No Time for ANYTHING...

Lately I have been so busy with everything, that I don't have any time for anything...I know it doesn't make any sense, so let me explain.

This whole year has literally FLASHED before my eyes....Just last week I found myself claiming that it was Wednesday, when in truth it was really THURSDAY!!! I lost a whole day! I mean I was really convinced that everyone else was wrong (that it was Thursday) and that I was right (that it was Wednesday)! I kept thinking, where did Wednesday go? I am sure that I didn't miss the whole day...but I found myself realizing that, in truth, I really DID miss the whole day. It literally "flashed" before my eyes and I missed it altogether, or so it seems.

So to get to the point, as I don't have all day, I have really lost my focus. My focus on what is really important in my life. I have been so busy with MY LIFE that I have not had anytime for the most important person in my life....my LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I realized my fault after reading an article on this very thing...refocusing your life on Christ so that you have more time for the everyday tasks. All in all, taking the time in the morning to pray and meditate on Scripture...and listen to what God has to say...

Have I been living for Christ this year? Truthfully, NO....

Can I change the way I have been living? Not without the LORD's help...

So, through Christ, I am going to make a change....

No more am I going to lean upon my own strength to do things...the LORD knows that I can't do it and He has taken the entire year to show me this.


So any who are dealing with the same thing...I urge you to:

1. Change your focus....don't focus on YOUR life, YOUR duties, YOUR struggles for in those darkest times, YOUR LORD will carry you...if you put your trust in HIM and not yourself (note: this is mainly for me...)
2. Begin your day in the Scriptures and in prayer.....that's where you will find your energy and the time you have "lost".
3. Remember, you are but a mere human, but "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me..." (a verse from Philippians)
4. Get your children involved, our job as parents is to train our children in the way of the LORD. We can't save souls, but we can show them the path to Christ.
5. Be ever fervent in prayer...praying without ceasing...
6. Finally, don't forget to pray for your husband...his job, as head of the household, can be quite stressful at times and one way you can ease his load is by turning to Christ and seeking strength and renewal for him (your husband)...

In Christ Alone,

Heather

Running to the Cross...The Reason Behind it.

If you have read my testimony, you will learn a little more about my life and how I finally came to the conclusion that my life really DID belong to Christ. Also, the post What "Running to the Cross" means to me... goes along with this post.

However, I will go back in time and retell some of my "life story"...
I was raised in a "Christian" home. I went to a church that I feel had a "watered down" worship service. It last a maximum of 20 minutes for the actual teaching/sermon part of the service and there was really no challenge or applications to our lives that followed the preaching part of the service.

After I graduated from highschool, I started college...a Christian college. It was at this time that I was actually able to "venture out" and attend other churches. Although, I don't think my venture really began until my senior year in college when I met my "future" husband...he attended a church that was actually 25 minutes from my parent's house. So when we decided to "court in preparation for a possible future marriage" (as we really didn't desire to "date" or have a so-called boyfriend/girlfriend relationship), I desired to attend church where he attended. We seemed to be like-minded anyway, so it just seemed logical for me to go to church with him as well.

This is where I was first introduced to the "idea" of "running to the cross." I must say, the messages preached by the pastor were very different than the ones I had experienced back at my old church. They urged me to look to Christ, to trust in God my Saviour, and to run to the cross. The pastor often finished his message by saying, "Run, run to the cross!" And the phrase stuck with me, and has been with me for more than 12 years now.

Now when I am faced with a challenge or struggle, that phrase, "Run, run to the cross!" echoes in my head and my heart. I don't hesistate to seek the face of God, for I know that He will answer my cry, He will listen to my prayer, and He will lift me up to Him and carry me when the road gets too rough.

I ask God for help with several different things. Funny thing is, when I really need to find something in a rush, and I ask for God's help, within seconds or minutes of praying for His help...He answers. Something as little as trying to find a sticky note that my husband misplaced...He finds it, God finds that little tiny piece of paper! And if God can do this small task, one that seems so simple, then why can't we trust God in the BIG things as well?

Why do we try to rely on our own strength? We need to call upon Him in ALL things! And He will answer in His perfect timing.

Matthew 21:18-22
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Have a blessed and prayerfilled day!
Heather

What "Running to the Cross" means to me...

I am a sinner,
I need Christ in my life,
I need His Strength,
I need His Refuge,
I need His Forgiveness.
I trust in God,
I believe in God,
I believe that God sent His Son,
I believe that Christ,
being without sin,
died for our sins.
He is my Saviour,
He is my Strength,
He is my Refuge,
and He Forgives...
He forgives me every time I sin
and ask for His forgiveness.
He forgives me EVERY TIME!
He lifts me up to Himself,
and He calls me His child.
I am a child of God!
Me, little ole' me!
A child of the KING OF KINGS!
A child of the LORD OF LORDS!
A child of the Most High God!
The sinner that I am,
a child of God!
I will, therefore,
RUN, RUN to the cross!
I will not walk,
and I will not crawl,
but I will RUN!
Christ died for me!
He shed HIS blood, for me!
Walking is not good enough.
Neither is crawling.
He is my KING!
I will RUN to the cross.
Though it just be in my mind,
I will RUN!
What's better than that?
He didn't just die for me!
He died for you, too!
Will you walk or run?
Our lives are too short to walk to the cross,
we must RUN!
Christ shed HIS blood for our sins!
Every single one of us!
Blessed be the name of the LORD!
Jesus is my LORD of LORDS!
Are you His child?

John 3:16-21
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

In Christ Alone,
Heather

Counting Our Blessings

On December 22, 1999, I was sitting in the short stay unit of the hospital waiting on the doctor. While I waited with my husband, we overheard a conversation next to us (on the other side of the curtain) between a husband and wife.

She was crying, and she said, "But it's my 10th miscarriage." You could hear the tears.

Her husband reassuringly said to her, "We must be thankful for the child we have." His voice was also quivering with emotion.

"I just don't think I can go through this again," she said between her sobs.

"I know, I know, but we'll get through this, we always do. I love you more than anything! We WILL get through this, I promise," he said lovingly to her.

It was tearing me up, even though I was there for the same reason she was. We were both there to have a D&C done that day, only she had been there 9 times before. I was broken-hearted, but my broken-heartedness didn't even compare to hers. The conversation that we overheard that day changed my life, forever.

My Story
I had found out a day earlier (December 21) that my baby had no heartbeat, the baby had died. I had been experiencing bleeding for about two weeks. After the ultrasound, the doctor called on the phone to say, "There is a baby, but no heartbeat. I am so sorry." His voiced echoed over and over again in my head the rest of the day, and for many days following. Bouts of depression and crying spells followed. I kept asking the LORD, "Why, why LORD, why did this have to happen to me, and at Christmastime?" God had His reasons, but only time would tell.

After accepting the miscarriage, and trying to move on, God blessed us again. I was pregnant and I was somewhat scared. Then a peace came over me, and I felt as if the LORD promised to give me this child. Nine months later my daughter was born, God kept His promise!

Looking Back
In 1999, I found myself wrapped up in my self, my children, my husband, and my duties. God was no where to be found in my life. Was I a Christian? I can't even tell you. Did my heart change? Absolutely! And for the better. God used my miscarriage to bring me back to Him! My focus was not where it should have been, I had forgotten God. When I began to experience complications in my pregnancy, I began to pray again, I began to remember God's wonderful attributes and He drew me "nigh unto Him."

Counting Our Blessings
As time passes, the memory remains the same and each year brings new experiences and new people into my life. I had another miscarriage in 2001, and an ectopic pregnancy in 2006, and though these experiences were devastating, they have made me more aware of the sorrow that others experience. We can become so self absorbed with our LIVES that we FORGET OTHERS. We must always be thankful for what God has given us. God is faithful, we must trust Him in EVERY THING.

Oftentimes, I find myself wallowing in self pity thinking, "I have to much to do!!! Nobody understands!!! I can't be spread so thin!!! Why does this always have to happen to me?!!!"

How selfish of me! How can I be so selfish to think that I am the only one in the world that has problems?!! Forgive me, LORD, forgive me! I must trust that God will give me the strength I need, He will bless in His due time. And He has blessed me, and He continues to be faithful.

Again, we must look around us. What has God given you today? what blessings? what sorrows? What about your neighbor or friend? Are they suffering from sickness, or grief?

Through all of my experiences I have learned one very important fact about God:
Nothing happens outside of the will of God. Nothing. NOT ANY THING!!!
He is perfectly in control and will always be. Look around you, have you thanked God for your family, what about the provisions He has given you? Be thankful, and be mindful; we mustn't forget those who have none. We must pray for them. Have you taken the time to pray for a family in need? (Remember, this is a reminder to me also!)

My miscarriages have taught me a very good lesson, they have taught me that each one of my children are true blessings from God. Blessings, great wonderful blessings. I must step back in time, sometimes, and forget my busyness, to be reminded of the blessing they are to me. And show them the blessing they are to me by giving them a great BIG hug & kiss on the cheek and let them know that I love them. They are my blessings, and I am surrounded by them daily. I must never take my children for granted.

How many folks do you know that are trying, without success, to have a baby? Have you taken time to pray for them today? Have you encouraged them, had them over for tea (if they live close by)? Let them know you care, and that you are keeping them before the Lord in prayer. God answers many a prayer, seek after Him, believe that He will answer your prayers in His PERFECT time. GOD IS FAITHFUL.

" Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"
" For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

" Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Matthew 21:21-22

My heart mourns for my friends who desire to have children and have not been able. But I keep on praying, I believe God will make them parents someday, someway, somehow. God is FAITHFUL!!! HE CAN DO ALL THINGS!!! AND HE IS EVERYWHERE!!! He is truly faithful. Pray for your friends, family, and acquaintances. God will answer in His Perfect Timing!

May God Bring Great Blessings Your Way!!!
In Christ Alone,
Heather

My Testimony

I was raised going to church every Sunday, which included Sunday school and a very brief, watered down worship service. At age 11, during Vacation Bible School, I decide that I wanted to go to heaven, so I went to my pastor and prayed a prayer with him and I was "saved". On my way home that evening I felt like I was floating in the clouds, although I really don't think anything changed in my heart.

At age 14, I liked a boy who was in my church youth group and I didn't want him to think that I wasn't a member of the church, so I ignorantly got baptized so I could be a member of the church.

Each year, I grew slightly in the knowledge of the Lord. I attended a co-ed church camp every summer for a week and I learned a little there, but I was mostly interested in meeting boys. I never really read the Bible much as a "Christian", but it was never demonstrated in the home. I didn't know you were supposed to be "ever fervent in prayer" and reading the Bible daily.

Then I went to college. For the first 2 years, I called myself a "Christian" but always found myself with the wrong boyfriends and in the wrong situations.

However, my life was changing. I attended a Christian college where you had to take a New Testament class, an Old Testament class, and another Bible class of your choice. That is when God began to speak to me in volumes. I had to read the Scriptures for class & write my thoughts in a journal. These times I hold precious in my heart, time spent wisely with God. However, I never doubted that I was saved.

My junior year, I wrote an I-Search paper where you pick a topic and explore all the aspects of it. My topic was "Finding a Mate for Life". It was then that I decided I was sick of dating, and that I would write a paper that described the man that I would marry and trust that God would place that person in my life.

My senior year I met my husband (I am going to cry, I love him dearly). One day I sat down next to him at dinner, I was only acquainted with him, but I began to discuss a Biblical issue with him that I dealt with earlier that day. He was able to answer my questions and a friendship blossomed from there. Little did I know that 2 days earlier he had prayed for a "companion".

We began to meet every evening for devotions & prayer in the Chapel below the cafeteria. We were both against "dating" at that time, and we did not allow ourselves any physical contact. My relationship with God continued to grow, I read my Bible every day at 5 a.m. Also, my husband met all the criteria of my I-Search paper (Yeah!).

Soon it was time for me to graduate and leave college. My husband continued the next year in college, and we both struggled greatly apart, he also proposed to me that year (I said "yes").

We married in '96, (1 year after my graduation), and had our first baby in '97. My second son came along in '99, then a devastating miscarriage. God carried me through, I knew at that time I was saved, I'm not sure at what point in my life I was converted, I just knew I was saved. Another baby, then another miscarriage, again God picked me up and drew nigh unto Him, my faith once again strengthened. During my 6th pregnancy (4th child), I was rebaptized because I wasn't convinced that my first baptism was legitimate due to my foolishness as a 14-year-old. My 7th pregnancy was a true miracle to me, I had some bleeding about 12-15 weeks into the pregnancy, I was sure miscarriage was inevitable. But in the ER the dr found a heartbeat and discovered I had partial placenta previa. Once again, God drew me into His arms and renewed my faith. He gave me my baby girl, whose middle name is Grace because of the grace God showed me by giving her to me!

God blessed us again with another baby and then a little over a year later a TEST. This test was an ectopic pregancy. Once again, God was there holding us up, making us realize how much we love Him and our family. He brought us through and strengthened our faith. He showed my husband and I that, "Nothing happens outside of the will of God. God is faithful. He has complete control and He guides every little detail of our lives. Blessed be the name of the LORD!"

As life goes on, my testimony grows.

And as the title description on my blog says, "Though I am far from being a perfect mother and wife, I find that each day I count on Him just a little more. God is truly faithful, even in the small stuff."