My friend,Rachel, found this video and I thought it was too cute not to share! haha!

http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2009/09/22

check it out!

Struggling to Praise

I hear songs on the radio playing... " I don't wanna go through the motions.. "and I sing it loudly as my prayer to Christ Jesus that as I live my life daily living some type of motion, that it will be a mustard seed size of satisfaction in His eyes. I must say, "It's hard to be a woman in America, and at the same time, it's hard to be a woman in Africa"(singer-Alli Rogers,"Tanzania"). I feel my sword becoming dull and my armor beaten from all that life "gives". I see the world with all of it's desperation and disappointment with people wondering, "How'd I get here?" What steps did I take? I often see so much at once that in return I feel suffocation sinking in wondering if I'll ever feel release from all of life's "offerings". I seek to serve in a world full of "needs", where routine is the norm and going with the flow is waking up, getting yourself (and your kids) ready,"quiet time"/if any, hitting rushhour to get to work;Loving your job or possibly hating it, I don't know your situation, only to finish a days worth of routine and motions only to start it all over again. I can't help but ask the Lord if this is really what Life is all about. Is this the greatness of the Lord? I see yes, .. and I see no. Work is good! It says in His word!, Genesis 2:2, 2:15, ... But I am in search of what the word,WORK means to God and what the word, WORK means to the world. I don't type this to talk bad about working, like I said work is good and if you( and I) can work serving the Lord then that much more to praise Him! I often forget my importance and am bogged down with the future, the what if's, the "yet to be done" and am struggling with the "Praise Him!" part. I want to praise Him when I'm happy and when I'm stressed ,when I'm sick and when I'm scared. As Matt Chandler put it very well in one of his sermons, I want to come to my Heavenly Father looking up, not out, with arms open wide saying, as a child ( of God), I'm hungry, I'm tired, I'm scared. I don't have it all together and honestly I know never will but praise Jesus I know who does and forever will. My prayer today is to rest in his mercy and goodness. For Him to owe nothing to me but His presence, knowing when I'm scared, He's right there, when I'm lonely, His word told me, He'd never leave me. Thank you Lord for your comfort through the sunshine and the rain. You pour down your love and the least I can do is offer you Praise..

-Your broken Child.

As I carry on..

I'm back to my ol' stomping ground and I must say I am feeling much more like myself:). Being in Texas was a wonderful journey God took me on and with that in mind, I have no regrets. I have often referenced Texas in several conversations while back home in NC. I somewhat feel like "Texas" is my ex boyfriend's name. I've said the word Texas so much that even I am tired of hearing, "In Texas....". I can't help but laugh though knowing the memories in Texas are still with me even if I'm not with Texas. I guess the Texans were right, "I can leave Texas, but Texas won't leave me".

Since I've been home, I've been busy working. In a new place, with a new office, new co-workers and pretty much everything around me is... well.. new. I'm enjoying my time with my family and recognizing how much more I appreciate them than before. I now am clearly aware that I must accept all people as Christ does, just as they are. Counting others better than myself with constant humility towards my Savior(Philippians 2:3). Have I mastered this? By no means! Will I ever?probably not. Should I just quit while ahead? No way. If that were the case, Christ should have given up on me a long time ago!

My pastor at my church here in NC preached two days ago on how Jesus is Savior but how it is up to us to make Him LORD. That really hit home for me. Making Him LORD ,to me, meant submiting everything to Him. I must confess, here lately it's not been the case as much in my life. My mind has been so preoccupied with work that I've barely had a chance to catch my breath leaving my "quiet time" with God slim to none. It's made me question my motives as I adjust to being back home. I literally fear slipping back into an old routine or away from my heavenly Father. He knows I'm exhausted from my new job but I know as His child that not making time for Him is not an acceptable excuse. If I am to put Him first in everything I do, then whether I'm in the shower, car or in my office, I am to praise Him, talk to Him and submit to His will every step of the way.

As I come before you as a child saved by grace, broken and weary, I pray that I lead my life from this day forward completely SOLD OUT in all I do for my Savior and LORD, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Craigslist Junkie

I'm beginning to have an obsession with craigslist (to say the least).. I particularly love the "free" section. While looking for one person's junk and my "treasure" I have ran across some rather interesting ads. I'm convinced that if I continue in my obsession i'll find even more "interesting" ads such as the ones below that I assume will make you laugh out loud. Don't get me wrong I think it's great to think of others before throwing something "of value" away. I think the funniest part in all of it is actually taking time out to take a picture and then to post and add comments along with these free things.. I can definitely see how selfish I am in regards to thinking that much of someone else to give something (at times so senesless) away for free instead of just trashing it. Through these funny comments and pics.. I'm also humbled and come more and more to the reality of how bad our economy is and how honestly the entire world is. May we seek to be resourceful with the things we count as senseless and petty so recycling and thinking of others will in turn make our world a better place. But still.. as we do these things.. laughter may come! I know a few of people that laugh at me when I make trash into treasure and I know a few who are like that as well but for their sake will not mention names, haha.

Enjoy!

Craigslist Advertiser posts:

"About 6 or so, still in the bag, but bag is, of course, opened. Boy colors. If you would like to leave a Dr pepper, that would ROCK!"


and no lie.. I found this pic in with an assortment of things for sale..





HAHAHAHAHA!!!

A journal entry...

I'm sure you've heard the saying, ... " Time flys when you're having fun".. the thing is, time is consistent,forever,never changing, never ending. Time was created by God and through time came the sun and moon. I never worry about the sunrising or setting so the moon can light up the sky because I know it will always be there, even if one of the two are hard to find. There's no doubt in my mind they are there. The sun and the moon are a lot like the God of the Universe. He is always there, he's consistent, never changing, never ending. I may not see him as easily as other times but that doesn't mean he's not there for me. Through the sun, warmth and light is given and by the moon a light glow and coolnessi s given. Both can be appreciated. The moon is so neat to me, it gives off this " nightlight" effect across the entire world. God created a " nightlight" for his child. How cool is that?" As an adult I often think of a nightlight as something weak, childlike, and for people who are scared. I never stopped to think of a nightlight as something of importance. In the darkness I can stumble over things and hurt myselfbut if the nightlight is lighting my way I can dodge those " stumbling blocks" because the "nightlight" (Jesus) is guiding me and revealing me the places to go to avoid the hurt.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14

May Already?!?...

Lots has been going on while out here in Texas for the 2009 year.

I have taken a break from seminary for the semester in order to take care of some finances but my plans are to continue in the fall. Due to bills "LIFE"... I will be attending part time until graduation. As of now, it looks like I could be out here as late as August 2011 or even December 2011!

I've been working for three different companies since the new year and been very blessed with one job let alone three. I'm living in an on-campus apartment with a friend of mine from Tennessee. She is getting married in June so I will soon be without a roommate. As of today, I have a roomate for when I'm roommateless!! Such an answered prayer! The Lord's timing is so perfect:)

Lately, I've gotten some great opportunities despite my busy-ness with work to witness to people I've seen out and about. A "nail tech" I met about a month ago, anthony, from vietnam, came to church with me on Easter Sunday and my friend Karis ( Asian) came with us out to lunch, we were able to share with him the gospel in more depth. When I met him while getting my nails done, I found out that he had never heard of the name of Jesus before. I felt like I had stepped into a third world country but no, it was just my " back door". Boy did God show me what was up that day!

There are two other people/women that I have had great opportunity to share Christ with, one waitress, Maria, from Steak and Shake (frequently go there on tuesday nights late with groups of friends) and then on wednesday night "bowling night",with some friends, I've gotten the chance to witness to a woman by the name, Fati (pronouned Fa-tee), she works at the snack bar. She is from Algeria. Both are wonderful women who just need the love of Christ poured out on them:).Please pray that God will allow more doors to be opened in order for relationships to grow and for not myself or any other person but Jesus Christ glorified.

Some of you know about my church experiences while being out here. They have all been quite unexpected but great nonetheless, however due to differing situations, I felt the Lord leading me to find a different home church as of January of this year. I visited this one church a few months and as of March decided after researching their background and beliefs to become a member. The name of the church is Hallmark Baptist Church. I can't say enough wonderful things about them. If any of you ever want to take a trip out to Texas, I'd love for you to visit:). Their website is www.hbcfw.org . I've never experienced such a missions minded church. It's really neat to be so plugged into helping people locally, nationally and throughout the world. This church has become my family, I guess you'd say. Everyone is so friendly. I think I meet around five new people or more each week!

Mother's Day is just around the corner... and I can't wait! I get to see my MOMMA!!:) Yippee! I miss her so much!

Update

New News since I last blogged....

Went to two concerts... Soul Stash and Tyrone Wells/Jason Reeves/Chris August/The Autumn Film. I heard about Soul Stash through my friend, Chad. His brother is actually the lead vocalist in the band. They're really good. Tyrone Wells was the main person I went to see at the other concert. He is one of my favorite singers. I enjoy his style. While I was there, I was able to find a new favorite, Chris August. He has a lot of potential and will go far in his career I believe. You should check all three of them out. Good stuff. www.soulstashmusic.com , www.tyronewells.com , and www.myspace.com/chrisaugustmusic .

I've joined the church I've been visiting...Hallmark baptist Church www.hbcfw.org ..This church is the most geuinely God-centered churches I have ever known. The pasotr has been serving there for 15 years and with his zeal and excitement for telling others about Jesus, you would have thought he came straight out of Seminary or something. He is definitley plugged into the light source. I'm looking forward to growing and learning and serving within the church body at Hallmark.

The usual.. work... and work.. and work a little more.. but Praise Jesus I have a job!..

Lots to be thankful for..

Prayer Request:

Karis (baby girl stil in the womb).- she doesn't have a skull. She is alive in her mother's womb however as soon as she is born she won't survive unelss a miracle happens, which can happen if God wants that to happen, if not, please pray that through this precious baby girl's death family members and others will be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Friend, Sarah- Traveling ( driving from Georgia to DFW.

Dad-Salvation

Lindsey Jo-Kenya and those she is in contact with. May her love for Christ shine brightly.

Friend, Robert/Shanda- each of them have a parent who they have lost. (Mother's Day and Father's Day will be here soon).

Soldiers-safety, peace, salvation

DNOW...

Tomorrow I will be leading a group of juniors (high school girls) for a DiscipleNow retreat. Please pray for Christ to be seen through my words and actions. I love doing DiscipleNow's, I carry something with me each time I lead one. I can't wait to see what all God has planned for this weekend! I'm ready for him to rock my world as well as the youth, the leaders and host families all involved!

A breakfast date with Jesus....

Yesterday I had a "date" with Jesus. You may be asking yourself... "Heather, what are you talking about?! Did you meet a mexican guy out in Texas?"

Nope, .. Gee-sus not Hey-suece :)

I guess before I dive in, I need to fill you in with a little bit of background. Here goes,..a friend of mine the other day came over and we caught up on our week as we so often do, girl talk. We got to talking about telling people about Jesus, our Savior, and how us girls are so good at talking about guys(prospects) or if in a relationship then either our boyfriend or husband, yet we rarely brag on our Savior(1 John 4:14)/Husband (Isaiah 54:5)...

Another girl friend of mine came to hang out with me later that night and told me of her "date night with Christ" from the night before. She told me she got dressed up, packed up her Bible and journal and went out to a restaurant. She wrote to her heavenly husband telling him all of her thanks and joys and her enjoyment with his presence. I had had a date with Jesus before but it had been awhile. After she had reminded me of what I was missing out on, I decided to have a little breakfast date with Him myself, yesterday morning! It was so fun! I poured myself a bowl of cereal and then milk, nothing fancy and just starting "babbling" as I so often do to people (especially my family) and said, " God ... you're a pretty busy guy, .. and I'm a pretty busy girl but you are WAY busier than I'll ever be in a lifetime but God.. you choose to spend EVERY MOMENT with ME!!.. Really??!" I thought! and.. that's about the time my " ah hah!" moment hit me.

You see my past reminds me of a guy that in the end doubtfully was the best influence in my life but the thing was, he knew me inside and out and if I ever called him... he was right there. Selfishly enough, I haven't found anyone like that to take his place, per say except when finally realizing.. HELLOO!!! Heather?! Your Father!, your Maker!, . your King of Kings, ... spends every moment with you!

When I don't have a grocery buddy or when I don't have a church buddy or when I dont' have a " FILL IN THE BLANK"... God is my FILL IN THE BLANK!You may be thinking to yourself. duh Heather.. how long have you been a Christian now?? Seriously! You are just now putting two and two together? Sad to say but yes, I guess I am. I have heard it said SO SO SO SO SOOOOO MANY TIMES.. " Heather, find your satisfaction in Christ, if you don't you'll never be satisfied." To be honest, I prayed to see it , prayed to understand it but it wasn't until yesterday through joyful tears that I cried knowing the God of creation, knows me inside and out.

I never have to worry about aqkward dates or " interviews" to see if I fit the idea of someone else or really anything! My father knows when I am selfish, He knows when I have bad breath or what I look like right when I "rise and shine" and even knows how hideous my nails look after biting them.. He knows it all and He accepts it all!

Man! I'm so amazed knowing my Lord! But the truth is I don't know him hardly at all in comparison to his knowledge of me and now my heart aches to know Him so much more.Thank you Jesus for the "achy breaky heart".

You know when you have "ah hah!" moments in life or steps to maturity or whatever you want to call it, and looking back you can see the outline of your growth in Christ? You know what I mean? Well, this is one of those for me. Through all of my bad breakups and not so "perfect" boyfriends, I finally realized that if I don't love my Lord first wholly and completely, how can I ever find joy in a husband who will leave the toilet seat up, leave dishes in the sink with food crusted to them only for me to pour every ounce of elbow grease that I have onto one stinkin' dish or the times when he says, Honey, did you really just leave that "smell" in the "powder room", .. you know what I'm talking about! and f it doesn't smell like roses!:P And if he asks me what's for dinner while watching the t.v or worse playing a video game I'm gonna have to pray so hard!! or I will for sure scream!

Seriously!

Through this quite simple yet profound (at least to me) revelation, it's helped me to embrace my flaws a little more seeing that I fall to his feet daily not because I'm good or beautiful but because he is my father, He is my King and as a princess I should respect my heavenly father as the Prince of Peace He is. I bow because I'm too weak to stand seeing my inner rugged self and finding someway to pick my pieces up but somehow blindedly it seems so impossible. However, my father knows where my pieces of fragility lie and exactly how to piece them back together again by his heart strings for his precious child.

My prayer for you is that you Seek Him with all of your heart (Matthew 6:33) and when you truly understnad His glorious presence you will fall head over heals for your comforter and creator!

May God bless you immensely as you serve Him!

To Roll with the Punches..

Good friends are hard to find and one thing I have learned the hard way more than once is when those who call you "friend" are not truly really your friend. For me and the words I know in scripture," A friend loveth at all times." It's easy for me to be in the flesh and want to "spat off" but it's another to hold my tongue as scriptures say and to pray for my "enemies". The word enemy is a harsh word but I guess the ananym(spelling?) for friend is just that (more or less). I do my best to "Do to others as Iwould have them do to me."(Luke 6:31). I know we all fall short, meaning we all make mistakes, but I've never been able to swallow someone not liking me. Call me a people pleaser, I guess in a way I am but it still is tough for me to swallow when a person is not nice to me or chooses to be nice to me when it works for them. Patsy Clairmont says it best in her book "I Second That Emotion", one I would reccommend, by saying, "I mean, really, don't some folks just jitterbug all over your last nerve? They're so good at it that it makes one wonder if it's their gift."(chapter 1 pg. 2). I would have to agree with Patsy on that one. I know a few people I encounter at times that I can without a doubt say, it must be their "gift". In a way it saddens me to think that someone would pour so much energy into making another persons moment/day/life more difficult and at times rather miserable. Nonetheless, as a Christian, I am called to show the love of Christ to others even when it seems impossible and rather draining to even try. Although it seems ludicrous at times to be nice to someone who is so rude back to me, I pray that through my frustrations and inner flesh of defeat that I would somehow rise above the spite and instead bow the knee to someone much greater than anything I could ever say or do, so for me when times get tough and someone wants to hurt me with their actions and/or word, my prayer is that I would hide behind the cross and hold on so that bitterness, anger and vengence would not shine forth but my Heavenly Father through his son, Jesus Christ.Amen.

Becoming a Texas Resident...

Seriously??... a sweet Carolina girl like myself..becoming a Texan? Can it be?!Yes.. I'm afraid so. At least through paperwork ( aka license and registration) Okay okay.. so the state really isn't that bad. If my family was here, I'm sure I wouldn't mind it quite so much but then again there nothing like the Carolinas! One good thing to being a registered driver in the state of Texas.. I now get an ILY ( I Love You) handshape/sign on my license plate! YIPPEE!!.. I remember wanting that before I ever came out here but I wasn't able to being a "first in flight" NC gal. One last thing to do.. Driver's License. How was I suppose to know they needed every stitch of information about me including my ss card ( not just the number) and my birth certificate! Geez.. why don't they just trust the NC drivers license! I mean it only has my face right there on it! Oh well.. gotta go back another day since time ran short. I'm now at work after midnight with an hour left to go. Tomorrow or rather "today" is Saturday and I'm off:). My off days are always my catch up days however meaning, "laundry day" or something else.. but at least I have time to do it and a great job to work at. My job is great ( most of the time). Occasionally I get rude customers or hard to deal with calls but that's just life. We all can't get what we want. Going back to the Texas residency thing.. maybe after I officially see my name on something that says Texas, maybe then I won't feel so "out of place" here and accept that I am in Texas in the here and now and that God is using me here whether I realize it or not. So many times I think ahead and at times worry myself to death over the future. If I don't learn how to stop worrying over the future now.. man I never will stop. There's always going to be something to worry over.

(Matthew 6:34).

As I live my life.. I am learning..

I've been searching for a place to call "home" for quite sometime, wondering if I'll ever feel at home and what home even is to me anymore now that I'm half way across the nation away from my family "home". Life has had it's ups and downs as most people's lives do however 2008 was definitely one of the toughest years for me. Leaving all of that to be short and sweet in order to rejoice in the new year of 2009, I find myself understanding more of the importance to count my blessings. I am a busy woman who honestly feels at times, if only I could make a little more, maybe then I could have more control over my circumstances and life but the truth is whatever I think about the most will hold me captive, good or bad. The more I look to what my needs are instead of so many times to others, not saying that I don't have selfish moments, I most definitely do, but all the while realizing I desperately need time to rest and grow in Him. So if I must be held in bondage or enslaved, I choose to be a slave of Christ. To count it all joy when hard times come as James says. I want to smile in the hardest times knowing my Father has the whole world in His hands and that my small feeble self is right where it needs to be, in His hands. I am starting to learn how to commit my life to the unknown knowing my Father knows best and He knows my steps. So many times I worry and stress over things like finances, relationships, inner peace and forgetting how He is so much bigger than anything I could ever face and how he loves me so much more than I could ever understand.

I am beginning to grow into womanhood I feel like. Going from the "I'm not a teenager anymore" , to "I'm not married, or dating" stage to now, I'm a daughter of the King and whatever His plans are for me are just fine, is where I'm beginning to plant myself. I tell my Dad what I would like in my ilfe but over and over again he shows me that my plan is just not good enough and I'm learning how to submit to that idea. Being a woman of the 21st Century and out on my own (aka independent), it's hard applying submission to anything in my life. Not too long ago I heard a person say taht if they are unable to submit to their father in Heaven, how can they submit to their husband? It gave me something to think about. My heavenly father is perfect and knows me better than I know myself. Yet I over and over put my God away thinking I know what's best for me when I'm only able to see the present. No part of the future, not even a second is in my hands,it's all in His.

My prayer is to have faith the size of a mustard seed so I can move mountains!(Matthew 17:20)