Heather Andres
November 25, 2023
Psalms 91, New International Version"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.....”
My name is Heather. I have a deep faith and love for Jesus. I am so grateful that He opened this door to work with this wonderful movement and ministry. I am "all in" for Jesus. So where do I start?
I was born on Halloween day. In hindsight, this birthday brought about a lot of confusion from the mainstream culture as to what was good-- and not so good to identify with. Most everyone thought it was a "cool" thing to be born that day. People that were a little quirky and different seemed to love Halloween. It doesn't seem like it should have been a big deal, but with the media and mainstream culture of scary movies, and with idols and emblems- it became one. As the years went by, I realized that I did not want that type of negative messages for identifiers in my life. I am not afraid of anything, yet I don't think people realize that these decorations and practices can bring or reinforce the kingdom of darkness in the world. I really wish people were more aware of what they are thinking of their children and supporting them when decorating their homes, offices, and literally everywhere. And now it all goes on for often a whole month or two! We are here to hold the highest level of truth of the highest order and these things are not right.
While accepting Christ as Lord and Savior at fifteen was just a beginning for me, it took me years to learn my identity in Christ. It is important to Stand firm in your place in the kingdom of God. It is vital to helping others, or getting help for ourselves. But we have authority to stand up against spiritual oppression. It is really important that the head of companies, organizations, and even homes are dedicated to Jesus Christ. This is a huge thing that often gets left to chance; and leaving things lukewarm is just not enough. I am grateful for all the opportunities God has given me to read my bible and learn from those who are Christian. I did not learn much of the bible when I was attending Catholic church or school.
There are times where everything changes in our lives. Without God there is no way to navigate this terrain except on our own. I have a special passion for learning how to sharpen my prayer skills. It is important to know how to pray. God needs to hear from our hearts, but sometimes we need to pray with more specifics. Many times God knows our needs before we ask, but prayer and devotion are key ingredients to a full relationship with the Lord. I discovered this need while being approached on the corner of a busy block where I lived in a family home that had been in the family for over seventy years. I started praying with people (when called) on the city streets. This led to a lot of amazing results. When you pray for your day to be of service to God, it is best to be prepared for anything. People often came back to ask for prayer.
"For where two or three are gathered, there I Am in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)
I really started to take this to heart. Where there were once hassles with people asking for money or rides or other disruptions in my life, I began to embrace what came my way. I began to see that what people really needed was prayer. This edified my purpose in and mission to be of service in Christ. It wasn't a calling that I was following initially, but as time went on I could see that there was a lot more that could be done with my interactions with people. I also started to make community connections with local churches close to home because it seemed to be the right thing to do. If two or more are gathered, then what can a whole congregation do in an older part of town? The answer is a lot more revivals! I began supporting churches that I did not belong to. To me it was a quiet nudge from the Lord to break bread with those who He wanted. God has touched my heart to connect with his creation by rescuing animals.
With a spiritual gift of what some may call "empathy," I often felt other people's pain acutely during massage therapy which helped me be better at what I could do as a professional. I had to learn how to pray and ground and center myself in Christ to hold my own, and not take on other people's pain. As time went along I couldn’t manage without prayer. God really helped me in each and every circumstance. A fellow parishioner at church just surprised me with a pendant with a gift of sand from the earth from Israel (The Holy Land).It is something I wear close to my heart as a sign to stay grounded in Christ in an almost literal way.
No matter how we take things to heart, one of my passions is to pray for the environment and the earth itself. Whenever I hear of environmental disasters, I make a point to uplift the situation in prayer. The sacredness of nature, and all that God created is profound to me. It is here that I feel restored. Perhaps you could call me a Christian hippie at times because I love to walk barefoot. Ironically, Jesus told his disciples not to carry shoes.
"Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way." (Luke 10:4)
I love that there is a verse for nearly everything that we need and are going through. God has an answer through reading the word whenever possible. Sometimes the message grows deeper with time and understanding according to His purpose. It amazes me how we can read a passage and get understanding, and then come back to it, with a whole new outlook. God is so good at helping each one of us with whatever spiritual gift we have. Many you be blessed with your calling.