s focus on the beauty that is present day. First, because of the gift of Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection, I am redeemed. You are, too! Psalms 25:8 tells us “The Lord is good and does what is right; He shows the proper path to those who go astray.” I am asking God, what are You leading me to, and what do You have planned for me today? The speed I go is not important, it is that I take step by step with His guidance. I am moving forward, are you?

“Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Psalms 51:10
Posted in Christian, color, cross, crown, eyes, faith, God, heart, hurt, invitation, Jesus, king, lesson, listen, Lydia, pain, quote, scripture, sorrow, Spiritual, triumph, woman

Crown of Thorns and Purple Robe

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

“She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to listen to hear what Paul said.” ~ Acts 16:14

I reflect on our Lord’s final hours. Jesus wore a crown of thorns twisted together by the soldiers who arrested Him, as well as a purple robe.  “King of the Jews” Pilate labeled Him, though the Jews did not claim such. Is He my King of all of me? Is He your King? Why thorns for a crown?  Probably to mock Him and bring Him more physical pain. 

What kind of thorns brought such anguish to Him? Scholars say possibly those thorns were of Jujube, Sarcopoterium, Hawthorns, or Euphorbia milii? Jujube origins are of the Orient, with one legendary tree known as the “Tree of Knowledge”. Thorny, but most likely not crafted into a crown for our Jesus at Golgatha near Jerusalem. Sarcopoterium naturally grows in the Mediterranean, is in the rose family, and thorny. Hawthorns or “thornapple” another member of the rose family, used as a barrier for all animals but grows too far north to be of Jesus’ crown. Euphorbia milii is native to Madagascar; more of southern origins. A sturdy perennial with stout gray thorns and oval leaves. It sprawls with vinelike stems and can grow seven feet in length. Milky poison oozes from inside the vine irritating the skin and eyes. The thorns became another weapon used on our Jesus.

And why a purple robe?  Purple symbolizes wealth, prestige, royalty, and luxury. Again, Jesus became what others needed of Him. That day He became the “King of the Jews”. He was later stripped of that purple cloth. Lydia, a wealthy Gentile woman from Philippi made purple dyes and textiles.  She was the first European convert to Christianity. Like Jesus, Lydia became what others needed of her. She invited Paul and Jesus’ disciples to stay at her home while they ministered to the Philippians. “Lydia challenges us to reflect on our role of being prepared for the moment, seeking something bigger than ourselves, and being willing to invite others to experience what we have experienced,” writes Aimee Laramore. The life of Jesus continues in Lydia, you, and I.

“Generosity is not best experienced in one act or one exchange, but in life-long learning, leading, and loving one another.” ~ Aimee Laramore