..but I want to QUIT.

                       

If you're going through a season of testing, I want to encourage you NOT to quit. WHEN we are tested we go through a season of weaning. This is where God is weaning us from bad emotions, bad relationships, "material toys we think we need to have" and wrong attitudes.

 If you can imagine yourself as  playdough. God flattens you all the way out and then he takes a cookie cutter and presses down really hard. (while you are screaming, OUCH--that HURTS! I like my wrong attitudes, I like my stuff, I like this.. that hurts God!!) THEN, He starts pulling off the playdough around the cookie cutter. Those include those friendships, relationships, or anything that doesn't qualify to be in your life. It's hard to lose friendships with people that you care about. Especially when their season is up. When my husband and I moved because God told us too.. we lost a ton of "friends"--but I realized that they were never my friends, only acquaintances. No hard feelings AT all because I know this .."A Friend sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24) I understand that that where God is taking our life, everybody can't come. And if you know me, I want to have a big party & invite everybody & their mama. :) Long story short, everybody cannot be your friend & when you start placing your value in some stuff, God will rip it from under you. If you have to have anything more than HIM to be satisfied, Satan will use it against you. Over..and over again.

So as you are going through this season of weaning, it may seem like God forgot about you, or things aren't quite working out, but I want you to know that God is behind the scenes, working out everything for YOUR good. He is rebuilding your foundation. Most of us kinda sorta trust God and HE wants your LIFE. He doesn't want to be your Sunday morning. He wants to infiltrate every part of your being .. and then OUT of that flows godly relationships, the right attitude on your job, pure trust in Him..love and everything else. So now that your foundation is SET, when the winds & storms of life come, it won't "blow" your house down. It will be able to withstand some things. So don't resist Him. Is there an area in your life that you are playing tug-of-war with God?!

                                                         Let it go.

                                             What do you do?

GO harder. Whenever I get tested, I recognize that I need to make sure that I'm fellowshipping with God. As soon as that connection is secure, my entire outlook changes. The grass is a bit greener, the birds are chirping louder.. and it's not because anything has changed, but because my perspective has changed. Spending time with God will give you HOPE in hopeless situations. And you aren't spending time with God to get Him to "do something for you"--for GOD wants your heart, all of it. He wants you to be satisfied with Him, and Him alone. So let's all walk together. Let's pass these tests. And when the pressure gets turned up..that means that you are so close to your breakthrough. However, you must settle this trust in your heart, that even if it doesn't happen, you TRUST God. The plans that He has for your life are good! He loves you!! I've also learned that when I spend time with God, I am more drawn to think about others over myself. It HELPS me to help other people when I'm going through something because it won't give selfishness an opportunity to creep into my heart. My eyes are off of "woe is me" & on to somebody else. But beware! Don't try to do this when you're empty. Let CHRIST fill you, then go pour into someone else.

                             How do you spend time with God?

The same way you would spend time with a friend. Just sit there.. vent to Him, put on beautiful worship music (my favorite gospel artists are Jesus Culture, Hillsong & Kari Jobe), journal to Him, go out to eat, cook with Him, acknowledge HIM, read a bible you can understand (new living translation, message bible, AMP). Make it fun! Go to a park, on a rooftop, in your closet.

So, Smile, find joy in a hopeless world & keep your eyes on heaven & not on earth. LIFE is but a vapor, you'll blink and end up at the gates of heaven or hell. So don't get so distracted with the details of life. Just serve Him instead & He'll make all things plain to you.

HE loves you madly,

Heather

 

Do you want to go to Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Ethiopia for $20?!?

Yes, YOU Can go to Dubai for $20. lol, well sort of. Let me give you the breakdown.

My husband and I visited Dubai this past May 2011. While we were there, Cornelius was able to teach and speak with some who live there. It gave us the opportunity to really hear the heartbeat of Dubai of what is really going on there and to speak to many Muslims there that had the wrong idea about Christ. Honestly, Cornelius and I have a passion for saving souls to Christ. Period. That's it. We believe that we were placed on this earth to share Jesus with anyone who will listen, as are YOU! We wake up everyday and pursue God with all of our hearts. He placed this MISSION on our hearts, and we would like for you to partner with us. We believe in…."going out into all of the earth and sharing Jesus."- Mark 16:15

How can you help?

We are asking you to help support this mission by giving money for travel, lodging, money to give to the Ethiopian orphanage and small care packages. For a gift of $5, $10, $20 or whatever amount God places on your heart, you can be a part of this mission to share the love of God with the orphans, the forgotten and the non-churched as we travel over to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ethiopia on Friday, November 11, 2011 until Sunday, November 20, 2011.
To give your monetary gift, click on this link here.
Or, you can mail it to:
The Gathering Oasis/C/O Cornelius & Heather Lindsey
127 S. Roach St. Suite 302
Jackson, MS 39201

What are care packages?

Care packages are simple packages of basic living items that open the door to sharing love and a compelling message to someone who doesn't know Christ. We will use these gifts of soap, toothpaste, razors, etc. to show care and offer hope to people in Dubai and Ethiopia. By giving this gift, it grants us an opportunity share the Gospel in a culturally appropriate way. When we show up with care packages it gives us a "way" in to share Jesus.
So travel with us as we go to Abu Dhabi and Ethiopia to share the Gospel and the love of Christ. If you want to give to this awesome mission, you can click on this link here.
Or, you can mail it to:
The Gathering Oasis/C/O Cornelius & Heather Lindsey
127 S. Roach St. Suite 302
Jackson, MS 39201

What are we doing in Ethiopia?

We will visit a Kidane Mehret Children’s Home. This is an orphanage for babies and older children. There, we will assess all their needs, give special gifts to the children and share the Gospel with them.
We will also go to rural areas to assess the needs of the people. As of right now, we know they have needs for men, women, and children’s clothing, blankets, comforters, school supplies, toiletries and money. Upon the team’s return, they will compile a full list of what is needed so we can provide it.
So travel with us as we go to Abu Dhabi and Ethiopia to share the Gospel and the love of Christ. If you want to give to this awesome mission, you can click on this link here.
Or, you can mail it to:
The Gathering Oasis/C/O Cornelius & Heather Lindsey
127 S. Roach St. Suite 302
Jackson, MS 39201

What are we doing in Dubai/Abu Dhabi?

The Gospel is to be preached and shared. We are going to go there in partnership with ‘For All Mankind Movement’ and Pinelake Church. Our team, along with others from separate ministries, will travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to share the Gospel in labor camps with non-natives. We will also put together and give out compassion kits. Because of the work being done over there, there are 300 small group house churches. The Gospel is spreading rapidly!
So travel with us as we go to Abu Dhabi and Ethiopia to share the Gospel and the love of Christ. If you want to give to this awesome mission, you can click on this link here.
Or, you can mail it to:
The Gathering Oasis/C/O Cornelius & Heather Lindsey
127 S. Roach St. Suite 302
Jackson, MS 39201

What is the monetary goal?

The fundraising goal for the trip is $3,500.00. The breakdown is:

$1,500.00 – Travel

$500.00 – Lodging

$1,500.00 – Monetary gift for Orphanage/care kits/supplies

*Cornelius Lindsey and the team will cover the rest of the costs for the trip.

GIVE. PRAY. GO.

To GIVE, you can click on this link here.
Or, you can mail it to:
The Gathering Oasis/C/O Cornelius & Heather Lindsey
127 S. Roach St. Suite 302
Jackson, MS 39201

---

PRAY based on the following Scripture over the trip:

Ephesians 6:19-20 – “And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”
PRAY for: Open doors
Courage to witness
The Gospel to be proclaimed without obstacles
Protection
Harmony and acceptance among the believers
God’s direction and help while traveling
No fear

We ask you to pray and consider joining our team to GO on one of our international mission trips. If you’re considered in traveling with us on our next trip, fill out our application form by clicking here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
We love you!
Heather

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese--Vegan Style!

                                               
                 **Meat-Eating Husband approved, Vegan Approved**

Sooo, since I went Vegan, I've been on a SEARCH for new recipes that are healthy, fulfilling & enjoyable for both me and my meat eating husband! I believe that it's so important to EAT healthy. You can do all of the crunches you want to get a six pack, but if you are eating fast food and other horrible meals, you'll never see it. More than anything, when you EAT, you aren't supposed to be heavy, tired & drained. When you eat, you are supposed to have more energy and the food is supposed to be used as fuel. As a wife, I believe that is my responsiblity to feed my husband and one day family healthy food that will fuel them to FULFILL the will of God for their life. Eating healthy can improve your memory, you'll have better moods, be more aware, feel better, and you'll have more energy.
So you can take all of that & serve people better, love harder and be an EXAMPLE to them. Having a rough time getting up in the morning to pray? We all do. The food you eat the night before will determine your mood that next day. So if you are constantly "feeling" sluggish, you won't want to get up in pray or do anything else..as you complain about traffic on your way to work. Of course you can do your confessions, stay "positive" while you eat your Big Mac but I'm pretty sure that as you bow your head to bless that burger, the Holy Spirit will gently remind you that He wants you to eat something better :) Not to beat you down, but to get you to go higher.

 Ok, so, I always try recipes & make them my own. So enjoy.

 The first thing you do is peel and chop half of a Butternut Squash. Place it into a bowl and add a teaspoon of coconut oil & celtic salt!

Roast in the oven for 40 minutes at 400F, flipping once half way through baking. You can do this ahead of time if preferred.

While the squash is roasting, make your pretend ‘cheese sauce’ in the food processor. I actually have used cashews, lime juice, honey and unrefinded cococnut oil  to make key lime bars, so it's pretty cool to take it in another direction and make cheese with chashews!

Now, add the roasted squash into the cheese sauce and process until smooth. It makes about 3.5 cups of sauce.

Cook your desired pasta. I used a full bag (~450 grams or 4.5 cups dry pasta) of Glutton Free Brown Rice Penne for the casserole option.

Drain the pasta and add in the cheese sauce. Depending on how much sauce you want, you might not use it all. I also added some broccoli and you can get creative with any kinds of mix-ins you want.  You can also add a bit of non-dairy milk if the sauce thickens up too much.

At this point you can enjoy your pasta a couple ways:

1) Heat the mixture in the pot and serve immediately.

2) Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs, and bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.

If baking in the oven, add on your breadcrumbs.

After, 20-25 minutes you have a fun B’nut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese that will serve 3-4 people for a main course.

                                          Buttery squashy deliciousness!

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese! (with your own special cheese!)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (yields: 3.5 cups raw)
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk), or more to thin out
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp celtic salt, or to taste
• 6-7 tbsp Nutritional yeast (provides the cheesy consistency) **get this from a all natural organic store, not krogers.
• 1/2 tsp honey dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp or a bit more of dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Tumeric powder, optional (gives the orangey colour)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Paprika + more to season
• Your pasta of choice (I used ~450 grams/4.5 cups dry penne for the casserole) + mix-ins *I try to stay away from alot of brown rices, I try to go glutton free whenever I can*

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet. In a bowl, season chopped squash with some coconut oil (~1 tsp) and celtic salt (couple pinches) and stir. Add to baking sheet and roast in oven for 40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking.
2. If making the baked casserole: Process 1 slice of millet bread + 1 tbsp Earth balance until crumbs form in a food processor. Set aside. If you plan on enjoying it straight from the pot you can skip this step.
3. Assemble your cheese sauce ingredients (cashews, non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon, salt, nutritional yeast, pepper, mustard, seasonings) and add just the cashews to food processor. Process until a fine crumb forms similar to corn meal. Now add in the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and process until smooth. Leave the sauce in the processor as you will be adding the squash.
4. Cook your pasta according to package directions. When squash is finished roasting, add it to the food processor and blend it with the cheese sauce until smooth. Adjust to taste. The sauce will thicken up with time. If at any point the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a bit of milk to thin it out.
5. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Now add the pasta back into the same pot and add your desired amount of cheese sauce on top. Stir well. Add in any desired mix-ins like peas or broccoli. You can either heat this up in the pot, or pour it into a casserole dish (I used a 4 cup dish), sprinkle on breadcrumbs + paprika, and bake it at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. The casserole will serve about 4 people if you use 450 grams dry macaroni or penne. Store any leftover sauce in the fridge and use within a few days.

Enjoy!!

Love,
Heather

Submission?!? (Girl, please.)

Sub-mission-verb; (definition: to get-UNDER the mission)

That's a pretty scary word for alot of women. When I first heard about it, it was like acid being poured down my throat. Like seriously. Scared the heck out of me because I worked at Def Jam and in TV with a TON of strong, single, women that ran some things! I never really respected men in general--so all the sudden, I looked up & had a ring on my finger.. and I'm in pre-martial counseling.. I kinda-sorta submitted my life to God as a single, so I just KNEW that I could "make it happen" and do the same for my husband. Please. That took some WORK plus a ton of help from God. I was pretty lost.


 At the alter, the pastor may say "Wives, submit yourselves to your husband as your husbands submit to Christ" You smile at the alter & if the pastor said, "will you promise to cook and clean and be a great wife?"
 With tears running down your face as you stare into the eyes of your soon to be husband and look out at close friends and dear family that is sitting in the chairs..and the thousands and thousands of dollars you spent on that wedding, at that point, with all emotion, you would say YES!! I will do whatever it takes to make my husband HAPPY!...cuz I just loveeeee him."


Then after that really good fight on that honeymoon, you are thinking, SUBMIT what?!.. he don't RUN me?! I ain't submittin' to this fool he drives me up the WALL. He just wants to go to his man-cave, hang out with buddies, he EATS everything, won't clean up after himself, I feel like his mama.. Then, 6 months into your marriage after those couple really good fights where you look at your husband and think, I'm stuck forever. whew. God, you gotta help me.


Ok, so let me give you the real deal from the Bible so you can't say I made this up.


 Even before sin entered the world, there was still the principle of headship (1 Timothy 2:13). Adam was created first, and Eve was created to be a "helper" for Adam (Genesis 2:18-20). At the same time, since there was no sin, there was no authority for man to obey except God’s authority. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world, and then authority was needed. Therefore, God established the authority needed to enforce the laws of the land and also to provide us with the protection we need. First, we need to submit to God, which is the only way we can truly obey Him (James 1:21; 4:7). In 1 Corinthians 11:2-3, we find that the husband is to submit to Christ as Christ did to God. Then the verse says that the wife should follow his example and submit to her husband. And I've said this before, if you aren't submitting to Jesus now--constantly resisting Him, discontent, jealous, angry, mad..it's going to amplify 100x once married. So you'll rebel against your husband's leadership, even though God put it in place. You'll be jealous of other people's marriage while refusing to do the work that it takes to develop your own marriage. Whatever your husband does for you will never be enough. Crazy how that works right? If you are struggling in these areas--don't beat yourself down. Just DO what the Holy Spirit is telling you to do. Ie. Struggling with jealousy--stop going to those gossip blogs & watching basketball wives & other shows that make you compare your life to theirs. That's not entertainment, it's a seed.


                          


Submission is a natural response to loving leadership. When a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25-33), then submission is a natural response from a wife to her husband. The Greek word translated “submit,” hupotasso, is the continuing form of the verb. This means that submitting to God, the government, or a husband is not a one-time act. It is a continual attitude, which becomes a pattern of behavior. The submission talked about in Ephesians 5 is not a one-sided subjection of a believer to a selfish, domineering person. The submission I'm referring to  is designed to be between two Spirit-filled believers who are mutually yielded to each other and to God. Submission is a two-way street. Submission is a position of honor and completeness. When a wife is loved as the church is loved by Christ, submission is not difficult. Ephesians 5:24 says, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” This verse is saying that the wife is to submit to her husband in everything that is right and lawful. Therefore, the wife is under no obligation to disobey the law or God in the name of submission. (I have to put that in there--because someone is thinking--what if he writes bad checks, do I submit? Heck no.)
A wife should submit to her husband, not because women are inferior, but because that is how God designed the marital relationship to function. Submission is not a wife’s being a “doormat” for her husband. Rather, with the help of the Holy Spirit, a wife submits to her husband, and a husband sacrificially  (dies to himself) loves his wife.
            


You MAY be thinking, alright Heather--my man doesn't do the above. That's in a perfect world. I do understand that there are situations where a wife is maybe married to an unbeliever or their husband has turned away from God. What's the solution?
Understanding that you cannot change your man, but GOD changes them, not YOU. So even taking these scriptures and sayin' "look homeboy, you need LOVE me like Christ loved the church, and you ain't lovin' me like that so I aint gonna submit." You wanna know what that is? It's manipulation. Your man is not perfect & neither are you but I can only talk to YOU about YOUR part. Submission will give you wisdom on how to deal with your man. While you are doing your part, God steps in & begins to change their heart. Because you aren't nagging him every five minutes, God can speak to YOU about your part & show you the path to his heart so you can serve him. (And please, don't be selfish & ask "what about ME & what he's supposed to do?!"--that's the problem, you are way too focused on YOU.)


Remember that YOU always have a part, so focus on doing your part & you'll look up & it will be easy to submit! I actually enjoy submission now. I used to hate it & think that I had "NO" say so & that Cornelius & God was against me. But now my desires & my husband's desires have become Christ's.. we are walking together towards one goal & I trust that GOD is holding my husband accountable for our home. God could be showing Him something & as a WIFE, I have to trust that my husband can hear from God.


So while you are dating, if your man has zero relationship with God, spends no time with him, is rebellious, angry, mean .. but says he's a Christian? The proof is in the pudding. PROOF of your salvation is in your actions. Out of your love for God, you won't have sex with me prior to marriage. Out of your love for God, you'll develop in selflessness, you'll grow in Christ, spend time with Him, be sensitive to Him.


So, there's no recipe to all the sudden submit one day. If you've been married for 20 years or married for 1 year, practice trusting your spouse daily. Ask God to renew your respect that you have for him, Ask God to open doors over your husband's life and to lead him in the proper way. BUILD him up. You cannot build while tearing down. I CRINGE when I see woman talking down to their husbands in public. It's the highest form of disrespect. You honor that man somehow, someway. Your man is getting beat up enough outside of the home trying to take care of you--the last thing he needs is extra voice..beat him down. So encourage him. (especially if he doesn't deserve it)
                                    


I really love you ladies and I'm excited about a bunch of woman that are on fire for GOD, trust their husband's leadership & are 100% submitted to God.


Love you all,
Heather

Why won't my MAN change???!

Ever asked yourself WHY the person you were dating or married to won't change?! We have or are currently struggling in this area. Let me tell you a funny (now it's funny, but it wasn't funny then) story.


In 2009 while my husband and I were dating, I had flown to Atlanta to visit him. We were sitting in his driveway talking before I went to my hotel. I told him, look--if you are going to be my one day husband, YOU are gonna have to be like this: .. and I named off my top 25 things that he had to be. ..

How crazy is that?! I put so much pressure on him to be something that he hadn't developed too. I do think that in the Christian church the focus is marriage--as it should be while dating, but before you get there--you have to be friends & get to KNOW the person. On our first date--we knew that we were going to get married one day, so now it was like.. let's talk, let's get to know each other, lets fight & figure this thing out.

 Prayer basically forces not only our husband to change, but us! When we pray, and the more we pray, the more we grow closer to the Holy Spirit, and the more we realize how much we have to change ourselves. He knows us better than we know ourselves and sometimes He is a funny guy and will wait to change our husbands UNTIL WE DECIDE TO let go of the reins and give it up to Him. Don't get frustrated, stay praying at ALL times, and TRUST that He can change your man. 
So, you're probably thinking.."pray, pray, pray.. I'm TIRED of prayin' for that sorry man, he just won't change!!" Let me encourage you.. I remember the first couple years of my husband & I's relationships (Mind you, we've only been together for 3 years in total) He was the LEAST affectionate person ever. I wanted to rip my hair out because my love language was TOUCH! So I used to complain, we'd argue, & on & on.. Then I got the revelation. If I just shut my mouth & give him an opportunity to be affectionate I could REALLY let God do the work that I'm "supposed" to believe that He is doing. So, I scaled back. I shut my mouth, and I started to really rest in God concerning my needs being met (esp. after we got married--cuz that's when you can do the most touchin'! :)) So I started to SAY what I wanted to see over my husband. I called those things that be not as though they were. Every morning in my quiet time I went before God covering him in prayer and saying what I desired to see.. 


"Lord, I thank you that Cornelius has a heart after you! I declare that He is whole & complete in you and that he has the very mind of Christ. I say that he thinks on good things and guards his eye and ear gates. He only speaks life and thinks on good things. I declare that he sits amongst kings and that he is about his father's business. I declare that he loves me like Christ loves the church & that he is constantly dying to himself. He is affectionate, compassionate & caring. He only has eyes for me. He's a great leader over our home and is a skilled businessman. Cornelius is healthy physically and has strong conviction concerning the food he eats (he's come a LONG way! So proud of him!), He loves to work out and he is not only physically fit but spiritually fit as well... (and I go on & on)


  .. this is just an example of my daily covering but I want to encourage YOU to do the same!! Just keep believing the best & don't quit. This area applies to any area of your life...from work, to your boss, family members, etc. WHILE you are praying for THEM, God will begin to show you your heart & where you need to change. He showed me that  I was selfish and way too focused on my needs being met. So I took my eyes off of what my husband was or wasn't doing & I really put them on Jesus. I served my husband as though he was Christ (.. for if you have done it to the least of them, you have done it to me..)


And I look back and I'm so thankful & so grateful. My husband is so compassionate, caring, sweet, kind, understanding, affectionate and so many other wonderful things! He is a CHANGED man from those first few rough months. So stick it out. Don't nag. Allow God to change your mate, because in all honesty, you really can't. And if he does change for you, it will only be via will power & temporary or to shut you up. I know it's hard to hear that.. but it's true. Practice resting. God know's your mate, He created them.. & has your best interest in mind. 

Love you all & speak only life!
Heather