Faithlift




	Write 2 the Heart Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" March 22, 2005 Cheryl Speir, Editor moderator @ write2theheart.com Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart." All new subscribers will receive a free downloadable copy of the e- cookbook, "Write 2 the Heart of the Chocolate Lover." To join, send an e-mail with subscribe written in the subject line to: subscribe-me @ write2theheart.com. *Advertisement* Tired of high cable bills? Consider Dish Network. Right now you can get free installation and free equipment when you sign up for one year of programming. You can get more programming than what is offered by most cable companies for much less. Compare what you now have with the Dish Network programming packages at: http://cognigen.net/dish/?cbspeir Maria had been looking for a sign all day and had received several; only to realize that she really didn’t need one after all. Faith Lift By: Maria Harden Easter was coming, and though it should be a time of rejoicing, my heart was heavy. I was about to become an official member of the church I had been going to for some time, but it bothered me that my husband did not share my spiritual beliefs. As a man of science, he is not comfortable with religion, and sometimes our discussions of God's creation versus the "big bang theory" made me feel that we were not on the same wavelength. It must be true that opposites attract. While my husband is outgoing and loves to socialize, I am introverted and prefer solitude. We have different interests, and yet we have enjoyed a solid, happy marriage for over twenty-five years. We respect each other's opinions, other than my wish that we were more attuned to each other spiritually. Beyond the picture window, the promise of spring hovered. My gaze shifted to some houseplants near the front window, and I wondered if my Christmas cactus would ever bloom again. For years, it had bloomed faithfully every Christmas, then again at Easter. Two years ago, I transplanted the cactus and it did not take kindly to its new environment. No blooms appeared that year. While it didn't thrive, neither did it die. It just existed. The following year it was the same thing, so again I transplanted it, separating the roots, changing the soil, and hoping its new potted home would produce blossoms. This time the cactus seemed to perk up, and new growth appeared for the first time in two years. Christmas arrived, and I was delighted to see buds, but to my disappointment, they all fell off before they could burst into their dazzling orange-red splendour. I felt like that cactus, safe in a non-threatening environment until it was time to grow, except then the growth didn't happen. I hoped we would both bloom when the time was right. A few days later, I went alone to the candlelight Easter Vigil service. I did not tell my husband that I was becoming a church member, as I did not think I could bear his ambivalence. We shared everything else in our lives; why could we not share the same beliefs? The church was decorated with yellow mums and white lilies. I should get a lily, I thought. Maybe I would have better luck with a lily than the Christmas cactus. I smiled when I saw my name in the church bulletin, welcoming me as a new member, and it inspired me to pray. Lord, lift this shadow from my soul. Show me something to strengthen my faith and make me tolerant of others. After an inspirational service, I returned home, feeling both uplifted and downcast at the same time. Such conflicting emotions were giving me a headache. I spied a brown rabbit lying quietly on the lawn, observing me closely as I walked along the sidewalk. Something inside me shifted away from the gloom and doom, and I laughed to myself, thinking, and "The Easter Bunny has come!" Was this the sign? Inside the house, I could hardly believe that my Christmas cactus had finally bloomed, in a burst of colour and splendour. Maybe this was the sign. When the family came for dinner, my niece brought me an elegant white lily, just what I had longed for. Was this the sign? Around the table, four generations of family with different likes and dislikes were chattering and laughing, enjoying each other's company on this Easter Sunday. It came to me that I didn't really need fortifying signs of affirmation, but the Easter Bunny, Christmas cactus, and the lily had been there to give my faith a lift. As I looked up from my reverie and caught my husband's eye, our eyes locked. He wore such a look of love that I almost blushed at the intimacy of it. He winked. Reassurance of his love flooded me as we gazed at each other, unable to tear our eyes away and break the connection. Differing opinions or not, he is still the man I share my life with, for better or for worse, even if he doesn't share my pew. Maria Harden, mharden @ mts.net Maria enjoys writing slices of life, when she is moved to do so. After a lengthy career in banking came to an end, she took a few years off and now works at a low-stress job as a receptionist for the City of Winnipeg. You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know what you think of their story. Have a comment on today's story? Send it to: moderator @ write2theheart.com. Military Prayer Reminder As you read over this list of names, please take a moment to pray for these young people and their families: Chris Speir Tim Speir Alan Todd Holland Graham William Julie Sagel Jessie Marshal Thompson Jason Eric Hernandez Kristin Danielson Ryan Larry Miele Daniel Amy John Joanne Gary Boardwine Josh Hadassah Chanz Wackerly Robert Henderson David Habighurst Tonia Melissa Bair Matthew Nutter Nick Nation Seth Jarrell Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military, or who are being called to go overseas, send their names (first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer reminder. *Advertisement* Imagine my surprise and dismay to open my e-mail program only to find over 1500 e-mails. (That is not a typo!) All of them were spam and each had a virus attached. I knew I had to do something to get a handle on this or I would be constantly swamped with spam and worried about accidentally opening a virus, trojan or a worm. I purchased MailWasher Pro. I can check and delete e-mail before I download it to my computer. It tells me if the e-mail is from a friend, a known spammer or has a possible virus. I love bouncing e-mails back to spammers telling them they have the wrong address! Try it free for 30 days at: http://entier.ecosm.com/link/?wybyoww Cheryl’s Corner Son, Tim, had his first encounter with the Iraqi children. He said that while on patrol, they passed through a small village. Children came pouring out of the buildings looking for a treat. He and his buddies began to hand out candy. A woman came holding a little girl and in broken English called out, “Please … please … my child.” Tim nodded to her and said he would give her something. Tim made his way to her giving out treats as he went. Just as he got to where she was standing, he reached into his pocket and found that he had just given out the last piece of candy! He felt terrible and said he prayed, Lord I promised this lady I would give her child some candy, what can I do? Searching his pockets once more, he found some of his favorite candy, Peanut M&M’s! Happily, he was able to hand over a handful. Now when I send him packages, I try to send small, wrapped candies for him to have on hand. Blessings Cheryl Copyright © 2005, Write 2 the Heart Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author or copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors.