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Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

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Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve--a red heart on a white sweater sleeveDo you ever wear your heart on your sleeve? I don’t mean shirts or sweaters with hearts on them. Do you let your emotions show?

When you wear your heart on your sleeve, you openly reveal your emotions.

They become obvious to everyone who sees you. They show in your:

  • Face
  • Words
  • Body Language

Wear your heart on your sleeve applies to every emotion.

  • Anger makes you blow your top.
  • Love brightens the world around you.
  • Concern reaches out to those in need.
  • Fear makes you tremble.

No one has to wonder how you feel, especially when you are in love.

This expression may originate from a medieval custom.

According to The Phrase Finder, knights wore the name of a woman on their sleeves during tournaments.

The phrase later appeared in Shakespeare’s “Othello.”

Wear your heart on your sleeve with caution.

Openness is not appropriate in every situation. You don’t want to go off the deep end. Use wisdom and kindness in all you do.

Allow God’s love to flow through you regardless of your emotions.

When you let go and let God take control, your heart changes for the better.

“I will praise the Lord with my whole heart” (Psalm 111:1 NIV).

Thanks to Brad Leverett for the suggestion.

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Heart-to-Heart

Heart-to-Heart

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Heart to Heart--sunset silhouette of young girls forming heart with handsMost relationships benefit from occasional heart-to-heart talks. When we open our hearts to one another, we learn to appreciate each other more.

Heart-to-heart means open and honest.

It usually refers to conversations where we don’t hide our emotions. Such talks occur between:

  • Family members
  • Friends
  • Coworkers
  • Neighbors

Honest discussion helps us work through differences of opinion.

The outcome varies. We may:

  • Agree
  • Compromise
  • Agree to disagree

Although such talks don’t always end the way we hope, they usually result in improvement.

Most heart-to-heart talks involve serious subjects.

We don’t just shoot the breeze. Through open discussion, we try to prevent or work through conflicts. Under ideal circumstances, our talks build on already strong relationships.

We celebrate Valentine’s Day with hearts of all kinds:

  • Candy
  • Cards
  • Cakes
  • Clothing

Why not also include heart-filled conversations? Resolve conflicts. Strengthen bonds. Love with both words and actions.

“I have a lot more things to tell you, but I’d rather not use paper and ink. I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk. That will be far more satisfying to both you and me” (2 John 1:12-13 MSG).

Thanks to Glenda Britton for the suggestion. Image by u_uf78c121 from Pixabay.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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My Heart Is Full

My Heart Is Full

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My Heart Is Full--four generation family photoMy heart is full when I spend time with people I love. It’s also full when I miss those same people. The first feels good. The second hurts.

My heart is full means I feel strong emotions.

I usually feel glad. However, it also refers to times I feel:

Emotions affect physical reactions. My heart beats faster with strong emotions. It beats slower if I feel relaxed, snug as a bug in a rug.

My heart is full of different emotions when I see this picture.

  • Memories of good times fill me with joy.
  • Missing our get-togethers brings tears.
  • Knowing my dad, mom, and younger nephew are in heaven comforts my heart.
  • Looking forward to seeing them again makes my cup run over.

I give thanks for God’s never-failing presence and the emotions to deal with every life event.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Psalm 28:7 NIV).

If your heart is full of painful emotions due to experiencing a medical crisis, walking alongside someone who is, or caring for a loved one, my friend Tracy Crump’s book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness, may help. On Saturday, October 30, I will randomly select the name of one person on my mailing list to receive a free copy of Tracy’s book. Please encourage your friends to also subscribe to my mailing list for a chance to win.

Thanks to Jane Ashley Pace for the suggestion.

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Warm the Cockles of My Heart

Warm the Cockles of My Heart

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Warm the Cockles of My Heart--bowl of seashellsTo warm the cockles of my heart, something makes me happy.

I never use this expression. I do say something gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. The two expressions mean almost the same. Deep inside, I feel:

  • Good
  • Content
  • Warm

I have no cockles in my heart.

No one does. So how did this expression start? wiseGEEK and other sources offer these two possibilities:

  1. The “Latin description for the heart’s chambers, cochleae cordis.” Cockles became a slang word for cochleae.
  2. Mollusk shells (cockles) and the human heart have similar shapes. (See photo.)

They give other ideas, but these two seem most common.

The following warm the cockles of my heart:

What about you?

What warms the cockles of your heart? Please comment below.

On Valentine’s Day and every day, may life warm the cockles of your heart.

“We know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5 TLB).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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From the Heart

From the Heart

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From the Heart-quilt on a rockerToday’s post comes from the heart. I share it with:

  • Deep feelings
  • Sincere emotions
  • Love for the families I mention

Foster parents share their homes and their hearts.

They care for children who need a temporary home. They help children and families pick up the pieces of their lives.

Foster parents serve from the heart.

They love their children during good times and bad. They celebrate when children do well. They choose to love when children:

  • Reject their love
  • Damage their home
  • Break their hearts with bad choices

Foster parents receive few rewards.

News reports usually tell only bad foster parent stories. They rarely mention the families who give good care. Yet, foster parents continue their labor of love anyway.

My parents provided foster care several years. I worked with foster families almost 30 years. I saw their love and shared their hurt.

When I retired, foster parents gave me this quilt from their hearts. I recently wrote about it for Kentucky Living magazine.

When you see foster parents, thank them from your heart for:

  • Caring
  • Sharing
  • Giving
  • Healing

Happy Valentine’s Day to families who make our world a better place.

“Love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Heart of Gold

Heart of Gold

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Heart of Gold--a gold heartDo you know people who have a heart of gold? Why not honor them this Valentine’s Day?

I know most people think of romantic love on Valentine’s Day. So do I. Yet, why not show other kinds of love as well? I don’t know of any rule against that.

 People with a heart of gold give often.

They also give much. They are:

  • Kind
  • Friendly
  • Honest
  • Good natured

They give of themselves.

People with a heart of gold think of others before themselves.

They sometimes give away what they need, no strings attached. They love other people that much. Plus, they care for strangers as well as friends and family.

People with a heart of gold make good role models.

Think how wonderful the world would be if everyone showed that kind of love.

People value gold for its goodness.

Why not show caring people they are valued for their goodness too?

  • Thank them for their loving hearts.
  • Give them something they need or want
  • Give a gift to charity in their honor.
  • Hug them.
  • Take them to dinner.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NIV).

Who do you know with a heart of gold?

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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