Birthday Wishes!

Tomorrow's my birthday! Thursday, July 31st. My birthday wish for the coming year is for God to continue to change and transform my heart. I pray that anything that blocks me from giving and receiving love be removed...let the barriers, the hurts and wounds be healed by God's loving mercy and grace. May I have a heart for service, a heart for healing, a heart for worship and a heart to share with others.

Since returning from my vacation, heart rocks appear in my travels on a daily basis. Wherever I look, I find one or two hearts. What's really curious is that many of them I find in the cracks in the sidewalk. Very tiny heart stones tucked quietly amidst the cracks...how odd...why do I find so many of them here? Want to know my theory? The souls that need love the most, to know that they are loved, usually walk downcast eyes, shoulders slumped weary by the burdens of the day. They're more likely to see them. God seems to be leading me to do more with my heart rocks...not just collect them, catalog them and photograph them, but to share them with others - to share the important messages contained in the heart rocks themselves. I pray that God continues to lead and direct the purpose of this blog and my passion for work with transformation of the heart and spirit. May my heart continue to open to the love around me that I might share it with others.

Blessings,
Kimberly

Finding Love in the Swiss Alps

While trekking up the trail from Gimmewald to the alpine village of Mürren, I discovered the heart rock pictured above. Another reminder of the abundance of God's love...wherever I go (far or near) love reveals itself in unending glory.

Highlights of the mountain trek included: breathtaking vistas, breathing in fresh mountain air, languishing in the beauty of the lush green valleys, hearing the chorus of bells as cows grazed lazily along the hillsides, feeling the deep sense of peaceful stillness of the surrounding mountains...moments and memories not to be missed!

Breaking Hearts in Salzburg, Austria

Spent a day exploring Salzburg, Austria. A city rich in history ~ known for the birthplace of Mozart; the setting for the Sound of Music; the stunningly beautiful Mirabel Gardens and quaint tightly packed streets with Baroque architecture. A virtual feast for the eyes and ears. Trekking up the hillside to see the twelfth century Hohensalzburg Fortress, my brother and I spied these heart rocks along the trail.

Hearts on High in the Swiss Alps

Just returned from an amazing 2 week vacation which included a 10-day road trip from Sweden to Italy. During the early part of the trip, we traveled through the Swiss Alps. Lush green valleys blanketed the landscape set amidst rising sheer monuments of incredible beauty. We stayed overnight in a quaint little town called Wengen (accessible only by train). The next day, as we meandered through the Alps headed towards Italy, I caught sight of this heart shape carved out of the snow on the side of the mountain! My brother quickly snapped this image as we rounded a curve down the mountain.



Wherever you go...love is...

Hej, Buon Giorno, Hallo, Guten Tag!

Marstrand Island, Svergie

Hej from Svergie! Just arrived in Göteborg again after a 10 day road trip to Italy with my brother Chris and his partner TJ! What an amazing adventure...my first experience traveling abroad! Found many heart rocks along my journey...will post pictures and stories of my travels when I return to Boston. God blessed me with His love and grace throughout the trip...despite myself. I didn't realize how scared I would feel stepping out of my daily routine into a fast paced foreign adventure.

The journey began with a heart rock discovery and hopefully will end with one. My friend Kelly arrived at my apartment on Friday, July 11th to take me to the airport. A little overwhelmed by the thought of traveling, I made a last minute sweep of the apartment making sure that I'd packed everything. When I heard her car pull in the driveway, I was still packing! We grabbed my luggage and headed out of the apartment...the door closing signaled the start of my adventure. While loading the luggage in the car, a sparkle on the pavement caught my eye. Bending down for closer inspection, I noticed the sparkle was a tiny blackish colored rock trimmed with a thin white edge. How perfect! - a heart rock for my departure. Caught up in my 'heart rock' swoon, I rambled on to Kelly about the 'symbolism' and serendipity of the moment. As she shifted into drive ready to pull out, a vague sense of dread washed over me...where was the plastic ziploc bag that I'd had in my hand before leaving the apartment? The one with that I'd thought I grabbed before I shut the door...the one with my housekey and the important papers I needed regarding my flight...the one that was still sitting on my wooden chopping block...in my apartment. AARGH! My mind whirled as I attempted to remain calm and rationale. Panic flooded in...my flight, I'd never make! How would I get into my apartment? Breaking in wasn't an option - my landlady agreed with me ;-) when I called and mentioned that I'd considered this option. I asked her if she had a spare key to my apt. Thank god, she did! One problem. I'd need to pick it up at her workplace - 20 minutes away. My friend, Kelly (a godsend) calmly drove the out of the way to pick up the key from my landlady and then circled back home to get the papers. I still managed to catch my flight with time to spare. That's about how the rest of the trip went...kept finding heart rocks, always with a bit of drama attached to each one.

Found my first heart rock in Svergie tonight walking through town. A tiny rubypink colored stone - precious and sweet. Just the little reminder of love from God that I needed tonight.

Look forward to sharing my hearts from across the miles and hope that you'll keep sharing yours, too!

Hej då, Ciao, Auf Wiedersehen

Stealing Hearts in Malibu

Large mauve colored heart rock from Malibu Beach, CA (June '07)

A Brother's Love

Last summer, my brother Chris invited me out to southern California for a visit. Finances were tight; I couldn't afford the plane fare. Knowingly, he purchased a ticket for me to fly out (not once, but twice) last year to spend time with him. His heart eclipses the one pictured above. How would you describe someone like my brother? His joie de vrie permeates his whole life. His wisdom exceeds his youth. I marvel at his ability to understand and accept himself - always seeming to move beyond the self-doubts and fears in confident stride. I find his generosity, caring and concern towards others incredibly genuine and selfless. Did we emerge from the same womb? :-)

So...back to my visit...

Everywhere we went in California was a special adventure. The itinerary on one particular day trip included a drive up the coastline -- destination Malibu beach. After a couple of hours spent lolling in the hot shifting sands and walking amidst the pounding surf it was time to pack up and head home. My feet dragged slowly as I headed towards the parking lot. Just one more rock...that's all I wanted to find...just one more. My two-year old inner child emerged ready for a full-on temper tantrum! My face flushed crimson as my selfishness overtook my sensibility. I was determined not to leave empty-handed. I frantically began searching for a heart rock. I told myself that I couldn't leave Malibu without one. My brother 'lovingly' gave me the 20 second "It's time to go!" warning (heart-rock withdrawal started to overtake me). I shot a quick prayer to God hoping to find a BIG heart rock before time ran out. Typically, my prayers to God don't include demands or 'wish lists', but this was a special situation; time was of the essence. A sign post or billboard with a directional would suffice- something unmistakable. An 11th hour miracle prayer never hurts either. Just as we passed an outcropping of rocks, a flash of mauve caught my eye. I thought to myself, "It couldn't be, could it?". I sprinted over to a rock wedged between two others. Just the corner was visible...just enough to pique one's curiosity. One swift tug on the rock did the trick. I flashed a Cheshire grin towards my brother as I hoisted up a HUGE heart-shaped rock. Unbelievable! I stole a few 'hearts' in Malibu ~ Writings from the Heart Rock Collective

Side note: Early this year, Chris and TJ moved to Sweden with the 'girls' Lily & Zoey. Before they even left US soil, an invitation was extended to visit them overseas. So yet another great adventure awaits. This Friday, I'm hopping across the pond for two weeks - itinerary: Road trippin' to Italy. Maybe I'll steal a few 'hearts' in Italy!

Will post again when I return sometime in early August. Happy Heart Rock hunting to all!

Healing Broken Hearts

When I first began to find heart rocks, my collection resembled a mass of rejects from the Lonely (and Broken) Hearts Club. I was a magnet for attracting 'broken' hearts. Many years later I discovered the message that each broken heart (rock) contained. These symbolized the places within my own heart that needed healing and restoration.

Burdened by years of unresolved anger, failed relationships and unfulfilled dreams, I felt heart-weary and hopeless. Prayer offered me solace; I began to ask God to show His love for me. That's when I began to find heart rocks. At my darkest moments, God offered me the most beautiful heart rocks. I began to share them with friends and family. Bits of joy began to replace the heaviness that weighed on my heart. The more heart rocks I gave away, the more love filtered into my life. Today my heart is full of hope...still healing and becoming whole!

The seeds for this blog were sown by my brother, Chris. I'd begun to write a collection of stories entitled 'Writings from the Heart Rock Collective'. He encouraged me to share the stories of my 'heart rocks' on the web. From this small seed, the collective voices of heart rock lovers emerged. My vision for this blog is to create a virtual community where people can share their heart stories freely, fully and openly.

Keep the Heart Streams flowing! Give away your heart rocks to those who need some love. Help participate in the movement of 'healing hearts' through sharing one heart rock at a time.

Take the Challenge: Put Your Heart On-the-Line

Challenge #1: Share your heart rock story with us!

Pick one of your favorite heart rocks and share about your experience in discovering it. Where were you? What feelings did you experience when you found it? What did you do with your rock(s)? How long have you been obsessed with finding heart rocks? :-) I started collecting them about 16 years ago. I know there are others besides myself who share this passion! I'd love to hear from you!

I'll share a story first...see my post below.