The Heart

…The Fireplace: it’s the focal point, it’s where things happen. If I close my eyes I can almost see myself sitting in a big, old armchair drinking a cup of coffee, and reading a good book. Or just being quiet and listening to the fire and feeling the heat. Because of the massive size of the logs, the heat from the fire is retained in the logs, giving the home a warm, friendly feel.
When designed, a good designer takes special attention to where he places the fireplace in a log home, so that maximum heat penetrates the rest of the home.
Fuel is the heart of the fire in the fireplace. Heat you can feel, but you can’t touch. Flames give character as they dance and move, as if they were reaching upwards. If you don’t add fuel, the fire will go out. If you were to keep a small ember going, you could add more fuel and reignite the fire. Why is it that when you walk into a room and the fire is lit, you get drawn to it? Maybe you hold your hands out to warm them, and rub them together, or you turn your back to the fire to warm your back. People with passion, people with a dream, draw me in. I love to hear their stories. You can almost feel their excitement, like heat from a fire as they share their passion. They started with a thought that turned into a dream. As they added more fuel it turned into reality. You may have a dream that if you were to add fuel to; such as schooling, volunteer, serve an apprenticeship, put the time in; who knows what could happen, who knows what would get ignited? On my blog profile I stated that one of my favorite movies is the final Rocky. It’s a movie about heart; having something inside of you that needs to be taken care of, going the distance, and finishing well. Leavin’ it all in the ring.
Heart, a word I have never really been comfortable saying, is not that organ that beats inside of us, keeping our bodies alive. It’s more that part of us that we can’t hold, but you can feel it. We all want to feel GOD’S presence, to hear from Him, to know the He walks with us, to be passionate about the things that are pleasing to Him. The Bible says we’re to have a heart after the things that please God. What is that, and what does that look like? At times I’ve shared my heart with my daughter. It’s usually a lesson, or a promise from some experience that I have felt God saying something to me. Sometimes, not all the time, I tear up, and she can see how much of what I am saying means to me. I believe it’s moments like these, she see my heart. The other morning we were having a chat, and a cup of coffee, and as she started to tell me something that has impacted her, I could see how something inside her was moved, something in her spirit, and as she shared her heart, she started to tear up. She paused, looked at me, and said, “I get that from you”. The Father’s heart. We are called to have a heart after God’s own heart, it’s loving, always forgiving, always wanting the very best for us, it’s excited for us when things work out, and sad when things fall apart. My own heart has been encouraged, as I have tried to share some of my thoughts with you, and I am thankful for that. I am also wondering if it’s time for some of us to get back in the ring?

Jeremiah 15:20 They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall. They will not conquer you, for I will protect and deliver you. I, the LORD, have spoken!