As I Am.

Lately I have been in this season where I feel like I need to strive to receive God's love. I have allowed myself to believe all of these lies the enemy is throwing at me. I seem to always think that the Lord's love is like a humans love: selfish and temporary. I continue to try and be better and always fail. I continue to think if I just do this one more thing He will love me more. I continue to think He is disappointed in my failures and that all He sees is a big mess crying herself to sleep every night.

The reason I share this with you is because I know many of us feel this way. Believers and non-believers. And I am here to tell you that if you are feeling anything like I just stated you are giving into the enemies BIG, FAT, STUPID, LIES. He thinks hes clever, but if you just sit for a moment and think about what you are believing you will start to laugh. You will laugh because you will see how unoriginal he is and how he has been using the same lies for decades.

Once I got over my pity party I realized that if all of these things I was hearing and believing about the Lords love was true, why in the heck would I worship Him and give up my whole life? It isn't because He is unhappy with my performance or think I can do a lot better. It isn't because of a challenge I have to be as good as I can and then He will love me. No, it isn't like human love at all. In a podcast by Graham Cooke called "The Inheritance", he talks about God loving us. He says that "we could do nothing to where God would love us more. We can also do nothing to where God would love us less." God loves us as we are, He sees us as His perfect beloved and we will always be His perfect beloved. We don't have to strive to be better, we don't even have to do anything. He loves us because it is His nature to love us. He can't help it.

I know it seems impossible to believe when we are surrounded by the pressure of humans telling us we have to be better. The pressures of being successful, beautiful and intelligent. The pressures of people telling us we are good enough and we must be better to be liked or even loved. But there is good news! GREAT NEWS! Jesus died for our sins, we know longer have to live with the guilt of our imperfections. God doesn't just forgive us, he forgets! We can live a life of freedom because our Savior died the penalty for us. Nothing else matters. In fact, Philippians 3:8 says, "Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."

Everything on earth is going to perish, we don't need to waste our time worrying about how well we performed. God loves us for who we are, I challenge you to quit living as if you are a prisoner, you were set free along time ago, now you just have to choose to live like you are.

In Christ,

-Heather

"Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:11-12

Book Sneeze Review #2

Great book if you want to use your creative side. It has so many fun ideas and they are easy to do! It makes journaling that much more fun!!!! You have easy crafts for beginners and some that are a little tough for those who want to challenge themselves. I like the way they organized the picturesa and instructions on the page. I also liked the way they organized the book in general.

Recieve God's Hope

The morning in my devotion the author talked about having hope in God. "Come near to God and God will come near to you" James 4:8. That gives me so much hope that if I just come before the Lord He will be there. It doesn't matter the problem(s) we are having or that we feel unworthy or too broken for God. If we believe that than we are believing lies from the enemy. God didn't say "Go get perfect and then come to me" No, he said "I am with the broken". He has the ability to heal the most broken people in the world. Our toughest challenge is nothing more than bobby pins and rubber bands to God. The issues were dealing with may seem so big in our eyes but in Gods perspective they are nothing worse than lost bobby pins and rubber bands.

The Lord will meet you where ever you are. He will meet you no matter how much sin you are swimming in. Did you know God doesn't look at us with our sin on us? NOPE! He sees the identity He created us to be. We are perfect to Him. We allow the world and Satan to lie to us and tell us we aren't good enough. We allow these lies to fester in our spirits and hearts and break us down until we have no hope anymore. Hoplessness is unbelief in God's power, [ouch]. We cannot partner with the Enemies lies. We are warriors of God and we must act like it. We must know the truth that God has for us. Because that truth will set us free. He wants us to walk out in freedom. He doesn't care what you or the world have to say about your issues. They are not too messy or dirty for God. There is no such thing as a problem too hard for Him. He is not confounded, confused, or discouraged. Recieve his hope, won't you? Receive it because you need it. Receive it so you can share it.

In Christ, Heather

Citizens of Heaven

"Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News." Philippians 1:27

I read this passage a couple weeks ago and it has been sitting on my mind for awhile. What does it look like to be citizens of heaven? Just thinking about that takes my breath away. I don't know what it was about seeing it on a page just made it so real. I looked up the word citizen in the dictonary and this is what it said:

An inhabitant of a city or town; especially: one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman

Entitled to the rights and privleges, we have privleges of being a citizen of heaven! So what does this mean? It means God is so gracious to give us citizenship to his home, to his kingdom! He doesn't force it upon us, he gently offers us the choice to live in enternity with him. But for one price, our lives. "Then called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Mark 8:34

Its hard to give ourselves completely up to Jesus. We are humans who wish to control everything, to have the power. But wouldn't life be much simpler if we just gave all control to the one above? The one who knows the big picture, the plan. God called us to a life of freedom and joy. If we live our lifes for Him everything becomes more simple. We don't have to worry about what the next step is, we just sit a long for the ride.

How would our lives look differently if we sat in the passenger seat instead of the drivers? How would it look different if we actually acted like citizens of heaven? I challenge you to truly seek Jesus in a deeper way and find out how much freedom you will find. The truth will set you free.

In Christ,

Heather

Abundant Grace

It never ceases to amaze me how much grace God gives us. As Christians we talk about grace often but I don't think we will ever understand how much God loves us and cares about our life. This weekend I encountered a young man who to put it lightly is a mess. My first instinct was to judge him, then I thought about why and how he became this way. When I told my friends that we needed to be a positive influence on them they told me that it was a little too late for that. I didn't think too much of it but then in the middle of the night I was woken up and this boy was the first thing that came to my mind. God began to speak to me, he asked me "What if I was to look at you and say, oh its just a little too late for her?" This hit me hard, I realized that I am just as much of a "mess" as this young boy. I realized how I deserved to be given up on but yet time and time again God forgives me and never gives up on me.

My point is that we must not give up on anyone, we must always strive to share the love and grace of God to others. If we are saying its a little too late for someone, we obviously don't know the truth about God and have lack of confidence in what he can do. God can change around the worst in people. Don't we think if he can create a whole universe of people that he can change someones life for the better? We just have to be willing to allow Him to work through us.

I challenge you to not let fear or what others think to stand in the way of God's plan for your life. Be a positive influence on others and speak truth into their life. If God is calling you to say or do something for a certain person don't be afraid of what they will think. Because if He wants you to do it, and you respond, expect something amazing to happen. Even if you don't see a change of heart, you will plant a seed. You may never know how you affect people but know that if its God's plan then its for a reason.

In Christ,

Heather

Joy in Suffering

So I have finally made myself get back to blogging. I really feel God calling me to share my thoughts for He will speak through me to those who read it. Lately I have been so amazed by God. I am always amazed by Him but this is just a deeper level then before. I never really understood the expression "pressing into God" or "going deeper" until this summer. It has been a summer of suffering and trials yet I find so much energy and joy at the most perfect times. It is so crazy to me how you can be going through the most pain and brokeness and God will still make you feel so joyful. I honestly love being in suffering becauese I feel Him the most in those times.

In Matthew 5:3-5 it says "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." WOW! This is just another reason to be encouraged when you are broken. I find such hope in this verse. It doesn't matter how much we are hurting or broken or doing the "ugly cry" because we are being blessed! I don't know about you but until now I never saw pain and suffering as a blessing.

I also have seen that you can learn so much when you are in a time of desperation. You have given up on your own plans and you have to trust in the Lord. Though we should already trust in Him, we all know that when things are going great we tend to set Him aside and do our own thing until the going gets tough. Then we are back to falling on our knees and begging Him to have mercy on us. And of course our loving Father comes to us and holds us and asks us to "deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him" (Luke 9:23). (look for more tomorrow about this verse). And we wonder, woh, denying ourselves? We don't need to do that, we know what we are doing. But truly think about every plan you have had and how many times it has failed. Then think about every time God has a plan and it has failed? I don't know about you but I would much rather the Father of the Universe who sees all take over then me who sees just in front of me. My plans are worthless. God cares way more about our relationships and future then we ever will.

Check out a podcast by Francis Chan called "Joy in Suffering". It will rock your world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=BTWyT79MbbY

In Christ,
Heather

Booksneeze. Review #1

So about a month ago I joined this website for bloggers, www.booksneeze.com, its a place where you can get free christian books and all you have to do is write a review!! It is soo fun! SO here is my first book review :) Enjoy!

The book I asked for is called "A Conversation with God: For Women" By Marcia Ford. I rated it 4 stars because it was good but it also had its faults. Overall it was great, I just felt that some topics were too "kidish" or "duh" moments. But I also liked it because it was in such simple form that I could express it simply to others. There were also great questions we ask God daily. I also like how she used scripture to back up her points.

Truth.

As I prepare to go back to the city where I fell in love with Jesus (San Diego) I think back to all that I have learned those 8 months ago. I have learned the intimate and deep love God longs to give us. I have learned the salvation his forgiveness allows us. I have learned the true meaning of wholeness. I have learned that he can feed my hunger pains better then any food, man, movie, or anything else in this world, can. I have most of all learned the Truth about Jesus.
I think about how many people in this world claim to know Jesus but then speak lies among this world. Of course we all sin, we are human, but I am not talking about being just a sinner. I am talking about religion, the church, corporate Christianity. Why do you think so many people have turned away from God? Do you think it's because they have heard Truth? Do you think it's because they have experienced his grace and love from His people and the community they are surrounded by? No. It is because of the hatred we possess, the power we crave, the judgement we pass on each other.
My Pastor spoke about what the body of the church looks like in his sermon last Sunday. I feel like so many Churches today forget the meaning of community and what the body of Christ means. We get so caught up in numbers and how we look. But in Acts 2:42-47 it says "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. All the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved."
You see, it's not about making us look good or how many times you go to church a year. We must be a community, we must love one another, share each others belongings, give our time, our money, invest in each other and our church. We are a family, just like in every other family, there are good and bad times. There are times when we want to just leave but we always forgive our families and move on from it. We must do that with our church families as well, just because we don't have the same last name doesn't mean we aren't a family.
We all talk about how we want to bring the glory of God to Earth and bring all of His people to Him. But then we turn around and judge, and condemn and turn away and we stop investing in people. We begin to become bitter and wonder "What's in it for me?" We must serve each other 100 percent and expect nothing in return. This is how we will show the glory of God, this is how we show our love to God.
If we act as God asks us to and we become a community, welcoming everyone and speaking Truth into their lives we will see a revival, we will see salvation. I don't know about you but I want to see all of my friends and family spending eternal life with the King.

Bless you all,
Heather

White Ground Hogs Day

I love snow days, there is just a joyfulness in the air. Everyone is so relieved with the consequences of procrastination of homework being delayed. All are smiling and relaxed. And then there are those slim number of us who still get anxious and stress that we shouldn't be relaxing and should be doing all the things on our To Do List. You guessed it, I am one of those people. I have been wishing for a break for a month now and when it finally comes I can't even relax. When I have time to sit and think I don't like what comes to mind.

I have also been struggling lately with staying home this summer. I know I need to work and take classes so I can get money to study abroad and take classes to graduate on time. But my roommates have great plans for the summer, and I feel like so many other people do to. I know God is teaching me and preparing me and that season in my life is preparation for great plans He has for me.

I hate to vent so much but I must say one last thing, why is it that we feel so joyful and so close to our Father God one minute and then the next moment so alone. I know that God never leaves us alone, and that so many times we allow our flesh to consume us and make us feel so alone in this world. But I am homesick & heartsick. I feel very weak right now, I miss having someone tangible, that's all. If we all think about why we are alone and not trusting in God, I think we would come to that conclusion. It is comfortable to have someone tangible there by your side. But do you think being nailed to a cross was comfortable?

I feel so selfish at times when I get angry or frustrated when my plans don't go my way, but God never gets angry or frustrated. He smiles and lets us get it all out, then he comforts us with his truth. But when we have to hear about other peoples issues we pretend to listen and get annoyed.God never turns his back on us and he never forsakes us. This reminds me of the story in Hosea where God compares the Israelites unfaithfulness to Him and consuming themselves with the world, as a wife cheating on her husband. This is so beautiful to me because first, he sees us as his precious wife and the Creator of all things cares so much about us loving him and is hurt when we leave him.

My heart breaks everytime I think of this passage "she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,” declares the LORD." Hosea 2:13. We commit adultry on Jesus daily, that is so powerful! Think about how serious this is. We judge daily those who murder, those who cheat or abuse their wife or husband, those who steal, but yet we turn around and turn against our loving Jesus for our "lovers". I understand God's anger towards the Israelites in the book of Hosea. But what God does in verses 14-23 gives me butterflies.

“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

“In that day,” declares the LORD,
“you will call me ‘my husband’;
you will no longer call me ‘my master.’
I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
no longer will their names be invoked.
In that day I will make a covenant for them
with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
and the creatures that move along the ground.
Bow and sword and battle
I will abolish from the land,
so that all may lie down in safety.
I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.

“In that day I will respond,”
declares the LORD—
“I will respond to the skies,
and they will respond to the earth;
and the earth will respond to the grain,
the new wine and the olive oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel.
I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’;
and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

Wow, are you smiling right now? Why do we search for this so called companionship everyone is dieing for? Why do we find pleasure in the filth media feeds to us? We search for things in this world to fullfill us when God is right in front of us longing to give us all we need, longing to show us a life of adventure and wholeness. Thats the love I want, not the love that feels good, not the love with empty promises. But the love that is patient, kind, unfailing, Forever.

Blessed,
Heather

Blessed.

Hi World!

Well, this is my first blog ever and I am pretty excited about it! I am now offically a blogger =) hehe. I hope that I can write about my many travels and adventures in life but for now I will talk about how wonderfully blessed I am.

God has given me an amazing family, amazing sisters whom love and accept me for who I am, a support group that I would not survive without, a warm house, clean water, abudance of food (I don't remember the last time I was starving, ever.) and soo much more. I just cannot express how thankful I am.

My wonderful friend Camy is here to visit me. Tonight we went bowling with my dad and than got some yogurt. I sat while we discussed her Ethiopia trip at Braums (a wonderful Oklahoman restaraunt you all should try) and realized how blessed I really am. The simpilist things we take for granted, such as, clean water, warm showers, ice cream, sharing our faith freely. I find myself in pity parties often because my life is not going the way I planned. Such lack of faith I have at times, how many moments I make it all about Heather. But how many times has God forsaken me or proven that He is unstrustworthy? Zero. Yet we constantly think our plan is much bigger than the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Camy shared with me a story of a young girl who dropped her whole life, and I mean EVERYTHING (Her boyfriend, college, living a comfortable life etc.) to live in Ethiopia and adopt 14 children. Katie, this girl I speak of, was 18 years old when God called her to Africa. She fearfully, but faithfully obeyed his calling. Her story is such an inspiration of how to live. This reminds me of the scripture in 1 Peter, "You love Him though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The joy for trusting him will be your salvation." Every picture on Katie's blog you see is of her smiling with so much geniune joy. She is finding fullfillment in serving the Lord even though she is fearful and had to leave everything behind. She is not finding joy in this World but in his works.

I challenge each of us to live a walk of faith, taking up our cross and dropping everything else. This is our souls we are risking ya know.

peace and love,
Heather