His Heart’s Desire News – October 2022 - His Heart's Desire Ministries

I hope this finds you enjoying the beautiful colors and cooler temps of my favorite season—fall.

My husband, Steven, and I were blessed to enjoy this past weekend tent camping at Lake Fryer, which is about a twenty-minute drive from our home in Perryton, Texas.

He took the afternoon off so that he could have everything set up at our campsite by the time I got off work and drove out there.

Honestly, he couldn’t have chosen a better place for us to camp.

It was pretty secluded except for the occasional sightseer, those looking for firewood, and a masked, early morning ring-tailed visitor that rummaged through one of our equipment bags outside.

I wish it could have lasted a bit longer, though.

In our last newsletter, I updated you on what was going on in our personal lives and announced the publication of my newest book, His Banner over Me Is Sustaining Love.

A lot has happened since then.

After sixteen years of being out of full-time teaching, I started new teacher in-service August 3rd.

To be perfectly transparent, I was overwhelmed at how much had changed since 2006 and wondered what in the world I had gotten myself into.

Did I really hear from You, Lord? was the question on my heart as I was journaling one early morning.

I wasn’t prepared for His response.

This is what I wrote in my journal: I can feel Your loving compassion for these kids swelling in my heart, ready to overflow the dam and be poured out on them.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I started crying.

I literally felt His love for the students I hadn’t even met yet and was so grateful for His answer to my question!

A couple of weeks after that, something entirely unexpected happened.

I got COVID-19 and missed six and a half days of school.

I ran a high temp for about twenty-four hours, had some congestion with a slight cough and no appetite, and was completely drained.

And one symptom that completely blindsided me was depression.

I recognized it immediately, having experienced bouts with it a few times in my life.

It was overwhelmingly awful.

But the best thing that came out of it was an increased dependence on the One who lives in me:

Three different times I begged God to make me well again. Each time he said, “No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.” Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite happy about “the thorn,” and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when I am weak, then I am strong—the less I have, the more I depend on him.
2 Corinthians 12:8–10 (TLB)

It took about a month for me to regain my strength and to start feeling normal again.

And miracle of all miracles? I’ve heard myself thinking and saying, I love my job.

I can’t even begin to speak of all the ways that God has continued to reveal Himself and His love for me and my students since then, so I will just tell you the most recent one.

In our May 2022 newsletter, I shared how God used a Scripture from my devotional and another book that I was reading to confirm that He was calling me back to the classroom:

“Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.”
Matt. 5:16 (TLB)

This past Friday, one of my students gave me a belated birthday gift—a bag filled with items that warmed my heart.

There was also a card.

It wasn’t a birthday card, though.

The words on the front of the card were: “LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE” with the Scripture reference from Matthew.

More confirmation that I am exactly where my Beloved wants me to be!

Before closing this newsletter, I invite you to check out my Living Loved archives and my books to read more about your new heart union with Christ.

You can also follow me on social media.

If His Heart’s Desire Ministries has blessed you in any way, would you prayerfully consider giving a one-time donation or becoming a regular donor?

We are trusting in His provision to keep this writing ministry going!

Regardless of whether or not you are able to give financially, we would appreciate your prayers for the ministry.

We would also love to pray for your needs, so please contact us.

Together, we can reach many with the best news ever and help others live loved in Christ through understanding their flawless identity in Him!

Living Loved in Christ,