“Where is Your Heart?”

“Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness.” I feel that the truth of the human heart is the based on the purity of the soul, the accumulation of your actions throughout the lifespan, everything that you do plays a part in the quality of the human heart and also the quality of the type of life that you live. Love, honor, kindness, sacrifice, pride & pity are all qualities that determines the dept to our emotions, heart, positive thinking, and quality of the soul.

Love is the feeling of having a concrete awareness of strong powerful emotions that act as a driving force, propelling to always to do better for, the have a consistent alliance with, intense connection, and also contains a mixture of fear and ability to contain. However, like a fire, love can not be contained and can consume the whole heart engulfing the soul to an inferno and granting it the ability to reach peaks ones may have never accomplished on their own. It always hopes for the best, always cherishes, extremely patient, truthful, not antagonistic, and extremely forgiving. Love is the catalyst to the dept and amount of quality/substance that is within the heart. Without love, there is no truth, absolutely no sincerity, no caring, and no hope. Imagining a life without love is like picturing a child into the world without parents, without a protector, without anything. Can you imagine a newborn baby just laying there, how is it to be fed? How is it to be changed when dirty? How can it defend itself from the predators of the world? It simply can not operate and will die. I can not imagine being born in a life without love, some people are brought under those circumstances unfortunately, but every one develops a form of love sometime in their lifetime. The truth of the human heart always has a risk of betrayal and be broken, but it is ultimately work the risk according to William Faulkner. It is worth the sweat and agony, because the process of being in love, and trying to discover how to love. How not to be afraid, and learning how to handle virtues that accumulate with the growth of  the heart,  like honor and respect help us in our journey to being the purest of souls, ones worthy of receiving that same devotion back one day.

Honor is the stainless steel framework of the heart, a grid-line straight into the depths of the soul, showing the strength of an individual, represents  their character, how dedicated they are into completing geared task (I.e. obeying rules, respect, maintain communication, etc.). Honor is an accumulation of many thoughts and deeds and accomplishments. It is a strict regime of discipline. Honor is not something that is develops in a one night event, it involves consistency, habitual, something that you have had within you all the time. Honor is the core of an individual, it keeps them anchored, self-imposed compass dictating that each choice made has a consequence. Failing to hold honor destroys the framework built, ends the trust gained, shatters respect hard earned and burns love flourished.

Compassion is the ability to show tolerance, patience, kindness, and empathy toward others. Nursing is the best profession for those that show the strongest of compassion. They have the ability to see what the patient needs, to place themselves in the same situation, experience the same pain and want to make things better for the individual. Without compassion, there is apathy, cruelty and mistreatment of others. “To be without compassion is to griefs grieve on no universal bones leaving no scars. He writes not of the heart but of the glands. “—William Faulkner. You can not go through the motions of compassion. You have to either have the ability to empathizes or extreme dullness (apathy) of feeling which is without heart. The things leading to extreme sacrifice and dedication are all started by the act of compassion and having a good heart of humility.

Sacrifice is one of the hardest things to accomplish. It is a skill not for the faint at heart. To be able to sacrifice is to deny oneself, allowing extreme hardship, but maintaining a positive outlook throughout the ordeal. An example, that frequently overlooked in our society is adoption. A mother sacrifices the health risk and pains of delivering a child into the world to give the child to a family that can take care and provide the best life possible for that baby. There is no greater pain as losing your own child, something I hope to never have to go through, but would do if the given circumstances were right. A person solely reflects on the outcome of the situation for the other person, that looking at the amount of pain and suffering inflicted on self in the meantime. It is something I look upon with the highest of admiration. Only the purest of heart have this quality.

 

Pride is the best gratification is usually based on knowledge of a mission accomplished job well done. Others give gifts of respect, acknowledgement, trust, and how it implies to the heart is in the warmth of happiness it brings. Pride is the fuel that gives the truth heart the ability to go on. If you accomplish one big goal, it propels you to want to go on the next mission.

Pity is a strong emotion that you must have a lot of compassion, empathy, and sadness. The truth on earth is that nothing last for ever. Moments of happiness, and pleasure quickly fade and times of trails, hardship and pain always seem to last forever. Pity is an emotion in which someone wishes things to get better when there is a possibly the outcome will not change. People that suffer from chronic debilitating illnesses, alcholism, drug abuse, homelessness, and victims of traumatic events are examples of people that experience the worst of pity that’s universal and unanimous. Having pity with a truth heart however can be an extreme motivator, to want the situation to change so badly you create awareness, start a charity, raise money, that ultimately may lead to a cure or at least support that the individual needs to move one. “When the last ding-dong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that then there will be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking. I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure; he will prevail.”—William Faulker showed how we must not embraced our doomed circumstances, but refuse to accept it. Have a zealous overbearing since of hope, let the compassion, empathy, and hardships be your guide to changing your life or someone else‘s.

The truth of the human heart is the based on the purity of the soul, the accumulation of your actions throughout the lifespan, everything that you do plays a part in the quality of the human heart and also the quality of the type of life that you live. Love, honor, kindness, sacrifice, pride & pity are all qualities that determines the dept to our emotions, heart, positive thinking, and quality of the soul. Personally, situations that gave me the most pride were extreme hardships, a lot of people were doubtful for, that it wouldn’t change, but I held on and fought eventually winning. And looking back, there is a lot of pride 1.) that I held on when another could have easily given up 2.) showed character and abilities in myself I never knew I possessed 3.) believe that I enjoy the hardest chapters in my life because I know they will all try to produce the best out of me. When alive, the heart never wants to stop beating, love, compassion and pity are the elements that circulate goodness in the heart. Honor frames the heart, gives it a foundation and barriers of ethics one should never cross. Sacrifice is when there is an extreme over accumulation of love compassion, and pity that causes someone to act in interest that are above their own self. When all of those qualities are complete, the heart is immortalized, and though the physical can die, emotionally the imprints  will linger in history and cause others to desire follow in the same fashion. In conclusion, William Faulkner shows that truth of the heart can not be dominated by fear of failure, apathy, or lust because all of those things produce nothing, no one loses anything of value, and our mission is to reassure others giving courage, honor, pride, compassion, pity and sacrifice to achieve every all things.

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.“

Birth Mother Original Art Work by Angela Smith 13X19 mixed media on bristol

“Still I rise, Still I threive”

Reflected on a speech I delivered in January 2014 at the Ladies Prayer Breakfast hosted by Sugar Land Church of Christ. Hope you Enjoy!

Still I rise, Still I threive speech

First of all, I’d like to thank the coordinators for this ladies day program for inviting me to speak with you today. This is my first time speaking, am nervous, but inspiring to speak with you today on how God’s grace & mercy has changed my life & others in so many different ways. I entitle this speech still I rise, still I thrieve.

I have only have 5 minutes, so let’s get started.
You don’t have to wave your hands, but has anyone ever been late on paying your electric bill? So late that you get that pretty hot pink notice in the mail with bold letters & states you will get your services shut off on such and such date. And still wasn’t able to bill on time. That day. Isn’t it a scary time? When you go to work & don’t know if you are coming home to lights? The dark is no ac, technology & seeing your food rotting in the fridge ever flash through your mind? Just want 1 more day, 1 more chance to come home & make it right. Don’t deserve it. You’ve already been warned but for some reason those lights still stay on. Flush of relief, what’s that? Mercy, a short period of time that you did not get a punishment you deserved. You still got to pay your bill.

Read Eph 2:8

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”

Life has many disconnection notices. There’s a lot of health disconnects, emotional ones too. It’s a lot of wickedness in the world. People that come & literally take the heart out of you. Filled up to the brink with sorrow, pain, heartache, you might be persuaded to call your friends, instead of calling on God. Then your backup support system, people you thought had your back &  you believe you could bank them & rely on to help keep your lights on. Those same people will be the main ones pulling the switch to come on & cut you off. Somehow in the chaos of it all, something reaches out, and pulls you out of your current situation. A real blessing, state of protection and divine love that sets you back on track. For those still battling with difficult situations

Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-9

” I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. ³ And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. ⁶ Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

1 Peter 5:10

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Those dealing with difficult people read Romans 12:20-21

 ^“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

 It’s God’s grace that you live to smile today. It’s something that can change someone’s life from one way to another. I know this too well with art. Usually people just see the finished product at an art exhibit, but no one knows the processes that goes with the points I am making today.

This is the painting called “Breaking Out Good”. It started off as “breaking bad”, never made so many mistakes on one work more, it was somewhat presentable, but not its best. But then something happened, the night before, an bad incident, my cat, Tigris walked all over the painting before especially on the face & background. So I went to work, hard at fixing those “damages”,  after fixing them, it actually made it the best, actually made it the best that I’ve ever worked on. Trials have that same effect. People have had their lives totally changed from bad to good, converting a sinner to a seasoned saint, drug abuse to sober, prolific murderer to disciple, stripper to outreach Christian teacher, crazy to sane, fully disabled to God enabled, still YOU rise (from your situations), still you can thrive (better than ever). That’s grace & mercy why we are still here. The grace of God is the Plan of Salvation. We do not deserve it. There is a war within, light switches of humanity & there is a set disconnection date.  We will die, there’s no stopping fate, but we have the “power to choose” today to be on God’s side with the light in glory or plunge forever with Satan in the banks of darkness. Follow’s God’s plan (show repentance, baptism, renewal), & remember to be a light to others as well. We all daily brighten someone’s life or darken it. Do not be the one that forces the switch to cut someone’s light off. I speak this from the heart, don’t try to be neutral, it’s a shade of gray. Its darkness, lukewarm & as well all know God will spit them out in a heartbeat (Revelations 3:16). Thank you.

“The Most Foolish Traveler in the World”

Once upon a time, there was a foolish traveler who had gone on a journey. Why was he foolish? Well, because he was fooled by everyone he ever met! “Please, some money for medicine” said a nearby townsman. Everywhere he went, people made up all kinds of sad stories to tell him, and the traveler fell for everyone of them. “I have a sick younger sister….” “I don’t have the money to buy seeds to plant in my fields.” Pretty soon, his money, his clothes, even his shoes had been cheated away from him. But the foolish traveler was always glad to help. And he always told people the same thing. He said “I wish you happiness.” But by this point, though the traveler was completely naked & with nothing left to cover himself, he decided to leave the main road & travel through the dense forest where no one could see him…but soon he was discovered by goblins that lived in the woods. The goblins wanted to eat the traveler’s body, so they begged and pleaded and used kind words to try and trick him… of course, the traveler was fooled. First he let the goblins eat one of his legs. Then an arm, then more and more…Before it was over all that the traveler had left was his head. He’d even given his eyes away to the last of the goblins…And as that last goblin was eating the traveler’s eyes, He turned & said, “Thank you, traveler. In return, I leave you this present.” What the goblin left was a slip of paper with the word “Fool” written on it. The traveler couldn’t see it. He didn’t know what it was. Even so, tears began to flow down his face. “Thank you.” he said, “This is the first present anyone ever gave me. I’m so happy. I’m so happy. Thank you.” Even without eyes he cried and cried great tears of joy. Then, the traveler died with the smile still on his face. And…that’s the end of the story. Is the traveler really foolish? I believe with all my heart that the traveler knew more about life than most people who read this. The reason why is because no matter what he sacrificed is all to the bettering of others he thought was less fortunate than himself. He showed kindness, humility & a character that was truly noble. And he died respectfully for his cause. The quality of the people & goblins were the fools. They were  bad, deceitful, cruel, selfish, evil, corrupt, manipulative, liars that were only looking out for themselves

Read this story from a comic book (Fruits Basket) growing up, concepts from the story can be applied to today’s society.

If things could be different in this story, it would have to be the traveler’s destination. I believe that the traveler should have never wandered in the dark forest to begin with. That had she stayed in town, although ashamed, vulnerable, & naked, people would have first gossiped, judged & criticized, but she would have come across some that would give one by one their clothes. She would have discovered people who went through the same thing, & would have given her some sounds words of advice. Never do actions that compromise your integrity to the point where you feel you have to hide. It’s wonderful to do good & to make a big difference, but set up some healthy boundaries. The real fools of course are the ones that deceive, evil beings that are only out to lie, cheat & steal their way through life. And it will be their own downfall in the end. They may cast a web of confusion that can distort the truth, but not their fate. Their deeds will be exposed in the light & when it does, they too will feel humiliated, & ashamed. But will they ever change? We will never know.

And that’s my thought of the day.

Favorite Quotes

“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but the heart to conquer it. Let me not look for allies in life’s battlefield, but to my own strength. Let me not cave in anxious fear to be saved, but hope for the patience to win my freedom.”

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

♥ “Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with that talent is your gift back to God.”
♥ “If at first you do not succeed, you are normal. Nobody knows anything until they have learned and practiced it. All success requires knowledge, skill, practice, perseverance, & the ability to overcome temporary setbacks.”

♥ “She used words to say nothing at all & silence to explain everything.”

♥ “Some day you may be as old as I am. Please take my advice, & don’t waste your short life. Invest your youthful vitality in your art. Share the best of your spirit with the world. Your body will die, but you cannot die. So, don’t worry about petty things like bodies, money, & possessions. They pass with the body & are meaningless. Don’t worry what anyone thinks of you. Don’t seek approval, except from yourself. Your art & ideas are signs of your spirit. Your beauty endures forever, as do you.”
♥ “The ones that defy gravity live with inspiration. They defy the system by defining themselves. Their imperfection is what makes them so perfect- so brilliant. They want to create a world inspired, where no one feels alone. They are crazy enough to believe that they can inspire the world, and you know what they just have! By defining their greatness they are giving others permission to do the same. They are everyday people doing extraordinary things. They are defyeneurs”

♥  “You see my glory, but you don’t know my story.”
♥ Our deepest fear is NOT that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
♥ A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.
♥ *LUST…….will leave you loveless
POWER…….will leave you heartless
DRUGS…….will leave you senseless
M0NEY…….will leave you comfortless
JESUS…….WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU REGARDLESS ♥
♥ Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all — the apathy of human beings. – Helen Keller
♥ Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. -MLK jr.
♥ I can get sad, I can get frustrated, I can get scared, but I never get depressed – because there’s joy in my life.-Michael J. Fox 🙂