Home Again!

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! I think I write a post like this every time it's almost break time.... I guess I just get hit with the same realization each time. I only have 5.11 days till I get on the plane in Pasco to head home. I am SO excited! Not only have I been away from home and family for a long time, but I've also just finished my first quarter of my first year of college. A lot of stuff has happened, and I just can't wait to be home again. Plus, I hear there's actually snow at home (We haven't been that fortunate here yet). Every once in a while, I get the "butterflies in my stomach" feeling -- I'm headed home! No day has passed this week that I haven't thought about home, and realized how much I can hardly wait to be there! Similarly, we are all headed to our Heavenly home, where we will meet Jesus, and all our friends and family from here on earth. I think that this life here is the most stressful thing we'll have to go through. But it's almost through! I was thinking about Heaven the other day, and realized that I haven't thought about it in a LONG time. Its not something I think about every day, how I can't wait to be there and how wonderful it will be. But with all the pressures of this life, how can we help but think about it! Heaven is our Hope! We know that this too will pass, and we will soon be at peace. Isn't that something important to think about? When was the last time you thought about Heaven? When did you last think of the wonderful promise and hope of eternal life with Jesus?

Appreciation

These are just some thoughts that have been running though my head today. They're a little scrambled, but I hope you can make sense of them. Today was Student Appreciation Day. Staff members went around campus, sporting a balloon, and a grocery bag full of ziplock-bagged cookies. I received one, with an orange (my favorite color) note attached: "It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up." Inside the bag I found a perfect cookie -- Chocolate mint. What a nice way to be appreciated! I know that I don't thank people enough. I hardly ever tell my parents how much I am indebted to them for their training. Who would I be today if they had not followed the Bible example: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it," (Proverbs 22:6 KJV). How often I've felt tormented by evil, but I have the firm training from the hand of God, through my family and it helps me. I don't often think to thank my roommate for all the enjoyment and happiness she brings. I hear of people whose rooming arrangements just didn't work. Praise God, I had the roommate or my choice, my tried and true friend. Even in this Holiday time of Thanksgiving, and Christmas, I don't think to thank God for the peace He brings, and for holding me up. Praise God that I can trust Him! He will take care of my deficiencies, and will also help me do my best. So I only have 13.01 days left till I board my plane for home. I can't tell you how exciting that is! That's something to be appreciative for! But I also have 13.00 days of tests, finals, and deadlines. Shoot, way to take all the fun out of the next few days. But I know I can trust God to take care of me, and to carry me though. That's really something to be thankful for! So what are you thankful for? Who do you appreciate?

Hitting Home

I have a problem with things hitting me. At least today. In Tumbling class, the floor kept on hitting me. Or maybe I was hitting the floor.... Well, either way, I think I was hurt by it more than the floor was by me. I get hit by homework assignments that I forget about or put off. My funny-bone was getting hit during supper (in a figurative way. But that's a good thing). Just now, I went to the bathroom, that the stall door hit my thumb in its closing jaws. I really hope that doesn't turn purple. Then, after I got back to my room, I was getting something out of the fridge and as I shut the door (forgetting that my arm was still in it) I hit my arm. While I was thinking about some of these things hitting me, something else hit me -- a thought. I'm in college. It was kind of one of those thoughts that sent shivers down my spine. My whole life I have wanted to be in college. While doing my 2nd grade school-work at home, I would go out into the living room or my bedroom and pretend that I was a college student, cool enough to do school-work on the couch. I always thought that my life would be "perfect" once I got to college. It's not that I wanted to leave home, it's just that I idealized that future part of my life, and wanted to be there instead of where I was. Now I'm there. That thought really hit home to me as I walked the hallway of my college dorm. God has been blessing me so much more than I deserve. But more often then not, I am too focused on my "to-do list" to think about where He has been leading me. He still tries to guide me softly, as is His way. But sometimes He just hits me with a thought like "Wake up Heather!" He's not rude, but He has a way of getting His point across. He really know's how to hit home. "I'm here." That's a thought that is seemingly simply, but ultimately is complex. "What am I doing here?" "Am I making my presence here worth it? Or am I just cumbering the ground?" What can I say to make something like this hit home for you? How has God been leading, and how have you been responding? I guess the main, home-hitting thought I have is this: I am here. Praise God.

Sabbath, September 15

This is a sort of journal entry of yesterday's happenings. God has kept us safe, and has been blessing us. Sabbath, September 15 So for one of the first times in our history as roommates, Sam was up before me this morning. You see, her Mind-clock is set two hours ahead of here -- Minnesota time. I’m set one hour back from here -- Alaska. So she woke up at 6:30 here and said her clock said it was 8:30. I groaned, and said that my clock said it was 5:30. But by the time I woke up again, she had some nice oatmeal and a cup of tea ready. It was so nice! The Fountainview people here got together for Sabbath School this morning. It was wonderful to sing together again! We also had an encouraging conversation about this school year that faces us. Church was nice, and ironically, the offering was for the Alaska Conference. I think the pipe organ is going to take a little bit of getting used to, but it was still beautiful. After lunch, with friends, of rice and curry, we headed to Pioneer Park. They have a little bird aviary, with several species of beautiful birds, including several different types of pheasants. There was even what looked like a white peacock! So we all walked around there for a while. Then we found a nice place on the grass, in the shade, and talked for a while. It’s so great to be here with my friends! So far, we have Sam (and her family), Shannon, Heidi, Carmen, Eddy, Kyle (and his family) and me. But more people are supposed to be showing up tomorrow. After we had been at the park for a while, we stood up, sang “Sweet, Sweet Spirit” and “Side by Side,” joined hands and prayed. Then we left, came back to campus. On our way, we saw a layer of clouds, gray with light peach/gold lining. It shone so beautifully, and the sky gave me the impression that there is a fire around here somewhere. The sun, low in the clouds, was red and we could look straight at it. I’ve never seen clouds do this before, but it looked the the sun was casting shadows of the gold-lined clouds on the other clouds behind them. It looked incredible! After supper and stuff, we went to Walmart. It was only a couple miles away! But we spent a few hours in there and got all the stuff we’ll need for a while. Boy, was that an experience... But this whole thing has been a new experience.

Seeds

The other day, we were out weeding our garden. Well, I guess it's not much of a garden. Since we were gone this whole summer, nothing ever got planted since no one would be her to take care of it. But we were weeding out the weeds that were growing. Some of them were at least 5 feet tall. As we waded through the jungle, I stopped suddenly, and scratched my head. "What? Is that spinach? Couldn't be...." But sure enough, there were two full plants of spinach. I went on to clean the leaves off, and harvest the leaves of both plants. While I sat there thinking about those plants, I remembered that last year, we had planted a little spinach. But more than what we planted had come up. We had an overabundance of the plant. Some had seeded from the year before that, supplementing our little patch. Maybe that happened again this year. I was remarkable to think about. Those seeds had somehow managed to survive the winter, then come up this spring without any help or direction. They grew strong, amid the weeds and ended up being a little blessing to me(I happen to love spinach.) God really knew what He was doing when he created seeds. He shaped them to be able to retain their life through the winter, and know when to start growing. He has shaped our hearts that way. All throughout my life, I am planting seeds, whether good or bad. They impact people beyond what I can imagine. Any action I make, or word I speak can lodge itself in someone's mind and start to grow when the time is right. I know that not all my seeds have been healthful. Some of them are weeds, but by God's grace, they can be pulled out. He'll be sure that the good deeds and kind words are "watered" and will grow to change people's lives. He is the Good Gardener. I may not see the results of these things till Heaven, but they still take place. God can use us to bless others, bringing those good seeds to grow. This is how we, as Christians, change lives. I need to remember that. Since I am a representative of God, my actions should produce seed for Him, that will grow to change hearts.

Being Me

I started the morning yesterday with straightened hair, a fancy skirt and complimenting blouse. I wanted to make sure I looked nice for church. I came home later, had dinner with friends, and tried to be as grown-up as I could. I wasn't very enthusiastic about anything, and was mentally snapping at those around me. It wasn't really that great of a day.
One thing I've been thinking about, especially after having just re-read my identity paper is what on earth I'm supposed to do with my life. I kinda want to do this or that, or be like that person, or do something great in this world. But I'm beginning to realize something. (And I say 'beginning' on purpose -- I don't quite think it has fully sunk in yet). All I can do in this life is to be me. God has designed me to work with others, yes, but not to mimic them. He wants my to be uniquely me, because I cannot serve Him better being anyone else.
I ended the day yesterday with wild, dirty hair. I was covered in silt and freezing glacier water. I had built rafts (um, if you can call them that) and played tag. We rolled in the silt, got stuck in it and used it for mosquito dope. I was excited about running around, soaking up the nature around me. We saw dozens of moose tracks, and little bird tracks. It was great to spend time with some of my favorite people in my favorite place. It was a perfect day after all -- I could be me.
Forget all the things this world puts in your shoulders. Don't get me wrong -- church was wonderful that morning and I loved the company of my friends at dinner. But when you are thinking only about yourself and worrying about nonsense, you end up being some worrier who is pretending to be who God made them to be. Try it this week -- see what God has planned for you,, and He will show you how to be you.

Happy Birthday! (One day late)

To my dearest sister: Heidi, It's your birthday. Or it was, yesterday. Even though you are super old now, (hehe), I have only started to realize how wonderful you really are. I can hardly believe that the little baby we took home is already starting to drive! (Scary!) I do remember that red-letter day in May when we drove up to Fairbanks. Mommy was going to loose the bump from her belly, and I was going to gain a dolly to play with. Little did I know that that cute dolly was going to grow up into such a pretty young lady. Sure, we've had a few arguments. And I'm sorry for those, but I praise God that we have had much more happy days and unforgettable memories than sad ones. For instance, all of that horse jumping together. For those of you who didn't know us when we were little, I was the horse. Heidi would set up an obstacle course in our living room, make me a saddle, jump on me and we would thunder over the course, always getting the blue ribbon. We don't do that much anymore, but I'll never forget it. There's so much more to say. We have 14 years of memories between us! But I don't think you want to read this for the next 14 years. Speaking of that, I want you to know how much I look forward to seeing where God leads you in these next years. There's no telling what He'll do for you! I just praise Him that I get to see it. I'll see you soon, birthday girl! Love, Heather

And, Again, I Say 'Rejoice!'

*This is a post I wrote a few weeks ago, but never got to post it*

Ever had one of those "can't stand anyone or anything" kind of days? For me, that was today. I seemed that almost anything anyone said crossed my will or made me mad, in some way or another. I couldn't figure out why some people are so happy -- their smiles drove me nuts! That was when I had to stop and realize what I was doing -- destroying my self, and others. When I thought evil of others, especially those who wanted to try to cheer me, I continued to stew. And stew is an accurate term, as I have watched one too many cook pots boil over while working cafe. Its not a good thing thing! Thn I remembered something I learned last year."Rejoice in the Lord always,and again I say rejoice!"That's not really what I feel like doing, but it cheers me up so much! PraiseGod that he has created a way to help us get over ourselves and our problems and turn to Him! "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4

The Tomato Slicer

We have a campus picnic today. The whole campus has been working hard to make it perfect. I was asked to work in the cafe for an hour to help prepare some of the delicious foods that we will all enjoy in a few hours. I have to say that I wasn't the happiest to be there, but I wanted to help. I started by slicing the tomatoes for the sandwiches. One of the deans, Laurie, helped me. She washed the tomatoes, and cleaned them up for me. I got to use the fancy slicer (like the one in the picture. At first, the tomatoes went through well, then we had a few that got slaughtered. They just wouldn't go through! I never thought that a tomato could be so hard.... Then one of them got stuck. I went to go move it and sliced my finger. I drew it back quickly -- it started bleeding a bunch. I got a bandaid and glove and started slicing again. The tomatoes went through more smoothly than before. Then all of a sudden -- SQUIRT! A tomato didn't go through so well. A spray of juice shot towards Laurie. I felt so bad! She just laughed and replied "It's just the risk of the job!" What a profound statement. We kept on working even though the situation wasn't the best. My finger hurt, and we both got squirted a few more times. But the job had to be done. God asks each of us to do things for Him. It may not be the most pleasant thing, but God has asked us to do it. My work can be such a blessing if I just do my duty! It may hurt, or be messy but I can't let that stop me. I need to keep working. I'll get a reward, later. I can trust God with that part. I'm going to go eat some tomatoes -- what a great reward!

Melted

I love snow. And for the last few months here, every time it snowed I got really excited. I would walk down to the school building, taking in the beauty.
Then, as the day went on, I would look outside as the day went on and would be disappointed as the sun melted the snow. The water would run down the road. Nothing could be done about it either. There went the beauty, or so I thought.
As I trudged up the Whistling Winds' trail, I stared at my feet. The ground was now brown and mushy, where before it had been nice and snowy. But what was that? A piece of green? I looked around at the hillside around me, and there was grass -- green grass! It was growing up where the snow had been. The spring could only come after the winter.
Sometimes, in our lives, God will allow something that we think is our favorite thing to disappear, only so that He can give us something better. "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose." The grass wouldn't have been able to grow so quickly unless the snow had been there. At first, the melted snow seemed like a bad thing, but God changed it to good.
Sometimes my heart is cold, and I'm ok with that. I like looking at myself, and forgetting about others. Then I feel the heat of the Son on me, and I cringe. But when I open up my heart to what Jesus is trying to teach me, He will let His goodness seep into my heart. Only then can the grass send up its green shoots, which will end in the harvest. But first, I have to be melted.

Hymn 190

In Physics class, we always start out singing a hymn. One day someone suggested "Hey, let's sing 190!"
"No!" chorused the reply when people saw the what 190 was. Jesus Love Me.
As a little kid, that song was the one we always sang. Soon, it because the symbol of childhood. When I decided that I was an adult, that song became "unfashionable." That song quickly became one of the "oh, that's a little kids songs" that I sang only because there were toddlers in church, or because my mom made me.
It's been a few years since then. I've sang that song every once in a while. I smile at the little kids toddling up to the front of church for Children's Story while that song is tinkling in the background. I've realized it's not such an awful song. To the contrary, I've realized how awe-inspiring it really is.
"Jesus Loves me! this I know for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, They are weak, but He is strong." I feel weak. I am just not strong enough to conquer my temptations, to give them all to Jesus. But that's OK, because He is strong. He can cover my weakness!
"Jesus loves me! He who died, Heaven's gates to open wide. He will wash away my sin, let His little child come in." Isn't it incredible! He died, and washes away my sins so I can go to heaven.
"Jesus take this heart of mine, make it pure and wholly Thine. On the cross You died for me, I will love and live for Thee."
That is my prayer, that He will take my heart and make it pure. I surrender it to Him!

He's coming!

I have been so blessed this week. The other day, I was talking to my mom and she said that she was going to come up and visit me. Next Week! It was such a blessing and has taken my mind off of many of my problems. It is so exciting to anticipate the amazing time we will have together.
It made me think about the coming of the Lord. He is coming. Soon! And how exciting is it to think about what is going to happen when He comes. So much more exciting than spending just a week and a half with my mom, I'll be able to spend eternity with the host of saved saints, and most importantly, my Lord.
In orchestra, we have been practicing a lot of songs about the second coming. "Don't you see my Jesus coming? With ten thousand angels round Him, How do they my Jesus crowd! I'm bound for the kingdom, will you go to glory with me? Hallelujah! O praise ye the Lord!"

Back at Last!

At 12:16 AM, Tuesday, February 14, we got back to School from our 2 week long evangelism trip to Las Vegas. It was an amazing opportunity to share our music and to connect as a school. There were to many neat experiences and blessings to be able to name! But despite all the fun we had, there was nothing quite like coming back to school. In last two days, we spent about 24 hours on the buses, northward bound. I don't really mind long bus trips, but that was a bit too long. So when we got here, even though I was half asleep, I was so excited! A real bed! Good water! What a privilege!
As I lay in my bed last night, I couldn't help but think "Ahhh. This is so nice!" It was almost too comfortable -- it took me quite some time to actually fall asleep!
We are going home, and what a blessing to be able to rest after this most epic evangelism trip. We have been sharing our faith in Jesus all our lives, and now we get to be brought home to Him. It has been a long trip, and we are all so tired. I can just imagine sitting in Heaven, soaking up the reality. "My body is perfect -- no blemishes! I don't have to worry about sin, and the effects it has on me -- that's all taken away! Praise the Lord! I'm here, with Jesus!"
God has so much in store for us, more than we can ever imagine. Sometimes I think that there are things that I will miss when I get to heaven, but I have the assurance that what God has planned is even better than everything here. We won't even miss those things. Praise the Lord for that blessed hope. We will soon be in Heaven, at last!

Hoover Dam

The other day we took a field trip to the Hoover dam. It was so neat to go inside the actual structure, to see the electricity generators and learn about the history. People used the water, that once caused much harm, to benefit people all around the area by creating electricity and providing water for irrigation. There were so many details that I would never have been able to notice if I were in charge of building that thing. For example, they ran cold water through the cement as it hardened to help speed up the process.
But God is building an even more impressive structure, your character. There are so many intricate details that make up who you really are. He works every detail, person, and experience to have a changing impact on who you are. Every single trial and hardship you've ever encountered has changed some aspect of your life. But He promises that He is strong enough to deal with any trial that comes your way. He is working on you, building in you that phenomenal structure, so long as you let Him be the cornerstone. It took 5 years to build the Hoover dam, but your character will take a life time. Remember that your character is the only thing that you can bring with you from this world to the next -- Take the time to build it right. God cares about us, and He knows what he's doing. Trust Him.

Best Birthday Present: Part 2

I know this is delayed, but I decided that I need to keep writing on this. I learned so much from my birthday this year -- It will be one of my favorite birthdays for a long time!
So at 5:00 in the morning, my room mate, Sam, woke me up by jumping on my bed and yelling "Heather! Wake up, it snowed!" I shot out of bed, and groggily ran outside. Sure enough, there was almost 2 inches of snow, covering everything around. There were still snowflakes lazily drifting down. Praise the Lord! He answered my prayers.
I couldn't believe how faithful God is. So many of my friends woke up on Thursday and thought "Hey, look at the snow! Heather's going to be so happy!"
Over steaming cups of hot chocolate, Sam told me of a conversation she had with one of the guys. "I knew it was going to snow." He said. I expected a smart continuation like "They changed the forecast" or "of course, the wind last night rolled the clouds and coldness in." But no. His reply was "We prayed for it."
He knew it was going to snow, because we had been praying for it. What faith! I wish that I had that much faith.
So, the part two to the best birthday present was not only snow, but faith.

The Best Birthday Present: Part 1

Today has been a day of learning and of re-learning. These last couple of weeks, I have been praying to God, asking Him for snow on my birthday. I know it's a small thing, but to me, it was big enough to pray about. To me, my birthday has always been full of fun out in the snow, when it's warm enough. (The day I was born it was -50 F. Not much stuff going on outside then.) We had nice weather last week, with temps hoovering around 0 F. The snow reminded me of home, and all I wanted was for it to last until tomorrow.
It didn't. Last night, as I walked up to the dorm, the rain that ran down the road was blurred by the tears that ran down my cheeks. My snow was gone! And it was so close!
As my feet trudged up the hill, my mind tried to wade through the mud of my thoughts. Lord, I know you're heard my prayers. I want to accept your will here! Please encourage me tonight.
Feeling like being solitary, I sat on a couch by myself in worship. I bet the look on my face spelled "bad mood, coming through." A few songs went by before I got the encouragement I had asked for. "Jesus, what a help in sorrows! While the billows o'er me roll. Even when my heart is breaking, He my comfort helps my soul. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end."
Isn't God good? He knew exactly the words I needed to hear. I know that even though my heart is breaking, He will comfort my soul! Even if I don't get snow, I know He loves me, and will bless me.
"For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Phi 4:11 NKJ). I think that Paul, if anyone, had reason to be unhappy with his life, and wonder why God didn't bless him more. But he had learned something. God's blessings don't always come as answers to our wishes. God knows what is good for us. Like a parent encouraging a child to eat broccoli, God will encourage us to trust Him, even though the situation is tough.
Oh the lessons of God's love! He wants to teach me to be happy with the lessons and even the trials that come my way. What an amazing gift God is trying to give me: Contentment. Now that's even better than snow!

The Rock or the Sponge?

The other day, I was talking to a friend about how different people control their anger. He worded it this way: "There are two types of people: Rocks and sponges. Whenever it rains on a rock, the water just bounces right off, without affecting the rock at all. When it rains on a sponge, all the water just gets soaked up. Eventually, when you squeeze the sponge the right way, the water explodes everywhere."
I realized how true that is. I know I tend to be like a sponge. I don't let things just bounce off me. Problems and grudges and sins build up inside until I just can't take it any more. What an unpleasant experience for anyone around me!
I was thinking how unfortunate that is. Why can't God just take away the water? I wouldn't have a problem with that. Doesn't that sound nice? Then I realized just how selfish that would be, for me to deprive God of His means of changing and building my character for His kingdom. God doesn't want me to suffer, but He knows that if I want to be right and ready for His kingdom, I need to get through the trials, with His help.
Later that week, I was sorting carrots (which happens to be a very inspirational task). I was wondering what I, as a Christians, need to be if I can't be a rock or a sponge. Something in between maybe, like coral. The water goes in me, and kinda falls out the other end. I live in the water, but I'm not really affected or changed by it. That didn't really work.
Then all the sudden, I realized what I need to be: a plant. A plant starts as a seed -- kinda hard. It may not seem like its doing any better than a rock. But look at it. It grows! How amazing, that something that should be dead can have life like that!
If a plant goes without water for too long, it won't survive. The rain may seem to pelt the plant and cause it to slouch, but not for long. God uses the water to bring life to the plant, and life to us too. There are cells in the plant that take the water and basically make life-giving oxygen out of it.
Isn't God amazing? When I give Him my trials, He will make them into blessings. If I choose to give Him my life, He will be able to impact others through me. Only when I live like the plant, living to give, will I be able to grow closer to Christ.