Snow

God made my day today. It snowed. There was something wonderful about walking aimlessly across campus, with huge, fluffy flakes drifting down on my head. I love the feeling on my cheeks that comes from the special coldness that snow brings! I was thinking of the verse "Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). That's what happened to me this morning. It was a normal day. I woke up, and ate breakfast and was doing school work. My head ached a little, and I was tired. My stomach didn't feel too great either. I could have found anything to complain about. But when the snow started to drift down to the ground, I found something to be excited about. God changed my attitude, and made it as white as snow. Sure, I have lots of homework, but why should I complain about it? It snowed! God cares about me so much that he gave me one of my favorite things to spice up an otherwise ordinary and uninteresting day. Isn't God good? He knows just how to make our days special, despite all the cares and problems that Satan wants to force on us. Today, think about the ways God has blessed you. Ignore the lies Satan tells. Don't let him distract you from the special things God has in store for you. Let God make you whiter than snow!

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.