I don’t really know how i am on your wordpress, because i don’t know you password or even how to get to wordpress, BUT somehow i am on here. So i just wanted to tell you how great you are.
You are great because you put up with my constant mood changes.
You are great because you know just how to love people with the love of the Lord.
You are great because you have such a HUGE and loving heart.
You are great because you love Jesus.
You are great because you are silly and sometime out of control, but you know what, so am i, and we are the people that bring joy.
You are great because i know that you are and will continue to do amazing things God has called you to do, and you will do it with a serving and loving heart.
You are great because you are obedient to God’s word.
You are great because i said so.
You are great because you take so many things upon your shoulders and never complain, there is that serving heart revealed again.
You are great because you are Ava Marie Heard, and Jesus Loves you:)
Your friends,
Lex
Every Monday night at 8:30 pm a group of college and young adult meets at my home for bible study and free food. This is a great time to get plugged into a group of believers to have fun together and dig into the word of God together. If you are reading this and you are a college student or young adult, please know that you are invited! Even though we have already met a few times, we don’t care- we want you there! So grab a friend and bring them along if you would like to check it out!
If you have any questions or need directions to my house, feel free to contact me at ava.heard@gmail.com. Also, here is the link to the group page on facebook
This is what my “American Dream” would look like
It’s okay to just dream, right?
A couple weeks ago my dear friend Emmalee came back to town from summer vacation and her wonderful mother came to help her move back into her apartment at OC. Every time she is in town she loves to take the two of us to a meal- which is great for me because not only do I get to spend time breaking bread with my some of my favorite people, but I get a free meal as well! Anyhow, during lunch that day, Emmalee’s mom lectured us on pursing our dreams while we are young and never giving up on what we believe in. I really enjoyed listening to her wise words and found it very motivational starting off the school year. I was reminded of my dreams and aspirations and it stirred something in me once again to make them become a reality.
So, after the lecture came the homework. Emmalee’s mom wanted us to think of two of our biggest goals in life and tell them to her by that night. She told us that we had the remained of the day to think about our answers. I liked this homework! I got to thinking. Somehow I couldn’t figure out how to condense the many goals and dreams I want to pursue and become. But I did my best and here is what I came up with:
1. I want to use my organizational and planning skills to create an organization, cause, or union of people for the purpose of changing lives and changing the world. I want to creatively raise support, awareness and money to change the state of our nation and our world. This cause or organization is still unknown to me and I am waiting on God to confirm in my heart what exactly His plans are. There are many things I am passionate about and passionate about getting others passionate them too. Here are a few examples:
-Educating children around the world
-Reaching impoverished countries and their medical needs, specifically children
-Raising HIV and AIDS awareness and reaching counties in need of AID
-Sponsoring and building an orphanage and/or school in a 3rd world country
-Creating a missions organization
-Ministering to single moms and their children through education and recovery
-Planting a church
-Mobilizing missionaries
I would love to find a creative way (through music, art, sports, community, etc..) to help an average American person relate in a fun way and get involved with something bigger then themselves.
I want to start a revolution.
2. This is a new dream of mine. It is my goal to have a family and raise children who love Jesus with every ounce of who they are, love others more then themselves, and become world changers. If you would have asked me three years ago I would have told you that I don’t want to have kids. Well, now not only do I want kids, I would LOVE to be around children all day living or working in an orphanage. Who knows what will happen, but recently I have been seeing how biblical being a godly wife and mother is.
I would have never pictured myself running around with a ton of kids. I am (for the most part) a pretty motivated person and I love to see my dreams and desires become reality. I’ve always worked hard at any task I am given. This is why I always pictured myself becoming a “working woman”. I’ve even told people in the past that if I ever have kids that I want my husband to be a stay at home dad. Maybe someday I will be married to a stay at home dad, which is completely fine. But I can’t wait to be a mom and to experience the love a mother has for her child. Yesterday during church I couldn’t help but STARE at a beautiful mom sitting across from me during the service. Her name is Amy Doyle and I just sat and watched her interact with her son. I’m telling you, this lady just radiateds! You can just see how much love she has for her son, and her other two girls as well. Watching her be patient with him and gently whisper to him and just hold him and hug and kiss him reminded me so much of Jesus. A mothers love is like no other love, and it’s true. Moms (are supposed to) love you no matter what you do. They love you more then any other person in the whole world loves you. They forgive you and see the best for you even when you have screwed up big time. And no matter what, they think that you are the most beautiful, smart, and funniest person. This is so much like Jesus!
I have been reading so many passages on being a woman who loves her husband and family. This lifestyle reflects Jesus so much and it has become so attractive to me. Here are a few places where I have been reading from:
Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be having ANY babies anytime soon! I can promise you that!!! And I am certainly not looking forward to the dirty diapers or the panic attacks I will be having if/when my children get injured. But I am looking forward to hopefully someday becoming a woman that these scriptures mention.
So, here it is, documented. Maybe this will help me stay reminded of who I am and who I want to become. As long as I can remember to keep God at the center of all that I am and all that I do, I will consider that a success. He is the reason for my dreams, He is the goal. His love never runs dry and His mercy lasts forever.
Thank you Jesus and thank you Mrs. Mattern for reminding me of this beautiful life in Christ I am blessed to receive. I hope and pray that these things that I hope for and dream about reflect our beautiful Lord in every aspect and that HE receives the credit forever and always!!
Dear friends,
This is how to change the world one step at a time. My dear friend Katie Little and her friend have started an organization called Bible Bows. Let me just tell you how precious these girls are. They are truly SOLD OUT for Jesus and are doing amazing things to further His Kingdom! They are just in high school but loving God with everything they are and passionate about God’s people and changing the world.
Please check this website out! These bows are very inexpensive and SO cute, so get some for yourself and your friends too! And if you are a boy, I encourage you to buy one for your sister, mom or girlfriend!
You can learn more about this cause and the steps these girls are taking to change the lives of others! Please take a moment to read about what they are doing!
Thanks for reading! Enjoy! 
Today has been a weird/awesome/confusing/ neat day, but I have
definitely encountered God in big ways.
I have been experiencing God’s love all day in a crazy way, but for
some reason I keep questioning Him too. But He just proves to me again
how big He is. Have you ever heard the song “Hosana” by Hillsong? You
probably have due to the fact that it’s the biggest hit song played in
churches today. Well, there is a line in the song that says, “break my
heart for what breaks Yours”. God has been teaching me a little about
what this means today.
During this last year I hit a point where I was really broken. My
spirit was broken, my passion for ministry was broken, my heart was
broken, but I have never felt the closeness of God in my life so much.
For some reason it was so easy for me to praise God when I felt like I
was nothing. Maybe because He was the only hope I had left. Or maybe
because He was the only One to cling to when nobody else could comfort
me. Or maybe because the bible says that “in our weakness, He is made
strong”. Or maybe because His arms were wide open even when I forgot
that He is the only thing I need, but came to realize it when I became
nothing, broken and rejected.
“Break my heart for what breaks Yours”. During worship tonight I
wanted God to let my heart break for people around the world like it
did when I was at my bottom. I wanted to feel rejected and abandoned.
I wanted to have a broken heart, but not for myself or for my pity.
Why can’t I have a broken heart for people all over the world when I
pray? I bet Jesus did. He intercedes for us, so He has to. I want to
be like Him in this way. I want to feel God break my heart for love
and for mercy. I want to feel sincere love when I learn about terrible
things that happen all over the world. When I read that there are 15
million orphans in China, or that 40 million people in the world are
infected with HIV and two thirds of those people live in Africa. Or
how about the 13 million children that die in 3rd world countries
every year due to poor living conditions, malnutrition and starvation.
How about in Oklahoma even. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death
for young people.
Nearly 4 billion people live in the 10/40 Window or “The Resistant
Belt” expanding from West Africa to East Asia. 90% of the worlds
“poorest of the poor” live hear and have never ever, not once, even
heard the name of Jesus.
God, break my heart for what breaks Yours.
Most of the time it’s actually not all about me. God wants us to live
for Him, but to live for others too and beyond ourselves. God, “show
me how to love like You have loved me!”
Father, I praise you for brokeness and for Your promise to comfort us
in our weakness. Jesus, let me experience weakness, brokeness, and
sorrow for my brothers and sisters in this world and give me a heart
for Your people and for Your love.
Along with being a full time student, working at the church and trying to have a social life, I have fallen in love with the three precious kids I babysit for. I spend quite a lot of time with them each week and do my very best to keep them safe while having fun at the same time. Yes, we have some occasional knee scrapes, goose eggs, dirty diapers, and runny noses, but the childlike joy each one of them posses outweighs all of that.
Spending the last year with them has taught me so much about patience and learning to love though all of life’s challenges. This is the great thing about little kids- their love for you is endless. Children bring the greatest joy. I am sure that this is why Jesus says we should be like them.
Another great thing about them is that they love my cooking even though it sucks!
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Mark 10:15
Today I baked a great big cookie cake for my best friend! I promise to post pictures soon! It may be the best looking cake I have ever seen! Emmalee has been in Kansas all summer and she returns home to my arms on Friday! I am counting down the days until she gets here and I can’t wait for us to share a yummy cookie cake together!
She has been such an amazing person in my life and huge example of Christ to me. God has used her in my life as a major source of strength and comfort, laughter and so much joy! She has been here to hold me through my tears and to make me smile and dance to stupid songs. She brightens my day more then she knows and I am so blessed to have her in my life.
Thank you Beautiful Lord for strength, love, support, laughter, joy and best friends
Here are a few things that make my heart really happy
1. Africa
2. Antiques
3. Cooking
4. Ice Cream
5. Oklahoma Sunsets
6. Giraffes
7. Painting
8. Traveling
9. Rock Climbing
10. My best friends baby girl, Katie Rose
God,
Thank you for the blessings in life
