I Heart Faces - Whimsical

She knew it would not be long before her brother noticed his tube was missing, but the afternoon sun was insufferably hot, and the water seemed to summon her…

Check out other I Heart Faces "Whimsical" photos this week here.

His Heart

“How far away is my heart, Mommy?” Nicholas asks me.

“Your heart is inside your body, baby. It isn’t far.”

“Yes, it is far. It’s very very far away. That’s why Heller is far away.”

“Heller is far away, to you, because you can’t see him. You can’t see him because he is in Heaven. But, he is also in your heart because you love him. We say, ‘he is in our hearts’ because our hearts feel our love, and we love him forever.”

Nicholas is insistent. “My heart is far far away. Very far. Further than the farthest far.”

I try again.

“When we love somebody, or something, we say that it is in our heart. It means, our heart holds a part of that thing forever and ever. You are in my heart, Jenny is in my heart, Daddy is in my heart. It means we love someone.”

Nicholas gets the final words. “Well, I love my stuffed animals, but they are not in my heart. They are at home, on my bed.”

I’ll try again tomorrow.

I Heart Faces - Hearts

I Heart Faces is getting into the spirit of Valentine's Day a little early this week with their challenge topic--Hearts! Check out what others are doing with their hearts here.

Two-Wheeler

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. ~Proverbs 16:9

“Look!” someone said, “He’s starting to crawl.”
And, that was the very first start of it all.
The next thing I knew, in the blink of an eye,
You were walking and running and climbing quite high.
And now, here you are, on a bike with two wheels.
Striding, then gliding, and lifting your heels.
Your balance—magnificent.
You are fearless and fast.
And, I find myself wishing this moment could last.
But, I know you’ll keep growing, with each passing day.
And, I know God’s design says it’s perfect this way.
So for now I will store in my memory’s heart
The gift I am given, as I witness each start.
And to my story, one day, you will listen in awe,
As it begins with a baby, before he could crawl.

On the FIRST day of Christmas

Dear Lord,

I was making my list the other day. You know the one. I like to call it my “Yule Log.” It reminds me of all of those things that I must do in order to prepare for the approaching holiday season. There is the decorating, the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, parties, and even the yearly visit to Santa Claus.

Every activity had a time and a place. Everything was scheduled perfectly. And, I was significantly proud that I would be able to accomplish it all before the clock struck midnight on the last day of the year.

As I reread my list, Lord, I found something missing. Not only were YOU not at the top of my list, but YOU weren’t on the list at all! I was so wrapped up in paper, tape, and ribbon, that I forgot the most important gift of all—the One whose birthday we are celebrating. I was so tangled up in buying lights and decorations, I forgot the Light of the World.

Remind us, Lord, when making our lists this season, to place YOU at the top, to prepare our hearts for YOU, and to visit YOU first.

You, Lord, are the meaning of Christmas.

Get Ready to Deliver Sunshine

Today is October 22nd. In two months, we will celebrate Acts of Kindness Because of Heller 2010. I hope you will join us. To learn more about Heller and about Kindness Day, go here. You can also join us on Facebook at Random Acts of Kindness Because of Heller 2010.

xoxo,
Heller's Mom