I love cluster maps, yes i do! I love cluster maps, how bout you?
What is a cluster map, you say? Well I am sooo glad you asked. You see that nifty replication of the world on the right hand side of my blog? The one with all of those little red dots on it? That is a cluster map. It records the location and frequency of people who log on to my blog. Pretty cool , huh?
Yeah I knew you'd like it! I think it is so cool. I love seeing new dots pop up in places. It is so much fun. Especially when I see a new dot and I am 100% sure I don't know anyone who lives there. Like those three dots in Australia (yes, I have dots from Australia...don't be jealous you probalbly have Australian dots too and if you got a cluster map you would know about them).
It's like my blog is my own world wide outreach! I hope that even if someone only reads one of my posts they would encounter Jesus in a very real way. He is so real to me and I want this blog to share that.
Another really cool thing is that I can see the dots where my overseas friends are. I can see the Natalie dot in Swaziland and as my network grows and all of the people I am doing life with now go out into the world I will be able to see their dots too (they better still read my blog!).
So I know this was kind of a random thought but that's really how my brain works. Love ya!
Mar 31, 2008
Mar 30, 2008
Photos
I know that I have been lacking in the picture department lately. But I really can't take the blame for that one since my camera didn't make it back with me from Venezuela (back in December). But I got these pictures off of my friend Kelly Pitts - thanks girl, u da best!
A few of us went hiking in Mississippi on a much needed day off. We had a blast getting to know each other a little better and watching each other get hurt...well mostly just laughing at Kelly hurt herself by always taking the "high road."
A few of us went hiking in Mississippi on a much needed day off. We had a blast getting to know each other a little better and watching each other get hurt...well mostly just laughing at Kelly hurt herself by always taking the "high road."
Caleb, Angela and Steph explore the smallest cave ever.
Power Ranger poses...i guess you had to be there for that one.
Fi Fie Foe Fum...I am actually standing on top of a waterfall and the path in front of me is a dry creek bed, but from this angel it looks like i am a giant!
Monkeys in Mississippi? It's true!
Random Events...
Just hangin around. from left: caleb, distin, me, kelly pitts, stephanie
Kelly Pitts took me to a Third Day concert and we got blessed with backstage passes!
Mary Beth, living up to her name sake.
Leah and Tori. I really can't explain those two; maybe you'll get to meet them one day.
Kelly Finegan and I on the back of the outreach truck. We deliver food on Saturdays to people in Baton Rouge who can barely afford to live in buildings that should have been condemned years ago.
3 of my most favorite people.
Kristina: my long lost cousin, Natalie: now in Africa, Kelly Pitts: Intern Extraordinare
Doin the mashed potato in the back of the suburban. Jordan (on the right) is very surprised by my dancing skills!
Me and my little Mexican Kelly (ok, she's really from Georgia)
Mar 28, 2008
Opportunities
Life is really so amazing. No I take that back, let's give credit where credit is do...God is so amazing. I have been given an incredible honor. I am still in awe of this that writing it down seems a little surreal, but here goes...
You know that my time here in Elevate is coming to a close since graduation is just around the corner. You also know that I have been really praying about what God wants me to do next. Ok I bet you really want to know what this is all about, don't you?
Here goes...I have an opportunity to go to Honduras for a year to teach in a small school in Rio Viejo and work with medical missionaries Dr. Martin and Wendy Williams of Healing Hands International Ministries. I am so honored that people believe in me enough to send me out. It really is incredible. This is a picture of the 7000 square foot hospital located in the mountains surrounding the Rio Viejo in Honduras.
I came into Elevate knowing God had plans for me. I had an idea that those plans would include overseas travel and I knew that I couldn't be successful serving him if I didn't have a good biblical foundation to stand on. So he lead me to Elevate and I entered a season of preparation. I have received so many blessings during my time here and I am thrilled to be able to go out and reach the nations.
I am looking forward to a life of learning. I am so excited that I get to discover, grow and learn from more amazing people. People who want the heart of Jesus. People who want to share love.
This is going to be absolutely amazing but there will be may challenges along the way. I am so glad I serve a God who's name is above all names! Please continue to pray for me. There will be a lot of arrangements to make and I have so much more to learn!!
You know that my time here in Elevate is coming to a close since graduation is just around the corner. You also know that I have been really praying about what God wants me to do next. Ok I bet you really want to know what this is all about, don't you?
Here goes...I have an opportunity to go to Honduras for a year to teach in a small school in Rio Viejo and work with medical missionaries Dr. Martin and Wendy Williams of Healing Hands International Ministries. I am so honored that people believe in me enough to send me out. It really is incredible. This is a picture of the 7000 square foot hospital located in the mountains surrounding the Rio Viejo in Honduras.
I came into Elevate knowing God had plans for me. I had an idea that those plans would include overseas travel and I knew that I couldn't be successful serving him if I didn't have a good biblical foundation to stand on. So he lead me to Elevate and I entered a season of preparation. I have received so many blessings during my time here and I am thrilled to be able to go out and reach the nations.
I am looking forward to a life of learning. I am so excited that I get to discover, grow and learn from more amazing people. People who want the heart of Jesus. People who want to share love.
This is going to be absolutely amazing but there will be may challenges along the way. I am so glad I serve a God who's name is above all names! Please continue to pray for me. There will be a lot of arrangements to make and I have so much more to learn!!
Mar 26, 2008
Some pics to catch you up!
This was HPC's Amplified service. We got to spend a weekend with the JR. High and Highschool kids from our church and take them on community outreaches, and lead devotionals at night. It was an incredible time for me as well. The worship was amazing and the girls I got to hang out with were awesome!
We took Andrea, who is an intern visiting from Lima, Peru (check out her church) and Hannah, from West Monroe (which is kind of like another country) to see Mike the Tiger while we were at LSU for a Valentine's Day outreach. We went to LSU and handed out over 500 flowers to students passing by Free Speech Alley. Pretty cool.
The assembly line of jambalaya preparation...jambalaya, white beans, slice of white bread, wax paper cover and a set of utensils. Each one of those bags in the background have 4 boxes of food to be delivered! Lots and lots of jambalaya!
The Cooking for Christ Team cooks up some jambalaya for one of our many dinner sales to raise money for out mission trips to India and Africa!
Acquire the Fire - we helped out Teen Mania Ministries with their Baton Rouge event where 1200 kids from the Louisiana/Mississippi area came to get a deeper relationship with God.
6 weeks
Wow I can't believe there are only 6 weeks left in this journey called Elevate. This time has flown by so fast, and if your weeks are anything like mine you know that 6 weeks really feels like 6 days.
There are only:
6 more night classes
6 more Sunday Services
6 more exercise forms
6 more scripture verses to turn in
6 more, 6 more, 6 more...
Although this is going to mark the end of a great period of preparation in my life, it also marks the beginning of a new chapter, a new journey, and a new faith adventure. I get to serve God for the rest of my life! It is such an incredible honor!
Of course there is some sadness as I prepare to leave my fellow Elevators behind but there is an excitement bubbling up inside of me. I can't wait to see what God has for me next.
Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I enter this transition period. Pray that I will finish strong, continue to guard my heart, and seek God's direction for my future. I love you all!!
There are only:
6 more night classes
6 more Sunday Services
6 more exercise forms
6 more scripture verses to turn in
6 more, 6 more, 6 more...
Although this is going to mark the end of a great period of preparation in my life, it also marks the beginning of a new chapter, a new journey, and a new faith adventure. I get to serve God for the rest of my life! It is such an incredible honor!
Of course there is some sadness as I prepare to leave my fellow Elevators behind but there is an excitement bubbling up inside of me. I can't wait to see what God has for me next.
Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I enter this transition period. Pray that I will finish strong, continue to guard my heart, and seek God's direction for my future. I love you all!!
Mar 24, 2008
The Chronicles of Easter
So I ran out of gas again, this time I was in my own car. Yes the little blue Focus named Vincent was stranded on the side of HWY 621 on Easter Sunday at approximately 10:30am.
This time was different. I knew it was coming. I had been driving with the fuel light on for 78 miles so it was no surprise to me when the steering wheel locked up and I coasted to a stop in the middle of the road. I thought to myself...mmmm... it's Easter Sunday, I don't have any cash, I don't have a debit card, I can't cash a check or pay for gas with a check in Baton Rouge, what am I going to do? So, I called road side assistance to arrange for a gas delivery to the middle of no-where and prayed that they would find me before all of the food at my Grandma's got eaten without me.
As I sat there playing Solitaire on my cell phone, jamming out to KLOVE with the windows down waiting for the gas to show up I remembered something...a little lesson on the sovereignty of God. He knows everything and nothing happens just because. So I prayed a little prayer for God to show me what he had for me there on the side of the road. Was it a divine appointment with the road side assistance person? Was someone going to stop and help me? Would I get the chance to explain why I had no money and that I was OK with that? mmmm...makes you think.
I had nothing but time. It was a beautiful day. I reviewed my notes from the Easter service and then started flipping though my journal rereading thoughts from the past year in Elevate. I thanked God for a whole bunch of people in my life and for so many blessings I had received this year.
After about 2 hours of waiting I decided I had been abandoned by the roadside assistance people for Easter egg hunts and potato salad so I sent out a few SOS text messages and returned to my Solitaire game. Then a couple passed by my car for the second time in a hour and curiosity got the best of them; they had to ask what I was doing taking up the whole driveway into their trailer park. After explaining that I ran out of gas (and knowing how irresponsible that sounded) they said that they probably had a gas can with something in it and they would check to see if they could help.
So after 2 1/2 hours of waiting, praying, reading, and thinking I received another blessing from God and hopefully I planted a seed, softened a heart, or just made someone stop and think about how Jesus gave up everything to come and die for us so maybe this girl isn't so crazy for dropping her net and following Him.
Oh and just in case you were wondering, there was still plenty of food for Hungry Hungry Heather when I finally got to my destination. And I drove 47 miles off of ~2 gallons of donated gas! Thank you Jesus!
This time was different. I knew it was coming. I had been driving with the fuel light on for 78 miles so it was no surprise to me when the steering wheel locked up and I coasted to a stop in the middle of the road. I thought to myself...mmmm... it's Easter Sunday, I don't have any cash, I don't have a debit card, I can't cash a check or pay for gas with a check in Baton Rouge, what am I going to do? So, I called road side assistance to arrange for a gas delivery to the middle of no-where and prayed that they would find me before all of the food at my Grandma's got eaten without me.
As I sat there playing Solitaire on my cell phone, jamming out to KLOVE with the windows down waiting for the gas to show up I remembered something...a little lesson on the sovereignty of God. He knows everything and nothing happens just because. So I prayed a little prayer for God to show me what he had for me there on the side of the road. Was it a divine appointment with the road side assistance person? Was someone going to stop and help me? Would I get the chance to explain why I had no money and that I was OK with that? mmmm...makes you think.
I had nothing but time. It was a beautiful day. I reviewed my notes from the Easter service and then started flipping though my journal rereading thoughts from the past year in Elevate. I thanked God for a whole bunch of people in my life and for so many blessings I had received this year.
After about 2 hours of waiting I decided I had been abandoned by the roadside assistance people for Easter egg hunts and potato salad so I sent out a few SOS text messages and returned to my Solitaire game. Then a couple passed by my car for the second time in a hour and curiosity got the best of them; they had to ask what I was doing taking up the whole driveway into their trailer park. After explaining that I ran out of gas (and knowing how irresponsible that sounded) they said that they probably had a gas can with something in it and they would check to see if they could help.
So after 2 1/2 hours of waiting, praying, reading, and thinking I received another blessing from God and hopefully I planted a seed, softened a heart, or just made someone stop and think about how Jesus gave up everything to come and die for us so maybe this girl isn't so crazy for dropping her net and following Him.
Oh and just in case you were wondering, there was still plenty of food for Hungry Hungry Heather when I finally got to my destination. And I drove 47 miles off of ~2 gallons of donated gas! Thank you Jesus!
Mar 10, 2008
Thinking Things Over
So I had a bit of a wake up call tonight. We got together for a prayer meeting for the upcoming
missions trips and God really started working on my heart. I don't understand why there is so much pain and hurt in the world, but the good news for me is that I don't have to.
As we were praying over a two page list of different ministries (local and international) my heart went through a series of emotions...pain, hurt, abandonment, anguish, neglect, frustration, anger, freedom, victory, joy, peace...I began to think about one of the bullets on my list. All it said was, "Eastern Europe: Human Trafficking." I couldn't seem to pass it up. I couldn't get past it. I thought about...
sex slaves
abuse
torture
anguish
lust
fear
loneliness
abandonment
neglect
disease
starvation
But you know what? Jesus is there or he wants to be. Who will be brave enough to answer the call to Russia, Cambodia, Africa, and all the other places where children are sold into slavery? Who will go to a place where you could be killed for cutting into the profits of the mafia or pimps? My heart hurt, still hurts, for those in the balance. Those girls who are just about to give up on life because it is too hard. Those who don't yet know the love of Christ. Those who don't know that they are not forgotten.
Honestly, I don't know if I could do it. I'd like to say that I would. There is something that won't let me get past those words, "Eastern Europe: Human Trafficking," so I will just keep praying.
missions trips and God really started working on my heart. I don't understand why there is so much pain and hurt in the world, but the good news for me is that I don't have to.
As we were praying over a two page list of different ministries (local and international) my heart went through a series of emotions...pain, hurt, abandonment, anguish, neglect, frustration, anger, freedom, victory, joy, peace...I began to think about one of the bullets on my list. All it said was, "Eastern Europe: Human Trafficking." I couldn't seem to pass it up. I couldn't get past it. I thought about...
sex slaves
abuse
torture
anguish
lust
fear
loneliness
abandonment
neglect
disease
starvation
But you know what? Jesus is there or he wants to be. Who will be brave enough to answer the call to Russia, Cambodia, Africa, and all the other places where children are sold into slavery? Who will go to a place where you could be killed for cutting into the profits of the mafia or pimps? My heart hurt, still hurts, for those in the balance. Those girls who are just about to give up on life because it is too hard. Those who don't yet know the love of Christ. Those who don't know that they are not forgotten.
Honestly, I don't know if I could do it. I'd like to say that I would. There is something that won't let me get past those words, "Eastern Europe: Human Trafficking," so I will just keep praying.
Mar 7, 2008
One Semester of Spanish, Spanish Love Song
I found this on you tube and it basically sums up all of my Spanish knowledge so far. Enjoy
Mar 4, 2008
My Friend Mark
Most of you saw the earlier video of Mark getting beat up by a girl (way to go Mary Beth). But this video will open you up to another side of Mark. For better or worse...you decide.
Mar 3, 2008
Just Becasue
My cousin Miriam sent me this as a joke, but I loved it! I think it would be awesome to live like this...at least for a little while. Just enough space to keep the things you need and you are close enough to friends and family without invading anyone's privacy! Love it!
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