Hearts in Service Blog

Hilary of Tours ~  "Busyness is a blasphemous anxiety to do God's work for Him." I've shared this quote here before and it is a good reminder for me as I continually seek to create space in my life. At times my busyness in ministry is an internal sense that if I don't do a particular activity then it will seem as if I am ineffective.  But here is the lesson I'm learning. God does not need my activity to work and accomplish His will. He is at work despite my busyness.  Jesus says the following in John 5:19-20, "I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing, and He will show Him greater works than these so that you will be amazed." Jesus Himself stated that He could not do anything independently from the Father. He came alongside the Father to work in tande...

It's Monday, I didn't sleep well and have been up since 3:30 a.m. I could start this week out on a grumpy foot, but am choosing thankfulness. And maybe getting a nap in later! 😉 Today I'm thankful for the following: 💓 The wonderful scents of autumn. 💓 A productive week. 💓 Family gatherings. 💓 More light in the morning. 💓 Getting some yardwork done and cleaning up my flower beds. 💓 Fun sewing projects. 💓 Hearing how God is at work around the world (yesterday, it was specifically in Peru).  💓 A weekend at home which was the first in 6 weeks. 💓 A wide choice of food avaiable which is not the case for many people around the world. 💓 A beautiful day to get out and walk yesterday. 💓 A warm and cozy house. and finally... 💓 The beginning of my favorite time of the year! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ~ Rejoice  always! 17  Pray constantly. 18  Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I'm currently sitting on my back patio and attempting to write this outside even though it's only 46 degrees. I was out and doing yard work this morning and because I was moving around it seemed like a good idea. However, the sun has been swallowed by clouds and soon my cup of hot tea will be gone so I may need to move back inside. I've been doing a lot of reflection lately on the sin of self-pity. I know for some the word, sin , may seem harsh, but I'm going to call it what it is because it truly is rooted in self and I recognize it as a generational pattern in my own family history.  One of my earliest memories is my father driving us back home after a visitation with him. He had been drinking all day long and was a weepy drunk. He was crying and saying that no one loved him, not even us children. That is a heavy burden to lay on ten, eight and six-year old children. His choices were his own, but he would always play the blame game.  My mom, as well, would dwell on th...

I often walk at our local audubon center and throughout the miles of trails they have different benches or swings like the one shown above. I love the reminders to stop and soak in the beauty. It is a visual reminder in this hurry-up and get it done world to slow down and relax. For those of you who read my blog regularly you know this isn't always my state of being. I'm usually cramming a lot into each day and while that is the way I'm wired, I do know that it's important to just slow down and relax from time to time.  I took a picture of the frost the other morning and then later that day found this quote. I thought it was a good reminder about the need to slow down. Philip Harnden, in A Gardener’s Guide to Frost ~ "In the end, this may be the most important thing about frost: Frost slows us down. In spring, it tempers our eagerness. In fall, it brings closure and rest. In our gotta-go world–where every nanosecond seems to count–slowness can be a great gift. ...

Homemade vanilla extract I took the vanilla beans that had been steeping in vodka for vanilla extract and let them dry out a bit.  I then added them to my sugar and let them sit in there for a few weeks. Now I have vanilla sugar that I can use in baked goods. I don't have anything inspirational to say today, but just thought I'd share a random happenings post.  Fall has always been my favorite season. I love the colors, scents and food. I love the cooler temperatures and falling leaves and I love the holidays that are coming up soon.  This past weekend we had a fall festival at our church for the community and it was a lot of fun. We ended up with a good turnout and the children who came enjoyed playing the different games, the crafts, face-painting and food. They got to take a goody bag home with them. I think the thing I liked the best was that it was a team effort and we had many helpers. The temperatures have dipped below freezing the past couple of nights and we've h...

There is a woman who attends our church and lives in a senior housing apartment complex. She organizes a weekly Bible study and invites different pastors in to teach it. I have been one of the participants. She puts the schedule out quarterly so generally I've been scheduled once a month. I recently asked her if it would be possible to do three weeks in a row so that I could do a continuous study rather than teaching three disjointed lessons over a three month period. Yesterday, I taught the final lesson in my three week series. It ended up being such a meaningful time with them as they shared their stories with me and the tears flowed. I was able to pray with them and connect in a way that I've never done before. As I closed out our time with prayer I actually got choked up. The thing that amazes me is that I've never felt that I would have the patience or ability to work with senior citizens. And yet, over the past 8 years God has given me a special affinity for them. I...

Psalm 51:10-12 ~ God, create a clean heart for me  and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not banish me from your presence  or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. This past Saturday my husband and I attended a missions conference where I led one of the breakout sessions and facilitated a networking session. It was a good day and I came home encouraged. I was encouraged mostly because I was reminded once again to stay the course and remain steadfast in the ministry God has given to me.  Ministry can be a lonely profession. You have to deal with all kinds of issues, as well as peoples' opinions about what you should or shouldn't do. There are very good and uplifting moments, but for much of the time you are walking with someone through their worst moments. It's a heavy weight that never really goes away. It's definitely not for the faint of heart and not everyone is called...