Author Archives: Patricia Ann

Though Your Heart is Breaking

Posted on by

Here is a song that carried me through some very difficult times in my life and I know of many people at this very moment who are living this song right now including myself. Smile was composed by Charlie Chaplin in 1936 with lyrics added in 1954 when Nat King Cole recorded it. It’s a beautiful song with a beautiful message…another lesson in life.

A Happy Heart

Posted on by

I am definitely going to the house of the Lord with a happy heart today…not only a happy heart but a thankful heart; thankful for all my many blessings and especially for the eighty-one years (yesterday) God has given me to be thankful for. If today is your birthday, enjoy! Happy Sunday.

Image result for happy sunday trees

To Not Have a Memory

Posted on by

My sister, Mary, and I grew up without our father in our lives. We have both lived eighty years, more or less, (I, more…she, less) and still the memory of what we missed haunts each of us. Mary recently put her sorrow into a poignant poem, and with her permission I’m sharing it here.

Lucky Lady

She smiles across the table

Over a cup of tea

Into eyes that have smiled

Back eternally

Does she know how blessed she is

To have her father there

To feel the soft caress

Of his hand upon her hair

I never knew my father

Never had the chance

To sit upon his lap

Feel his arms around me in a dance

Her father’s hair is silver

His hand trembles on his cup

She reaches out to help him

His smiling eyes light up

I close my eyes in sorrow

To have missed so much

To not have a memory

Of my fathers touch

 

©Mary Frances Martin

 

To those who have lost their fathers either by death or separation, we feel your pain and pray that you have at least your fondest memories. Unlike my sister, I have vague memories of our father before he left our lives…not by death but by separation, and I treasure the little I have.

Right vs Wrong

Posted on by

Many years ago I learned a quote, “You can’t do wrong by doing right.” Today, I learned it was from a recording by Phil Harris in 1949. And doesn’t it just make so much sense when given some thought; maybe it should become a motto for this new year. Trying always to do the right thing instead of the wrong thing could be a first step towards a better world.

Trouble is too many of us think we’re right when we know we’re wrong. There’s a great scripture that reflects on this very thing: Romans 12:2…Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How many leaders do we know that need to heed this advice? How many of us need to heed this advice? It made a huge difference in my life when I put it into practice in the 1970’s and I’m still working on it.

Here’s another quote that deserves to be taken into consideration…”always show people you care”…is that right or wrong?

Image result for you can't do wrong for doing right

 

 

The Act of Surrendering

Posted on by

When we think of surrendering do we think of giving up or giving in? Do we think of positive or negative?

I like to think of surrendering in a positive way…as in quitting a bad habit. Instead of surrendering to the idea that I could never quit smoking, I  surrendered to the thought that it was bad for my health and detrimental to the loved ones in closest proximity to me. With that thought in mind the surrendered state became a reality. It has been twenty-one years since smoking has been part of my life.

Likewise, when disagreements occur and cause friction in friendships, families, and relationships, the thought of trying to end the conflict could be seen as giving in or surrendering to those who we think are the cause of such disruptions. But if our thoughts are of only making things better even at the risk of further alienation, then surrendering to those thoughts instead of to the grudge can, in the end, lead to peace of mind, knowing that all attempts were made to remedy a situation even if it is not remedied.

The greatest surrender of all is surrendering to God’s plan for our life, no matter what our belief. With that surrender everything else falls into place. It may not always be to our liking or to the way we expect it should be, but we can know that it is always for our best even though that may not appear evident at the time.

As this is being written, an old year is being surrendered to a new year. There is nothing we can do about that…it just is…and in surrendering old thoughts for new, bad habits for better, bitterness for understanding, hatred for love…we will be giving in to the act of surrendering.

Happy New Year.

 

 

Is Unconditional Love a Myth?

Posted on by

This question was asked by Ken Gallinger in his column, Ethically Speaking, in the Toronto Star on November 25th. Ken describes the four kinds of love this way in part:

Eros: a lusty melange of heart and hormones, and highly conditional

Mania: short lived and obsessive (as in “I love chocolate”)

Phileo: this form of love, when expressed between parents and their kids, for example can be quite powerful – but it’s ultimately based on feelings and feelings are forever fragile.

Agape: unconditional love. And Ken describes it this way…Agape is not based on emotion, passion or possession. It is based on conscious decision, a unilateral choice that only the “lover” can make. Agape sounds like this: “No matter what you do, no matter whether I like you or hate you at this particular moment, I will always do what I believe is best for you.” Agape is unconditional love. It is “the love that will not let you go. It can be excruciatingly painful. Agape is tough love, rooted neither in passion nor affection, but rather in sheer determination to do what is just and right; it allows for no conditions. As such Agape is the foundation of every ethical decision, and a thing of great beauty.

Ken’s column is definitely worth the read.

Is unconditional love a myth? I don’t think so. If it was many of us would not experience it in all its beauty and heartache.