Andrea O. Freeman

"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:3 NIV I spent some time this past weekend in my quiet time, my prayer time, asking God to shed light on the places in my heart that I may have not wanted Him to see. My weaknesses. My inadequacies. My lacking of anything that would be fully and completely His. Questions I was left to ponder from two amazing Bible study/worship gatherings yesterday. Am I cold, hot, or-God forbid-lukewarm in my faith? Is my life a reflection of the hallowed name of my Father God-fully glorifying Him in all I say and do? First truth that comes to mind clearly: I am a child of God. The day I accepted life in Christ, is the day I chose to live fully and completely in His beautiful purpose for my life. I didn’t get it at the age of 7, but as I have grown and matured in my faith, I have found strength, certainty, a

Some days are better than others. I count myself entirely blessed each and every day when I arrive home and can proclaim, “I survived!” Can you relate? We are all in a race to the finish line, busy all the time, places to go, people to see, goals to reach, lists to check off. So how do we handle a day when our schedule is interrupted? I didn’t blink at first when this happened yesterday. I picked up Chloe from preschool after work, and I needed to make a stop to pick up a prescription at the store, and then it happened. I saw them standing at the stop sign, a common place that many in our homeless community stand in hopes of some help as we all drive by. A middle aged man in a wheelchair, and a young woman probably late 20’s next to him. Not far behind them was an older model SUV vehicle, looked like it had been in a couple wrecks at best. I felt that all too familiar nudge from the Father in my heart as I pulled into the parking lot for us to go in the store, “They need you

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NIV Relationships. They are not easy. They are very, very complicated. I have gone through some ups and downs in my 44 years on this earth, and have found over the years God has given me a heart for mentoring young women into a healthier state of mind. Not for what they need in a relationship, but what they need in themselves. Where does your heart reside right now? If you have a relationship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and have given your life to Him, then your heart is His . Your heart’s deepest longing is to follow Him. That is where it starts. I accepted Jesus at the tender age of 7. I didn’t fully grasp what it meant to be a child of God, a follower of Christ. As my life would roll on, I found myself returning to Him in rededication at the age of 12. My walk with him had not gone deep enough because I was still so very immature emotionally and