Straight From The Hart

  The year was 1983. The president was Ronald Reagan and he was addressing the Congress as he said, “When I took office in January 1981, I was appalled by what I found: American planes that couldn't fly and American ships that couldn't sail for lack of spare parts and trained personnel and insufficient fuel and ammunition for essential training. The inevitable result of all this was poor morale in our Armed Forces, difficulty in recruiting the brightest young Americans to wear the uniform, and difficulty in convincing our most experienced military personnel to stay on. There was a real question then about how well we could meet a crisis. We had to move immediately to improve the basic readiness and staying power of our conventional forces, so they could meet -- and therefore help deter -- a crisis.” (Sound familiar?) Then he posed this question: “What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation t

  Coral in the ocean is not just beautiful - it is an animal  which is often described as  "just a clump of polyps". God made that. In His majestic mind and awesome creativity He made that so He could reveal His nature and omnipotence. We marvel at such beauty and prolific expressive genius. But what about you? He created you and you are a million times more beautiful than the coral you see. Just listen to the Psalmist in No. 139. This is how God sees us. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a] Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Got goosebumps yet? You are more than a clump of polyps, yo

  Reflections on Healing. This was not written in a vacuum, but in the depths of my own pain and questions of “why?” First. I know God can heal. There is not a doubt in my mind but what He can. Not a doubt! So logic as well as faith would tell us that the reason He has not healed me is that He has a purpose in mind for me that supercedes even the testimony of glory I could give if I were healed. We cannot possibly know what that is, but He has something better for me than physical healing. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then there is 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. I cannot tell you how many times I have re-read that in every available version and it always brings comfort. If the great Paul the Apostle could not be healed because he was more valuable to God in his situation, then how much more God values us in our weakness as we bring Him glory. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Amplifie

 

  Is it time for another summer food poem? I think so. Ode To The Foods of Summer Written by Joan Rowden Hart after a trip to Farmers Market on June 20, 2018 Nothing works better to relieve summer’s stress Than preparing the season’s first beans Sitting in a recliner with bowl on your lap Anticipating the meal of your dreams Those delicate green pods are awaiting the mantle Of bacon’s smokey goodness just right Vidalia’s sweet onions add just the right touch To whet even the least appetite Small pearls of potatoes so tender and white Are the next layer of this tasty meal They will melt in your mouth in a buttery flash Creamy sweet with just a hint of red peel. Tomatoes of red sliced thin and arranged On a plate with red florals to match With white and green onion stems artfully laid To provide a bright color contrast. Cucumbers cut neatly in quarters or slices With a rich sour cream dip on the side And a second mixture of vinegar marinade Sometimes it’s hard to decide. Yellow cobs of s