Whose Plan Is it Anyway?

You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail. - (Proverbs 19:21 NLT)

Most of us have plans about how our lives will go. We have made plans to marry, having kids, some have planned on going to school, getting a great paying job with great benefits, and etc. We want the dream. We plan to live a good life and hopefully we are able to accomplish all the things we have on our bucket list before the Lord calls us heavenward bound.

We make mistakes, we fail, we succeed, we cry, we worry, we complain, we are happy, we are joyous. It's an uphill, downhill, steady movement. The journey is not easy nor is it always pleasant. we are constantly finding out that we are weak in one area or another. If you are like me you do ALOT of self-reflection, criticism and fear creeps in. You almost become paralyzed and can't breathe without feeling the pain of life. However, still you plan. Because no matter how hard it is, the pain of staying where you are is more unbearable than the pain of growing and moving forward. 

Jeremiah told Israel that because of their chooses God had to punish them. It's wasn't because he hated them but because they were unwilling to repent. They heard what Jeremiah said but choose to believe those that told them things they wanted to hear. However, Jeremiah keep speaking God's truth, even though it got him thrown into prison. He stood for what was right. Israel did go to captivity and they did have to pay for their mistakes and wrong choices. However, they great thing about it was God did not leave them without hope.

‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ -  (Jeremiah 29:11-14 NASB)

My personal observation is that it's not that God does not want us to plan. It is, however, that he wants us to consult with him before we plan.  There is a saying, want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans. this is not entirely true. I think God cries when we try to make decisions without Him because He knows that He will have to get us back in line with His purpose and many times that requires exposure and punishment. 

The Bible says in Proverbs, "To acknowledge Him in ALL our ways and He will direct our path." the key is to acknowledge Him in everything thing. then we will know that we are following His directives and His purpose will be fulfilled without all the heartache and pain. 

You are Bound No More. 


Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2015 LAH Ministries International 
Booklindahillman@gmail.com 

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Will You Be Made Whole 
In The Meantime

21- Day Consecration: Obedience to God

Well, today I start my journey of obedience and not only thatI begin it on a five day fast. Yes, that was sprung on me right before I started but it's all apart of being Obedient. I have to be honest doing a straight 5 day fast, well it's been a minute. I have done one day here and maybe three days there. if I go longer than 3 days it would be a 6 to 6 or midnight to 7. But this is old school for me. I use to fast alot in my twenties. I did a few 21 day fast most many times would do 7-10 tens.

So I start this obedience walk. For those that are going on this walk with me. I am glad to hve you on the journey and I look forward to hearing what the Lord does for you in the midst of this 21 day journey. I believe many things will be birthed in the spirit and you will see a greater and deeper calling on your life.

You may have your own list of things you are doing and wanting from god during this consecration but for me. it's simple. I want to be able to hear and obey God at all times. As a Pastor, when lives assigned to me, i cant take this thing lightly.

So for the next 21 days, This is my vow to you and more importantly to God.

1. Reading the word, not just studying it for sermons and counseling. 
2. Eating right and losing some weight (Fasting the first five days).
3. Forgiving those that have wronged me and seeking forgiveness from those that I have wronged. 
4. Staying faithful to my writing schedule (3 Hours daily except for Sundays)
5. Being more consistent in every area of life. Saying what I mean and meaning what I say.
6. Being faithful to accomplishing daily, weekly and monthly goals.
7. Not watching anything that is contrary to my Christian beliefs.
8. No gossiping/venting.

Yes I added two more things to the six things I already had. who knows by the end of this I may have added more to the list. 

You are Bound No More.

Pastor Linda Hillman
(c) 2015 LAH Ministries International
Booklindahillman@gmail.com

Get Your Copy Now
Will You Be Made Whole
In The Meantime

Redemption As Seen Through Seven Pounds, the Movie

Have you ever watched a movie and it made you realize just how much God truly does love you.

I was watching Seven Pounds... You know the movie with Will Smith. Just in case you have not seen the movie here's my brief scenario of the movie without giving much away.

Carrying an ID card from the U.S. Dept. of Treasury, Ben Thomas circles some names on a printout. One is blind phone salesman and pianist Ezra (Woody Harrelson), while another is Emily (Rosario Dawson), a young woman with an enlarged heart who will need a transplant soon if she’s to survive. It’s hard to know how to read Ben during this phase; the way he insinuates himself into other people’s lives gives him something of the air of a hustler or con man, and his contentious phone relationship with his brother (Michael Ealy) raises questions of its own.

On the other hand, Ben appears anxious to please, his directness and soft-spoken urgency betokening a genuineness of intent. Before long, an appealing tenderness enters into his relationship with Emily that ultimately blossoms into a full-blown love story, something that fills out a great chunk of the running time.

"Given Emily’s vulnerability, Ben’s gentle patience with her, Smith and Dawson’s attractiveness, the lushly intimate widescreen images devised by Muccino and lenser Philippe Le Sourd, and Angelo Milli’s literally incessant button-pushing score, “Seven Pounds” offers either seductive emotional appeal or indigestible mawkishness, according to taste. Along the way, there are references to a fatal vehicular accident, suggestions of Ben’s deceptiveness and inscrutable imagery of a jellyfish which, you may be sure, all factor crucially in the denouement."

It impossible to claim that this film  lacks the courage of the story teller's convictions or faith in the moral value of their contrived little sacrificial fable. Now I don't know any human in their right mind that would go through such extremes without being deemed emotionally, mentally or socially disturbed. All that aside, and in spite of that, I really like this movie. :)

So now Emily needs a new heart and Tim (calls himself Ben) has to stick to the plan, so she could have a new heart. Isn't that what Jesus did for us. We have an evil and wicked heart and Jesus gave His life so we could have new life and that more abundantly not only did He give us a new life, he gave us a better life.  Because think about what type of life would we have walking around blind to what's really going on in the world, or not able to function normally. Life would be limited at best but Jesus gave Himself on the tree that you would be able to have new eyes to see and perceive and a new heart not that old stony heart that you had prior to that was giving you some much problems giving and receiving love.

God fell so in love with us that he knew he had to stick to the plan to redeem us back. So in spite of wanting to stay and hold us and wipe away our tears He gave His life so that we might live a better life and have every opportunity to know Him and his love. But more importantly than that, we have his heart to love others and his eyes to see others.

What a price He paid for us!

You are Bound No More. 

 Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2015 LAH Ministries International 
Booklindahillman@gmail.com 

Get Your Copy Now 
Will You Be Made Whole
In The Meantime

You are invited to Join Us

On September 3rd, I started hosting Bible Studies in the city of San Francisco. It all started at the tender age of 14 when God told me that I would Pastor. He told me that people were waiting for me to begin to speak and he would lead those he assigned to me. For years I ran from the call on my life because I felt unworthy of such a great responsibility in the Church.

However, in my running away I was really running to my call. Here's how that works. Even though I was not ready to Pastor. I learned how to study God word. I learned how to hear his Voice. I learned how to teach others to depend on God. I learned how to pray and fast. I learned that sanctification was a process and though I was not always the best person I could be, God was still in control. I learned how to love God's people.

I began learning from Older and more seasoned ministers how to rightly divide the word of truth and to entreat God's people. I took classes in Ministry and counseling. NO, I was not trying to accept my call to Pastor but God had me on a journey that would lead me to his divine will for my life.

I have gone through so much pain and suffering in my life but I understand now that it has all catapulted me into the woman of God I am now. It has helped to define the ministry that would flow through me. It has helped to make me more sensitive to others that may be experiencing the same hurt and know how to effectively minister to them to help healing and restoration begin.

After years of trying not to do what God called me to do, I am right in the the middle of his will for my life. I am ready to experience what God has for me and watch as he does exactly what he said he would do. On Sept 3rd a pressure that was on my chest lifted as I sat and taught my first Bible Study. Sometimes we don't even know that we are experiencing half of what God intended until we experience the whole of the matter.

New Life Ministries is God ordained and will become what God says it will be. I hope that if you are in the city of San Francisco, CA or know someone in the city, and you or someone you know is looking for a church that you will stop by on September 24th and join us for Bible Study.

New Life Ministries
Bible Study - Wednesdays 6:30 PM

We meet at IT Bookman Community Center 446 Randolph Street, San Francisco, CA.



You are Bound No More.

Pastor Linda Hillman
(c) 2014 Living Above Hurt Ministries
 (415) 754-3365
newlifeministriessf@gmail.com