A place of encouragement for women featuring a monthly Heart to Heart ladies’ bulletin. Each bulletin includes an article, Search the Scriptures quizzes, and recipes.

 

Heart to Heart

Devotional Thoughts for Women

The Things You Do For Love

When I was a little girl, I had a beautiful fluffy black and white cat whom I named Jingles. I raised her from a kitten, and since I lived out in the country with few neighbors, Jingles became my favorite playmate. She had to live outside because my mother was allergic to cats, but in spite of that, she always stayed close to home and was there whenever I wanted her. Until one day, she wasn’t. Jingles went missing. My parents tried to reassure me as the panic mounted in my little six year old heart. After a couple days, she finally reappeared on our back porch, limping, and with a huge round red bump on one of her paws. My mother braved her allergies and took Jingles to the vet. The verdict? The leg containing the injured foot would have to be amputated. The chances of Jingles surviving very long with only three legs were not especially high, but lowered even more considering she lived outside full-time, and we lived out in the country. So, we were faced with an expensive operation – on a cat – that had little chance of surviving long after. On top of all that, my father grew up on a farm with a lot of cats, and there was never a time that they took one of them to a vet, much less would have ever dreamed of paying for an amputation for one of them. On the farm, if a cat was injured and got sick and died…well, that was just the way of things. But there was another factor in this equation…a father’s love for his little girl. A love that overcame the common sense of putting the animal out of its misery or saving the money altogether and just letting the cat fend for herself. No, this father’s love paid for a cat to have its leg amputated so it could be returned to the arms of a little girl who loved her. Because that’s what love does.

Love puts others before self. Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Romans 12:10, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” I John 4:10-11, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Love considers the interests and needs of others first.

Love goes the extra mile. Matthew 5:41, “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” Luke 6:27-30, “But I say to you who hear: Love you enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.” Love goes above and beyond what is expected.

Love sacrifices. I John 3:16-18, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Love is willing to give up everything.

One day, a heavenly Father looked down at a little girl here on earth, and He loved her. He loved her so much that He was willing to overcome the justice of letting her pay for her own sins. He was willing to pay the highest price there was in order to save that girl’s soul so she could one day be returned to the arms of the Lord who loved her. This is what God did for me, and what He does for you. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Because that is what love does.   ~Heather Pryor

(Postscript: Jingles the cat not only survived quite well on her remaining three legs, but she went on to have a litter of six kittens and outlived them all.)

     (To see this month’s bulletin in its entirety, click the link below.)

Heart to Heart July 2018 – Featured article: The Things You Do for Love Featured recipes: Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream 

Heart to Heart June 2018 – Featured article: Royal Family Rules Featured recipe: Queen Cake

Heart to Heart May 2018 – Featured article: Give Me a Break! Featured recipe: Butterhorns

Heart to Heart April 2018 – Featured article: Can’t Never Could  Featured recipe: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Heart to Heart March 2018 – Featured article: Dig Your Ditches Featured recipe: Strawberry Bread and Butter 

Heart to Heart February 2018 – Featured article: The Patience Song  Featured recipe:  German Pot Roast 

Heart to Heart January 2018 – Featured article: Starting Over   Featured recipe: Creamy Tortellini Soup 

Heart to Heart December 2017 – Featured article: The Wish Gift Book  Featured recipe: Christmas Jam

Heart to Heart November 2017 – Featured article: Reach Out and Touch Someone Featured Recipes: Fruit Salsa  and Turkey Vegetable Soup 

Heart to Heart October 2017 – Featured article: Rizpah the Defender  Featured Recipe: Caramel Apple Pie 

Heart to Heart September 2017 – Featured article: Just Say “No” Featured Recipes: Lemon Garlic Fish and Sweet Potato Slaw

Heart to Heart August 2017 – Featured article: Becoming a Bible Student  Featured Recipes: Fresh Tomato Pie and Tomato Cucumber Salad

Heart to Heart July 2017 – Featured article: Hang On, Help Is On the Way  Featured Recipe:  Chicken Pot Pie 

Heart to Heart June 2017 – Featured article: Four Words that are Hard to Pray  Featured recipe: Chocolate Pizza 

Heart to Heart May 2017 – Featured article: Chosen  Featured recipe: Scripture Cake 

Heart to Heart April 2017 – Featured article: Do You Love Me? Featured recipe:  Resurrection Rolls 

Heart to Heart March 2017 – Featured article: Should I or Shouldn’t I?  Featured recipe: Zucchini Ratatouille 

Heart to Heart January 2017 – Featured article: Adjust Your Focus  Featured recipe: Paul’s Chili 

Heart to Heart December 2016 – Featured article: Talk to Me!  Featured recipe: Pumpkin Soup 

Heart-to-Heart-November-2016  – Featured article: Quiet Time  Featured recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars and Better Than Anything Cake 

Heart-to-Heart-October-2016  – Featured article: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly  Featured recipe: Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

Heart to Heart September 2016 – Featured article:  Do You Know Your Bible?  Featured recipe: BLT Chicken Salad

Heart to Heart August 2016 – Featured article:  Called to Holiness  Featured Recipes: Spanish Round Steak and Cherry Delight

Heart to Heart July 2016 – Featured article:  When God says “No”  Featured Recipes: Fruit-Infused Waters (6 variations)

Heart to Heart June 2016  – Featured article:  Life is short, Use the China  Featured Recipes:  Tarragon Tuna Salad and Raspberry Soup

Heart to Heart May 2016 – Featured article:  What Will I Wear?  Featured Recipe:  Fresh Orange Scones

Heart to Heart April 2016 – Featured article:  Hide and Seek  Featured Recipe: Strawberry Rolls

Heart to Heart March 2016 – Featured article: Good, Better, Best  Featured Recipes: Beverly’s Breakfast Casserole and Lemon Rosemary Shortbread

Heart to Heart February 2016 – Featured article: Conspicuous Christianity  Featured Recipes: Broccoli Cauliflower Salad and White Chocolate Party Mix

Heart to Heart January 2016 – Featured article: Get Ready!  Featured Recipes: Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate and Hot Spiced Cranberry Punch

Heart to Heart December 2015 –  Featured article:  Luke’s Lemonade  Featured Recipes: White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies and Peppermint White Chocolate Cocoa

Heart to Heart November 2015 – Featured article:  Fasting and Feasting  Featured Recipe: Cranberry Gelatin Salad and A Thanksgiving Tree

Heart to Heart October 2015  – Featured article:  The Boo Hoo Award  Featured Recipe: Pumpkin Rolls with Cinnamon Butter

Heart to Heart September 2015 – Featured article: The Student Who Taught the Teacher  Featured Recipe: Zucchini Au Gratin

Heart to Heart August 2015  – Featured article:  The B-I-B-L-E: Is that the Book for Me? Featured Recipe: Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Heart to Heart July 2015 – Featured article: Red Sea Moments  Featured Recipes: Chicken Pesto Casserole and Homemade Pesto Sauce

Heart to Heart June 2015 – Featured article: Getting Back to Basics   Featured Recipes: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Pacs, All-Natural Grout Cleaner, and Summertime Air Freshener

Heart to Heart May 2015 – Featured article: Could God Have Chosen You?  Featured Recipes: Yogurt Parfaits and Lemon Rosemary Scones

Heart to Heart April 2015    – Featured article: Bored by the Bible?  Featured Recipe:  Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Heart to Heart March 2015   –  Featured article: The First Five Minutes  Featured Recipe: Stuffed Peppers

Heart to Heart Feb 2015    –  Featured article: A Servant of the Church, Helper of Many  Featured recipes: Sweet Lemon Chicken, Chocolate Almond Clusters

Heart to Heart Jan 2015    –  Featured article: Is Your Diffuser Working? Featured recipe: Homemade Crunchy Apple Slices

This monthly bulletin has been published in print form since 1999. Many of the articles have been compiled into two books of devotional thoughts for women. For further descriptions and pricing of these books, please visit our Product Catalog Page.