TAKE HEART!

Irish You Were There!

2011-10-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 21, 2011
Peoria, Illinois
by Bridgette Gray Angelo

"The party's over...sob..sob..sob...no, it's not really over. It lives in the hearts of Pekin Area SOLO members Deb Clark, Jill Thomson, Rhonda Carlson, and Bridgette Gray Angelo as we never will recover from the Keith & Kristyn Getty & Friends' Concert 2011. What a truly AMAZING concert--wait, that implies we just "sat and watched." We participated with Keith and Kris, our new friends who came to Peoria inviting us to celebrate life by worshiping our Lord through the sweet simplicity of Irish music. Talk about feel good!

Ending the evening after a snap with Keith, the girls and I car-pooled back to our seperate cars newly-filled worship cups ready to pour out His living water to our thirsty world.

The Gettys' latest project--Joy, An Irish Christmas, not only commemorates the birth of Christ, but also their own newborn, Eliza Joy. Add it to your collection. It'll be the best gift you buy for yourself this Christmas--or your money back... 8)

reported by Bridgette for the Pekin Area SOLO Chapter

WOW--FMSC--PSOM

2011-10-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

WOW--Women of Worth ministered at Feed My Starving Children Tuesday, July 26th. As a side trip we visited the Premium Shopping Outlet Mall. This day really wowed us all! Ministering at the FMSC organization made us realize that we could make a difference right here, right now, right where we live. The 36 ladies and children of Cornerstone . now can eat because we took two hours out of our day. Some brave souls tasted the chicken, veggies, soy, rice.

From one extreme to the other, as we hit the mall, and not just any mall the Preium Outlet Mall. Now to Peorians "Outlet" means fabulous deals, and maybe to Chicagoans, this retail sales place had deals, but to spend $200 to save $25 does not count as major savings in my book. Still seeing new people and places (I didn't recognize one of the eateries) makes for interesting times. I also enjoy rubbing shoulders with the lives of the rich and the famous.

We all split up for the ride there and back. I feel sorry for anyone who didn't get to ride in the Cheryl Ford luxury mobile. Traffic jams? No problem. We floated through cocooned in plushy seats of leather.Burlene McCowan, Sue Rice, her granddaughter Kaylee, and I had hours of joy, laughter, and even a visit by the Blues Brothers at the 50's Diner.

FMSC could be a ministry WOW gets involved with every year. I heard Christopher Herring say to his mom, "Can we come back tomorrow?"

RED LETTER ANNOUNCEMENT

2011-10-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

Do you like I wonder where time goes? When you look up a blog page that you haven't updated since August it really smacks you in the face. Dad's favorite "time" saying: "Time's fun when you're having flies." Try that one. People do double takes. I love it.

Well, today is a red-letter-bucket-list-fullfiller kind of day. Announcement: Guess who has been cast as Mrs. Fezziwig in MPACT Theatre's Production of A Christmas Carol? Three guesses, right? lol Why do I share this on my blog? To brag? No, because only God gives talents. I share because it is a dream fulfilled at age 52! Community threatre! Don't let your dreams die. Keep believing. Keep hoping! What is your dream? Have you given up on it? Don't! Dust it off. Shine it up. This might be God's time for it... afterall, He is the God of the impossible, right? So, take heart!rrrR

Holiness--Is Yours Irresistible?

2011-08-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

"How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing...it is irresistible." ~C.S. Lewis Do we have the wrong concept of holiness? A picture springs to mind of a dour old man, sour-faced, in black clothes saying, "Thou shalt not ..." Or we believe it to be unattainable. Has holiness become an out-dated concept?

Thought: the real thing is not dull--it is irresistible. Radical Christians know this. They don't think about it. They live it. Looking at them, we admire their passion, but choose to believe they have special gifts or talents we could never possess.

Lies! The one thing each of us can do is live irresistible HOLY lives, which are never dull!! God promises us we have everything we need to do this. Stop the lies. Believe the truth. Join the holiness revolution. Be irresistible.

31 Days of Drawing Nearer to God

2011-06-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't want to draw nearer to God? Ruth Myers subtitle lures you in even further--"Resting Securely in His Delight." 31 Days will be a book you will keep on your shelf to read again and again. I plan to make it part of my regular devotions as I follow the ACTS plan--"adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication." Adoration includes praising God for Who He is, not what He has done for me--that is thanksgiving. This book breathes adoration. It is filled with Scriptures of how God desires a one-of-a-kind intimate walk with each of us. Ruth doesn't use her opinions. She quotes the real truth. Each day she wonderfully weaves the Word with threads of gold and silver masterfully picturing the treasure God sees in each of us. A prayer summarizes the chapter's focus. Chapters range from "His Love for Me Is Lavish" to "He Is Always in Control." At the end of each chapter, there are Scriptures to explore, and then an interactive question to ask yourself, "Which of these verses catches my attention most?" At the bottom of the page or in a notebook or journal you are encouraged to record your thoughts.

This book came out of her own journaling and recording thoughts. I like that. A quote from it seems to me to be the crux of it all: The secret of a satisfied heart is not the pursuit of satisfaction or happiness. Satisfaction and happiness are by-products of the pursuit of God. Discovering God and His love not just in our minds but also in our actual experience--this is the basis of true joy in life. It is also the basis for true growth in Christlikeness, which, in turn, brings us still greater joy."

At the end of my 31-day journey, I truly had drawn nearer to God and rested more securely in His delight.

Easter 2011

2011-05-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

"I am crucified with Christ..." (Gal. 2:20) Those words tumbled through my mind recently. I started to rattle off the rest of the verse in vapid rote memory..."yet not I, but Christ liveth in me..." and I halted midstream. What does it mean to be crucified with Christ? Am I truly crucified with Him? Do I even want to be?

Easter. Christ's crucifixion has already happened. We've had Good Friday--the crushing agony of Golgotha replaced all too quickly by Easter egg hunts and fancy finery. We go to church to celebrate Resurrection Sunday. I rejoice that He has risen, but still keep pondering the meaning of that phrase, "crucified with Christ."

Then I stumble, better yet, I'm Holy Spirit directed to this cross-reference of II Corinthians 4:8-10 (paraphrased) "Though we are handicapped on all sides, we are not crushed. Though we are perplexed, we're not in despair. Though we are knocked down, we are not knocked out. For everyday we're supposed to experience something of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ."

There was my answer! Everyday I am crucified with Christ as I experience something of His death. Living with bi-polar makes me an outcast, at times, even in Christian circles. The loneliness can crucify my happiness. A handicapped heart can smile on the outside yet hurt on the inside, can be knocked down, but not knocked out...because it is crucified with Christ...and Christ lives in...this happy heart.

Hope Revisted

2011-05-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I did a fluff piece on hope, sent it off to a true friend for evaluation, and had the shock of my life when she rejected it! She had the gall to send it back to me for rewriting. Truly, though, she sees me better than I see myself. I did write a cutesy, nice piece, but it wasn't heart-written. Here I am, again, writing on hope, but this time, writing from my heart.

This winter I joined a weight loss group--"First Place 4 Health." The Power of Hope, as the title of the Bible study, was the clincher for my sign-up decision. I knew I needed hope as I faced the Mt. Everest challenge of weight loss, but even more the Mt. Everest of hopelessness in my life.

The last twelve weeks have been a great adventure. Nothing has been "easy peasy" to quote my five-year-old grandson, but my reawakening hope has blossomed from ground zero to developing complex roots from the soil of God's Word as I find real hope there. So much so that I can say with the psalmist: " But as for me I will always have hope. I will praise You more and more." (Ps. 71:14)

In the midst of the greatest trials of my life, that verse became my hearthrob and now not only have I lost twelve pounds off the Mt. Everest, but also, more importantly, hope has a home again in my life and in my happy heart.

T

Musings and Munchings

2011-04-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Just think one week ago I was in the thick of things at the Precepts Ministry Conference with my scarcely being aware as my feet have barely touched the ground. My mind stayed on the mountaintop, dwelling in the secret place of the most High. He communes with Kay and those there as they live in His Word most of the day. While there I and the 400 + women caught just a glimpse of life lived immeasurely above all that we could ask or think. Loved, confident, embraced, secure--words I had forgotten could apply to me now bulwark me foundationally. "I am loved" my heart zings dizzyingly with the thought of it. Its depth. Its breadth. Its heighth. Its vastness. My Father's love for me is broader than any earthquake/tsunami. It is higher than any space rocket can go for my Father created the vastness in which it zooms. "Amazing love. How can it be./ That Thou my God shouldst die for me?"

Happy heart musings on this 15th day of April....

Outlook Not So Bright

2011-04-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

Who remembers the "Magic 8 Ball"? You would ask a question about your future, shake it, turn it over, and "poof" an answer would appear. For some reason, the answer I now most remember is "outlook not so bright." Maybe that answer popped up the most for me. Unfortunately, its caption describes the day I was having Friday until "poof" with another shake of the magic 8 ball, "rainbow glimpsing straight ahead" appeared. My grandson Michael spotted the rainbow first. "Look!" There's a rainbow!" Sure enough there was. At my eye level with the car's sunscreening, I would have missed sighting it. "That's the first rainbow I've ever seen," he stated with rippling tones of satisfaction. "Why did God put the rainbow in the sky?" I prompted, doing the Grandma thing. "Because He loves us!" Michael chirped in reply, no hesitation attached. "Yes," I continued, "and He made it a sign to never destroy the world by flood again. Remember Noah?" "Oh, yeah," he nonchalantly replied, squirming in his seat. "Why can't I see the whole rainbow?" "You know, I don't know the answer for that, but that's the way it usually is," my small grandmotherly store of wisdom deserted me at this point in face of his five-year-old quickness of mind. "Oh, no, where'd it go?" he cried, momentarily losing sight of the rainbow as buildings hid it from view. "It's there!" He crowed. He chatted on, and I gloried, too, in the radiance restored to my outlook. Life had just slammed me against another wall of challenge, but God sent His promise to prompt me to praise. "Outlook not so bright" transformed to praise powered by a God who delights in me so much that He sends me color-coded messages. "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise Him more and more. (Ps. 47:14 NIV) Words the flow from this happy heart.

Hope Springs Eternal or Does Yours Thud?

2011-03-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

When you hear the word "hope" does your heart pump with passion or shrug with cynicism? We single women often lose hope as we try to survive life alone in a two-by-two world. Even God created us, and most of us were reared, to believe we would marry. Our soulmates would sweep us off our feet; we would live happily ever after in the mansion of our dreams, where the bills are always paid, the dishes are always done, and the "skies are not cloudly all day."

For some, marriage never came. For others the soulmate died or found another mate with which to soul. During my past fifteen years of singleness, I have found that if Satan gets me to lose my hope, I am lost. My faith, my dreams, and my future interlock with my hope. Our SOLO verse beautifully gives us God's perspective of what He has for us--single or not! Jer. 29:11 (ESV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "plans of wholeness and not of evil. Plans to give you HOPE and a future."

Three of those words: "wholeness," "hope," and a "future" radically have changed my life. First, think about "wholeness." Finding out I didn't have to have a "he" to my "she" rocked my world. I think I have had a boyfriend since I was four-years-old and fell in love with David Ling as we sat on his fence and planned our wedding. (Oh, those brown eyes!) Jesus Christ completes us. He knows us better than any other. Does anyone else bring you flowers all the time? Next, there's our keyword "hope." My favorite acronym for hope is "hold on pray expectantly." Hope is not just wishful thinking. A Christian's hope rests in the confidence that Christ lives, works in us, and that ultimately, one day, we will be with Him eternally! The final word "future" scares many of us older ones. I know who holds the future, but at times my faith freaks out, especially with the forboding tones of preachers and newscasters. Don't forget--we win!!!

Take heart! Don't lose hope! If it has thudded, how can you get it springing? I'm sure most of you know the way back, but sometimes all of our springs lose their zing. Follow the suggestions of Ann Kiemel Anderson's poem: Through the thousand of ordinary days,/When you want to give up/It pays/To hang on/To be true/To trust Jesus./He'll surprise you/With special moments.

Do you recognize special moments? Jessie has taught us to make moments magnificent. This helps add spring to our hope. How amazing this spring season would become if we would open our eyes to all the wonders of God's created-just-for-us world.

Fortunately, "PBPGIFWMY." Have you ever seen that button? Please Be Patient God Isn't Finished With Me Yet. The thing is I have to be patient with you, too, because He isn't finished with you, either. Hangest thou on there, girlfriend! There's hope for us both. Don't let your hope thud. This spring, get your hope on!

The Secret of True Beauty

2011-01-27T01:26:00.000-08:00

Ah hah! I piqued your vanity. Good. That was the teaser point of my posting on my facebook page. Most women want to be beautiful. Do you know what? Most women ARE beautiful, but they don't think so. Too long we have bought into the world's idea of what beauty is. Is beauty really a size 0? I don't think that is even a person...a zero? And what about 1/2. That's only half a person, poor thing.
Charles Dickens penned these words many years ago, "Cheerfulness and content are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of good looks." They are words to live by. A smile brightens the darkest day. A cheerful attitude wins over many a troubled situation. Haven't we all known women who are coldly beautiful? Yes, they have the outer beauty, but it leaves you cold because their soul lacks...soul. And content? How many women are truly content with their life's situation? I queue up to join this throng. For the last fifteen years, I have believed God messed up my situation, that somehow he put me into a place and forgot about me or something. Surely His will for me could not include divorce and depression. Hah! No content on my part, only bitterness, anger, and despair.
2011 has begun with me picking up the broken pieces again and handing them to my all-wise Creator. My "theme" for 2011--"Wholeness my heaven in 2011." The verse God gave me: Jer. 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans of WHOLENESS and not evil plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE! Yes, the depression probably will come again. Yes, I have failed 70 x's 7, but He always forgives, if I truly repent and have a broken heart.
So, ladies...BEAUTIFUL ladies that you are...don't forget to put on your cheerfulness and your content today...you will be beautifed and your good looks will be preserved...which all leads to ...a happy heart.

Happy Heart Heapings

2010-07-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Don't you love it when the Word speaks to you in a new fresh way? Verses you've read seemingly thousands of times before leap off the page to jumpstart a new life truth for your heart.

Today the verses Phil. 2:1,2 had new meaning for me: "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind..." Yes, of course, there is encouragement in Christ, there is comfort from love, and there is participation in the Spirit. I have never before thought about participating in the Spirit. At first it sounded somewhat charismatic to me, but then I realized living for God means participating in the Spirit. When I get up on time, and get in the Word, I'm participating in the Spirit. When I make healthy food choices, I'm participating in the Spirit. The list goes on especially when you start thinking of the fruit of the Spirit and living out loud those qualities.

I have been praying that I would not only dwell on Christ richly during my quiet time, but also though my whole day. The Spirit just awakened me to this verse and my participation with Him in daily living.

Just another way to...a Happy Heart!

Daddy's Girl

2010-06-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

Job 42:15a "In all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job. (KJV)

I had the most godly, wonderful father, Jacob Allen Gray. He went to be with our Lord two years ago, leaving a tunnel through my heart. I admit it, I was a "Daddy's Girl" and proud of it!!! A "Daddy's Girl" knows she has her father's unconditional love and acceptance. In the world's eyes, I don't measure up to expectations, but I always did in my Daddy's eyes.

Recently I noticed again the verse my dad had written in the flyleaf of my Bible. "In all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job." He had challenged my sister and me with those words from Job during our high school years as he let us know that "none were so fair as the daughters of (Jacob)." The definition of"fair" is pure, gracious, courteous, beautiful, or comely. Unger's Bible Dictionary notes: "In the East exposure to the sun makes a great difference in the complexion of women. Those of high condition carefully avoid such exposure, and retain their fairness, which becomes a distinguishing mark of quality, as well as an enhancement of beauty." That's the way Daddy saw me. His love poured into me in a thousand ways--from sending me to college to believing I was the world's greatrest teacher, mother, sales associate, tutor, counselor--you get the picture.

Did you know that we women are all "Daddy's Girls"? Our Heavenly Father--Abba, Daddy--sees us just as beautiful--"none so fair." We are His masterpieces, each of us created just so. Oh, I know most of us are our own worst critics. We hate our size, our hair color, or our nose, but we are always beautiful to Him. Revel in the security of pleasing Him, of knowing we are His beloved. Men may fail us, but our Heavenly Daddy never does. Someone has said, "He put us here to be a visible expression of an invisible God."

From one Daddy's Girl to another, I challenge you to remember daily just how beautiful you are!

Happy Heart Musings

2010-06-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Can you always have a happy heart? Did you answer yes or no? The optimist says yes and the pessimist no. Is that what you believe? I believe that yes, I can always have a happy heart, but I make wrong choices and rob myself of my joy.

Life doesn't subsist of one giddy moment after another. It must have its highs and lows else how would we know when we are happy or sad? Happiness has degrees from "euphoric" to "joyful."

Happy describes my heart tonight as I sit at the Pekin Park fountain regaled by the restorative water tones accented by colored lights. Ah! It does restock the feelings bank of my soul. Why don't I take a few moments more often to stop "to enjoy the fountains" available in my everyday walk of life? How peaceful just to breathe deeply exhaling the joy robbers--mundane cares, aches, and worries. Oh--a firefly just twinkled by me.

Cares of the day float away with the fountain's used water. Yes, my heart feels happy, but even more than the "feeling" dominates the reality--"it is well with my soul."

GREATEST HEROES--A MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE

2010-05-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Flavia has a quote which states, "The world knows little of its greatest heroes." Memorial Day means honoring those "unsung heroes," heroes like my father Jacob Gray. Dad personified heroism, not in a loud, attention-getting way, but in the extraordinary ordinariness of his life.

To his family Jake's heroics took the form of day-to-day hard work. Never a slacker, he usually worked two jobs to provide for us. To his wife, Dixie, he displayed the heroic quality of faithful husband for nearly fifty years. Because of his business acumen, people often asked him what his greatest achievement was. In my mind, I thought he would respond Christian Brothers Western Stores and Blackrock, two companies he founded and ran successfully for many years. However, to my heart-wrenching amazement, he replied his children. It still gives me chills to realize how precious we were to him, and how much he believed in each of us. Heroism chiseled into character by the very dailyness of family life.

Friends and employees benefited from Jake's heroics, too. He always had time to listen, to give advice, and to loan money; money he fully realized he probably would never see again. Only Heaven knows how much money Dad loaned to people. I never heard him say anything about these"gifts," but only learned about them indirectly. Bragging just wasn't in Jake's makeup.
Jake displayed heroism to our community with over twenty-five years of dedicated firefighter service, never missing a day. He loved the city of Pekin and gave his life to its service. Even in retirement, he remained involved in the firefighter's union donating time, service, and money.

Therefore, this Memorial Day I consecrate this piece to honor the memory of one of Pekin's, nay, one of the world's finest heroes: Jacob Gray.

Beginning Again, Part II

2010-05-11T01:05:00.000-07:00

Here I am--back at it after a four -month sabbatical. Just recharged my mental batteries with a week's vacation on the shores of Hilton Head Island, one of God's most beautiful places. My happy heart has remanifested itself. The gloom of winter disapated with the clear skies of South Carolina. Reconnecting with my SOLO sisters aided the process. To be with them brings out the sunshine in me. And there's nothing like the beach. What is it about the majesty of the waves that reminds us of our majestic Savior? The lulling rhythm of the push and pull of the tide wraps peace around my innermost being. Ahhhh....as my soul quietens...cares and worries bobble away with the retracting waves. The hypnotic waves' in's and out's blanket life's struggles. "Forget your cares...forget your worries...find yourself again...free yourself anew,"lures the siren surf. I'm reminded of the Scripture, "Be still and know that I am God"--just the place to begin again. My heart responds and discovers happiness once again.

Beginning Again in 2010

2009-12-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Whoohoo--a new year. The very thought excites me. I love new beginnings, maybe because I've had so many of them, and believe me, I have needed them. 2009 closes its eyes in just a few hours. I choose to close my eyes to my failures, to my excesses, and my losses. I open my eyes to the possibilities of a brand-new year--to begin again in 2010. I will begin again to make healthier eating choices, to exercise, to write, and most of all to live a happy-heart life for my Christ. He, and I, deserve no less. Join with me and begin again in 2010!

Your happy-hearted friend,
Bridgette

A Grateful Heart

2009-11-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

Thou hast given so much to me
Give one thing more
A grateful heart.
Not thankful when it pleases me
As if Thy blessings had spare days
But such a heart whose pulse may be
Thy praise!
~George Herbert

That has to be my all-time favorite Thanksgiving poem. Every year God brings it to mind. How I need to take it to heart! I love how many of us on Facebook have taken up the challenge to post one thing we are thankful for each day until Thanksgiving. Don't we have much for which to thank Him?

A happy heart thanks. Think how happy our hearts would be if they were hearts whose very pulse pumped praise! "Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below." Those words peal from my heart--a happy heart full of gratitude to the One who makes "all things possible."

The Searching Heart

2009-11-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way
in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23,24 ESV

What makes a happy heart? Who can have a happy heart? Good questions. Questions we will be investigating in the weeks to come. Questions that lead us into today's blog talk.

The Psalmist David had a heart after God's own heart. Wow. Wouldn't you like to be known that way--someone who has a heart like God's? On second thought, I don't think I could have endured the trials and testing that David did, and that's what made his heart like God's.

David penned the words above. His heart's cry pierces through--"Search me, O God, and know (emphasis mine) my heart!" Because of God's omniscience, He already knows David's heart. Then why does David pray that way? David understands that God will reveal the secret sins of his heart--the roadblocks to happiness. Giving God permission to turn His spotlight on the inner recesses of our beings means transparency. No hypocrisy. No two-facedness. No double standards. Just openness. Just sincerity--"an eagerness to do what is right with transparent motives." (Bill Gothard)

The happy heart progression doesn't stop there. Look at the rest of verse 23: "Try me and know my thoughts!" Ouch! It's one thing to know my heart, but it's quite another to know even my thoughts. Of course, again, God already knows our thoughts, but when we pray this way, He reveals the reality of our thoughts. Through the "trying times," our character cracks or conquers.

"And see if there be any grievous way in me," verse 24 adds to David's heart-felt prayer. What is a grievous way? Anything that causes grief. Grief to God. Grief to others. How many times just today did I cause grief? Unkindness. Anger. Impatience. Negativity. A happy heart cannot be happy causing grief.

Verse 24 concludes with "and lead me in the way everlasting!" Hearts live for eternity. Actions live for eternity. Too often I live only for the moment, forgetting the lasting impact of my attitudes, actions, and words. A heart led by God with eternity's values in view will be a happy heart and anyone can have one by following the searching process of Psalm 139:23,24.

"May God bless you...and utterly satisfy your heart...with Himself" (Amy Carmichael)--the way to truly have a "Happy Heart!"

Change Your Life Daily

2009-10-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

This past week I joined a "Change Your Life Daily" group. Becky Tirabassi instructs and coaches a group of us online and with conference calls. This group meets for twelve weeks and our goal is "Saving time, money, and calories in 2009."

The group uses awareness, admission, an action plan, and accountability. Becky has developed a plan for balancing our lives:

Physical
Eat right
Exercise regularly

Emotional
Give
Forgive

Spiritual
Talk to God
Listen to God

Mental
Detail your Day
Define your Dreams

I journal this way most days. Why am I blogging about all this? Glad you asked! First of all, for accountability. I want you to ask me how's it going. Secondly, I would like to have a "Change Your Life Daily" group in the Pekin area. We would meet once a week, one hour. No food. Just serious accountability in those four areas of our lives and prayer with and for one another. Interested? Please let me know via email: b_angelo29@hotmail.com.

Isn't it great that we can "change our lives daily"? Sometimes for me it needs to be hourly! Please pray about a local group and get back to me. James 5:16, "Confess your sins one to another that you may be healed."

A healed heart is a happy heart--

Living loved,
Bridgette
Phil. 1:6

A Couple of My Poems

2009-10-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here I am, Lord.
A jumble.
A mess.
Wanting to do this.
Ending up doing less.

Be still.
Know that I AM,
God whispers His Words to me.
I bow the knee
Humbled
Again.

Untitled

Summer ends.
School preparation begins.
Life changes.
Rearranges me.

Open me to change.
Rearrange the old
To new--
New effectiveness.
New directions.
Always guided by You.

2009-10-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Living Loved

2009-10-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Having recently seen Julia/Julie, and identifying with the character's long- born desire to write, I am starting my own blog. NOT on cooking, though--I'm no Julia Child. My passion has become "living loved." You are! I am!

As a single-again gal, I struggle with feelings of loneliness in the midst of a two-by-two world. For many reasons, I have remained single for thirteen years. Health issues: physical and emotional have side-lined me in the game of life. Sometimes I feel like I'm a spectator to my own life as I choose to sit on the bench instead of quarterback my team: three lovely children and three extra-special grandbabies.

Bottom line? There are many times that I don't feel loved. I buy into Satan's lies that I am not loved. I sink into depression then I start wallowing in it. Once a person is that low, it is impossible to get unstuck by one's self. God steps in. I have had my prodigal moments, days, even a year when I was far from Him. He never let me go. He pursues me with a love that will not let me go. I wallow in that today: praising His name for His everlasting love. "I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing." (Chris Tomlin)

Happy Heart Beginnings

2009-09-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here it is...ta da! My first ever blog. I feel adventuresome, writing to the great unknown. My blog title indicates my life's passions: happiness and love, my wishes for all the world. I have always loved smiley faces and hearts. Guess I'm just a girly girl.

Recently I have joined a writer's group. I have many ideas of what to write and currently have the problem of where to start. Typical.

Anyway, on this my first post I just want to say to all... Have a happy heart...

Living loved,
Bridgette