The Healing Heart

The Healing Heart
by Gary Hess



Shattered heart forced to heal
as greatness unveils thine soul.
Hope whispered in the distance,
to recover thine lost love.

'Tis night brings tender passing,
healing thine soul with glorious blunder.
Caus' not one or two,
but dissipated nights of dreams.

Sadness comes to end,
happiness conquered hate.
Love sprouting -- sadness shrinking,
hope has come again.

I hope he doesn't mind. :) But a friend of mine wrote this amazing sonnet that I just wanted to share with everyone! First off, it is encouraging. In so many ways. Second off, this dude has God-given talent for writing and encouragement.

One day you will awake and realize,
That I am your hero in disguise.
I am your knight although I do not shine.
Quality to looks does not consign.

Just open your eyes and you will see,
There’s more to love than strong arms and blue eyes.
This truth, let no feeling tear apart:
Love is more than a flutter of the heart.

Please do not regard me with loathing
Because I am a prince in frog’s clothing.
Listen not to simple elation,
My true love springs from determination.

Love is faithful and love is true.
One truth I know: I will wait for you.

~Jonathan Thigpen

One of the most beautiful things I've read today

Only "today" because I read Song of Solomon last night, which I think is absolutely enrapturing.

Deep Regret by Adam Young

Meme Day 5 and more

Day 05 – Your definition of love
So both Sam and Amy have the PERFECT answer:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 " 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."

and also my definition of love is: God. God is love.

~~~~~~~~

Today.

-Went through a red light when trying to turn left out of an intersection. So pretty much turn left or sit in the middle of the intersection during the red light. Oh and guess what? They just installed red-light runner cameras at that intersection. So that will probably be another chunck of my pay-bill.

-Attended orientation for a possible CNA job today. If all goes well I will be hired with the company and just have to wait for a case to open up. Oh and I'm adding three more hours to my babysitting job so...lots of working to pay all of my red-light tickets.

-Forgot to do my French homework before class so I was out in the hall fifteen minutes before doing as much as I could.

-Bought a Naked smoothie at school. Banana/strawberry, but it wasn't as good as the mango one.

-Got a 95% on my French test!

-I love getting voicemails from friends on my cell phone.

-Some random pen markings on my finger look like a smilie face.

-Oh, I almost ran over my sister today in the car.

-And thus the neighbor boy we also drive to the school bus stop must think I am the worst driver in the world.

-I almost threw away $5 today. Or actually, I found $5 in my trash can. So I saved the $5 from being thrown away.

-I am sitting in the library and I just watched an employee fix up the children's area, setting Teddy bears upright and stacking puzzles. And I wished I could have so few cares as to walk around a children's room making it look organized and cheery.

-But I really don't have that many awful cares. Nothing God can't use for His glory. The hardest part? Trusting Him with all of those cares.

So God does speak to me...

"And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God." ~ Ephesians 3:18-19

Two days ago I was reading a chapter from my current devotional "Completely Irresistible" (by Shannon Ethridge). It was Chapter 16 titled "Live Loved" and dealt with believing (and living out that belief) that God loves every person individually. The author referenced to John, who was referred to very regularly as 'the one Jesus loved'. In this chapter, the author challenged readers to think about how our belief in Jesus' unconditional love affects our lives. She writes, "The God of the universe loves you--passionately, deeply, tenderly, unconditionally. Once you've got that fact firmly rooted and established in your life, it's going to bear fruit."
I don't know how to put it eloquently, but my life does not reflect this amazing love very well at all. And that's because it isn't a truth that I have an easy time believing. You know the feeling when you KNOW something, say...that gravity is holding you down but it's hard to really understand it. It's just a fact to you. That's sort of how the truth of Jesus's love for me is.
As you might imagine, reading that devotional was pretty hard. I kept thinking, "I believe this, I know this, but how do I really KNOW it and reflect it??" Obviously this is a topic God really wanted to pound into my head, because today I opened up my new favorite book "Come Away My Beloved" (Frances J. Roberts. go buy it.) and read this devotional. I am going to post the entire thing, even if it is only for my benefit.
The Blessings of the Pure in Heart
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." - Matthew 5:8
Is not My heart drawn out toward you to bless you? Have I not said that I would shelter and protect you and be your strong support? Yield your whole being to Me. I am your loving Father. I know your need even before it arises. My provisions are not only sure, but also full and overflowing, so that you may confess with the psalmist, "I shall never want." You will see with a vision denied to many, for your heart is pure, and to the pure of heart is given the promise that they shall see God. How much more glorious than to behold the beauty of a thousand sunsets! How much more thrilling than the sight of the fairest faces ever to grace the earth!
Yes, I shall reveal Myself to you and you shall know Me face-to-face, as Moses did. You shall walk with Me and talk with Me, and I will hold your right hand and be a brother and a friend to you. Yes, in joy I will be an added comfort, and in sorry I will be to you the peace that surpasses understanding.
Do not look to people to tell you more about Me. Look to Me directly, for I will reveal Myself to you in a personal way, in ways no other could tell you. I will be as personal and as dear to you as I was to John, the Beloved. I would take you aside as I did Peter and talk to you of things that concern yourself alone. I am not only the God of congregations, but the God of the individual, and I am as concerned for you as I was for Abraham or Joseph or David.
You are never one of many to Me. You are precious and dear to My heart, yes, even as a very special treasure. For I love you more than you can ever comprehend, and I long to gather you in My embrace and hold you close to My heart. Do not hold Me at arm's length because you have a sense of unworthiness. Have you not read that the redeemed are brought near by the blood of Christ? Your sins are not covered; they are washed away! They are not only forgiven: They are forgotten! Don't hold back My love.
Be as the prodigal when embraced by his father. Though he would have resisted for a moment, he swiftly accepted his father's forgiveness and reciprocated his love and affection.
I, too, would bring you into My house and spread for you a feast of blessings and place upon you the garment of praise, the ring of relationship, and the sandals of peace. Come, for all things are prepared for you and nothing shall be denied.

Pray, Love, Eat