Spiritually Healthy

(I meant to post this yesterday, but with computer and internet issues, it was delayed a day) My blogging buddy, and dear friend, Heidi posted a fun question  on her blog not long ago. The title of her post is Ring Around the Rose Week 3 ~ Dragon Conversation,  and the question was this: How would you go about talking a dragon out of eating you, especially if no weapons were available? Click on the link to read her full, and very entertaining story!   For me, I decided to make my answer into a little story.  Please read and enjoy. :) I would first have to remind myself to stay calm - dragons can sense fear and trembling (two things for which I am very good at completing).  After the shock, I regain what little strength I have left and slowly turn around, trying to get a glimpse at the distance of the cave entrance and wondering whether or not if I'll be able to make a run for it without getting burnt to a crisp.  Then, deep from ...

Not long ago, my mother shared a beautiful way she would pray for people. But before I share her "trick", I wanted to share one. Have any of you every heard of the washing-prayer method?  Someone told me about it long ago and I thought it was a beautiful way to pray for someone. Instead of complaining that there are many dishes to wash, be thankful that you even have dishes to wash - that means you have food, which is more than some can say.   When I heard that, I thought it a beautiful way to remember prayer!  But then I got to thinking, along with being thankful and instead of complaining, why not pray for someone you know (or don't know) with each dish that passes though the soapy suds? After telling my mother this, she told me what she would do. If you know anything about the women in my family, it is that we LOVE to cook and bake.  Part of that, I think, comes from our heritage (German and Italian).  For me, baking is, and can be, ...

Not long ago, I was reading through the first book of John and was hit by the 17th verse in the 3rd chapter. (1 Jn. 3:17 ) But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? It rips me up inside to know that I fail at this. (1 Jn. 3:18) My little children, let us not love in work or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. "...in deed and in truth." Reading these two verses has me examining my life and what it is that I actually do...or don't do. How do I show love?  In my words or in my daily doings? Ouch. I have to be honest and say that both of these are hard for me.  I really struggle with acting out in love, and with speaking kind words when they are needed. These two verses tell me that I should be acting out my love for God's people - not just speaking. Why is this SO hard for us to do?  I have a heart for serving people; true joy comes from seeing others h...