Thursday, February 28, 2008

Choices....

As I sit here typing...I'm stuffed and laughing at what I am typing! After polishing off a Toblerone and 2 cups of tea, 500 calories later... I don' think...I know I made the wrong choice! Was it great in the moment? Oh yeah! Am I feeling it now?? (sigh) oh yes...
Throughout our life, and through out our day we have the power to make many choices. Starting from the minute that alarm clock goes off. We can choose to reach over and tap that snooze button one more time, or will we can choose to get out of bed to spend time in the face of our Lord? We can choose to go that extra mile at breakfast time....or we can let everyone fend for themselves. Life is full of many choices, and often we don't make the choices we wish we had due to inconvenience, lack of patience, frustration or no motivation. I desire to live a life full of purpose, a life full of beneficial choices...do I always make them? No. Do I do my best to try? Yes. We need to start living on purpose with purpose, choosing sometimes the more "inconvenient choice" if it means the better one. Pressing on and pushing through those lazy and tired moments to fulfill the need that truly needs or should be met.

We have the choice to see things negatively or positively. Each one of us has the power to choose the positive or negative outlook on any given situation, and the way we choose to respond doesn't usually solely effect us...but tends to affect others around us also.

When we are in that grocery line and it seems to be going no where fast....we have the opportunity to get agitated and aggravated, or, we can choose to speak life into the person ahead of us or behind us in line. When cooking dinner and realizing our recipe made far more than our family needs...we have the opportunity to choose to freeze it, throw it out, or we can choose to go that extra step and bless one of our neighbours with a nice hot meal. In this day and age for some that might be a bit of a stretch, reaching out to a neighbour you hardly know, but nevertheless it's still a blessing! You can choose in those "absent minded moments" to yell and scream or to use it as a teaching moment. (using it as a teaching moment requires more time, but saves time in the end as you don't have to go back and apologize:) We can choose to stretch ourselves, or choose to be content. We can choose to make a difference in our circumstances and change the atmosphere or we can choose to leave it up to others and hope they'll choose what we were to afraid to. We can choose to offer up a sacrifice of praise or we can choose to be overcome with the situation. When I'm with my children and one of them seems to be upset or discontent, I say "Okay, lets offer up a sacrifice of praise" I start to sing...as they stare at me...and within minute or two they start to sing along just to sing, but it then turns into worship, it takes a minute or two, but when they choose to press in the heaviness is broken and their Spirit is once again soaring. But it's their choice to surrender their will to His or to hold onto it.

I challenge you to live a life full of purpose, choosing not only what is always convenient but what is pleasing to our Father. Choose to live a life yielded to the Spirit, lean on Him in the midst of your choices, He is the one who will and continues to guide us in all wisdom and truth!
~Good night~
H

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Coming home.....

I am excited to write tonight's blog! Although I am physically tired from a long, jam packed week, I sit here in my flannel pj's wrapped up in an afghan and pour out all that is on my heart.
Over the last few years we have been praying for prodigals in our lives, to be restored and to come home, and to walk in the fullness they were created to walk in.

This morning I was asked to testify about the prodigals, as the last few weeks they have been heavy on my heart. As I was testifying, the Holy Spirit gave me a vision of a big green grassy hill. More wide than High, and in unison from one end of the hill to the other was a herd of prodigals cresting the top of that Hill, and I (we) were at the bottom of the hill, rejoicing and eagerly awaiting their arrival. Now by rejoicing, it didn't feel like a Yeeehaw..but was the feeling of an inner Joy that seemed to be oozing out from every part of my being. I could almost feel a sigh of relief and a joy so unspeakable as I watched my long awaited brothers and sisters returning home. I could see them walking...they weren't walking downcast but seemed to be walking at a steady pace, eager to be welcomed home, eager to be at the place...the place that for so long they had deeply desired to be.

Friends, many of us have prodigals, whether they are family, or they are friends...we all have them. We need to love and embrace them, we need to run out and meet them where they are at. Many of them have and continue to live and walk in a life full of regret and a life of guilt. On a daily basis many of them continue to condemn themselves for choices that at one time looked good, but now realize they were choices that never should have been made. They live in a world full of "What Ifs" what if I had never done that, or, what if I had chosen this instead. Now call me crazy, but haven't we all? Haven't we all made those choices? Haven't we all made those decisions? The ones that if they weren't covered by the blood of Christ we aren't sure where we'd be today. Now think of when you went through that tough time, do you remember the ones who loved on you, who embraced you, who slaughtered the calf and rejoiced at your return? Now on a not so nice note, can you also recall those "Brothers", the ones who weren't eagerly awaiting your return home. We need to lose the Big Brother mentality. We need to know who WE are in Christ. We need to walk with boldness and confidence but daily clothe ourselves with humility so that when our brothers returns, we too are making those party preparations!

So I encourage you, I encourage you that when you see a prodigal coming, or hear the rumblings of them cresting the top of that hill, that you run....run hard and embrace them as only the Father could do. I challenge you to recognize when God puts one of those special gems in your path, and when He does be the Father model and embrace them. Yell out for that calf to be slaughtered, clothe them, bury your flesh along with that big brother mentality and offer them all that you have, all that you are, and all that He has made you to be!

So, Get ready...stir up that expectation in your spirits
........because friends...our brothers are a coming home!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Are You Contagious?

I'd like to say that when I woke up today I did a black flip out of bed and embraced the day with a "Hallelujah Holy Spirit what do you have lined up for me today"....but as the the alarm buzzed in that ever lovely tone, I knew what awaited me was a long day, a long day filled with many many things, some very enjoyable, and well... some not so enjoyable. I knew at 5:45am when the alarm sounded the first thing awaiting me was a urnal, some dirty floors and some garbages that needed changing. As I rolled over to hit the snooze button, I knew better...today of any day wasn't the one where time could afford to be wasted. So I rolled over, got dressed, and put forth whatever energy I had into trying to wipe off that ever so stubborn eye make up I had left on the night before...and embraced the very early first part of the day.
As I drove to work I cranked the tunes and sang my heart out....it stirred my spirit man up, which is what I needed on a busy day like today. Although my day was jam packed, a lot of what I was doing in the afternoon and evening was preparing for a kids party. I've organized a "LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE PARTY" for my sunday school class. As much as I love teaching the same kids everyweek...my desire is to seek and save the lost! So the idea of the party is for them to invite as many friends as they can to come and hear the good news! The good news that their best friend wants to be their best friend too! I find kids are the best evangelists. They share and hold nothing back. They share with a contagious passion and excitment that oozes out and effects everyone and anyone they come into contact with. They have the phone ringing off the hook with friends who are wanting to come and either need directions or need a ride! Thank you Jesus for their boldness, for their passion. Thank-you for their "that none would perish" attitude.
I often hear adults sharing their faith...and it grieves my spirit. I think I know why many adults don't come to church or have a relationship with Jesus, because so many of the Christians sharing the gospel with them hardly sound sold themselves. As they share with their friends and co-workers they end the conversation with...yeah you probably wouldn't want to come anyways. Well they're right on that, they might be afraid they'll catch anything but the Joy of the Lord! ah ah.
So I encourage you, The next time you have the privilege of sharing the Gospel and imparting life into a friend, a family member or co-worker, speak with the assurity that the one you're speaking of is truly who He says He is. The giver of life, the giver of Hope, the healer, the restorer, the rock on whom I stand! And that in itself is contagious!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Where is Your Identity?

Tonight as I write Im surrounded by an empty pudding container, a muffin wrapper, the leftover remains of what use to be an orange, and my soothing tea cup. I like to consume tea and tasties while I sit and relax. Still not quite satisfied as I look at the plate and there still remains one more thing, a package of cadbury mini-eggs. In one ear I hear "After all that chocolate do you really think you should dive into those as well? And in the other I hear my mothers voice calling out...finish everything that's on your plate!" So being the obedient child I am, I'll consume the cadbury eggs, just for you mom!



God has deposited a real passion in my spirit to help those in the Kingdom find their identitiy in Him. When He created you, He had a special and unique plan. A plan that WE are to carry out, a purpose only WE can fulfill. Often times I see friends, I see aquaintances running and trying to find their identity in things, in conferences, in positions, in talents or in relationships....when really our identitiy is in Him. Our Father is waiting patiently watching us run to and fro as we try to fill that need, as we try to fill that desire. When He's saying, "Heather...Im here, please..please stop and find your identity in me. Seek Me, and you will find. Knock and I will open the door. Ask what it is I've created you for, and I will show you." He's longing to talk and share with each one of us...but will we stop running and be patient enough to listen. Will we give Him a chance to show us what He designed us for. Each one of us yearns and desires to be something magnificent, to do something amazing for our Father. But it seems many aren't satisfied with the gifts and callings He's chosen for us. We say, No thanks Lord Im going to exchange this gift, for this one it might be a bit tight or a bit big, but I'll make it work, afterall I think it suits me better. We don't realize He has taken His time and custom fit our gift just for us. Remember He wired you, He designed you, He purposed and planned you. He made you a specific way, with specific strenghts, and has given you specific gifts to accomplish the Plan and purpose He's laid out for you. He wants to use you, He needs You to help further His Kingdom. You were chosen and destined to be here, this day, this year, this decade...because He has a job for you to do NOW. Whether you've been blessed with a speaking ability, a singing ability, a servant heart, a heart full of mercy and compassion, or you have an amazing gift of hospitiality, use it, accept it, recieve it. He's called many of you to the marketplace, to be a light in the darkness. Many desire to be the Preacher, the teacher, the Prophet...they feel it will give them influence or make them sound important. But a title doesn't give you influence. You may have a "BIG" title and have no influence at all, you may not have a title, but may influence many. Embrace where He's put you, embrace what and where He's called you. If you have the gift of hospitality and hide it, our whole body suffers, if you have the gift of service but feel it's invaluable many things will not get done, many needs will never be met, and again our body will suffer. Once we've embraced who we are, embrace who He's called us to be, we will then be clothed with His confidence, when we finally embrace ourselves we will be comfortable embracing others. Once we unify our selves, and come humbly before him, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, we WILL be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with!

So I dare you...I dare you to be You..On purpose for His purposes.
1 Cor 12, Romans 12, Eph 4.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

I WILL seek you in the morning...

As I sit here at the computer tonight with my tea and rolos in hand... my spirit is overjoyed at all that's going on! My heart is oozing with joy...I'm ready to preach, to impart, to share vision, to..too..too... but there's no one to preach and share with as it's 11:31pm. All my little ones are sleeping, all my facebook friends are tucked in, and my best friend is...well not here. These are usually the nights where Jamie and I would put our backs to the clock and say "Don't look, you don't want to know what time it is!" and just keep sharing all that's on our hearts.
It seems I've been in a lot of conversations lately where people are saying "I know I need to get up half hour earlier in the morning and spend that time with God, but...well I just love my sleep." And I had some revelation that there are those of us that cry out for a moving of the Spirit, or long for a prodigal to return, long to see miracles, salvations, a spouse saved, a need met..and so on. And yet our sleep, email, or whatever seems to take precidence over spending time with our number one lover. God. He's desireing that we would wake up longing to seek Him first thing in the morning. Desiring for us to report to duty and pick up our daily instructions. He's longing to bless us and give us the desires of our heart...we have many big requests..His request is "spend time with me". Spend time with me so you'll know my heart, you'll know my thoughts. Spend time with me so you'll see the ones who are hurting, you'll see the ones who need hope, you'll see the ones who need an encouraging word.
Well...Im no hero, I too have slacked off in the mornings. It seems recently my two youngest have been sleeping in until 8:30, and if you're a mom 8:3oam is practically noon! But I really felt challenged yesturday again to get back in that routine that I had, established and to once again seek Him first thing! So today, the baby woke...and after giving him his bottle, I had the opportunity to crawl back into my nice cozy bed...with flannel sheets...and I won't lie it was tempting! Or to really seek the Lord...Before my flesh cried out, I grabbed my bible and headed to "MY" quiet time corner of the couch. Each morning, I cry out for God to use me that day in some way that would benefit His Kingdom.
Well let me tell you God is a rewarder of those who dilegently seek Him! My heart is overjoyed, to testify, (I can't give details) but... Today there was a divine appointment....a very special appointment. Someone I haven't seen in over 12 years. I had the opportunity to talk with, share with and most importantly love on. God is so good, God is so faithful...I pray that as I continue to be faithful to Him, He will continue to send those down my path that I might speak LIFE into.