by Sharon O | Apr 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller
Have you ever had a special friend who you just love to sit with and enjoy tea and special conversations?
Sharing the heart to heart talking that goes with that kind of relationship?
The most beautiful thing is knowing ‘a friend loves and cares for you’ no matter what you say or do.
It goes along with the risking and the trusting and allowing someone to enter into your world.
Friendship is a gift we can give ourselves.
Are you ready to give today?
Joining Deidra on Sunday at jumping tandem.
by Sharon O | Apr 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
Last week as I was reading other online blogs there seemed to be a theme running through many of them.
It made me pause and do some deep thinking.
Generally when a message is repeated it is a lesson to be learned for a reason.
It felt as if God was trying to show me something through others.
The theme was about trust.
Intrigued by the meaning of trust I looked it up at dictionary.com and it said that trust is:
. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
. confident expectation of something; hope.
. a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.
. the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.
Growing up in an environment that was often unpredictable and non relational I learned early on to be very cautious with ‘trust’ issues.
I did not trust easily and still to this day tend to pull back and observe rather than trust fully.
Therapy helped if you can imagine a non trusting person sitting in a room with a person who is asking them ‘to trust’.
It was one of the most difficult things for me to learn.
After going through a half dozen counselors I found one who understood my thought process and who also understood that cautious trust was what I had to have near me at all times.
He understood that he could not just say to me ‘Trust me’ he had to prove to me he was trustworthy.
He was very patient and understanding.
It was a journey we ‘both knew’ had to take place in order for real healing to happen.
It was not an easy or simple process for us.
We worked hard together to build the foundation of trust so the painful feelings about the way I grew up could come out and the healing of my heart could take place.
On paper I could write them in poetry or story or drawing form.
It was not easy for words to describe the pictures that were frozen in time.
The pen in hand did not always show the depth of hurt but the imagery using my written words helped.
Slowly I had to begin to trust and allow the walls surrounding and protecting my heart down.
They could not be blasted down.
They had to be removed inch by inch.
With the reassurance that my counselor would always be there trust began to happen.
He tried to be available whenever I needed him and returned my calls as soon as he could.
He would often tell me, “I will never leave you…unless I die… if that happens there is nothing I can do.”
I often would pray he wouldn’t because I couldn’t bear another ‘deep’ loss to my heart.
The theme lately has been trust and my question to God is why?
In the midst of my dad being very sick and some relationships showing some changes.
It feels like I am being asked one more time to trust.
God is my trust and I must stand firm in the knowing ‘only He knows the reason why’ the message keeps coming to me.
What do you do when you realize a theme is taking place ~ do you listen and take heed or do you choose to ignore it?
by Sharon O | Apr 17, 2012 | Uncategorized
Relationships can be very challenging at times.
Whether that is within a marriage or a close relationship such as family or friends.
We all need people in our lives who are willing to be honest and open with us.
It is a love that isn’t afraid to speak the truth.
It is a love that is not based on condition.
It is a love that is looking for the best in and for each other.
It is a love that loves enough to risk the necessary words to bring life and health and perhaps wholeness to the relationship.
Sometimes in a relationship someone has to risk more by sharing deep feelings from their hearts and spirit.
It takes work and effort to create a good healthy relationship.
Relationships are to be valued and treasured.
They are not to be taken lightly even when they change like the weather sometimes.
When they change that is when we challenge and encourage each other to be stronger.
Even Jesus had friendships who were special to him.
Remember when he met Mary at the tomb entrance and said her name?
He knew that was what her heart needed to hear to bring her hope.
Remember when he addressed Thomas and said to him “touch me”?
He knew the real part of the relationship was meeting him where he was emotionally.
Within the context of his doubt.
We are not any different.
We were never meant to live our lives alone.
It is a part of ‘who we are’ and who we were meant to be.
God made Adam to not be alone so he gave him Eve.
It is an emotional part of us as well as a spiritual part of us.
We need each other.
Do you have a special someone you can share with pray with or encourage?
To risk is to love with an open heart and an open hand and be willing to receive from a new emotional depth perhaps for the first time.
It is in the giving and taking and learning to understand within the relationship that bonds us.
Sometimes it is the process of reaching out and opening our arms towards one another and then asking ourselves the most important question.
Are you willing to take a risk today?
by Sharon O | Apr 15, 2012 | Uncategorized
A well worn Bible is a sign of a secure heart and a love that will last forever.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path. (ASV)
When we choose to know Him we choose to know His word too.
It is a life choice. A life changing experience.
A path we will never regret.
Joining Deidra at jumping tandem on Sundays
