04.30.2012 Faith May Not Fail

Sitting in the prayer room this morning the worship team began to sing a line that touched my heart. “I have prayed that your faith would not fail.” I was struck with the tenderness of the Lord toward not only Peter but all of us.

The setting was the Last Supper in the upper room. You know, Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, Peter’s objections, as recorded in John 13 and somewhere in the mix of the evening they all had a dispute about who would be the greatest. We really are no different than the first twelve disciples are we!

It was in this context of wondering who was going to be considered the greatest that Jesus spoke to Peter specifically and said in Luke 22:31, 32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Lets consider the word sift. In the Greek it refers to ‘inward agitation to try one’s faith to the verge of overthrow. Anyone able to relate to having enough inward agitation to the verge of overthrow besides me? How about faith in verse 32? Part of the Greek meaning here is “fidelity, faithfulness, the character of one who can be relied on.”

So here we have Jesus giving Peter a heads up that the enemy was going to be showing up to mess with him but He gave the awesome encouragement that He had prayed for him regarding the matter. Jesus had prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail and part of that prayer included the concept that Peter would have the character of one who could be relied on!

I don’t know how this might be striking you but it brought such a comfort to me this morning to know that I am not in this thing alone but I have the Son of God that prays to His Father that my faith might not fail when I am ‘sifted’. I also love that He is the one that sees the beginning to the end. He was not merely seeing Peter’s imminent failure at faithfulness but the Peter who would request to be crucified upside down because he was not worthy to die in the manner of his Lord.

Just looking at this little picture of Peter consider the power of the prayers of Jesus to transform a heart….and be encouraged! He is sitting at the right hand of the Father even now interceding for you. Know that I am also going to incorporate Luke 22:32 in my prayers for you all too! It is a most excellent prayer after all.

04.08.2012 Resurrection Day!

I must say that I was a bit taken aback when I opened up this blog to put in a new post to see that it has been since January since I had written here! I actually found a February note in my draft box, so I went ahead and just posted it too. My goodness, where does time go? Easter Sunday, what a day of promises remembered! I trust this note finds you all well and hanging on tight to His words, both the written and His spoken words that He has whispered in your heart.

This has been an unusually quiet day and it has given me occasion to consider the journey I have been on for the past 37 years, as of the 12th this week. To look back at the different seasons through the years has been a bit breath taking. I even plotted out a time line and kept running out of space! There were several things that arose in my heart within this process but a line from a Kevin Prosch song kept echoing through my head, "...what have I lost?" The premise is that in light of His great love, grace, mercy, provisions...salvation, what have I lost in this life compared to Him? Everything else does pale and fade away when we really look at Him, seeing the fire of love in His eyes. Song of Solomon 7: 10 "I am my Beloved's and His desire is for me." That is true of me and it is just as true for you! I also hit up YouTube for a little Jason Upton this evening and revisited an old friend, the song No Sacrifice. Within the chorus it says, "This is no sacrifice, here's my life." We have probably all heard that 'you can't out give God', and I think that is true. Consider, He gave all of Himself, even unto death on a cross, that we might be with Him where He is. We say we want to be like Him, right? Well, know that it will cost me and you no less than it cost Him: our all. But what an awesome exchange rate!

With that being said, looking back at the journey I have traveled it has been marked by so many ups, downs, victories and many defeats and failures. It is my testimony that He has never left me. On this Easter Sunday I am grateful that He is the God of rescue; the God of my salvation who has given me Life rather than what I deserve. I am thankful for His leadership as He has taken me places that have revealed more of His beauty to my heart. He has brought me to a place where it is not a sacrifice or duty to do life with Jesus but it has become my joy.

Things are well here in KC. I am in full swing with the transcription, which seems to be hand picked by the Father for me each week. Literally by the time I have finished with a CD I have heard it, typed it, read it, listened to it, etc. (you get the picture!) about six times. This is remedial school for Heather because I need it! The word will get in me one way or another. I am serving on three prophecy teams each week, which continues to challenge me and gives such a sweet opportunity to touch the hearts of men and women, young and old from all over the globe. This past month God has made it abundantly clear, i.e. He has been tracking me down like a dog, that I am to be involved with the evangelism department as well as the deliverance training here on base. If I had the time to write out those stories and you had time to read them, you would be laughing as much as I have sensed His laughter about it all! So we will see what that all looks like in the near future!

Blessings and grace to you all as we continue on into the spring!

02.11.2012 "He will make your way straight..."

Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."


"And it feels like coming home, through the dark and in the rain." In the Fall of '08,these were the words being sung as I walked into the prayer room here at IHOP-KC at the start of my first internship. I remember I just starting weeping and didn't know why. It took me some time to get a clue, but I got it! What a journey since that Fall to find my way back here now as staff, on base and plugged in. I am actually astounded at what all has transpired the past weeks since returning from Mom's. What could have been a difficult transition turned out to be nothing more than walking through doors that God prepared for me here. And I could not have imagined what He had come up with! I so appreciate everyone's prayer and encouragement. Some of you have been pressing me forward and encouraging me for years now. Thank you!

So my primary place of service here on the base will be doing transcription for one of the leaders. The most amazing thing is that if/when I need to go and tend to mom, there is a website that the CDs can be downloaded to and I pick them up with the password. If I "want to", I can actually work from mom's. This, in one moment, annihilated my concern/fear of getting established here on base and then having to drop it all to take care of mom. That is no longer an issue and the relief is huge! I would never have imagined this was a possibility in any position on the base. It is glorious! I have also been asked to be on a couple of prophecy teams. I have had a blast on one of those teams already, having opportunity to once again touch the nations one person at a time. This week there were 3 from Russia, one from China, and one from Nairobi. I love this aspect of being here!

Mom actually returned to her home this past Tuesday! Thank you all for your prayers and concerns. David is spending these first few days with her making sure she has everything she needs. Home Health is going to keep her busy as they are continuing physical therapy at home for a while. We really did not know if this would be possible when she got sick in December, so, again, I am pretty amazed at the work of God on our behalf.

Something that struck me last week was how tender the Father is in His dealings with us. Tender: Marked by, responding to, or expressing the softer emotions, showing care, delicate or soft in quality or tone, consideration, regard,

Psalm 25:6 "Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and your lovingkindness, for they are of old."

Colossians 3:12-14 "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness,; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must do. But above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."

Oh that we might be like Him. Thank you all for your friendship, love, prayers and support. You all are a part of everything I do here!

01.18.2012 Seasons and Times

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.

Seasons and times....I have been knit to Ecclesiastes 3 for years, you know, the old school song, "Turn, Turn, Turn", for those older than 20! "A time to be born; a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what has been planted; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to cast away stone and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to sew and a time to tear; a time to keep silence and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace." I don't know why this has always brought me such comfort because in the midst of it there comes questions. I mean is the Word telling us there is a time to hate...when Jesus says to hate your brother is as murder? Ahhh, I think He loves when we have to search out His heart and His secrets! So I won't even try to touch that question and will let you take it to Him.

All that to say, that I arrived back in KC to the International House of Prayer on December 16, ready for my new season to begin. Well, on December 20 my mom ended up in a medical crisis and on life support in Arkansas. So I have spent the last 4 weeks with her. I must say God did a healing miracle in her. I have talked with a couple of women who almost died this last year with the same scenario. One spent 2 weeks in ICU and went home with IV antibiotics. The other was 36, spent 9 days in the hospital and her white blood count wasn't anywhere near as high as moms. Literally the next day after this crisis hit, mom was breathing on her own, no temp and her white count had gone from 33,000 to 16,000 over night....for all you medical folks. She was sitting in her ICU bed that day working crossword puzzles and watching Wheel of Fortune, like every other night! So yes, I have been really considering seasons the past couple of months. Obviously God still has plans for Ngaire! She is in a nursing facility at this time for occupational/physical therapy to see what strength she can gain and plans on returning to her home, perhaps with some hired help. We will see. I would so appreciate continued prayers for her. And thank you so much for all the concerns and prayers that have supported us through this little season.

As for me, I returned to KC on Tuesday, Janurary 17. I have found a joy bubbling under the surface, though I still don't know what this is going to look like. What I do know is that His timing is perfect and through it all...Ecc 3....(you should take a slow walk through that chapter) He holds my heart. That comforts me and may it comfort you as we kick into 2012. Love you guys much and am so grateful for how He has added you all to my life! Blessings and grace.....

12.16.2012 The Cabin

So Tuesday morning started with a little quiet time in the cabin just considering God's faithfulness to me and His blessings and care for me through His sons and daughters the past months. My heart was filled with gratitude as I recognized so many 'little things' that He did not have to supply me....but He did! From that thought process I remembered the verse that says that He has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness and that naturally lead me to think of Jesus Himself. God, the Father, literally gave me the blood and flesh of His very own Son. Take the time to re-think that one, my friends. We so easily blow past it because it is such a common thought to us by this time. As I was doing just that...taking a little time to consider that "Gift", I was quickly reminded that Father also gave me His Holy Spirit! And it suddenly occurred to me that I (we) have been given 2/3 of the Trinity.....like, The God-Head!!! I was instantly then aware that the Father must also be in that picture, as I know I have His heart. And that is how my day started.

Later in the morning, I had driven to the end of the driveway to make a phone call, as the cabin does not have cell reception or internet (glory!) and minding my own business I turned back down the drive to the cabin. Suddenly I was aware of something seeming 'familiar'. As I inquired of the Lord as to what that familiar was, He told me! In an instant I was in an encounter with the Lord and He was rapid fire downloading revelation of what was on His heart and His invitation to me that day. Now, there have been a handful of times in my walk with the Lord that I suddenly am aware that He has set things in place specifically to encounter Him. Every time it completely wrecks me! Seriously. How does it make you feel when somebody....a friend or your boyfriend or girlfriend, fiance or spouse perhaps, puts careful consideration into what you like, what would delight you....and sets it up just to bring you pleasure or delight? So when you have the God of the universe literally doing the same thing just to draw your heart to Himself, that revelation just unravels a person! I sat in the driveway just weeping my face off for about 10 minutes as I understood His invitation. I knew that He was wanting to reveal more of Himself as each member of the Trinity to me....as Father, as Jesus and as the Holy Spirit. I took the picture from the previous post from the car as I sat there having heard this invitation. I just sat there staring at the cabin with a sense of the fear of the Lord...He was waiting for me in that little cabin....The Three in One!

I may be loosing many of you at this point and I understand that. There are many times that I just can't get a full grip on the Trinity of our God! But I just want to share this little story with you all to wet your appetite. If He wants to meet with me, He wants to meet with you too....to have your heart encounter His and become more alive, more fiery, more fully awake!

So I accepted His invite and over the next day or so He took me back to John 17. Oh friends, you need to jump into this chapter. As Jesus' prayed to His Father, He so reveals the heart of God for communion and union with us, the redeemed. Verse 13 talks of us having Jesus joy in us...that which brings delight in fulness! The chapter talks about us being invited into the union and relationship that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit enjoy in one another....with the same love They have for one another. Do you really understand that the Father loves you with the exact same love He has for Jesus??? Sit with that one for a bit! May God bring further revelation to you this week of His heart for you. May there be such an increased revelation that you are accepted in the Beloved! I purposely have used the word 'invitation' multiple times in this little post, because we all have been given invitations.....but invitations require a response! What has He invited you to or into?

Needless to say, it has been a good week! This morning I will be turning the Avalon toward KC. What an adventure and journey the past 7 months have been....well, actually more like the past 18 months have been. Well, no, its more like the past 28 months or so.....you get the picture! We are all on a journey, aren't we? Pressing forward. Know that I love you guys and appreciate who He has created you to be!

His,
Heather

12.14.2012 Seymour to See More!

I said good-bye to Alabama on 12.12.12 and started my journey back towards KC and the International House of Prayer. My plans were do travel up through KY and visit with friends and then land in Seymour, Indiana for a couple of nights in a little retreat cabin that a precious couple opened to me before heading west to KC. I was minding my own business yesterday when I literally walked into an encounter with the Lord that just broke me. Have you ever had God invite you to draw closer to Him? Needless to say, I have stayed one more day here in Seymour so I can 'see more' of what He desires to show me. Can we truly wrap our heads around this....that the God of the universe desires to fellowship with us, share His heart and actually sets us up for encounters so that we can walk forward in strength and wholeness? Oh the love of God....what a mystery to me.

The past few weeks have been jammed pack with trying to get things together to plug back into the missions base and make all my connections in the southeast region prior to loading up. It was so good to have had the opportunity to actually get over to the Atlanta area and see some of my oldest friends. What treasures they are to me. There was the bonus of getting to connect with my cousin Maria and to see my great aunt Jeanie once again.

Then there were the good-byes. My heart broke again to leave Mac and Sophie behind. That was not a good evening. My eyes were swollen for 2 days! I so appreciate their foster mom, Kay, who has done a great job of not only caring for them but loving them too. That helps ease the heart ache. It was also hard to leave my church home but I am blessed to know that I don't go alone to KC. It was such a blessing and strength to me to be prayed over and sent out to what God is calling me to do. To my friends in the north Alabama area, thank you for your love, care, provision, prayer and support the past 7 months. I have been blown away the past couple of days reflecting on what God has done in and through you all. You guys....rock! I am finding I am at a loss for words here.

KC Friday....or bust! Grace to each of you in this busy holiday season :)

His,
Heather

"....I have never been happier!"

Psalm 92:2 "To declare Your lovingingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness every night."


This is the view from my dear friends home, Phil and Becky Butler. Oh to have the opportunity to watch Him paint the sky on a daily basis....glorious, right? I have been blessed by so many of my friends here in Alabama who have opened their homes, hearts and lives to me over the past months. I am a blessed woman and I serve a faithful God!

Something that came across my path over the past month or so was an article about a man named Rick Rescola. You may have heard of him. He has been termed the 'prophet' because he was convinced for years that the World Trade Center would be the target of terrorists, even prior to the first bombing of the parking garage in 1993. Though he and a Vietnam vet buddy of his had approached the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey about his concerns, he was always instructed to only focus on the evacuation/safety of the floors of the company he worked for. Rick remained undaunted and remained vigilant with regard to the security of not only of his firm but the Towers safety through the years. Despite the flack he would catch for disrupting business days, Rick insisted that the employees of his company practice their evacuation drills. All 22 floors would practice exiting down the stairs, 2 at a time, twice a year.

The morning of 9/11 Rick disobeyed the general call that went out at 8:46 a.m. to not evacuate. He immediately sent his 22 floors of employees into their drill. Rick would occasionally call his Vietnam friend, Dan Hill, to get news updates as he continued to direct folks with his bullhorn. Dan reported that Rick was "calm, collected and never raising his voice...." And then Dan heard him break into song, something that had been his trait during the war that bolstered and calmed his fellow soldiers. It was reported that Rick also made a call to his wife, and this is what caught my spirit. Rick told his wife, "If something should happen to me, I want you to know that I have never been happier." Needless to say, Rick never made it out of the building himself. He was last seen on the 10th floor heading upstairs.

So what could make Rick, in such a dire situation, be able to exclaim that he couldn't be happier? How puzzling is that until you begin to see the glory in it. This man knew that there was great need to prepare for this danger for more than a decade prior to the event. With that knowledge, he applied diligence...over the long haul. How many people in the Bible did God inform of coming events and then it took decades for those events to actually happen? What if Noah had decided he would just wait it out 50 or 60 years before he completed the ark....because after all...what rain? And when the day of terror arrived, where was Rick? Right where he had prepared his heart and those under his care to be....steady, unmovable and with contentment and dare I say joy? My heart took courage. And because Rick was in his God ordained place on 9/11, having fully prepared and walking in the confidence that only 'prepared' can bring, Rick was responsible for over 2,500 people walking out of the South Tower alive that day! Wow! This is absolutely stunning.

So what is the take away from this story? We know that the end of the Bible is true and that Jesus really is coming back. The Bible talks of many dire circumstances that will be on the earth as this age comes to it's culmination and Jesus establishes His government/kingdom on the earth. What is our heart and position to be during this time? Oh dear friends, what opportunity we have before us! If we will dig into the Word of God, settle the issues in our hearts and allow Him to fill and prepare us, we too, like Rick can be found in the right places, at the right times full of His grace, peace and knowledge that can bring light, salvation and safety to thousands! I love this! May we take heed to Rick Rescola's example and pay attention to the warnings we have of trouble in the days ahead and apply diligence in this day of preparation....and we too will see and be a part of the glory of God being seen in the earth!

My time here in Alabama has been such a sweet season of fellowship and blessed with friendship. As I continue to develop the team of partners I will need in order to continue as a full time intercessory missionary at IHOP-KC...for the long haul, I am beginning to set my sights on heading out of Alabama sometime in November. I am eager to get established in what He has for me! I will keep you posted. Know that each of you add so much to my life and I am so grateful for brothers and sisters who are striving after His kingdom, the knowledge of God and to see His purposes established in the earth. Much love.....