Heather Lindsey

"I'm Afraid, God."

2018-01-06T03:53:00.001-08:00

We are into day six of the Journal Challenge and honestly, this area has been heavy on my heart.

How raw is your quiet time with God? Meaning, are you straight honest with God?

"God, I am afraid that I will fail."
"God, I am afraid that I won't be enough for my husband and children."
"God, I am afraid that I will be single my entire life."
"God, I am afraid that I won't have anywhere to live and I will be stuck on the streets."
"God, I am afraid for my children's health."
"God, I am afraid that I am going to divorce like my parents."
"God, I am afraid that I will be embarrassed if I step out on faith."
I am AFRAID GOD!

Do you know that HE can work with those kind of prayers?? He can work with someone who says, "I don't know what I am doing, I am trying to figure it all out and I feel like my life is a hot mess."

So, we go into our quiet time, completely done up. We try to pray where it sounds super fancy and we feel like we have no connection to God.
Honey, God is looking at your HEART. What good is it to pray or repeat fancy prayers when you refuse to get to the root of what is going on in your HEART?

Lets not "over spiritualize prayer." Let's not try to impress Him with big words and whatever else. It seems like we may pray for period of time and then .. oops, we got a text message. Or, crap, I forgot to pay that bill.. our minds are EVERYWHERE. Then, you end up making breakfast, or on social media for the next hour and you think, well, I will just try to pray again tomorrow.
I love Deuteronomy 6:5 it says, "And you must love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul and all of your strength."

Can we honestly say that we love God with all of our hearts?
I at times worry about things in ministry. I'm not even gonna sit up here and pretend like it's all perfect over here because it's not. As I worry and ponder a plan B that never happened in the first place (ya'll know how we pre-worry.) I hear the Lord tell me to stop focusing on what I can see and focus on HIM. On HIM and HIM alone. NOTHING ELSE. If I love God with ALL of my heart than I trust HIM. That means that no matter the outcome of "whatever, I trust Him to work out these things for my good as I live for Him." When we focus on our problems more than we focus on God, our problems become so much bigger.

So, when I run to my quiet time, I am honest with God. "I am stressed OUT JESUS! You literally have to help me. This and this is wrong. I know my weakness is perfected in your strength and I am so glad because I'm a hot mess right now."

Prayer is simply communicating and how we connect with God. I have learned to simply enjoy God in my prayer time. I ask Him "How are you doing?" "I don't understand how you know everyone and you still don't just throw away the whole earth, how are you so patient?" And, HE actually responds! I don't focus on my "special prayers" I focus on GOD through Jesus Christ. If I am seeking to connect with God and have a relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit, then it must be mutual.

Meaning, I don't just talk: I listen too. At times, we run down our entire laundry list of all of these "things" to God and we then we get up from our prayer and go about our day.

My prayer time typically looks like this:
1. Turn on my worship music
2. At times, I may pour out my heart to God here before I get started. Casting my care onto Him because He cares for me. (1 Peter 5:7)
3. Pray in the Holy Spirit/English for about 20-min or however long I am led.
4. Then, I start to Journal. This is where I start it off with "Dear Daddy" and I LET IT RIP. Whatever is on my heart, whatever I am feeling, I pour it out to Him. This is also where I ask about Him. "Daddy, how is your day? Is your heart sad? What can I do to make things better?"
5. Then, I listen. I get quiet and I write down whatever the Lord is telling me to do.
6. Then, I read and study scriptures based on what I am going through or how I am led by God. I also write out scriptures long hang here on note cards.
7. I stay in this place for about 45-1 hour.

Now, there's times where I will be spending 2 hours with God. I don't track the time much because I work from home but I wanted you to see a quick example of my prayer life.

When we pray to God, come expecting, come weary, come sad, come depressed, come joyful, come thankful, come mad, come however.

I love James 4:8, it says "Come near to God and He will come near to you."

Sounds to me like you have a part to play in coming near to Him. We come "near" to what we desire. What are you desiring? Porn? Sex outside of marriage? Discontentment and complaining? You're coming near to something. If you feel far from God, someone moved and it wasn't Him. Sin separates us from Him. Rebellion makes us feel far from God. Choosing our own way and ignoring His hardens our heart against God.

Above, I mentioned going to God joyful. At times, we may not run to His feet when things are going great but I want you to remember that He wants to celebrate the good times with you - not JUST the bad times. What kind of relationship is it if we only run to Jesus when things are hard? For example, have you ever been used by a friend? The ONLY time they come to you is when they "need or want something." Although God is our FATHER, He also wants a relationship with us beyond our emergencies. He loves you. He wants intimacy with you. He wants to be close to you. He wants you to run to Him in every way possible.

Few Things:

1. The 2017 Pinky Promise Conference was EVERYTHING!!! Like literally. Here's the night I taught on "Running From God." Registration is open NOW! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

2. Ah, I'm SO excited that the Pinky Promise Movement page has a new look! Check it out HERE.

3. ALSO, the Pinky Promise Boutique has a new look too PLUS a ton of cute MODEST, FAB, CLOTHES, jewelry, promise rings, clothes, journals, etc! Check it out HERE.

4. Be sure to check my calendar to see if I'm in your city soon! (under Calendar)

5. Are you in Atlanta? Come and visit our church! We are in Sandy Springs! The Gathering Oasis Church - we meet at the Galloway Private School in the Amphitheatre. 215 W Wieuca Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30327 every Sunday at 10AM EST.

5. My New Book, Silent Seasons was on the Amazon Best Seller's List as the #1 in New Releases and in Religious for 5 weeks! ahh!! Find it HERE. or on Amazon/Kindle/Ibooks/Audio Book.

6. We are headed to Lagos, Nigeria the first week of February! If you're near the area - join me! It's FREE! Register here: www.ignitegla.org

7. Oh yeah, we started a BRAND NEW VLOGGING CHANNEL! Be sure to subscribe + check out the newest surprise in our sweet family! Subscribe HERE.

God loves you like crazy,
Love always,
Heather Lindsey

Baby Lindsey #3 is on the way in July 2018!!

It's time for the Journal Challenge!

2017-12-29T18:37:00.003-08:00

Find this journal here: www.pinkypromiseboutiques.com

Do you feel like you need to be refreshed and renewed for the new year? Do you feel like you need more discipline when it comes to your time with the Lord? Do you feel like you need to prepare your mind before your day?
THEN, JOIN us starting January 1st with spending time with God everyday! It's called our "Journal Challenge."

You can read the details HERE.

ALSO, we are going to add a few things this year:
1. Read 1 Christian based book for the month of January
2. Keep your phone in another room so you aren't tempted to reach for it first thing!
3. Download the Bible App or an a Christian based app and when you do reach for your phone in the morning, open the app vs. instagram/social media.

How do you sign up? Simply go to www.pinkypromisemovement.com and then click "Join a Group" - when you sign up, you automatically subscribe to receive updates and emails!

This will be a precious time of pouring your heart out to Jesus, staying focused, getting rid of distractions and prioritizing what the Lord is telling you to do!

P.S. Oh yeah, we started a BRAND NEW VLOGGING CHANNEL! Be sure to subscribe + check out the newest surprise in our sweet family! Subscribe HERE.

God loves you like crazy,
Love always,
Heather Lindsey

Holiday Blues?

2017-11-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

So, it’s time for the Holidays (Thanksgiving + Christmas), plus it’s time for a ton of engagements. If you’re currently in a season right now where you’re not completely satisfied with your portion, I want to encourage you today.

Don’t let the questions and interviews from your family distract you from the season that you’re in.

If you’re single – they want to know why you don’t have a man as they try to give you advice on how to get and find one.

Then, if you’re newly married –everyone is going to have the best marriage advice that works for your marriage. And, they will be questioning you on when you’re going to have kids. They know that you were only married for 2.3 months but they want a child.
Then, if you’ve had a couple kids, they want to know when you’re going to stop or what form of birth control are you using. They will also tell you how you need to raise your children. (Although they may have some good tips, take those and reject the bad stuff)

Do you see the trend? Don’t let your family’s discontentment rub off on you. They may come from a good place, but if you know that God hasn’t opened those doors for a reason, then you have to be so sure of your identity in Christ, that you won’t let what anyone else says ruffle your feathers.

Identity defined: “The fact of being who or what a person or thing is”

Let's look at these scriptures:

Ephesians 1:5 "He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will."

Romans 6:6 "For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin."

Genesis 1:27 "So God created mankind in HI sown image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them."

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s royal special possession, that you may declare the praises to Him who called you out of darkness."

Whew.

So, if you know that you IDENTITY is this:
1. You belong to Jesus Christ.
2. He adopted you as His own.
3. Your old man is gone, so you no longer think, act and pursue what the world pursues.
4. You’re created in His image, so there’s nothing “wrong with the way you look.”
5. Before you were even born, God assigned you with a purpose and a PATH for your life, this path won’t look like anybody else’s path.

It’s very easy for me to lovingly correct family members (or anyone else) if they say things that are out of line. I know my lane. I know my identity. I know what I am called to do. I know who I am. When you are confident in your identity in Christ and WHO He called you to be, you can stand firm in where God has placed you in this season because you TRUST HIM and HIS timing.

So, if you’re getting any of the:

“You’re not getting any older.”

“Your clock is ticking.”

“You better hurry up.”

“You need more of this or that.”

Remind them that:

“The plans that God has for you are so good and at the right TIME, you will be sure to let them know of the great things that He has done.”

Show the love of Christ through your EXAMPLE of patience. This generation is very impatient and NEVER satisfied. But you, my sister, are satisfied and content with your portion.

Anybody can get a ring. You don’t just wanna bring any o’le man to the house. You want a godly man sent by the Lord. Generations will be affected by your obedience.

And, rejoice with your godly friends that get engaged this season. I went through a season where everyone was getting engaged and God was telling me to break things off with my then boyfriend. I’m like JESUS. You mean to tell me that I have to START all over? And while they’re planning weddings, I am over here – still single?
It was during that season that I really turned to scripture to see who I was in Christ. I asked myself a few questions:
1. Am I still valuable as a single? YES
2. Does God still have a purpose for me right now? YES
3. Do I want to be married? YES

But, more than wanting to be married – was recognizing that I am valuable right now and I have purpose right now. I never ignored my desire to get married. I never ignored my desire to have children or even a good marriage. I prayed for those things. I prayed for a godly man as a single. I prayed for godly children – even after our miscarriage.

Although my desires were THERE, my attention shifted to knowing my IDENITY. When I became confident in WHO God called me to be, I became content in Heather alone – free from titles and whatever else. I didn’t NEED (this or that) in order to be satisfied. I was satisfied with our without those things.

If you’re finding yourself in the midst of conflict this Thanksgiving with family or friends – my best advice would be to pursue PEACE. You cannot change those family members. What is the point of getting involved in meaningless conversations that bring drama?

Philippians 2:14 says “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”
2 Timothy 2:23-24 says, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”

There are certain conversations and discussions that I will not engage in. For example, if you know that a certain family supports the LGBT community and rallies against it every year and you do not – then why argue with them AGAIN this year about it? Instead, pray that their eyes will be opened to the truth. Pray that they will see God’s design for marriage. And, when you ask about it- lovingly tell them: “we are going to agree to disagree on this one. Let’s just enjoy dinner. How’s your job going?”

As believers, we must have some fruit of the spirit – or self-control in our lives. I believe that living for Jesus will plant seeds in your families heart that will encourage them to live for Jesus!

So, this holiday season – let’s pursue peace, be content in our portion, refuse to engage in silly arguments and walk by faith.

--

Few Things:

5. Are you in Atlanta? Come and visit our church! We are in Sandy Springs! The Gathering Oasis Church - we meet at the Galloway Private School in the Amphitheatre. 215 W Wieuca Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30327 every Sunday at 10AM EST.

5. My New Book, Silent Seasons was on the Amazon Best Seller's List as the #1 in New Releases and in Religious for 5 weeks! ahh!! Find it HERE. or on Amazon/Kindle/Ibooks/Audio Book.

6. My dear friends, Havilah Cunnington and Lisa Bevere have an amazing 12 part series titled #MomOfMen - teaching you how to raise godly children. Sign up now and recieve a FREE e-book. You can sign up HERE.

God loves you like crazy,
Love always,

Heather Lindsey

Rocking one of my favorite dresses from the Pinky Pomise Boutique!

"I Don't Feel Loved In My Marriage"

2017-11-06T10:02:00.001-08:00

As I was scrolling through social media, I came across a blog with these words, " I don't feel loved in my marriage so I am leaving it."

My heart literally broke in two because I wondered how many people were reading this blog and forming an opinion of their marriage because at some point or another, you have felt that way in your marriage. I also wondered how many single people were reading the blog and forming an unrealistic idea of marriage. I'm currently writing a book on marriage so I figured I would share a snippet of a chapter because that blog literally lined up with what I was talking about in that chapter.

How many times has my husband felt unloved by me in the about 10 years we've been together?
Too many to count.

How many times have I felt unloved by my husband?
Too many to count.

Is my marriage headed towards divorce?
Absolutely not.

How many times has God felt unloved by you?
Too many times to count

How many times have you ran from Jesus?
Too many times to count.

As a believer, love the example of Jesus. He gives me perspective on every relationship, including my marriage. What happens when Jesus doesn't feel loved by you? What if He just left you? What if He just quit on you? Does Jesus make you happy 100%? It's impossible to make you happy all of the time because we are made up of this flesh, carnal nature. One minute we are living for Jesus and the next minute, we think about and want things that we know that we can't have.

Listen to me - to everyone who is single or married and never forget this:

Just because you don't at times feel loved in your marriage, it is not an excuse to leave it. The danger in leaving your marriage for someone who "loves" you better is that you may get more of what you think you need in order to be happy while compromising in another area. He may touch you more, clean up around the house and work a job but he may also be touching another woman. Your husband was a great leader, he just didn't use words of affirmation. The next man will post about you all day and night and affirm you but that's about it. He's a terrible leader and spiritually, you have to lead the marriage because he gives you the control. Maybe your last husband had no job and your new boo is a lawyer. But instead of coming home to you he works and travels non-stop. Any free time he does have, he goes to the bar with his buddies. Pick your poison. Every marriage gets to work OUT their marriage to make it work. There's GOING to be conflict along the way. The question before I do is, "Find out his issue and see if you can live with it for the rest of your life." Because.. it may never change. But, I am talking to those of you who are currently married.

If our measuring stick for leaving your marriage is "I don't feel loved" then it's simply NOT good enough. Yes, you may be going through a tough time. Yes, your husband may not understand you, Yes you may be frustrated but do you remember your vows? "For Better or For Worse" will get tested. No HUMAN on this entire earth is going to be able to make you happy 100% of the time. The fight you're fighting is a spiritual one, not a physical one. Your enemy is NOT your spouse, its the devil. Some of you are in marriages right now and it's a pretty healthy marriage, you just have some areas where you're not happy. You've grown WEARY. You constantly wait for him to "change" but he never does. So, then do you just leave? So, you have this good man but this man doesn't meet up to the image of who you think he should be in your head?

Who told you that he has to be some other image?

Social media? Comparing your marriage to another marriage? Your family? A friend who recently divorced and bashes all marriages? Your messy single friends or that one single friend that would love to be married to your man?

Maybe it's not your spouse? Maybe it's you? Maybe you're completely unlovable. Maybe you're constantly psychoanalyzing him, trying to be his mama, maybe you treat him like trash and disrespect him. Maybe you nag and criticize him into a corner.

No, I cannot cheer you on for leaving.

Please hear my heart that I do understand cases where there's divorce and it's unwanted. Maybe your husband left you and ran off with some 18 year old. Maybe he cheated so many times or maybe he has physically abused you to the point where you are FORCED to leave. Now, I am not talking to those cases. That is called abandonment and it's NEVER ok for him to treat you that way. I am specifically talking to men that actually come home to their wives, he works an honest job, goes to church and he is TRYING to be good to you. You may not see all of the effort that you want to see, but you see SOME of it.

Isn't it crazy how we focus on what our spouse is doing but we don't make them 100% happy? Kinda hypocritical right? (And, I'm talking to myself too)

How do I know that you may not be the most loveable person at times?

Because I was her.

I was the most complaining, "higher than thou" wife. My husband felt like nothing that he did was good enough for me. That nagging, complaining, discontent spirit from my single days showed its ugly face in my marriage.

So, what do I do when I don't feel loved in my marriage?

I love.
Let me challenge you with this:

1 Corinthians 13:1-10 tells us:
"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."

Did you read verse 4? It says that Love is PATIENT.

What does patience mean?
The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset:

Whoa.
So, I'm supposed to love without getting upset? But HE troubled me. He made me suffer. He ignored me! He won't get a job! He won't touch me and he knows my love language is TOUCH. He really hurt me in the past. He cheated on me. YES, I forgive him and we moved on but I have a hard time being patient with him.

Love doesn't demand it's own way.

"You don't LISTEN. I am more spiritual. I am better with money. I am a better leader. I have more schooling. Let's do it THIS way."

It's it amazing that we are serving in the church, helping people and doing all of these things but we don't love the person that we share a bed with? That is your first ministry. Your HOME ministry. You hate your own husband. How can we say that we really love Jesus but we hate the one we are ONE with?

I like 1 John 4:20, it says "If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?"

But Heather, my husband ain't saved. He hasn't cheated or anything but he won't turn to Jesus. I want to leave!

1 Peter 3:1 tells us, "In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by your quiet and gentle spirit."

I can tell you this. With every test of "love" I have passed, GOD HAS REWARDED ME. In those times where I wanted to leave my marriage or run - I STAYED and ENDURED and TRUSTED God to change ME and my spouse. (Guess that's what happens when two alpha personalities marry!) AND I watched God grow our love, our ministry, and our life anoint us for our obedience. I have watched the Lord use my husband to reveal my heart and weaknesses. I have watched myself change and get better because of those tough times.

It takes NOTHING to quit on your marriage. Your marriage will force you to grow, mature, develop and CHANGE. If your marriage has grown apart, it's because you let it. Don't give satan an open door. Don't let him in to destroy your marriage. Do your part, God will reward you!

If you're fighting with your spouse now - text him right now and go get your marriage back. Don't give the devil an open door into your life or marriage. Not now, not tomorrow or the next day.

I challenge you right now to write out 10 things that you love about your spouse. Starting, now. Focus on those things vs. what he isn't doing.

I see God healing marriages right now. I see restoration in broken marriages right now. I see hope again.

In Jesus name.

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,
Heather Lindsey

1. The 2017 Pinky Promise Conference was EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like literally. Here's the night I taught on "Running From God." Registration is open now! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

2. Ah, I'm SO excited that the Pinky Promise Movement page has a new look! Check it out HERE.

5. Are you in Atlanta? Come and visit our church! We are in Sandy Springs! The Gathering Oasis Church - we meet at the Galloway Private School in the Amphitheatre. 215 W Wieuca Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30327 every Sunday at 10AM EST.

5. My New Book, Silent Seasons was on the Amazon Best Seller's List as the #1 in New Releases and in Religious for 5 weeks! ahh!! Find it HERE. or on Amazon/Kindle/Ibooks/Audio Book.

6. My dear friends, Havilah Cunnington and Lisa Bevere have an amazing 12 part series titled #MomOfMen - teaching you how to raise godly children. Sign up now and recieve a FREE e-book. You can sign up HERE.

Our wedding day :) 8/14/10

Tough Season? What Are You Saying?

2017-09-29T05:44:00.001-07:00

Yes, your situation may look like a hot mess.

Yes, you may be straight going through it.

Yes, your heart may be broken.

It's true - you may not understand what is going on in your life.

You may have just lost your job.

Your husband may have left you while you were completely faithful to him.

It may seem like you have no purpose.

It may seem like everyone has forgotten about you.

It may seem like you're at a dead end job today.

It may seem like the only thing that appeared to be comfortable was your past.

It may seem like everyone is leaving you.

It may seem like your life is a failure.

Regardless of what you are "feeling" today, I came to ask you, "What are you saying in the midst of it all?" Yes, you may get crazy thoughts about yourself based on what you can see, but the reality is that you have a choice. You can either sit and believe the devil's lies, or you can call him the LIAR that he is and decide to trust God through this situation.

Your good words and thoughts can literally trigger happy endorphins to be released in your body that make you physically feel better. Who knew that we can actually control those crazy thoughts that come through our heart? We don't have to accept the lies of the enemy, most of us just choose to believe him. If the mailman tried to drop off a package of live rattlesnakes, I'm quite sure that you wouldn't sign for the package - but sadly, many of us are signing for a package of negative words every single day.

On this earth, we will have tribulation, we will go through hard times, we will get frustrated. You may even be justified in your complaining because you have small kids, you hate your job, or you've been single and saved for a longggg time and you are straight tired. Regardless of your season in life, I want you to remember this scripture:

Proverbs 18:21
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

Whoa.

My words can bring LIFE or death to a situation?? And there are consequences to what I SAY? I believe that we would be MUCH more careful of what we said if we knew that it could HINDER where God is taking us. Some of us have become so used to complaining and grumbling that we literally WOKE up this morning, complained and fussed while we went into our prayer time. Then after fussing at God for about 30 minutes, we got dressed and went to work, fussing. The traffic, the train ride, the this, the that. THEN, we got to work and we are complaining.. until we opened up this blog. :)

Either we are going to have a great attitude today and decide to trust God or we are going to look exactly like this world and complain. YOU HAVE A CHOICE.

Let's look at another scripture:

Matthew 12:36
"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak."

Whoa.

EVERY WORD. Every word you THINK. Every WORD you SPEAK. EVERY word you TYPE. (Yes, even what you say on social media and the arguments that you have will be judged)
Heather, that scripture does not say the words I thought. But, if you read Matthew 5:27-28 it says, “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

So, even in THINKING about lust is a sin. So, THINKING about complaining, rolling your eyes at that co-worker, your friends group me message or your husband is complaining in your heart.

James 3:5 says "The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do."

How do we get help in this area?

1. First, we must be emptied out. What is in your heart? If you find that you have a ton of jealousy, pride, hate, etc - run to the feet of the Father. Repent of your sins! Ask God to cleanse you and make you whole.

2. Now, fill back up again. With God's word, sermons on unforgiveness, sermons on guarding your heart. Grab a journal, a Bible you can understand, spend time with God, stop hanging out with messy, gossiping people and maybe even do a fast from social media if it's causing you to hate everyone, including your life.

3. Surrounding yourself with believers is key. Find a local, word-based church. Join a Pinky Promise Group or start one .

4. Fast from complaining. Yup, that's right. Train your flesh to say the opposite of what you want to say (only if it's bad!)

5. FIGHT back with the word of God. Write out scriptures on this area and when the attacks come, fight back! Here's a few!

Proverbs 12:18

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Matthew 12:36

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

Proverbs 16:24

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Matthew 15:18

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Sisters, WE CAN do this! We CAN speak LIFE. We WILL have a good attitude. There WILL be a joy and light about us as we live for Jesus! We WILL align our words with what God says about us!

Few things!

1. The 2017 Pinky Promise Conference was EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like literally. Here's the night I taught on "Running From God." I will be opening up registration for 2018 this upcoming FRIDAY via www.pinkypromisemovement.com

2. Ah, I'm SO excited that the Pinky Promise Movement page has a new look! Check it out HERE.

3. ALSO, the Pinky Promise Boutique has a new look too PLUS a ton of cute jewelry, promise rings, clothes, journals, etc! Check it out HERE.

4. Be sure to check my calendar to see if I'm in your city soon! (under Calendar)

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,

Heather Lindsey

"A Woman After God's Own Heart."

2017-08-28T12:25:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!
Gosh, I have been soo busy! Between my new book Silent Seasons releasing, My Youtube Channel, The 2017 Pinky Promise Conference, The Singles Retreat that we just hosted, the Marriage Retreat that we just hosted and everything else within the last 30 days, this mama needs some REST!

Thanks for your patience as I update my blog! I am also in the middle of writing not one, but TWO books that are set to be released in June 2018. Ya'll gotta pray for me!

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I am so convicted to be a woman after God's own heart. I know that at times, it may come across really strong, brass, overly confident or even judgmental but I want you to hear my heart. I really love God and I really love you. Because of my deep rooted convictions about the gospel of Jesus, I simply want to see my sisters WALK in WHO God called them to be on this earth. For YEARS, satan kept me bound in dependency on a man, addiction to peoples approval of me, sex outside of marriage and thoughts of suicide. If I can shed a little light on what I went through to remind you that the enemy simply desires to wipe you OUT.

My heart's cry is that you will be a woman after God's own heart and change your home atmosphere, job, school, community and then nations. This doesn't mean that you're perfect. It simply means that instead of pursuing SIN, you're pursuing GOD. I am so tired of the DEVIL convincing, dividing and suggesting to women that we should hate each other, be jealous of one another or whatever else. The enemies desire is to make you feel like you're not on the same team in the body of Christ. Don't let him sneak into your heart.

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I just want to remind you today to stay close to the heart of the Father. In this world, there will be so many distractions and people that will challenge your heart for God. There's going to be tempting situations that God has already freed you from but when times get hard, it may seem like it's more comfortable.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

Sis, Satan is after your heart. If he can convince you that God doesn't love you through SIN, then he will convince you to live for him and NOT for God. This is why God is saying, "the temptations that you're facing right now is no different then what others experience."

What are you facing right now?
People bondage? Loneliness? Fear? Worry? Homosexuality? Masturbation? Fornication? Adultery? Self Control? Insert your area right now. _________

1 John 1:9 says, "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."

So, confess that sin right now & stop reading if you have to.

Did you know that when you're a woman after God's own heart, it doesn't mean that you're perfect, it simply means that you have stopped depending on these temporary sins of the flesh to fulfill you. You realize how EMPTY, WORTHLESS and PURPOSELESS it is to chase this world and everything in it. It means that WHEN you get attacked, you attack the temptation with the WORD of God and you RUN. You no longer have time for the flesh. You no longer have time for the sins of the flesh. You guard your heart against ungodly friends, secular music and TV.

But HEATHER, you don't understand. I am at work reading this and people HATE me. Or, I am a part of a church but I know that people don't like me. I know I am supposed to live for Jesus but it seems like I keep getting tested. I can repent and move on but I cannot control the way other people treat me!

Honey.

Let me tell you, these tests and trials are giving you ENDURANCE to continue to do what God has called you to do. ALL of these PRIVATE victories are preparing you publicly.

Philippians 1:28

"Don't be afraid of your enemies; always be courageous, and this will prove to them that they will lose and that you will win, because it is God who gives you the victory."

Do you have some enemies? It can be co-workers, family members or even people from church that simply don't like you for whatever reason. Instead of fussing and fighting with them, pray that God blesses them and keep your eyes focused on what HE is telling you to do!

I love that part, "ALWAYS BE COURAGEOUS." It's so clear to me that the enemy wants to steal your confidence in God's word. If you don't know who you are or WHOSE you are, then the enemy will come in and try to get others to challenge your walk, your talk, your hunger for God and whatever else. They will say, "it doesn't take all of that." "You're changing. You are just so deep about this Jesus stuff."

Deep?

Shoot, we aren't deep enough. When I used to be a professional sinner, I sinned really good. Then, when Jesus saved me, I stopped pursuing sin. I was always either a hot or cold person. So now, I am even MORE passionate about Jesus than I was when I used to go hard for the enemy. Only YOU know how what Jesus saved you from! Only YOU know how far He has brought you! Only YOU know those late nights where you cannot sleep and you're pouring your heart out to God!

Did you know that if satan can convince you to be quiet and stop being bold for Jesus, then he can silence your voice!? He's TRYING to silence you from being obedient to God! Scream louder. Obey more. Choose to do whatever God is telling you to do. I am reminded of Galatians 4:16 and it says, "Have I know become your enemy by telling you the truth?" People will look at you crazy when you actually take a stand for God. This is a part of a WAVERING, double minded generation!

Sis, SIN ruins your confidence, separates you from the Father and robs you from purpose on this earth. If you're LIVING in sin and pursuing it, you will never see what's on the other side of your obedience.

Now a days, you cannot stand up and say that marriage is between a MAN and a WOMAN and it will never change without saying it's "hate speech."
Now a days, if you tell people to guard their heart from the wrong TV shows, music, and certain relationships, you're called judged, mean and self righteous.
Now a days, if you tell people to save sex for marriage, they unfollow you on social media because "everyone can't have your love story heather!! Not realistic."
Now a days, you can't tell the difference between the people at church on sunday and the people at the club later that night.

It's like we come up with all of these excuses to why we should be able to stay in our sin. WHO told you that? Where is your discernment? Where is your heart? When did your heart become so cold to our Jesus? Who have you been listening to?

When did we become so lukewarm in our hearts? Did we really let the world desensitize us to what God hates?

2 Timothy 3:3-5

"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!"

Matthew 7:13-14

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

I'm not saying this to be mean, hurtful or anything, but out of love. I love you so much that I want to see you walking in the Lord's ways. I want to see get up out of that bed and stop sleeping around. I want to see you walking in your purpose. I want to see you BOLD for Jesus! I want to see your confidence back! I want to see you walk in in HIS WAYS!

1 Kings 18:21 says,

"Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How much longer will you waver hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him! But if Baal is God, then follow him."

Baal was the name of the supreme god worshipped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. Baal was the "god" of fertility who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce children. Baal also required a first born sacrifice. Here, Elijah is directly confronting paganism and he proved that GOD, not Baal sends rain after a 3 1/2 year drought. Elijah then did a showdown between our God and Baal to send fire down from heaven and of course, our God rained fire down from heaven. I encourage you to read all of 1 kings for further context!

Now, you may not be bowing down to worship no Baal but you may have some idolatry in your own life. Your Baal may be people bondage. Your Baal may be sex, pornography, approval addiction, drugs, drinking, clubbing, ungodly music, homosexuality, ungodly friends or whatever temptation you run to when times get hard. We have to stop wavering between two opinions. I can ASSURE you that this WORLD will fail you. I can assure you that everything you see on this earth is TEMPORARY. I can assure you that you will STAND before God one day and will He say, "well done? Or I didn't know you-- get away from me you worker of iniquity. (Luke 13:37)

How do we truly become a woman after God's own heart?

1. We must renew our minds with the Word of God! If you want to learn the voice of the Holy Spirit it starts with first spending time with the Lord.
2. We must be women that are repentant of our sin when we do mess up and refuse to return to that sin.

3. We must be obedient to whatever the Lord is telling us to do. So, after you spend all of that time with God, what's next? Saying YES.

4. Guard your heart. Yes. It's vital that you protect what music, TV, friends or whoever else is planting bad seeds in your heart.

5. Find an amazing church home where the word of God is taught and find accountability friends! (Pinky Promise is a great place to start!)
6. Remember that without FAITH it is impossible to please God! (Hebrews 11:6
7. Remember that a gentle answer turns away wrath. You don't have to turn up with everyone that "comes at you." Walk in love. Walk by Faith. And keep it moving.
8. Use tests and trials to make you stronger. Exercise those muscles. Don't run from hard times.
9. Keep the word going in your heart all day. From worship music to sermons, the audio books during your down time.
10. Now, put everything that you've learned into action. Rest in the Lord and watch Him work out things for your good!

So, I declare right now in the name of Jesus that you will be bold and courageous for this generation! You will be a woman after God's own heart. You will not run back to the sin that you once loved. You will not be lukewarm in the name of Jesus! You will have a desire to serve the Lord with your heart. You WILL be convicted of sin! You WILL not put yourself in tempting situations! You WILL always take a way out!

Few things!

1. The 2017 Pinky Promise Conference was EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like literally. Here's the night I taught on "Running From God."

2. Ah, I'm SO excited that the Pinky Promise Movement page has a new look! Check it out HERE.

3. ALSO, the Pinky Promise Boutique has a new look too! Check it out HERE.

4. Be sure to check my calendar to see if I'm in your city soon! (under Calendar)

5. Lastly, My New Book, Silent Seasons was on the Amazon Best Seller's List as the #1 in New Releases and in Religious for 5 weeks! ahh!! Find it HERE. or on Amazon/Kindle/Ibooks/Audio Book.

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,

Heather Lindsey

Me & my Spirital Mama, Lisa Bevere at the 2017 Pinky Promise Conference!

Why You Shouldn't Be Jealous Of Anyone

2017-07-05T13:20:00.003-07:00

In the world of social media, it's so easy to become jealous of other people. The Internet can absolutely make you feel like you're behind. It seems like everyone is super happy, everyone has the perfect lighting, the perfect husband, the perfect life, the perfect clothes, the most well-behaved children, the perfect home cooked meals every night, the perfect ministry or whatever else. It may seem like everyone has the perfect Pinterest life and meanwhile, you are over there, struggling with your portion. I challenge and urge you today, to look at your own heart and see if there are any seeds of jealousy and bitterness towards anyone.

I have learned that being jealous starts with a small seed being planted and then it grows into a harvest that accuses and becomes jealous of others.

For example, when I was in college, a beautiful dark-skinned woman came up to me and said, "I don't like you because you are light skinned, with light eyes and long hair." And, she walked away.

I stood there stunned. Wait, huh? I am SO nice!! Why wouldn't you like me? I realized in that moment that maybe experienced some hurt with someone who looked somewhat like me in the past. So, she slowly became jealous of me because of the way that I looked. I'm thinking, "Honey, I didn't sign up for this - I was literally born this color. She would roll her eyes at anything that I said and it wasn't even because of me, but because of the way I looked. I knew that her not liking me was not a reflection of me, but a reflection of her. I didn't do anything to her. And, in her own life, that seed of jealousy was planted in her heart from the past grew a harvest. Over time, I got an opportunity to speak with her and we started to get to the root of the problem. It turns out her boyfriend left her for someone that looked like me and she felt that the way I looked was more favorable than the way she looked. I stood there stunned.

Girl.

"You are BEAUTIFUL! From the top of your head to the soles of your feet! You have NO reason to be jealous of ME or of anyone else!"

You know when you're jealous of someone because every single thing that they do becomes irritating to you. You try to pick them apart and find something not to like about that person. You go from tolerating them, to accusing them and becoming suspicious of that person. You rationalize your thoughts because "you know that something just ain't right." Then, you are convinced that your opinion of that person is what God really thinks about that person.

Do you know that God has NOTHING to do with your negative thoughts and accusations towards that person? The DEVIL himself is coming to kill, steal and to destroy your life. If he can cause more confusion and division between you and a sister in Christ - he has succeeded. Are you taking the BAIT from satan? Some of us willingly walk up to him and take the bait and end up hating everyone all because jealousy and envy stuck its ugly head into our relationships.

Now, I am here for being discerning when it comes to people as we are led by the Holy Spirit. There's a huge difference between being Holy Spirit led and being led by our feelings or opinions towards that person.

What does jealousy do?

Jealousy robs you from relationships and it keeps you from being content with what God has called you to do. Jealousy says, "I don't look like that and I cannot do it like her so I measure myself against her and I deem myself as not enough."
Jealousy ruins your confidence because you place your hope in what you can see and not who God called you to be.
Jealousy is a sin. And if God hates it, we should too.
Jealousy makes you feel discontent with your portion which means that you will never be satisfied with who you are.
Jealousy is dangerous because the more you compare your life to others, the more you will focus on what you are not and you will stay in that place for the rest of your life. Some people continue to go around the "I hate everyone" mountain and will look at 50 years old, still tearing people apart with their thoughts and words.

When I think about the story of the woman I met in college, my heart breaks. How many of us see ourselves in her? So, instead of celebrating others, you seek ways to tear others down. Instead of bringing peace, you create drama and confusion online and in your own life to make you feel better about your hate.

The devil himself became jealous and envious of God and wanted to be him. He no longer was satisfied in being the beautiful angel that God created him to be. Pride slipped into his heart and it's shown here in Isaiah 14:12–14

12 “How dare you are fallen from heaven,

O Day Star, son of Dawn!

How you are cut down to the ground,

you who laid the nations low!

13 You said in your heart,

I will ascend to heaven;

above the stars of God

I will set my throne on high;

I will sit on the mount of assembly

in the far reaches of the north;3

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.’

Do you see all of those I's. I WILL be like this. I will do that. I, I, I. Selfishness and bitterness is all wrapped up in "I." Life because all about YOU and how YOU feel. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is saying in 1 Corinthians 13:4 .. Love is patient. It's kind. It's not boastful, proud or rude. It's not JEALOUS.

So, if we know that jealousy is not from God - it's clearly from the devil and his selfish ways.

Here's a few tips for anyone who may be struggling in this area.

1. Pray for whoever you're jealous of. Yes. Pray. This will soften your heart towards them and help you to see them the way that God see's them.

2. Cast down bad jealousy thoughts that attack you throughout the day. Remind yourself that you are a new creation through Christ Jesus and that your old man is GONE.

3. Unfollow people that cause you to stumble until you're strong enough to be around them and follow them.

4. Spend time sitting at the feet of the Father. The more time you spend with God, the less you will blame others for your portion.

5. Refuse to gossip, spread gossip or hang out with people that are intentional about drama and confusion.

If you're struggling with jealousy, I want to pray with you.
"Father, in the name of Jesus - we bind that spirit of jealousy right now in Jesus name. We declare that any seed of bitterness, envious, covetousness, anger, hate or wrath is being uprooted right now and cast away. We thank you God that we walk in love, peace, joy and comfort of the Holy Spirit. We are excited about our portion and we will guard our hearts from that spirit moving forward, in Jesus name, Amen.

Just a few things:

1. Find my (6) books (including my NEW book, "Silent Seasons- Trusting God when you don't understand"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via www.pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

2. We have developed an APP! Think: daily post notifications + weekly devotionals, recipes and so much more! It's out NOW for iphones + Androids. Under: Heather & Cornelius Lindsey: Today With the Lindsey's

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 215 W Wieuca Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30327 - The Galloway School in the Amiptheater

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! We are almost SOLD OUT! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

5. As always, you can join a Pinky Promise group locally! There's about 50,000 ladies that have joined! Find a group near you by joining & checking out the intro page! Join here: www.PinkyPromiseMovement.com

God loves you like crazy,
Love always,

Heather Lindsey

Ahh! My NEW BOOK!

Career vs. Purpose vs. Ministry

2017-05-17T11:26:00.001-07:00

Career vs. Purpose vs. Ministry

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I wanted my Pinky Promise sisters to share what the Lord placed on their heart. And, my sister (and cousin by marriage), April Wesley shared something so powerful.
Check it out.
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I was prompted to complete this blog when one of my well-respected friends (an entrepreneur, non-profit organizer, world traveler, speaker, and preacher) recently sent a message for well wishes on my birthday and ended with "Purpose looks good on you." She is well-versed in the dynamic nature of purpose, but her statement made me think of an open issue or misconception in the Body of Christ. It is a topic and thought process that I've had to work through in my own life to understand God's plan and pathway (purpose) for my life. "Do people always equate purpose to something 'ministry' related, such as writing books or starting an organized ministry; or, do people recognize that purpose is multifaceted and can result in many purpose paths (outside of what is commonly perceived as 'ministry')?" Also, "can my job or career be my purpose? Is it a part of my purpose? Am I really living in my purpose if I haven't left my job and started my own ministry or business?" Affectionately, I started writing. I began to develop what you're currently reading in hopes to address these misconceptions. This post is for those that struggle with where their career life fits in with their purpose and how it relates to ministry.

Let's start with the title...career first, purpose in the middle, and ministry last. It's strategically placed in that order, not to put career over purpose or ministry, or say that ministry is underneath it all, but to say that purpose is the glue that motivates these endeavors. God's purpose for your life can indeed be experienced in a career, but it is likely not the only way that He will reveal His intended gifts through you. It's a purpose pathway in your life. Because your career or job is a part of your daily life, it is apart of your ministry. Your life is your ministry, period, including every activity, task, action, and interaction within it. Don't be confused. We have unfortunately secluded and regarded ministry to be what happens on a stage or impactful to a larger audience when we should know there is only an audience of One (God) that we serve and produce for.

In this Christian moment in time, it appears to be an overwhelming consensus that if you're working a 9-5 job or career, you're not truly following God's will for your life. I believe we've gained this perception because we've looked at someone else's path and concluded that if "purpose" was birthed when they left their 9-5 jobs, that should be our story too. Not so. If God appointed you to that 9-5 job or career and you KNOW you're supposed to be there, stay there! I believe we've equated purpose as the "blossoming of opportunity" that happens after we've obeyed God and possibly left our jobs without really consulting God. No, purpose is obedience to WHATEVER God has ordered you to and not measured by who's looking, clapping for us, or agreeing with us. Now, I'm not saying that it's okay to stay in a job or place where God has not ordained you to be and you're remaining there to satisfy your own fleshly desires. I'm telling you to be where God has equipped you to be and wants you to learn. You're clearly there to further your spiritual, personal, and professional development. Even for those who have been told to leave their jobs to explore and act on a new purpose path, I'm absolutely positive that if you were to sit down with them, they would tell you that their ministry is the life they lived before there was a spotlight or newly found purpose opportunity. It didn't start or stop with their decision to be obedient for probably the umpteenth time. Their purpose started at their very first "Yes!" to God!

Everybody is on a stage, whether we realize it or not. God is looking to see how we perform in the purpose pathways He's assigned to us. Purpose does not equal fame or fortune. It equals obedience. Thus, if God placed peace in your heart to pursue a career as a physical therapist, an attorney, realtor, blogger, or musical artist, that's what you must do and do it unto the Lord!

Again, purpose is multifaceted. It is not one particular event, business, passion, or desire in your heart. It is EVERY piece of talent, passion, and God led appointment that He has divinely placed inside of you. When you are led by God, nothing goes wasted. NOTHING. Stop allowing people to put purpose in a box and say that it's only "ministry" if it is packaged and presented a certain way. NO. Your ENTIRE life is ministry! You're constantly being watched by someone and either representing God or not representing God.

Before I even knew about "purpose" and how it is currently presented/appears (along with its associated pressures), I knew about God's peace. I knew when I was 16 and entering into college what my major would be because God gave me peace about the choice. It was for His purpose. When I was 20 and applying to graduate school, God gave me peace about which schools I was to apply to as well as gave me peace to not be anxious about being accepted because the original peace at 16 had already prepared the purpose of acceptance. At 23, I followed the peace to move to a city that God wanted me to not only develop in my career but most importantly, my character. At 27, I followed God's peace in moving to my current city in which every plan and piece of development prior purposed me for His current plan here. From there, I've written two books and started Queenship Restored but that's still not my ultimate and final purpose. I KNOW he has many more purpose paths to take me on and develop! But guess what? You won't have to force other purpose pathways that don't align with what you know to do now. For example, for the longest, my focus was solely fulfilling my career goals and responsibilities, thinking that was my only reason on this earth. As I started growing in God, He showed me that my passion for design and travel were there for a purpose and would not go to waste. Fast forward about 5 years later, I've been invited to lead design for Pinky Promise and my pastors have welcomed me to travel all over the world as their Director of International Affairs. How's that for never going to school or having a "plan" for either one! Your gifts WILL make room for you! Talk about God fruitfully creating and fulfilling your purpose paths. Nothing goes to waste!

If you work a 9-5 or career and have peace about currently being there but know that God has more for you, you ARE currently operating in purpose and God will eventually reveal that new pathway of purpose (whether it's to start your own consulting firm, non-profit in your current area of work, or go and get that PhD). Again, purpose is NOT just one thing, talent, passion, or desire....it's the combination of these (that is God-ordained) that makes you, you and fulfilling to your time here on this earth. It's literally your "purpose" of being here on earth, to do all of it. We shouldn't stop striving to fulfill everything (whether a career and/or small business and/or media, and/or whatever else God has given us) until we literally DIE. Then we're done fulfilling our purpose!

Just because you're only "practicing" a certain talent or passion in one thing at this moment does not mean that it will be your last and only. So don't be quick to forfeit a part of your purpose to match your faith journey to someone else's. If God has ordained you to go to school and be an attorney, computer programmer, engineer, physician, or HR personnel, do that purpose as unto the Lord! Some people are truly called to work these positions for the rest of their traditional working years or lives. I cannot tell you how many medical professionals' stories I've encountered where they literally worked daily in their careers until their dying day. They believed they were called to their careers and literally served as unto the Lord. It makes sense. We need all of the many career paths for this world to operate, from the CEOs to physicians to environmental services personnel to the professional tree cutters!

As a neurologic physical therapist myself, I KNOW I've been called to my profession. It was the first organized purpose pathway I was called to and has taught me great discipline, specificity, and compassion that carries on into all of my other purposes God has created me to do. I may not do it for the rest of my life, but its training and practice daily prepares me for each new thing God stretches me to do and places on my plate! See, my career is purposeful! Moreover, it serves a purpose as provision for any new thing (writing books, starting a company) that God may assign to my life. If He purposes you to do something, He already provides purposeful provision as well! This is why we must not get weary! ALL THINGS work for the good of those that are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)! Stop comparing your life to someone else's!

In conclusion, I provided the many purpose pathways of my friend at the start of the blog to show how multifaceted purpose can be. It is not one path and is supposed to be a unique all-encompassing, individualized plan for you. Allow God to begin to reveal how your God-given passions and desires are a part of your purpose and faith journey. He knows how to mold the specifics into unimaginable ways and actions. Continue to allow Him to appoint you, direct you, and keep you content in His Will. All things will continue to unfold in its proper time (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Love you!

-April D. Wesley
(IG: @aprildwesley)
#QRWisdom

Before I chime out of my sister/friend/cousin's AMAZING blog, I wanted to introduce and update you on a few things present and upcoming on my end!

1) I have 2 books out currently. My first release, "Queenship Restored: The Reconciliation of the Alpha Woman" is properly titled to address the need for women to have a transformed mindset restored to a Godly queen (what God has called for women to be) vs. pursuing and continuing the often demanded societal alpha women mindset. My latest book is entitled, "Severing Soul Ties," a book that addresses the many ungodly soul ties we can be bound to, including people, ideals, positions, roles, tasks, material possessions, and even our own insecurities. This book is for the person who wants to identify the Truth about soul ties, is tired of living bound to them, and desires to be eternally severed from every type of soul tie. Each book can be found on my website, queenshiprestored.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble! Shipping is available WORLDWIDE!

2) I will be going on tour with my company, Queenship Restored, to 6 major US cities for the 2017 "Severing Soul Ties" Book Tour & Lecture Series! The tour will be traveling to Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Brooklyn, Miami, and Los Angeles! Registration and details are free and can be searched on the eventbrite.com search bar under "'Severing Soul Ties' Book Tour & Lecture Series-enter respective city." The tour will be traveling to Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Brooklyn, Miami, and Los Angeles (refer to the flier below for further details)! Each tour location will have individual experiences, but the consistent schedule of events will include book excerpt readings, lectures on Spirit-led soul tie topics, discussions, Q&A, book signings, and product purchase availability! If you are in any of these cities or surrounding areas, please register! There will be limited seating and availability for attendance so register NOW! I can't wait to see everyone, sever soul ties, and continue freedom from soul tie bondage in the coming months!

How Your Social Media Can Influence People Away From Jesus

2017-05-09T08:35:00.002-07:00

This morning in my prayer time, I was studying Galatians. I came across a story and it made me ponder this question, "How are we living? And, what are we posting on social media?" Who are we silently influencing away from Christ with our example?'
Check this out:

Galatians 2:11-21
But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12
When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.

Ok, let's first look at that scripture. Peter just switched it up on the Gentiles! His goal was that he was SUPPOSED to show Gentiles AND Jews that we are all one through Jesus Christ now. But, because he was afraid of what his friends thought, he compromised and wouldn't eat with them anymore. How many times are we compromising when certain friends come around? Maybe, you're cussin' a little bit more. Maybe, you're talking about the guys you're dating when you know good and well you are trying to be single and focused on God. Maybe you show a little extra cleavage when you are going out to dinner with certain friends because they always stay "turnt up." Maybe you gossip and bash othe people that you really love, just to fit in. You do these things because you don't want to seem "holier" than thou -- and plus, you aren't hanging out with your Pinky Promise small group. Those are a different type of friends. You gotta turn on the "Christian" language around those friends because YOU know that those friends will convict you to do the right thing. So, because Peter was AFRAID of what people THOUGHT of him, he adjusted his position. He didn't want to deal with the criticism for doing the right thing. He was literally undoing his role in ministry in that moment. Which, takes us to the next scripture.

13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Whoa.

AS a RESULT, other Jewish believers FOLLOWED after Peters BAD example. Did you know that what you post on social media and how you live is influencing people? You are literally showing people that "its ok" to show your boobs and your butt off. It's ok to go on vacation with my boo and stay in the same hotel room. (which is another blog that I will do later). It's ok for me to turn up. It's ok for me to talk about gettin' this money non-stop. It's ok for me to sin openly. Not only is your sin hurting YOU but it is hurting all 5,242 followers that are watching you. You may be thinking, Heather - what does that have to do with me? We are all responsible for doing our own part, I cannot force them to follow what I'm doing." But, love, some people may be BABIES in Christ. And, they may be looking at you as an example and they are confused by your scriptures one day and why you are posting photos in your t-shirt and your panties the next day. You are planting seeds.You are influencing people. We are ALL influencing someone.

Lets keep reading:
14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?
15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

Ahh! What FREEDOM! We are made RIGHT by our faith in Jesus Christ. So, here, Paul is rebuking Peter by telling him that he can sit with the Gentiles because we are all made right by Jesus Christ and our faith in Him, not keeping the Jewish law. I LOVE that Paul lovingly called him out. Are you willing to pull your friends aside in LOVE and share the truth with them?

Now, you may be thinking - Heather, I have faith in Jesus! I do! But, why are you coming for my photos and my little boyfriend? Why are you coming for me? I can gossip here and there! It's ok to bash people! I can create fake profiles on social media and tell people "how I really feel." Heather, I can do what I want to do.

Love, Galatians 5:24 - "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed their passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. You are not the lusts of your flesh. You are not the lusts of your past. You are not a money chaser. You are not led by your feelings. You are not who you used to be! You are a new creation in Christ Jesus! Praise GOD!!

Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

You are not your past. You are not how you used to dress and the places that you used to go. Most times, we hold onto bad ways of thinking and we tag scriptures to our disobedience. Did you know that even demons believe in Jesus? It's not enough to just KNOW, but it's time to really LIVE this thing out. How you're living RIGHT now, whether privately or publically, MATTERS. Peter influenced so many people in that ONE act. So, I challenge you today to look at who you follow on social media and who you are in relationship with in real life. Some of us will be quick to go on a unfollowing spree from bad examples but we will keep a man in our bed that ain't supposed to be there. Or, we will sit in our marriage, complaining about everything that our spouse isn't doing while exalt ourselves higher and higher. Unfollow those people on social media that are negatively influencing you. Turn off those hot mess TV shows that ONLY plant seeds of drama. Turn off that secular music. And, tune into Jesus. Grab your word and sit at His feet. A tree is idenified by it's fruit and if you find that you don't have any fruit of the spirit, it's time to change that and start developing some fruit on your tree.

Social media has proven to us that we absolutely have time for Jesus, we just don't have the desire. If you can scroll on social media for 2-3 hours a day - you can carve out an hour to sit at the feet of our Daddy. He longs to lead and guide you. He longs to help you to renew your mind concerning marriage, children, courtship, work, life and your purpose!

Stay focused. God is with you.

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via www.pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

2. We have developed an APP! Think: daily post notifications + weekly devotionals, recipes and so much more! It's out NOW for iphones + Androids. Under: Heather & Cornelius Lindsey: Today With the Lindsey's

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 215 W Wieuca Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30327 - The Galloway School in the Amiptheater

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! We are almost SOLD OUT! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

5. As always, you can join a Pinky Promise group locally! There's about 50,000 ladies that have joined! Find a group near you by joining & checking out the intro page! Join here: www.PinkyPromiseMovement.com

6. We are headed on a Revival Tour to London and Capetown. Register here: www.lindseyevents.com

7. I have a TV Show on the Word Network! Make sure that you tune in every Saturday at 6:30pm EST! Also, download the (The Word Network App) You can stream it live there. You can find all of the playbacks of the show on my Youtube channel HERE.
God loves you like crazy,
Love always,

How to Travel the World For (Almost Free) - Part II

2017-04-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

So, I had to post this one, because I've found a few more ways to travel for free!

Who doesn't want to travel the world for almost free?? Let's be honest, I travel ALOT. Because I travel so much for ministry, I wanted to make sure that our family trips were affordable, comfortable and STILL be a good steward over our finances.

Black sand beaches in Maui!

So, my first blog, How to Travel the World for Free, was a complete success! But, since then, I have found more tips to share with you. So, I will be sharing some oldies, but a lot of new stuff!

If you don't know, I'm a huge planner. I am constantly thinking of ways for my family to GET AWAY and enjoy each other. We literally work 360 days a YEAR (yes, even on vacation.) We rarely take time off of work. Don't worry, I have my days of rest but even in the midst of that, I'm chasing down 2 kids, answering emails, getting the house together, on conference calls, writing books, blogs, etc. :). Nonetheless, while I am at one trip, I will start planning the next trip. I think what is key to any trip that you take is to PLAN ahead. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Most times, we think that traveling is unreachable because we don't have money or whatever else. Well, I pray that these few ideas help you and encourage you to save, plan ahead and ask the Lord for wisdom!

So, let's get RIGHT into it!

Traveling

Our Logan swimming in Turks & Caicos!

1. Airfordable - Airfordable is a super cool website where you buy your flight with Airfordable for a deposit upfront and pay off the rest in an easy, flexible payment plan before your departure date. So, if you cannot afford the flight right away, then you can book it through Airfordable. And, just by clicking on this link, Airfordable to sign up, you will get $25 to use towards your next flight! This is super cool because you can save up and make payment plans to literally travel the world! So, if you're planning on coming to the Pinky Promsie Conference, it's in 8 months!! You can make payments and come on! :) No excuses!

2. www.SecretFlying.Com Yeah. So, this website is pretty much going to be your new best friend. I found flights the other day to Italy from Atlanta for $300. THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS. I was tempted to book the flight, but then I realized that I have two kids and an overbooked travel schedule. lol. So, if you're single in this generation, what a TIME to be single! What a TIME to travel the world in an affordable way! My friends booked through secret flying to visit Capetown, London and Italy. Total cost one way? $405. Exactly! I just check it daily for good deals.

Kisses while still trying to hold on in Dubai! lol!

3. Free Housing? Yes. You heard it. Well, not completely free. But, you can always book through AirB&B (P.S. if you click that link & book, you will recieve a $35 credit!) when you're traveling with friends for a cheaper option. There's another option called Mind My House. There IS a $20 sign up fee (I think it's annual) But, you would take care of someone’s house, pets and gardens while they’re away. Websites like this one help play matchmaker for homeowners and home “watchers” around the world. Even though there's a $20 fee, I think it's pretty cool that you can house-sit for FREE on an amazing property in some other country for pennies per day!

Coffee time in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

4. Free Housing + An Organic Farm? Now, if you're really adventurous, you can join WWOOF. It's an organization connects travelers with organic farmers who want to trade room and board for an extra hand. So, essentially, you would choose what country that you want to visit and learn how to farm and grow your own veggies while experiencing an entirely new country!

5. Do you want free entry? So, say that you have kids and you want to get into Disney for free? Email them! Tell them that you would love to post about your trip on your social media. The reality is that you're going to post ANYWAY. You may as well get a couple free tickets to do so! It doesn't hurt to ask and I've known people that got into the park for FREE in exchange for a few posts!

6. I signed up with www.hotels.com. So, when you do stay at hotels, book those hotels on your points card AND rack up free nights! I just purchased a $400+ per night 5 star hotel for $5.00! I simply booked through that website and my nights added up! Perfect staycaction!

Ok, Heather, some of these things are not free. I need a way to bring in extra income!

Thankful for these sweet memories in Miami with my family!

Savings towards your Travel Fund!

1. I shared this before, and I have to share it again! IBOTTA! This is another site that I use that allows you to make money off of things like your groceries! So, I clicked on the link, signed up, downloaded the app and then I would go to the grocery store. After shopping, I would go home and then "unlock" rebates based on what I purchased. So, you can go on there and unlock things like "pasta" for $2.00. You scan the item + verify your receipt by taking a snap shot of it & then bam - the money is in your account that can be transferred to PayPal! Isn't that cool? So, I take that money as well and transfer it to our vacation fund. So, this is another way to make some extra money to save, give, or do whatever that the Lord leads you to do!
Remember, these are basic, everyday purchases that you're already going to make!

2. Again, I LOVE EBATES!! It allows for you to get cash back on items that you already purchase. So, I refuse to go directly to any website to book anything. Instead, I go through Ebates, search my store and then I get my cash back, coupon codes! The Christmas season is coming up and do you know what that means? It means that you can get even more back on your purchases! At times, I will order on stores like Target or Toys R Us and then do the "Pick up" option to get the cash back! It may seem like an extra step, but those little extra steps give you FREE cash back!

Our sweet Logan in the Bahamas!

3. Have you heard of the "Let Go" App? Simply download the app and go throughout your home and SELL the stuff that you don't need! Your items will show up and those in your particular area can purchase right from your phones. This is a great option to get rid of things quickly. Also, you can also sell your items to local consignment stores like Once Upon a Child, etc.

4. Learn a craft & sell on Etsy! What do you do for fun? Painting? Writing Scriptures on Canvases? Making jewelry? Sell on Etsy and stores like it! Take ALL of the profit and as the Lord leads you - put it in that travel savings fund! I like Mint because you can see your bills and savings all at once!

5. Host a community garage sale! If you're able, write on a post-it-note and stick it on the mailboxes of those in your community Tell them to contact you if they are free on a certain date for a community garage sale. Find a Saturday and then organize it! Put it in the paper/craigs list! This way, you can sell everything at once and bring more customers in knowing that it's a community garage sale! Not only that, it's a great way to get to know those in your community and to further spread the gospel of Jesus!

5. Umm. POSHMARK is where it's at! I just started my own poshmark account! Download the app + use my invite code for $5.00 to get started! HFUJI. What I love is that I can sell items from my closet that I no longer wear. They do take more than Ebay but I'm thinking it sells faster because it's linking all of your social media accounts.

Ok, I have to share how I traveled for $22.00 to a state and stayed for a couple nights.

Turks + Us.

As I have shared before, I have a couple credit cards through American Express. So, I charge those things from Ebates, our life insurance, car insurance, etc on our credit card monthly. Then I pay it off monthly so that I can get points for my trip. If you sign up for a card and spend a certain amount within three months - that is an automatic 50,000 miles or two round trip plane tickets (US). So, I definitely took advantage of that option and booked my flight and my hubby's flight. The beauty in having these cards (if you can discipline your flesh) is that they constantly have benefits and deals, cash back, etc. Find a card that will give you some time of benefit! I know Chase has some great ones as well. You may feel like, "Heather, I am not a business owner! I don't spend enough. Well, did you know that your points don't expire and your miles won't expire (with Delta anyway.) So, be patient. Little by little, add to your travel fund. Add your miles. Convert some of your American express points to airlines. And, get to traveling for free!

Next, make sure you sign up for ALL hotel and airline loyalty programs. Find your favorite one and try to stick with it. I have found that when you are in a loyalty program, you get cheaper hotel rooms, more incentives and free food! In our case, we are apart of a certain hotel loyalty program. But, we haven't used it in a year or so. So, I honestly didn't think that we had any points. I happened to check our account and found that we had about 30,000 points! WOW! When did this happen? Well, the hotel nights were 12,000 each so we were able to stay in a $400 a night hotel for absolutely nothing. We have had this loyalty program for YEARS and we didn't think that it incurred so much over the years! What a sweet surprise for our $22 trip.

I have to be honest, my heart exploded as I wrote this blog because I got to look back at all of the sweet memories with my family. There's NOTHING like the memories that traveling create in your family! And, it changes your perspective, allows you to think outside of the box and gives you a chance to spread the gospel of Jesus in an entirely new country.

What a sweet honor.

So, I pray that your travel wheels start spinning! Do you have any tips for traveling? If so, share them in the comments below!

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via www.pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

2. We have developed an APP! Think: daily post notifications + weekly devotionals, recipes and so much more! It's out NOW for iphones + Androids. Under: Heather & Cornelius Lindsey: Today With the Lindsey's

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 3600 Snapfinger Rd Lithonia, GA 30038

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

5. As always, you can join a Pinky Promise group locally! There's about 50,000 ladies that have joined! Find a group near you by joining & checking out the intro page! Join here: www.PinkyPromiseMovement.com

6. We are headed on a Revival Tour to Kenya, Nigeria, London and Capetown. Register here: www.lindseyevents.com

God loves you like crazy,
Love always,

Heather Lindsey

Overcoming Depression, Anxiety & Mental Health

2017-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, I don't run Pinky Promise alone. I have a "Dream Team" of about 15 women that help me and it was on my heart to ask a few of them to share their testimonies of an area where they overcame. My sweet sister in Christ, Wynter Dean is sharing her story on Overcoming mental health - Depression. I truly believe that this is a silent area that people deal with so I am excited that Wynter is sharing her story. I pray that it ministers to you.

"Toughen up!" "You just aren't praying hard enough!" "Black girls don't get depressed (anxiety), you come from a strong family!" "Girl, you just too sensitive!" These were just a few statements I got from some well-meaning people in my life when I tried to discuss my mental health concerns.
Long before I was formally diagnosed with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and Dysthymia (mild/chronic depression) I knew something wasn't right. I knew that my moods were greater than "worrying" or "stressing". I knew that shutting myself off from friends and family wasn't healthy. I knew that trying to operate on less than 12 hours of sleep a week wasn't making me the most productive or pleasant person and I knew that not leaving the bed for days was not necessarily the best thing to do. There were many days when I literally could not move. I had zero motivation to do anything but sit up, let my dogs out and habitually go over scenarios that either never happened or were totally out of my control.
I knew that I needed to talk to someone....but that meant I wasn't trusting God...right?! I mean 1 Peter 5:7 clearly says that we are to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Going to a doctor isn't the “Him” this scripture is referring to so clearly going to a psychiatrist or therapist was bad right?! I was so confused and had fully isolated myself from everyone that cared about me. I had a mind full of very scary thoughts and started quickly spiraling out of control. I thought about how many pills I needed to take to sleep because I was so exhausted, 10? 15? Anything to help me sleep and quiet my mind down. It was then that the same God I was so worried that I was not trusting or that I was disappointing nudged me to seek help.

Action Steps:
1. Seeking help doesn't mean you don't trust God: “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT

The first thing you have to do is realize you have an issue, while also remembering that God placed doctors, therapists, social workers etc. in those positions to help. Find a therapist you like and trust. You’re going to be real transparent during your sessions, so be sure you feel safe with the person you select. There are tons of services that help you narrow down someone, take your time. Your mental health is really important so you want someone that will hold you accountable and really listen to you. I knew my psychiatrist was the right person for me as soon as I met her. When she talked, I was at peace and I felt that God gave her the desire to serve people that were hurting. I know that God was in control and ultimately gives her the tools to say exactly what I needed to hear. Lastly, remember that going to a therapist or psychiatrist is a partnership. They will give you advice and possibly prescriptions that you are expected to take. Be honest with your therapist, if the prescriptions make you feel groggy: Tell them. If you are having new struggles: Tell them. Honesty and transparency goes a long way in this process. How can you expect them to get to core issues if you don't discuss them? So I encourage you, as you build this relationship to be as honest as you can about how you feel. You play a huge role in your mental health, seeking help is the first step, doing what your clinician suggests and keeping them abreast of what is going on in your life is another huge move towards healing.

2. Align yourself with strong friends. "Iron sharpens iron, such as a friend sharpens a friend" Proverbs 27:17 NLT

I have been blessed to be loved by strong family and friends. I recognized that God was beginning a pruning process very early on, however, pruning and isolation are completely different things. When God prunes you, he removes things/people that are unlike him, people that stunt your growth and the purpose that he has for you. Though pruning was never an easy process, I knew God was using it to make me better. However, when I isolated myself from my support group, it essentially made me weaker. Gone were the people that held me accountable, gone were the people that made sure I got my tail off the couch, the check-in calls were unanswered and the random texts weren’t responded to. It was a really lonely time and being/feeling alone can be really dangerous. It was during this time that I thought about how the world might look without me. I obsessed about EVERY bad decision I made in my life and how those decisions made me a failure in God’s eyes. This was a dark place, a scary place, this was a place the enemy loved seeing me in because not only did I push my loved ones away, but I also pushed God away. One night after staying up almost 24 hours, I looked at my phone, ignored the missed calls and instead looked at a message from my GroupMe. I saw a message from one of my Pinky Promise Dream Team sisters. Though short and sweet, it snapped me out of the haze I was in and I made a conscious decision to GET UP. The message said “Wynter, you were on my heart. God wanted me to encourage you to put up some scriptures and whenever you have a thought that doesn’t line up with the Word pull one of those scriptures out”. Belonging to such a wonderful group of women has literally been a Godsend. We laugh together, pray together, hold one another accountable, and most of all we LOVE each other. Outside of my Dream Team family I have a network of friends, family, and an amazing boyfriend that lovingly makes sure I never stay in a funk for too long. I also have to make sure that I do my part. My loved ones encourage me, but I have to make the conscious decision every day to make sure I don’t let my depression or anxiety take me over. I get out and walk, take pictures, write calligraphy, write things I am thankful for, or visit family; anything to make sure I get out of my funk. For me my depression and anxiety intensifies when I am idle, so I try not to sit around too much and try to get out of the house even when my brain tells me not to.

According to a 2014 report by the American Association of Suicidology, African- Americans accounted for 5.46 per 100,000 suicides in the United States with African American men accounting for 80.30% of the population. When I read this, the numbers were jarring and I saw how my situation could have went another way. If God hadn’t stepped in when he did, if my loved ones wouldn’t have been so persistent, I could have been a statistic. A young woman that people thought had it all together. They would probably say “well she was so happy on social media” not knowing that behind that smile was a lot of hurt, pain and silent suffering. I think that the most dangerous part of this disorder is that it gives you the perception that you are alone. It exacerbates little setbacks and makes you feel hopeless. When you a feel alone, the enemy can do a number on your mind, but God reminds us that we a NEVER alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 says “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Isaiah 41:10 states “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand”. One of my personal favorite verses that I continually run to when I am in a depressive or anxious state is Psalms 34:17-18 “The lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed”.

These are just a few reminders out of several in the Bible that God never leaves us, He will never forsake us, and He is always present. If you know me personally then you know that I am a person that really can’t stand clichés. But one statement that I always remember is “if you feel far away from God, it’s you that moved”. For me this statement is cliché but very true. During my intense depressive and anxious state, God was there, I didn’t feel him because I didn’t want to. I was resting in my misery and I blocked him out. Even though I was blaming him for everything I thought was wrong during this time, even though I was being extremely ungrateful for everything he has done for me, He still saved me. God stopped me from taking the pills I counted out and He is still constantly reminding me how much I mean to him and how I have a purpose. There is something that I need to do or someone that I need to help and without God stepping in when he did, I would not be here to live the life He has for me.

I may always struggle with depression and anxiety, but I will never be in that place I was in before I got help. I still see my psychiatrist twice a month for check-in appointments and medication management. My loved ones make sure that I never go missing for long. If I don’t answer my phone or respond to texts after a couple of tries, I can count on someone being on my front porch. As I stated before, I make the decision everyday not to sit in the house seeping in my emotions. When I am feeling like laying on the sofa or not to get out of the bed I push myself to get outside, even if it is to walk the dogs or sit in my backyard. Lastly, I thank God every day for never leaving me and for loving me in spite of myself. So if you are struggling with issues regarding your mental health here are a few resources and reminders that helped me.

You….yes YOU…. have a purpose, SO get out and meet folks that love Jesus, join a Pinky Promise group in your area and align yourself with women that are on fire for God and His purpose! Scripture says in Ecclesiastes 4:12 that “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken”. Keep your circle strong and all of your relationships intentional. Know that you are NEVER alone (despite what the enemy tries to make you believe) and most importantly know in your heart that the same God that created the heavens and the earth LOVES you like crazy!!

Lovingly,

Wynter D.

(@the_coldest_wynter)

Resources:

· Mental Health Referral Line: SAMHSA Treatment Referral Helpline – 1‑877‑SAMHSA7 (1‑877‑726‑4727)

· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:1‑800‑273‑TALK (8255)

· http://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/guide/resources/

· https://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/ask-and-learn/resources

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Thank you Wynter for sharing your story!

Love you dearly!

Heather Lindsey

"Not -So Happy Valentines Day"

2017-02-15T08:26:00.001-08:00

I know that Valentine's Day just passed and I pray that you didn't measure it by the gifts you received or didn't receive or if you're single or not. I recall one year, my now-husband didn't get me the gift I wanted him to get me for Valentine's Day. I know it sounds stupid, but I was mad. I felt like he should have put more thought into the gift. And, it showed on my face. I'm confident that He easily felt like "nothing is ever good enough for Heather." And He was right. I grabbed ahold of that discontentment I struggled with during my single life and brought it with me into my engagement.

Then, the Holy Spirit immediately checked my spirit. Heather, you're selfish.

Eert.

How am I selfish Lord??! Because I want him to put more effort?

"Heather, how did you gauge his effort? By your own standards of what you think you need?"

I mean, come on, Lord. We are engaged.

"Heather, you have once again made things about you. Have you considered Cornelius at all? What about what you didn't get him? And, isn't he one you prayed for?"

And, in that moment, I realized that just 2 years before that, I spent Valentine's Day alone.

Alone.

And, I was fine with it. I was finally content in the Lord and learning how to trust His timing. Hey, that contentment only took about 7 years. I sent myself some flowers because I loved that they added some joy to my dining room but I was good. I prayed for my future husband and I refused to make it an idol. I assured God often that if He sent me a husband, then I would always appreciate him.

So, at one point did I become this critical woman where I judged gifts? How silly of me? God sent me a guy that wouldn't kiss me until my wedding day and now I am rolling my eyes at his flowers, poem, gifts and the love he has shown me.

So, whether yesterday was the reality of your beautiful singleness or whether you didn't feel like your man put in enough effort, I want you to focus on what is going WELL in your life. At times, we can become such an entitled generation. Wanting what want, when we want it - and not bothering to look at what we are bringing to the table of any relationship.

That day, I decided to create a list of the good things that the Lord was doing in me.

1. The fact that He saved me and that I hear His voice.
2. I have an amazing fiance who honors me.
3. I have a great job in NYC.
4. I am a leader at my church
5. I have a sound mind.
6. I have a place to stay and I am comfortable.
7. I have a wonderful family
8. I have a amazing friends
AND.. that list went on & on!

So, after the Lord checked my heart, I decided that I needed to renew my mind. I told my now husband that he doesn't have to get me gifts because Hallmark says it's time to get gifts and let's find a way to give back to people in need. So, that next Valentines Day, we went to a low-income nursing home and we brought a ton of food, gifts and games. It was the BEST Valentines Day EVER! AND, it wasn't about US. I have learned that as a believer, I cannot pick and choose when I am going to be selfish.

And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. - Luke 9:23-24

At times, we can make life all about us. This goes for any holiday in general. I challenge you to stop letting holidays ruffle your feathers and be intentional about giving back to others.

"But, Heather, ain't nothing wrong with celebrating me! I can celebrate myself!" Well, my sister, frustrations are birthed when you have unmet expectations. And, for the rest of your life, if you constantly walk around with mind-reader expectations, you will find that some people may meet them, but then again, some may not. You will get frustrated again at some point.

But, if you decide to give your expectations to the Lord and find a way to be a blessing to someone else, you will find more joy, more peace, and you will be less stressed out on these man-made holidays.

Do you see how silly these distractions can be in your life? Our focus on this earth is to bring glory to God, not to get tied up in "what about me?"

So, cheers for not being moved by what we see. Cheers for walking by faith. Cheers for becoming more other-centered.

And, just a few things.

1. Be sure to register for the Pinky Promise Conference! We have SOLD out of every conference since day 1! Make sure you plan early and attend the annual "sleepover" lol www.pinkypromiseconference.com.
If you need a roomie, head on over to www.pinkypromisemovement.com and click on the roommate forum.

2. Desiring to publish a book, or do you need tips with entrepreneurship? Me & my husband host a Youtube Channel called, Lincross Academy where we talk ALL things publishing, professional do's & don't's, writers block and SO much more! Find it HERE.

3. I just uploaded a new video onto my youtube channel, titled Learning How To Be Faithful with Little. I pray that you watch it if you're struggling with being faithful with small things.

4. And, just a reminder that I'm headed to Washington, DC next week! (Feb 25th). It's free! We will be at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden Ministry Center in Landover, MD, 20785. It starts at 6:30pm! We would LOVE to meet you!

5. London & Capetown, we are coming your way! Join us for the Revival Tour in Capetown, SA on May 27th and in London on June 2-3, 2017! Join us by registering HERE.

6. Lastly, our church venue as MOVED! We are currently at the Marriott at the Galleria in Smyrna, GA until the beginning of March 2017. We will share our new venue after that time!

God loves you like crazy!
Love,
Heather Lindsey

Dubai Feb 2017

Happy 5th Anniversary Pinky Promise!

2017-01-26T06:12:00.002-08:00

Ahhhh!! Can you BELIEVE that Pinky Promise has been going STRONG for 5 YEARS? God is SO good, SO faithful and SO amazing! I'm literally blown away by the testimonies that have been birthed from you all. I have heard some pretty amazing stories. From women that wanted to commit suicide to breaking off ungodly relationships, to fighting for your marriage, to stepping out into your purpose AND to finally having a group of women around you that really love Jesus. This organization has kept me accountable in more ways than one. It helped my MARRIAGE from the very beginning. How? I knew that I couldn't lead an organization if my HOME life wasn't in order. So, I learned to submit to my husband as unto the Lord, I learned that spirit of shut up (self-control), I learned to grace my husband the way that Jesus graces me. And, I quickly realized that I cannot push the blame on others. I needed to change. My friendships got better. I valued those that were around me so much more. I was more intentional. More patient. More loving and I prayed for my friends like never before. My purpose became more clear to me. I knew without a shadow of doubt that God called me to preach, help women and share my story in hopes to bring people to Jesus.

I just said yes.

And, on today's 5th anniversary, I challenge you to say YES too. Say YES to Jesus. YES to His will. YES to His ways. YES to the life that He has for you.

And, I challenge you to say no.

NO to your negative feelings. NO to bad ungodly dating relationships. NO to rebellion on marriage. NO to thoughts of suicide. NO to quitting on the Lord. I can assure you, that in 20 years, we will celebrate 25 years of Pinky Promise. Will you still be sitting on the dreams and visions that the Lord gave you?

Whether the Lord is telling you to be still & obey Him, to if He is telling you to cut off some stuff, I encourage you to obey. There is SOMETHING on the other side of it all. If Pinky Promise has impacted you, we would LOVE to hear your testimony!
Please send a couple paragraphs + your name and where you're from to: pinkypromisequestions@gmail.com!

And, just a few things.

1. Can you believe that our FIRST Pinky Promise Conference was 4 years ago TODAY? Ahhh! And, we have SOLD out of every conference since. Make sure you plan early and attend the annual "sleepover" lol www.pinkypromiseconference.com.
If you need a roomie, head on over to www.pinkypromisemovement.com and click on the roommate forum.

2. We are doing a SALE at the Pinky Promise Boutique to celebrate today! All items are 25% off for TODAY only! Use the code: CELEBRATE - make sure you use all CAPS! :) www.pinkypromiseboutiques.com

3. I just uploaded a new video onto my youtube channel, titled STORMY SEASONS. I pray that you watch it if you're going through a storm or a hard time.

4. And, just a reminder that I'm headed to Pearland, Texas this Friday. Details are here: hopechurchpearland.org. If you're in the area, I would love to meet you!

5. We are headed to Nigeria &Kenya over the next couple of weeks! AHH! Join us if you're in those areas! We will be headed to Capetown, SA &; London in May/June. All details: www.lindseyevents.com.

6. Lastly, our church venue as MOVED! We are currently at the Marriott at the Galleria in Smyrna, GA until the end of March 2017. We will share our new venue after that time!

That's all for now. I am excited about another 5 years together. Stay focused. Stay in prayer and don't ever give up.

The Heather Lindsey Show: Casting & Audience

2017-01-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
I am SUPER excited that I actually start TAPING my new show next week. NEXT week! Ahhh! I am BEYOND excited! I will be taping about 30-60 shows this year so I'm thrilled about the topics and what the Lord is going to do through The Heather Lindsey Show!

Just a few things!

1. This is a talk show! I create the topics, direct it and all of that other good stuff!

2. The studio audience seats 45 people.

3. Each segment is 28 minutes.

4. I will record 4 shows in one day!

5. My husband and I will be hosting a book signing at the END of the last taping.

LOCATION: The Word Network - 20733 W 10 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI

Please note that the seats are FIRST come, FIRST serve. If the studio is at capacity, we will let the line in for the second show but everyone must leave after every show. There's a great chance that you may be able to stay for a couple shows based on the line. There's only 45 seats and the shows are only 28 minutes long. So, if you can be patient, we would LOVE to have you there!

We are looking for people that love Jesus and that can bring a ton of energy to the show. We will have a "ask Heather" section of the show in which you will ask Heather a question live on air. Please be prepared with a question!

And, each show will have a "giveaway" where we give away an item to a studio audience member!

TAPING TIMES
Tuesday, January 17th times: 7pm, 7:45pm, 8:30pm, 9:15pm.
Wednesday, January 18th times: 7pm, 7:45pm, 8:30pm, 9:15pm.

If you want to be a guest, we are casting for the following places:

1. COUPLE: A couple that is either waiting to kiss until they get married or a couple that waited already and they are married. (Male/Female in their late teens, 20's-30's.)

2. MALE: Single male (late teens, 20's-30's) that is pursuing God wholeheartedly.

3. WOMAN: Woman who has struggled with infertility, pregnancy or has adopted a child. (late teens, 20's-30's, 40's)

4. MALE/FEMALE: Doesn't have to be a couple. A male and female that is very opinionated about what they want in a spouse before marriage. (late teens, 20's-30's)

Must include in order to be considered:
Recent Photo
A short blurb of your story
Must be a Christian.
Your age
Phone number
Location *You must be in the Detroit area for the tapings. The Word Network and the Heather Lindsey show does not provide travel or lodging for guests*

If you want to be considered for casting: Please email Jules@pinkypromisemovememt.com and put CASTING (What you're casting for) in the subject line.

If you own a company and you want to give away an item, please email jules@pinkypromisemovement.com

Also, we are still looking for a great makeup artist! Please send rates, photos of your looks to jules@pinkypromisemovment.com

Yay!! Can't wait to see ya'll! :)

God loves you like crazy,

Love,
Heather Lindsey

Tough Year?

2016-12-27T19:25:00.002-08:00

Have you had a tough year? I don't know about you - but 2016 has had some AMAZING highs, and some stressful low's. I have been STRETCHED spiritually like NEVER before.

I remember one day, I was at the gym, working out and I was just thinking about the spiritual attacks. As I was working out on the stair stepper, I heard the Holy Spirit interrupt my thoughts and tell me, "Heather, I am preparing you for something so much greater."

It was the sweetest, purest words to me in that moment. Although I preach about the preparation, development, trusting in the Lord, resting in His timing, rejoicing during the tests - but then that moment comes where you're faced with what you preach and post about. At times, it seems like it's so easy to encourage everyone else but when it comes to yourself? Well, you're a little bit harder on you.

As I stepped on that Stairmaster, I told the Lord that I will rejoice in this test. I told Him that I am thankful to share in a TINY bit of His persecution. I was thankful to share in a TINY bit of His suffering for righteous sake.

And, in every time and in every moment, I have watched the Lord strengthen me through those tests.

So, if 2016 has been a year of stretching for you too - I want to encourage you that if you've been SOWING love, peace, joy, OBEDIENCE, trusting God when you don't' understand and walking by FAITH - GOD HONORS it. It is NOT in vain. I love harvest season because I know when I'm passing a spiritual test, I will see a spiritual harvest. Ya'll KNOW I am not one to say that "THIS IS GONNA BE YOUR NEW YEAR" - because I don't know what season you're in but I DO know that if WE stay like those TREES that are planted by the rivers of water (Psalms 1:3) that we will BRING forth FRUIT in our season, our LEAF will not wither and whatever we do will prosper.

DUE SEASON WILL ALWAYS COME!

So, don't dig your tree up and move it somewhere else if things are hard. Stay planted. Just stay there. Stay in that test and PASS it. Don't run back to your past. Don't rush back to what was once comfortable. I can ASSURE you that you will see something on the other side of it ALL. When you live a life of disobedience, it HINDERS the Lord from working in you. So, repent sis, turn back around and endure! God will give you the strength to pass whatever is in front of you.

I started this blog to you all this morning and then I got confirmation that I have my own show on the WORD network (AHH!) called "The Heather Lindsey Show." If you've been following the ministry, you know that I've always wanted to host again but I put it down because the Lord told me to do so for a season. And, almost 10 years later, I'm picking it back up again.

I'm completely convinced that there's a PATH for each and every one of you (Jeremiah 1:5). Your story may not look like my story because it's YOUR story, but, along that path of saying YES to Jesus - you will find the life that He has prepared for you. This doesn't mean that tests stop. Actually, they will probably increase. But, it simply means that you get to lean on and depend on the Lord for every breath. I can assure you, with tears in my eyes - God is faithful. If He does nothing else, I want you to know that He longs for a relationship with you. He longs to walk with you. He longs to be close to you. He longs to speak to you. He longs to LEAD your life. Put down that strife and division in your heart and open up your heart to Him. He's constantly waiting.

I always say that a new year isn't a new you unless you renew your mind and say Yes to our Jesus. So, cheers to committing to spend the next year at the feet of our Jesus. He never fails us.

I love you all so much. I'm not sure if you know how much I truly love you but I pray for you all on a regular basis. I want to see you win. I want to see you walk in your purpose. I want to see you free from bitterness, I want to see you bold. I want to see you committed to Jesus. So, cheers to never quitting.

Just a few things:

1. Find my (6) books (including my NEW book, "Fighting Together") purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via www.pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

2. We have developed an APP! Think: daily post notifications + weekly devotionals, recipes and so much more! It's out NOW for iphones + Androids. Under: Heather & Cornelius Lindsey: Today With the Lindsey's

3. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

4. As always, you can join a Pinky Promise group locally! There's about 50,000 ladies that have joined! Find a group near you by joining & checking out the intro page! Join here: www.PinkyPromiseMovement.com

5. We are headed on a Revival Tour to Kenya, Nigeria, London and Capetown. Register here: www.lindseyevents.com

God loves you like crazy,

Love,

Heather Lindsey

The Journal Challenge is Back!

2016-12-23T09:53:00.003-08:00

If you've been following my blog, you know that I've done a Journal Challenge back in 2012! The purpose was to encourage women to get back to a place of prayer and focus on the Lord. I want to do another journal challenge for the month of January to get us started for the new year. I believe that the Lord is pouring out His spirit on His daughters to accomplish their purpose. I also believe that distractions and the temptation to quit will also be present. It's so important that we stay focused on the Lord, refuse to quit and to keep TRUSTING Him no matter what.

I started this journal challenge because I realize that at times, we have a hard time spending time with God daily. BUT if we had a flight to Hawaii every morning at 5am that was an all expense paid trip.. we would be at the airport on time. We would MAKE time to pack & check in on time. Let's make SPENDING time with GOD a priority.

How amazing is it that thousands of us will journal & write our "day" that we're on. So, January 1st will be "Day 1" and you will continue to note what day you are on. (Example, January 15th will be Day 15) and it's not for show- it's us spending time with God daily and letting Him change us from the inside out. Writing the day on your journal is ONLY for accountability.

So, what will you need?

A Journal! (I must add that the Pinky Promise Store has some fabulous journals - but find one that works for you!)
Notecards! I swear by notecards! I use these often as it does something to your brain as you write down the scriptures. Then, I meditate on them throughout the day. So write out the scriptures longhand-- based on what God places on your heart to study & to meditate on.
Here's an example of how you'll start your journal. I always start mine with "Dear Daddy"-- and be sure to write the CONSISTENT day. The point of this journal challenge is to get you to be consistent in spending time with God daily. So day 1, day 2, day 50, day 56.. etc.
Your favorite bible. I like to study with a few bibles. I love The Life Application Bible- NLT version. I purchased it from a Lifeway Christian store. It's a GREAT study bible that breaks stuff down and also love the Dakes King James Version Bible.

How do I journal?!

Ok, so now that you have all of the materials, you may ask, "how do I journal?" What do I say?! As I blogged before with "How to Spend Time With God" - so be sure to read that entire blog if you're joining this challenge. But to answer your question - I look at my journal like my diary to God. I just pour out what is in my heart. I thank Him for being God, I tell Him I love Him and what is going on in my life & my struggles.

Prior to journaling my heart out to the Lord - I like to put on worship music and dance to him, sing, cry out, pray in the Holy Spirit, pray in English and this helps to soften my heart and unclutter my spirit. I don't want to go into the presence of the Lord, meditating on worries and fears. After that, I sit down/lay down and I begin to write, I start with "Dear Daddy" and I pour my heart out. Then, I sit and wait for Him to respond and He typically starts out speaking to me by saying, "My beautiful daughter, or I love you so much Heather." Then, He begins to speak into my heart about my life and I write everything down. Then, there are times where I don't hear anything directly from Him - but I still just sit there and rest in Him while worshipping Him with my words.

Then, I open my bible to spend time with Him. My husband taught a GREAT study on "How to Study the Bible" - you can watch it before the challenge starts if you find yourself stuck in how to study the bible. I study my bible based on what is going on in my life or whatever the Lord leads me to study. Most times, He tells me to go to certain books in the bible and I study from there.

So the challenge starts WHENEVER you read these words if it's after January 1, 2017. (You can of course start now as we should be spending time with the Lord daily but the Day 1 will be January 1st so we are all doing it together!) You could be reading this a month after todays date.. but I challenge you to get started in TODAY. The beautiful thing about this time is that you don't have to only do 30 days - instead, you can do 60, 100 or 300 days.

Before I close out - know that satan is gonna attack you. You'll be sleepy, too busy, or whatever else. Remember that you'll desire WHAT you give your attention too. So shut your phone off, Facebook & the TV. No distractions.

You can subscribe via www.pinkypromisemovement.com under "connect" to stay in the loop! :)

Let's go!! It starts on January 1st!

God loves YOU like CRAZY!

Heather Lindsey

Fighting Together: Learning how to FIGHT for our marriages instead of each other!

2016-12-15T11:25:00.001-08:00

I AM SUPER excited to announce that my husband and I have just released a book TOGETHER!

Marriage is a beautiful union ordained by God that is unfortunately under great attack in our society. Our world can only be as strong as the nations. The nations can only be as strong as its communities. The communities can only be as strong as its families, and families can only be as strong as the marriages.

If the marriages fail, then so goes the families, the communities, the nations, and the world. Cornelius and Heather have joined together to combat this attack by encouraging husbands and wives to fight together instead of fighting each other.

They share many of their personal stories about contemplating divorce, healing their marriage, and learning how to balance family life and ministry. You can expect to learn the principles of fighting together, defining the purpose of your marriage, dealing with inlaws the significance of Husbands leading, as Wives fulfill the role of Helpmeet, and much more.

You can find it HERE or via AMAZON/Kindle!

God loves you like crazy!
Love always,
Heather Lindsey

How to Publish a Book in 90 Days!

2016-11-16T13:31:00.004-08:00

So, I am super excited to announce our book I have exciting news!! On a regular basis, people ask me how we are able to write so many books and the process of publishing a book. So, my husband and I decided to do another book webinar on "How to Publish a Book in 90 Days!" You can click on the link HERE to get more info. It's on Monday, December 19th at 9pm and it will be recorded!

AND, during the webinar, we are going to make a very special announcement. We have decided to start a Book Publishing Company, called Lincross Publishing! It was birthed from my frustration in dealing with a publishing company. Granted, all companies aren't the same, BUT a very popular Christian publishing company sent me a contract to sign and they were taking 79% of my book. 79%?? That's CRAZY. So, you mean to tell me, I bust my tail to write the book and you keep all of the profit, for pretty much ever? No. SO, we have decided to start a publishing company where we take ZERO royalties. That's right. We believe that you should keep what you make! So, we will pretty much mentor & help you through the process & all of that good stuff. And, if you haven't noticed, we are on our 15th book combined (me & my hubby) - We LOVE to write and we believe that someone may not go to church, but they will read a book that will LEAD them there. So, be sure to check out the webinar & if you have any questions, please let us know at pinkypromisequestions@gmail.com!

What you will learn:

· Whether or not self-publishing is the right option for you

· What to expect when it comes to selling your book

· 10 simple tips on finishing your manuscript in 45 days

· The benefits of self-publishing vs. traditional publishing

· Heather and Cornelius’ 5 step process to self-publishing

· 5 simple tips on marketing your book and hosting your first book signing

Who should attend:

· Writers seeking to publish their finished manuscript

· Beginners who want to learn the self-publishing process

· Speakers and instructors who desire to expand their intellectual property with self-published material

· Passionate dreamers seeking to share their testimony with the world

"How To Recognize A Woman Collector"

2016-10-24T18:16:00.003-07:00

What is a collector? A collector is a man or a woman that collects people and keeps them around that they aren't 100% sold on. They do this because they like certain aspects about you, but it's not enough to full commit to you. So, they collect relationships in their phone and they reach out just enough to keep you hanging on a string. When you begin to complain about not getting enough time or energy, they either get upset, disappear only to return another day or they are very apologetic. All three tactics are to keep you around -- still, without commitment.

Don't get me wrong, men and women can both be collectors. If I can keep it real, I was once a collector, so it defintely happens. But, because I like to talk directly to my sisters and preach to them because I am one, I am going to refer towards men.

These men will sleep with you, take you out on dates, text you late at night when they're bored and find ways to keep you around just enough where you will be waiting and hoping that there's a chance for a relationship. Although you may not recognize it, they pick you up off of the shelf and put you back on the shelf as they feel led. They don't respect nor value you. They would never see themselves marrying you and can cut you off the moment they meet someone they really want to be with. This is why most times, your relationship is "private" and not out in the open. The collector blames it on, "keeping your business to yourselves."

I actually dated a guy like that on and off for about seven years. SEVEN YEARS. Everytime he would text me, I would get so excited. I was always hoping that we would one day work out.. (I thought in my head.) But, all the while, he continued to have babies by other women and he made zero effort to pursue me. Only, when it was convenient. "I wasn't like other women. I was like his best friend that understood him." (honey, that's a lie) He only really reached out when he was in town, when him and his 10 other women weren't working out. When he was bored. And, I let him. So, I now blame myself for even entertaining that foolishness as a single. Of course, I have forgiven myself :) But, if I can encourage you to recognize a collector, cut him off quickly.

The Dream

I remember having this dream about him and in the dream, I was walking with him and we were going down different pathways together and at the end of each pathway was a different woman. I would watch him flirt with her and completely ignore me. I was so mad in my dream because there were SO many women. Then, I heard the Lord say, "Let him go Heather, there is no profit in this relationship."

Well, needless to say, that was the last time I dealt with him. What a waste of time! I was hoping and praying that this guy would see my worth and value. The thing is, he talked all the good talk. When I got saved, He talked about the bible/Jesus with me. Then, right before the dream, he told me that God told him that I was supposed to be his wife. (#BoyBye)

The crazy thing is, based on the worlds standards, this guy looked amazing on paper. He had it together from the worlds standpoint. Huge figure salary and all. But, biblically, we were absolutely unequally yoked. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says: Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? I was almost willing to FORCE it to work because of our "history." I can assure you that I would NOT be doing what I am doing today if he was my leader or my head in marriage. I would have TEAMED up with darkness and absolutely settled in that relationship. I knew we had little in common, except. History.

I am thankful that the Lord shut that relationship down and that next year, I met my now husband. One of the first questions Cornelius asked me was "Who helps me carry my groceries?" Now, if I was entertaining the woman collector, then I would have had that answer for him. And, we may not have talked because godly men want a godly woman, not a woman that jumps from man to man, looking for worth and value.

Now, don't get me wrong, I forgave the woman collector after that dream and I understood that he wasn't a believer, (even though he claimed to be, his life clearly proved otherwise) so I am sharing this so that you won't be deceived and hurt when he marries the woman he really wants to be with.

It's important that even if this guy goes to your church, that you recognize a woman collector. So, yes, he can be in the church, serving, praying and SILL struggle with this area. Just because he is in church doesn't mean that he believes what is being preached. Hey may, just like attention and you give it to him. This is why it's vital that we test every spirit. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits means that one must know how to “examine the Scriptures.” Rather than accept every teaching, discerning Christians diligently study the Scriptures. Then YOU know what the Bible says and therefore can “test all things and hold fast to what is true.” In order to do this, a Christian must “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The Word of God is to be “a lamp” and “a light” to our path (Psalm 119:105). We must let its light shine on the teachings and doctrines of the day; the Bible alone is the standard by which all truth must be judged.

Now, if you're looking at that man to be the priest of your household, then it's VITAL that you have a relationship with Jesus for yourself so that the Holy Spirit can WARN you ahead of time of those guys that are seeking to string you along. He may be sweet with his words, but the Holy Spirit can read between those lines and tell you that you're getting played.

The danger in getting wrapped up in these relationships is that you create an entire life with someone who is creating a life with someone else. Your number and time is just there when times get rough or they're fighting for the zillionth time. He will tell you whatever lies he can to keep you around, to sleep with you just one more time and whatever else. You are being USED. Let the little birdie fly and go get focused on what God has called you to do.

WHAT a waste of time!! The bible tells us to fill our minds with GOOD things that are worthy of report, not stalking that man's social media and wondering if he is going to call you back. My sister, it doesn't TAKE all of that. YOU are worth SO much more. A godly man wouldn't take a chance on losing you to another. So, he won't play games.

So, if you recognize one of these guys, cut them off. Or, if you are one of these people, just stop it. You're sowing some pretty nasty seeds. You won't want to see the harvest of heartbreak over and over again because it may happen to you. Don't keep people around to stroke your ego. Don't lead people on. Instead, pursue Jesus with all of your heart.

The biggest thing I hearing the Lord say while writing this is that these types of relationships are DISTRACTIONS. Big distractions to get you off course. Let's get back on course, block the collectors in every way and press forward to the mark of the high calling through Jesus Christ! You're unavailability single.

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

2. We have developed an APP! Think: daily post notifications + weekly devotionals, recipes and so much more! It's out NOW for iphones + Androids. Under: Heather & Cornelius Lindsey: Today With the Lindsey's

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 3600 Snapfinger Rd Lithonia, GA 30038

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

5. As always, you can join a Pinky Promise group locally! There's about 50,000 ladies that have joined! Find a group near you by joining & checking out the intro page! Join here: www.PinkyPromiseMovement.com

6. We are headed on a Revival Tour to Kenya, Nigeria, London and Capetown. Register here: www.lindseyevents.com

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,

Heather Lindsey

"How To Recognize A Woman Collector"

2016-10-24T18:16:00.002-07:00

What is a collector? A collector is a man or a woman that collects people and keeps them around that they aren't 100% sold on. They do this because they like certain aspects about you, but it's not enough to full commit to you. So, they collect relationships in their phone and they reach out just enough to keep you hanging on a string. When you begin to complain about not getting enough time or energy, they either get upset, disappear only to return another day or they are very apologetic. All three tactics are to keep you around -- still, without commitment.

Don't get me wrong, men and women can both be collectors. If I can keep it real, I was once a collector, so it defintely happens. But, because I like to talk directly to my sisters and preach to them because I am one, I am going to refer towards men.

These men will sleep with you, take you out on dates, text you late at night when they're bored and find ways to keep you around just enough where you will be waiting and hoping that there's a chance for a relationship. Although you may not recognize it, they pick you up off of the shelf and put you back on the shelf as they feel led. They don't respect nor value you. They would never see themselves marrying you and can cut you off the moment they meet someone they really want to be with.

I actually dated a guy like that on and off for about seven years. SEVEN YEARS. Everytime he would text me, I would get so excited. I was always hoping that we would one day work out.. (I thought in my head.) But, all the while, he continued to have babies by other women and he made zero effort to pursue me. Only, when it was convenient. "I wasn't like other women. I was like his best friend that understood him." (honey, that's a lie) He only really reached out when he was in town, when him and his 10 other women weren't working out. When he was bored. And, I let him. So, I now blame myself for even entertaining that foolishness as a single. Of course, I have forgiven myself :) But, if I can encourage you to recognize a collector, cut him off quickly.

The Dream

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 3600 Snapfinger Rd Lithonia, GA 30038

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

6. We are headed on a Revival Tour to Kenya, Nigeria, London and Capetown. Register here: www.lindseyevents.com

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,

Heather Lindsey

"Use Me God!"

2016-10-05T11:23:00.003-07:00

Have you ever cried out to the Lord and said, "Holy Spirit, USE ME! Send me to NATIONS, LORD! I desire for you to use every part of me for your glory!"

I have definitely been there. I remember crying out to the Lord one day with all of my heart, GOD! With tears in my eyes, I begged him, LORD, SEND ME TO NATIONS! I want NATIONS to know your NAME! I want PEOPLE to come into the saving knowledge of WHO YOU ARE!!!! Oh Lord, send ME so that nations may come into the knowledge of who you are. Lord, SEND labourers into the field, for the harvest is great!" As I cried out to him, I was sitting under the powerful presence of the Lord. I was literally soaking in His presence. I was laid out on my face. Completely surrendered in that moment. Worship music was playing gently in the background. My prayer room was barely lit and there was nothing like the peace that came from the Holy Spirit in that moment.

I came up from my prayer time feeling so refreshed. So encouraged. So excited about those nations knowing Jesus. That's all that mattered.

Then, a few days later, I came across a woman that I knew had been talking badly about me. She didn't know that I knew, but I knew. I forgave her (so I thought in my heart) and it was one of those things where I didn't really know her, but I wasn't crazy about her. (based on the fact that I knew she was being messy lol) She can stay right over there with her gossiping self and I will pray for her. (as I rationalized and thought in my mind) Those thoughts only dropped into my mind when I saw her here & there. I personally didn't even know her name. Nonetheless, as I came across her that day, I silently rolled my eyes in my HEART. Not on my face, but in my heart as she introduced herself to me. I wouldn't publically roll my eyes, because you know, that's not the right "Christian thing to do."

As SOON as I started to speak to her, these two scriptures appeared in my mind:

Romans 12:9 - Don't pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Jeremiah 17:10 - The Lord searches the heart and He examines secret motives.

Then, I heard the Holy Spirit say: "Heather, you are praying for nations and I am sending you to the nation of the United States. This woman is a part of that nation. Be faithful in all things."

Immediately, I was convicted.

I wasn't in that barely lit room, basking in the presence of the Lord on my face. I didn't hear Bethel in the background playing music. I was in a very public place. No bells. No whistles. And, it sure wasn't convenient to love the girl that I know bashed me.

Did I really think that I could choose what nations that I want to tell about Jesus?? In knowing that this fight is SPIRITUAL and not physical, I shouldn't have even been mad at HER but the spirit that was operating in her. We need to get mad at the devil, not humans. He is the one behind all of this hate!

You see, it's HERE where your FAITH is being tested. It's THERE on your job, at the gym, in the car, or in the classroom where you're being TESTED! It is THERE where the things that you've cried out to God at church, at the altar, in your prayer room or wherever else get the OPPORTUNITY to develop.

What are we waiting for in becoming more like Jesus?? Are we waiting for a stage or a big ministry to tell us that we matter or that we are worth something? No! REAL, true ministry is happening when NOBODY else is looking! Real, true ministry is happening PRIVATELY. When nobody else is watching you to tell you how great you are. It's in the booth, in the back in the corner where you are CRYING out - YES to God when you can sneak and do something that you have no business doing! It's SECRETLY saying YES to Jesus when you want to roll your eyes, ignore someone, hurt someone who has hurt you or just quit all together.

And, the more you say Yes to Jesus and you pass those tests, the more we become like Him. I don't know about you but I want to be His hands and feet. I want to know Him like never before. I want my entire life to be surrendered to Him and not for show but for real. I want to sense His heart beating next to mine. I want to love like He loves. I want the Holy Spirit to absolutely possess my very SPIRIT and to lead me to Jesus daily.

This means what?

That I may get tested a lot. There's alot in us that doesn't look like Him and these tests burn the bad stuff out.

1 Peter 1:7
So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Being tested isn't a bad thing. It shows you your heart. For me, it showed me that I wanted nations to be saved but I couldn't' even love my own sister in my own community right next to me. Those nations that need to be saved come with a full set of issues. Of hurts. Of pains. Of "special personalities" and what I call "Jesus' special people." lol :)

Know that when you desire to be used by the Lord, it won't always be easy, convenient or even seem significant. But, IT matters. If we've done it to the "least" of them, we've done it to Jesus (Matthew 25:40)

So, when we pray, Lord, SEND ME! Use Me! Let's really mean it and do whatever He is telling us to do. And, before He tells you to start this huge ministry or go do missions, He is telling us to be faithful right now, in our community and exactly where we are. Let's be faithful in ALL things.

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 3600 Snapfinger Rd Lithonia, GA 30038

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

6. We are headed on a Revival Tour to Kenya, Nigeria, London and Capetown. Register here: www.lindseyevents.com

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,

Heather Lindsey

"The Pruning Process"

2016-09-09T14:32:00.004-07:00

I have this small garden outside of our home and I'm super excited about it because the idea of picking vegetables from my own garden simply makes my heart explode with happiness. lol

Nonetheless, as I was planting the garden, Logan (My 3 year old) came outside to help me. He was so excited to help that he THREW a handful of carrot seeds into the garden. The goal was to space out the carrots so that they would grow properly. I tried to space out the carrot seeds as much as I could in the midst of him throwing the seeds everywhere, but it looks like I missed a few during harvest time. Carrots have a way of growing wildly if you aren't careful. And, if I can be honest, I would water the carrots and my other fruits and veggies but I simply forgot to pull up some of the carrots so it would be easier for the others to grow (Even though my mother warned me! :)). I looked up months later and found that the growth of my carrots have been stunted because too many carrots tried to grow in a small space.

I should have pulled up the carrots to make room for the others to grow.

Cluttered carrots

And, spiritually, we should allow for the Holy Spirit to prune us so that we can grow and mature into the person that He has called us to be.

Prune you.

The definition of "prune" is: trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth.

And, some of you have some dead relationships, dead mindsets, dead jobs, dead whatever else that the Lord needs to PRUNE you of so that the proper relationships, mindsets, jobs and whatever else can grow in your life! Do you know that the other carrots CHOKED each other and they only grew to be about 1/2 inch long?

THIS is what happens when you spiritually surround yourself with people that reject Christ!

1 Corinthians 15:33 says that: "Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

What does corrupt mean?

to cause (someone or something) to become dishonest, immoral, etc

So, there's a cause and a effect ACTION of hanging out with friends that are influencing you away from Jesus. There's a cause and effect ACTION of dating someone that you know is pushing you away from Christ! There's a cause and effect ACTION to disobeying the Lord!

In my carrots, it resulted in super tiny carrots that I simply tossed in the garbage. I have no use for them.

But.

There was a lone carrot that grew to be super big and it was planted away from the other carrots. It had ROOM to grow and it grew into it's full potential.

So, if you're feeling ALONE, or lonely because it seems like things, people, jobs or whatever else is being stripped from your life, I want you to know that you're in good company. You see, at times, God HAS to strip us from ungodly influences but it is ONLY for a season. It's so that you can grow strong and build a FOUNDATION of trusting in HIM alone. I know it's hard, I know you don't understand, I know it seems lonely at times but God is STILL working IN YOU as you seek to PLEASE Him.

Matthew 7:25 says "Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock."

Honey, your foundation is being built on Christ and when the tests come to beat against your house, it will NOT collapse, because it's being built on bedrock. So, who cares who talks about you? Who cares who leaves you, or rejects you? Humans are as frail as breath and we cannot place our trust in them, but in the Lord! (Isaiah 2:22). Our focus must be on the Lord and not who comes or goes.

Have you ever had that friendship that just got really weird of out of nowhere? You're like, I cannot put my finger on it but something just doesn't seem right.. Then, you're torn because you're a christian but you sense a seperation. I have experienced these things before in my own life and I have come to the conclusion that we have seasonal friendships and relationships. So, instead of getting upset about every person that comes & goes - just thank God for the season that they were in your life. If you feel led to reach out, hash things out as the Lord leads you to restore, please do so! I have learned that some friendships in the past have slowly drifted apart because there was a fork in the road. They were going in one direction, me another. Does it make them bad or me bad? No, it's simple, everyone ain't going where you're going. Most times, you won't understand the pruning process until years later, but thank God we are connected to the One who prunes. Now, I have my best friend, Delan. We've been friends for 17 years and she's not going anywhere! If there's a weird separation, I'm calling her and we are hashing it out because I know that she's a God-friend. Know the difference between the two!

Regardless of what pruning is going on in your own life, get busy about serving the Lord. Go home and cancel your hang out's with your friends and sit with a jug of water and turn off your cell phone. It's important that you know the voice of the Lord so that you can understand what is happening when you're being pruned! Spend the day with the Lord and pour your heart out to Him! Volunteer to help a single mother in need with her children or cleaning up her house. Serve in your local church. Be faithful with where the Lord has placed you and don't let your feelings push you around.

Remember that as you GIVE up your old life and take up life God's way - it's going to COST you something. It's easy to sin. It's easy to revert back to your old life with no standards. It's HARD to press past your flesh and tell God yes when the entire world is screaming "no!"

Matthew 10:39 says, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."

So, don't let your heart be troubled if people are saying that "you've changed, or you think you're too good for us, or whatever else." You are right. You're changing. You're becoming less like you and more like Christ.

Know that there's millions of carrots planted all over the world that are intentional about serving Jesus regardless of what they are going through. Harvest season is coming if you would simply remain planted and trusting in the Lord no matter what. It will all be worth it.

Hang in there. Eternity is always at hand.

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 3600 Snapfinger Rd Lithonia, GA 30038

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,

5 Things To Remember When You're Getting Tested

2016-08-15T19:51:00.001-07:00

Are you getting attacked right now in your life? Does it seem like everyone is blazing ahead but you're just standing there, stagnant? Wondering when God is going to open a door in your life or when things are just going to get easier? Wondering when your single life will get better? Wondering when your marriage will get better?

Deep down, you may be thinking - if I could just get that job. If I could just get married. If my husband would just change, Lord! THEN I will be happy!

Instead, God is saying to you:

"My Child, you want immediate relief from this test. Instead of praying for a quick change, ask Me what I need you to learn during this time. Cling to me. Stop browsing online, eating a box of donuts, or even trying to "hang out with friends" to fill this void in your heart. It is I that can fill your voids, not these temporary things. As a good Father, I am protecting and leading you - let me."

I have learned that God's timing doesn't work with our worry. Instead, He works based on the will of God for your life. I recall a season in my life where I needed God to come through for me. I cried. And prayed. And went to a bible study. And cried some more. I couldn't pay my rent. I was going to get evicted at my last month of my internship. I simply didn't know what to do. I felt like I was being led by the Lord and I didn't understand why He simply didn't rescue me in the midst of my tests. God, WHY. WHEN. HOW?

Amazingly, God came through and provided for me in the most unexpected way. I went to the leasing office and told them that I couldn't afford the rent and I asked if they can use my deposit for my last month of rent at that location. Thankfully, I had favor with them and they granted my prayers. When you're close to the Lord, He will give you wisdom when you don't know what to do. (James 1) I believe that it was the Lord showing me that He still had a plan. If it didn't work out, would God still be good? Of COURSE. Most times, we have this idea in our head of what breakthrough looks like and God is saying, pray for MY will - not what you think you need in order to be satisfied. We have to come to the point where we realize that even if God does NOTHING else for us, He did ENOUGH for us through Jesus Christ when He sent Him to die for our sins. This mindset is ETERNAL. This world tries to get us to focus on what is TEMPORARY. God is saying that I will provide for based on DAILY bread. So, if that means that you're sleeping in your car - well, praise the Lord. You have a place tonight. You see the shift in the perceptive? I believe that God is raising up a generation of people that are willing to be used by Him. And, in willing to be used by Him - it means that He is going to prune your flesh. Your attitudes. Your mindset. Your ideas. And, then replace them with His.

Matthew 16:24 tells us, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me."

So, let's look at 5 things to remember when you're getting tested.

1. Stay close to the Lord. So, this means that you should have the bible playing on audio in your ears when you're not reading it, listening to sermons and worship music at night. Fight like crazy to guard your heart and refuse to listen to anything that isn't faith filled. It's vital that you hear God's voice as He is instructing you.

2. Don't let your mind wander. The enemy will have a field day with you if you let Him. Decide to only THINK on good things. Philippians 4:8 says, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." - So this tells me that you can think of things that aren't true, aren't honorable, that are wrong and not lovely.

3. Don't quit. You can't give up when things get hard. Instead, make up in your mind that you are going to pass this test AND pass it with a GOOD attitude.

4. Don't search your past. At times, we can get tested and then we will RUN back in our minds to our exes, old friends or whatever else and think that life was easier when we were in disobedience. So, black them from social media and keep it moving.

5. Pray. Pray Pray. Keep talking to the Lord. Vent to Him. Pour out to Him. He is not surprised about what you're experiencing. Trust Him. He is with you and He will give you peace in the midst of your situation.

Praying for you as you fight forward. You're NOT alone in this walk! We are ALL in this together, fighting and DECIDING to choose to do the RIGHT thing.

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,

Heather Lindsey

Taylor's Kate Spade Bash! I will be blogging her party details soon!

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 3600 Snapfinger Rd Lithonia, GA 30038

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

5. As always, you can join a Pinky Promise group locally! There's about 45,000 ladies that have joined! Find a group near you by joining & checking out the intro page! Join here: www.PinkyPromiseMovement.com

Silently Mad At God?

2016-08-09T18:59:00.002-07:00

Are you silently mad at God? Maybe, things didn't work out the way you planned. Maybe, you're still single after thinking you would be married by now. Maybe, you still cannot conceive a child and you've been praying and fasting. Maybe, you didn't get into that college or your financial aid fell through and you don't understand because you thought God told you to go. Maybe, your husband isn't changing after you've been waring in prayer. Maybe, you're still getting evicted this week and you've been trusting God to provide.

Regardless of your situation, I want you to know that I have been there. I have given God my heartfelt deadlines and literally begged him to change my situation. I have even gotten to the point when I first got saved where I cried out to Him and told Him that if He doesn't change my situation, I will quit on this whole Christianity thing. Thank God He answered my desperate prayer that next day but I ask you, are you at your breaking point? Do you suffer from this depressing frustration that says, "why even bother doing what's right? Things aren't going to work out for me anyway?"

If you feel that way, as I said - I can relate. I am all for you venting, crying, being frustrated and getting those emotions out. But, as your sister in Christ - I sense that some of you are living in that depression and frustration. You silently wonder why your prayers aren't being answered as you live for the Lord.

As hard as this pill is to swallow, I want you to know that God is preparing you for something so much greater than you can see. Yes, things aren't working out physically but that doesn't mean that things aren't working out spiritually. Just because you cannot see what God is doing behind the scenes doesn't mean that He isn't working on your behalf. He sees your prayers. He sees your fasting. He sees your dedication to His word. He sees you loving the unlovable. He sees you passing the tests. It's true, man may not see it and we have to come to a point where we stop caring if people praise us or not. I challenge ya'll to learn to stir yourself up in the Lord. Stop expecting everyone to throw you a party for your obedience and throw your own party and attend it.

We have to remember that God is our FATHER. And if our earthly parents give us good gifts (Matthew 7:11) then why wouldn't God want to make sure that you're good? The thing with God that I've learned is that He sees the WHOLE picture. He's the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the End. So, He may have a way to bring you out of a situation and LEAD you -- even if it seems like one door is closing. To the natural eye, it may look like you're failing but you're actually learning to trust God and walk by FAITH. At times, we think that because we are saved, it means that we will never have to wait for anything, that we are going to have breakthroughs everyday and that God is going to give us what we want. NO. As a mother, would I give Taylor or Logan a huge butcher knife? No! Why? Because they cannot handle it. It's not the proper time to use the knife. Maybe, when they're older and cooking us dinner when we are empty nesters - I will hand them a knife after they have shown me to be trustworthy.

I have even had to learn to develop in this area of stirring myself up. At times, I am so exhausted and overwhelmed that I would just lay in bed. I would lay there and think about my schedule and then get overwhelmed with my schedule all over again. In the midst of my frustration and pity party - I heard the Lord tell me to GET UP. So, spent some time with Him, I got up, brushed my teeth, showered, got dressed and cleaned my house. Then, I did some work. You see, you're not going to feel better about yourself or your life if you're laying in your pity party feeling sorry for yourself. Some of us need read John 5:5

John 5:5-9
New King James Version (NKJV)
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda,[a] having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

You see, the lame man was WAITING for someone to put him in the water so that he could be healed. And, you may be WAITING for a spouse. WAITING for a child. WAITING for a promotion. WAITING to feel good about yourself. Just waiting. And, just like the certain man was waiting for a man to do what only God can do, we do the same. We look for people to cure us, heal us, fix us, promote us, like us, whatever else us and we take our eyes off of God and we put them on man.

Your issue may not be that you're mad at God, maybe you're just mad at yourself. You sit and beat yourself up about what you should have done right. Or, maybe you felt like "if I would have just said this or that in the interview, I would have gotten the job." Sis. What God has for you is for you. It' time to stop beating yourself up because if you've done it to the LEAST of them, you've done it to Jesus. So yes, tearing yourself down (YOU are made in the image of Christ), is also tearing Christ down. If you're stuck in sin, cut it off, let it go, fast, pray and fight back. Don't sit and entertain what you know God hates.

I truly believe that tests prove our heart. It proves if we really mean all of those songs we sing at church. Tests prove whether or not we really trust God. So, if you're in the midst of something and you're having a hard time trusting God, your heart is hardened or whatever else, pray and ask the Lord to replace your heart with One like His. One that is sensitive to His spirit. One that craves righteousness. One that CRAVES and hungers after HIM.

I've always said this and I will say it again -- it's ok to have emotions. A moment of frustration. But, we just cannot be led by them. Take those feelings, those frustrations, those raging emotions and lay them at the feet of the Father. He will NEVER fail you, He will NEVER forsake you and He is with you!

So, if you're silently mad at God, let's simply repent. Repent of trying to take life into our own hands. Repent of our worry. Repent of our fear. Repent for trying to figure out things outside of Him. Repent for being mad at the ONLY One that can actually help us. Let's carve out time to sit before the Lord and open up those bibles sitting on our nightstands. The Lord desires a relationship with us so He can SHOW us and prepare us for what He has called us to do.

1 Corinthians 9:26
"Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

As believers, we must be disciplined in prayer and intentional about casting down those feelings that say we aren't enough or even those feelings that blame God for the hurt we experienced from others. God didn't hurt you, those people did. We must refuse to be controlled and led by our feelings. We must take authority over those crazy thoughts and suggestions that God is the on on the other side of everything, trying to make your life miserable. That aint' God honey. That is satan himself who is roaring around like a lion LOOKING for something or someone to DESTROY. (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8) He would love to destroy your trust in the Lord and make you think that God hates you because of your sin. Honey, He sent His only Son to take care of your sin! Simply turn to Him and REPENT of it and move FORWARD! God has SO many things for you to do! You can't quit when things get hard! You can't give in! You can't roll over and let the enemy win! Fight back!!

Keep fighting, keep pressing and don't give up the good fight.

God loves you like crazy!

Love always,

Heather Lindsey

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

3. If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis" 3600 Snapfinger Rd Lithonia, GA 30038

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

My Brand New Book: The Purpose Room

2016-07-15T05:22:00.002-07:00

I am SO excited to announce to release of my brand new book, "The Purpose Room: A Meeting Place Where You Discover, Birth and Accomplish Your God Given Purpose." Gosh, this book was so hard to write. If I can be totally honest, it challenged me and made me uncomfortable to write the book because it exposed the areas that I really needed to work on regarding my purpose. Areas like procrastination. Being lazy. Being distracted. Putting things off "for another day" because I am tired with these two kids. Feeling inadequate. Feeling like "why should I bother doing this, God?" AND even comparing my calling to other peoples callings. So, pretty much - this book kicked my butt in a good way!

If you're struggling with WHAT is my purpose or, you're afraid of stepping out into your purpose or, maybe you're simply in a dry season and you don't see what God promised, then THIS book is for you! I pray that it ministers to you the way that it healed me. I am NOW more focused, less distracted and determined to complete what God called me to do. I pray the same for you!

You can find it here: or via Amazon/Kindle! I will be personally signing the books for the month of July that are ordered through my personal website!

As I wrote this book, I saw millions of women in their purpose, focused and not distracted by what other people were doing. I saw millions of women in position. I saw millions of women flourishing because GOD placed them where THEY were supposed to be. It's time to get in position, ladies. It's time to accomplish what the Lord has told you to do!

God loves you like crazy!

Love,

Heather Lindsey

Heather Lindsey

"I'm Afraid, God."

It's time for the Journal Challenge!

Holiday Blues?

"I Don't Feel Loved In My Marriage"

Tough Season? What Are You Saying?

"A Woman After God's Own Heart."

Why You Shouldn't Be Jealous Of Anyone

Career vs. Purpose vs. Ministry

How Your Social Media Can Influence People Away From Jesus

How to Travel the World For (Almost Free) - Part II

Overcoming Depression, Anxiety & Mental Health

· Mental Health Referral Line: SAMHSA Treatment Referral Helpline – 1‑877‑SAMHSA7 (1‑877‑726‑4727)

· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:1‑800‑273‑TALK (8255)

· http://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/guide/resources/

· https://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/ask-and-learn/resources

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

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