Saturday, March 8, 2014

We Are The Sanctuary - We WERE misfits - We are transformed!

Well friends, Here it is, an incredibly juicy note! 
I sent a message out last week to most of the people that surround me each week at church. 

This is what it said : 
I'm wondering if you can take a minute and send me a one liner on where you were before you met Christ, and  if you want, you can add where you are now too. 

One by one the responses came in. I read in awe, in amazement..... I wept as I read the one liners. The things these people have faced. These precious people are not only our congregants, most have become close friends. Their faces sit around our kitchen table and are welcomed into our home. They are people we laugh hysterically with, cry with and do life with. They are from all walks of life and have faced different levels of brokenness.  These precious people look like you, these people look like me. Some are young families, students, businessmen & woman, tradesmen, entrepreneurs, stay at home moms, grandmothers, community leaders, single moms...and more. You'll find it interesting when you read the first list, that most people in these situations think they wouldn't be welcomed or worthy to walk into church....

Here are the responses I got for the 'Where were you before Christ'. 
  • suicidal
  • always needed to be in a relationship
  • empty
  • depressed
  • alcoholic
  • I was normal, just had no relationship with God. If I talked to Him it was me talking to Him, one way.
  • Dabbled with Homosexuality
  • Deceptive
  • Living with no purpose
  • Trapped
  • Always felt alone and empty
  • Angry
  • Living life... but not in fullness 
  • Impulsive
  • Hopeless
  • Slave to whatever grabbed my attention
  • Felt worthless unless I had a man to take care of me.
  • Scared to be alone
  • Up the creek with no paddle
  • Shame
  • Anorexic 
  • Manipulative
  • Abused
  • Fornicator
  • Physically Abused
  • Always loved God, but didn't allow Him to lead my life.
  • Forced into childhood sex trafficking 
  • Rock bottom, future teen mom
  • Adulterer
  • Pot head - all day everyday 
  • Avoided family and friends
  • Abusive
  • Lonely
  • Drug Addict
  • Looking for the next party
  • I can't remember anything other than always knowing Christ
  • Insecure
  • Prideful
  • Bound
  • Unworthy
  • Looked good on the exterior but hollow/empty on the inside. 
WOW!! After reading that list I can't help but think of the scripture in Matthew, when the religious leaders were looking at Jesus in disgust when they saw him sitting with sinners...
Jesus responded to them “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices. For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Amen!! He didn't come to shame sinners, but to save them! God loves you, God loves me. No matter what we've faced, what we've gone through...

Now, here's the best part! The above responses are before our people encountered Christ. 
The ones below are their livesNOW... AFTER coming to know Jesus Christ! 
BE AWARE : As I read these I jumped up out of my chair..LITERALLY, shouting AMEN, Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus, I laughed, I cried...I shouted time after time. We SERVE A LIFE TRANSFORMING GOD!!! He is ALIVE and well and changing us from GLORY TO GLORY!! 
  • I dont' feel alone anymore
  • I don't need anyone but Jesus
  • He healed me.
  • I can forgive
  • Redeemed 
  • Faith 
  • I'm not alone anymore, EVER!!
  • Loved
  • Walking with Purpose
  • He talks to me. 
  • God wants relationship with me. He loves me!
  • Chosen
  • Our marriage is healed
  • Thankful
  • Joy
  • Drug & Alcohol FREE!
  • Have a purpose and focus in life
  • Blessed in such a short time
  • Guilt free
  • Loved
  • Grateful 
Come on...this has to excite you!?! This has to make your eyes well with tears. If you know Christ, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't... you're eyes are welling because you desire it. Deep down you long for it.  You desire more....you may not be sure what it is you're looking for, but there's a void. The void will always be there until you encounter Jesus Christ. Whether your life is messy or you're living a normal life... He's gives life MORE abundantly...to the FULLEST!

Don't buy the lie : Church IS NOT for the perfect.... it's for those He's desiring to make in His perfect image. Only He can change you buy the power of His Spirit! 

I'd love to invite you to THE SANCTUARY. It's not the only great church in London, but it's my favourite! (ha!) 
You won't fall asleep, you won't be bored! It's one of my favourite places to be! There's nothing like getting together with a group of people whose lives have been saved...literally! That's something to sing about & shout about! 

Please, if you have questions about this...call me, email me...or cry out to God!! He can radically change your life, yes even yours! Look at the lives that have been transformed in such a short time! 

I'd like to invite you to our church tomorrow morning. Sunday 10:30am. 1251 Huron Street. (The right hand side of the Dollarama Plaza, beside the Daisy Mart)

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Rwanda Bound…One Ruler at a Time!


Rwanda Bound :
In April, my husband and I are going back to the country we so dearly love, Rwanda. This country has our hearts. Personally, I can't wait to reconnect and hug the women in the church and sewing school. These women and people are precious to us, precious to me.  Each time we go, we pray finances will  come in and for creative ideas to help us cover the costs…..today, I believe I got that idea.

Follow me for a moment….

A few weeks ago we were at my parents for lunch. Everyone was talking about how tall they were, or how tall they thought they were. It quickly became a funny argument…I said, 'Jamie's 5'10.' To which my Dad piped up and said, 'Yeah, in his dreams'. My brother grabbed the measuring tape and away we went. From the youngest (9 months) to the oldest he had our exact heights. It was hilarious! We said, 'Mom, let us write our heights on your wall. You need something to keep track of all of us.' And that was pretty much it…. until this morning. I was in my comfy blue chair having my quiet time and this idea came to mind. (I've seen it before) But as I continued to pray, I knew this was it. I shared my idea with a friend, and she agreed it would be great.  So, I'll be selling these awesome hand crafted rulers for $80. The proceeds from these rulers will be going towards the costs for our mission.

This time when we go to Rwanda, we will be preaching, teaching and helping with the needs of the sewing school. We are also desiring to start a sponsorship program. So, when you purchase one of these, you'll be partnering with us.

What you get :

  • It's a 1x12x6 plank.
  • I condition and stain the wood. 
  • You can choose from 'Dark Walnut' or  'Special Walnut'. (If you have another preference, let me know.)
  • Awesome family memories that you can take with you from home to home.
  • A wall hanger on the backside. 
  • Personalization

You'll notice it starts at 6 inches so you can hang it on the wall six inches off the ground. This ensures it won't interfere with your baseboards.

When I  think of how funny it was to sit around and measure everyone at our last family dinner,  I thought of how fun it would be to do this at Thanksgiving, Christmas or another special occasion each year,  with the children or Grandchildren. It can also be a family treasure that can be passed down from generation to generation.

I'm from Thorndale, but I'm in the London/St.Thomas/Dorchester area often. If you live out of town we can arrange delivery.  We are in the Windsor area and will be up in Kitchener and Grimsby in the next few weeks.  You can pay by cash or email transfer.

Any monies received over and above the cost of our flights/accommodations will go strictly to the sewing school. How awesome is that. I'm praying these fly off the shelves. I'm not afraid of hard work, I desire to be a blessing and to be able to bless the places we minister in. So, please share this. Share it with friends, family, co-workers….

Can also be bought as a gift for Grandparents, Parents or Parents to be! If you purchase as a gift, we can do a surprise delivery!

I'm so thankful the Lord has given me gifted hands and a creative mind. I'm also thankful to all of you for your support!

You can place your order through email: heatherpaton1@gmail.com, Facebook, or 519-860-0916.
                                                   



DIY - Cubbies

When my handsome hubby's on the road, I tend to let loose and try a new DIY project. Yesterday afternoon I attempted cubbies. Our three littles have a closet that is always a complete disaster. Their coats fall off the hanger, there's no where to put their backpacks etc….
The cubbies were to be a mother & son project, but in an hour and a half I had most of it assembled except one small part.

Honestly, it was a super easy fun project. I didn't have an extra hand assembling it. So, circumstances like that I find items around the house to help me out. A wall, a box….this time it was the kitchen stool! It did the trick!! My intention was to paint these white. I bought the paint and as I opened it, the peanut gallery said, "Um, aren't you staining it?" We took a vote and I was the only one who wanted white! I LOVE WHITE!! They like stained wood like their Daddy!!

So here's the end result. I am by no means a carpenter. I am a woman on a mission. I made a picture and then went into the Depot. I was greeted by a few workers…clearly I didn't look like I should be in the carpenters isle. They were great, I told them what pieces of wood I wanted cut where, and they sliced and diced where I needed.

LADIES : You can do this!! A hammer, box of nails and a few measurements and you're off!!

Here's the end result.