Words From The Heart

Dear Friend,      

Have you ever thought about what is the desire of God’s heart? Throughout Scripture we learn that the desire of God’s heart is for you and me to have a relationship with Him. So much so, that He gave us a heart that longs for Him. In Jeremiah 24:7 He said, “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”

The Cambridge Dictionary defines your “heart’s desire” as the thing or person you most want. Solomon told us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23) When we long for something, it’s pretty easy to let down our guard. So this month’s Box focuses not only on guarding your heart, but also on the longing of your heart. I can’t wait for you to see what’s in it…you’re going to love it!

Bestselling author Sheila Walsh tells her life story in the remarkable book, The Longing In Me - How Everything You Crave Leads to the Heart of God.  Closely guided by the story of David in Scripture, Sheila makes it crystal clear that your longings are rooted in a need for God alone - and when it comes to filling that void, nothing else will ever do.  While this book is truly words from her heart, she also quotes King David who was a man after God's own heart:

O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you,

in this parched and weary land

where there is no water.

I have seen you in your sanctuary

and gazed upon your power and glory.

Your unfailing love is better than life itself;

how I praise you!  

Psalm 63:1-3

I was so very excited to be able to get Hymns of the Ages, 20 All-Time Best Loved Hymns.  A 2 disc set, this has a large number of very exceptional worship leaders and song writers singing these hymns. If I had to pick a favorite, In Christ Alone is very special to me.  It proclaims the truth of what I have come to know in my life and that Sheila Walsh so clearly shared from her heart in her book.

In the book Dear Deb, Margaret Terry writes "I didn't know how it felt to have cancer, but I knew about fear.  I thought of all the times I was afraid of things out of my control, things I might have shared with Deb if we had been closer friends or if we'd had more time.  So I began to tell her.  I wrote about my divorce and how I didn't see it coming.  I wrote about getting caught shoplifting and about the best dancer I knew, who was a man with no legs.  When Deb responded, "No matter how sick I feel, your letters give me something to look forward to." I kept writing.  She was too sick to eat, but not too sick to read.  Deb's illness gave me the chance to press my face against the window of my life, and what I saw was startling - I saw miracles that had been waiting for me to give them voice." This captivating book contains fifty-five Dear Deb letters - stories that will touch your heart one by one by one as Margaret shares her heart.

Does your heart have something to say to the people you love?  Of course it does! This is the perfect time to go through the assorted pack of Christian greeting cards.  Reading each card will truly encourage you. As you read each card, pray about who God is placing on your heart to send that card to. Then add your own personal words, sharing your heart. The card "Jesus Understands Storms" would be especially uplifting to someone who is experiencing their own storm.

The three sticky note pads - rightfully named Sticky Prayers, makes a way to "stick" a quick prayer or an encouraging heartfelt message anywhere!  I don't know who thought of this, but I love it!   You could even write a verse on it, stick it in a card, and the recipient could stick it on their mirror at home to encourage them.

While this month’s Box of Blessings has tremendous value, (which by the way, the retail value of this month’s Box, is $96.84!), the real value comes from focusing your heart on Christ alone. So what is your heart’s desire? And are you carefully guarding your heart? Know that we at Bette’s Box of Blessings are here to encourage your heart and help you know the desire of God’s heart.

Praying that you will continue to grow in your faith and share your faith,

Bette