Commune-ity

I have completed phase 1 of my training here at HEART.

I have met and now know 8 other incredible students along with the staff and volunteers.
The beginning was full of laughter as we got a feel for one another. Surface level questions of where we live, how many siblings we have, what year in school, what we like to do for fun, etc.

First impressions are priceless. How often we are wrong, not because others put off a different imagethan who they really are, but instead because we carry too many assumptions based on our life and project them.

The surface was broken quickly though. After the first night followed a full day of sharing testimonies and prayer. We laughed and we cried. Knowing that we would be living together, working together, going to class together, and spending free time together we felt no need to felt the initiation of vulnerability. The way I see it: if I expect others to be vulnerable and desire for the to be then I myself must be just as if not more willing to do so. And rather than building a relationship on surface level laughter only to create awkwardness when you try to open up and be serious, why not start with vulnerability to create that atmosphere and attitude?

I have laughed with my lab group when the animals doing ridiculous things and I have shared some of my deepest insecurities with the very same people. It is so beautiful. I am learning, being challenged, and hopefully even teaching some. Last weekend we went on a two day canoe/wilderness trip. During this time I was able to be overwhelmed and calmed by God's wonderful creation all around me. I am speaking of the nature and people. There was life-giving conversation in the midst of so much life around me.

A few things I've come to conclude this far in my life:

-everyone has something to teach. Always. This teaching happens in two ways. 1. The Lord does something in your life, teaches, speaks, transforms, and the result of that is shared with others. You either teach the lesson, speak the words, or interact and live in a new way because of the transformation 2. You deny the Lord's doing and push your own way thus resulting in teaching others what it looks like to not live into God's desires for your life.

-vulnerability is crucial so we must be willing to share, but vulnerability without ears to listen is selfish and unproductive. Growing in community occurs when you are open and you allow others to be.

A reflection from my journal about living for others:

You created
By Your breath I was made
Out of nothingness You made life
Life that is not just for life
Life that was meant for lives
To reach, connect, expose
Your life, Your truth, Your way
To be one with You
Yet, You in others is what I am to pursue

Our destiny is in...

"Our destiny is in a relationship to a person, not in a pilgrimage to a place.

Our purpose is in communion with the living God,

not in union with an impersonal idea or nameless Higher Power: Such categorization

is intellectual cowardice. Access to an abstract power gives

you no one to be grateful to in times of blessing and no one

to question and receive comfort from in times of sorrow.

The world was made for the body. The body was made for the soul.

And the soul was made for God. Not everything is actually as it is marketed to be, 

good or bad."

-Ravi Zacharias 

Why Jesus?

Heart to h.e.a.r.t.

The Lord I serve is so incredible.

 He extended His mercy because of His unfailing, unwavering, all-sufficient love for me as His child. 

This Mercy brought my salvation and eternal justification with Him. 

 His Holy Spirit was given to me for teaching, molding, stretching, bringing about His fruits, guidance, etc. And all this while I am a sinner,

 yet He loves me. 

 not only did He save me, give me hope, change my heart, pick me and wash me pure, He said He wants to use me. 

What?

 Throughout the years He has taken me to several ministries at home and around the world. He opened my eyes to see more and more of His Kingdom. All different people with different passions, desires, burdens, needs, expressions of love, struggles, joyful hearts, and cultures.

 But my God is not different. He is The God of the earth and He loves every child of His.

 black, 

white, 

yellow, 

green, 

dark, 

light, 

handicapped, 

wealthy, 

poor, 

hungry, 

full, 

homeless,

 business owner,

 prisoner, 

fugitive, 

drug addict, 

mocker, 

prostitute,

 mother,

 child, 

abuser,

 rapist,

 president, 

gang member

lame

doctor

drunk

blind

soldier

hippie

runaway

actor

fill in the blank... 

We see the differences while He sees those He loves and wants to bring goodness to.

This truth has been instilled deeper and deeper in my heart over the years of following Christ.

And learning this is in different ways, different places, and through different people

has opened me up to the world. 

Christ died for all people. and people live in all the places of this world. 

Learning about the things that dwell in Christ's heart has transformed  my heart. 

before i was 100% selfish and cared only about me. 

'how do i make people like me?'

'what's best for me?'

'why would i do something that doesn't benefit me?'

those filled my head.

while i am not perfect or even close to it now, i am different. 

the difference did not come through good hope,

wishful thinking, lots of practice, or other habitual changes.

The Lord transformed me. He opened my eyes to what goodness truly is in this life here.

i want others to know this. for some reason the Lord has given me a heart for other nations

sharing this good news of who Jesus is and the love He reflects from the Father. 

To those of you who have only known me in the recent years you know this. 

you know i travel often and love to do so.

but what you don't know is that i used to be the girl who got picked up early from sleepovers

or spent the whole night being homesick. even when i was with my best friends only down the street.

i heard of people who would study abroad and travel the world. 

i thought it was incredibly cool, but never thought it was for me. 

so the fact that i have been on several international trips, some for months at a time with either a team of people i knew for a few months prior or a few other people, is incredible.

like i said before i can only say it is of the Lord's doing. 

for my traditional college years i attended a small Bible school where i received training, teaching, hands on practice, and encouragement in the Word. 

my education has benefited me in so many ways i cannot begin to count. 

now that i am done with i have an incredible opportunity to do a 3 month training program at the

H.E.A.R.T. Missionary Training Institute 

Hunger Education And Resource Training

from the September 4th to December 15th I will be living at the H.E.A.R.T. village in Lake Wales, Florida

taking classes, living in community, learning how to adapt in different cultures, being stretched in new ways, 

having a blast, sweating, working in gardens and with animals, etc

this will include three phases: (read below or watch the intro video)

*Phase I, the first four weeks, emphasizes a simple lifestyle of labor-intensive activities. 

Students’ hand-pump water for animal and human consumption, wash their laundry by hand, 

and cook all meals outdoors using a variety of methods. All activities, including worship, Bible, 

and community life are conducted within the village.

 *During Phase II, six weeks in length, classroom/lab work is incorporated into the daily 

routine with about half of the day spent in theoretical teaching and the other half spent in 

hands-on application. Running water and electricity are restored to the kitchen and classroom, 

and students are free to travel out of the village to make phone calls, etc. Phase II also includes 

frequent church visitations to observe and participate in a variety of ethnic worship services. In 

addition, students develop a proposal for a semester project in an area of interest in one of the 

seven instructional areas.

 *In Phase III, the final four weeks, students complete their semester projects as well as 

assume primary leadership roles in the village. As a non-traditional college training program, 

the time commitment is intense. Efficient time management is essential to accomplish learning, 

classroom activities and personal needs.

(information from heart-institute.org)

my classes will include:

appropriate technologies

animal husbandry

sustainable agriculture

primary health

nutrition/food technologies

cross-cultural communication

spiritual development of missionaries

and we will also be taking a short term trip to Honduras to work along side a school. 

the reason i have pursued this training:

i don't want to be an American christian girl who went to Bible college that 

can't work along side the natives i want to create trust with

in order to share the gospel if Jesus.

when we suggest to them things in the areas of agriculture,animals,

nutrition, health care, etc

i want to offer something in practice not just theory.

there is so much more to be said about everything, but these are the basic details. 

i am excited, curious, intrigued, ready, pumped, a little nervous, and joyful about the opportunity. 

and i want everyone to be a part with me! 

i need people to be praying:

that my heart would continue to be open in order to be shaped into the heart of the Father

for communication with those i will be living in community with

for the people of Honduras that we will be working with

for the instructors and fellow students

i would also love for you to be a part of my Honduras trip financially. 

i hate asking for money, but the reality is i need it. 

the trip will cost around $1,000 on top of the cost of going through training.

i know there are people who can't go but love to give so i love 

being able to be an avenue to give to. 

however, you are not just giving to me, you are giving to the Kingdom that God is building on earth

and to His story, not mine. 

to give you can either mail a check to the institute or give online through paypal

(make a note that it is for Ashley Carter and the Honduras trip)

 simply click here to give online and to check out everything about H.E.A.R.T.

please pray and consider supporting me in any way

pray

financial

encouragement

letters while I am there

helping with tuition 

anything

Who can dwell in Your tent?

Psalm 15 is not good. It is not a nice, sweet song of praise. It is not comforting. Psalm 15 asks an honest question, gives an honest answer. Honestly, we cannot do what the answer requires. "Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken." (Psalm 15:1-5 NIV) Honestly, after reading this I was left with the initial thought "I can't" Immediately after that thought the Holy Spirit stepped in, "Good. You see, if you could do it on your own you would never know Jesus. Me and you would never meet. You can't dwell in the tent of the Lord, oh, but He can dwell in you!" This psalm points out our insufficiency and highlights His all-sufficient power. So instead of reading Psalm 15 and being discouraged I can read it and be joyful, thankful, confident. Even if for one day I could live up to those standards, just one day, I would be living under the Law. My relationship, standing, and justification with the Lord would be based upon my deeds. It would be dependent on me. How far off is that? How could I for one second believe that I could handle that? The creation determines how the creator sees, interacts, and values it? Not in this world. While the requirements in Psalm 15 will never be fully achieved by me I can still hold them as standards to reach for. But in my reaching I can rest easy in the results. When, not if, I fail I do not lose the dwelling of my Lord. Praise be to Him forever on high, even when my lips forget to bring it.

please you, judged by Him

i'm sure this is not an original thought at all. i am not the first to think of it or say it, but i also know that no one has been saying this to me recently. well that is except for the Holy Spirit.

and in that case, no thought is original because i, you , we are not original. we come from The Original.

here's the thought. i want it to be an encouragement for those stuck. i want it to be a reminder for those who already know. i want it to be a light for those who have not had the revelation. i want it to bring glory to the One who deserves it. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit glory to You and all that You are.

in this life you can live for others. you can please others. you can live up to the standards others put out there. you can strive for the approval of those above you, beside you, in your family, those you look up to, etc. you can try and satisfy the needs of others. you can do and not do things based on how you want others to feel about you. if you don't want others to think poorly of you, you may try to live by the standards you've made up in your mind that you think they hold. you can hold in hurt because you don't want to feel judged by others. you don't know what they will think of you after they hear that you....

but guess what?

all those people. all those lists. those standards. the rights and wrongs you lived by.

you will not stand before them at the end of this life.

those people and things have nothing to say about your eternity.
they do not determine how your eternity is spent.

if you are not living to please and glorify the Lord then you will suffer from major whiplash at the gates.
you won't even be able to remember the names of those whom you pleased on earth in the light of Jesus Christ the Savior.

so don't be stopped from doing the things you feel are going to glorify the Lord just because someone else may think less of you. and at the same time don;t discount others feelings because they aren't as high as the Lord.

balance. always find the balance of kingdom things within this world through your personality.

He is good. He has reminded me of these things. they are not my judge of eternity. they are those who get to experience Him trying to bring eternity here.

Jesus, stand behind

last Sunday i was blessed with a reminder. 
a reminder of freedom. 
a reminder of grace.
a reminder of love.
a reminder of new allegiance.


Romans 7:4-6 states:
 "Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.  For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in [a]the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter."


i was reminded about the freedom i gained through Christ's life, sacrifice, and Resurrection. through Him i was released from the standards the Law called me to. if you read the first 3 verses in Romans 7 you will be shown an analogy of marriage. 

we were once married to the Law. this husband held impossible standards for us to live by and offered no encouragement or help in attaining those standards. living under him is called legalism. 


through Christ's death we died to the Law. we were released from legalism. our new husband justifies us before the Father and offers the purist form of grace, mercy, and love. this husband is Jesus and living with Him is called freedom.


the problem comes when we try to please our new husband by turning back to our old husband's standards. this just doesn't work. what wife today would be pleasing her new husband by turning back to her old? none. and the same applies to us. Jesus is not the Law. the Law pointed to Jesus and opened our eyes to the fact that we need a savior because we can't do it on our own. but once you have chosen a life with Jesus you must stop living under the Law. 


this means when we accept our freedom we stop trying to earn it. it is a gift. one that is not earned. one that no one is worthy of. one that you can not live up to. so simply accept it. 


now the only thing i could pray and think about after hearing all of this...


"Jesus please stand behind me."


it is often prayed for Jesus to stand and go before us. we want Him to be the leader, the one making the way, what we look forward to. but the reality is that we do look back. we turn back to legalism and trying to justify our relationship with Jesus through our works and deeds. so while i fully desire for Christ to be before me, i need Him to stand behind me. 


for when i turn back and start thinking about having a Jesus-plus(acting as if Jesus' grace isn't enough and adding things to the list) kind of day i need Him to stand behind me and say,


"oh my bride, don't you remember. you have been released from your old husband's ways. he only offers death. i have given you life and will never stop doing so. turn around and stop trying to please death."


so next time you start falling into old ways. next time you find yourself feeling guilty because you didn't have a quiet time that day. next time you think the Lord feels any less love towards you. next time....


pray that Jesus would be standing behind you. 

thirsty roots

Jesus tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing. He tells us that His Father is the Gardner, He is the vine, and we are the branches. If we remain in Him we survive, we thrive, we bear fruit.

There's a saying- "I thirst for the Lord."

I never really questioned this saying much, It made sense to me. We get thirsty in our daily lives and we get a drink to quench that thirst. So using that in a spiritual sense translates well. We get thirsty spiritually and we need Jesus to quench that thirst. But I had never thought of that saying in light of Jesus' words in John 15.

He is the Vine,
     we are the branches...

Plants survive by being watered. A vine supplies the branches with water from its roots. The branches thirst for the nutrients that the vine gives them.  A branch cannot survive on its own. A branch cannot be separated from the vine and maintain life.

Neither can we survive on our own apart from Jesus. He is our supplier of life's essential nutrients. he is the living water, the well of life. We are not just craving a sip of Jesus, although a sip of Jesus provides enough life for the whole world. We are craving to be intertwined with our one source of life.