The View from my Seat!

I love this series called Contradiction. Last week Ty spoke on Women in the ministry and this week was on Divorce/Remarriage. The statement he made that I think sums up everything is divorce, debt, stress, and temper are all symptoms of the real sin. Divorce is not the sin, it is the hard heart that led to the divorce. I have many times said that divorce is just a piece of paper. God was sad long before you both signed the document. Many people continue to stay married because they don't want to disappoint God and others. The fact is, you may still live together with a state approved marriage license but you have been spiritually divorced for years. So many people read the Word of God for all of the rules. I read it to know God's heart. We serve a loving God who is the greatest father you could ever ask for. He wants the BEST for us. He wants us to be willing to be molded. I loved the sculpting illustration that Ty used. We all have to allow God to take away the things that do not belong. I am not the woman I used to be and I can attest that Ty is not the man he once was. Ty is one of the most amazing men I have ever known. He has faults just like the rest of us but I am constantly amazed at how willing he is to change. He is so soft and ready for God to show him what needs to change. You may be married to the total opposite. Your spouse may feel that the problem lies with you and he/she has nothing to deal with. I encourage you to focus on making sure you are soft. Allow God to work on your heart. In the process, the answer to your prayer may first come with the changes you make. And on the subject of women in ministry. I know what God has spoken to me and continues to speak. I am called, anointed and willing. I have no doubt that God can speak through me and lives can be touched. God said that if He has to, He will cause the rocks to cry out. I'm pretty sure God would let a willing woman speak His truths before He calls on a ROCK. Contradictions will forever be. Controversy will forever be. When it all boils down to, God is looking at your heart. How does it look?

Holiday Time!

Just a little something light for the week. I thought you might like to know a little about me. I am so excited to start my holiday cooking. Last week, I made those delicious Fresh Apple cookies by Ms. Wendy Roberts. The batch ended up making about 42 cookies and in less than 24 hours they were gone. Not just by my family but I shared them with others. What is your favorite holiday recipe? The cinnamon and nutmeg in these cookies got me anxious for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cool air is on its way and I can hardly wait. I love this time of year. My favorite thing to do is sit by a crackling fire with my family. I love to watch movies and pop popcorn. When we have a fire, you can count on us roasting marshmallows. Brady and Hudson Bean have probably had over 200 s'mores in their 6 and 3 years on this earth. "Your welcome Dr. Tuttle." Oh well, we are making memories. I pray that with each season, comes something that excites you. Enjoy your family more than ever this fall and winter. Cook together, gobble up cookies together and snuggle under a blanket together. Let the cold weather outside bring you closer to one another inside. This could be the start to the best Holiday ever. I love you guys.

The View from my Seat!

This past weeks message was a wake up call for all of us. God "is" Ready but are we ready? God is not holding out his blessings because He is playing a mean joke. He doesn't find it funny to watch us wait for our answers to come. He is patient with us in our journey of life. He knows what we need and when we need it. He is a giver not a taker. He is a lover not a fighter. So what is it that God is ready to do in your life? Ty said that we must be cooperative to find the answer. We need to listen when He speaks and obey when He gives instruction. Is God talking to you right now? What is He saying? You may be saying, "Heather, I wouldn't know if God was talking to me if He was." Let me help you. When you read the Word, what keeps popping out of the pages? When you are listening to teaching tapes, what seems to be the common topic? What lyrics are speaking to you in your music? Have your Godly friends or mentors shared a nugget of wisdom with you and you didn't even realize that it was for you? God can speak to you through anything, anyone and anywhere. I think my testimony of the spider in the shower last week is proof of that. God used a donkey in 2 Peter to rebuke the prophet. An animal without the ability to speak opened his mouth and out came a man's voice. WOW!!!! Be aware of your surroundings at all times. You never know what God may have in store. Now here is where it gets good. You can hear God speaking all day long but are you willing to be obedient? Are you willing to hold your tongue when your husband makes "another" mistake? Are you willing to tear up the "Old Navy" credit card? Are you willing to quit the job with great benefits to pursue the gifts God has given you? What is your instruction? A willing heart could be the only thing keeping you from an answered prayer. I know God is ready to open the flood gates at CJC. And everyday He is helping us prepare for what is to come. I am ready to see and hear great things in your life. So rise to the occasion and step out when you hear the call.

Circle of Life!!

Yesterday was a day of reflection for me. Crill arrived at our front door at 7:00 a.m. for our drive to Lubbock. Ty and I along with Crill were going to support our dear friend Patti during the funeral of her father. 82 years on this earth, Zack Payton lived. He not only lived but he lived a full life. They showed lots of pictures and video of this dear man. I had only met him twice but I began to cry as I saw his life unfold on the screen. He loved his wife and his kids. He had a heart for God and he wanted to make a difference in the world he lived in. Everyday he put a smile on the faces of those around him. And even in his death he was putting a smile on the face of everyone in that little Baptist church. Following the funeral we had a bite to eat and then headed to the Lubbock Heart Hospital. Our good friend Max Clampitt was resting in the CCU unit recovering from a mild heart attack he had on Monday morning. 84 years old and ready to get back to Hobbs to his own bed. He adjusted himself several times as he tried to find a comfortable spot. He said the pillow was like laying his head on a piece of concrete. What a life this man has lived. He gives us words of wisdom every week in the Hobbs News Sun. He is an incredible historian with a couple of books to prove it. As he laid there and talked about this weeks experience, I thought about how much he still has to offer this world. He has given so much and he is not ready to stop now. Well, from there we headed back to Hobbs via Plains. Of course, we had to stop and get a Plains Watermelon. The season is almost over and I am so gonna miss this sweet, juicy fruit (vegetable, I'm not sure). We arrived at CJC only to drop Crill off and then head to Lea Regional Hospital. Yes, one more visit for the day. Only this one was a bit different. We walked in to room 206 and there was baby Gideon being held by his proud father Victor. Melissa and Victor Hernandez had their 3rd child and 1st boy. We were even blessed to be there when Nikki and Gwen (the sisters) arrived to meet their baby brother for the first time. It has only just begun for the Hernandez family. Many birthdays, camping trips, dance recitals and so much more is in their future. A beautiful way to end our day. We arrived back at home to two little boys who ran out to greet us as they saw our car come up the driveway. "Mommy", "Daddy", over and over again. Lots of hugs and kisses. Today we saw life come full circle. It just happened to start with death and end with birth. I was reminded that life is so short. Eighty years seems like a long time to live on this Earth. But it also seems like yesterday that I laid in that same bed as Melissa and held my first born. I'm reminded that it wasn't yesterday, it was 6 years ago. That is so hard for me to believe. So what is my point in this blog. Treasure each moment. Don't wish it away. Don't want something different or better. Just know that God has you where you are for a reason. He has those in your life because they need you and you need them. Love more, Laugh more, Live more. When the day comes that your friends and family gather in your home church to celebrate the life you lived, make sure they can say that you not only lived but you lived to the fullest.

Making a difference in difficult times!!

For some time now, I have not been happy with just "doing" church. I want to get out there and "be" the church. Where is there a need? Who needs my help that does not go to CJC? Well, I have just found my answer. Isaiah's Soup Kitchen needs our help. I am going to be sharing a goal with the ladies at Girls Grub on Saturday the 12th. We have got to rise up and be an extension of Christ's hand. During difficult economic times, people are in greater need than ever before. In the last couple of months my spirit has been stirred. I know that God is trying to get my attention and I am ready to listen. My good friend Larry Tuttle loaned me a book about one couple making a difference in the life of a homeless man. This wealthy couple had it all including a heart. With a little persuading the wife encouraged her husband to help serve down at the local homeless shelter. Taking this one small step, changed the course of their lives forever. Just when you think life is good and it couldn't get any better, God shows you a whole new view. I also recently saw the movie, "Taken." I was moved like never before. There are actually young girls being taken from their families and tormented for someones' profit. I knew that human trafficking had become a world wide problem but this movie opened my eyes all the more. I began to google outreach ministries that could inform me how to get involved in the prevention of human trafficking. Ty also made a few calls to some Pastor friends of his for some suggestions. I have a burning desire to help in some way, any way. Last night the house was quiet by 8:00p.m so I put in another movie called, "The Soloist." It was about a homeless man with a gift for music. He was suffering from severe mental problems that caused him to run away from an incredible life. Until one day a reporter heard him playing a broken violin on the street corner. This man had a mission to help make a difference in this man's life. This movie opened my eyes to a lifestyle I had no idea even existed. No Hope, No Home, No Help! People living in mass gatherings on the streets of LA. But it is not just there. It is an epidemic everywhere. So what can the people of Lea County do to make a difference? Listen to the Holy Spirit and he will tell you. God has not blessed us to hold on to those blessings. We have been blessed so that we can be a blessing. I ask that you start preparing your heart for what is to come. I don't think that it is by accident that God has been revealing these needs. We can be a light in the darkness.