Love.

Love.

You Know, the word everyone throws around left and right (myself included). The cliched term that can mean so many - millions - of different things. I want to live out that word. To truly give everything without wanting, expecting, or demanding any form of love back.

Action Step #1? Fighting the "all about me" nature.




Hannah Hummond "Love is to cast ourselves down like a waterfall, in happy giving."

Flashes of Clarity

There's something about driving in lighting storms that gets me every time. The slightly dangerous element of trying to see whats ahead with rain pounding down and wind violently thrashing the trees and bushes. Then the illuminations as lighting cracks letting me see for a moment. It's stunning. (This of course leads to other issues since instead of watching the road i happen to be looking elsewhere... but that's a different story :) ).



Driving in a storm tonight, I am reminded of the reason for the peace I have which transcends all understanding. A peace that I have not because of any confidance in my own abilities to survive or know what's next - but because I realize that the Lord will give me the same flashes of clarity on where to go next when it's best for me. Just one more reminder that even though what lays ahead may seem a little dangerous and sketchy, Christ already knows what's to come and will let me see the beauty which lays ahead in His perfect timing.

"In your presence Lord, I am completly satisfied"

So, clearly I havn't written anything in a very long time... and since I'm home now I thought I'd let you all in on some reflection/review time I've been blessed with since getting home yesterday (YAY!).

Faith, Prayer, & God's Promises:
This was by far by favorite week for a variety of reasons:

1: Check out Jehosaphat! What an incredible man of the Lord, I was in shock at his complete trust in the Lord's faithfulness as he praised God for the victory before the battle was even faught.

During this week I came to a shocking and difficult relization: i didn't trust God. In fact, I believed that He was capable of lying, and had lied to me repeatedly. I was slightly terrified as I realized the implications of it all; if God had lied to me, then He was really no God at all. As I began questioning him, He told me "Heather, sometimes I havn't fulfilled my promises to you how you'd like me too, but that doesn't mean I havn't fulfilled them. In fact more than that, I have blessed you far beyond what you've asked for." Whew! What a relief that "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" Numbers 23:19. it's been so sweet to praise the Lord for what He will do in the upcoming days, months, and years.

2. Promises to claim; it was so fun to grab onto a few of the promises God has given us specifically Eph 3:20 (He is able to do greater things than we can imagine),



before this summer started in Jacksonville I had never heard about "claiming promises", it was something I had done every once in awhile... but not often and definatly not very intentionally. I'm STOKED to see how God fulfills his promises!

Identity Crisis: Who Am I?

The past weeks focus looked at just who each one of us, individually, as followers of Jesus Christ. Not only that, but also what exactly holding one’s identity in the Lord actively looks like.

Before the week began, I was contemplating my identity as I previously knew myself in various facets; there is the person I present myself as, and the person who I truly am including both painful and joyful secrets. I know who I am in Christ – deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, powerfully equipped, and complete in Christ. But I act according to the lies I believe – that I am vile and disgusting.

I didn’t really expect to hear anything I hadn’t before, going into the week since I knew who I was in Christ. I discovered, however just because I could tell someone who I am in Christ doesn’t mean I believe it because actions meet with beliefs. Unbeknownst to me, God started working on my heart’s identity before the week had started. Showing me how I truly identified myself as to others, and the lies I believed about myself. In retrospect, He had to break me so I could hear the message of what He, my creator, thought about me.

My Lord told me that I am holy in his sight, righteous and blameless. Insane? Yes. True? Yes. Am I capable of holiness? No, which makes the redeeming power of Jesus Christs blood all the more powerful, that through the simple acceptance of Christ and invitation for Him to be savior and Lord (ruler) of my life I am blameless in His sight. Regardless of the insane amount of things I do that are in direct opposition to everything my Lord is about, he still sees me as his beautiful daughter who he rescued from depravity and destructive obsessions. As I continue to soak in that knowledge of who I truly am; a child of the King, I am in awe of the Lord’s great power and strength!

God bless,

Heather

Spiritual Multiplication

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Commonly referred to as the Great Commission, this is just one of many verses which gives the command to GO so that others may learn the Good News and to also teach them how to live righteous lives on earth. A mission that desperately needs to be taken outside of the U.S but that I also must share wherever I am, including Jacksonville Florida while I’m here.

Matthew 7:18 – 20 says “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” This scripture has been on my mind recently, and caused me to evaluate my own life and whether I truly do love others enough to share the power of Jesus death and resurrection, that erases our sin so that we can live eternally with God Along with loving new and old followers of Jesus Christ alike as we all strive to live righteously. So, I’ve begun to pray asking God to give me good fruit that I may remain in Him, growing and maturing in righteousness and bearing good fruit.

God is faithful, and has responded promptly to bless me with opportunities to plant seeds of the good news, see it sprout, and also stand besides it watching and encouraging growth.

This past weekend I was teaching a 9th grade Sunday school class with my friend Aly and a church member Ryan. The topic was sharing Christ in different cultures, and as we shared about going out and sharing the gospel in different settings and situations (Including the JAX beaches) Dillon, one of the guys, started asking questions on how to actively do it in his own life. As we were beginning to close, he said one of the most beautiful statements I’ve ever heard “So, can we do this?” I was, needless to say, ecstatic at his willingness and said “Yes! Come with!” His desire to go out is just one answer to my request that I can give what little knowledge of life in Christ I have with others. I am stoked about the opportunity to be of use in God’s kingdom on earth.

So, Wednesday I’ll be going with Aly today begin training and on Saturday we’ll be hitting the beach with a bunch of high school students willing to boldly proclaim the goodness of faith. I am so blessed to be given the opportunity to use the word of God to teach others (2 Tim 3:16) and excited! Please pray that:

• God will give us the wisdom & words to train the students
• A group of BOLD students
• God’s grace to be shared
• Teachability to both students and adults as we learn from each other
• Kristen & all other new believers.

Praise God for His faithfulness to fulfill all the promises He has given us!

For Lack of Better Title: UpDate!

This past week has been: difficult, a blessing, challenging, and overall one large lesson on the faithfulness of God to His children. He has shown once more that he brings to completion the promises He gives to obedient, expectant children and redeems our brokenness.

Difficult.. but a huge blessing: The first full work week was crazy but wonderful. I was able to establish relationships with all of my 4th, 5th, and 6th grade kids and not only find out who they are but also teach them who I am and what I’m about. I’m excited about the ministry opportunity and am excited to see how God uses me at Isle of Faith to further His Kingdom.

Challenging… and a large lesson on God’s faithfulness: Outside of work, the life lessons continue. Beach evangelism was difficult for me this week as I started out with two outright rejections, which is extremely rare. TJem. O was able to speak with a few more women who were polarized either fully serving the Lord or not even interested in spiritual matters. After, I was encouraged by a team member as we discussed how 1st) Our feelings don’t dictate our success, we are successful simply if we are obedient to Christ’s command to go and spread His word and 2nd) that some seed will fall on rocky, some on thorn infested ground, and some on fertile soil. God worked successfully to further His Kingdom & that was a great reminder of just how faithful God is to fulfill His promise to open the eyes of the blind.

Gods faithfulness in providing jobs and hours has also been refreshing this one area where I have seen myself grow simply in the realization that the Lord can, and will, provide for every need and that finances are a completely inadequate excuse to disobey the Lord’s command to go and make disciples.

Friday I was blessed tremendously with a day of communion with Christ, ministry, and fellowship and was reminded just how blessed those who call on the name of the Lord, and how privileged I am to share in Christ’s suffering along with His comfort (2 Cor 1:1-12).

God bless!!

JAX STP 411

I arrived in Jaxonville 17 days ago (after a sweet road trip down) and time has flown by at an insanely rapid pace... I wonder to myself how in the world it's already 6:45 a.m. on June 17th. Here's a small look into a typical day:

6:30: Run (Obviously I skipped it this morning to catch up on things like this :) ). And most importantly, sharing a wonderful morning with the few other morning people who are around (and the not so che

8:30 Work: I work at Isle of Faith Daycare and am with the oldest group (3-6th graders) all day which is pretty wonderful! They're precious kids ... even if they're a little obnoxious sometimes ... and we love each other for the weird quirks we all have.

6:00 Off Work: I don't work from 9 - 6 every day, more like every other and on the off days I go in at 2:30 which is nice because it gives me a lot of time in the Word, with Memorization, and cleaning "The Crossings" (our dormitory).

6:20 Back on campus for some grub

7:00 Evening Sessions (Nav Night/Workshop/1 on 1's/ Team bible study/ Date night)

9:00 chill time/bible study/fellowship... etc

I've been blessed with a wonderful team made up entirely of seniors has taught me so much already, and the members include:

Kayla: Team Leader, and a a JAX STP Alumni, she has a gentle and soft heart and enjoys cooking, movies, and studying the Word (naturally)

Amy: Is a good friend from UNI, and I've been so blessed to have her with me! I can't even begin to count the many ways I've been encouraged by her, and the great fun we've had (even though we tend to be opposites, it makes life so fun!)

Ally: Is from KU she enjoys stuffed dinos, frozen yogurt, and is our token backseat driver.

I'll give a more intense update later, (no really... i'll try... the internet in the dorms is really sketchy) but for now remain in the Fathers love, seek out His will and obey out of gratitude for what He has done for you.