Heart in Heaven

NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE

2011-12-08T05:43:00.000-08:00

Will it be possible for individuals in the World, built up so long on consumerism... be able to value their own life differently and therefore live differently?

Does not each man live according to what he values most?

I challenge you today to truly ask yourself: What do I value most in all this world?

Then ask yourself with your answer from up above: Is _____ worth living for?

Maybe you don't know what you value most... or if you value anything.

I encourage you to look at your everyday, what are you doing the most and why are you doing it?

Running, sleeping, working, talking, nothing, television, reading, eating, music, sports, decorating, art, people...

You know... all these things are good things, but none of them are worth living for. They CAN all be done living for something, rather SomeOne greater.

King Solomon searched HIGH and low for life. This wise man claims there is only one answer to a life worth living: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all." Ecclesiastes 12:13

Maybe if you still cannot think of what you value most... maybe you could think about what you would fear loosing.

Do you fear not being able to run anymore?
Do you fear losing your wife and children?
Do you fear not getting enough work?
Do you fear not feeling 'in love' anymore?
Do you fear the future?
Do you fear loneliness?

The Bible reveals to us that JESUS has a promise in HIM and a reason to hope in HIM that defeats every and any worldly fear that you could ever have. He even says that He is more worthy of our lives than our own family members. Average men left work and family IMMEDIATELY to follow Jesus. (The book of Mark shows well the immediate reactions of those who chose to value Christ Jesus the most.) It seems to me that it is rare that many are called 'literally' away from their family... but are we heart-fully and joyfully willing and ready to leave all for Jesus? Do we live our lives in such a way that we are free from this world? Really, perhaps the question is, do we 'trust in God' or do we 'trust in ourselves'.

Not sure about other countries coins and dollars, but I pray, that as people use American money... that when we look closely at the words 'in God we Trust', that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will turn our lives over to God and truly Trust in God and Believe in Jesus who was sent from God the Father, was made man, who suffered and died and was raise again, that we might be like Him in life and death and resurrection, and be with Him forever! Repent and Believe!

pieces

2011-02-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

oh nooorr

love joy

forest light

love light

snow tree

a walk for dreams

2011-01-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

snow guitar

snow joy

joy wonders

joy beyond the road

joy boots

joy... comes in all shapes and sizes

<3

Removed.

2011-01-30T02:25:00.000-08:00

Definition of ABORT according to Merriam Webster Dictionary

intransitive verb

: to bring forth stillborn, nonviable, or premature offspring

: to become checked in development so as to degenerate or remain rudimentary

: to terminate a procedure prematurely abort due to mechanical difficulties>

transitive verb

a : to induce the abortion of or give birth to prematurely b : to terminate the pregnancy of before term

a : to terminate prematurely : cancel b : to stop in the early stages

— abort·er noun

Synonyms: abandon, cancel, call, call off, cry off, drop, recall, repeal, rescind, revoke, scrap, scrub

Antonyms: continue, keep

Where do their little bodies go?

Who buries the children aborted?

Where are their graves?

Crushed, murdered, removed and thrown away into the trash are the aborted children.

Oh merciful Father, how unspeakable!

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:14

Please heal this land O God. Please heal this land O God. Please SAVE mothers and children, fathers and abortionists. PLEASE SAVE SOULS!

Please win this battle, Conqueror King Jesus!

Your Presence Is JOY

2011-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

Your Presence is Joy, O Lord My God.

How I long to be in the courts of my Living God.

To gaze upon Your Beauty.

To behold You.

To see You face to face.

You are all I want.

You are all I desire.

You're Beautiful.

You're the most Beautiful in all existence.

I just want to be near You forever.

Oh for the day when the trials of fighting my selfish sin are over. And the Evil one is under Your feet forever. Oh come Lord Jesus. Come, in all Your radiance and glory. I can't wait to hug You! You are what life is all about. You are LIFE itself. :) And that makes my heart fill with joy of You.

Love You, can't wait to see You,
Love SarBear

Still, my Soul be Still

2011-01-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

Be Still Sarah.
Be Still Sarah.

Do not run.

I AM here and you are here, we are here together, just be with Me.
Still, just be still. Do not Run Sarah. God spoke this to me this morning... But I would not Be Still.

My mind did not stop.

So I wrote thoughts down.

Still, the whisper came... Still Sarah, Be Still Sarah.

But, my mind wanderings did not stop.

Eventually it was time to make breakfast for my friends.

During all this restlessness, I was pondering what I would use for a devotional. I was thinking about a Psalm... and I was thinking about "Streams in the Desert".

Go, make breakfast. Go, be faithful with making breakfast... but, when you are done, just Be Still with Me.

Snow had come the night before and our steep driveway was not plowed. I had to call to potentially cancel. While waiting for the plow, I sat. I stilled. And I read Psalm 40 it was encouraging sweet love from God. But, not exactly fitting in my soul for the morning devotional.

Two of my friends unexpectedly showed up even though I warned them of the hill of snow! We talked, we ate... then we read from "Streams in the Desert" for today, even though I did not know what it would be about, smiling from up above, our loving Father knew and planned:

"And the Lord appeared unto Isaac the same night." (Genesis 26:24)

"Appeared the same night," the night on which he went to Beer-sheba. Do you think this revelation was an accident? Do you think the TIME of it was an accident? Do you think it could have happened on any other night as well as this? If so, you are grievously mistaken. Why did it come to Isaac in the night on which he reached Beer-sheba? Because that was the night on which he reached REST. In his old locality, he had been tormented. There had been a whole series of petty quarrels about the possession of paltry wells. There are no worries like LITTLE worries, particularly if there is an accumulation of them. Isaac felt this. Even after the strife was past, the place retained a disagreeable association. He determined to leave. He sought change of scene. He pitched his tent away from the place of former strife. That very night the revelation came. God spoke when there was no inward storm. He could not speak when the mind was fretted; His voice demands the silence of the soul. Only in the HUSH of the spirit could Isaac hear the garments of his God sweep by. His STILL night was his STARRY night. My soul, hast thou pondered these words, "Be still, and know"? In the hour of perturbation, thou canst not hear the answer to thy prayers. How often has the answer seemed to come long after! The heart got no response in the moment of its crying--in its thunder, its earthquake, and its fire. But when the crying ceased, when the stillness fell, when thy hand desisted from knocking on the iron gate, when the interest of OTHER lives broke the tragedy of thine own, then appeared the long-delayed reply. Thou must rest, O soul, if thou wouldst have thy heart's desire. Still the beating of thy pulse of personal care. Hide thy tempest of individual trouble behind the altar of a common tribulation and, that same night, the Lord shall appear to thee. The rainbow shall span the place of the subsiding flood, and in thy stillness thou shall hear the everlasting music.--George Matheson.

Tread in solitude thy pathway,
Quiet heart and undismayed.
Thou shalt know things strange, mysterious,
Which to thee no voice has said.

While the crowd of petty hustlers
Grasps at vain and paltry things,
Thou wilt see a great world rising
Where soft mystic music rings.

Leave the dusty road to others,
Spotless keep thy soul and bright,
As the radiant ocean's surface
When the sun is taking flight.
--(From the German of V.Scholffel) H.F.
When God speaks... When God prompts... if you Listen and Obey you will only find His goodness lingering to fill you up... He only has good in store for you. But, you must Be Still to hear the 'garments of the Lord' as He walks by.

the Healing... the Returning

2011-01-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

A deep wound is not far out of sight from the Heavenly Healer.

In fact, as He knows your wound before you received it.

He gently beckons you to return to Him.

He gently draws near, answering His promise

To heal

And to be there when sorrows come...

This LOVE

Strengthens the joy root.

And in the midst of pain His LOVE is more than enough to see us through and change us "glory unto glory".

Praise be to the Kinsmen Redeemer, God Almighty the Shepherd King.

<3

2010-10-23T09:52:00.001-07:00

where is your home Sarah?

where is your greatest comfort?

where do you rest?

where do you get fed?

where is your greatest joy?

where do you get washed?

where do you gain understanding?

where is your family?

Home is where the heart is, my heart is in Christ. I am lost at sea until I am at home with God my Father.

...where is your home?

2010-10-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

Wind shaking leaves on trees

Dried fire crunching beneath my feet...

Autumn performs the most beautiful music ♥

Swirled with earthbound fragrance of fall decay...

... My heart sinks into the sun heated soil with an over-delighted grin ♥

I M P A C T

2010-04-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had something happen in your life in which your immediate response was something like: 'this changes my whole life, I'm going to live a completely different life now. . . da da da da duh da '

then three weeks later, you are even worse than before the 'life change'.

...

The 'three week' ending does not have to happen.

There are moments, crisis's, tragedies, being at the right place right time's... that stir up revelations in us that don't have to die, the passion may begin to fade, but it does not have to be forgotten nor lose it's significance.

We are all IMPACTED at some point in our life... and often more than once.

Where has the pressure from this IMPACT gone? It was pushing you before and now you feel left with nothing. Well... like a ball... pushed off a hill... it rolls pretty fast at the beginning however it slows down as the IMPACT of the push and the hill fades away. But the ball is still a ball and it's still meant to roll.

How do you keep rolling?

Take time to remember what pushed you off the hill in the first place. Remember the pain even if it hurts. Remember the tears. Remember why it's good now and was bad before. Remember the saving grace of Jesus that made you get on your knees to thank Him. Remember the tears that flowed the sleepless night, but waking up to a new morning. Remember, Remember, Remember the IMPACT.

I long to 'remember' ALL of what Christ did for me on the cross. I long to 'remember' the pain in His face, the crown on His head, the blood pouring down, the sound of the whips slashing His body, the look in His eyes still strong saying 'I love you, this is so I can live with you forever and ever'. Then to also remember the reality of His resurrection, life, a new body with no blemish, stain or bruise. Also, to know His promise, that He will return in glory, with the trumpets of angels and the light of His countenance.

The IMPACT of Jesus alone should send us rolling as if going down a steep hill forever. It is so gracious of Jesus to bless to us with personal IMPACTS that remind us of His promises and what He has done. Often I find personal IMPACTS through personal failure. The Merciful Lord however always comes and sweeps up my dirty mess and cleans me up and prepares me for more.

The time is NOW my family in Christ Jesus. Jesus is coming... how are you IMPACTING those around you?... Go roll into someone:D

Jesus has dedicated Himself to you... How do you dedicate yourself to Him?

less is more

2010-01-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

God is at work...and as I put off more of myself...there will more of HIM. I desire this... less of me...MORE of Him.

God is at work in my life. and I am finding it strange to follow an unknown path.

I am unsure of His plans for me... except that they will be amazing.

I am unsure of myself and only sure of what I am in Christ. my only Constant.

I am unsure of any plans I could have ever made and am trying to rest assured that God knows the plan and even though I don't... goodness will be completed as God desires the goodness to be.

...

'Jesus loves me... this I know... for the Bible tells me so... ' this i know...by this i live... it's all i surely have forever...

praise the Lord... 'blessed assurance, Jesus is mine'.

America Is Sleeping

2009-09-28T06:59:00.001-07:00

Wow America... it really is time to wake up... do you need ice water thrown at you? seriously. are you that blind. stop loving yourselves and see what's really going on in the world... in your neighborhood... right next door.

live to love, love to live

2009-09-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

open your eyes
peel away the lid
you are shutting out the truth

open your mind
think outside the box
there is something more you can do

set your heart free
love the world not just yourself
people need you, even if you don't know it yet

move
move your hands
move your feet

go
go next door, your neighbor would love to receive love
go across the street he sits in his porch chair watching, waiting for you to come

there are people dying and you could be life
go be life to someone today
live to love
love to live
<3

out from His hands...poured unending G R A C E

2009-08-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

He did not force...
He did not punch...
He did not demand...

...that you accept His free gift.

Grace would not do that, nor would His love.

He holds out His gentle hand of love and forgiveness to you...

He will not pull back...it's not a trick.

Accept it.Cherish it. LOVE Him for it.
He is better than good.
He is more than enough.

Reach out to the hand that is out stretched for you...

He is waiting, and He cares.

A Beggars Prayer

2008-12-20T18:24:00.000-08:00

Lord.
I am not good at living to please You... yet I yearn to live a life worthy of You.
It is not right to just remove ourselves from this world... we must be in it in order to make a difference... yet, sometimes the evil and sin of this world is so disgusting that I yearn to run from it all. It is good to run from our own sin and evil that tempts us, yet we must remain in this world to serve God by serving others. Help me then, to always love. To always be giving and serving. Lord give me wisdom to listen with compassion and speak the truth with grace.

O Lord, guard my heart from judging and lead me in good understanding of Your good and perfect ways... teach me to be like You, no matter what it takes.

Lord I pray for a heart of mercy. A servant spirit. And Zeal for the Lord.

You are the Truth. The Life. And the Way.

Take me ever further up and further in... always loving you and never turning back.

In Jesus Blessed Name,
Amen

A life Passion, Mission and Vision

2008-12-02T18:09:00.001-08:00

Lord...

I ask You for a Life Passion...with You at the center and goal...
dear Lord I desire to make You known to the world!

Lord...

I pray for a Life Mission...to serve You better with...
dear Lord... I want to share Your Love with the World!

Lord...

I pray for a Life Vision... to bring your Love...
Oh Lord... by using the many gifts and interests and joys You have blessed me with please help me to use them for the encouragement of the 'body'. Help me to teach others Your Love and grace and mercy... Use me to help them find the gifts You have given them and teach them to find resources in their own town to use their gifts with that they may become self-sustaining.
Pour out from me a light... pointing to Your hope for all Your people

O Lord...
Use me...
Send me...
Help me serve Your people.
Help me to be Your salt, light, and yeast.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

If you have never thought of or prayed for a life passion, mission and vision... I encourage you to seek the Lord for it... and to be open to it being changed throughout your life... for the glory of God!

loving God...loving life

2008-08-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

...some of my favorite things have always been enjoying God's wonderful outdoors
simply walking in fields of long golden grass was completely beautiful to me

but then...
time sped up
days turned to hours
hours turned to minutes
minutes turned to seconds
... time passed me up and I became caught up in the tragedies and disasters of this world.

how do I have both joy for the Lord and a crying heart for this dying world?

Even some people who call themselves "Christians" do not truly love you... isn't it hard enough knowing those who openly deny You?...

the joy is found in the hope of the Lord, for salvation is being worked out this day for many new believers... there is hope for sinners (I know for I am one of them)
if there was no hope there would be no joy
but JOY is in the LORD... Savior of the Universe...KING over all creation
the Lord renews joy in the morning and shows us this day how we must seek Him and share Him

Lord...I did not look in You for joy... forgive me and teach me Your way and Your joy.

Jesus is our supreme example of Joy amidst suffering... He who taught us laughter...also taught us the greatest sacrifice. Joy will always be found in true love for God and His people and His creation.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me... cast me not away from Thy presence O Lord, take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. RESTORE UNTO ME THE JOY OF THY SALVATION" ~Song Create in me a Clean Heart

2008-07-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

pages rip...
life turns over to the next day
candle burns out...
is there time left to tell them
where will the light come from
my heart beats once more...
what will i do with my last breath
what did i do with the millions i had before the last
what am i living for
what is my life telling people
crumbs is what is left of the last piece of bread...
who is going to feed this generation
even though God covers over our failures...
we must chose not to fail
people must know the absolute truth of Jesus Christ.
lets be going and share the Gospel as we have been given it
God has chosen His people to share His goodnews
and God's plans never fail...
so Go and be brave as you go
you will never fail with the Lord on your side

bodyguards

2008-07-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

"they're like bodyguards ...they're always there ...and they're HUGE"
I said...

...as we hiked through the Alps of Switzerland
we always had the weighty presence of these three HUGE mountains
sometimes they were not seen through the clouds
but you knew they were there
other times the clouds ripped away to reveal these mighty
HUGE land forms
which God alone has the power to crash into the sea!

love in a ewwy gewy mess

2008-06-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

as I was working the closing shift tonight at my catering job... I ended up cleaning a 30 pound pile of rice pudding mixed with broken glass, for a friend who dropped a trash bag near a dumpster...she was going to help me clean it...but never came back. As I was cleaning it... I was thinking about how nasty it was... goopy trash mixed with finger slicers.. .nasty but sorta fun in a disgusting and "dangerous" sort of way. I said to myself first more full of spite rather kindness... "yes Julie, I will clean up your ewwy gewy mess for you. I will clean it ...cause I love you...and I would do more for you if you needed me to... I am always here for you."... I thought about Christ...I thought about all the crap He picks up for us...and how He doesn't say anything to us but "I love you"... "I love you so much". That's how His actions speak. That is one way He loves. Christ picks up a lot of our crap... and loves us far beyond all the nasty mess that we trail. May we learn more and more to love like Christ.

eternal goodness

2008-06-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

there is conviction in the heart of a sinner... only a man of great courage and humility recognizes it, pleads for forgiveness, rests all hope in the LORD, and makes way for change.

... what IS this great courage and humility?

It is grace.

Only by the grace of God do we recognize sin and have even the tiniest bit of humility to lay it at His feet and let our lives change in His goodness and mercy.

It may seem that "great courage" here looks weak... as if... this man is giving up... ... but that is just it... he is giving up... he is giving up his "worldly honor" that only fades as the grass withers... he is giving up what he thought was gain... however, as he loses what he once held dear for the sake of Christ... he gains all the more delightment than he has ever known and will ever know! Do you know how much strength that takes? To give yourself up?

... how can you give yourself up today?

Free yourself...and Find yourself in Christ and gain eternal goodness in Him alone. (Actually...we can't free ourselves...ask God to free you :b that's the whole grace factor... ;o) Our God is mighty to save and more than ready to forgive. Go into His wide open arms of freedom and find peace and rest.

Life Among the Dead

2008-05-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Christ Incarnate here on earth today...through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us...

..."on earth as it is in heaven"...

"and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us..."... I will not leave you alone... "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth."

...."I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it."

the Gospel of John ch. 14

What does Christ Incarnate look like?

Sometimes I picture that we are all like dead people. Dead people... walking around without hope. Christ came down from His throne, sent from the Father, and became like us. He entered this world of death and decay and brought LIFE to those He loves. The life He chose to live on this earth was of serving others.

"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45

Ransomed by God who became like us...in order to know us, to be with us, and to save us. To be like Christ...we need to be near to those we are called to help. To reach the least, lost, and last we must live with them, love them, build relationships. Christ listened to those He helped, He asked them questions. They were important to Him. Christ was not just about feeding the hungry and then leaving. No, He took time to ask personal questions and get to know the individual. Be relational. Be like Christ. When Christ Ascended He left with us the Holy Spirit, who dwells in His people. It is through the Holy Spirit blessed by the Father in Heaven that we can live holy lives, Lord teach us to be Christs' hands and feet in our day and age. Give us a servant spirit and a heart of mercy. In Jesus Name, AMEN.

the first thing i learned...

2008-05-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

The first thing I learned even before going to Guatemala... was that ... besides the team I was with...I was still not going alone.

Supported mostly by my home church: Pilgrim OPC I went to Guatemala as a messenger of Christ's love... representing many followers of Christ. Through prayers and financial support I received abundant blessings from many members of the house hold of God in which we are family. Thank you for supporting Christ's mission to Guatemala...thank you for helping to "send me".

On April 13 I wrote in my journal:
"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another..." John 1: 16

I have seen in one way how God connects us to be a blessing through this experience already. Your care, love, and support (both financial and especially prayer) is an overwhelming blessing to me... and (praise God) ultimately for the glory of God! It is the Lord God that we serve and it is His work that we... WE do together. "The body has many parts... all to be used for glorifying God!"...in unity with each other! You have enabled me to serve God overseas...I cannot be thankful enough for you. Oh, how I praise God for you!

I look forward to sharing with you what I learned about serving the Least, Lost and Last.

May the Light of the Lords countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you.

Loves.