.Fall.

… it’s one of my favorite seasons of the year… SO I decided to change the look of my blog.  What do you think??

.Wedding.

Time to start getting back into “real” life again… by blogging about THE most surreal day of my life.  Well… really the surreallness started the Monday before our wedding, when my Groom arrived in Iowa. [We.would.never.have.to.say.good-bye.again…]

The week flew by, but yet was pretty low stress… my goal was to take a nap everyday, which was mostly successful.  There were days when I just laid there and prayed and pondered, but I slept for 30 min. the day before my wedding!  Everything was done and I had nothing else to think about!

CELEBRATING       .L.O.V.E.

[Note: I don’t have the professional pics yet, but you can see them here. The ones on this blog are all taken by a good friend and photographer – Ria Thurston.  You can see her blog here.]

Getting Ready – Starting at 8 AM, the girls met at Bridge City Design Studio… where we all had a blast getting our hair done and fellowshipping together!

(Not quiet done… although there was talk of me leaving my hair like this, what do you think? ) (My beautiful sister and wonderful maid-of-honor!  I’m a blessed woman to have her in my life!) 

BUT before we got started there, a few of us made a quick coffee run to “The Lucky Rooster” and started our day right :)!  There we were standing at the counter, fully focuses on what flavor we wanted to get… and I hear the door open.  SO, naturally I looked over to see who was coming in!  And who do I see?  But my wonderful groom!!! *Time seemed to stand still as he walked towards me*  It wasn’t until he looked up and saw me that reality clicked in and the flurry started! We decided not to see each other until the ceremony! One of my bridesmaids jumped in front of me, while the other escorted my shocked groom outside to see what he needed.  No one told him I was going to be there… and he was simply trying to deliver the following card and rose to someone to give to me [How Sweet!].

It was a fun moment and one that still brings a smile to my face and certainly brought a smile to the face of the coffee shop workers!

The Ceremony – it was perfect. full of joy. focused on the Lord. and blessed others.  Words cannot describe what I felt was I was FINALLY the one wearing the white dress, sneaking in the back door of the church.  I had enough coherency to sneak a couple small subway sandwiches [meat, cheese, and bread only… I’m not THAT crazy!]  Several influential women prayed over me and as several men did the same for Mike (in another room, of course!) … it was such a blessing to have each of them there!  And then…

The Music started!  Reality started to sink in… and then I turned the corner, took my dad’s arm, and started walking.  Seeing a few people along the way, and then my eyes were only for one man at the end of the isle.   IT.WAS.PERFECT.

Here are our vows – perfect reflections of our hearts and desire for Christ to be the center:

I, Michael John Batista, take you, Heidi Marie Abigt, to be my wedded wife. As is Christ to His body, the church, so I will be to you a loving and faithful husband. I promise you my deepest love, my fullest devotion, and my most tender care. I promise I will live first unto God rather than others or even you. I promise that I will lead our lives into a life of faith and hope in Christ Jesus. And so throughout life, no matter what may lie ahead of us, in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful husband.

I, Heidi Marie Abigt, take you, Michael John Batista, to be my wedded husband. As you have pledged to me your life and love, so I too happily give you my life, and in confidence submit myself to your headship as to the Lord. As is the church in her relationship to Christ, so I will be to you. I will live first unto our God and then unto you, loving you, obeying you, caring for you and ever seeking to please you. God has prepared me for you and so I will ever strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you. Therefore, throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health, I pledge to you my life as an obedient and faithful wife.

Then communion. Unity Candle. Our parents prayed over us (another beautiful moment)… and then… we got to kiss and be pronounced…

MR & MRS MICHAEL JOHN BATISTA

The Reception -  was a wonderful time of fun, fellowship and food!

Our first dance was to “Love is Not a Fight” by Warren Barfield.

Cutting the cake was an adventure… let’s just say he had more self-control than me [I got him good!].  However, at our reception in Massachusetts, this was not the case.  I had someone come up to me after we cut the cake here and say “I’ve seen alot of things, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a bride run from the cake table like you.” Yea, it was fun!

Then we escaped into the night, in a very tastefully decorated car [click to see pic].

There are many more stories I could tell of blessings we received, funny things that happened, or about how we appreciated EVERY person that came… it was OUR perfect day!

.Revisiting the Beatitudes.

“With each beatitude another nail is driven into a coffin. Inside the coffin lies the corpse of a false understanding of salvation. The false understanding said that a person can be saved without being changed. Or: that a person can inherit eternal life even if his attitudes and actions are like the attitudes and actions of unbelievers…you just make a decision one time and then it doesn’t matter if your merciful [or do anything the Bible commands].”  - John Piper

I am slowly working through a sermon series by Piper on the Beatitudes.  It’s SO refreshing, basic, foundational… I wish I would have listened to this sooner and really dove into the depths of this passage.

If your times with the Lord have been dry lately… I suggest starting here again.  Don’t give-up pressing towards Christ.  He is SO worth it ALL!!!

Mike and I have also been reading “Essential Truths of the Christian Faith” by R.C. Sproul.  A quote from last week that continues to resonate with me:

“It is infinitely more important for my heart to be right before God than that my theology be impeccably correct. However, for my heart to be right, there is a primacy of the intellect in terms of order.  Nothing can be in my heart that is not first in my head… the more I come to understand that character of God, the greater is my capacity to love Him.”

For those of you, like me, who have found themselves saying or thinking “I don’t need to read the Word today, I just want to love Jesus through prayer and worship.” Please ask yourself, why must they be separate?  Prayer and worship are good and often more “fun” or “emotional” that reading the Word, but the Bible is our DIRECT source of God’s wisdom, love and character… It’s SOO important!

Someday I’ll become a consistent blogger, but until then, I hope these things challenge you as much as they did me!

Love,

-H-

.A Light to the World.

More times than I would like to admit, in the past 2 yrs, I have not “felt” like a Christian.  When the world surrounds and begins to slowly penetrate life, we become SO blind to it.  It’s the small things like not “feeling” like getting into the WORD in the morning, not taking ONE thought captive, or even watching a movie that had a HINT of unGodliness in it.

At church on Sunday we watched a video for the sermon, and I had a slight issue with the first part {which the pastor ended up bringing back to Christ in the end, but the first part ruined it for me}.  His daughter was interviewing him for a paper she was writing and her question was “What is the single most important thing you do as a Pastor?” and he thought about it, and responded “I keep myself encouraged”.  My heart sank.  What a MISSED opportunity to remind his daughter of Christ alone being our sole focus… not how we feel about him or life! [Perhaps this is one of the small non-truths we let in.]

I have felt VERY discouraged at many points in life, especially over the past 2 years, but I THANK GOD for those times that allow me to see HIM move in and mold me to be more like HIM.  I’m not sure where we get the idea [and we all have it to some extent] that Christians should “feel” encouraged all the time and life should always be great in the moment… because that’s not what the Bible promises.  Our great PROMISE is an ETERNAL salvation! An Unconditional LOVE for all eternity! [Praise the Lord - David, Paul, and Christ himself put their hope in the eternal salvation, not the affliction or encouragement of the moment!!!]

I’m not saying it’s wrong to feel encouraged, those times are important too!  I’m just saying being “A Light to this World” is NOT about how we feel. [Even though that’s what so many churches are about these days.]

Easier said than done, I know, but HE is working in us to make it possible!

-H-

…Being A Woman…

Most days I go through life as a woman… just living.  Then there are times, not too often, where I love to fully enjoy and indulge  in womanhood and the things that women enjoy that men will never fully understand [It’s OK guys…there are things I’ll never understand about you, it’s the way God made us :)]….

• Bubble Baths
• Candles
• Relaxing Piano Music
• Dark Chocolate
• And a Romantic Novel

These make up my evening. I love being a woman.

What do you enjoy?

Love,

Heidi

.Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes

¹Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to
him, ²and he began to teach them saying:

³"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴Blessed are those who mourn,
      for they will be comforted.
⁵Blessed are the meek,
      for they will inherit the earth.
⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
      for they will be filled.
⁷Blessed are the merciful,
      for they will be shown mercy.
⁸Blessed are the pure in heart,
      for they will see God.
⁹Blessed are the peacemakers,
      for they will be called sons of God.
¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.   - Matthew 5:1-12

My heart keeps coming back to this passage. Simple. Deep. Profound. Soul Searching. LIFE ALTERING [if you allow it]!! Have you ever prayed – Lord, I want to be more like you!!  But don’t know what that looks like?  Are you  a list person like me?

Compare your life to this verse!  My doesn’t even begin to compare.

Lord – Mold me and make me to be more like this! I am clay in your hands, mold me according to YOUR will, not mine! Love, Heidi.

I hope you have a great day in the Lord!

Heidi

On-line Religion

I'm at work, but was just reading this artcile... how sad...

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/07/millennials-finding-religion-online/

Love,
Heidi