SO. MUCH. CHANGE. You may be asking- "Heather, why are you doing this to us???" Although you don't yet know what I'm doing to you, here it is...
This blog is moving. Again. I have made my final decision to move all my blogging to The Things That Make Us Tick, formerly a blog that my teammate KC and I blogged at for Navigators related things, but now a blog dedicated not only to Navs stuff, but also my ramblings that normally happen here, as well as a bunch of new guest blogging! I'm super excited to get started with the new direction of this blog! I have transferred over a bunch of my old posts from this blog to the new one... so you'll find old stuff and new stuff!
So, you can take this puppy off your favs, and just follow The Things That Make Us Tick. It will be much easier for all of us. Let's be real... I never knew which one to blog on and you probably never knew which one to read. Three cheers for simplicity!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Better, not bitter
Today I was talking with a dear old [and in some ways new] friend, and we got to talking about the past. About the way things had been, things that were said, things that were done [or not done]. We talked about how we view ourselves and how others view us and why things happened the way the did. We mourned our losses and chalked so much up to "it is what it is." And in the end, this is what we concluded: we cannot become bitter.
Even when we are tempted to hold onto our hurts and our failures. Even when it feels good to hold a grudge or get revenge. Even when we feel justified in our pain. We have to choose to walk away with the lessons, the learning, the growth, and leave the bitterness and "justified" hurt behind. God has so much bigger things for us when we are free to fully love and invest, and that can't come out of bitterness. It has to come out of a place of acceptance, forgiveness, and security in Christ.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Change
So you may have noticed that I moved my wordpress blog, The Unfolding, to blogspot! That's right... although I loved the sleek look of wordpress, it just wasn't as convenient to update... so now everything is all in one place.
Including posts from back in 2009... when I was a Sophomore in college.
So some of the stuff is pretty dumb. And embarrassing. And I was going to start fresh, delete my past posts, and move forward. But you know what? I've decided not to. Because it's that old stuff, that stuff from my past, that has played a part in getting me to where I'm at now. Because that's how this life works... we change, we grow, we adapt and evolve, and thank God we don't stay the same! So here's to embracing the past, saying "thank you" to the experiences (good AND bad) that have shaped us, and letting others see our journey. Here's to change!
Including posts from back in 2009... when I was a Sophomore in college.
So some of the stuff is pretty dumb. And embarrassing. And I was going to start fresh, delete my past posts, and move forward. But you know what? I've decided not to. Because it's that old stuff, that stuff from my past, that has played a part in getting me to where I'm at now. Because that's how this life works... we change, we grow, we adapt and evolve, and thank God we don't stay the same! So here's to embracing the past, saying "thank you" to the experiences (good AND bad) that have shaped us, and letting others see our journey. Here's to change!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Wisdom From Others: Thoughts on Marriage
A few months ago I spent some time over at resolved2worship. I was immensely encouraged and challenged by this blog... reading about Alyssa and her husband's real-life love story here. [Warning- it's LONG- as in 12-parts-plus-some long, but oh so wonderful!]
The story speaks of trust, fear of man, parenting, faith, communication, believing lies, hearing from God, keeping Christ at the center, God's love, and ultimately His redemption and sovereignty. It includes lots and lots of pain, but also so much beauty in the restoration that Jesus brings to their family [they have 8 adorable kiddos, by the way].
So after reading the story in its entirety, I wanted to share some of the wisdom about marriage, relationships, and life that I took away from it [all that follows is written by Alyssa from resolved2worship.]
_________
The number one purpose of marriage is to conform us into the image of Christ.
What is the image of Christ? I think it can best be summed up in three words: unconditional love, mercy, and grace.
So the questions are. . .
Because God's greatest desire for a couple, and in marriage, is not compatibility or like-mindedness or perfect one-ness. His greatest desire is that we be conformed to the image of Christ. We are conformed to His image not by living with a perfectly compatible, unfailing, deserving mate. We are conformed to His image by being married to an incompatible, failing, undeserving mate.
_________
It is really okay if your heart gets involved and then God sends red flags and tells you to turn around, or cut it off. It might be very hard, and it might be painful. God tells us there could be heart break in relationships. So trying to avoid heart break in a [relationship] can be trying to play God.
God's Word says trials build us. If you go through a difficult, heart breaking relationship, that is God's love for you. Let it take you to the cross, grow you up and prepare you for the relationship that does end in marriage.
_________
You want a guy who pulls you closer to Jesus, not a guy who just pulls out the flesh in you. Ask yourself when you're with a guy, "Do I grow in my walk with God when I'm with him, or is it all just fleshly attraction? Does this guy pull Christ out of me, or pull out my flesh?
_________
The best preparation for marriage? The best "system?"
Real and deep communion with Jesus Christ that penetrates past all externals - a relationship with Him that is greater than any fluffy methods promising less broken hearts and more physical "purity." If you are in real communion with Jesus Christ, it's a relationship that cuts deep to the heart, where true purity either is, or isn't.
The story speaks of trust, fear of man, parenting, faith, communication, believing lies, hearing from God, keeping Christ at the center, God's love, and ultimately His redemption and sovereignty. It includes lots and lots of pain, but also so much beauty in the restoration that Jesus brings to their family [they have 8 adorable kiddos, by the way].
So after reading the story in its entirety, I wanted to share some of the wisdom about marriage, relationships, and life that I took away from it [all that follows is written by Alyssa from resolved2worship.]
_________
The number one purpose of marriage is to conform us into the image of Christ.
What is the image of Christ? I think it can best be summed up in three words: unconditional love, mercy, and grace.
So the questions are. . .
- "How would you ever learn unconditional love if you married someone who met all of your "conditions?"
- "How would you ever learn mercy if you were married to someone who never sinned against you?"
- "How would you ever learn grace if you were married to someone who was always deserving of all good things?"
Because God's greatest desire for a couple, and in marriage, is not compatibility or like-mindedness or perfect one-ness. His greatest desire is that we be conformed to the image of Christ. We are conformed to His image not by living with a perfectly compatible, unfailing, deserving mate. We are conformed to His image by being married to an incompatible, failing, undeserving mate.
_________
It is really okay if your heart gets involved and then God sends red flags and tells you to turn around, or cut it off. It might be very hard, and it might be painful. God tells us there could be heart break in relationships. So trying to avoid heart break in a [relationship] can be trying to play God.
God's Word says trials build us. If you go through a difficult, heart breaking relationship, that is God's love for you. Let it take you to the cross, grow you up and prepare you for the relationship that does end in marriage.
_________
You want a guy who pulls you closer to Jesus, not a guy who just pulls out the flesh in you. Ask yourself when you're with a guy, "Do I grow in my walk with God when I'm with him, or is it all just fleshly attraction? Does this guy pull Christ out of me, or pull out my flesh?
_________
The best preparation for marriage? The best "system?"
Real and deep communion with Jesus Christ that penetrates past all externals - a relationship with Him that is greater than any fluffy methods promising less broken hearts and more physical "purity." If you are in real communion with Jesus Christ, it's a relationship that cuts deep to the heart, where true purity either is, or isn't.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
It's the Little Things
I've been moved into my current home for a week and a half now... and I'm loving it! My room feels so homey, and I've been realizing that it's the culmination of so many "little things." You know, the little touches that you might not notice at first glance, but when there are many of them together all in one room it just seems to fit. So I thought I'd share with you all some of my favorite little things in my room. Enjoy! :)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
REcover//REstyle
This weekend I got to feeling a little crafty. A little fabric and Mod Podge always solves that, right? :) So I went down to the craft shelves in the basement and scrounged up some scrap fabric and Mod Podge, grabbed my Bible and an old office chair, and got to work! [Sorry for the poor photo quality of my phone as well as the lack of before/process pics!]
To cover my Bible, I simply painted a medium layer of Mod Podge onto the cover and placed the fabric over that, wrapping the fabric around the edges and cutting out spaces for the binding and elastic band to still fit around the book. Easy peasy!
To cover the chair, I unscrewed the back and just placed the fabric around the old stuff, taped it in the back (shhhh, don't tell anyone!) and then screwed the back back on. For the seat portion, there was a way on the bottom of the chair to loosen the cushion, so I simply loosened it and tucked the fabric underneath then tightened it. I LOVE a sewing-free project! :)
Both pieces got NEW life from these simple improvements. Plus, my Bible's spine was falling apart and this solved that problem, while enhancing the beauty of it as well! Hope you are inspired to go recover and restyle something of your own! Happy crafting!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Thoughts on Theology
So this summer I've been doing a lot of writing over at The Things That Make Us Tick. And it's been pretty great. But sometimes I just need a place to share more personal stuff, stuff that doesn't necessarily have to do with EDGE Corps or the Navigators or support raising, or any of that.
Lately God has been working on my theology. Which is a tricky thing to do with a girl who has a past aversion to theology, doctrine, and the like, mainly due to the fact that these things are so often linked with debate and arguments... and ultimately competition (another one of those things that this girl has an aversion to).
But theology doesn't have to be linked with those things, because really, all it is is the study of the nature of God.
And I guess as far as recording here for you all how God has been changing my theology, I don't really have the words. I just know that it's been good and difficult all at the same time. And that as He's doing it I'm getting closer to knowing who He truly is, getting closer to the truth.
So I'm going to leave you all with this to listen to if you'd like... some teachings about decision-making and the will of God that I have really been digging. Careful, they might mess with your theology. ;)
Lately God has been working on my theology. Which is a tricky thing to do with a girl who has a past aversion to theology, doctrine, and the like, mainly due to the fact that these things are so often linked with debate and arguments... and ultimately competition (another one of those things that this girl has an aversion to).
But theology doesn't have to be linked with those things, because really, all it is is the study of the nature of God.
And I guess as far as recording here for you all how God has been changing my theology, I don't really have the words. I just know that it's been good and difficult all at the same time. And that as He's doing it I'm getting closer to knowing who He truly is, getting closer to the truth.
So I'm going to leave you all with this to listen to if you'd like... some teachings about decision-making and the will of God that I have really been digging. Careful, they might mess with your theology. ;)
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