Guest Blogger HEIDI McLAUGHLIN - Gifts by Grace :: Soaring Hearts

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Guest Blogger HEIDI McLAUGHLIN

January 20, 2012 • By Barbara Parentini

Dear Gentle Readers˜

You're going to enjoy this guest blog by my lovely friend, Heidi McLaughlin. If you'll notice, the word 'laugh' is part of her name. Heidi brings laughter and smiles to people all over North America. She's one of the best encouragers a woman could ever have. You're going to love her heart for God.

Heidi has offered to give away a few of her books, so please leave us a thought or two in the comments for a chance to be receive a free book!

Grittiness to Greatness

I am so thrilled and honored to be a guest blogger for Barbara today. We met on Twitter! God has unique and wonderful ways to accomplish the most beautiful concepts. Read on to see what other great things He can do.

Often I am asked the question, "Heidi what do you think is one of women's biggest struggles these days?" Without hesitation I respond, "I believe many women feel tired and overwhelmed with the daily demands of life."

Every morning when my feet hit the floor I am on my way to greatness, but before I know it, I have encountered grittiness. Grittiness is all around us. Fatigue, broken relationships, regrets, divorce, jealousy, consumed with the "what if's" and powered by all the "shoulds." Some days we feel hurt, disappointed, rejected and hopeless. But I am excited to tell you that we are not powerless.

God knows I am a visual person; and one day He gave me this great audio visual display of the formation of a pearl. I stood in awe as I grasped the miraculous concept of the creation of a pearl. Then the Holy Spirit gave me an epiphany that put an exhilaration and anticipation into my heart. If God can take a tiny, insignificant piece of grit, that ended up on the bottom of the ocean in the wrong place at the wrong time, and through time and process, because of the irritation transformed it into a unique, magnificent pearl, imagine what HE can do with us. You and me. His Creation. His daughters. Created in His image. Not only that; but in 1 Corinthians 2:16 it tells me that you and I have been given the "mind of Christ" so that God can communicate with us to help us with the transformation process from grittiness to greatness.

God so lovingly and gently guides us through this transformation process, but you and I have to do our part. We have to begin to learn a new way of living, but we also have to begin to make bold choices to unlearn bad habits, patterns, and destructive ways of thinking. In Romans 12:2 the Bible tells us, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." When we begin to give God our "patterns of this world" and let Him cover them with His love, forgiveness, and grace, He will begin to make us gorgeous from the inside out.

This miraculous process compelled me to write my latest book, SAND TO PEARLS: Making BOLD Choices to Enrich Your Life. Each chapter is focused on some of the destructive patterns of this world that we have bought into, but then I do not leave you helpless. At the end of each chapter I give 12-15 sample bold choices that you and the Holy Spirit can begin in your own life. We are standing on the brink of a brand new year. Why not make ONE CHOICE to unlearn a destructive habit and let God show you a new way of living? A life of greatness!

I am so passionate about women grasping this concept that I speak on this topic all across North America. For more information about my HEART CONNECTION MINISTRY, stop and visit my website at www.heartconnection.ca and watch a 6 minute interview on this particular topic. You can also see a T.V. interview with Moira Brown on 100 Huntley Street, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5poRsKqCFKQ or go to my book store at: http://www.heartconnection.ca/store.htm

Heidi is an international speaker and author. Her latest book SAND TO PEARLS: Making BOLD Choices to Enrich Your Life, has been a tool to inspire women across the nation. Heidi is married to Pastor Jack and they have a blended family of 5 children and 9 grandchildren. They live among the beautiful vineyards in Kelowna, B.C. Canada.

Follow Heidi on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidiheart

Face book: Heidi McLaughlin

Blog: http://heartconnection.wordpress.com/

What an inspirational message, Heidi! Thank you for sharing your ministry with us at Gifts by Grace. Friends, be sure to leave us your comments, and we'll enter you in Heidi's free book giveaway! And don't forget to sign up for our blogs. Until then,

All Gifts by Grace,

Barbara

Visitor Comments (10)

Beautiful Authenticity

Posted By HMCLAUGHLIN on January 30, 2012

Thank you Teri for your honest statement.It is SO much easier to stay in our comfort zone and keep doing what we've always done and hoping for different results. In John Chapter 5 Jesus asked the invalid, "Do you want to get well? Seems like such a rudiculous question. And yet, Jesus knows that the only way to change anything in our life is to WILLINGLY, Bravely and Boldly take the first step. May God give each of us the courage and "want to" spirit to change our grittiness into his glorious greatness. I cheer ALL of you on!
Hugs..Heidi

Blessings!

Posted By BPARENTINI on January 30, 2012

Hi Teri˜
Thanks for stopping by. I agree, Heidi's words are true for all of us! I hope I'll see you soon.

Blessings,
Barbara

Wonderful!

Posted By TERI on January 29, 2012

"God so lovingly and gently guides us through this transformation process, but you and I have to do our part."

This statement is so true! Oh Lord, give me the courage and wisdom to "Do My Part".

Thank you Heidi!

Teri :˜)

Thank you, Heidi

Posted By MACYSMOM on January 26, 2012

Such an encouraging concept- swaping the pains of our grittiness to the power of God's greatness.
Thanks Barb for introducing us to Heidi and featuring her new book.
Blessings to you both!
Melinda

What JOY!

Posted By HEIDIHEART on January 24, 2012

I know that we all want to be more beautiful from the inside out; but we need help on that confusing journey. I love it when we can spur each other on with words of hope and encouragement.
Ladies please e-mail me at heidi@heartconnection.ca and give me your addresses so that I can send you one of my books. Please go to my web site at www.heartconnection.ca and pick out one of my books, or the 40 minute teaching DVD. I would be honored to send you something.
Blessings...Heidi

So encouraging!

Posted By NURSEWRITER on January 22, 2012

Thanks, Barbara and Heidi. I so agree that we're all overwhelmed by the daily demands of life... and "grittiness." Thank God we're not powerless! Sounds like a wonderful book, Heidi, and I pray your words carry encouragement around the nation and beyond.

Thank you Janet and Barbara

Posted By HEIDIHEART on January 21, 2012

What a joy to spur women on to see themselves as one of God's gorgeous creations. We all have grittiness in lives, but we have to let it go and give it to God so that HE can cover it with HIS love and make it into something beautiful. I love being on this journey with women, because I think we all have to help each other along the way.
Blessings on you both.

Good post Heidi!

Posted By ANGELA BISIGNANO on January 21, 2012

I love that God can take a piece of grit and turn it into something as lovely as a pearl. It speaks volumes about what He can do in and through our lives. What a great reminder of His goodness.

Great message

Posted By JANETLYN on January 21, 2012

Heidi,
I like that idea. So true. God uses what we go through to make us even more beautiful...like precious pearls.
God bless you as you minister to women everywhere.
Janet

Thank you, Heidi!

Posted By BPARENTINI on January 21, 2012

Love your post, and looking forward to reading your book. God bless your ministry for women!

Barbara