Green Thumb: Life Gives Birth to Life

By Rachel Zacapa

We received a beautiful floral plant as a gift shortly after Adam was born. It was a gift congratulating us on having our baby. I remember feeling sad when I brought it in from our door step, thinking, "Oh, no! This thing will be dead in a few weeks!" and "Why do people give gifts you have to take care of when you've just had a baby? I barely have time to take care of myself especially after having a c-section!" I was annoyed.

A few weeks passed and, just as I thought, the plant began to die of dehydration. I finally gave up on trying to keep it from dying and left it alone to dry up. But that week I dreamt that I suddenly had "the Magic touch" and every plant I touched flourished. The flowers bloomed and brown leaves became green again.

I've always wanted a green thumb like my mother. We used to have a huge backyard with different fruit trees (grapevines, apple trees, even an artichoke plant), an area just for roses, another area for her vegetable garden and a beautiful lawn. I'm amazed at how immaculately she kept it.

Later, when I thought about the dream I had, I realized that touch is just what everyone and everything needs to thrive. When we just take the time to give a bit of ourselves, life will give birth to life.

A friend, that studied child development, recently told me that when an infant is born and is fed and given all other basic necessities but isn't physically touched, the child could die because babies need human touch in order to survive.

I began to think of all my relationships, the people and things I might have neglected. I wanted to try once again to revive my dying plant, but nothing worked. It was gone and I finally decided to throw it out. It seems that the same thing happens when people are taken for granted; the relationship withers and dies.

A few years ago I helped edit Reflections of Narnia, Eddie's book. One of the chapters was about how God left His creation in our care. How He spoke the world into existence and we are called to watch over it. Genesis 1:28-31

I write this so that I can remember to take better care of the things He has entrusted me with.

CAPTION: "Photo courtesyPDPhoto.org."

Acts of Kindness: Many Ways to Make Others Smile

A couple years ago our small group at church was able to help a family in need buy gifts for their children for Christmas. I talked over the phone with the parents and they told me the list of toys that their children had asked for and were hoping to receive. As I wrote the items down I realized that if we did not step in and help these children would not receive these gifts and possibly no gifts at all.

When I was finished writing I took the note and gave the list to someone in our group to buy the presents. We all chipped some money to make this a reality. It was an incredible feeling to be able to give to this family and know that we were able to make their Christmas special. It was a reminder to all of us that not everyone has everything that we many times take for granted.

Doing acts of kindness out of a desire to help others can be very rewarding. Witnessing a smile on someone’s face or just knowing that there will be a smile on someone’s face makes it all worth it. And the best part is that there are so many ways we can help others.

Below are seven ways we can make others smile and feel loved.

1. Serving: washing someone’s car, doing chores, helping someone move, etc.

To read the other six ways to make others smile click here.

Reflection of the Father's Heart

Ministry Gives Others a Chance to Give

During tough times those who can give to others can make a big difference. The potential is there and when it is combined with action the result is people in need receiving assistance.

Reflection of the Father's Heart is an organization that wants to help others who are in need. The founders, Dominic and Darlene, of Reflection of the Father's Heart understand what it is like to be in need. From their past experiences and trials they have developed a heart and ministry with the focus of offering assistance to those who need it most. To read more about Dominic and Darlene's incredible story click here.

Giving to others is a human need. We all have a need to contribute to others. We feel good when we can do this. Whether it is by serving, giving money or donations, or by counsel we can all make a difference. If you would like to make a difference by donating something to Reflection of the Father's Heart simply click here to get started. If you have a need you can also contact the organization by clicking here to express your need.

PHOTO CAPTION: This photo courtesy of Photos8.com.

Children’s Art is Good for the Soul

PHOTO CAPTION: My son Andrew's drawing of a green turtle.

For father’s day my son Andrew, 6, drew me a turtle. It was his present to me. On the right hand side of the drawing was his writing. It read (in his misspelled words), “Daddy I know your favorite color is green.”

Of all the presents I received that day that was the most special one. I understood that he took his time to write the message and thought about what to draw. I love turtles and the color green. My son knew that and offered me his best drawing that he could muster that incorporated these things.

But the best part was to see the eager and excited look on his face as I opened up his present. He was so eager to see my reaction, expecting me to be so impressed. And when I did open it up and was deeply touched, his smile was precious. From ear to ear he smiled proudly.

May we never take for granted the gifts are children offer us no matter how small they may be. May we remember that children are full of goodness to share and that they are so special. And that what they touch and create is many times a reflection of their heart.

To see more of Andrew’s art click here.

Feature Photo

PHOTO CAPTION: "Photo Courtesy Photos8.com." Photos8.com offers free public domain photos. Check them out.

Welcome to Harmony of the Heart! The blog where you can get your dose of inspiration for the week. Feel free to check out the inspirational stories, articles, poems, photos, great links and more! For those of you who are new, every once in a while we post the Feature Photo, a cool or beautiful photo for everyone to view. To view all of the other feature photos we have posted at Harmony of the Heart simply click here.

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Chris Brown to do Domestic Violence Classes

Can Singer Make a Lasting Change to Not Abuse Again?

It has just been announced that Chris Brown has made a plea deal in his assault case. It appears Brown will serve five years probation, do some community service and be mandated to complete a batterer’s intervention program.

Brown, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of assault with the intent of doing great bodily injury to singer Rihanna. Formal sentencing is set for August 5, 2009. (for more details click here)

Photos of Rihanna's bruised face were made public on the internet recently showing the detail of the assault. The police report appears to corroborate that a brutal beating occurred.

Brown's domestic violence incident sends us all a reminder of how love can go really bad. Unfortunately, it goes bad a lot. A United Nations report shows that globally 1 in 3 women are abused during their lifetime. In the National Crime Statistics Report of 1993 it stated that 60% of marriages experience domestic violence.

To read the rest of this story click here.

Building a Marriage That Works

Five Keys to a Healthy Marriage

Here are some qualities that are important to have in a marriage. Think of them as the five keys to a loving relationship and healthy marriage. Without keys we do not have access to things (our car, home, etc.). If we do not work on the five things mentioned below we may find walls between us instead of doors to connection and love. To have a relationship where we are open, trusting and loving we need to be willing to do the work of using these essential keys.

1. Both individuals are willing to submit to one another. By submitting I mean the practice of putting the other person first and valuing that person (their feelings, opinions, wants and needs). It is respect for the other person and a willingness to listen, to be humble, and to recognize when we are wrong. When this is done the couple opens the door to trust and security in the relationship. There is a feeling of being safe together.

To read the entire article click here.

The Three Flames of Love

Do You Have the Three Flames in Your Relationship?

Many people are looking for love. Some are looking in the right places and some are looking in the wrong places. Regardless, it may be helpful to know what it is that we are really looking for in a relationship.

In the Bible there is a book called Song of Songs. It basically is a collection of Hebrew love poems. In this Biblical book there are three different Hebrew words used to describe love.

While I was dating my wife there came a point in the relationship where I was considering marrying her. I was not sure if I was ready to make this very important decision. So, I asked my pastor for guidance and he gave me a book to read that shared three key things to look for to assess if it was time to get married. Having been married almost six years, I have found these three key things to be very important to a healthy and loving relationship.

The first Hebrew word used to describe love in Song of Songs is "Raya," which means basically a friend, a companion or soulmate (Song of Songs 4:7). Basically, this special person should be our best friend.

The second Hebrew word is "Ahava," which means a deep affection. It is a desire that is unquenchable, a wish to be with the other person that makes your heart ache. Rob Bell, who produced a DVD named "Flame" that defines and illustrates love as three dimensional, states that "Ahava" is a love of the will and that it is more profound than just fleeting romantic feelings. It is a desire which leads a person to make a decision to join their life to another forever. It is what makes things last. It is the commitment involved in making a relationship work. Here we see that love is very much a choice as much as it is a connection. The lovers of Song of Songs state that Ahava is as strong as death, that many rivers cannot quench "Ahava" (Song of Songs 8:7).

To read the entire article click here.

How To Find Love (Healthy Relationships)

Look Before You Fall Helplessly In Love

Cindy has had a crush on the 6-foot-1-inch hunk with dark brown hair and green eyes in her Chemistry class since the beginning of the semester. Her heart beats so fast every time she makes eye contact with him that she feels like she has to hold on to it or it might pop out.

And then one day the inconceivable happened.

All of a sudden, out of the blue, Powell walked up to her after class and pulled out a pink rose from his backpack. He gently looked into her eyes with his dark green eyes and asked her, "Do you want to study Chemistry together?"

Cindy stood frozen, in a daze, her heart melting. Then seconds later she responded, "Sure," with a whimper. After waving good-bye to Mr. Wonderful, she walked home and thought to herself, "This is the right guy, he's the one."

A couple of weeks later and a couple of study nights with Powell, she was walking on a cloud. And when Powell, her new boyfriend, asked her to go to Carmel and spend the night with him she figured it was love. Yes, love.

So she packed her bags and went.

To find out what happens and read the entire article click here.

CAPTION: Photo by Gisela Giardino. This photo is under a Creative Commons license.

Safe Pet Program Protects Animals

When domestic violence occurs it not only affects the survivor and family members, but it also can affect pets. Abusive family members may threaten, injure, or kill pets as a way of threatening or controlling others in the family. Pets need a safe place to be just like other family members.

"Lola" pictured here was taken into The Center for Violence-free Relationship's Safe Pet Program. Lola belonged to a client that fled her abuser and had to leave all her animals behind, including her five-year-old daughter's puppy, Lola. After the client fled, her partner had the animals for two weeks and threatened to kill them.

A civil standby was arranged to rescue the animals and they were put into The Center's Safe Pet Program. Lola entered the program at seven months old, completely withdrawn, under weight and dehydrated. While the client and her daughter were safely in our Safe House, Lola was safe too and thriving -- she gained weight and was completely potty trained within two weeks thanks to the loving hands of a counselor. While the client was in the shelter arrangements where made for the client and her five-year-old daughter to have visitation with Lola. Not only was this good for the five-year-old little girl, it was great for Lola too! The Center's client is out of our Safe House and starting her new life, and Lola is now reunited with her family.

The Center's Safe Pet Program was started over ten years ago by Judy Knapp, Director of Education and Training to help victims of domestic violence leave their abusive environments and know their pets would be safe and healthy.

The Humane Society of the United States found that over 70 percent of adult victims and 73 percent of children describe incidents of companion animal abuse when they entered domestic violence shelters. Other reports show there is a delay in leaving the abusive home because victims feared for their pets' safety.

Support The Center's Safe Pet Program
On Saturday, July 25 Starbuck's will host the 2nd annual Walk-a-Thon. This year they are bringing awareness to The Center's Safe Pet Program. This fun family event takes place on The Placerville Bike Trail...a great "dogs on leash" friendly trail.

For more information on this event or how you can support The Safe Pet Program contact Kelly Plag at 530-626-1450 or 916-939-4464 ext. 205 or email Kelly Plag .