My Journey to Seattle Pacific University and the beginning of an epic adventure!

It happened by accident really, at least in my mind it did. However, nothing ever happens by chance for a child of God. My dearest friend had left for college that fall, and my dad and I drove up to Seattle from my hometown of Vancouver, Washington to visit her. We pulled up to this small University hidden on Queen Anne Hill. It was quaint and charming. The old brick buildings were exploding with character. The massive oak trees standing straight and tall like soldiers all over the campus. The trees were overflowing with autumn’s hues. The leaves were dancing in the crisp breeze only to make their final bow by landing gracefully on the simple concrete pathway zigzagging its way throughout the school. The pathway was daring me to continue to follow. I was immediately enchanted by this school.

It was the beginning of my junior year and colleges were pressuring me to come visit their campus. That summer, I had visited countless Christian universities in California (where I was certain I wanted to move to) and not a single colleges caught my eye. I also had the revelation that Heidi Johnson and California were not even close to a perfect match.

There is no denying that I am a Northwest Girl. I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon (a 3 hour drive south on 1-5 from Seattle). I love that there is a coffee shop on every corner. I feel at home when I walk the misty streets of Portland. There is a casual swagger of the artsy, hippie, nature freaks that reside there. Portland will always be the town that will forever hold a piece of my heart. I love long hikes in the evergreen forests with my friends and skiing on the surrounding mountains standing as mighty protectors of the Northwest. I love reading on lazy, rainy Sunday afternoons by an oversized window. I love how everyone is so friendly and are not always in a rush. I love NorthFace rain jackets, running in the rain, and really good coffee. If I was going to leave home for the first time—I had to stay in the Northwest.

Here I was, at Seattle Pacific University. The presence of this place was consuming. I belonged here. It hit me like a ton of bricks. This was my second home. Not only did I feel at home at this campus but I strongly felt God moving in and around this campus. (Now keep in mind I had only been on campus for a minute or two) I looked around and noticed that every lamp post boldly proclaimed, “The place where world change begins” and “Engaging the Culture, Changing the World”. I was dumbfounded. This cannot be real, I thought.

Since my freshman year in high school, I made my life motto “Changing the world one heart at a time”. I barely was able to say, “Dad…this school—this is the one”.

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With anything that seems almost too good to be true, there was a catch. This dream school has a price tag of $41,000 a year. Nevertheless, God has been providing even when I didn’t realize it. I am in a program where I go to community college starting my junior year full time and receive college and high school credit. This program saved me two years of college.

Do not let money be the roadblock that keeps you from following God’s will in your life. God funds what He favors. If it is God’s will, it is God’s bill. These are some of the promises God has been asking me to hold on to. I am close to going to Seattle Pacific University without having to take out any student loans. I know that God is going to provide all the finances I need to make this happen. I will make sure to let you know when and how that happens!

Next fall, I will be living in my second home. I will be a Seattle Pacific Falcon. I am excited to start as a junior majoring in Communications and a minor in Worship and Music Ministry.

I promised my family and friends, I would make my choice official on my blog and give a little backstory to my choice. However, it is not my decision. God has made it extremely clear and obvious that this is where He is calling me. I have begun to dream about my dorm room and pray for my future roommate. Thank you for all your prayers and support while I was praying through this decision. Your prayers were felt and your support was encouraging.

Heart Strings

As I was organizing files on my laptop (Yes, you know it’s 2011 when Spring Cleaning includes organizing and cleaning files and folders on your laptop) I found a blog I wrote in early February, but somehow never posted. I have just gotten back from a 10 day vacation with my family where I turned off my cell, left the laptop at home (no facebook or blog world), and never went close to a TV. Cannot wait to share that adventure with you and some of the things God revealed to me and open my eyes to when I abandoned life’s everyday distractions. I’m working on it!


This blog was titled in my laptop “Heart Strings”. Enjoy!

I always write the best songs deep into the silence of the night. When it is just me and the Lord. When I lay my brokenness and disappointments before Him. And instead pick up the promises I KNOW to be true. Last night, as I was crying out to the Lord, I picked up my guitar trying to some how deal with the craziness and brokenness of life that was burdening my heart. As I started to strum random chords these lyrics came pouring out of my soul…"I know you are for me Lord…Even when I can't see through this storm…I know you're here…I may have more questions than answers…But life’s a mystery to be lived instead of solved...”

I sang those same lyrics over and over again, and that peace that truly does pass all understanding (Phil 4:7) came flooding into my heart. Mending the brokenness. Dulling the pains of life. My friends, all you have to do is hold on to the promises and the truths that are written so clearly in the Bible. The Bible is our love letter, our manual, written from the desk of our Lord.

Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart" ~Psalm 27:14

In this world you will have hardships, trials, and sorrows. But do not lose heart, I have overcome the world ~John 16:33

Jesus, I want more of YOU! Even if it means hard decisions, sleepless nights, tear stained journal entries, and seemingly broken dreams. You are BIGGER than our situations. You are bigger than the world I feel trapped in some days. You have overcome it and you give me the power, courage, strength and grace to overcome it too.

Jesus never promises us that life will be easy. Actually, He promises the opposite. The truth is walking with God doesn’t mean a life without problems but a life overcoming problems. I will not be defeated or discouraged. Jesus Christ is always Victor.

I haven’t ended my blog with a Ludy quote in awhile. I could easily start and end every blog with a quote from either Leslie or Eric. Nevertheless, I have been trying really hard not too. However, tonight I could not say the following any better than Eric Ludy…

“What is a movie without conflict? Where’s the drama without a mountain of impossibility to climb? The very thing that makes for an exciting story is the same thing that makes for a wonderful and amazing life: overcoming the impossible. For life to be fully lived, it must wrestle the impossible and win. For life to be fully lived, the God of the Impossible must be fully trusted with the writing of the script. God wants to blow our minds with His crazy plot turns and last-minute heroics”

Continuing Down the Narrow Path

Brooke Fraser and Kari Jobe are serenading me tonight. Everything around me is still and peaceful. My worship favorites are gracefully dancing around the room. Making my tiny bedroom seem like sacred ground. The Lord has entered. His presense is thick in my room. Everyone is asleep and it is just me and the LORD tonight. I am beyond excited because after almost two months with out blogging, I have finally felt God call me to once again give an update on this beautifully, chaotic life of mine. I never write a blog just for the sake of posting a blog. In the beginning when I created this blog I promised God that this would be His outlet to use through me. I wouldn’t write anything unless He spoke on my heart to do so. These past two months, God has had me focus all my free time on seeking and worshiping Him. It has been truly mind blowing and God has captivated my heart even more than before. I have gone deeper into the endless frontier of God and grown stronger in my relationship with Him.

Here a mere glance into what I God has been teaching me lately….

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps ~Proverbs 16:9

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and do not depend on your own understanding ~Proverbs 3:5

May 1st. It is the ugly little date for me. No, I don’t have anything against May Day. But, I am not looking forward to National Reply Deadline. For most colleges, May 1st is the deadline to send in your deposit saying that this is where you will be attending in the fall. Prayers for wisdom and guidance would be SO appreciative. I think God is calling me to Seattle Pacific University. It is an incredible private (and small) Christian school hidden away on Queen Ann Hill. I’m not convinced it’s not my future. Not convinced that it is. That is the tricky thing about surrendering your life to Christ. It is not up to you to decided or be convinced. So where will I be going to school in the fall or what is my 5 year plan? Well…just like everything else in my life: where ever God wants me to go.

The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? ~Proverbs 20:24


I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps ~Jeremiah 10:23

I keep trying to figure out the new horizons that God is leading me into. I keep trying to fit my future into spreadsheets and To-Do-Lists. But life and especially the future doesn’t fit well in those. It is best to leave them at the feet of our Sovereign Lord.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think ~Ephesians 3:20

My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the LORD Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God ~Acts 20:24

I want to make it clear that I know what my purpose is in life. Everyone’s purpose as a follower of Jesus Christ is to spread the Good News, the Gospel, to everyone and make disciples of ALL nations. That is our commission spoken from the mouth of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28: 16-20. I love this! The fact that the last thing Jesus does before going up into Heaven is to give us our purpose for being on earth. I am even MORE in love with Acts 20:24, when Paul says his life is worthless if his life’s purpose is not the Great Commission. The same is true with our lives. Anything we do that is outside of our purpose for being on earth is worthless. Our lives need to be constantly being poured out on worshiping our Sovereign Lord and spreading the Good News.

I do not know my specific calling for this purpose yet. I do not know if God wants me to fulfill my purpose of the Great Commission by being a Worship Pastor, a missionary, start my own non-profit, be a stay at home mom, a Pastor or a Pastor’s wife…etc. God has yet to reveal that to me. However, God has told me that He has planned for me something that I cannot accomplish in my own strength. Ephesians 3:20 says that God has something planned for us that is beyond our wildest dreams. But we can not accomplish or take on this task without HIS power and strength working through us.

Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart ~Psalm 27:14


As I wait on the Lord for my specific life calling for the future; I do know my life calling right now. I love the saying “bloom where you’re planted”. You can lead people to Christ right in your hometown. There are broken, hurting, and lost people in every city, country, and continent on this planet. And do not let Satan try to deceive you and tell you otherwise. You can fulfill your purpose today! Pray and ask God to reveal to you people who need to be reminded or told for the first time about His amazing grace and everlasting love.

I had the privilege this winter to coach basketball at my local Boy’s and Girl’s Club. It was pure joy. I had a blast loving and teaching these precious children about basketball but more importantly how to be good people. The kids at the Boy’s and Girls club have seen heartbreak, pain, brokenness, abuse, and other horrific things that most children don’t. However, for two and a half months I got pour out my life on these kids and say with my words and actions, “You are important to me”. Now I know that that doesn’t make the brokenness of their family situations go away but they do get a glance into the eyes of Jesus. To see the radiant colors of unconditional love through me. I love these kids and do everything I possible can to show them love because, “Christ love compels me” (2 Corinth. 5:14). Remember, that we are the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us. I beg you tonight to not let the people God has placed in your life to leave your presence without feeling like the encountered Jesus.

So much is happening in my life this spring and I am dedicated (God-willing) to be better about blogging and bringing you along on this crazy adventure God has me on. My prayer, as always, is that opening up and sharing my life with you encourages you on your own adventure with Christ. We are all in this together. Okay…I know super cheesy to quote High School Musical but I couldn’t help myself…hehe. I have felt led to post my thoughts and what God has been teaching me about Worship which hopefully will be posted later this week. I am praying for all my friends and brother and sisters in the faith around the world who stumble upon this blog.

Love and Blessings,
Heidi

I am Trembling in Awe of it all...

Exactly one week ago, around this same exact time (10pm), I cried out to God. I begged Him for guidance and wisdom. And most simply I cried out for God. I needed Him. My soul was thirsting for some time to dwell in the presence of God. I wanted to get drunk in the freely poured out love of God. Ask and it shall be given unto you. I got what I asked for and so much more.

I picked up one of my favorite devotional books “God Calling” and just feeling completely filled with the Holy Spirit, I went through the whole books super fast, finding random parts and writing it down. Not really knowing what I was doing twenty minutes later I had…a letter from God. It is from random spots in my devotional yet, somehow it flows so beautifully, like it was originally written to be together like this.

My Beloved and Precious Child,


Can you not feel the joy of knowing, loving and companying with Me? Remember you must not see as the world sees. I hold the year in My Hands—in trust for you. I shall guide you one day at a time. Leave the rest to Me. You must not anticipate the gift of the future by fears or obsessive thoughts. For each day I shall supply the wisdom and the strength.


Just be a child. A child never questions plans. It accepts gladly. All is well. Wonderful things are happening. Do not limit Me at all. I will provide. You must pray the way will open. My plans for you will unfold in My perfect timing. Just love and wait. Wait, my child. Wonders are unfolding before your eyes. Tremble with awe at all I am doing.


Life with me is not immunity from difficulties but peace in difficulties. My guidance is often by shut doors. Love shuts doors as well as opens. Joy is the result of faithful trusting acceptance of My Will, when all seems not joyous. Joy is the daughter of calm. Be calm, no matter what may be fall you. Rest in Me.


Be patient, and let patience have her perfect work. Never think things overwhelming. How can you be overwhelmed when I am with you? I can see the future. I can read your heart. I know you better than you what you need. Trust Me absolutely. You are NOT at the mercy of Fate or Luck. Never fear, whatever may happen. Know you are being led. Know that you will be shown. I have promised.


Have a big faith, and expect big things. Looking back you will see that ever step of the way was planned. Leave all to Me. Each stone in the mosaic fits into the perfect pattern, designed by the Master Artist. It is all so wonderful! But the colors are Heaven’s hues, so that your eyes could not bear to gaze on the whole, until you arrive at Heaven’s gate. So, stone by stone, you will see, and trust the pattern to the Designer.


You will never be able to fully understand how wide, deep, and high my love is for you. But I dare you to try…


Forever and Always,

Your Abba Father

I cannot share everything that has been happening the past two weeks. It’s not time for that story to be told yet. However, I can reveal that God is doing some BIG things in my life. All of it is beyond my wildest dream. I feel like my life is some wonderful dream—too good to be true. But I have pinched myself a million times and this is real…this is my current reality. God is unfolding wonders before my very eyes. Yes, I am trembling in awe of it all.

Two months ago, I was crying myself to sleep because I was so terrified of not knowing what the future held. God will sing me to sleep with truths and promises to trust Him because He has great plans for my life. But I had to surrender my dreams and plans. That was horribly painful at the time. Everything that the world had instilled in me told me this was foolishness. Some people thought it was courageous. No, surrender is not foolish and it’s not courageous. Surrender is simply faith in an all-knowing God. Since October, I went through a season of waiting, surrender, and prayer.

Now after months of waiting, God’s plans are starting to be made known in BIG, obvious, and convicting ways. I am praying that I have the boldness and courage to follow God where He is calling/leading me—no matter the costs. If God calls me to it; He will enable me to bear it. Even if I end up across the country. Anyways, before I give too much away I want to leave you with this FIREWORD, God recently reminded me of.

I wrote this on January 28 in my prayer journal:

“Joyful. I have joy overflowing deep within my soul. So much to be thankful for, so much praise constantly spilling out of my mouth. I am drunk with love for You, Lord. Your love is freely given. I did absolutely nothing to deserve it and I am so unworthy of this love You pour out on me. But You whisper to my heart that this is how love is supposed to be. A true sacrificial love is free. You cannot buy it. You cannot earn it. However, once this love is bestowed and gifted upon you it will cost you everything. All by your own choice, knowing it doesn’t have to cost you everything and that you can walk away from this love at anytime. You know you could abuse this love, you know you have the power to walk all over it. But you would never dream of doing that. Instead you look into the eyes of the person and/or God who pours this true (freely given) love on you and tell them you would do anything, be anyone, and go anywhere to be with them. To be with the one whose love has forever changed you. The love you cannot even imagine living without. That is True Love.”

Firewords and Authenticity

Blessed. I am dripping in blessings. That is what comes to mind as I sit here in this peaceful coffee shop with my herbal tea. I love the smell of coffee shops; it is absolutely magnificent. The aroma of coffee beans and the different blends of tea is a smell straight from heaven. While I am sitting here taking everything in, the sun has decided to kiss my face with its bright rays even though it is a cold winter’s day. It is like God himself is warming my cold face saying, “All is well, precious daughter. I delight in you”.


“We are mirrors whose brightness, if we are bright, is wholly derived from the sun that shines upon us”-C.S. Lewis

I am content with where I am with God and where I am on this crazy journey called life. I wake up every morning just happy and ready for where ever God takes me and to serve everyone who God places in my life. This is a new mind set then the season I recently went through. I am doing everything I can to keep this attitude. To continue to enjoy God’s presence as I go through this season of discovery, a time to learn and to soak in new truths that God is putting on my heart. I am trying to write it all down in all the different ways I know how. I am calling these revelations and truths: Firewords.

FireWords: “But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in His name, His word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I’m worn out trying to hold it in. I cannot do it! Jeremiah 20:9

I have quite recently discovered a new found passion and developing talent for songwriting. This actually doesn’t come as a surprise to me. I love the creative process that goes into taking the message of the bible—all the wonderful truths—and turning them into writings, blogs and now…music. I always try to be real and authentic when I explain my own personal adventure with Christ. I am eager and delighted to have found a new opportunity to use my talents God has entrusted me with to set the world on fire and turn it upside down, making a lasting difference.

I want to spread a completely unusual message compared to what pop culture blast all over T.V, internet, facebook, radio, newspapers etc. A message of immeasurable love and rock solid truth. I remember really feeling convicted. I cried out, “Oh, Lord, someone must do something about this”. And instantly I felt God answer my heartfelt, spontaneous prayer. I knew that “someone” was me.

“For they all do evil and abuse what power they have” ~Jeremiah 23:10

“YOU must influence them; do not let them influence you.”~Jeremiah 15:19c

Somewhere during all the sunshine’s and raindrops in my life, through days of brokenness and fairy tale moments that were magical—idea’s and dreams that God specifically placed in my heart began to blossom. I am still in the blossoming process. But, someday these divine dreams and ideas grow to maturity, which God will use to touch more lives than I can ever imagine. It will be so much bigger than me following my dreams, building my career, or creating a name for myself—this is my calling: my ministry, my mission work, my walk with God. A Set Apart Adventure.

This is why I so strongly believe in authenticity. If I ever give off the impression that I have it all together, that my life is perfect and I live in some fairy tale dreamland where everything goes my way. Then shame on me. You see I am a helpless, hopeless, broken girl in rags. However, I have a relationship with a God who is perfect and has a love for be that is absolutely ridiculous. It makes no sense. He loves me. He redeems me. And get this…He takes this hopeless girl—filthy, dirty, absolutely worthless and decides to transform her into His princess. Let me tell you it is not an easy process. You cannot just wave a wand around; say some funny sounding words, and BAM…a princess. It is a daily training, only by the grace of God. I am just a work in progress.

Continuing on the topic of Firewords and authenticity: I wrote the below story during Thanksgiving break and have been waiting for the right time to share it with you. God has put it on my heart that now is the time.

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The rain this morning seems never ending. On top of being wet, there is a bitter stone cold breeze that is cutting through even the thickest jacket, as well as my broken heart. I feel as if I have hit head on a spiritual wall. That I am walking around in the dark, not knowing where I am going. All I know is that Jesus is holding my hand and keeps telling me to trust Him. In the beginning, that was fine. I was excited to start walking down this narrow path. What an incredible adventure I thought. But after awhile the journey got tough. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this adventure with Jesus so I kept on climbing. However, after two months of a dangerous and hard journey it is easy to become discouraged.

I began to question God. “Lord, where am I going? Where are you taking me? Why can’t I know? Can’t you turn on a light? Isn’t time for the journey to get easier?” I started to question if I was even holding on to God’s hand. If He truly cared about me how could He let the rain fall? Why is He keeping me in the dark? I just cried out in desperation, “Oh, Jesus, I don’t have the strength or the will power to keep on this journey anymore. Help me!”

Jesus immediately stopped still and slowly turned and gazed into my eyes with an unconditional love. I could also see sadness in His eyes like He understood completely how much this journey, this narrow path, was taking its toll on me. I just stood their looking into His eyes; time seemed to disappear, and I was unable to come up with anything to say. As I stared into His eyes all my anxieties, fears, and worries about the future, about the rough journey, fell to the ground. A peace beyond understanding flooded my heart. I realized that it did not matter how difficult the journey was or if I didn’t know where we were going. We stood still as the rain pounded down and the wind blew—I wasn’t even aware. I had divine warmth filling my soul. I was with my True Love. My Savior, who loved me and was willing to die to ransom me when I went astray, as long as I was with Him I knew everything would be okay. That I would walk through fire, climb mountains, and go through hell itself, as long as I could stay with Jesus. I knew the most devastating tragedy would be walking away from Him. I made a decision in my mind, that no matter where He went, I would continue to follow Him to the ends of the earth.

I could tell that He knew the decision I had just made in my heart and mind because He smiled. Ah, I would do anything to bring a smile to my Savior’s face. I was stunned that such a simple decision of surrender from someone as insignificant as me could bring Him so much pleasure. My eyes shifted down to His hands, I saw scars. Scars from having nails pieced through His hands. I remembered how much my ransomed cost Him. The sacrifice He made just to be able to have me beside Him right now. It cost Him everything. Oh how foolish and stupid I was. How could I possible complain about the narrow path He was taking me down when He went through hell to save me! Miraculously, I was able to stutter out, “I-I-I am sooo sorrrrrry”. Then I burst into tears.

He took my hand and began to speak. Ooh.. I am so in love with His voice. It is as strong and mighty as a roaring ocean wave crashing against a rocky coast cliff. Yet, soft and caring, like He is serenading you with a beautiful melody that He wrote especially for you. It is hard to actually listen to what He is saying because you’re so mesmerized by the sound of His voice. But, I was able to hear Him say…

“Heidi, my precious child. Trust me. I know what I am doing. All your days I hold in My hand. I know every desire and dream in your heart. I specifically placed them there. Please know that I have great plans for you. I will give you all you could ever need to keep on this narrow path. Just ask me and it is yours! Soon your eyes will be opened to all I am doing but for now—Trust me”

Then He created the most beautiful painting in the sky. He used all my favorite colors. God had gotten my attention. In less then 10 minutes, He took my heart of stone, tired from a long and brutal journey, and overflowed me with so much love, peace, and strength to keep going. And best of all I had rediscovered why I fell in love with Jesus in the first place. He is SO good. I do not deserve His love and blessings. Yet, everyday He surrounds me with more and more.

Did I mention this all happened at 6:03 in the morning as I was waiting for my plane to take off? God will find you! He will meet you and send you straight on your knees in the most unlikely place where you would least expect it. I was drowning in a massive wave of emotion while watching the sunrise in my cramped airplane seat.

I am glad I serve a God that will do anything to get my attention. I am His princess, His beloved even when I don’t act like it. I hate to admit this but the past two weeks I have let the enemy freeze over my heart. Yes, the past two weeks I got a heart of stone. I went cold. The glimmer and fire that usually blazes in my eyes started to fade. My beautiful song of praise to my Lord that would always be on my mouth and heart didn’t seem so heartfelt anymore. I could feel myself drifting away from my Forever Love. But, God WILL FIND YOU! He is always waiting. Patiently calling you back home into His arms.

I am SO thankful that God is ever present and even when I move away from Him, and realize what I have done; He welcomes me with open arms again and again and again. This is grace and love. The most beautiful and undeserving gifts that we receive by having a relationship with God are Love and Grace.

So I end this long blog post (by now I’m sure you expect nothing less from me) by saying these are the FIREWORDS God has placed that are burning inside me. Also, this is me being as authentic as I possible can with you all about my journey with Christ. I pray that by sharing my firewords and being authentic, helps you on your own adventure with Christ.

The Melting Snow...Hope is Insight

One of my favorite parts in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is when Edmund (who is captured by the White Witch) recognizes that her powers are declining.

“Now they were steadily racing on again. And soon Edmund noticed that the snow which splashed against them as they rushed through it was much wetter than it had been last night…And his heart gave a great leap when he realized that the frost was over.”

Aslan, by returning to Narnia, broke the White Witch spell. This is good news for Edmund. Edmund is currently captured by the White Witch because he betrayed his brothers and sisters. Because of his “sin” he became a slave to the Witch. He is traveling with the Witch as she is looking for his siblings to kill them. Edmund is tired and feels horrible and guilty for betraying his family. He believed he was utterly hopeless as he traveled with the dark, twisted Witch in the freezing winter. The White Witch had total power over Edmund.

Edmund, by his own sin and short coming, got himself in this hopeless situation. But in the middle of their travels He sees signs of spring. Which could only mean one thing…“Aslan is on the move”. This statement brought hope to all of Narnia. In the Narnia series, Aslan is called “the true king…the Son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-sea…Great Lion of Narnia, the ruler of all Narnia” Narnians have been waiting for the day that Aslan would come and get rid of the White Witch and the hundred years of winter would be over. Edmund now he had hope—“Aslan is on the move”. Maybe Aslan could save him and his siblings?

I can relate this to the story of Israel (what a shock)—God’s chosen people. They went from a close relationship with God to having their hearts go cold. They turned their backs to God. They went astray. God knew His people would fall short. He planned to send a Savior to them. Israel was waiting to be redeemed. Instead of finding hope in “Aslan is on the move” they found it in “the Messiah is coming”. Jesus Christ is known as the Lion of Judah, King of kings, the Son of God, and the ruler of all. Are you starting to see the parallel between this fictional, beloved children’s story and the very REAL story of Christmas. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is so powerful because it is our story. We have all been in the place of Edmund. We have been slaves to sin, lost and helpless. But, Hallelujah, Jesus Christ came at Christmas to offer us new life and hope, to free us from Satan and sin.

Just like when Aslan arrives the dark magic on Narnia begins to break and spring appears—When Jesus was born on Christmas the curse of sin and the power of Satan over us began to break. 1 John 3:8 says “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work”

Yet, the Witch is fighting the truth that her power is beginning to fade. She tries to make it so Edmund can’t see that winter is beginning to turn to spring. C.S Lewis writes, “This didn’t prevent Edmund from seeing. Only five minutes later did he notice a dozen crocuses growing around the foot of an old tree—gold and purple and white”.

This is SO typical Satan. He knows. He understands that now Christ is born and He has absolutely no power anymore. His power is all illusions. Making us believe the lies that He has power over our lives. But my friends let me warn you. Satan is VERY good at this. He is a master of illusions. The last thing Satan wants is for us to have hope. For us to realize that we are no longer slaves to him or sin. Praise the Lord that we have a Savior who can make the blind see. Who can open our eyes to the lies and illusions of Satan.

This reminds me of the first part of the Christmas song, O Come, O Come Emmanuel and God rest ye Merry Gentlemen.

“Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here--Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!”

“This day is born a Savior. Of a pure Virgin bright,To free all those who trust in Him--From Satan's power and might.O tidings of comfort and joy”

Christmas is the arrival of hope, of the long awaited Savior. It is the start of Satan losing His power over us. (It wasn’t till Christ work on the cross that we were completely set free from Satan’s power and sin). Christmas is when the melting began.

I love the metaphor for snow melting that C.S Lewis uses in this book. It reminds me that God has the power to transform a cold heart, bit by bit, into a burning heart for Him. This is a truth for both believers and non-believers. God can transform even the most committed, firm standing atheist into a Christ believer who leads thousands to salvation (example: Acts 8-9 the story of Saul turned Paul). However, even as current followers of Christ, I can promise you that you’ll go through a season of winter. Just like you can count on the changing of the seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. You will go through trials and tough times that will feel like “winter”. But, remember we have the hope of Christmas. We can hold on to the promise that winter brings Christmas. CHRISTmas dwells within us. In the middle of long, cold, and dark days we can find warmth, joy, and love. Hold on to the promise that after the season of winter; spring will surely come. When the snow in Narnia melts, it is an allusion to how winter in our hearts gives way to a spring time of faith.

Oh what joy to know Aslan and Jesus are on their way to bring light and hope to these two worlds. But, things are far from over. Actually our Christmas story has only just begun. Check out next post December 20th to find out the rest…

Always Winter, Never Christmas

I am beyond excited to FINALLY be posting my first post to the True Magic of Christmas Blog Series. I know I am extremely far behind in posting this series, so I will be posting a new blog every other day until Christmas Eve which will be the finale of this series. I promise the long wait will be worth it. So make sure to check my blog on December 18th , 20th , 22nd , and 24th !!!

I have always been a dreamer. This mind, this imagination, the Lord has given me is constantly filled with new ideas, wonder, and always pushing the definition of what’s impossible. Because with God absolutely NOTHING is impossible. I am relentless in looking for a good adventure and have an addictive love for metaphors. I cannot get enough of metaphors and similes. I naturally come up with new metaphors to describe my life or the things happening around me. By now you’re most likely wondering where I am going with this. You’re thinking, “Oh no, Heidi is rambling on again”. Yes I have a tendency to ramble BUT…I actually do have a point. As we spend the next week exploring the True Magic of Christmas we will make use of the Narnia Series. One book in particular from the Narnia Series: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.

This book has so many brilliant metaphors to Christmas that I am bursting with excitement to start showing you them. Narnia is a magical world, filled with adventure, epic battles of good vs. evil, noble love, ordinary people who become heroes (both boys and girls) willing to risk everything for the greater good, and a mighty King lion named Aslan who always comes through to save the day.

I recommend these books to everyone. They are simply amazing. I do like the movies but it doesn’t compare to the book. And in order to go on this journey with me this week you must have a basic knowledge of the book. In other words, you need some training before embarking on the journey. If you have read The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, congratulations, you are ready to go. If not, I have added the SparkNotes link. Take 5 minutes or less to read and get a good understanding of the story’s plot and characters.

Know that SparkNotes will only give you an understanding of the book but I HIGHLY recommend you take the time during Christmas Break to read this book. It is short and an easy read and has a myriad of parallels to the Gospel

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/lion/summary.html

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There will be two different worlds that we will be jumping back and forth to. One is the land of Narnia where anything is possible. The second is an enchanting and holy night that happened over 2,000 years ago in the sleepy town of Bethlehem.

Are you ready? If not, this is the last time you’ll be able to walk away. Once you take the first step there is no going back. The path is narrow. I cannot promise you it will be an easy journey. It will take courage, an open mind, and trusting in someone bigger than yourself.

We will start our week long adventure by walking through an ancient old Wardrobe hidden upstairs in a forgotten room filled with dust. Take a deep breath, remember you are not alone, take a step of faith, and feel the bitter-cold cut right through your oversized coat as you enter a world that is currently stuck in a perpetual winter…

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“She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas. How awful is that! ” ~Lucy, to her siblings in the book, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Can you imagine a world where it was always winter but never Christmas? What a horrible thought. When Lucy first visits Narnia it’s under the curse of the White Witch. Therefore, Narnia is a world that is in slavery and oppression to the White Witch. It is a world that waits for restoration. Waiting for Aslan to come and destroy the Witch and bring spring. Why is everyone waiting for Aslan to come? There are old Narnian prophesies which speak of the coming of Aslan! Mr. Beaver shares one of them with the children in chapter 8,

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan come in sight,

At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,

When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,

And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

Let’s jump to another world quickly. This world is our own world 2,000 years ago, a time where just like Narnia, there was no such thing as Christmas. The people of Israel have been in its own time of continuous winter. Maybe not physically but metaphorically. The world is dark and being held to the Law of God. No matter how hard anyone tries, they never meet its standards. Everyone is broken knowing they have fallen short of what God created them to be. Consequently, Satan has taken over. The promised Light of the World has not yet come. People are waiting to be ransomed from Satan’s power over their lives. The world is filled with darkness and is cold. Kind of like an unending winter.

Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of Law….the Scriptures declare that the whole world is a prisoner to sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. ~Galatians 3:10, 22-23

Israel has its own set of prophecies of a Messiah. The Redeemer will come to abolish the current curse on the world and bring light, hope, and freedom. The most common prophecy is from Isaiah. It was prophesied about 700 years before Jesus’ birth.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadows of death a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:1-2

Narnia has been in a never ending winter for over 100 years. Everyone is slaves to the evil White Witch. Israel has been waiting for thousands of years for the Messiah, stuck in a world where everyone is slaves to sin and Satan is the ruling king. Both these worlds are waiting for hope. Yet, I have a feeling that the long season of waiting is about to come to an end. Aslan and the Messiah are on the move. Yes, I do believe, Hope is coming to these two worlds.

I guess we will find out for sure on Saturday December 18th….

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