Welcome my friend! I recently made a comment to a fellow blogger, about being heart broken in a particular situation..my words were “it absolutely broke my heart“.
We often hear the following statements about the heart; heart attitude, heart ache, heart glad, desires of the heart, wears their heart on their sleeve, they 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 everything alive!
It keeps the flow of oxygen & nutrients to nurture all within as without it there is no life for 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 own heart’…
What does this actually mean?
It means to follow the core values, convictions, beliefs & choices of one’s life.
Being true in how we live our lives within the choices we 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!
I totally understand & respect that God has given every person the freedom to choose how they will live their life.
It doesn’t mean they have to come & join me in my choices nor me in theirs.
This is what it means to have mutual love & respect for each other…
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 that be physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually! Ever!
What we need to remember though…
Is that each of us, will face the consequences of our own heart choices. Whether these will bring eternal blessings or not will be seen…
Because each of us will have to give an account for the chosen values, beliefs & actions of our individual lives before our Creator.
The most important heart choice we can ever choose is shared Here…
Joy of the heart
We are having our tea time with a difference today, so join me on a little outing as there’s someone I’d like you to meet.
We 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 of mine.
She is waiting out front as we arrive…we order, mine is a Chai tea Latte made on almond milk & her’s a cappuccino.
We decide to have the Vanilla Bean Panna cotta with Berry sauce & fresh strawberries.
This friend & I have known each other over three decades & have been through the changing seasons of our lives together, giving & receiving much needed heartfelt support along the way.
We have mutual respect for each other & can laugh at the silly things in life.
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 latte is particularly good.
We share the above musings with her. And we discuss that we actually need to ask ourselves…if our own heart choices are nurturing our spirit’s or damaging them?
A question on which to ponder, don’t you think?
We are 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 brightly colored sail boats on the harbor. I hope you have too my friend.
Until next time…
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
Or
In Prayer
© 2018 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
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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A beautiful reminder that we will be judged on the thoughts and intents of our heart. As we exercise caution regarding what we allow into our own hearts, we must exercise similar caution when tempted to judge another person’s heart. Warm regards!
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Absolutely! Lovely having you drop by 😀
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I love a good chai tea latte! Perfect drink 🙂
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I agree Rebecca! 😀
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What a lovely post. Just today I had breakfast with a dear friend and we talked about that very thing, “heart choices nurturing our spirit’s or damaging them?”. So lovely to share these types of conversations with friends. Thanks for linking up with us at the #GatheringofFriendsLinkParty 5
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Thank you Sylvia! It’s great to be able to chat to a friend it helps things in our lives to become a little clearer to us 😀
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Oh, to always be able to act on the truth that we all have different hearts and must live accordingly. We spend way too much time trying to control other people’s hearts rather than accepting them the way God created them!
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That we do Anita!
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I loved this little journey you have taken us on, Jennifer. What an inventive way to select our reading for today. I enjoyed reading about living with intention (or following your heart). I have a son and daughter-in-law whom I can look to for inspiration in this area. It is something I am always aware of, something I would like to improve in myself.
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Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed our little bit of fun! How lovely that your son has found such a blessed love with his wife & that their life in living with intention is an inspiration to you. That must make your own heart burst with praise & gratitude Laurie. 😀
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Hi Jennifer. Thank you for the virtual trip. I appreciated the heart -felt thoughts. Blessings, Sarah
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You’re welcome Sarah! I’m glad you enjoyed your time here 😀
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What a delightful visit today! You invited us with such a beautiful warmth to get to “the heart of the matter” that showed so much understanding. (The beautiful garden flowers were especially special on this 22 degree day in Ohio with only snow on what will be our flower garden in the summer.) Your punch line question to consider was and is excellent! Thank you!
Enjoy your summer weekend and Valentine’s Day!
Pam
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Thank you Pam! The blooms always gives my heart a lift 😉 & it sounds freezing there so I’m glad you could join me in my warm Summer garden!
You have a great Valentines weekend too! 😀
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You are so right, Jennifer, Our choices matter and can make a difference. You ask a most powerful question for us all to ponder – “Are our heart choices nurturing our spirit’s or damaging them?” May we be wise in our choices. So glad you linked up as you have given me something to think on today. Blessings!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed our tea time together chatting over heart matters Joanne. It is thought provoking isn’t it! 😀
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Jennifer, what a beautiful post! Such wise thoughts to ponder, and yes especially to ponder the choices of our hearts! I must admit my curiosity got the best of me and I have visited all three rooms today!!! Such a unique and special idea, what a blessing! Your garden sounds absolutely heavenly, especially since I am looking at over a foot of snow piled up outside of my window! Happy Valentine’s Day to you sweet Friend!
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Goodness Donna! A foot of snow how exciting! We don’t get snow here on the east coast even in our coldest of winters.
I’m glad you enjoyed visiting my garden rooms. I think at times we need some fun & I’m curious too so I too would have had to check out all three 😉
Happy Valentine’s Day my friend!
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oh this picture drew me right in, Jennifer. pretty, simple, oh so inviting. a trip over the water to meet with a friend or two for a lovely meal sounds simply divine. maybe soon?
Happy Valentine’s Day, friend …
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Thank you it was a delightful time! Yes, won’t it be wonderful to meet in God’s heavenly Café one day & chat about all the wonderful things He has done!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you too! 😀
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Thank you for sharing on the Classy Flamingos Blog Party.
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😀
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Such a nice visit in a blooming garden – with the bitter winter outside my window! What a refreshment….and your flowers are breathtaking!! Have a beautiful week!
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Thank you Jennifer! I’m so glad you enjoyed some Summer inspiration here 😀
You have a blessed week too!
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