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
by Sharon O | Apr 11, 2012 | Uncategorized
The days after Easter seem like the calm after the storm.
I often think of the story of Mary when she got up early while it was still dark and looked for Jesus.
It would have been quiet and her heart would be restless.
Wouldn’t that make sense?
If you loved someone and they passed away you would want so much to say one more thing to them, to look into their eyes, perhaps hug them.
So much left undone and if you could see them one more time it would help.
You can’t blame Mary for missing her very special friend.
Her sorrow and grief weighed heavy on her heart as she walked to the place where they laid him.
When she arrived there she found the stone rolled away.
On Sunday morning while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
Startled and deeply saddened she lost hope that she would ever see him again
not even knowing where or who would have taken him.
Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb.
She was still weeping, when she saw two angels inside.
They were dressed in white and were sitting where Jesus’ body had been.
One was at the head and the other was at the foot.
The angels asked Mary, “why are you crying?” She answered, “They have taken away my Lord’s body!
I don’t know where they have put him.”
As soon as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there.
But she did not know who he was.
Jesus asked her, “why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener and said, “Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
He said “Mary” in a way only she would recognize with his familiar voice and style using her name in a personal way.
Can you imagine?
You are waiting
You are looking
You are weeping
You are feeling hopeless
and you hear ‘YOUR NAME’.
If we want to get someones attention we use their name.
Anyone who has children knows this to be true.
Perhaps Jesus wanted to get ‘her attention’ and let her know
“I am here”… “I have never left you.”
Perhaps he wants to get our attention too.
What would our reaction be if he were to say to us ‘our name’
In a gentle quiet way.
Would we be listening and open?
{verses from John 20:11-16}
by Sharon O | Apr 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
God’s People Will Celebrate
12When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by,
and trees will clap.
by Sharon O | Apr 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
Last night as I was going to bed I wondered about those who followed Jesus.
When it was all over.
When the sky darkened and the drama unfolded.
What did they do with their reactions as he was led away to be crucified.
When they saw Jesus on the cross disfigured and beaten.
When they saw the soldiers be rough yelling and mocking him causing him more pain.
When they stood there watching his blood dripping with deep agony upon their hearts.
I wonder
What did they feel like when they heard
the weeping and sorrowful screams echoing into the darkness?
Standing in that empty place of betrayal of heart
I wonder deep into their spirits what it felt like to say
I never knew him.
Denying him.
Denying his friendship and love for them.
Denying the dinners shared and memories made with him.
Denying the miracles witnessed and the stories told.
Denying the truth of who he was and the relationship he had with them.
Peter denied him three times
just like Jesus told him he would.
Judas hung himself (Matthew 27:5)
The others
where did the others go on this horrible night?
Isn’t it like the human nature to protect ourselves at any cost?
If they knew him perhaps they would be put on a cross too.
If they say they didn’t know him they would be safe.
The question that remains for me
was that really a safe way out or just a cowardice intention.
As I went to bed last night my heart was heavy and restless
as I asked myself
would I do any different?
If it was a life or death dilemma where my own life was at risk
if I were to say yes to the question
would I do any different?
It is a question that remains in my restless spirit today.
Perhaps for you too.
When it comes down to the eternal question:
Would we really remain faithful and say we know him?
Peter was sure he would never deny him.
He was positive and angry at Jesus to even suggest it.
Perhaps our Lord knows our hearts intentions much more than we do.
When it was all over the followers had many matters of the heart to deal with and
perhaps we do too.
On this Easter weekend shall we ask ourselves the difficult and hard questions?
I wonder.
by Sharon O | Apr 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
44Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon. 45The sun stopped shining, and the curtain in the temple [g] split down the middle. 46Jesus shouted, “Father, I put myself in your hands!” Then he died. 47When the Roman officer saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Jesus must really have been a good man!” 48A crowd had gathered to see the terrible sight. Then after they had seen it, they felt brokenhearted and went home. 49All of Jesus’ close friends and the women who had come with him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isn’t it amazing that those who loved Jesus the most
stood at a distance from him in his greatest hour of need?
Did they stand at a distance because of the brutality
or because of their responses to who he was?
Did they stand at a distance because of their shame?
Do we stand at a distance because of ours?
Did you notice that Pilate spoke to the people three times?
Just as Jesus asked for the ‘cup’ to be removed three times.
The whole scene was symbolic of God’s love in a strange way.
Just like the little baby who came into the world alone in the beginning
Jesus was left on a cross on a hill alone in the end.
Rejected by God because of the sin ‘he carried’.
Rejected by all because they ‘didn’t understand’.
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem on Sundays.
(Photo by Larry O)