As many of you know, I'm trying to find a new-home-church. This has been a very hard task for me; for its the first time I've looked for a new church outside the only one I have ever known. This morning, my friend Matt and I decided to try out Northview Community Church. We parked in the parking lot, next to the big sign that said ,"11:00 Morning Experience". We noticed a few people coming out.. but we still walked in. We saw a whole bunch of people standing in church social circles... and we opened the door to the sanctuary - it was completley black.. no sign of life in the room at all.
It was only 10:50, so we decided to rush to the church we have visited for the past 3 weeks.. and we got in the car, and shockingly got there in 5 minutes (he was driving...). We walked in, a man opened the door for us.. but it was pretty quiet. I figured they started a bit early. And as we walked into the sanctuary, the speaker said, "...and in conclusion..". We sat down for about 10 minutes, and it turns out church had started at 10:00 instead of 11:00 this week. So, I guess Pastors across the state took the day off. It would have been helpful if the man who opened the door for us told us they were almost done.
Christmas was pretty good. I got an iphone! :) Well. I'm off to conquer the world.
See ya!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I realized there was something I've been meaning to blog about all week!
The other day, I went to the Optometrist for my yearly eye-appointment exam. I am never too thrilled about these, because it seems like when he is looking into my eye with that small microsope he holds in his hand.. he is WAY too close to my face. I have to hold myself from laughing (and for those of you who know me, thats not an easy task to do!).
As I walked in today, the secretary was helping an elderly lady try on a pair of glasses. I couldn't help myself when I overheard their conversation about the ladys age. She said, "You know, i'm 99!". I thought to myself... "This lady is 99 and NOT in a nursing home or a wheelchair?? REALLY?". She was such a joyful lady. After she had finished, She looked at her husband (or brother, or friend) and said, "I'm just so thankful I have my helper".
I wonder sometimes if YHWH sees us in that light. When we are near to him, when we NEED him, when we are desperate for his Hesed... if he just wants to hear us say, "I'm so thankful I have my helper".
The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies
-Psalm 118:7
As I walked in today, the secretary was helping an elderly lady try on a pair of glasses. I couldn't help myself when I overheard their conversation about the ladys age. She said, "You know, i'm 99!". I thought to myself... "This lady is 99 and NOT in a nursing home or a wheelchair?? REALLY?". She was such a joyful lady. After she had finished, She looked at her husband (or brother, or friend) and said, "I'm just so thankful I have my helper".
I wonder sometimes if YHWH sees us in that light. When we are near to him, when we NEED him, when we are desperate for his Hesed... if he just wants to hear us say, "I'm so thankful I have my helper".
The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies
-Psalm 118:7
....and...EVEN unto us.
I recently have discovered my dwindling of friends here in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City just... isn't the 'happening place to be' now-a-days. When I was in Highschool... well.. it wasn't too cool then either... but at least I felt like I had friends! All my friends have recently moved away or changed lifestyles... which is practically like moving away. I've "caught up" with the few that live here.. and i don't want to sound dissatisfied, but I just miss all my other friends. It just kind of sucks feeling like at school it's just a glorified, higher-education - highschool.. and coming here and feeling like you don't belong. I guess its just the season bringing me down. Friends, I miss you.
I have begun "church hopping". I have never.. EVER in my life not had a church home - except when I was without a heavenly father. No place has seemed like "home" yet... no group of believers have made me feel welcome (actually, noone who are 'members of a church' have even come up and introduced themselves to me!). I miss Wednesday nights at the Wharf. A challenging message was always presented, and it seemed as if we worked together as the body of Christ (most of the time.. ). That's where most of my friends came from. Perhaps this is why I may be a little down.
On another note, It's almost Christmas.. and... this is the first Christmas I have ever witnessed that is actually somewhat cold, and makes me look festive. You never know what the weather here in Oklahoma will bring, but I do know that my closet has nothing for these 15 degree temperatures! I hope I get a new sweater for Christmas.
This Christmas, I want to share love with someone: a family, a cashier, or a person carrying tons of groceries to their car. I personally don't have the finances currently to allow me to go buy them a huge present (I barely bought my family anything). I do want to share with them that I deeply care about them. I would like to share with them the true meaning of Christmas. Speaking of Which, at Bridgeway a couple Sundays ago, Joel shared this poem.. which warmed my heart and made me want to share the gospel with everyone I knew. Love you all!
Merry Christmas!
Unto us a child is born
unto all of usunto the widow unto the homeless the addict the AIDS patient
unto us the football captain
and the drag queen
unto us the politicianthe factory blue collar us the single mother the crack baby and unto us the affluent suburbanite unto us the goth the hippie the rocker the alternative and undergroundunto us in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue and unto all of us in between unto us in the gutters of Calcuttaunto the Muslim and the Jew the Buddhist the Krishna and the Hindu unto us the fatherless unto the heavenly fatherless For unto us a child is born a son is givenand a secret revolution begun. This is what the prophets had been preparing for.They said his name would be, “Most Beautiful Wisdom”“the Highest of Heaven’s Secrets” his name would be “the God who continually bends over backwards for you” “the God who gets down on his hands and knees” “the God who would become silly and mis-understood”“the God who would be mocked- - the God whose namewould be taken in vain.” He would be called “the God of underdogs”“the God of the powerless and unspiritual”“the God of those who cannot pray or fast” And there would be no end to him and hisunderdog weaklings or their secretthere would be no end evenwhile the nations continue to rage on even as ethnos rises against ethnos even as valleys are filled with dead bones and rivers run with blood even as violence runs through our streets and schools and hearts covering us like a thick fog Even in this dark land of weak people the God who bends over backwards will shine forth like a great light as the dawning of a new day letting his secret spread forth with healing and joy.Drop the mirror and let it shatterCrush the hourglass and stop the clocks ticking stand still hold your breath anticipate—imagine your wildest dreams. Sell everything and buy the farm Come with me, cover your eyes and hold out your hands stop your weepingstop your groans the fast is over. Let the celebration begin the father has come He has sent his son Unto us He has been born even unto us. © 1999 Deeper Living Space
(it was in two-colum format on Microsoft Word... I guess it messed up.. Pardon me!)
Oklahoma City just... isn't the 'happening place to be' now-a-days. When I was in Highschool... well.. it wasn't too cool then either... but at least I felt like I had friends! All my friends have recently moved away or changed lifestyles... which is practically like moving away. I've "caught up" with the few that live here.. and i don't want to sound dissatisfied, but I just miss all my other friends. It just kind of sucks feeling like at school it's just a glorified, higher-education - highschool.. and coming here and feeling like you don't belong. I guess its just the season bringing me down. Friends, I miss you.
I have begun "church hopping". I have never.. EVER in my life not had a church home - except when I was without a heavenly father. No place has seemed like "home" yet... no group of believers have made me feel welcome (actually, noone who are 'members of a church' have even come up and introduced themselves to me!). I miss Wednesday nights at the Wharf. A challenging message was always presented, and it seemed as if we worked together as the body of Christ (most of the time.. ). That's where most of my friends came from. Perhaps this is why I may be a little down.
On another note, It's almost Christmas.. and... this is the first Christmas I have ever witnessed that is actually somewhat cold, and makes me look festive. You never know what the weather here in Oklahoma will bring, but I do know that my closet has nothing for these 15 degree temperatures! I hope I get a new sweater for Christmas.
This Christmas, I want to share love with someone: a family, a cashier, or a person carrying tons of groceries to their car. I personally don't have the finances currently to allow me to go buy them a huge present (I barely bought my family anything). I do want to share with them that I deeply care about them. I would like to share with them the true meaning of Christmas. Speaking of Which, at Bridgeway a couple Sundays ago, Joel shared this poem.. which warmed my heart and made me want to share the gospel with everyone I knew. Love you all!
Merry Christmas!
Unto us a child is born
unto all of usunto the widow unto the homeless the addict the AIDS patient
unto us the football captain
and the drag queen
unto us the politicianthe factory blue collar us the single mother the crack baby and unto us the affluent suburbanite unto us the goth the hippie the rocker the alternative and undergroundunto us in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue and unto all of us in between unto us in the gutters of Calcuttaunto the Muslim and the Jew the Buddhist the Krishna and the Hindu unto us the fatherless unto the heavenly fatherless For unto us a child is born a son is givenand a secret revolution begun. This is what the prophets had been preparing for.They said his name would be, “Most Beautiful Wisdom”“the Highest of Heaven’s Secrets” his name would be “the God who continually bends over backwards for you” “the God who gets down on his hands and knees” “the God who would become silly and mis-understood”“the God who would be mocked- - the God whose namewould be taken in vain.” He would be called “the God of underdogs”“the God of the powerless and unspiritual”“the God of those who cannot pray or fast” And there would be no end to him and hisunderdog weaklings or their secretthere would be no end evenwhile the nations continue to rage on even as ethnos rises against ethnos even as valleys are filled with dead bones and rivers run with blood even as violence runs through our streets and schools and hearts covering us like a thick fog Even in this dark land of weak people the God who bends over backwards will shine forth like a great light as the dawning of a new day letting his secret spread forth with healing and joy.Drop the mirror and let it shatterCrush the hourglass and stop the clocks ticking stand still hold your breath anticipate—imagine your wildest dreams. Sell everything and buy the farm Come with me, cover your eyes and hold out your hands stop your weepingstop your groans the fast is over. Let the celebration begin the father has come He has sent his son Unto us He has been born even unto us. © 1999 Deeper Living Space
(it was in two-colum format on Microsoft Word... I guess it messed up.. Pardon me!)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Dear Websters Dictionary,
I must disagree with you. I looked up the word 'church' in your dictionary today, and was shocked to find seventeen definitions for the word. Are you kidding me, Websters? Not only did I believe that possibly there would be two; maybe three definitions, and not one of them would be right.
Can I please tell you what "church" means? Well, you don't have an option. Church - a group of people who identify themselves as a body of Christ and act as such.
Brothers and Sisters... WE are the church. I don't know why we have gotten church mixed up with a building (definition 2). The building we go to? I do not see it as a church. It is a BUILDING for crying out loud. If you were to tell me that building is the church, that makes me a 2 x 4 and i personally don't think Christ designed me that way.
On Sunday morning, I went to worship with fellow believers in Tulsa, OK. At lunch, Deanna, E-Pot, and myself stopped at Ted's before coming back to Shawnee. We ran into people that we worshiped YHWH with that morning. They said to us, "Well, since we are all family, why don't we take our two tables and put them together?"...
Friends, THIS is what fellowship means. Not your stupid wednesday night dinners that I personally am not going to pay for when you won't even sit with anyone other than your "sunday school class".
Peace,
Heather
Can I please tell you what "church" means? Well, you don't have an option. Church - a group of people who identify themselves as a body of Christ and act as such.
Brothers and Sisters... WE are the church. I don't know why we have gotten church mixed up with a building (definition 2). The building we go to? I do not see it as a church. It is a BUILDING for crying out loud. If you were to tell me that building is the church, that makes me a 2 x 4 and i personally don't think Christ designed me that way.
On Sunday morning, I went to worship with fellow believers in Tulsa, OK. At lunch, Deanna, E-Pot, and myself stopped at Ted's before coming back to Shawnee. We ran into people that we worshiped YHWH with that morning. They said to us, "Well, since we are all family, why don't we take our two tables and put them together?"...
Friends, THIS is what fellowship means. Not your stupid wednesday night dinners that I personally am not going to pay for when you won't even sit with anyone other than your "sunday school class".
Peace,
Heather
Monday, December 1, 2008
Deeper, Deeper, Deeper in love with you...
I don't know what has overcome me. I do know, that I have no idea who this master I serve is.
All my life, this has all been an act, a show. Up until this summer. This summer, I became REAL with myself, with the people I was around... and even the thousands of students I came in contact with. Now, I'm back at school, and the Fall Semester is coming to a close. People are looking at an act.
I began at the age of 13 - reading my bible, and recording my quiet times to go on a mission trip. Are you kidding me? This started my pride. I boasted in the fact that I had a quiet time every day. My mom, every morning would tell me she was so proud of me for my walk with God.
what walk with God?
I want my roots to grow deeper, not wider.
I want to do things to further the kingdom of my father.
not to further my pride.
Father, move in my life, and move like you never have before.
All my life, this has all been an act, a show. Up until this summer. This summer, I became REAL with myself, with the people I was around... and even the thousands of students I came in contact with. Now, I'm back at school, and the Fall Semester is coming to a close. People are looking at an act.
I began at the age of 13 - reading my bible, and recording my quiet times to go on a mission trip. Are you kidding me? This started my pride. I boasted in the fact that I had a quiet time every day. My mom, every morning would tell me she was so proud of me for my walk with God.
what walk with God?
I want my roots to grow deeper, not wider.
I want to do things to further the kingdom of my father.
not to further my pride.
Father, move in my life, and move like you never have before.
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