"Minding the Heart II . . . "

A few weeks ago I posted “Minding The Heart . . .” Recently I pulled up some “gems” of Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers. There were several that spoke of the heart. I’ve shared a few below. One Hundred “gems” can be found on www.biblebb.com. I recommend it highly.

"'All my fountains are in you,' said David. If you have all your fountains in God, your heart will be completely full. If you went to the foot of Calvary, there your heart will be bathed in love and gratitude. If you go often to your place of seclusion, and there talk with your God, it is there that your heart will be filled with calm determination. If you go out with the Master to the Mount of Olives, and looked down with Him on a wicked Jerusalem, and weep over it with Him, then your heart will be full of love for eternal souls. If you continually draw your stimulus, your life, your entire being from the Holy Spirit, without whom you can do nothing, and if you live in close communion with Christ, then there will be no fear of you having a cold heart. . .

“Don't keep back any part of your life. Make a full surrender of every inclination of your heart; work to have but one purpose, and one aim. And for this purpose give God complete control of your heart. Cry out for more of the divine control of the Holy Spirit, so that as your soul is preserved and protected by Him, that it may be directed into one river, and one only, that your life may run deep and pure, and clear and peaceful; its only banks being God's will, its only river the love of Christ and a desire to please Him.

My sunflower friend above was a nice surprised last evening. My husband, Jerry, brought home this happy sunflower to make me smile (which it did). I put it out by the back gate to see if it would attract any visitors. I was pleasantly surprised when one of “our” fawns came by for a sniff.

"Is This Me?"

“The highest earthly enjoyments are but a shadow of the joy I find in reading God’s Word.”
Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554)

I have to admit, when I read this quote, I wanted it to be me, but wasn’t sure it was. I certainly love God’s Word–reading it, hearing it, and reading resources from other people who share God’s Word. But do earthly pleasures over shadow it?

What do I enjoy? And do I enjoy it more than reading God’s Word? Do I enjoy photography more than I do reading God’s Word? Do I enjoy “dates” with friends more than reading God’s Word? Do I enjoy creating on the computer more than I do reading God’s Word? Do I enjoy sitting in my backyard listening to all nature brings my way more than I do reading God’s Word?

I do love taking pictures! God’s creatures and creation are awesome and capturing a scene in a serendipity moment is a thrill. Breakfast, lunch, dinner–any date with friends is special, especially if they live for Jesus. Creating on the computer making note cards from pictures I take is very satisfying and fun. Sitting in the back yard with Jerry, and our dog, Sammy, is a special time, one of rest and refreshment.

I do love doing all these things . . . but nothing thrills my soul more than reading and hearing God’s Word. So I do believe I am in agreement with Lady Jane Grey. The centuries may come and go but God’s Word will always live.

Below picture I captured last evening driving home. A secluded two lane road with a small creek brought these two young fawns for water. Do you see both of them?

First Fawn . . .

Many years ago our neighbors started putting corn out in hopes of deer coming up to feed. The area behind their home and ours is a safe, secluded place for the deer to come. About five years ago, Jerry and I started putting corn out at our back gate. And now we have our own small herd of deer that come up and feed.



I have always enjoyed seeing deer . . . those chance meetings along the roadside or in a field. Having my own small herd has been exciting. Presently we have three does and two bucks who enjoy our corn.

The pictures above are of the first fawn I've seen this season. One of our does brought her two fawns out a little over a week ago now. I was able to snap the above shots . . . just about the only two that came out--they move fast as you can see!

Since that evening Jerry has seen five fawns out, which means one of our does had triplets--the third doe doesn't have an udder. The does are still keeping them hidden. We haven't seen any fawns for a week now. Soon, when mother doe feels the timing is right, the fawns will be feeding at our back gate.

Our deer certainly arn't tame. The pattern has been set many years now of us sitting out back and them coming up. But if we start moving around, they are gone in a flash.

The picture below was taken a couple of years ago. One evening on my drive home, I was looking around and spotted two fawns. I turned into the lane, pulled out my camera, and went, "Oh no! My batteries are dead." Knowing they'd be gone by the time I put new batteries in, I quickly installed new batteries, and to my delight they were still there! This is one of my treasured snaps.



Glasses, camera, extra batteries and an extra memory card I now take everywhere with me. God delights my heart with His beautiful creatures and creation!

Quotable Words on Encouraging through Note Writing . . .

The following quotes give inspiration to encourage others through note writing:

“But God could not have used an unwritten letter.” Unknown

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” Mother Teresa

“John Donne’s observation rings true: ‘Letters mingle souls.’ And if you write to others sharing the Good News of salvation, your letters just might mingle souls for eternity!” Lynn Morrissey

“Notes stir hearts.” Yours truly

“She writes with the pen of scripture and the ink of grace on the stationery of real life.” Beth Moore

“A few lines not only lift the spirits but can also be kept for other days when a boost is needed. They can even change a life.” Cheri Fuller

“God has revealed Himself to us through words.” Unknown

“You are the scented ink God uses to spread the fragrance of Christs’ love.” Karla Dornacher

“The greatest compliment I’ve ever received is from those who say they keep “Lynn files” in which to store my correspondence.” Lynn Morrissey

“We hurt people by being too busy ... too busy to drop that note of comfort or encouragement or assurance of love ... too busy to care.” Billy Graham

“Few of us are blessed with a gift for words, but we all have it within ourselves to speak or write what is in our hearts.” Daria Price Bowman

Writing words of encouragement changes lives. I know. Mine was changed!

Quotable Thoughts . . .

As a writer of encouragement and other “notables” along the way, I recently enjoyed reading the following quotes about writing:

“All morning I worked on the proof of one of my poems, and I took out a comma; in the afternoon I put it back.” Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

“Less is more.” Robert Browning (1812-1889)

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

“I have only made this [letter] longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.” Blaise Pascal (1623-62)

“ . . . One writes as best one can, out of the life one leads, in the faith of touching other lives sometimes . . .” John Updike

“Writer’s love quotations. They love quoting someone else’s work almost as much as they love quoting their own ...” Unknown

“The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t’ have to get it right the first time . . .” Robert Cormier (1925-2000)

“Thou takest the pen–-and the lines dance ..." Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961)

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873)

Next week I’ll share quotes pertaining to writing to encourage.

Minding Your Heart . . .

“More than all else, to be watched over and protected (as something in a confined place) it is imperative that you preserve and keep your heart sensitive; because from within it comes divine direction for your life.” Paraphrase of Proverbs 4:23

Do you mind your heart? This paraphrase of Proverbs 4:23 caught my mind when I heard it spoken. I’ve always liked this proverb which in the NIV says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Some of my favorite verses regarding the heart are:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” Deuteronomy 6:5,6 Love God and know His word. It keeps the heart healthy. It provides guidance as you go through each day. And when the need arises, you know where to go to receive answers.

“. . . since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men)”, 1 Kings 8:39 There is nothing we can think, do or say that God doesn’t already know what is in our hearts. There is comfort in knowing He knows everything. Even when you are wrong, God knows. God cares. God works.

“I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”Job 19:27 I’ve always loved the book of Job because of the Lord’s exchange with Job in Chapters 38 through 42. God knows and created everything. There is nothing God doesn’t know. My heart does yearn within me to be with God. We can have complete assurance that we will be with God when our days on earth are over if Christ is our Lord and Savior. There is no guessing.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 To will one thing . . . that is a pure heart; steadfast spirit . . . that is being firm in belief. Basic principles in living the Christian life.

“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2 This is one of the first psalms I became acquainted with as a new believer. My sister and brother-in-law directed me to it for comfort. The rock is strong and steady and all I need when my heart grows faint.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34 A number of times in previous posts I’ve mentioned treasures I find along the way. Those treasures come from a heart full of thanks for God. His creation, the beauty of life . . . His word, the food of life.

“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3 With your mind always on Jesus, who overcame death so that we can live, you can overcome the trials of life.

Do you mind your heart? It is the wellspring of life.

Let's Try Laughter . . .

In Genesis 21:6, Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”

I’m enjoying immensely the words of Charles Spurgeon in the devotion book, Look Unto Me: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon. In a recent devotion, Mr. Spurgeon shared regarding Sarah and the laughter she enjoyed upon the birth of her son. I especially enjoyed the following excerpt from that devotion, which I knew certainly didn’t describe me on a day-by-day basis. It certainly is food for thought.

“‘May my mouth be filled with joyous laughter because of the extraordinary, surprising grace I have received from the Lord, for I have been found by Jesus, the promised seed, and He is mine forever. Today I will lift up psalms of triumph to the Lord ‘who remembered me in my low estate’ (Psalm 136:23), for ‘my heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance’ (1 Samuel 2:1).

“I desire that all those who hear of my great deliverance from hell and my blessed salvation, which have ‘come to me from heaven’ (Luke 1:78), would laugh for joy with me. I would love to surprise my family with my overwhelming peace, delight my friends with my ever-increasing happiness, and edify God’s church with my grateful confessions of praise. I would even love to impress the unbelieving world with the cheerfulness of my daily conversation.’” I’m sure each of us could use a little more laughter in our lives, especially laughter from God!

As Jim Reimann (edtor of this devotion book) says at the end of this devotion: “Our Lord has given us all we need in Jesus, and one of His greatest gifts is deep abiding joy, even during the most difficult of times.”

We all know that laughter is good for the soul and our physical well–being. A familiar phrase we hear is, “A laugh a day keeps the doctor away.” On stress.about.com it shares how “a good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.”

Let’s try more laughter. Job was able to say “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” (Job. 8:21) I should be able to also . . . even though I’m Eeyore at heart!

Above picture is a much younger me with Emma enjoying a good laugh!