Crossing Over From Where You Are to Where God Wants You to be

Week of Prayer at Andrews University has turned into a week of praise because of how extraordinary the Holy Spirit has been moving. Monday morning came and I completely forgot that it was Week of Prayer! Classes start earlier than usual to make room for the daily gathering. Sprinting to my first class, I was wide-awake for an adventure I did not envision coming!

Pastor Rebecca Davis introduced the theme as Crossing Over from where you are to where God wants you to be. I thought that was a catchy theme because recently I have crossed over on an important decision that God has called me to make. As stunning as it is to comprehend, every night that Pastor Davis prayed for God to take us through a specific step of crossing over, God had already fulfilled that in my life the day before!

On Monday Pastor Davis talked about the importance of seeing life from God’s perspective and to listen to Him even when other people think we are crazy. That was completely relatable to me because God had recently revealed His perspective about a choice He was calling me to make. His peace that filled my heart completely over-rid comments of people who thought I was crazy for making my decision.

On Thursday night Pastor Davis talked about the idea of secrecy. She said how important it is to hold onto the big things that God has revealed to us for a little while longer and to prayerfully consider whom we share it with. This is because people often down play what God has revealed to you, which causes you to doubt what God told you. Her prayer that night was for God to show us who we could share the wonderful things He was calling us to do that would be able to see God’s perspective about it too. The night before her sermon God did set up a divine appointment of gathering two of my friends and me to share with each other our testimonies. God strategically placed us in each other’s paths and I was able to share with them what God had helped me cross over with and they agreed that God’s perspective was profoundly good.

On Friday night Pastor Davis talked about how God was going to mend relationships that we thought could never be mended. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I remembered that in the past week God had healed not one, but two friendships I thought had completely fallen through the cracks!

Students Crossing Over to Baptism and Where God Wants Them to be

Each night that Pastor Davis claimed what God was about to do in our lives, God had fulfilled that for me way in advance. Be encouraged and realize that God makes providential appointments to strengthen our faith. Hold on tight to what the Holy Spirit reveals to you because that is only the start of a Heavenly adventure. Keep looking at every circumstance from God’s perspective because crossing over from where you are to where God wants you to be is the most peaceful place ever.

I want to leave you with this: “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:7

In His Joys,

Hannah Elise Abbott

7 Ways My Brother Shows Me Love

1. At the end of every phone call, FaceTime, and goodnight hug, Noah prays for me.

2. Whenever we get in a sibling squabble, Noah is the first to apologize. We are five and a half years apart!

  

3. He protects me by putting his arm around me (like this picture shows) from gentlemen who mean well.

4. Noah constantly asks me with the biggest smile, “What can I do to make you laugh?” My favorite requests are his impersonations.

5. When I come home on breaks to visit he says, “Hannah what fun are we going to do today?” He then excitedly tells mom and dad, “Hannah’s home! This means I don’t have to do school work!” Parents agree every time! Relax he is homeschooled!

6. He loves to recall the best day of his life and he says that was when we were both sick and snuggled while watching a movie together.

7. Noah always seeks to secure a seat next to me on the pew during dad’s Sabbath sermons. One time a member separated us and he wants to make sure that never happens again.

My brother is full of love because he knows a God of love. Loving someone cheerfully, selflessly, and courageously is the best way to introduce Jesus.

“Let all that you do be done in love.” ~1 Corinthians 16:14

~ In His Joys,

   Hannah Elise Abbott 

Moving at the Speed of Martha

If you have attended any Adventist University and it’s nearly finals week, you know the drill. You check when your finals are and for any last opportunity that awaits, for you to get your worship credits in before you get fined. Tonight there were countless students with me scanning in for one of the last dorm worships of the semester.

This past week I have not been consistently setting aside special time to authentically get to know my Jesus. I have frantically been rushing around and just need to stop and rest in His grace. Somehow I’ve still been getting chicken-skin (Hawaiian for goose-bumps) at the marvelous miracles that He’s been doing for me, even while I’m moving at the speed of Martha.

God did something beautiful for me tonight and I want to let you in on it. A couple hours ago, I decided to bring my Bible early to worship. I sat down before many people trickled in so that I could have some special time with Jesus. I opened my Bible to Matthew 6:25-34. That is the beautiful passage of Jesus telling us not to worry about anything because when we seek God’s kingdom first, everything else will come along!

I quietly waited to see what God would do next. Everyone got scanned in and the speaker began his message. The message was on the exact passage I had quietly been reading just moments before! At the end of his beautiful testimony about how God holds true and is faithful to us when we seek Him first, he gave us a captivating choice to make. He told us that for our last fifteen minutes of worship credit we could stay for a communion he had prepared or he would scan us out early. He said that he wanted us to make the choice to choose spending special time with Jesus, but to understand that he would not judge us if we decided to leave. He dimmed the lights and put on Heavenly music. Everyone quietly waited as we made our decisions.

I got up out of my seat, walked over to the table set before us, and took hold of the biggest communion bread, and fullest grape juice cup I have ever had! As soon as I went others came along. I sat on the pew, completely surprised at how God had totally reached out to me a million times more than I expected.

Right afterwards I called my younger brother Noah to tell him what God had just done for me. He excitedly said, “You mean you reached out to God, and then He reached out to you?!” His response was so precious and is completely true! God can’t wait to embrace us in His arms! He is crazy about you!

I believe that coincidences happen when God chooses to remain anonymous. One of the sweet songs that I heard tonight sang, “There will always be a place at the table and it won’t be the same till you come home!” Nothing is more satisfying than coming into close contact with Jesus and realizing the encounter! Keep reaching out to Jesus. Leave the worry behind. Stop running like Martha and me. Breathe in the beauty of His love for you.