Nov 30, 2007

Small Things

God is so cool! I am really learning that he cares about the little things in my life as well as the big things and here is my proof:

1) my blow dryer exploded about 3 weeks ago and I didn't have any money to get another one, and I probably wouldn't have bought one anyway cause I need to pay tuition. Over Thanksgiving break I happened to tell my Aunt Lynne the story of its demise and she sent me one in the mail!

2) I ran out of body wash two nights ago and my friend Alex sent me a text message asking me if I needed anything from Wal-Mart so he hooked me up with some soap.

3) I haven't had money to buy Starbucks in a while, and if you know me you know I love coffee. A friend of mine, Erin, took me to coffee.

I am so blessed to know my God cares about me. The bible says he knows every hair on my head, he knows every desire of my heart and he knows every need that I could ever have and the best way to meet that need.

Nov 12, 2007

Funny Story

So life without a cell phone can get pretty interesting! don't worry I am going to gt it turned back on today - Thank God!!

I lost my apartment key a few weeks ago and I just haven't had the time to go get another one made - right now I can hear my Paw Paw saying "a stitch in time saves 9." Anyway, I went to watch a movie at my mentor's house last night so I didn't get home until like 12:30am, and all of my roommates were asleep. I didn't have a cell phone to call them and they couldn't hear me at the door. So I went to the other apartment of girls only to get the same results. I didn't want to goo all the way back to Robin's house and wake her up so I slept in my car!

That's right, I took a 5 hour nap in the front seat of my car. So here I am at the office covered in funnel cake batter from last night's Fall Fest, with unbrushed teeth and dirty hair. Praise God for that lesson and I hope I never have to learn it a second time!!

Lesson: when you lose something that you use every day, replace it immediately!

Praise Report

I am sure you remember reading about the cell phone issue so I want to tell you how God came though! I have to back up a bit in time for you to see the full effect...

Rewind to 34 days ago, The church began to prepare for our annual Miracle Offering which we collect and sow 10% into helping the poor and those who think they have been forgotten and the rest goes to the building fund. Pastor Dino called a 33 day fast to help prepare our hearts to give and to consecrate the offering. I chose to fast from all beverages except for water and coffee, you have no idea how hard that was for me!! Anyway, during that time I prayed for the offering and I began to think about the amount that I should give. Since it was a Miracle offering I wanted it to be a miracle amount so I picked $100. Considering I am in Elevate and I don't have enough $$ to pay my bills I knew God would have to step in. So I prayed and fasted and asked God to show me how I was going to be able to honor my commitment.

Meanwhile I can't pay my bills and my cellphone gets disconnected (see earlier blog: No More Cell Phones). So here I am believing that God is going to go over and above with this Miracle Offering , so that means He was going to provide for my bills and the offering. And He did. Through the course of a week I received money from 5 different people from 5 different locations in 5 different walks of life. The total was $205!

I was so excited when I dropped that $100 in the offering bucket. I really experienced giving with a joyful heart. I couldn't wait for the offering to be taken up. The bucket finally came around and I was able to do my part! Then after service I ran into one of my favorite pastors ever and he was asking me how things were going. I played that little game where I try to pretend the world isn't falling down around me but he knew my phone had been disconnected because he couldn't get in touch with me for a week. He asked me how much I needed to get my phone turned back on and I undershot and said $10 and he gave me a $100 bill!

God rewarded my obedience. See this wasn't about the offering, God was trying to do much more in my life. He was trying to get mt to trust him completely with my finances, he was trying to grow my faith, and trying to show me that if I am obedient to him then he can bless me! What an awesome testimony! If you get a chance look at a few scriptures: The story about Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings and Micah 3:10 about God opening up the windows of heaven.

Through all of this, I know god has been with me. It has taken our relationship to the next level. He is showing me that He is interested in me personally, as well as his big plan for my life. He is teaching me that he is my Abba Father as well as Jehovah Jiarah (my provider)!

Nov 9, 2007

Chick Nite

We are having our Student Ministries Chick Nite tonight. This is when Refuge (high school) and Pathfinders (jr high) girls get together and do all things girlie! And guess what....40 girls from the Denham Springs Freshman High are coming out to Baton Rouge for all the fun!

I have been praying for these girls. I pray that God would give them emotional healing and strength to stand up to their peers about what is right. I pray that they would be in the world but not of the world...that other girls would see something different in them and be drawn to Jesus.

I am so excited about getting to see these girls! I have the privilege of going our to Denham Springs every Tuesday and hanging out with the students there. The community was just hit hard by the death of 4 students and 2 are in the hospital after a car accident. The entire community is grieving but I know God is going to heal hearts tonight. Please continue to be in prayer for them.

Nov 8, 2007

Gas Tanks, Cell Phones and Faith

So God has really been asking me to trust Him for everything, not just that he will feed me and put gas in my car, but for the big stuff too. Like $4000 for Tuition and the total and complete restoration of my family and that I will one day be sharing His love with the nations. I have been reading the story about Jesus walking on the water and Peter walking out to meet him. He keeps asking me to get out of the boat and trust him. Have faith Heather!!! But my problem is, that I don't know where my boat ends and the water begins. I have always done things on my own strength. I have always been the solution girl, the one with all of the answers so it is hard to trust Him for things becasue I feel like I have to do something to earn it or at least try really hard to get it.

So I was sitting on the side of the road with a friend cause we ran out of gas. While we were waiting for Kelly to come rescue us with the gas can God moved. He said "get out of the boat!" That was it, I couldn't do anything about it, I was stuck on the side of the road. I couldn't go any farther on my own gas. God blessed me and my friend with full tanks of gas (Thanks Jill you rock!) and $100 worth of groceries (we were down to peanut butter and crackers), but it wasn't until after I couldn't do anything on my own. He brought me past the point where I could solve the problem.

So now my cell phone has been cut off by my friends at AT&T becasue I couldn't pay the bill and my other friends at Sallie Mae are having to send me emails that I need to pay my student loan. But now instead of trying to solve this problem, I am stepping back and waiting to see how God will move!

If I keep finding a way on my own strength I rob him of the opportunity to bless me. And becasue I can't receive his blessings my faith never grows. And I can't grow without an increase in my faith. Whew!

So I'll keep you updated about how God provides more than enough. Remember right before Peter got out of the boat Jesus fed 5000 people from 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. But there wasn't just enough to go around...everyone ate until they were satisfied and there were still 12 baskets of food left over!!! Our God is an awesome God!!

Nov 4, 2007

Home for the Holidays

I am so excited about going home for the holidays!! I get to share all of the things that I have been doing with my family (I just hope I can remember them all) and maybe they will see how God is working in my own life. I get to share with them the impact that Elevate is making on me and the other interns. I get to give them a return on their investment in me by letting Jesus shine though me in their presence.

The one thing I don't want to happen when I go home is to fall back into my old habits of being a self centered arrogant child how gets upset when she doesn't get her way! You know what I mean, don't you. I remember when I would go home from college for winter break and I would slip back into acting like a sassy 16yr old. I used to be pretty sarcastic to my parents and even rude (Oh my mother is an amazing woman to be able to put up with me and my sister)!

What I do want to do is serve them. I want to make this holiday season about them. I want to love on them and help them and do whatever they ask of me! I want to make my home my mission field. I want to be Jesus to may family!

Fusion Retreat

We went on the College and Young Professionals retreat this weekend, and it was amazing. This is such a passionate and dedicated group of people! On most of the retreats I have been on in the past with different groups you have to spend the first night getting comfortable with everyone before you can really get into worship and get your mind right to receive the word God has for you, but not on this retreat! The Holy Ghost showed up on the first night and I was really able to make the most out of my time away with God. I have come to a point in my life when I don't really care what people think about me when it comes to my worship style or my prayer life. I just go for it. It is a rarity that I get to spend days away just relaxing with friends and spend hours with God so when I get the opportunity to step away from all of the distractions of the world I don't want to waste any time! I refuse to sit timid in the corner afraid to raise my hands because I am afraid of what other people are going to say. I am gonna bring it "David Style" and let those who have something to say about it talk to God.

That is what I love about HPC. You are free to worship! You are in an environment where you can come to the altar without condemnation. Without people looking at you and saying, "she must have done something really bad to be on her knees at the altar." Sometimes God just wants me to bow before Him. Sometimes I need to remind myself that I am not the god of my life and this service does not revolve around me by humbling myself before my God and then going to pray for those who have needs just like I do.

God was really speaking something to me this weekend. It was about serving someone else's dreams for a while and trusting that He will make my path straight. If I hold onto the promises He has given me too tightly I won't leave Him any room to work. I have to open my hand and lift up my dreams to Him as a sacrifice of trust and praise. By doing this I am telling Him that I am OK helping others succeed. I am OK with not climbing my own ladder of success and instead holding someone else's ladder so they can climb higher. I am OK just being patient and letting Him develop me so that I will be ready when my time comes. I trust that in the fullness of His time I will be elevated into the position I need to be in to further His kingdom.

I don't want to miss what He is saying to me because I am so caught up in what other people think about how I worship. Sometimes is takes all the courage I have to step out of my seat and go down that aisle to the altar, but you know what...God is worth it! That small thing is a test of faith that is rewarded every time, and you know what...each time it gets easier. And it may just inspire someone else to do the same thing. It may give someone else the courage they need to step out of their seat and go meet with God.

I believe that God does meet you where you are in the beginning of your relationship, but there comes a point when He wants you to step out and go meet Him.

One of the reasons I have this blog is because I want to share my experiences with you. I want to take you with me on the journey to discovering what God has for my life and that maybe it would inspire you to find out what He has for you. I don't want to mislead you into thinking ministry is easy. I don't want you to think that Elevate is all fun and games. We play hard because we work hard and we work hard because we know that there are people out there who don't know Jesus. There are people out there with a greater call on their life than I can ever dream of that don't even know that God loves them. If I can just help one of them, I know I will have made a difference!