A customer that professed to be more philosophical than theological was placed in my path today by God.

   The statement that was said to me by this person was really deep and out of the blue.

   Here it goes : “There is nothing bigger than the smallest thing.” (As this person watched me answer phones, take messages and take the time to wait on customers..apparently the customer really was a thinker.. ) Now keep in mind, this conversation occurred on a busy day in a busy office. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to point this statement towards God. Oh yeah..I was waiting on ready!

   So…I say, “Yeah and you know, even the smallest good or kind deed is not little to God.”  And then…I got shot down….but in a nice way. My new customer/friend says, “Well, I am more philosophical , while women tend to be more theological in their thinking.” What?????? Yes….This is a true story…. Seriously, my wheels were turning and all the while trying to work too. I didn’t get offended and we just kept on talking about that nothing bigger statement.

   My heart did hurt for this elderly person, because this person apparently didn’t know my Jesus personally. This person was very nice and seemed to be intelligent, but didn’t know Jesus.

   At first, I felt like I had just let an unsaved person get away… I felt like, wow..some witness you are Heather. But then, it hit me, that maybe the profound statement was true in regards to our paths crossing today. I spoke about my Savior and I kept a good attitude…trying my best to reflect my Savior Jesus.

   I felt that if this person was so determined to not be theological…that maybe at least my actions would be enough. Just as I have shared before..as St Francis of Assisi said: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.”  Some are the seed planters, some are the ones that water the seeds, while others are the ones who reap the harvest.  “But nothing is as big as the smallest thing.” (as my new friend said)

   Luke 10:2 (NIV) ~ He told them. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of His harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”

   1 Corinthians 3:6 ~ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

   Don’t ever think that your actions and words don’t matter…because we are the tools that God chooses to use in order to draw people to Him. We may never know, even in our own lifetime, whose lives we touch…when we surrender to God and let Him use us as His tools.

   Blessings my friends!!! Don’t ever let getting shot down stop you from sharing your love for Jesus with others. You may think that it didn’t count just because you didn’t get the result you had hoped for..but that is far from the truth! There is nothing that is small in God’s eyes …when it is done out of love for Him. Which reminds me of the story of the poor widow in the Bible.

    Mark 12:41-44 (NIV) ~ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.” 

   UNTIL NEXT TIME!

When I was a little girl, I used to love to “play church”. I would line my baby dolls up on the bench (pew) in my bedroom and instruct my kids to be quiet and pay attention. I would grab my hairbrush and sing in the choir. I loved “playing church”.

It was fun to pretend. I was raised up in church..so I suppose that is why I like to “play church” too.

It’s okay to play pretend church when you are little and playing games and make-believe. Play Church in real life on the other hand, is dangerous. Going to church to just socialize or just because it looks good can be a dangerous game to play..because if you aren’t truly saved, you could be playing on borrowed time.

The saying goes: Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

The act of just going to church does not make you a Christian. Simply doing good things and being a good person do not get you into heaven. Just because you were brought up in church and your parents were saved..doesn’t mean you inherit their salvation.Christianity is not hereditary like eye color is. Each person has been given the freedom of choice to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. God wants us all to accept the gift He so freely gave us..but He allows us the choice.

1 Timothy 2: 3,4 (NIV) ~ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.

Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV) ~ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

1 John 5:11,12 (NIV) ~ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

You just never know when it may be your last moment..your last chance to truly accept Him as Lord and Savior. What a tragedy it would be…to have played the part of “Authentic Believer” (true Christian) and then to die and go to hell. Surrender now, if you are not 100 percent positive that you are going to Heaven when you die. There is no shame in that..only freedom!

For those reading this that do truly have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, are you sharing that with others? Are you living as a good witness to what Christ has done for you? We should never keep the plan of salvation a secret. God’s saving grace is a gift that we should share more openly with others. Why is it so easy to share a good recipe..or to share where you can get the best deals when shopping…or even to share negativity? Shouldn’t sharing Jesus be like a surprise that we just can’t wait to shout out?!

The enemy wants us to be quiet and keep Jesus locked up inside. The enemy wants us to doubt our ability to share Jesus Christ with others. The enemy (satan) loves for us to feel inadequate. Guess what??? We are not inadequate when it comes to sharing Jesus …because the power of the Holy Spirit..the power of Jesus Christ lives in me and in you ..the moment that we accept Him as Savior God.

If you are an authentic believer, and you don’t feel like you know enough to share with someone else, then start simple. Simply share what trusting Him as your Lord and Savior has done for you. Then, begin to study God’s word..really read and study it..soak up that goodness and knowledge. You can’t share what you don’t know. So, learn it..study it..and share it, don’t keep it a secret. And most importantly, remember that faith without action behind it.. Really isn’t faith at all.

Blessings to you all ..

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

“Mere intentions are not to be esteemed as actions.” ~ Unknown

Intentional…living my life each day in a way that is always alert and in tune to what surrounds me. Living a life of purpose..a life of actions that follow my intentions. Living each moment in a way that brings glory to God..in everything ! That is what the word intentional means to me.

To live each moment to the fullest! In a way that my minutes are not wasted, but used to fulfill God’s calling on my life.

This word has just been stuck in my head and heart the past few days, especially. I know it is because God has placed it there.

How can we live our lives intentionally ? We must seek God in everything. Not just when we want something or when we think that we need something. In EVERYTHING.

My husband said something the other day that tied right into this word..intentional. He said, “I was thinking of telling the girls that this week we are on a mission.” What he meant was : Yeah..we are on vacation…but we are where we are for a purpose. We need to be aware even on vacation to see who it is God wants us to reach out to. Isn’t God so cool?! He laid intentionality on my husband’s heart and mind too.

No matter where we are..

To be intentional.

At home..at the grocery store..at work..in the hospital..at the doctor’s office..on vacation..wherever we are. Be intentional. Be alert to who might be around us.. who might need a simple hello or smile.

The thing about it is, you may never know who you touched just because you were attune to those around you. Just because you made an extra effort to be kind to someone..and just because you stopped and asked God what His plans were for you..asking Him what He wanted you to do and who He wants you to reach out to. That is being intentional friends.

When we are tired…when we are rested…when we feel well and when we are sick..be intentional. Who can we minister to? How can we be a good witness for Christ through our situations?

No matter where we are..no matter where God has placed us. We can choose to be aware and to be intentional for HIM. There is a reason God has us where we are.

St Francis of Assisi said it best: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” What do you think that means? The obvious answer is that we can actually preach the Gospel with our actions..and that words are not always necessary in order to show God’s love to others. I believe it means to be intentional about spending time with others and letting Jesus shine through us. I also believe that it means that we can go through our day and not even have to say a word about Jesus..but that if He is in us and we truly have a relationship with Him, it will be so evident by our actions..and by our non-reactions. (if you know what I mean..)

Why would you want to lock Him away for nobody to see anyways??? God is AWESOME!!! God is LOVE!!! We have to be intentional about sharing that LOVE!!!

St. Francis of Assisi was a man who was born into wealth..lived a life of luxury..and chose to give it all up. He lived a life of intentionality. According to history, he answered God’s call and surrendered ALL for God. I recommend you looking him up and reading about his life. I had always heard his quotes.. but after reading about him..they made more sense.

Same goes for the Bible. I challenge you to really read it and study it. Be intentional about it. Blogs and devotions and true stories are great when they are spirit-led, but nothing should ever take the place of God’s word… The Bible.

I want to live a life that is intentional.

An intentional life can’t be selfish. We all have a purpose. Are we being intentional about it?

Philippians 2:13 (NIV) ~ for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

I do not want to waste my life away. I choose to be intentional in everything..to bring God glory! To let there be more of Him.. Less of me. That’s the only way..

John 3:30 (NIV) ~ He must increase, but I must decrease.

Until Next Time,

 Went parasailing with my husband and our two girls today. It was AMAZINGLY PEACEFUL. Wow… at how clear things appear from so high up in the sky. I love to look at the sky and I absolutely love taking pictures of the sky, and to be able to fly through the air was amazing.

   I thought I might be scared or get butterflies in my stomach..but I didn’t. It was simply..pure peace.

   The divers looked so tiny in the water below. The people on the beach looked like ants. The water was so clear and we even saw some sea turtles! It was an experience that I will never forget.

   Here’s the thing, I trusted the equipment. I trusted the captain. I trusted that they knew what they were doing. I just let them hook me up and go. Really without asking any questions.

   We do things like this daily. Trusting people. Trusting rides at the theme park. Trusting equipment. Trusting without even questioning.

   So….why do we question God so much?  So..why do we question God and His plan for our life? Why don’t we fully surrender and trust? You may have…you might be there. Not everybody is there. I am closer to that point than I have ever been. It is only because I seek Him minute by minute now.

   God sees the big picture. Everything is clear to Him. He knows and wants what is best for us. The little things that seem so big to us now… We can trust God with EVERYTHING.

   Before we went up in the air, the captain told us to not hold on with a death grip up there. See…if you are holding on with a death grip, you can’t relax and enjoy the ride. He was right too…I let go and enjoyed the time up in the sky.

   It’s the same with trusting God and letting go and surrendering. If we hold on with a death grip to those things that we need to let go of, we won’t enjoy the ride. God’s got it..we have to let go of our death grip.

   God sees the big picture..it is up to us to trust Him.

   Psalm 32:10 (NIV) ~ Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

   Life is so much more beautiful when you trust Him.

   UNTIL NEXT TIME…

Ephesians 6:10,11 (NIV) ~ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

I was thinking about some times in my own life when things didn’t go as planned. {<– link to previous post} There have been lots and lots of times like that for me.

There was the time that I smoked us out of the house… It is never a good idea to boil baby bottle nipples on the stove to sterilize them…and then leave the house.. You get the picture. (I am showing my age..I know..) Was it an inconvenience? Yes..we had a 2 1/2 year old and a 3 week old baby. I would call having to move out of our home for a couple of weeks pretty inconvenient. The flip side, we were blessed to be able to stay with my husband’s parents, and they are always such a blessing to me! I also got my house cleaned from top to bottom! Pretty awesome if you ask me! A clean home after having a new baby..that’s a treat!

There was the time that our dishwasher leaked and ruined our kitchen floor. Praise the Lord for that! We were blessed to have insurance that took care of getting nice flooring in our home.

There was the time that our entire ceiling fell in our sunroom and water dripped through every light, the ceiling fan and other random places in our den. I do believe that I used every towel and every single pot and container that we had in the house to catch the water. We had to move everything out of those two rooms..and FAST! It all got handled though. We had enough containers and towels. It was a definite inconvenience at the time..but we survived! Nobody was hurt.. it was an inconvenience for sure..but everything turned out fine.

I won’t bore you with anymore of my stories today. Believe me when I say that there are plenty more I could share though. (Some comical..some not so comical and some more serious than the ones I shared)

I simply want to share the fact that.. Yes, life is filled with inconveniences. However, it’s how you handle those inconveniences that matters. Looking for the good in them.. Or focusing on the negative… Choose to put on the full armor of God today.

I will leave you with one of my very favorite verses from the Bible.

Romans 8:28 (NIV) ~ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Until Next Time,

I don’t know anybody who hasn’t had a glitch or a wrench thrown into their “plans” before. Things happen..and sometimes our plans don’t go the way we think they should. That is a fact of life. Period.

Here is where we have the opportunity to shine for Jesus. Do we pitch a temper tantrum? (You know..like the kind my youngest pitched in Target when she was about 2 years old :0) Do we pout, sulk, and throw a pity party? Or do we take it in stride?

Maybe, just maybe, God is trying to teach us something by changing our plans.

Maybe, just maybe, God needs us to be reminded that He is the One who is in control.

Maybe, just maybe, God is showing us that His plans are not our plans.

Maybe…..God’s ways are not our ways…sound familiar??

Isaiah 55:8 (NIV) ~ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

The next time your plans get a kink in them, stop and seek God..asking Him what it is He wants you to learn from it. It may be that He wants you to trust Him more. Or it may be that He is protecting you. Whatever it is, you can be sure that if you seek God first and look beyond yourself, your inconveniences could be just what is needed to bring God glory.

Sure, there are other plans that don’t go like we had hoped. Such as death, sickness, terminal illness. These are the times when your faith in God will be what sustains you. Your faith or lack of faith will be extremely evident during the seriously tough times. Even when you feel like crawling into a hole..you can choose to bring God glory by trusting Him. If you are able to bring glory to God through your suffering, then your suffering is not in vain.

The closer I get to God, the more I am aware of those moments when He convicts me. Those times when He says, “Now..now…” The closer I get to God, I am able to look at the little and the big kinks in my plans as Divine Intervention or Divine Opportunities to bring Him glory. It is a daily..hourly..conscious decision.

Until Next Time,

To my blog subscribers:

My phone showed the “Let God Fight the Battle… Post as not published. So sorry that you all got an email with a repeat blog post! Then again, everything happens for a reason.. right?

My apologies for the mess up!

Blessings to you all! Thanks so much for subscribing to Simple Truths! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Heather Dawkins

Galatians 6:4, 5 (NIV) ~ Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

How often do we find ourselves comparing things? We compare prices. We compare clothes. We compare homes. We compare families. We compare churches. We compare body shapes and sizes. We compare personal tastes. We compare hairstyles. We compare cars. We basically live a life of comparison…if we are honest with ourselves.

The scripture above tells us..that we are only to compare ourselves to Christ Jesus. He is the only One who we should strive to be like. I am not saying that we shouldn’t have role models..or look up to those who are called to lead. We need to just be sure that we are seeking wise counsel and Godly wisdom..not worldly wisdom.

Proverbs 2:6 ~ For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:12,13 ~ We do not dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.

The question we need to be asking ourselves is, “Am I measuring up to the standards God has for me?” Another question is, “Am I representing Christ well?” Not..”am I as good at that as ____ is?”

As I wrote about in my last post , every minute..every hour is meant to be used to glorify Christ! Not Heather…not you either. If we are wasting our minutes away comparing ourselves to others, our focus is not where it needs to be. With our focus on God..our life should look different. Every single thing should point to God.

It is a daily..minute by minute…CHOICE. Choose to focus on God..or on me..me..me. Or even on what ____ has that we think we need too.

We have all heard the saying about the grass being greener on the other side. Comparing ourselves to other people is just plain silly. You never know what is really behind the smile or the sad face. Some hide their pain and imperfections really well. Others wear their feelings on their sleeves. Everybody..everybody..has struggles. So why would we waste our time trying to be like other imperfect people.

The ONLY ONE who we should try to be like is Jesus Christ.

How does my life (or your life) compare to the life that Jesus is calling me (or you) to live?

I want to measure up to God’s standards..not man’s standards. I want to “live a life worthy of the calling.” ( Ephesians 4:1)

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

There are exactly 1,440 minutes in a day.

There are exactly 86,400 seconds in a day.

Billy Graham says it well: “We relegate God to our spare time – but end up never having any spare time! Jesus said, ‘ Seek first his kingdom’ [Matthew 6:33 NIV] ”

Billy Graham also said: It is not just becoming a Christian; it is also being a Christian all the time, 24 hours a day.

I try to be aware of time. I definitely value time. I also waste time.

The simple truth of this matter of time, is that because my Savior Jesus lives inside of me, it isn’t mine to waste. So….those moments that have been all about me, and those moments that I didn’t seek Him first…those moments were wasted.

What are we doing with our precious time? 86,400 seconds…1,440 minutes. Are we seeking to do God’s will? Are we obeying that nudge He gives us? Are we talking to our Savior?

I strongly encourage you to get into God’s Word. The Bible is filled with instructions for living. Are you spending some time alone with Jesus? Those are large numbers…24 hours, 86400 seconds, 1440 minutes. Surely there is a spot available for GOD.

Our minutes, seconds, and hours are a gift from God. He created us. He gave us life. He also gave us the freedom of choice. There is that word that I seem to use quite a bit in my blog..CHOICE. God doesn’t force us to trust Him. He doesn’t force us to accept the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. He doesn’t force us to love Him. Forced love..forced trust…forced commitment or surrender really isn’t true love..trust or surrender anyways.

I am guilty of wasting seconds and minutes and hours. Once they are gone..they are GONE. I want my life to count! I want it to count simply for the fact of glorifying God. I don’t want the time in my life to point to me..I want it to point to God.

Every single moment counts for something. The person we pass in the hallway…do they see Jesus in you?..in me? The salesperson that makes a mistake or the waitress that messes up your order..Do they see Jesus in you?…in me? The car that pulls out in front of you or me…Do they see Jesus in you?…in me? Your husband, wife, children…do they see Jesus in you?…in me? That co-worker that just gets under your skin…does he/she see Jesus in you? And the list could go on and on and on.

It all boils down to CHOICES.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) ~ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Each second..each minute…each hour..is a gift. If you truly have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you also have a responsibility to use your time to bring glory to God. Sure, we have a choice as well. I know I have some work to do on this subject of time. It’s His time..it isn’t my time to waste.

BLESSINGS !

Until Next Time,

Galatians 5:22,23 (NIV) ~ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Goodness…

Who is good like our God? Nobody. His goodness is immeasurable. How in the world can we even compare or get close to being good as He is good ?

If we desire to be like Christ, we have to discipline ourselves to be good and showing His goodness to others. It isn’t always easy. The fruit of the Spirit is not plural…each aspect of it makes up the Fruit (the personality of God). The attributes of God.

In order to please God, we have to do what is right ALL of the time. Not SOME of the time. Yes, that is definitely hard to do..but it isn’t impossible. Nothing is impossible with God. When you accept Christ as your Savior you have the Holy Spirit living on the inside.

Goodness alone won’t get you to HEAVEN.

Matthew 7:21-23 ~ Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

You see, being good and doing good things does not always mean that you have a real relationship with God. Faith in Christ Jesus is what it is all about. Then your faith will in turn lead to goodness..and actions that are based on your faith in God. Not because it looks good to do good..but because you can’t contain your love for Christ. Your love for Jesus, your faith in Jesus, your relationship with Jesus..that is where true goodness comes from.

You can do good if you are a Believer in Christ and you can do good if you aren’t. The fact of the matter is that nobody can do enough good things to get to heaven. That is why we need our Savior Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-10 ~ For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Romans 3:22-24 ~ This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Think of ALL of the wonderful and beautiful things God has given us..done for us. Think of the times when things went bad..but God turned them around for GOOD. I can’t look up at the beautiful sky without being reminded of the things He provides each day for us to enjoy. If we just take the time to notice the good. It is a choice..focus on the Good or focus on the negative.

We can’t do good…be good…not the kind that matters…without God! God is GOOD…He is the source of TRUE GOODNESS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,