HEART'S CRY

Celebrating 2013 and looking forward to 2014! I love the New Year.  For me, I feel God's mercy and grace as I give to Him my mistakes, wasted time, sin and regrets.  I ask Him to redeem the year and use it to bring us to where He wants us to be in the next.  I believe God enjoys celebrations.  He celebrated on the day after creation!  Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and His mercy.  He instituted the feast in the OT to help His people remember His work in their lives.  He encouraged altars to be built as markers in time for the generations to come. He is God and will do His work in us and through us.  He will use events, hardships and losses to mold us into the people He wants us to be.  He uses people to sharpen us and to show us the places in us we need to grow.  Even the people we do not like,  are in our lives for a reason.   For us to be thankful for.  "Rejoice Always," and "Give Thanks in ...

I'm notorious for laughing until I cry... during commercials.  My family believes someone would make a lot of money if they created a movie of just commercials. Since this is the season of new car commercials, I have watched the Ford Fusion multiple times. The couple discusses the value of the Fusion having great gas mileage and a great ride.   "I like AND better," the man states after remember a time he chose nuts or bolts and the swimming pool fell apart. This picture was in mind when I read Jon Acuff's second chapter of "Start."  He targets our tendencies to think we have to choose dreaming or reality.   He states, "You have to step into the tension.  You have to be: a realist and a dreamer practical and impractical logical and illogical You have to be brutally realistic about your present circumstances and wildly unrealistic about your future circumstances." (Acuff, Jon 2013) These words pierced my heart and will not l...

I love chapters.  Beginnings and endings.   Bookends.  Turning my wall calendar to a new month.  Family trees.  Movie endings (if they bring completion).  Beautiful obituaries.  Historical timelines.  Finishing a journal.   Turning a page.     Stories people tell..."Once Upon a time and The End." When I pick up a new book for the first time, I review the content page first.  I love to read acknowledgements, introductions and the jacket covers.  Next, I read the topic sentence in each chapter and the last paragraph of the book.  I gently "break in" a new book this way.  If it is a book, I will use as a resource, I tag each chapter.   Finally,  coffee cup in hand and a comfy sunny spot and I'm ready to be lost in the book. Building the context.  A framework.  A structure to hang the pictures on as I read.   Creating a world.  Build...

My oldest son was home for Christmas from the military.  My second son is home for Christmas and break from college.  My youngest son has one more year at home. I love my boys.  I always thought those Moms were so weird...the ones who went gaga over their messy little babies.  Until I had one of my own. I was twenty one and a Junior in Bible college when I had my first.  It was in Biology class where I felt him move.  During a piano lesson and worship he danced.  When I leaned over too much at work for his liking, he kicked me.  I was falling in love with this life within me. Then, he was born.  Black haired and giant brown eyed baby boy.   He was so strong.  Lying on my tummy, he picked up his head and looked at me.  All of that kicking and moving, I told him. He knew me.  He knew his Dad.  We knew him.  My heart was broken with the love overwhelming me. How could anyone love this muc...

I'm reading Matthew again and thinking about the Christmas story.  I've always skipped the 16 verses of Genealogy, wondering why Matthew would use take so much time to detail it.  What is the big deal?? This year finds me working on my own family tree, giving new meaning to Matthew 1:1-16.   Jesus was born to a family.  Verse 16 states, "and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." Jesus was born to an imperfect family.  To a humble family.  A letter referencing Andy Stanley's "An Unexpected Christmas" DVD made a profound statement.  Gayle Hadden with Mom's in Touch stated, "there’s some eye-popping family dirt highlighted in this genealogy that would have made his contemporary Jewish audience gasp at its inclusion. Was there really a need to dig some people out of the family closet? Why allude to Judah who sold his brother Joseph into slavery and committed incest wit...

I'm sick of walking on egg shells. Sick of being head shy. What would happen if I allow myself to dream the dreams I really have?   To feel the fire in the pit of my belly or the twirl that only comes from going off the edge?   What would it look like if I set the goals to reach the vision I really have? If I thumbed my nose at realism and jumped head first into the river of life? How long have I shook my finger at the crazy ideas in my head while giving them the Mom disapproving look? You can't do that Heather. Who are you to think you can do that?  What in the world are you thinking?  That is dangerous. Be reasonable.  Think of yourself.   What about the risk? Look what you will lose and give up. I want to live.  I want to make a leap of faith again.   I want to let go of all that I am or have or think I have to be and jump into what God is calling me to. I want to let go o...

My mind races. What can I do for my family and friends this holiday season to show them how much they mean to me?   How can I do this without spending money?  Or making things difficult and complicated. Will I have the energy and drive to make this season special? Going through the motion of "making it about Jesus" is not enough.   I can say it, but can I do it?  Jesus.  My Savior.  My Leader.  My Friend.  The one I am to be like and follow and attain to.   You know, Jesus.  Who came to earth as a baby.   He, who came to earth as fully divine and fully human.  Who walked with the needy, broken, exhausted and sinful.   You know, "The reason for the season," Jesus.   Jesus did Extraordinary Acts constantly while on earth.  And I'm to do more? Back to the question, "What can I do to show my love to my family and friends this Christmas season?" What ...