Only the Heart

"Only the heart knows how to find what is precious."

--Fyodor Dostoyevsky

"Only the heart knows what's working in our lives. The heart is our authentic compass. If we consult her, the heart can tell us if we're headed in the right direction. But the heart also tells us when we've made a wrong turn or when it's time for a U-turn. For a lot of us, this is information we don't want to know. Knowing might mean choice, and choice often means change."

--Simple Abundance

(Photo courtesy of StrwbryBlnd_album, found on google images.)

Interesting how sometimes readings pop up when you need them, isn't it? I'm home sick again today, so in between napping, trying to work, and staring at the TV... I've been catching up on my daily readings that I missed most of last week. The above quotes were from Sunday's readings - and they caught my attention.

I know I personally don't usually take enough time to stop and listen to my heart. That's why I love Open Sanctuary nights at my church - I can sit in the quiet, candle lit sanctuary and simply clear my mind of all the craziness of the day, or week, and just listen. Listen to God, listen to Spirit, listen to my heart... All of the things that bubble up inside of me all week long, at last have a place to pour out in prayer... It's a gift. I love these nights.

But this reading was a nice reminder. With all the choices we make everyday - choices about the future, about relationships, about work, about finances, about who knows what else?! It's a nice reminder, that sometimes I just need to stop. Stop and listen to what my heart is crying out to me. Today is one of those days.

What is your heart telling you today?

Things I am thankful for today:

1. The blog "Pause." Check out what she wrote today!

2. A listening ear.

3. Fuzzy socks.

4. Catching up on readings - I missed them.

5. The hubby making me mashed potatoes.

6. My paycheck arriving in the mail - what a thoughtful treasurer we have!

7. Fresh air.

8. Emails from youth group kids to get well soon!

9. Ha ha ha - a visitor to Monday's blog post just commented asking if I was pregnant?! Uh. Nope. I'm sure. Just the flu. Ha ha ha.

10. Beth sending me a note about her first pumpkin shake of the year! I'm so jealous... But it made me chuckle.