He's JUST Not That Into You

Have you seen that movie, He's just not that into you? I haven't.. but I'm pretty sure that based on the title I can figure it out pretty quickly. So it was on my heart to write a blog about this and it can go for "She's just not that into you as well"--so I pray that this meets you wherever you are.

Sometimes it's more NATURAL for woman to express themselves and what they want in a person. Which makes "He who finds a wife, finds a good things & obtains favor from God"--even more challenging for my ladies who want to make sure that the brotha' knows that she likes Him. Ladies, you are SO precious and SO beautiful to God. You don't have to compete for a man, throw yourself at him or lower your standards for him to be with you. When you do that, it's based in the fear that you don't think that God can fulfill your desires. And most likely, He won't. HOW can He fill your relationship slot when it's filled by a random? YOUR heart is FILLED up by the random you selected and all of the baggage from your past relationships!! God wants you so free & so whole so you can finally learn Him and experience His love. He is so jealous for all of the things you place before Him and He wants your HEART.  And throughout this time you're saying, GOD I want to hear from you--what is my purpose?!  Before He tells you your "grand" purpose--He's telling you to cut off some distractions or anyone who is keeping you from Him. He'll give you step one.. then step two. Obey Him RIGHT now. Pick up your phone, cut it off--change your number. Do what you have to do. No excuses.

It reminds me of Song of Solomon 8:4 "Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right." Solomon was THE wisest person that walked this earth (after Jesus of course). STOP trying to awaken love through your emotions until the time is right. There's amazing seasons for your life and God seriously has your back. Start small & just trust Him.

How do you know if a guy is just not that into you?!

1. You're constantly reaching out to him.
A person makes TIME for what is important to them, they just do. If you guys are just "friends"--(and don't get me started on the friend thing--because I really don't think males & females can be "friends" for real but that's another blog). Even if so--a friendship is a two-way street. Stop tracking him down.

2. You're trying to get his attention
When you know you'll see him--are you dressing up? Putting extra care into your makeup and hair? There's nothing wrong with that. But make sure you're doing it for the right reasons and that's for you. When I was single, I liked to look good for me. I liked to keep myself together, eat healthy, work out, get my hair done (or do my hair myself), do my makeup and find clothes that worked for me. I did this because I wanted to represent CHRIST. Yeah that's not the most important thing as God is looking at our HEART. I made sure I spent time with God daily and then I stepped out into the "world"--the world is looking at your PHYSICAL. So maybe someone would come up to me and tell me they liked my hair color and it ended up turning into me inviting them to church & sharing Christ--and eventually salvation. We gotta catch people before we clean them. Let's refuse to be sloppy. If you constantly dress up to look good for someone who couldn't care less.. you set yourself up for continual disappointment. Especially when he turns up with a new girlfriend that next week.

3. You guys broke up...but you're still hoping & wishing
Girl, let it go. Whoever is supposed to be in your life will never leave it. And if that guy is supposed to be there--he'll do what it takes to be with you. It's not rocket science. It's not "timing" or the other lies he tells you. It just IS what it IS. He's not into you, but it's GOOD. You sure don't want to marry someone who doesn't know your value.

4. He's married..but you think you still have a chance because he loves you..
Seriously? He married who he wants to be with. You'll reap what you sow--so I wouldnt' mess with anybody else's marriage. Cut him off quickly. You'll always be second (...or third..or forth) to his wife. And more than anything, you've made him your idol by that point. Harsh word, right? He'll fill up your thoughts as you hope, wish and fantasize about the day you guys will be together as he promises you everything. That is a formula for heartache. LET IT GO.

5. We're dating.. BUT
So you're dating. He constantly RIPS you down, tells you that you aren't good enough and is trying to change everything about you. He tells you that you're too skinny, too fat, not smart enough.. or WAIT- you should be a doctor or maybe go to law school? Your passion isn't good enough for him because he needs to be with a "certain" type of woman. You work SUPER hard to make him happy and NOTHING is good enough. Babygirl, nothing will ever be good enough for this type of man. Let him go QUICKLY. Staying with him will only make you feel insecure, inadequate and build up more walls.

Now if you're married and the above is happening--work it out & just believe God. (that's another blog too)

God loves you all soooooo so much. He wants the BEST for you. So stop settling and make some changes.


God loves you like crazy,

Heather

Our Engagement Video

Sooooo, I've been married 1 year and 6 months now and it's been such an amazing journey! December 25th marks the "anniversary" of my hubby proposing to me 3 years ago. I cry everytime I watch this video. So much time, energy & sweat went into this relationship. If you didn't know--my hubby and I waited to kiss until our wedding day. If you aren't kissing--you're doing a TON of talking and developing emotionally. It was so worth the wait. 1 year of dating and 8 months later (being engaged), we married and kissed on our wedding day. I wouldn't trade this call for anything.

It may seem like a fairy tale, but my now-husband wasn't in the running in my mind to marry. He literally came out of NOWHERE! Prior to meeting him I told God that I was content with being single for the next 10 years because all I really needed was HIM, not people to affirm me. But..God had other plans in store for me--including marrying my now husband and starting The Gathering Oasis, GOD set this up. I couldn't earn it if I tried. God will present you with people and you have a CHOICE to do it His way, or your way. Choose HIS way. He'll remove relationships you aren't supposed to be in & surround you with the people that need to be in your life.

Trust HIM.

Our Engagement Video December 25th 2009

God loves you like crazy.

Love,

Heather

"..but they HURT me"

"Don't use church scandals to justify why you are not a Christian or don't go to church.They didn't die on the cross for your sins, Jesus did."

We've all been hurt before--some of us have been hurt in church and BY the church. Then, we turn on God & reject people because of our pain. Remember that church is a hospital with broken people that desperately need Jesus. If you can recall why you turned to Christ--most likely its because you hit rock bottom in your life. So imagine taking all of those broken people and then ask them to "walk in love", figure it out & have healthy relationships. Many people lead a life of competitiveness, jealousy, envy & lies, then they make Jesus Lord of their life and sometimes, they have to go through a PROCESS to be free from those areas. Then, you get caught in their web of their "process"--and HOLD that hurt against them to this day. Remember that our spirits are renewed, but some of us still need to renew our mind concerning people (some? well, most of us). Mind renewal is a DAILY task. So YES, you will get hurt. Grab every brick that's thrown at you & build a beautiful house whose foundation is on a ROCK--which is Christ.

So..forgive whoever hurt you. Don't blame God for the ones that hurt you. Forgiveness frees you from that situation. Allow God to make you whole.Unforgiveness robs us of the full life God intends for us. Unforgiveness festers  and grows into bitterness. Hebrews 12:14-15 warns, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root rises up to cause trouble and defile many.” Similarly, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 warns that unforgiveness can be an opening for Satan to derail us. So who or what is satan using to derail you? Shut him down. Forgive.Love.Receive His Healing.Move.On. :)


God loves you like crazy,

Heather

Struggling to Trust God?!

Ever just felt that struggle in your heart-- that tug that says "I know I'm supposed to trust you God. I know that I'm supposed to say that and be positive but my circumstances look crazy and I have NO idea how this is going to work out! Oh Gosh, God you have to HELP me."

Sounds like a pretty desperate person, right? If everything was already figured out in your life, why would you need to depend on Him? GOD places holes in your hearts & brings you through seasons where you will be FORCED to depend on Him with everything you got. During those seasons you have two options- you can flow with Him and let Him develop you, or you can try to squirm out of it, depend on yourself or harden your heart against Him. God wants us to depend on His grace, the devil wants us to depend on ourselves. Satan is the author of do-it-yourself enterprises. Satan wants you to go try to make it happen. I remember reading an old journal and the Lord told me, "Heather--everytime a problem comes, your first mindset turns to YOU, you try to figure it out and you don't even give Me an opportunity to help you. As soon as you step in, I step back."--I learned that as long as we try to "make" things happen in our lives, God will stand back and wait for us to wear ourselves OUT. Eventually, we do just that--we get tired--weary, broken and then we finally let God step in and do what He's been trying to do all along. Sometimes we can be so controlling over our lives.

So if things aren't flowing together, RELAX. God will always do HIS part, so be sure that you are doing your part.

  Your part includes:

• Spending time with Him daily. Reading your bible, praying,
• Getting a bible that you love to study. (I love Joyce Meyer's Everyday Living Bible, Life Application Bible, Students Life Application Bible, Dakes Bible)
• Set time aside daily. The same way you set time aside for work, people and everything else--you HAVE to make time for God. I've heard that you'll make something a habit if you do it everyday for 21 days--so make a point to wake up 30-60 minutes before you have to and spend that time with Him.
• Go to bed so you can wake up. (you know!) :)
• Cutting off distractions. WHO are you hanging around with? How do we expect to trust God when we're hanging around a bunch of materialistic, negative, power hungry people?
• Obey God daily. You can say that you trust Him with your lips but God is looking at your intentions as clearly as He hears your words. So when the test comes, PASS it.
• LET go of the idea that you'll always know everything & be able to figure it out. You just won't. You have to get comfortable "not knowing" sometimes.
• What are you watching on TV & what music are you listening to? Protect your heart. Things grow there
• When the worry creeps into your mind- talk back to it! TELL worry that God provides everything you need and that by faith, you trust Him. (matthew 6:33), (2 Cor 10:5)

We can go throughout the bible and see so many stories of people that trusted God. Look at Mary and Joseph--they trusted God to impregnate Mary without intercourse. How crazy and impossible does that seem?! It's a clear miracle. I'm confident that's why God chose them. He knew that Mary and Joseph would trust Him. Joseph could have left Mary and said, "You've been cheating on me!" Mary could have pressured Joseph to have sex with her to "make sense of being pregnant" in her mind. But they didn't they stood their ground and trusted God.. 9 months later birthed Jesus Christ who is THE Savior of the World. How amazing. I believe that you're "pregnant" with some things. Don't abort those visions and dreams that God has given you. Trust HIM. HE will make these things come to pass as soon as you get your eyes off of YOU & finally put them on Him.

Pray this with me:
Dear Lord, please help us to let go of EVERYTHING that holds us back from completely submitting to you. I declare that we completely trust you with every single thing concerning our life and that we finally let go of "trying to make things happen". God, I pray that you help us to surrender…even if it’s 50 times a day.  According to Proverbs 3:5-6, we acknowledge you in every part of our life and you really lead us. We let go & roll our care on you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

I taught a message called: "Trusting God--But I Like My Props"--You can listen to it here: You can also find other messages on Trusting God that have been taught by myself and my husband on Itunes--Search under "The Gathering Oasis" or go to www.thegonow.com

God loves you like crazy,
Heather

I'm now happily married! Now what?!

So you've finally met the person of your dreams! Now what?!

Don't forget what it was like when you were single. Yes, you read that right. Yeah--it may have been hard and you may have gone through things but the ONLY time I encourage you to reach back in your past is to be COMPASSIONATE enough HELP a single person up that is desiring to be married. Encourage them that their season is temporary if they're having a hard time being single. Give them tips, pray for them earnestly, constantly encourage them to trust God's timing and wait for Him patiently. Sometimes, when we get married--we get caught up in the life of a husband or wife or mother and we forget to share with others our journey.

We ALL know that if there is a burning desire in your heart to marry--you can be distracted. (I know I was!!). I NEEDED some married folks to encourage me to slow down & to stop getting ahead of God. Not being preachy--but encouraging. As hard-headed as I was, I liked to see examples vs. someone preaching down my throat. So if you're married and in a healthy relationship--SHARE how amazing GOD is to the both of you. Not in a condescending way, but to say that God fulfilled this desire and I didn't have to earn it and you don't have to settle for some RANDOM. His timing is perfect. Don't awaken love before it's beautiful time (Song of Soloman 8:4). The bible is AMAZING but some people won't pick up the bible, but they will WATCH your life. We gotta show this world that GOD created marriage and it's to be honored. Lets submit to our husbands, husbands, lets REALLY love our wives, obey GOD in spirit & truth & make it our business to live for HIM all over again!!

Praying for every single out there. That you will trust God & His amazing timing and that you will take this season and pour your heart out to Christ vs. sitting in a waiting room--waiting to meet your one-day spouse. I am earnestly here for you because I have BEEN there and I've wanted to run into the arms of someone other than Jesus because I got tired of not seeing my standard around me. Don't worry if your standard isn't being met--those people that don't fit your standard are UNQUALIFIED. The right person will measure up.
It's so worth the wait. If I could scream it to the hilltops, God has your back, He loves you dearly, He's with you, He'll never leave you and your times are IN His hands.

So STOP looking at the clock and keep your eyes on heaven. Due time won't feel like forever when you're consumed with God.
God loves you like crazy!
Heather

We're on iTunes!!!

Super excited!! You can now subscribe to all of the messages taught by my hubby & I on iTunes! We've taught on everything from Dating, Relationships, Trusting God, How to build a relationship with God, Freedom from Addictions, Depression, Fear, Salvation and so much more! Just follow the link! ♥

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gathering-oasis/id487220990


We love you all and we're EXCITED about what God is doing in your life!! And don't forget to check out our website at www.thegonow.com Here you can check out out updates, mission trips, stay connected, speaking schedule, book updates and so much more!

God loves you like crazy,

Heather

Lonely Days

Lonely days are no fun. We all have them. Whether married, single, or divorced, you will have some lonely days. But it seems that some people have more lonely days than others. It seems that those with higher callings on their lives are usually people that struggle with loneliness. It's almost like God sets you apart or calls you out of unfruitful past friendships and relationships, and then keeps you alone to Himself for a short period to work things out of you. Many of us were so dependent on a man or woman in our lives that we totally ignored God and couldn't connect with him like we needed to for our callings sake. So what did God do? Take everyone away from us for a season, so we can be with him alone.

 But where does the loneliness come from?

Loneliness usually comes when you have developed a need for others. I know many will agree with this, because when you have spent your life living for others, depending on people to validate you, make you feel better about you, chasing friends and friendships, always needing people around to make you feel wanted or needed, then when you are suddenly alone, you feel very lonely. But if you suffer with any of these issues, loneliness is what you need! Not forever, but at least for a season. You see, JESUS wants to be that friend you are searching for. Don't you know that God put a need for himself in your life? Your purpose lies in him, so you must know him to know YOU! Your reason for being lies in him, so you must know him to know why YOU are YOU! And when you spend your life chasing friends or using people to find yourself, all you end up doing is having a bunch of one sided relationships, or failed relationships because you are searching for answers in the wrong places. And loneliness becomes a thorn to you even though being alone can be GOOD for you. When I was single, I realized that everytime I felt the pressure of loneliness, it was GOD calling me closer to Him. I would never trade those years of being a single woman where I poured out to God for hours. It was such a stretching period for me as God removed all of those things I placed my comfort in.

Don't RUN from this season. Embrace it. Draw from Christ's strength and learn how to fellowship with HIM. YOU will need this foundation later in life.  

Jesus says that He is your friend and He will not leave you comfortless. Read John chapter 14 and 15 and you will see that his love & concern is you. He wants you to be His friend and find yourself in Him! So the next time you are feeling lonely or all alone, rejoice because He is working the false friendships and relationships out of you and working on His relationship with you. 

God loves you like crazy. Trust Him.
Love always,
Heather

Read this: Only if you need a HUG today. :)

Sometimes, I just want to climb up to heaven & hug Jesus. I love how for NO reason whatsoever, God's presences surrounds & overwhelms me randomly throughout the day. It's nothing I did to earn..but it's so comforting to know that GOD loves me so much that He wants me to know that He's with me.

When we get hurt in life, we can tend to look at God the way we look at humans. With a side eye.. kinda sorta not trusting God because of all of the people that hurt or betrayed us. God formed you together in your mother's womb & pre-planned every day before you even existed. The promises that God spoke into your heart while you were in your mother's womb are the same promises that He speaks into your heart today. God cannot lie and whatever He promises will come to pass in your life. But it just can't be about all of the promises you want to happen in your life. It's got to be about HIM. It's got to be about this undying, relentless, determination to seek JESUS with all of your heart because you know that you are so lost, so broken, so sad without HIM. Of COURSE God is going to do what He promised, so get your eyes off of your life, your circumstances, your depression and anything else that is making you sad. Lift your eyes up to HIM. He loves you so much. He loves you so much that HE sent His only son to the world so that He can have a relationship with you. So you can't quit and get tired & turn away from God thinking that He doesn't work. He is the ONLY thing that works in this world. And I promise you that all of these earthly troubles will mean NOTHING one day when you are laying at the feet of Jesus...and there's no more tears..heartache or troubles.
How amazing is it that 100 billion people are bowing down to worship Jesus and 100 million angels are calling out to HIM and He wants YOU. He wants every part of YOU. YOUR life will come together in HIS time--not yours. SO rest, trust Him. He has your back.

He loves you like crazy,

Heather

For the SINGLE Woman

Thanksgiving just came & went and if you're around family.. they most likely asked you these questions: When are you getting married?! Have you met anyone?! Your clock is ticking...what about your ex? What happen to him.."

We all want to be loved. To be affirmed & cared for. For MOST women, they want to get married. Even if they tell you they don't, it's because they have been hurt in the past and they would rather be by themselves then to deal with some loser for the rest of their life. So they put this guard up. OR they've been dating their man for a while and in order to save face, they'll tell you they aren't ready because they are tired of him taking forever to propose to them. MOST women would jump at the chance to marry an amazing man that had a relationship with Jesus and standards. This is NOT a bad thing but I believe that God places this desire on the inside of every woman to be a help meet. Genesis 3:16- "Thy desire shall be to thy husband." That husband doesn't include your boyfriend or your friend with benefits. Sometimes, as women--we do anything to get a man to like us. We want to fill that empty void in our heart so we'll give gifts, cook, clean, be available, have a couple babies, give up sex, give money or anything else to get him to stay. If that MAN has no standards, he is only taking what you are willing to offer him. So our DESIRES will be to please our husbands--so if you are dating a random who hasn't become your husband and his desires don't line up with God's word.. then your desires may become polluted to match his.

I want to encourage each & every person reading these words to NEVER SETTLE! Don't keep playing house with a man that refuses to commit to you. HE has not paid the price for your body & your body belongs to Jesus, who died for YOU. Boyfriends don't get the same privileges as a husband--so do what you have to do but the more you place that man in the wrong position.. you will find yourself further & further away from fellowship with God. A man should NEVER take the place of God. "...You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3. You may think I'm being extreme by saying your man is your god or an idol. An idol can be anything we place ahead of God in our lives, anything that tugs at our heart more that God does, such as: possessions, careers, relationships, hobbies, sports, entertainment, goals, greed, addictions to alcohol/ drugs/ gambling/ pornography, etc. Unfortunately, God is often nowhere to be found as we zealously pursue our idols. Worse yet, the significant amount of time we often spend in these idolatrous pursuits, leaves us with little or no time to spend with the Lord. ..thus, our relationship with God dissolves & then all hell breaks loose & we turn away from the only ONE who can really help you. And His name is Jesus.

So don't get frustrated if you're only meeting a bunch of men that have no relationship with Jesus. Your standard will re-affirm to you that that PERSON is not the one. WE shouldn't be leading our men to Jesus, they should already have a relationship with HIM. How can they lead us--if they don't know how to lead themselves by hearing from the one & only LEADER. So set your time-calendar down and all of those dumb fantasies. Move all of the clutter away and stand before God, naked, honest, broken & ready to lay down your life for Him all over again. POUR out your heart to God & He will pour back into you.

HE is the only one that can make us whole. NOT a man, job, money, cars or anything else. I am screaming from the rooftops.. GOD wants your HEART. So stop giving it away to all of those people & things that constantly hurt you over & over again. God desires to heal every part of you. LET Him in for real & start now. When you start turning away these men that have no standards it will become CLEAR to you who really has a standard. Rest & trust God's timing. He holds your whole world in HIS hands. The MORE you spend time with GOD, the less you will focus on your circumstances & they will shrink down to nothing.

So I am praying for every woman and man that is desiring a mate. That they will get before God, exposed & honest as God uproots all of their pain & heals them from the inside out. That you will never, ever settle & that you will always trust God's timing. That you will run to God when you are lonely or down instead of running to a person's arms, that you'll stop comparing your life to others and rest in the truth that God created & woven you together in your mother's womb & set your days out before you were born. There will be a DAY that you'll meet your one-day mate. But your focus should never be that DAY. It should always be HIM. #Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen.


He loves you like crazy.

Love,
Heather

Wow! What a busy week!

So sorry that I haven't posted anything in about a week. I was in New York for work for a full week. I had such a blast! Although I was there for work and I worked my TAIL off everyday, I was able to sneak in attending my best friend's baby shower, a few dinners and shopping trips (I love NYC sample sales!) with friends. Out of all the places that I've traveled I still stand by the fact that I think that NYC has the BEST shopping.

Some of the girls from the shower! One of my dearest friends is 8 months pregnant in Purple! She looks great!

I landed at midnight last night and I had to turn around and take my husband to the airport at 6AM! Crazy, right? He's on his way to Dubai and Africa to share Jesus.

          (the group of men that are going with my hubby- at the airport)


 Reminds me of Mark 16:15 "which tells us to go into ALL the Earth & preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all." I get convicted when I read that scripture because it says ALL. All includes those that are forgotten, broken, of other religions, the downcast, the "rich", the "poor" the ones that you think are better "than" you based on some worldly reason, it also includes those that you think are "below" you. It just challenges me because sometimes I would like to think that I'm humble, but I'm really not. I am constantly working on this area. Sometimes, I get so busy it becomes a distraction that I'm ripping and running here & there and not slowing down. Sometimes I don't "feel like slowing" down and talking to someone. I'm tired, way too wrapped up in "me" or whatever other reason. I recall this past week, I was in Philadelphia and I saw a man asking for donors to support a fundraiser for the land in some random country. I was in a rush to get my smoothie, go to the bathroom and was planning to meet a friend. So I grabbed my smoothie and started to walk past the young man I passed. The Lord told me to stop. So I asked the young man to give me the real deal about what he's doing. I ended up giving him some cash I had on me. NOT because I believed in his project, but because GOD told me to stop and do it. I could have easily brushed it off, rushing off here & there but I'm so tired of saying I REALLY love God but refuse to obey Him when He instructs me. Outside of that..So many people are broken, sad, depressed and down. We can tend to get so wrapped up in our life that we forget that we are made to glorify HIM. It's never about US. It's always about HIM. Not your job, your career, gettin' you a husband, that house or six figure salary. Everything comes out of Him. So SLOW down, obey Him immediately and remember that when you confess your undying love for Jesus Christ on twitter and facebook, it's gonna get tested. So pass it.

When I was on the plane at about 30,000 feet in the air, I looked down on earth. It's amazing to me that there's SO many people but God STILL knows me by my name. The hairs on our head our numbered and no matter what is going on in my life, I feel like God's eyes are directly on me. His LOVE amazes me. It challenges me. Sometimes, out of nowhere, His love just surrounds and overwhelms me. His presence is so refreshing. Even just typing this makes me want to bow down & worship Him. Just remember that no matter what you're going through, God is with you. He hears you, He Loves you, He will NEVER leave you or forsake you. Even if everybody else leaves you, HE still remains. So don't worry about your life. It's cupped in His beautiful hands. He's with you.

So thanks for letting me vent my thoughts. Make sure you're praying for my hubby and the men traveling to Dubai and Africa. Also, follow my hubby's blog as he blogs the entire experience.

Love you all,
Heather

My Top FIVE Secret Beauty Tips!!

(One of my real-life sleepovers! There used to be about 30 girls in my 2 bedroom apt!)

Sooooo, I am ALL about sharing my ladies tips!! I LOVE finding new remedies, new shampoos, beauty tips & everything else! So I figured I would share a few of them with my ladies! (and men too! :)) I look at life as a HUGE sleepover with everyone invited, with pure hearts, sharing secrets, tips and encouragement. Although this isn't always "reality" as my husband would say.. I still love my bubble. lol

                                                    My bubble. :)

Tip #1. Wen Shampoo.
 Ok so you know that creepy infomercial that comes out at night?! Yup, that's it. I actually purchased the product and I LOVE it! I noticed a huge difference in my hair RIGHT away. Its a "cleanser" for your hair. It shampoo/conditioner combined and it leaves your hair super soft and manageable. Sometimes, I leave it on overnight and I wake up and wash it out and it's amazingggg! You can purchase it directly from the website or just purchase via amazon. If you go through the website, they will set you up for automatic billing and ship it out to you every other month. I don't like automatic anything so I shut that down. I just order it from amazon. Any "scent" is fine- I use Mint Almond.
Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/WEN%C2%AE-Sweet-Almond-Cleansing-Conditioner/dp/B0048O2R1E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1320245063&sr=8-3

Tip #2 Heutiful Hair Steamer!

Soo, I used to be a blond. I was blond for about 7-8 years until I got married and I decided that I needed a different look! I love my natural hair color but I wanted to restore my healthy hair!! For those of you going "natural" or for those of you that are trying to increase shine, health of your hair and growth..(who doesn't?!) THIS is the product! I came across this page on Facebook and figured I would try it out. I paid about $150 with the steamer, the conditioner, shampoo and the Heutiful headband. It was a GREAT purchase. It's like having my own mini' hair salon in my bathroom. :) I highly recommend!

http://www.behuetiful.com/

Tip #3 AMAZING Natural Hair Mask!

If you really know me, you know I LOVE avocado. Since I've gone Vegan (and before!) it's been my "meat" in my meals and such a yummy snack. Who would have thought that you can use it on your hair as a deep conditioner?! It is vital to keep the hair conditioned and moisturized. Conditioners bring the cuticles and the shaft back together, adding lubrication to the shaft of the hair and creating healthier and more vibrant hair. (Who doesn't want that?!)

So do this: Add 1 Avocado, a cup of water, some raw honey, olive oil, 1/2 a banana, an egg some of your current conditioner. (The more riper the banana/avocado, the better!). Leave it on for 20 minutes with a plastic cap, then rise!! I left mine on for about an hour and I was SHOCKED at how soft & shiny my hair was!

Tip #4 The most amazing face lotion: La Mer

Ok, so I usually try to stick to cost  efficient options, but I had to throw this one in. Expensive? Yes. I try not to splurge often, but, when you find a product that actually lives up to its claim it is no longer a splurge in my mind. (well, my hubby doesn't seem to think so, but what do you do?) This is definitely an area that I'm still working on. haha! Anyway! After 1-2 days of use you will see a CHANGE in your skin. It will feel refreshed, it will glow, any wrinkles you had will begin to diminish. I highly recommend this product in the winter though as a "winter" lotion. The 1 oz will cost $135. So if you CAN splurge every now & then, it's def. worth a try! I was a bit hesitent when my girlfriend told me about it so I went to Saks and got samples first to make sure that I would love it! Remember that a little goes a long way, so it should last you a couple months! Other places you can purchase it for cheaper: Ebay, Amazon.com

http://www.cremedelamer.com/templates/products/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY5778&PRODUCT_ID=PROD2459&cm_vc=XCATEGORY5778

Tip #5 MAC Bronzing Loose Powder

This is ONE item I will never leave home without!! Do you know how much I love a bronzy-glowing look?! Espectially if I'm super tired? If I'm running out the door, it gives me a natural, warm glow that lasts throughout the day! $23

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/159/595/Iridescent-PowderLoose/index.tmpl

Other fun tips:

•  I ALWAYS use baby oil to remove makeup. Then pat it dry with a cotton pad. Quick, easy & inexpensive!
• Fragrance rises, so spritz it on your ankles or behind your knees to help your scent last longer.
• Never to rub moisturizer into my face, pat it on. Rubbing actually takes it off your skin and disperses it in different places. Patting it on helps the skin soak it up.
• Swap your usual black or brown eyeliner for purple because it's a subtle way to make the color of your eyes pop. I use also use purple eye shadow and apply it with a eyeliner brush to my upper lash line.
• You can use your eyebrows to make dark under eye circles less noticeable. Just tweeze your brows so they're more straight-across than arched. When they're arched you get a complete circle effect (your brows and the dark circles below) and that exaggerates the dark circles, but if your brows are straight across, it breaks up that shape and de-emphasizes the circles
• I use a primer to make my skin smooth, help my makeup in tact and keep my face looking matte instead of shiny.

Thanks for checking out my tips! Be sure to post any tips if you have some to share! Remember that no matter how many remedies you do to take care of yourself physcially, it means NOTHING if you don't have Christ in the center of your heart. HE is the true meaning of BEAUTY. Without HIM we are nothing. So don't spend hours doing the above..if you haven't spent hours with Him.

Love you all!

Heather





..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