Beautiful Feet

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 10:15b

I don't know exactly why, but lately this verse in particular has been on my heart. I remember first really noticing this verse my freshman year in college, when I went to Memphis and watched LeCrae perform his song titled "Beautiful Feet." I couldn't help but think about the awesome picture this painted.

Beautiful . . . and feet . . . how can these two words belong in the same sentence? As my friend Matt pointed out to me yesterday, the feet can be seen as our terrible wretched nature that can be made beautiful when we do the Lord's work. What an amazing picture of the redemption and covering we receive through following Christ! It is so promising to know He can take an ordinary and imperfect person like me and turn me into something beautiful to be used for His glory.

"But by the grace of God I am what I am . . ."
1 Corinthians 15:10

Blessings always,
Natalie

Life in a Box

I love the phrase “Live Outside the Box.” The reason I love this phrase so much is because I feel this is how Christ calls us to live our lives. Living inside the box involves comfort, conformity, and trust in our own ability to make it through life. There is a sense (not reality) of safety. Inside the box we know the expectations, and we receive approval from those around us. We do not have to recognize the harsh realities outside our own little world. We leave no impact nor are we greatly impacted. Once gone, we are gone, making no eternal difference in the lives of those around us. Unfortunately, this is a life too often lived by the “Christians” here in the Bible belt. As Matt Chandler would say “they have learned how to play the game.” They gain approval by doing “Christian” things and living as a “Christian” should. I myself have filled this role: talking the talk, acting the act, but not truly walking the walk.

Living outside the box involves adventure, passion, and no choice but to trust in Him to provide for our every need. Each day God draws me further and further away from my comfort zone (my box), calling me to go one step closer to the call He has placed on my life. He is slowly but surely tearing down the walls I have built up around me. If I can only focus my eyes completely on Him and nothing else and keep from the distractions and desire for comfort in my daily life, I know I will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). My life will not be my own, but in the end it will be totally worth it. I encourage you to do the same – seek Him out and embrace the adventure He places before you. LIVE OUTSIDE THE BOX

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

April Idol Treasures

April is here, and it is now less than six weeks until graduation! Oy ve, this time has passed by quickly. It seems like only a few weeks ago I was living in the dorms, eating panninis at Mean Green Cafeteria.

Unfortunately, I have not had much time to blog lately nor really known what to say (hence no blog last month). It has been an incredible semester, and not because of anything I have done on my own.

This past month, a big issue brought to the forefront in my own life was the idols I had placed before Him. I guess I had been blind for quite some time to the things I put before Christ. I have had to recognize and lay down some things that have in some way interfered with my relationship with Him - my obsession with success and perfection, my many insecurities, and my concerns about the future. I allowed my thoughts to too often dwell on these subjects, causing anxiousness and loneliness within me. In the Bible, we are called to trust in Him completely. Our anxieties reveal the insecurity of our hearts, the lack of reliance on His promise to provide for our every need. I'm not saying my idols have disappeared from my life completely now - I still must take up my cross each day, but I am more able to recognize them when they do come up and fervently pray and seek after God to remove them from my heart and mind.

Tonight, I went to an I Am Second group through UNT for the first time. In particular, the issue of storing up treasures on earth was addressed. Nothing we own on this earth is ours to claim - it all belongs to Him. If we can only wrap our minds around this concept, maybe we would stop being so concerned about material possessions, maybe we would give more to those in need around us, maybe we would realize life is short and unpredictable and material possessions cannot be relied upon for happiness and fulfillment.

Food for thought: consider examining the things in your life you have placed before Christ, work on laying them down, and see what ways He uses you in the weeks to come. I think you will be amazed by the freedom you receive in giving your idols up, no matter how precious or important they seem in the moment. If our lives are "but a vapor," imagine how much less important and minute these things we place before Christ are in the big scheme of things. Our short-lived desires and lusts are nothing compared to the enduring quality of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Cuban grandfathers

Cuban grandfathers: I think everyone should have a Cuban grandfather. Yes, you heard me . . . Cuban grandfather. "Why?" you may ask. Because they are always there for you: to adore you, to tauk in a funny accent like Rickey Ricardo, and to tell you stories about the pranks of poor Cuban boys back in the pre-Castro days (don't ask). I can't imagine a world without Cuban grandfathers; therefore, I think everyone should have one. If you don't, I can promise you you are missing out on something amazing!













Christmas break: What a blessing it was to spend part of the holidays with my wonderful grandma and grandpa V. and the rest of my extended family (It's seriously been that long since I blogged, hence I feel I must catch you up on everything -- don't judge). After a relaxing, memorable break with family and friends in Granbury and near Houston, it was great to come back to home sweet Denton.

Since I came home to Denton two weeks before school started due to work, I was able to spend over 20 hours volunteering with occupational therapists, specifically hand therapists, at D & D Sport's Therapy. This was such a neat opportunity, as it more firmly secured my desire to go to graduate school for occupational therapy. Please be praying for me as I finish out this last semester and figure out the plans God has in store for me during my year off from school.

Back to now: I am so fortunate to be writing this blog as I stare out my window into the winter wonderland Denton has become overnight - gorgeous. This semester is probably my most difficult yet (28 exams!!!). The good news is I have already taken 1, so that large number is now down to a smaller 27. The only way I am making it through without stressing too much is keeping my eyes on the Lord and taking care of my body by going to bed early and hitting the gym on a regular basis.

One more thing: I have been struggling with how I would manage to be involved with any sort of ministry work this semester due to my busy schedule. How would I have time to build new relationships with all that is already going on in my life? Then I realized God has placed me in the most opportune of places to make friendships and reach out to others - hard classes that require lots of studying and study groups. I am planning on taking advantage of this as I have already begun building relationships with those in my classes. Continue to pray for open hearts and minds as well as courage and clarity in the words I hope to share.

Praying for you and loving you all always :)
Natalie

What person in my life can I bless?

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
1 John 3:16-17

This scripture is the one Christ has most recently laid on my heart. Lately, He has given me opportunities in my everyday life to do just what this verse commands. Why He is testing me in this area right now, I do not know. But I do know the blessings I have received by doing what He expects of me. Not monetary blessings, not gifts, not the approval of others, nor the praise of people; rather, I have peace and humility and thankfulness for everything in my life. And these gifts are so much better than anything the world or people have to offer. I honestly believe God has a perfect timing for every event and season of life. I think these opportunities and the relevance of this scripture in my life at the moment are more than coincidence. It is the Christmas season!! This nation's time for wanting, spending, and all-evasive materialism. How can I be in want, when I understand I have all I need and more?

My prayer for you and me this season is that we will meditate on this verse and consider all it encompasses. Is there someone in our lives we know is in need yet have not helped when we have more than enough resources to do so? If so, we should honestly question our hearts and ask God to free us from the stronghold our personal resources have on our lives. There is both freedom and priceless blessings in giving. As the holiday of Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, approaches, we should be asking ourselves the following question: what person in need in my life can I bless?

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Sending lots of love and blessings your way,
Natalie

50 things to be thankful for

I woke up this morning with a terrible headache and allergies. If you can call how I spent my hours last night sleep, I only got 5 hours of it. But today is the day to be thankful, and so, no matter how terrible I may feel right now, I know I am very very blessed beyond what I deserve. And, in order to put things into perspective, my sister and I made a list of our top 50 things to be thankful for:

1. A magnificently loving Savior who loves us regardless of all our flaws
2. A mom who loves us and takes care of us when we are sick no matter what our age
3. A father who would give his life for us in the blink of an eye
4. Family and all the many ways they are always there for us
5. Friends who fill our lives with joy
6. Laughing til it hurts
7. Peanut butter sandwiches
8. Chicken noodle soup
9. Coffee and Starbucks









10. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
11. Puppies to snuggle with
12. Stuffed animals to cuddle with
13. Disney movies
14. Rainbows to remind us of God's goodness
15. Majestic mountains
16. Texas sunsets
17. Reading when its rainy
18. Homemade hot cocoa
19. Cuban grandfathers :)
20. Melodious music
21. Grandma's homestyle cooking
22. Braum's peanut butter ice cream with hard chocolate coating (Rachael) Braum's cappuccino chunky chocolate frozen yogurt with hard chocolate coating (Natalie)
23. The Grand Canyon
24. Uncle Ronnie's bluebonnet paintings







25. Honeycrisp Apples
26. Culture
27. Concerts
28. Sisters







29. Memories of torrential rain in Mexico
30. Cooking with family and/or friends
31. Christmas cookies
32. Christmas carols
33. Hot apple cider
34. Snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies
35. Mexico mission trips







36. Apples to Apples with family and friends
37. Uncle Larry's lasagna
38. Giada's cookbooks
39. Homemade bread
40. Hot donuts on an early Sunday morning
41. Stars at night in Arizona
42. Birthday parties







43. Whitney's Mom's cheescakes
44. Pumpkin pie
45. Jiff peanut butter on a spoon
46. Roommates who make the world go round :)
47. Fortress of Doubletude nights with Whitney (Rachael) Photo shoots with Mandie (Natalie)







48. On the Border Dates
49. Sparky's hugs and back rubs that make everything better
50. Smitten Kitchen cooking blog

And so much more . . .

Have a blessed and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Love always,
the Hedge girls

In His hands

Hello all,

I figured it was about time I post an update about my life. School is school is school, not bad and more than halfway through the semester. One thing is for sure: life is flying by!! This past month has had its many ups and downs. My sister has yet again been sick, but this time for weeks (poor thing). On top of it all I was not doing so hot myself, considering the onset of October brought on a nasty cold which took me over four weeks to recover from completely. Still, God is good and life could be much worse so no complaints.

I am finally beginning to feel a sense of direction for life after graduation. I have suddenly but very thoughtfully decided to change my career focus back to occupational therapy. This was my profession of choice when I began college in 2008, but I had an entire year of feeling unsure about that major and exploring other options for grad school. I like the idea of a fairly flexible but secure job where I can help people as well as not have to spend so much time working to bring in a decent income. This would give me more free time to volunteer and one day be there for my family (in the future of course) with a good income (which I can use to reach out to and support others more). I feel much more peaceful and in the Lord's will with my decision to again pursue OT.

Along with this decision came the realization that I would not be able to apply for grad school until next October. This will give me a year off from school!! What a perfect opportunity to spend a year working and serving others and traveling. I have already begun speaking with Mandie, and we are now planning on a trip to serve somewhere out of the country after she graduates in December before I go to grad school. We have not yet come up with any sort of plans for our departure (dates, location, costs, etc.), but are praying and asking the Lord to open the doors and lead us to where He intends for us to go. I ask that you please pray for God to guide and direct our hearts and make the path which we are to take evident to us both.

As far as what I will do until Mandie graduates from her program and our trip is planned, I still do not know for sure. Many days it is hard to be patient for the Lord's guidance, but I trust He will show me where I am to go. He has never failed me before. I have popcorned various ideas: going to live with my grandparents for a few months, moving back home to work and help my mom with the clinic, or staying in Denton and continuing my work with CIS and maybe volunteering more with the International Student Fellowship. But in the end, it is up to Him.

Final thoughts for this post: I am currently going through Step studies, and I am becoming an avid believer that everyone should go through Steps if they have the opportunity. It is not easy, as the study addresses many difficult and taboo topics in the Christian community. It forces you to really look at your heart and sins and failures directly through the eyes of Scripture. While I do not struggle with any obviously visible sins, this study has challenged me because it deals not only with external actions but also internal thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. In Samuel 16:7 it says "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." This is why I think this study is for everyone, from the most obvious of sinners to the most outwardly righteous.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Isaiah 64:6

God bless!!