While defending a woman and her honor back in the day the knight would tie her colors on his arm as a show of his loyalty to her. It was a way to express emotions for her visibly.  ( source ) Shakespeare also gets some credit for the expression (not a big surprise is it?) in the play  Othello . ( source ) Today the phrase is used in a figurative way to communicate that emotions are visible and not hidden. 

Confucius Day Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. Quotes  and more Quotes There's a 1940 and a 2010 film about Confucius There's a cartoon series ! Outside of the box: it is a  main-belt asteroid , an  Institute , and a  Peace Prize . World Heart Day 10 Ways to Take Charge of Your Heart Health Taking Care of Your Heart 7 Powerful Ways to Improve Your Heart Health Heart Education: Emotional Fitness International Coffee Day The Story of Coffee On Coffee Day use and ingest as much coffee as possible! All things Coffee, check it out! Here's some out of the box ways to enjoy coffee today:  DIY Coffee Scrub ,  Natural Hair and Skin Products made with Coffee , my favorite coffee ice cream , so many coffee candies ,  7 Delicious Things to Make with Leftover Coffee ,  11 unusual uses for coffee ,  34 Unexpected Ways Coffee Grounds Can Make Your Li...

February Named after Februalia , a time period when sacrifices were made to atone for sins. Bake for Family Fun Month Share family recipes, traditions, and heritage this month through baking.  Baking: Bringing Family Together Heart Month Human Heart: Anatomy, Function & Facts Are You at Risk for Heart Disease? Your Easy Guide to Boosting Heart Health Cherry Month The Cherry Six Hidden Health Benefits of Cherries 11 Health Benefits of Cherries Bird-Feeding Month Winter Bird Feeding Tips Library Lover's Month The Library Company Survivor: The History of the Library For You To Borrow, Some Libraries Have To Go Begging Americans are using their public library more than ever before, but in many cases, overall funding is down. Familiarize yourself with some common myths. There Are No Free Libraries Do you patronize your local library?  If so, consider making a donation to them today/this month to make sure they continue to stay open and ava...

You can close your eyes to the things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to the things you don't want to feel.   Johnny Depp The heart feels what it feels. Absorbs what it absorbs.  Even the hardest hearts that have walls built up feel and absorb.  Unwillingly yes but even those hearts feel.  Unlike the eyes that can close to the hard things that will make us feel things we don't want to, our hearts cannot close to those things.  I've seen this happen when traveling through the slums.  I know a woman (no it's not me referring to myself in third person) who walked through the slum of Mathare Valley with me.  She closed her eyes to what she saw and she tried and tried and tried to close her heart but she couldn't.  And the more she tried the angrier she got and the more upset she became.  She found a person to be the target of her anger.   Someone who she funneled all that she was trying to ignore her heart was feeling...

Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls.    Melody Beattie Our greatest stories, those which leave the most impact, come from our hearts.  And what comes from our hearts are stories that have laughter, sorrow, healing, pain, and everything in between.  The best stories have a little bit of all, even the pain.  For our pain can be someone else's healing.  When we share from our hearts we are telling a story of grace, of redemption, and of hope.  Just like the stories from the hearts of others can be a soothing balm, a life lesson, or a myriad of other things so can our stories be as well in the life of others.  But they have to be shared from the heart.  If they are not then they will not accomplish what they could, the potential of the story won't be reached.  Our stories will only be heartfelt when they are lived from that place as well.  Don't be afraid of your hea...

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.    Ferdinand Foch What makes the biggest differences in our worlds are human souls on fire to address the injustice we witness.  It's the most powerful weapon we each own.  A soul on fire is what defends the widow and the orphan .  A soul on fire is what gives our lives purpose.  If your soul isn't on fire for something other than your favorite TV show then what kind of life are you really living?  Want to be powerful?  Let your soul be set on fire.    

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.   Desmond Tutu No fence riding allowed.  To say you are in the middle and don't want to get involved involves you on the side of the oppressor.  Choosing indifference means you have chosen oppression.  When it comes to situations of injustice there are so many levels you can jump in on that there is no excuse for neutrality.  Don't let the injustice scare you, don't let it make you so uncomfortable that you join sides with the oppressors unknowingly.  Be brave enough to educate yourself, be brave enough to jump in on some level of assistance.  Be brave enough to get off the fence.  

The work of the eyes is done. Go now and do the heart-work on the images imprisoned within you.   Rainer Maria Rilke What we allow ourselves to see is important to what our hearts look forward to do.  But sometimes the images are hard.  And I've seen in many people an unwillingness, knowingly or unknowingly, to let what they have seen impact their heart so they can go do the heart-work necessary.   A couple of months ago there was a docu-film released called, "No Kid Hungry".  It focused on hungry kids in America.  I watched it and there were some hard realities about kids in America shared.  I wanted my oldest to watch it - I think it's important she understand and see what is happening in our local communities, never mind the world.  We'll get to that.  She won't watch it.  She doesn't want to see suffering, she doesn't want to cry at what she sees and hears (because she will and she knows it).  She is unwilling to even see with...

Never get tired of doing little things for others, sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.   Unknown Bigger isn't always better. (Don't you love how I'm working in a bunch of cliches this week amidst the quotes?!)  Acts that seem small and simple and fairly insignificant to me are usually the ones that mean the most to people.  I used to shrug my shoulders and think, "what's the big deal?" but as I observed and continued to just do what I do I realized that people just want to be acknowledged, valued, noticed.  And it almost always takes just the little things to accomplish that.  It doesn't need to be big and grandiose and spectacular.  But it does need to be sincere, genuine, and preferably heartfelt.  Those kinds of things usually come in the smallest of ways yet have maximum impact.  

Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust. Proverbs 4:23-27 (MSG) Easier said than done, right?  Especially when you have to interact with other people on a daily basis!  This portion of Proverbs popped up for me and some co-workers at a time a few months back when things happening in our organization felt like a "sideshow distraction" or easily could have become one.  In addition when unsettling things happen, no matter where you are at, the mouths start running and without meaning to you find yourself sucked into talking out of both sides of your mouth.  I am way way guilty of this.  I start off great but the sideshow distracts me from what I know is ri...

When you bring your heart into your intention there's nothing you can't accomplish.   Jillian Michaels Intentions don't serve much purpose if there is not heart to motivate and make them happen.  For example, I have really good intentions every day when my eyes pop open to eat right and to exercise (and no, I'm not using this example just because a  trainer  provided the quote for today!).  But unless my heart is motivated for health and wellness of my physical body I won't eat well or exercise that day.  But on the days my heart is like, "GO FOR IT!" I have a healthy day!  Now maybe I didn't phrase that example the best, I'm short on time today, but hopefully you catch my drift.  Have intentions to do something?  Be someone?  Accomplish a goal?  Then you'll be successful when your heart is in it.  

God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both of their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.   Bono As a believer in God I want to have a heart for the things and people that he has a heart for.  God has much to say in the Bible about the poverty stricken, about those less fortunate than us.  He has several commands that outline how we can be the extension of God to those who fall into the "least of these"  category .  Today's quote by Bono was so impactful the first time I read it that it circles in my mind and heart often.  When we make a choice to interact with "the least of these" and to help them make a real difference in their living situations, etc then we are being the very hands and feet and heart of God.  It i...