The Heart of an Issue

I had an epiphany today.  It came after a not-so-fun disagreement happening in my household which lingered from dusk through dawn and up until the very hours preceding this post.  I sit here, bone-tiered from the exhaustion of feelings moving through and around me and suddenly, I am finally  seeing into the HEART of the issue... a heart so beautiful, even in its hurt state, that my own heart hurts for not seeing it sooner.

I look at the Isaiah scripture I have posted to my monitor and it soaks in, like parched dessert land drinking up a cool afternoon drizzle of rain.  I should have just known this.

His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear.

- Isaiah 11:3

Our family dispute all stemmed from seeing eyes and judging from the results of such - hearing ears and making decisions on surface noise.  Oh, that we might see like Jesus saw, hear as he heard... the Jesus foretold with such beautiful accuracy in Isaiah... to walk and live and breathe amongst God's children and Hear Hearts, See Hearts... instead of all the messed up wrong words that tumble from our lips infecting decisions like a disease on rampant spread... instead of all the ucky-gucky stuff that spills all over our being in our actions and reactions forcing quick and often brutal judgement.

Oh, Father, help me to judge and decide... and respond... by what the heart knows, what the Spirit reveals... all that stuff inside masked by the ugliness outside.  Guide me to delight you by the reverence I might show you, searching hearts instead of responding to words and actions.


Blessings,

Linking up today with:

Intentional Me

Post-it Love

I love Post-Its... they are so much fun!  I especially love doting on my husband with them.  Even the computer post-it program, I love leaving him secret messages he finds when he turns on the computer!

So this week's challenge to be creative, with one idea being to leave notes... loved it!

Last week I drew an "I love you" message in the dirt outside of our RV but I couldn't get to the camera before the message was gone.  Hubby loved it!

Today, however, he wondered what I was up to.  He checked the calendar to make sure it wasn't Valentine's Day already.  He wondered if he was supposed to reciprocate!  Because I didn't leave ONE note (as is more like my custom) I left MANY!

On the door as he walked into the office this morning:

In his empty and waiting coffee cup:

On the handle of the coffee pot:

On his Bible Study notes:

On his reading glasses:

On the back of his Study notes:

The words from my mouth and the actions in the midst of the tug-of-war I find myself in every day between listening to three different children talk at once, computer work, housework, homeschooling... it doesn't always look like I am doting on my husband.  But I am not done trying.

I won't stop trying until the day when every whisper, every breath, every look, every touch... all says "I Love You" regardless of the day, the response, the time.  

I know I can't do it on my own.  I need to be praying daily for God to enter in and work through me in loving on my husband.  If marriage is under attack in our country, it stands to reason mine is not immune!  Only God has the strong shield which can shelter me as I pursue my husband and pursue the proper expression of that which he needs and deserves!

Post-its are just the start!

I pray you are filled with the love of God for your husband for more than a temporary stick-it-up... rather some long-term crazy glue kind of love!

Blessings,

I have felt led to join Courtney at Women Living Well as she challenges wives with the, “Be My Valentine” Marriage Challenge. Join me!

 

also linking up with:

Mercy Ink, Whole Hearted Home , Domestic Randomness, Titus 2 Tuesdays

Everything Christmas

January is coming to a close and with it, Christmas is in that definite stage of being tucked back alongside all the New Year's resolutions and holiday greetings that made the season so bright and sweet.  The rest of the year ready to go into full-swing.

But I wanted to hold on a tad bit longer... let Christmas linger through January if I could.  Perhaps it was the mixed up Christmas season we experienced this year and the idea this book sparked that I might be able to 'hold onto' Christmas a little bit longer... maybe it was simply just how cute this book looked... I had a feeling it would become a treasure to be kept close every Christmas season.  I was not disappointed:

Christmas is not a day or a season, but a condition of heart

and mind. If we love our neighbors as ourselves;

if in our riches we are poor in spirit and in our

poverty we are rich in grace; if our charity vaunts not itself,

but suffers long and is kind; if when our brother asks for a loaf

we give ourselves instead; if each day dawns in opportunity and

sets in achievement, however small; then every day is

Christ's day and Christmas is always near.

James Wallingford

Everything Christmas compiled by David Bordon and Tim Winters was absolutely a gem.  It isn't just the beautiful cover that catches the eye, it is the well-laid-out format within the covers.

From the alternating traditional color scheme of red and green to the simplicity of all the nuggets shared inside... the visual aspect of this book does not leave one feeling overwhelmed by busy images or incomprehensible section lay-outs. 

It isn't just a superficial appeal though.  The contents are steeped with rich literature, helpful tips and fun facts.  Each day starts with a poem set to keep your eyes on Jesus and the Spirit of the season.  This, then, flows into a short story or historical account pertinent to the season.  Authors like Dickens, Irving, and Shakespeare have places within this text.  Traditions by country are shared and jokes for children are lightly peppered in for fun.  Delicious recipes tantalize the taste-buds. Trivia can be used to sharpen your knowledge or thrown out to share as an annual Christmas party game.  My favorite was the Lyrics to favorite Christmas Carols followed by the story behind their inception and the overall tone that Christmas is not just a day or a season... it is an occasion which is meant to be an always-part of our very being because of the King we celebrate.

 

I can hardly share ALL the great nuggets in this little treasury of Christmas... there were far too many to recount.  I can tell you, if you need to quick-reference any of the multitude of tidbits, the Index is one of the most concise I have seen in a long time.

The only negative aspect I can think to report about this book was the lengthiness of each day's contents.  Far too much for the average family to get done all in one day during the busy Christmas season.  However, I don't see that as a real negative since this can provide layers of exploration for years to come.  It will not become a once-read-done-being-read type of book.  No, it will become a classic filled with classics to grace your shelf or coffee table not only during the Christmas season, but all the year through.

Check your calendars, make plans, you will want this book come December 1st!  I know it will be close at-hand come Christmas season this year!

Christmas is the day that holds all time together.

Alexander Smith

Be Blessed as this season fades to the next,

* This book review is my opinion alone.  Blogging For Books provided this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.