Matters of the Heart

 What Warms Your Heart?

Above all else, guard your heart

for everything you do flows from it. 

Proverbs 4:23

Hello everyone!  We're getting close to the time where we think about hearts, love, friendship, Valentines and even heart health.  So, today I'm thinking about what warms our hearts. Those things that make our hearts happy, nourish us and cause us to smile. Of course when we mention our "heart" it can have all sorts of meanings including our soul, our thinking, the love we feel and our actual biological heart. I thought I would share some things that warm my heart and I hope you will share as well in the comments. And I'll say up front that The Mr. my fur babies and family warm my heart, but I'm focusing on other things in this post.

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Tea

I'm an avid tea drinker and look forward to that first cup of the day as my time to wake up, have devotions and greet the new day. I continue to drink iced or cold tea throughout the day, Over the years, I have made the change to drinking mostly decaf tea as cold tea but my hot tea in the morning is definitely caff! I have read that tea is healthy for the heart. If so, I should have a very healthy heart!

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Reading

I was thinking the other day about the number of times each day I am involved in reading. And it's a lot! Whether I am reading a book, blogs I follow, emails, texts or some type of directions, I am an avid reader. I have a habit of re-reading favorite books over and over again and I will continue to do that, I'm sure. But, I am pleased that since Christmas I have read three totally new books and enjoyed them very much. I fell in love with books as a baby, memorizing nursery rhymes. And from the time I encountered Dick, Jane and Sally in first grade I have been a reader and hope to always be. My sweet mother was also an avid reader and even when she was suffering from dementia and really couldn't read anymore, she kept a "favorite" book in the bed with her. The pages were all crumpled and worn but it was her book. I wish my sisters and I had kept that book. Readers keep a good book by their side no matter what!

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Scriptures

For as long as I can remember, the Holy Scriptures have been a part of my life. As a small child, I learned about scriptures through stories of Jesus at my mother's knee, as well as in Sunday School. When I was in third grade, and considered able to read the scriptures on my own, my church presented me and the other third graders with a Bible. I still have that Bible. I try to read the Bible on a daily basis although I sometimes fail. But the scriptures always warm my heart, help me to grow as a Christian and keep me steady in my faith. And for that I am always grateful.

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Music

I am told that, as a baby, there were certain songs that I loved and would sing along with. As a youngster, I enjoyed singing hymns in church and can remember trying to learn how to sing harmony with the hymns. In third grade, I began taking violin lessons and continued lessons and playing all through public school and into college. After college, I taught music and played in a symphony here in Asheville. As a retiree, I began directing handbells at my church and also began taking flute lessons, something I have always wanted to do. I married a trumpet player and have supported him throughout our marriage as he has continuously played solos and in various brass groups and, along the way, I have become quite the lover of brass music. Throughout the day, I enjoy music playing on the radio. How could I ever not be a lover of music? It warms my heart. 

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Sweets

I had to chuckle just typing this. To say that I have a "sweet tooth" is putting it mildly. And in some ways that is really too bad. I lived all the way through my forties being able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted without gaining weight. And sweets figured prominently in what I wanted! But, oh my, when the fifties came along how times changed my friends! I had to rein in my love for sweets and that is just not fair at all! I love chocolate and that's a health food, right?! I typically have a little something every day. I try not to, but it's really hard. Sigh. 

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Shopping

Are you surprised by this? I have always enjoyed shopping and getting something new, or at least new-to-me, in terms of clothing and items for the house. It's always fun to think about how to style a new article of clothing or an accessory or what vignette I would like to create in what room of the house. Learning how to be a thifter has helped with the budget in terms of being a shopper. Years ago I had a friend, who has since moved away, and we would go to the mall most Tuesday evenings while our husbands were at band practice and eat pie (there's that sweet tooth again) and then go shopping. I didn't buy something every Tuesday, but it was fun to window shop. And eat pie. Sigh.

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Creating

One of the things I wanted to do in retirement was find new ways to be creative. And I think, for the most part, I have. I have tried a lot of ways of being creative and I don't think I am the typical creative person meaning that I'm not an artist or a quilter or someone who crochets or knits. I do things like writing my blog, journaling in various ways, decorating cards, making music and doing other little crafts from time to time. And, yes, coming up with vignettes is being creative. Styling outfits is creative. Just trying to do things in a "Debbie Way" is being creative. 

And warms my heart.

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Blogging

Well, you knew I had to add this to the list of what warms my heart, right?! It's funny. I go through phases with blogging where I just don't feel like I have a thing to say or I feel like I don't know what direction I'm going in with the blog or I feel like I look silly styling outfits. And then, I catch a second wind and start blogging away and it's just like new! And here I am still at it six years into this blogging adventure. This blog is something that is All Mine. I love being able to decide what goes into it. My dear friend, Sharon, noticed that I had changed the header and the background color recently. I like being in charge of making those changes. It keeps the blog fresh and helps me to feel that there is that "something new" to the blog. This has been the only time in my life that I have gotten to be the CEO of my own organization!

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And now it's your turn!

What warms your hearts?

Until Next Time,

❤Debbie❤

*Thank you to Carol at comfortspringstation.com for the use of the heart with tree inside.