Soldiering forth…

This post was inspired by my Canadian-born blogger friend MJ,
who commented on my “Happy Hearts Day” Valentine post.
I was intrigued by her words, as she expressed exactly what I had tried to say myself!

In her comment, MJ said,
“Agree on the sentiment —
let’s carry the good feelings of yesterday with us as we soldier forth today.”

Don’t you just love that??
“…as we soldier forth today.”

In a conversation with MJ later, she explained,
“I’m showing my Canadian side, aren’t I?
Growing up in a Commonwealth country,
we were heavily influenced by our British Sovereign (the Queen).
Soldiering forth = stiff upper lip…”

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So here are a few more heart-related photos
that might help us “soldier forth” to keep the love flowing
long after Valentine’s Day is gone.

♥

I hope you have some special smiles tucked away in your heart
to pull out and remember when you need a little extra lift!

I’m blessed with some endearing ones –
the warm and loving smiles of my husband, my children, and my parents…
to mention the most important.

It’s always fun to attach “hugs and kisses”
to little messages we send back and forth…
xoxoxo…

…and here are a few more hearts…
cross-stitched by me.

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Let’s remember that every day is a day to show love toward the people we care about…
and also toward strangers we meet along our way.

Now I encourage y’all to go over and visit MJ at
Emjayandthem’s Blog
to enjoy her many interesting photos and commentaries on everyday life.
You’ll be glad you did!!

…and let us not forget to “soldier forth”!!!
 ♥   ♥
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Happy Hearts Day :)

Hope this was a wonderful day for all of you!
I’m a little “after the fact” getting this posted,
but since I have the picture all done and uploaded,
I’m going to publish this anyway.

I took the photo with my phone after a rain shower yesterday,
and when I looked at it later on the computer,
I noticed the heart shape!

Valentine’s Day may be over,
but I’m sure you’ll agree that
every day is a day to show love toward the people we care about…
and also to the strangers we encounter in our journey through life.
We never know when a smile or a touch or a kind word
may make a world of difference in someone’s situation.

♥

Love Listens

Listening is powerful.

We need people in our lives who care enough to listen to our hearts and to our words.
We need people who want to understand.
The Swiss psychologist Paul Tournier wrote:

It is impossible to overemphasize the immense need humans have to be really listened to,
to be taken seriously, to be understood.
No one can develop freely in this world and find the full life
without feeling understood by at least one person.

Listen to all the conversations of our world, between nations as well as those between couples.
They are for the most part dialogues of the deaf.

Lovers are listeners.
Lovers listen.
Lovers listen with their ears and with their eyes and with their hearts.
Lovers listen because they care.
Lovers want to understand all that’s in the other person’s heart.

When we listen in this way,
we express love so powerfully that it brings healing to a wounded heart.
People who are listened to feel loved.
Hardly anything has quite the power to express love as the listening heart.
Henry David Thoreau once remarked,
“The greatest compliment that was ever paid me
was when one asked me what I thought and attended my answer.”

I think of God.
He is the Great Listener.
He is ever-ready to hear our cries.
Consider these words from David in Psalm 34:

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.
(v. 15)

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them.
(vs. 17)

When we listen, we are like God.
No wonder God tells us to “be quick to listen, slow to speak” (James 1:19).

It has been well said:
“The first duty of love is to listen.”

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Printed text © 2012 WoodsEdge Community Church. All rights reserved.
This article may be reproduced for any non-commercial use.

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Thanks to my friend Cathie for sharing this email message with me.
Thanks to my friend Lucy for growing the beautiful roses I photographed on her front porch.
They are two wonderful friends with listening hearts!
♥ ♥
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