God knows what His children need.

It's been way too long since I have been on here! Life has been oh so crazy this semester and sometimes it's hard to keep a grasp on what's really important. 

   School is going fantastic and I've really found a place there. I'm performing so much, working, and I'm the secretary for the music club at school. I feel like I live there and it's so stressful, but I love it. I've kind of let it get in the way of my relationship with the Lord. It's too easy for me to say, "I'm tired and busy. I don't have time." Every time I say that to myself a red flag goes up and I'm instantly convicted. 

  This past weekend I was asked to come and help at our annual Winterblast retreat for the 7-12 graders from camp. I instantly got a bad attitude about it and started trying to find ways to get out of it. 

My reasoning for not wanting to go: Being tired from school and home drama

                                                          too much homework

                                                          My car was broken

That's it. Those were my reasons. Those were my reasons for not wanting to go and see my girls and sing for the Lord. Those were my reasons for not wanting to serve my God. 

Well I got there. I got into the roll of counselor again. Then we got ready to lead music (Accapella, because our piano player was sick). Within the first few moments of singing I knew God wanted me there; that I NEEDED to be in that environment. To get out of school, our of my depressing house, and doing something that God has made very clear I am to be doing. 

                 God Knows What You Need

   Our god is so fantastic and awesome and wonderful. I have been praying for a good solid month probably that I needed to get back to a good place with my relationship with God. I asked him to give me the push to get me back to living for him and acknowledging him in everything I do. 

   And then He got me to Winterblast and planted me there and said, "Here ya go Heather. Here's the answer to your prayer." (Obviously in a much more God like manner I would imagine. Anyway, I put my backpack away and just spend time ( A whole weekend) In the presence of God loving people. (Which is much different for me with the house I live in) The weeks leading up to this were so hard. Family problems, car breaking, and getting ready for a big audition led me to being very tired and just angry. God knows what we need. 

   My awesome God gave me the push. He got me there with my girls and gave us such a great opportunity to catch up. He gave me a voice to sing and the people to sing with and it was so great. No instruments, just hearing the kid's sing...wow...My God is so amazing. He allows me to sing for him. He allows me to be apart of those girls lives. He allows me to breath. So I came home with a new peace, an excitement I had been lacking, and an adjusted attitude. I read my bible this morning ( I mean really read) For the first time in a few weeks. My heart already feels different. My mind already feels clearer. 

   My God is amazing. He does amazing things. He gives grace and is merciful. He is patient and loving. And He gives His children what they need. He didn't have to do this for me. 

and I am Thankful. and ready to just live for Him. 

Until next time, 

Heather

Completely Consumed

Lord I want to fall even more in love with you.

open my eyes to see
My heart to feel
and my arms to do.

Lord I want to be a witness to your name.

Help me to sing
help me to speak
for only YOUR fame.

Lord I want everything I am to be testimony of who you are.

That You came
You died
and you are never far.

Lord I want to fall even more in love with you.

I want to be completely consumed.


-Heather-

I love to sing

Hey all! So last night was the premiere performance of the spanish songs I have been working on.

The last few months have been spent working my tail off, preparing for the performance at the Flint Art Walk last night. It's been a rocky road getting ready for this. When we first started the process I was so frustrated because I couldn't sing the songs right away and had a hard time learning them. (They may have been the hardest songs I've ever sung).

I've always said that I don't want to be a performer. That I can't do it because I am not good enough, because I feel like dying right before I go on, because others are better than I am.

Here's the thing. I get nervous, I cry before a performance (usually) and there will always be someone better than me; but when I walk onto the stage and I start to sing, when I can hear my high notes ringing in awesomeness I KNOW that's where I am supposd to be.

Last night I performed six songs, including the two original spanish songs written by my peers and I did an awesome job. There were mistakes. There will always be mistakes. But I got up there, and I trusted the gift that God chose to give me for some reason. I sang my heart out. I looked out and saw people there who cared and were rooting for me and I sang. I sang like I've really never sung before.

I am very honored to have been asked to perform these songs, and I am sad that the performance is over! I can't wait to see what else God has in store for me. this experience made me grow as a person and a performer and I can't wait to do it again and get better at it. I'm hooked. Singing/performing is apart of who I am and I cannot ignore that.

until next time,
Heather

Gods love

 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39

When people think about love they often think of a person or a thing. We say to a friend that we love them when they do something for us or that we love our pets, phone, or lap top. We see a cute boy and we are in LOVE with them and as fast as we are to say those words we are faster to take them away.

The dictionary defines love as:
tender affection for somebody: to feel tender affection for somebody such as a close relative or friend, or for something such as a place, an ideal, or an animal.

That seems legit, but do we really understand what love is? Do we really demonstrate love? Do we really have love demonstrated unto us from a close relative or friend or that place or animal?

1 Corinthians 13:4–8aLove is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails

Do we love like 1 Corinthians says we should love? Better question: Do we love like God loves?
I think that the answer would probably be no, we don't.

Lately I have been so stressed out from school, things at home and all the responsibility that I have. Asking God why? why do I have to go through these things that just hurt me. But really, that's just a spoiled way of thinking. God has done so much for me. He sent his only Son to die so that I could be saved and know him personally.

He continually takes care of me, sent me to a great church, gave me some great friends and gives me opportunity to talk to people him and uses me to help people to give him glory. What a great God. I KNOW his love is great and powerful and can never be shaken. I KNOW that He chose to save me, not because of anything that I did, but because He's God and He's great and wonderful and Good.
,
God's love is something that makes no sense. We are rotten sinners that don't deserve his grace, yet he gives it.

So what is love? I would say to get a correct definition look to God, because God is love.

until next time,
Heather

His Mercies are new every morning.

As I sit here on this gloomy day I can't help but think that my day depicted this horrible weather. It's been a while since I wrote and I am sure there are TONS of people who are sitting, waiting for my next post. ;)

So a new semester started and though much is the same in life, a lot of things have changed as well.

Tonight I am starting a bible study that God told me to start a year ago. God put on  my heart to start a bible study with young people studying who he is. Because we often make God who we want him to be and we NEED to know him more. At that time, everything wasn't falling into place. I didn't have my license, we had no place to go, and I didn't really know how to get it started. In the last few weeks EVERYTHING fell into place.

1. Got my license in December
2. A dear friends mom agreed to let us use her house
3. People seemed interested.
 How could I NOT start this? God put this on my heart for a reason. Why he wanted me to be the one to do it is beyond me, but the fact that He put everything into action means He wants it to happen and NOW!!
Now that it is starting I am a little freaked out, but I can't disobey God. I'ts not an option.

Now, back to what this post is really about. My day was horrible. Everything was going wrong, I was crying like a baby and wondering why the things that were happening, were in fact happening and I opened up a devotional book I was reading to the chapter I was supposed to read last week and the chapter was titled was: Todays mercies for todays troubles. I STARTED CRYING ALL OVER AGAIN. The whole chapter lifted my spirits and confirmed what I already knew. That God was taking care of me and that these trials were happening today because I am trying to do work for God and Satan doesn't like that.

What an awesome God. He takes such good care of us every moment of everyday. Gives us new mercies for THIS day, for these trials. He's right there, helping you along in this journey, In this place where we don't belong. What a great loving God.

until Next time,
Heather

Prayer for the ones I love

My heart breaks for those who don't know who You really are.
          by faith not by sight.
All that they see is another fictional character in a story that they write.

My heart longs for them to now of the love that You give.
For them not to die, but only through You, live.

My heart yearns for them to live a life according to your word.
That all my friends, the ones I love would not follow the patterns of this world.

My heart wants everyone to live a life with You at their side.
For you to save them Lord, and when you call, for them not to try and hide.

        For You God, are irresistable.

By:Heather

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

As I sit here, trying to write something insightful, and powerful, and deep I can't help but wanting to list everything that I am thankful for. Don't worry i won't. It's such a long list.
But everything that I have, everything that I am, that I am thankful for, I only have it because God allowed it to be so. Man, what a powerful God!

This last semester in school has been pretty tough and so many things have been going on, but God has been faithful, and He has gotten me through every minute of every good and bad thing. He is working on my heart every minute of every day and for THAT I am thankful.  The things I look at as bad always draw me closer to Him. and what can be bad, if it draws me closer to my God. Thank you God for EVERYTHING. thank you for saving my soul and I pray that you continue to draw me closer to you and that I can do works for your glory.

until next time, Heather