Testimony-Accepting Jesus as my Savior

Jesus lives inside of me.
The bench in the front of the church was my goal.
I wished I was already there. The snickers and giggling next to me and down our pew were intimidating and causing me stress.
 My face was red. I could feel it burning up, from nervousness.
All I had to do was act cool and remain in my seat like my peers, but I knew I couldn’t. I felt like I had to stand and go forward. I was being called.
This was supernatural. My heart was pounding. I knew that I needed Jesus in my life immediately.
I was at a Vacation Bible School. I was ten, and I was holding back tears. I would never allow myself to cry in front of anyone. I didn’t want to. Why was it happening? I tried to control it, but once I started walking, the tears flowed.

I felt such relief looking into the pastors’ face, and telling him that I wanted Jesus to come into my heart.
I felt victorious. I had done what I was supposed to do and I was not ashamed.
I had surrendered to God’s call.
I didn’t let peer pressure get to me. I felt changed. And I was.
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10

Faith comes from God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2: 8-10)

As soon as I got home that day I excitedly shared this with my mom. I was smiling at her, and she was not smiling back.
I was confused, she was upset. She was upset at me for, “buying into emotions.” She told me that I was already saved.
 I asked her, “When? Why don’t I remember?”
 She said she didn’t know for sure, but she thought I accepted Jesus at age 3, then again, at  6 or 7. This was after she converted to Protestantism from Catholicism. 

 Then, I faintly remembered an incident at one of the churches we visited, as my mom was looking for the right church for us. It was in a small dark room, with a Sunday school teacher, and two other kids. I didn’t really understand what I was doing. I was handed a booklet after I repeated a prayer, and congratulated.

My mom had just told me that I had been misled. Confusion and sorrow overtook the joyful exuberance that I‘d felt since surrendering my life to Jesus
.
I had forgotten that I’d done it before, because this was an experience. I was let down- discouraged that my mom wasn’t proud of my decision. I decided then that I wouldn’t be so easily swayed and expose my feelings.
The pastor of the church asked me into his office the next day. He asked me if something was wrong. I told him about my mom's reaction.
I was surprised to see him at our door that afternoon. He talked to my mom privately. After he left she apologized to me.
She told me that she had misunderstood. She was merely being cautious of other churches, as there were many denominations, and she was in the process of figuring out which church was truly Bible based.
Jesus has been with me since that day- living inside of me, and He will never leave me.
“Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Deut.31:6, Joshua 1:5b, Hebrews 13:5b).

It has been thirty-one years since that day and for the past ten years I have been privileged to be involved in my church’s Vacation Bible School.
It is such a rewarding time teaching precious children and witnessing changed lives, as some come to accept Jesus as their Savior. It is a big party-like atmosphere, and the adults and teens involved prepare themselves with lots of prayer and planning so that things go smoothly.
My pastor calls it Very Big Deal (VBS). When a soul is saved it is the biggest thing ever.
The most important thing in life.
It is a matter of life or death.

The Much awaited for, and sought after: French Loaves!

Simple and Delicious

 Everyone needs home-made French Bread at least once a week.

Try different size loaves.

 smaller = crustier   Larger=fluffier
2 Tbsp. (2 packets)  active dry yeast
2 c. very warm water
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp.sugar
5-51/2 c. flour (i use all purpose, can also use bread flour)
1 tsp. cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in large bowl of water. (yeast first, then water, don't stir)
Add salt, sugar, and 2 c. flour.
Beat til smooth.
Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Stir after each cup or so.
Turn onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. 6-8 min.
Place in an oiled (vege. or olive oil) bowl, turning to cover w oil.
Cover w towel and let rise (about an hour)
Preheat oven to 450.
Punch down. Divide into 2 long loaves. or various sizes.
Roll between hands, and lightly pull to shape.
Place on greased cookie sheet.
(i like seam side up, bc i like the cracks) If desire smoothness than seam side down.
(my fav. part) Make 4 or so slashes w sharp knife across top.
Sprinkle w cornmeal. Bake 15-20 mins at 450. 
your welcome ; )

Celebrating God

My last post explained reasons why i choose the name 'Heather Has Hope' for my Blog. Soon i will be posting some excerpts from the not only unfinished, but probably, never to be finished, book i attempted to write last winter.
This isn't negativity nor is it self esteem issues.
It is just a factual realization that i don't have a desire to finish it, nor a leading of God's Spirit.
 Instead, i have a desire and leading of God's Spirit to Post on my Blog! Hence the new blog idea.


I had decided to enter a book writing contest last Oct. (2010). It was an exciting adventure, as I'd never written a book before. Other reasons for my excitement were: 
#1. God's apparent leading
#2 There was a time-frame (great for procrastinators)
#3 The time-frame was short ( a book could possibly get written soon!) (don't know why parts are highlighted; tryed to undo) (i had 3 months to submit it to the contest)
#4 i'm an artistic type (altho i haven't allowed myself to spend much time pursuing art or creative outlets since college days).It was good for me to attempt the contest, because: 
#1 i believe i was being obedient to God's purposes for me at the time.
#2 Creative writing produces contentment and Joy in me.
#3 It is good to have records of God's working in our lives.
#4 It is good to contemplate where we've been, what and how we've learned and grown in obedience and trust in God.
#5 Imagining smiles and laughter gives me Joy.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.Romans 15:13

Reason for My Hope

In the spring of 2006 I was planning a family vacation. Over the phone a travel agent asked me, if it wasn't too private a matter, if I would tell her the reason for my hope.

My email address at the time: HeatherHasHope@...piqued her curiousity.

I told her.

In 2000 my mother was diagnosed with cancer.
 My hope was that God would heal her.

My God is the Almighty, Jehovah-Rapha-the Lord who heals.
God is also the Alpha and Omega- the first and the last
 Elohim- the Creator
El Elyon- God Most High
El Shaddai- the All Sufficient One
His Name, Jesus, is the only one able to save

Jehovah Rapha is also my Mother's God 

She passed away June 2004

I was shocked.
 I thought God would heal her.

I knew He could.

I knew she was a Blessing to many.

I prayed that he would bring Good, out of bad.
God does that.

I prayed that many would place their Faith in Him,
after witnessing a Miracle in my Mom's Healing. (That happens too)

I Cryed Out to my God,  Jehovah-Rapha,
for my mother's complete healing, and consequently, the saving of many, as I hoped and trusted many souls would commit to Jesus after witnessing my mom's miraculous healing.

God chose not to heal her.
I was angry.

My Faith remained.
I still Believed.

I didn't like God's decision,
but  I accepted it.

I Held on to the Facts,
What I Knew to be True
about God

I was bewildered for a bit.

I  Kept Praying and Reading God's Word.

He sustained me.

He is the Comforter.
He binds up the broken hearted.

I don't know Why
God didn't Heal my Mother.
But I Know God is Good.

God loves us more than we can Imagine!
God gives us free will.

The first people created, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God as they disobeyed Him, wanting and choosing their own way.

They chose life apart from God.

Disobedience is called sin.
Sin entered the world.
Sin separated them from God, bc God is HOLY.

sickness, weakness, loneliness, depression, disease, sadness, suffering, abuse, violence, old age, death.
These were not God's plan.

God gives us free will.

God is Almighty  God is Love 

 God is 3 Persons in One: The Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. All 3 make up God. (this is called the trinity of God)

God made a Way
Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life~ No-one comes to the Father except through Him. John14:6

Death is the punishment for sin.
We each must die.

Jesus was/is without sin. Jesus never sinned. bc He is part of the Trinity of God. Perfect, Holy.

Jesus paid for our sins, by  
 dying for us, bc He loves us.
Jesus paid our penalty, our sin debt.
Bc He loves us. God desires Relationship with us.
Sin separates us from God.

Jesus made the only way for reconciliation.
Jesus died on the cross,taking the punishment for our sins, and after 3 days rose back to life,conquering sin and death, so that we can be Forgiven and live forever with Him in Heaven. John1:29
God has given us Free will.
Choice.
We each have to make the choice
of Believing in the Truth of God's Word,
 Confessing our sin(that we admit we are sinners, and can only be forgiven by acknowledging that Jesus has paid for our sins,by sacrificing Himself, dying on a cross) and  Accepting His Sacrifice.
Romans 10:9,  John1:12, John 3:1,
God then gives us a new heart.
Not just changing our hearts, but actually giving us new hearts.
God's Holy Spirit lives in Christian's hearts. He guides us and counselors us into all truth. John 14:26, 15:26, 16:12-
Hebrews 13:5 God will never leave you, nor forsake you.

This is the reason for my hope.
I am Saved, by Grace, in Christ.
My Home is in Heaven.
I know where I'm going when I die,
and it's Good.
I will be with God
I will spend Eternity in Heaven. John14:1
(If the prospect of this doesn't excite you, then you need to learn more about God, Eternity and Heaven)

I know my mother and father are in Heaven.
I know God is in control.
God is Indescribable.
That is my Hope, my Blessed assurance,
Do you have Hope?
(a note about loss)
Grief is necessary. God made us emotional people, and we need to grieve our losses.
This takes time. We need to just allow the process (which is different for everyone) to happen.
I can't imagine how difficult it is for people without hope in Jesus.
I  can Trust  God  bc I know  God.
I know what God says about Himself in His Holy Word, the Bible.
Bc i read, meditate on and study it
Can you trust a stranger? well sure, if you want to. But, you can't really trust who they say they are, or what they will do, if you don't know the person.
This is why it's so Important to get to know God.
He gave us His Word, the Bible, to read, so we can get to know Him. We need to Know God, so we can Trust God and Love God.
The Bible says Faith is from God.

We can believe in Him and place our Faith in Him, without knowing about Him.
God gives us Faith.  
"If my mind is the size of a soda can and God is the size of all the oceans, it would be stupid for me to say He is only the small amount of water I can scoop into my little can." Francis Chan




C.S. Lewis says that humans instictively know that the good things in life are supposed to exist, while the cruel, painful things are not.


Good things: Amazing Beauty and Perfect Order of Nature,

A baby's smile, home-made bread, children, romance,....

Every day there are millions of good things to notice and Thank God for.

Mini-History lesson on world-famous chemist

 

George Washington Carver was a world-famous chemist who made important agricultural discoveries and inventions. His research on peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other products helped poor southern farmers vary their crops and improve their diets.  He was born into slavery during the Civil War, in the midst of bloody guerrilla warfare in Missouri . A tiny, sickly baby, he was soon orphaned, and his very survival beyond infancy was against the laws of nature.  He once asked God to show him the secrets of the universe. However according to Carver, God started him out with something smaller - the peanut.  His research at the institute resulted in the creation of more than 300 products from peanuts -- products like cooking oil, paint and, yes, peanut butter. In addition, he created more than 100 products from sweet potatoes.  Carver is also responsible for inventing synthetic materials, such as marble and plywood. He even invented the dye which is still used in Crayola Crayons.  He took those secrets and produced hundreds of inventions that are still in use today.
Here are some great quotes by George Washington Carver:

“Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough. Not only have I found that when I talk to the little flower or to the little peanut they will give up their secrets, but I have found that when I silently commune with people they give up their secrets also – if you love them enough.” 

“When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'That knowledge is for me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well George, that's more nearly your size.' And he told me.”

Where there is vision, there is hope.

Sunday Sermon Notes~Sept.4th

God gives us choices, not answers

We determine the answers with our choices

You can live your way,...or...God's way

You can live with God,...or...without God


Spiritual Maturity is knowing I need Jesus every moment-

and pursuing Him.

Jesus is my Pastors crutch
He is a Jesus crutch Christian

I hope to always be a Jesus crutch Christian.

J.C.C's lean on Jesus-He is their crutch
They don't want to walk without Him.

Jesus travels with them, beside them, He is their friend
Jesus is their partner, very real in their lives.

Christianity is not just about destination~ it's a process.
How you travel down the road determines where you'll end up.

For Love to be truly love: Choice must follow
Possibility of Rejection

The world is looking for "the answer"
The world is constantly frustrated
because it wants the answer

Jesus is the answer.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
No- one can come to the Father, except through Him.  (John 14:5-7)

We need to Remain in Him.
The Vine (John 15:4) Remain in me and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

God gave Adam choice
He chose wrongly
He chose separation from God
He chose to die

Death was not God's plan

Death= attack on God's plan

That's the reason why it hurts so much when someone dies.

That's why we're free to be angry and mourn.

Death is the last enemy to be destroyed. (Cor.15:26)

There is Great Power in our choices:
Moses: God removed Moses from Egypt overnight
but it took 40 years to remove Egypt from Moses

Elijah: Had to be humbled before he was usable by God
He became powerless to feed himself
He was fed by birds
He was told to go and ask a widow for her last meal

1 Kings 17:15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. And there was food everyday for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

We want the never-ending jar of flour, and never-ending jug of oil.
We want miracles.
All Elisha had was the power of choice.
He learned to wait upon the Lord.

Gideon: Believed he was the smallest part of the smallest part

God doesn't pick the able, He picks the empty.

Samson: a puppet of his appetites
Lived in his own strength

God lends us His strength, as needed.

Paul: had to become weak before he was strong

In Weakness, we can be filled with God's power.

There are 2 choices: To be full of yourself, or full of God.

The Manna Principle:
Dependency on God

 We need Bread every day
We need water every day

Not just once a week

Not just once a day

We need bread and water all day long.

Jesus is the Bread of life. 


John 6:25, 6:33, 6:35, 6:48, 6:51
Jesus is the Living Water

John 4:14 But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Rev.21:6 It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

Rev.22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.

Rev.22:17"....Whoever is thirsty, let Him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Don't you need to eat more than once a day?
Don't you need water throughout the day?
Lets Partake

We need to sing a love song to Jesus~every hour

(Taken from Pastor Jerry Bowling's sermon Sept. 4,11)

Guest Post :: Shelley Noonan | MODsquad

Guest Post :: Shelley Noonan MODsquad
I stumbled upon a Blog called B'twixt and B'tween. (A tween is a 9-13 yr.old). Shelley Noonan co-authored a Companion Guide to the classic book 'Beautiful Girlhood'; which i purchased for my now 22 yr old; 11 yrs ago. She cherished it, as it was very helpful to her and she passed it on to my now ten yr. old. B'twixt and B'tween is an online group mentoring site, for those going thru this study together. Fun Stuff and Life long bonding, memories and Valuable growth in Godly, Lovely young ladies. Highly recommend! (if you can't do this round maybe some other time).

Sum of Summer

Annabelle's 10th Birthday!

Hiking up Spencers Butte (stop smiling, it says Butte)

Almost at the top

Belle's Fav. place-Barnes and Noble

LEIF OLAF EASTMAN~ JULY 10th 2011~ My First Grandchild

Precious Experience!

Cliff Has been Anticipating Leif!

Add caption

Proud Daddy! Extremely Supportive!

Can't get enough Leif time!

Camping out in a cabin at Loon Lake

Nature Lover

Thanked me numerous times for arranging get-a-way (works tooo Much)

Grandma Linda's kitchen (greenhouse) during remodel

Grandpa Dale and Jacqui

Bethany's 2nd Bday

Brian and Leif~2nd cuzs

I said "Hi Aiden" and Bethany waved for him ; )

Beautiful!

Amazing!

Precious!

Belle's Blackberry Pie

French Loaves

I took pictures bc i intend to repost later w/ recipe.
Bc So Easy and Perfect everytime
and Everyone needs Home made French Bread at least once a week

With Honey!

Belle and BF Sk8 Rink

So alike! Love to read, Imaginative, Smart Cookies! "Playing Princess and Pop Star"