Owner: Harmony of the Heart URL:www.harmonyheart.blogspot.com Join Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:16:51 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: A blog where you will find inspirational stories, poetry, links, articles, photos and just about anything that makes life more wonderful. Site statistics:Click here
A Hummingbird's Flight 2007-02-27 05:33:00 CAPTION: "Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org."A Hummingbird
's Flight
By Rosemary Cadena NajarFly little hummingbirdsay goodbye to her caressmemories of mamaand the comfort of the nestFly little hummingbirdlinger on new wingsrock in gentle breezeslavish promises of springFly little hummingbirdcatch the morning raysglisten young feathersbraving summer's daysFly little hummingbirdlet each rhythmic beatdefine a spirit eagerfor autumns meadows sweetFly little hummingbirddream the sacred storydrink in winter's nectardance in the scent of her gloryNOTE: Permission was granted by author to use this poem. To view more poems visit our Poetry Corner section by clicking here.
Feature Photo(s) 2/22/07 2007-02-23 00:50:00 CAPTION: "Photo
courtesy www.worldofchelle.blogspot.com." A photo of some orphaned baby skunks who were eventually returned back home to the wilderness.Welcome to Harmony of the Heart! The blog where you can get your dose of inspiration for the week. Feel free to check out the inspirational stories, articles, poems, photos, great links and more! We encourage you to search through the site because you may just find a post that touches you or that you may want to send to someone else to brighten their day. You also may want to look through our category section and most popular section. For those of you who are new, every once in a while we post the Feature Photo
, a cool or beautiful photo for everyone to view. We hope that you enjoy this one (above). To view all of the other feature photos we have posted at Harmony of the Heart simply click here. Also, if you are new to the site and want to learn more about us click here. You can also now subscribe to Harmony fo the Heart at the bottom o
Building a Marriage That Works 2007-02-21 01:23:00 Here are some qualities that are important to have in a marriage. Think of them as the five keys to a loving relationship and healthy marriage. Without keys we do not have access to things (our car, home, etc.). If we do not work on the five things mentioned below we may find walls between us instead of doors to connection and love. To have a relationship where we are open, trusting and loving we need to be willing to do the work of using these essential keys.1. Both individuals are willing to submit to one another. By submitting we mean the practice of putting the other person first and valuing that person (their feelings, opinions, wants and needs). It is respect for the other person and a willingness to listen, to be humble, and to recognize when we are wrong. When this is done the couple opens the door to trust and security in the relationship. There is a feeling of being safe together.2. Encourage and nourish each other. Both individuals have a giving spirit, one that cultivates a Read more:Building
, Works
How To Find Love (Healthy Relationships) 2007-02-18 00:25:00 Look Before You Fall Helplessly In LoveCindy has had a crush on the 6-foot-1-inch hunk with dark brown hair and green eyes in her Chemistry class since the beginning of the semester. Her heart beats so fast every time she makes eye contact with him that she feels like she has to hold on to it or it might pop out.And then one day the inconceivable happened.All of a sudden, out of the blue, Powell walked up to her after class and pulled out a pink rose from his backpack. He gently looked into her eyes with his dark green eyes and asked her, "Do you want to study Chemistry together?"Cindy stood frozen, in a daze, her heart melting. Then seconds later she responded, "Sure," with a whimper. After waving good-bye to Mr. Wonderful, she walked home and thought to herself, "This is the right guy, he's the one."A couple of weeks later and a couple of study nights with Powell, she was walking on a cloud. And when Powell, her new boyfriend, asked her to go to Carmel and spend the night with him s Read more:Relationships
, Find Love
The Flames of Love 2007-02-14 06:24:00 During this time of the year many people are looking for love. Some are looking in the right places and some are looking in the wrong places. Regardless, it may be helpful to know what it is that we are really looking for in a relationship.In the Bible there is a book called Song of Songs. It basically is a collection of Hebrew love poems. In this Biblical book there are three different Hebrew words used to describe love. While I was dating my wife there came a point in the relationship where I was considering marrying her. I was not sure if I was ready to make this very important decision. So, I asked my pastor for guidance and he gave me a book to read that shared three key things to look for to assess if it was time to get married. Having been married almost six years, I have found these three key things to be very important to a healthy and loving relationship. The first Hebrew word used to describe love in Song of Songs is "Raya," which means basically a friend, a companion or sou Read more:Flames
Feature Photo 1/27/07 2007-01-28 00:33:00 CAPTION: "Photo
courtesy FreeDigitalPhotos.net." Photo of a massive statue taken from Easter Island. The mysterious island is one of the most isolated places in the world. The island is located over 2,000 miles from the nearest population center, (Tahiti and Chile). Welcome to Harmony of the Heart! The blog where you can get your dose of inspiration for the week. Feel free to check out the inspirational stories, articles, poems, photos, great links and more! We encourage you to search through the site because you may just find a post that touches you or that you may want to send to someone else to brighten their day.For those of you who are new, every once in a while we post the Feature Photo
, a cool or beautiful photo for everyone to view. We hope that you enjoy this one (above) of Easter Island. To view all of the other feature photos we have posted at Harmony of the Heart simply click here. Also, if you are new to the site and want to learn more about us click here.
Mahatma Ghandi 2007-01-27 05:47:00 "When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always."~ Mahatma
Ghandi"Any attempt to impose your will on another is an act of violence." ~ Mahatma Ghandi"You must become the change you want to see in the world."~ Mahatma Ghandi"Nobody can hurt me without my permission." ~ Mahatma Ghandi
Martin Luther King Jr. 2007-01-13 06:05:00 “So, I say to you, seek God and discover him and make him a power in your life. Without him all of our efforts turn to ashes and our sunrises into darkest night. Without him, life is a meaningless drama with the decisive scenes missing. But with him, we are able to rise from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope. With him, we are able to rise from the midnight of desperation to the daybreak of joy.“St. Augustine was right: we were made for God and we will be restless until we find our rest in him. Love yourself, if that means rational, healthy and moral self-interest. You are commanded to do that. That is the length of life. Love your neighbour as you love yourself: you are commanded to do that. That is the breadth of life. But never forget, there is a first and even greater commandment: Love the Lord your God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy mind. This is the height of life. When you do this, you live the complete life.”MartinLuther
King Jr.CAPTION: Ma Read more:Martin Luther
, Martin Luther King
Building Positive Self Images & A Life Raft 2007-01-12 03:41:00 There is no doubt that society, family and our environment plays a big part in constructing our initial self-image. Every human being has the potential to blossom a personality and self-image that is filled with grace and beauty but many times something goes awry.Sometimes when love is withheld from a parent or emotional support is deprived a child's self-image and personality are affected in a profound way. Traumatic experiences where abuse is present or where there is abandonment or rejection can deeply affect a child's self-image as well.For instance, if a parent tells their child that he or she is a nobody or incompetent the child will many times project this image of himself as true and embrace it. This image can affect the child's social skills, grades, and emotional temperament. Another example of a situation that can affect a child's self-image is if a parent is not present in the child's life. The child may interpret this absence by stating to himself, "I am not worthy to Read more:Building
, Positive
, Images
A Father's Love 2007-01-07 00:43:00 In the Gospel of Luke, there is a beautiful story of a father's love and grace. It is a story of an ungrateful son who asks his father for his inheritance while he is still alive. After receiving it, the son runs away to a faraway land and spends the inheritance on wine and irresponsible living.The story tells us that he comes to a breaking point when he finds himself sleeping with the pigs and longing for their food. Coming to his senses, he decides to return to his father. As he nears his home, his father spots him from a distance, runs to him, and embraces him with a hug and a kiss. He doesn’t ask any questions and orders his servants to bring the finest robe and put it on his son. He puts a ring on his son’s finger and sandals on his feet. He also has a calf slaughteredand throws a feast in celebration of his son’s return.In order to run to his son, the father would have had to lift his robe and expose his undergarments. For a man of stature and mature years to do this in th Read more:Father
Experience Christmas 2006-12-24 18:12:00 Christmas is a time where many of us focus on family and visit with relatives that we have not seen in a long time. It is a time where children unwrap presents with so much enthusiasm that we get our digital cameras and video cameras ready. It is a time of joy and celebration.We buy special gifts for those we love and get in touch with that human quality that makes the world a better place - giving.Christmas can be a lot of fun but sometimes it can be easy to get lost in the holiday season. Trying to keep up with all the buying and wrapping and not to say the money that is being spent can lead to stress. For some people it is a hard time of the year. Some people do not have families to share this day with with and others are poor in the streets and can not buy their children presents.Last year our life group (small group at church) was able to help a family in need buy gifts for their children. As I talked over the phone with the parents they told me the list of toys that their childre Read more:Christmas
A Father's Love Letter 2006-12-22 05:43:00 My Child, You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1 I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2 I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3 Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31 For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27 In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28 For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28 I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5 I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12 You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16 I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26 You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6 I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44 I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16 And it is my desire to lav Read more:Father
, Letter
, Love Letter
Our First Perceptions of God 2006-12-20 06:45:00 When we remember our family and our childhood we all have certain memories or pictures that are filed in our minds. It is as if we have a family album stored there. These images can be good or bad. And these images are very powerful. Matter fact they can shape our lives, our way of seeing ourselves and our future family experiences.And studies that have been conducted conclude that these images can also affect our perceptions of God. One study conducted on children from the age of 4-11 found that when parents were viewed as powerful and nurturing (especially when the mother was powerful and the father nurturing) children projected these images towards God. They would view God as nurturing and powerful.Another study (Justice and Lambert, 1986) found a strong correlation between the images of subjects and of their fathers and their images of God. With those with the most negative images of their parents having the most negative images of God. Another study (Birky and Ball, 1987) showed t Read more:First
If I Had My Child to Raise Again 2006-12-16 06:13:00 If I had my child to raise all over again,I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.I would do less correcting and more connecting.I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.I would care to know less and know to care more.I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.I'd do more hugging and less tugging.I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.I'd teach less about the love of power,And more about the power of love.Diane Loomans Read more:Again
Feature Photo 11/27/06 2006-11-28 04:35:00 CAPTION: "Photo
courtesy PDPhoto.org."Welcome to Harmony of the Heart! We hope that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. There are so many things to give thanks for this year. I think that we are most thankful for family and God's love, grace and provision in our lives. We also give thanks for all of you who continually visit our site.If you are in the mood to read an article on giving thanks because its that time of the year when we are reminded by the holiday season to give thanks click here. It actually is always a good time to give thanks but it seems like the holidays help some of us to reflect more on something that we should be naturally doing all the time. For those of you who are new, every once in a while we post the Feature Photo
, a cool or beautiful photo for everyone to view. We hope that you enjoy this one (above) of Bryce Canyon. To view all of the other feature photos we have posted at Harmony of the Heart simply click here. Also, if you are new to the site and want to l
Saying "No" in a positive way 2006-11-12 00:20:00 Hearing the word "no" can be a very hard thing to take in and recieve. For some people it may stir up feelings of anger, resentment, frustration and sadness. Others may think that we are being rejected or neglected when they hear this powerful two letter word. It is quite incredible that two letters can stir up so much pain in some people.So, how can we say "no" in a way that increases the probability that people will not feel or think these things?Marshall Rosenberg, the author of the book Nonviolent Communication, shared in one of his workshops that we can do three things to increase the likelihood that people will recieve our "no" in a positive way. These three things are:1. See the gift (non-verbally or verbally) in the request being made and value the request. For instance you can say, "I see that you want to go to the movies with me."2. Never say the word "No" and try to avoid saying, "I don't want to." Instead share your feeling and need. For example, "I feel tired because I ne
Inspirational Quotations 2006-11-08 06:25:00 CAPTION: "Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org."We have posted many inspirational quotations at Harmony of the Heart and plan to post more in the future. We have created this page to help you find them. Feel free to browse the quotations listed below at your convenience. Enjoy!Topics:RiskAngel EyesC. S. Lewis (Ignorance)Helen Keller (Opportunity)Helen Keller (Awakening)Helen Keller (Discovery)Declaration of IndependenceNatureChildhoodMartin Luther King Jr.Mahatma Ghandi Read more:Inspirational
, Quotations
Risk 2006-10-29 00:54:00 CAPTION: "Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org." A brave person walking out on the Glacier Point edge to get a better look at the majestic view.RISK...To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To play your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss.To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure ... but risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing and is nothing. One may avoid some suffering and sorrow but one simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, live and love.Chained by one's certitudes, one is a slave, one has forfeited freedom. One who risks ... is truly FREE.~ Author Unknown
Feature Photo 10/21/06 2006-10-22 01:12:00 CAPTION: "Photo
Courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Photo by Stolz, Gary M."Welcome to Harmony of the Heart! The blog where you can get your dose of inspiration for the week. Feel free to check out the inspirational stories, articles, poems, photos, great links and more! We encourage you to search through the site because you may just find a post that touches you or that you may want to send to someone else to brighten their day.Every once in a while we post the Feature Photo
, a cool or beautiful photo for everyone to view. We hope that you enjoy them. To view all of the other feature photos we have posted at Harmony of the Heart simply click here.If you are new to the site and want to learn more about us click here. Thanks for stopping by.
A Language of the Heart (Speaking Giraffe) 2006-10-13 23:24:00 Our emotions are a gift from God. When emotions are allowed to work as they are intended to work they can bless us and others in many ways.But in order to receive the blessing we must first realize that our emotions are always connected to a need being met or unmet. By listening to our emotions and asking ourselves why we are feeling a particular emotion we can discover an unmet need or a need that has been satisfied. For instance, if I feel sad because I have not seen my family in a long time my need for connection has not been met. On the otherhand, if I feel happy because I have spent time with my family then my need for connection has been met.Yet, many times we do not listen to our emotions and completely ignore them and/or act violently towards others as a result of not looking at the need we have. How many times have we felt angry and as a result insulted, judged, criticized, blamed or physically hurt someone? Probably too many to count. Many of us don't know what to do when we Read more:Heart
, Speaking
, Giraffe
Raising Small Souls 2006-10-06 04:44:00 CAPTION: "Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org." A bee buzzing around a lemon tree. The "Animal School" movie promoted below talks about how we should try to raise our children to be bees.Parenting is a gift. To be able to help children reach their full potential as human beings and discover the self-confidence to carry it out is a true blessing. Each child is filled with a treasure of unique talents, personality and gifts. And it is very rewarding to be able to see them blossom right before our eyes.But parenting can be challenging at times and children don't come with a child's manual. As parents and caregivers we should always keep learning and be willing to observe children to help them grow. One website that helps parents and teachers in that journey of mentoring children is www.raisingsmallsouls.com.On the home page there is a short movie that is very informative and inspiring. It is a movie that not only parents will identify with but that everyone can identify with. It is about a story Read more:Raising
, Small
, Souls
Feature Photo 9/16/06 2006-09-17 00:20:00 CAPTION: "Photo
courtesy FreeDigitalPhotos.net."Welcome to Harmony of the Heart!Every once in a while we post the Feature Photo
, a cool or beautiful photo for everyone to view. We hope that you enjoy them. To view all of the other feature photos we have posted at Harmony of the Heart simply click on the following dates: 2/22/07, 1/27/07, 11/27/06, 10/21/06, 8/28/06, 8/7/06, 7/24/06, 7/11/06. If you are new to the site and want to learn more about us click here. Thanks for stopping by.
If Only I Knew 2006-08-18 03:35:00 If only I Knew by Lance Wubbels is a book that tries to help us to appreciate the special people who are in our lives. It is about thinking about every moment we spend with others as sacred and as a gift. The book challenged me to think about the reality that we live in an uncertain world, a world where we may not have another chance to say a kind word or do a kind act for someone we love.Wubbles writes in his introduction that as he was writing this book the fourteen year-old son of a friend of his left home on his yellow bicycle and was hit in a street crosswalk by a car. He writes, "The driver, a sixteen-year-old young man, was distracted and somehow never even saw Spencer until he hit the windshield. In that tragic moment a boy's life vanished like a mist, leaving behind a grieving mother who obviously loved him with all her heart."The book, which is beautifully illustrated, is filled with many reminders and challenges to appreciate every moment we have with those we love. For exa
Poetry Corner 2006-08-02 05:59:00 CAPTION: "Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org."Poetry
Corner is a place where you can find inspirational poems. Any poems that are posted on Harmony of the Heart will be found here. I will update Poetry Corner when new poems are posted.A few months ago I posted the poems "If You Only Knew" and "Tree of Life". If You Only Knew was written in a time in my life when I felt hurt, distraught and hopeless. I think there are times when we all may have felt this way if we are honest with ourselves.My heart goes out to everyone, especially victims of domestic violence and violent crimes, who have experienced abuse because it hurts to be in that place where you feel hurt, distraught, sad and hopeless. Hopefully this poem, If You Only Knew, will remind us of the power that our words and actions have to hurt others. Maybe we have felt this way or maybe we have stirred up this pain in others. Either way, we can learn from this and connect with that part in all of us that wants to love and contribute to the
Lost and Found: A Story About Providence 2007-03-06 06:02:00 CAPTION: Photo provided by www.flickr.com. To link to the original photo click here. When I viewed this photo I could imagine an ant carrying a contact lens.Elisabeth Elliot writes in her book, Keep a Quiet Heart, that she received an astonishing story from Brenda Foltz, who went rock-climbing for the first time. She published the story in her book in the Lost and Found chapter. The incredible story is below:"I started up the rock as fast as I could, determined to 'set my face like a flint' toward the peak. After a time, I came to a difficult ledge, and my breathless scrambling came to an abrupt halt. Suddenly, the rope was pulled too taut and hit me square in the eye. 'Oh NO!' I thought wildly, 'my contact lens is GONE!' From my precarious perch I looked everywhere on the rope and sharp granite rock for a tiny, transparent lens, which could easily be mistaken fro a water droplet."Lord Jesus, help me find it! I prayed and pleaded, knowing the hopelessness of my search with such l Read more:Providence
If Animals Could Talk 2007-03-11 01:52:00 CAPTION: I took this photo at the San Francisco Zoo. This giraffe appeared to be looking for something. With a long neck they have the ability to see things others may not be able to see. What Kind of Communicator Are You?We all communicate in different ways in conflict situations. Some of us in healthy ways and others in unhealthy ways. Below are some different types of communication personified by animals. Which do you most identify with? Which do you want to most identify with?The Turtle - This person is hesitant to share his feelings and needs with others if it is not safe. He is scared to be honest and vulnerable with others. He may hide in his shell for some time before facing the situation. He may hide in his room or give others the silent treatment. He tends to be a passive communicator. He will pop his head out from time to time to see if it is safe to talk and slowly musters the courage to begin to share what is in his heart. He may need some prodding and reassurance from oth Read more:Animals
How To Deal With Difficult People 2007-03-16 04:03:00 Sometimes it may be difficult to talk to someone who is criticizing, judging, or blaming you. It may be just as difficult to deal with someone who is giving you the silent treatment, giving you the cold shoulder or just plain throwing a tantrum. So, here are some tips on how to deal with those difficult people who have a hard time communicating what they want to say in a loving and kind way.For starters remember that everyone desires to communicate their feelings and needs in a clear way but many times they just don't know how to do this. Marshall Rosenberg, the founder of Nonviolent Communication, says that all people are every really trying to say is "please" or "thank you." So, when someone is upset (and being critical) they are saying please. Giraffes, people who focus on the heart (feelings and needs) look to see what the request is that this person is trying to say.Well, let's look at how to deal with the different types of communicators we discussed in the post "If Animals Cou
Welcome to Harmony of the Heart! 2007-03-18 00:29:00 CAPTION: "Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org." Happy St. Patrick's Day! Welcome
to the blog where you can get your dose of inspiration for the week. Feel free to check out the inspirational stories, articles, poems, photos, great links and more! We encourage you to search through the site because you may just find a post that touches you or that you may want to send to someone else to brighten their day. You also may want to look through our category section and most popular section.For those of you who are new, every once in a while we post the Feature Photo, a cool or beautiful photo for everyone to view. We hope that you enjoy this one (above). To view all of the other feature photos we have posted at Harmony
of the Heart
simply click here. Also, if you are new to the site and want to learn more about us click here. You can also now subscribe to Harmony fo the Heart at the bottom of the site.
Blue Bay Gallery 2007-03-23 03:36:00 CAPTION: Painting "Beachgrove Trail" by Clara Bierman. Permission was granted to display this painting on this site. If you enjoy looking at fine art and one-of-a-kind paintings you may enjoy a visit to Blue Bay Gallery
. The site illustrates paintings by Clara Bierman, a member of the Prince Edward Island Artists. She has dedicated herself to producing original oil on canvas paintings, which include landscapes, seascapes, still-lifes, abstracts, and memories of the past - all inspired by the glorious and vivid colours of nature.She currently resides in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and works full time in her Studio. Her art is displayed at the Mermaid Art Gallery (Mermaid, P.E.I.) as well as the Ellen’s Creek Gallery (Charlottetown, P.E.I.). To visit her website you can go to www.bluebaygallery.com.
Recommend Site To A Friend
