We are having tea with a difference today, I have been able to travel to the ferry terminal, not far from my little village, to cross the Harbour to a quaint Italian Cafè to meet with an old friend. These outings are particularly precious these days…
She is waiting…we order a Chai tea Latte made on almond milk & a flat white coffee. We both decide to have the Vanilla Bean Panna cotta with Berry sauce & strawberries.
We have known each other over 32 years & have been through the changing seasons of our lives together, giving & receiving much needed support along the way. This dear friend brings great joy & laughter to my heart. We have mutual respect for each other & can laugh at the silly things in life.
Our order is served by a friendly young man, as we sit looking out across the Harbour as huge ships sail into port, people amble past & the occasional squawk of a seagull can be heard. We happily chat, drink & eat the delightful Panna cotta which is creamy smooth with the contrasting tartness of the strawberries & the sweetness of the berry sauce…making a delectable combination. My Chai tea latte is particularly good.
I share that recently I made a comment to a fellow blogger, about being heart broken in a particular situation..my words were “it absolutely broke my heart“. We have a lot of sayings about the heart….don’t we…as mentioned above this friendship brings great joy & laughter to my heart. I have also heard statements like; heart attitude, heart ache, heart glad, desires of the heart, wears their heart on their sleeve, put their heart into it, makes my heart sing…& the list could go on…
What are all these statements actually trying to say? It’s a way to convey the seriousness & depth of the emotion we are feeling behind the words. If it involves the heart, the very core of life itself, than its of the utmost importance! The Heart is what keeps every other organ alive! It keeps the flow of oxygen & nutrients to nurture all within….without it, there is no life, it is crucial to life itself!
Recently, one particular statement has stuck with me, as I seem to be hearing it at every turn…
“Being true to one’s heart”…
What does this actually mean…we ponder….
It means… following the core values, convictions, beliefs & choices of one’s life. Being true in how you live your life, within the choices you have chosen. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, I need to live my life to the values & beliefs I have chosen…conversely I need to also respect the right for others to do the same & they too, need to demonstrate that mutual respect in return!
We agree that God has given every person the freedom & right to choose how they will live their life & what they will do with their choices of their hearts. It doesn’t mean they have to come & join us in ours nor we in theirs. This is what mutual love & respect for others is…join us in a cup of Iced Wine tea…
Of course I am not talking about any type of criminal behavior here, no one has the right or freedom to bring any type of harm to another whether physically, mentally, emotionally, socially or spiritually! Ever!
What we need to remember though…my dear friend…is that each of us, will face the consequences of our heart choices. Whether these will bring eternal blessings…will be seen…when each of us gives an account for the chosen values, beliefs & convictions of our individual lives…
We need to ask ourselves…are our heart choices nurturing our spirit for eternal blessing…
Well I am now traveling back across the Harbor, having said farewell to my dear friend. I am enjoying this ride on the ferry with its rhythmic rocking across the waves, people quietly chatting around me & the sight of passing bright colored sail boats. Until next time…
Jennifer
Copyright: teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photos by Pexels.
I’m finding more and more these days that if we’d just let people be, our experience becomes somewhat easier. And yes we do bear the results of our actions! Glad you enjoyed your visit with your friend. Blessings to you.
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Blessings to you too Boma, glad you dropped by…
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Jennifer, how nice to meet you when you visited my blog. I enjoyed visiting with you on your beautiful site. Time spent with your friend over Chai tea lattes and vanilla bean panna cotta with a gorgeous view are to be celebrated. I enjoyed your writing and you are correct, we will face the consequences of our heart choices!
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How lovely of you to drop by… Time spent with old & new friends is very rejuvenating & good for our souls… Don’t you think…
Jennifer
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You got to enjoy a “heart to heart “ with a dear friend. I love the setting of this piece bracketed by the ferry rides.
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I love that Elizabeth, “heart to heart” with old & new friends is such a treasure. Thank you for your encouraging words.
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How wonderful to enjoy the day with a dear friend, Jennifer. Those are the days when my heart is overflowing with love and thankful for one of God’s richest blessing of friendship. What a friend we have in Jesus! ❤ Blessings and love…
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Amen! ♥
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I love those chai tea lattes. Felt like I was there with you. Love meeting up with friends. I met an old friend I used to work with for lunch last week and 4.5 hours later we were still chatting.
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Isn’t it great when that happens with true friendship!
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This whole outing sounds lovely and makes me want to grab a friend an head to a quaint cafe for some coffee and panna cotta! I think it’s so important that Christ is at the center of our heart, and we let more of Him flow out of our hearts and less of us, as without Him our hearts deceive us. Thank you for sharing this today!! Glad I stopped in. Now I’m gonna look around at some of your other posts.
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Thank you Myriah, I agree our hearts can decieve us & He is the one who shows us the truth!
It was lovely to have you drop by & glad you enjoyed lingering awhile….
Jennifer
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Brought my ginger tea along with me ,Jennifer !
Our heart matters , our choices matter and the consequences will all depend on these choices.
I pray I make the right choices with my heart for the Lord and never hurt Him and His people
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How lovely that we can enjoy our tea time together Diana…I just finished my breakfast Earl Grey.
I agree prayer & focusing on Him & His will for us will help us to make His heart choices for our lives…
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Beautiful thoughts on the heart–from the heart. Your heart. Thank you for sharing! I love the photos and the details of the panna cotta and chai tea and harbor sounds and smells. You really transport with your words.
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It is a pleasure to share my journey with you in words over a cup of tea.
It was great to have you drop by!
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Your outing sounds lovely and I liked your reflections on the importance of the heart. It’s so true that what is in our heart has an impact on everything else- it’s so important to guard our hearts and make sure we are choosing wisely!
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Absolutely! I agree Lesley, our hearts are the wellsprings of life!
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Jennifer, it was so nice of you to comment on my blog and it’s great to meet you ~ from halfway around the world. What a great message you bring to the world and you obviously have a sweet caring heart. I drink sweet iced tea everyday, but when it’s cold outside, I love a cup of hot tea. I especially love “tea” food, anything small and mini.
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Thank you for your kind words Carol. We are entering our colder months now, so hot tea is warming & comforting.
My favorite ice tea is peach for our hot summer days.
Have a blessed Easter,
Jennifer
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Lovely! And nice to meet you. I went to Australia about 20 years ago to minister and loved it so much that wanted to live there. I am a tea drinker as well. Visiting from #MomentsOfHope but I’m sure I will visit again. 🙂
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Hi Kelly,
How lovely to have you drop by, I am glad you enjoyed your time here.
Yes, we have an amazing country down here, it has been known as the great South land of the Holy Spirit since the 1700s when first spotted by Europeans!
You are welcome to visit anytime. Have a blessed Easter.
Jennifer
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“I need to live my life to the values & beliefs I have chosen…conversely I need to also respect the right for others to do the same & they too, need to demonstrate that mutual respect in return!” Yes, this is so true, and yes we do need to be aware of the consequences of our choices. Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom and I also enjoyed reading about your travel and visit. I almost felt like I was there. 🙂 Blessings to you! I’m your neighbor at #FreshMarketFriday.
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Hi neighbor, lovely to have you drop by, glad you enjoyed your time here.
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What a great way to look at our “heart” and friends make up realize how blessed we really are!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
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Hi Jodie,
How lovely to have you drop by, friends are such a blessing aren’t they!
I enjoy your blog too, I am in one of those decades & love how you put the outfits together! You have inspired me to try new styles! My friend above in Heart matters & I love shopping for recycled clothes too!
Jennifer
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I completely understand where you are coming from, Jennifer! Once upon a time, I believe we meant it in the right way … however, today it has become almost an excuse to make choices we want to make instead of the right choices we need to make! It’s similar to our feelings. Our feelings can lead us astray, therefore we must stick to what we KNOW to be true.
I love my time here. I love how you weave in powerful truths with beautiful visions of tea, treats, and special times with friends and loved ones ♥ Thanks so much for sharing hope with us! You are appreciated!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
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How lovely to have you drop by Lori, thank you for your very kind & encouraging words ♥
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We need to be so careful with our hearts. Especially since the wellspring of life flows from it. I’m glad that your meeting with your special friend did your heart good. Thanks for sharing on Grace and Truth.
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I agree Aimee, they are our wellsprings of life & very precious indeed.
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Hi Jennifer. I found you on the Grace & Truth link up. Your beautiful words reminded me of Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” We need to care for, and generously share our heart. God bless.
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Lovely to have you drop by Christine, I agree!
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This was just beautiful, Jennifer. We need to so be careful with our hearts and who we open up to. It is surely a gift when we have a friend who cares about our hearts. May God give us wisdom regarding our hearts in all things. Blessings!
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Thank you for your kind words Joanne… Yes we need to guard our hearts… & be mindful of how we treat other hearts too 😉
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