Who Were You? January 30, 2008

     I have asked the Lord to help me write this blog without crying but i have a feeling that i won’t be able too. I hope you’ll take a minute go get a drink, some Kleenex, and maybe even take a potty break too so that the video i posted above will load and you watch that before you read on past this paragraph. I promise you the time it takes for that to load if your on a slow speed will be well worth the wait. It’s about 5 minutes and a skit done to a song called “Everything” written & performed by Lifehouse. I first saw this skit on our local radio station 89.1 WSMR’s website on a recommendation from my niece’s mommy, Melissa ( Whom we dearly love and thank God for him sharing her with our family.) So now’s your chance for a quick break and then I’ll share below.

     This skit is such an accurate portrayal of the struggle in us all- between the world & it’s offerings for our pain and keeping our eyes focused on God & His promises to us all. Christ is our EVERYTHING just as the song says. When we’re weak, He gives strength. When hurt, He’s brings healing. When we stray off His path for us he’ll meet us there with open arms and forgiveness. If you think you could get lost in a cul-de-sac He can make a path outta there too. Hey that’s me! If I had to confess all the times the Lord has had to meet me on whatever path I’ve stupidly gone down you’d know i was to blame for any callouses on His feet. But I know that He’s met me, forgave me, and tried to show me His purpose in my life. Isn’t that awesome we could be loved and cared about that much!

     There are 6 important questions below that I’m gonna answer myself, in front of you. Some of you might be shocked at what you read, some not. I pray either way it goes you’ll see beyond that to what the Lord has done for me personally.  Because that is the moral of this story.

Who Were You?

A confused child, rebelling against what i knew because i could and i was angry. I was angry at life, angry with all 4 of my parents, angry at God for allowing things to happen to me because i didn’t realize it was with purpose, extremely anxious, full of anxiety, committing acts of willful stupidity, scared, scarred, hurt, jealous, promiscuous, partying, drug abuser, people pleas-er, liar, cheater, and lost.

 Who Was He?

The man upstairs who kept my parents busy at church more than paying attention to me and the things going badly wrong in my life,  he made me have to grow up in a broken home, he gave my mother breast cancer in my senior year of high school hence throwing my life into more chaos,  the man allowing me to be filled with these problems but not making life easy for me, the one who left me alone or what felt like was alone.

 What Happened?

After being kicked out of my parents house, many wrong choices, and taking up an offer to rent with a co-worker, whom I abused drugs with, and her night club bouncer boyfriend I was involved in an automobile accident that nearly cost me my life (although was not my fault).

 Where were You?

Waking up out of a coma many weeks after the accident in my ICU hospital bed. Alive… but immobile, speechless, clinging to life and very, very humbled. I didn’t know what happened to me but i was well aware that i should not have survived it.

 Who Are You?

Saved! Forgiven! Redeemed! Loved Infinitely! Scarred-But with purpose! Anxious-But for the exciting things God is gonna do in my life! Angry-At the devil for telling me lies! Humbled- At the awesomeness of how God would take me, a pathetic loser, and restore my life after what i was doing to destroy it! Grateful for His Grace! Healed! Purpose Driven! Vision Seeking! Jesus Lovin’ Freak!

Who Is He Now?

My Deliverer, Healer, Redeemer, Friend, Refuge, Strength, Forgiver of my sins, Joy, Peace, Lifter of my head, the One who walks with me when i’m in the valleys, Heartache Healer, Giver of the greatest gift, Promise Keeper, Soul Cleanser, my personal I Am, and most of all my Everything. 

     Whew! Well, now you know. If God can do a work in my life anyone else should be a breeze right?! That’s why i loved this video. It’s just a visual of the struggle we don’t see happening but God does. At the same time it’s so truthful about how we at our weak moments look at what the world offers us as a solution for the things we can’t handle. An we weren’t meant to handle anything alone but everything with the Lord.

A Sinner Saved By Grace, Heather T

Embarking on a 40 Day Prayer Challenge January 29, 2008

 

     Here we go embarking on the 40 day prayer challenge together. This ought to be great fun! I’m excited because i know God is gonna do some cool things with us while we commit to changing our habits during that time. Of course we’ll be doing it after that too but the point is to establish this new habit. That habit being agreeing to make time for prayer together a priority for the REST of our lives.     This idea came from my latest great read- Couples Who Pray by husband & wife Squire Rushnell & Louise Duart. It’s brand new and just on shelves at the Christian Bookstores. There are people that i never even realized were Christians sharing about how this challenge chaged their lives, marriage, intimacy, etc. I bet you might recognize some of these names- Denzel & Paulette Washington, Frank & Kathie Lee Gifford, Cristina Ferrare & Tony Thomopoulos, and the list goes on.

     What God did in forty days:

• Noah’s life transformed by forty days of rain
• Moses was transformed by forty days on Mount Sinai
• David was transformed by Goliath’s forty day challenge
• Jesus was empowered by forty days in the wildernesss
• The disciples were transformed by forty days with Jesus, following His resurrection

     I’m sure over the course of the next 40 days we’ll have interesting things to share with you about what’s happening with us.

 

Testimony of Another Life Changed January 27, 2008

     I hope that you will enjoy the sweet tesimony of this young man. I am glad i came across this and wanted to share it with you all as encouragement for yourselves and for those friends, family we all know that are struggling. There’s hope in Christ for all of us in every situation that we find ourselves in. He can take our hurt, tears, struggles, and pain to use them in a way that heals us and Glorifies His Holy Name. The Name above all names- Jesus. Be blessed!

Phillipians 4:13   I can do all things through Christ who strenthens me.

     When i see this i can’t help but think about my big brother. I view him as such a talented person who God has given a musical ability i only wish i could have. Ever since God brought his father & my mother together i have looked up to him. At this time, his life is a mess in so many ways. I try not to look at it and think he’s beyond hope because none of us are. But it’s hard to imagine things being differently some day. My prayer is that God is going to deliver him from the grip Satan has right now. I believe God’s people praying are stronger than Satan’s grasp.  An boy is he ever gonna have a testimony that could draw young & old to Christ. An that’s what this life is all about right?! Please take a quick minute and pray for the Lord to deliver him.

More on Surrender January 27, 2008

Sarasota Bay

     Today Barry & I went out on the boat for fun and fishing, of course. It was chilly but sunny out for the most part. We have started to read Charles Stanley’s Life Principles Daily Bible together. It has a 15 minute daily reading and devotion or discussion that you do. Really neat way to read the Bible in a year and talk about the things were learning together.

     Today was perfect because guess where we started reading… Genesis 1-2  learning about creation. An here we were enjoying all the things God created today while being out on the water. Today’s devotion was on surrender. Ha! When I wrote the first Post yesterday i hadn’t opened this new Bible up or even taken a sneak peek yet. So my writings on surrender weren’t influenced by that reading.

 There are 3 reason’s God seeks our surrender:

1. He loves us and desires our fellowship & worship.

2. He wants our service for Him to be effective and fruitful.

3. He waits for the freedom to bless us.

     “When we surrender to Him, we get all of Him.”  One interesting fact i read was that one of the key reasons most people resist surrender is pride. Imagine that! I confess my big pride has aided in the making of some rather stupid decisions in my life before. I’m sure we all can identify with that! We think somehow our decisions are smarter than consulting with Him and following His lead.

     He tells of how Anne Graham Lotz once told an interviewer about the many trials she had faced over the previous few years- her parents serious illnesses and her son’s battle with cancer. She finally came to the point where all she wanted was Jesus. “Just give me Jesus,” she declared. Lotz realized that if she had a personal relationship with the Saviour that whatever problems she faced He was right there with her and they would face them together.

“Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” Psalm 34:10

Credit to Life Principles Daily Bible; page two.

 

 

How do you swallow a moose? January 25, 2008

Answer: One bite at a time. :O)

     I’m sure you’re dying to know where i came up with that crazy name for a Blog!  Well, i can’t take the credit for myself but Pastor Craig Groeschel made that remark in his book “Chazown.” Chazown- from the Hebrew, meaning a dream, revelation or vision.

     This reference (moose swallowing) came from a section of his book on goal setting. Groeshel tells how God leads us to His Chazown exactly at the pace at which we grow and learn. And He guides us by baby steps that lead us to His dream.  He says it’s best to set short term goals so that He can give you long-term victories. He goes on to say the path to long term victory is a result of lots of minutes and hours seeking and obeying God.  Continually consulting with God about every step.

     This leads me to tell you a bit about myself and what i’m up to with this blogging thingy…..

     As i made the decision to start a blog i asked God to help me select a name- something catchy, Heather-like, and that was an attention getter. Although i’m not exactly sure this is what He had in mind I had to make a quick decision and so i chose this Swallowing A Moose deal. At least until He shows me another name. In my search for names i somehow wound up in my beloved Thesaurus at the word success/ successful. 

Success- fruitful, rewarding, victorious.

      True success from the Lord is about surrender, surrender, surrender (which happened to be the word to the right of success). Surrendering everything! I mean everything to Him for His desires and purposes. Success isn’t measured by what you tangibly have or who you are in the world but who you are in Christ. See without Him we can have good jobs, thriving businesses, fancy cars, big houses, highly subscribed to blogs, and things, things, things but what good are they unless He’s got a purpose for them. An i don’t mean to live in, ride in. But used for Him in a way that will bring Glory, the lost or satisfaction to Him.

     What’s the point of this particular Post you ask? Well, goal #1 is that i am surrendering the blog, this blog, to the Lord. It’s His blog i’m just filling the space as He leads or inspires me.  An i wanted to publicly announce that because the next chapter in the Chazown book talks about accountability. So now i’m accountable because you know!

Things to pray for:

• More Goals
• Inspiration
• A new & purposeful name

Thanks for reading and welcome to the new blog!