Tag: Jesus

The Battle: Christian Kids in Public School with a Biblical or Secular Worldview

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Christian-Worldview-00892-300x225     vs  Non-Christian-Worldview-00901-300x225

Parents of Public School Kids: have you discovered that your kids teachers do not use text books for you to be able to review? We had a very interesting first 6th grade parent teacher conference last night. When the Social Studies teacher pulled out a paper from my son of a drawing of a Homosapian who lived 150,000 years ago my “creationist” ears popped up. I wanted to know what my son is being taught so I know how to further supplement his education with a “Biblical World view” teaching. He knows that God created the world in six days about 6000-10,000 years ago. But what he needs is information of the intellect that God created those first people with, Adam & Eve. They were more than “double wise” as his paper said of the homosapian’s. We had a talk about the Tower of Babel as we were waiting in line to talk to his next teacher.

Now I am thankful he does not come home with much homework, because I am going to be ordering some curriculum from Answers in Genesis so he can understand the truth about social studies and science. That is why at Destiny Christian Fellowship we are so adamant about teaching our kids the truth about the authority of the Word of God along with a biblical worldview. Like tomorrow night we will be having a dinosaur night for the kids teaching them what really happened to the dinosaurs, The flood, and many other creation issues.

We have kept my oldest son in public school so he can be a light, it is his choice along with ours. But, we will not sit by and allow him to be filled with a secular world view and not have him know the truth from the word of God. He may be bold and have confidence to speak in front of a group, but he needs to know the truth and have it in him so deep that it comes out of his mouth as easy as breathing. He needs to be able to debate or challenge an issue with more confidence than the other kid. Not with just surface head knowledge, but cold hard scientific facts that creation shows.

It is the parents responsibility to guard their children from the lies of the enemy and most importantly for our children to be aware of them when they hear it. I know he is strong and smart, however it is my responsibility to make sure he has the proper tools and resources to know right from wrong, truth from speculation. If us as parents do not hold fast to the fact that the Bible is Absolute Truth, then we will allow a secular worldview to slowly creep in our mind and our children.

Please make sure you have your own library at your home of material and curriculum for your public school children to draw a Biblical World View from. I will post links below of the places I am going to purchase our own! Our children have the opportunity to transform the educational system from the inside out, they need more than checking in at church and youth group! Kingdom Families function daily inside the home teaching and walking out the truth of God’s word. Time for me to do some research and pray!

 

Comments Copied from Facebook Post this morning:

  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell https://answersingenesis.org/store/newest/…

    Newest
    Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and…
    ANSWERSINGENESIS.ORG
    2 hrs · Like · 2 · Remove Preview
  • Aimee  Has he listened to the Jonathan Park series? It may be a little below his age level, but I bet if you put it on for your other kids, he’d like it, too. They teach creation apologetics in a fun, memorable way!
    2 hrs · Unlike · 2
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell He hasnt yet. I know my mom has them somewhere, I need to download them. Thank you so much for the reminder. My kids listen a lot to adventures in odyssey by Focus on the Family. But I definitely need to switch it up again
    2 hrs · Like
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell I have pinned a lot of resources here:  http://www.pinterest.com/rachellelayzell
    2 hrs · Edited · Like · 2 · 
  • Peggy Very important to discuss it, breathe it, learn it deep. It is taught in Science class yes, but also in Reading class, math class, anywhere and everywhere. I taught it everywhere as they still do.
    2 hrs · Unlike · 2
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell Yep, in Reading class it brought up the other side of things that makes me so thankful for Becky Fischer’s ministry
    http://www.kidsinministryinternational.org ,
    we use her curriculum in our children’s ministry. Tomorrow night while the kids learn about the dinosaurs, the parents will be watching a video that shows how the kingdom of darkness is invading our kids culture. I have her material pinned on my Pinterest site. Kids need to know what to do when they are forced to read books that are opening doors into their spirit. They need to know what to look for and what to guard them self from. If we do not teach them how to be discerning in their spirit they will open up a huge door for the lies of the enemy and his influence to come in. We have been teaching her children for the last year how to hear the voice of God from Becky’s curriculum. It has been phenomenal. From our preschool to the elementary these kids know how to hear God’s voice.
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell And by the way, I do not think it is just coincidence that they no longer use books. It is much harder for teachers to be held accountable for what they teach.
    2 hrs · Like · 2
  • Peggy Just for the sake of information teachers have the books and get new ones every 7 years, two problems exist one a lot of students can not read (comprehend) at the level of the textbooks and two teachers don’t have time to familiarize themselves to new text books with the constant flow of new curriculum as well as get their students to pass the state test.
    57 mins · Like
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell Some teachers do, probably more in the elementary. But what I found yesterday at parent-teacher conferences is that in six grade in the Oregon city school district they do not have books because they say the district did not want to buy them. The teacher uses online resources from many different places.
    55 mins · Like
  • Peggy  Oh they went that route, the online sources are probably from a curriculum company.
    53 mins · Like
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell Unfortunately, because of going online route there are no materials for parents to look through to know and understand what their children are being taught. I’m going to be going through as many links as the teachers give me but that’s not their curriculum in entirety
    51 mins · Like
  • Peggy  Unfortunately most sources support evolution, homosexuality, even anti-America (in the new common core) and other things we need to train our kids against.
    51 mins · Unlike · 1
  • Peggy  You are completely right Rachelle parents are cut out and teachers don’t have the time to list all their resources.
    50 mins · Unlike · 1 The common core at its roots is anti-parent.
    48 mins · Unlike · 1
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell On the way to taking David and Elicia to their private school, with tears in my eyes, I was sharing with them how thankful I am that I don’t have to question what they are being taught. Elicia began to have a discussion about what she would ask the teachers. She said she would ask them, “Who made you?” David went into the explanation that we didnt come here by a big explosion and then happen to come together by ourselves. He went through to describe how evolution says man came to be. And he said, “that is so extremely stupid! How in the world could they believe that!” At the same time when they get into Public high school they will have the tools They need to be bright lights who stand for truth. It made me all the more thankful for Christian resources that are available to help our children in public & private schools understand what truth is and how to discern when they are being fed secular lies. I know Isaac a strong and I will not pull him out of public school, because if he is not there who is going to share the truth with these other kids and the teachers? It is a very hard decision but one God told Isaac & us very clearly.

God is Jealous for YOU!

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This morning I saw a picture from a trip to the Lego Store with my boys and it reminded me that God is jealous for us. He is fierce to protect us against from the evil that comes at us.

I found an article which matches what I am saying perfectly. It even talked about jealously as Shakespeare quoted as being “green” like the hulk in my picture! http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/2012/god-is-jealous-for-me/

This thought puts me at rest in many ways. I know God has got my kids back, He has my husbands back and mine. We are not alone. Even though the face of “the Hulk” in the pic looks scary, to me it shows the intensity God is ready to fight for me with. He loves us with an everlasting love.  Nothing you can do can take that away. No matter how far you run or try to hide, He wants to protect and cover you. Under the shadow of His wings, but in this case, his very muscular arms!

Song of Solomon 8:6-
“Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD.
7“Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it;
If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised.”

 

Freedom for your children: Breaking thoughts of agreement

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This morning I had to walk my son through some steps of freedom. Even though he is trying his hardest in school and is getting the work done, it is so intense he feels like he is drowning. For a kids with learning challenges, growing up means everything gets harder. He began agreeing with the lies of the enemy and last night and this morning came into my room because of disturbing dreams. He had a dream that there was a scary lion outside our house looking at him and it came onto our porch. This morning we had a long talk and prayer time. I read with him in

1 Pet 5:8 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

I told him that when life is hard the enemy puts thoughts in our minds like we are a failure, life & school is torture, I want to give up, and when we agree with those thoughts and speak them out loud or draw them on our homework, are are coming into agreement with him and allowing him to take a cubby in our mind. We then prayed together and I had him repeat a prayer of asking forgiveness for agreeing with the specific thoughts he was having, Then asking and receiving the Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness & Self-Control (Fruits of the spirit) Of God. His mood completely shifted after we prayed.

When the kids get home we are going to go through Psalms 19 and talk about our thoughts. Parents, take advantage of every opportunity to show your kids the freedom that is found in the word of God and what it means to walk through life in that freedom. Even children can come into agreement with the lies of the enemy. We need to recognize when that happens and walk them through a prayer time of freedom. The dream that my son had, I thank God for!! Even though it scared him, it allowed this beautiful opportunity to share the truth of the word of God. I am so grateful!

Psalms 19: 7-14

 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Mind of Christ: thinking about “Thinking”

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I have been doing a lot of thinking about “thinking”. Our thoughts have a massive amount of influence on our day. No matter what the situation that may arise-our thoughts will determine our emotions and actions. We need to understand what it means to “Have the Mind of Christ” BUT, what is the mind of Christ? Check out the picture below Phil 4:8

We also need to know how to “Take Every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ”.
But what does that mean?
It means 1st of all Repentance– for wrong thinking, for specific things we are focusing on that are not in Phil 4:8, for thoughts that contradict the nature of God and His commandments. When we constantly live with those thoughts and never repent for them, we allow the strongholds that attach themselves to those thoughts to have Legal Access to our spirit. I don’t know about you, but I do not want the enemy to have any legal access to my mind, heart or spirit. We have the authority to stop the enemies access, through our repentance with humility and sincerity.

After repenting for wrong thinking, you need to fill your mind with the good things of God. Philipians 4:8

The next step is constantly living with an attitude of thanksgiving for what God has done for us. This takes our eyes off of ourselves and present circumstances and shifts our attention to him. As we glorify and worship him He releases us from the burdens that we carry in our every day life. This is a true way to walk in joy, freedom and hope.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Here are a couple articles that offer more teaching on “The Mind of Christ”

http://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=live_with_the_mind_of_christ

http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/7041-living-the-truth-have-the-mind-of-christIMG_2494.JPG

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How to Receive Freedom by Giving Up

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Sometimes we hold on to a stronghold or sin in our life and justify it by saying that it is for someone else’s good. For example, if we hold envy/hatred/jealousy towards someone because, in our mind, they are hurting someone we love. That stronghold then takes root in our life and opens wide the door of our spirit to the enemy and we come into agreement and can then release Anger/Hatred/Strife ect. into other areas of our life or our family.

Parents you have a direct influence over your kids and the atmosphere of your home. If we are not walking in purity and freedom it opens our homes up to strife/anger ect. You are the head of your household. The buck stops here!! We can easily get on our kids case for their attitudes, but sometimes we need to check ours out FIRST. (preaching to myself!!!)

Time to seriously take ourselves before God and repent and renounce the strongholds/sins and receive his forgiveness, righteousness, peace and love. Freedom is possible only after we are willing to humble ourselves before Him, admit our sin, Believe He has the power and authority to forgive us because of the cross and Receive His forgiveness and freedom!

The steps to your freedom require two important things. First of all, you need to repent and ask God’s forgiveness for the strongholds you have allowed to come into your life and the sins that you have committed. Along with that comes the need to renounce, or break off all ties to those strongholds . That is simply stating each of them and declaring that you renounce and break off ties and attachments to those things.
This is just the first step, getting things right between you and God.

However, it does not end there.

If those sins have been towards someone else, even if it is only in your mind or by actions or words then you need to go to them and ask forgiveness for it. This might be a no-brainer, but it is far too easy to skip this step because of the vulnerability you feel towards that person. You may fear they will not receive you, or that they will throw it in your face. But, what is taking place in your spirit is far more important than the resistance you may feel. Bitterness, envy, jealousy, hatred, are all easy strongholds we allow into our life. They sneak up on us especially when we do not realize we are willingly coming into agreement with the sin we are carrying. When we justify our sin, or make excuses for it because we think there is a good reason, we are at the same time holding the power of its influence around us.

Today I can testify that I have just completed the second step above in regards to a situation that I have been going through.
Last night I repented and renounced what I was going through to God, but it does not end there. I had been holding resentment, envy, jealousy and anger towards someone and had to find them today and ask forgiveness face-to-face.

I can’t tell you the joy and especially peace that I have felt all afternoon. My humility, obedience and open heart paved the way for complete restoration between me and the other party and took away the strife and contention in my heart. Now I am waiting to see this peace continue even after my kids get home from school. This is a house where the Prince of Peace reigns!

Bring on the freedom and joy!
Time to Give Up and give it to God!

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Teacher, I see angels in here

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(Facebook Post March 2014)

It was heaven coming to earth. The enemy trying to take me out last night and this morning before I left for church. My blood pressure was 208/105 and my head and body felt horrible. BUT I knew God had such incredible plans for today that I was covered in a heavy blanket of peace. When I got to church the lady over our prayer ministry told me that she has seen a wolf walking around our children’s ministry in the spirit. But Jesus came and kicked his teeth out and removed his claws so that he was not able to touch us. At the beginning of class one of the third grade girls raised her hand because she wanted to share a dream that she had. Her dream almost exactly copied the word from our prayer Pastor about a wolf walking around a sheepfold, And Shepherd inside protected the sheep from this wolf. I was in shock as this little girl told me her dream and I told her it confirmed the word I had just heard as they were checking into class.

As I began class I shared with the kids the amazing true story. Of the children in the Village of Bungoma, Kenya. These orphans were told about God and his kingdom, as they came to Christ and realized their authority as Prince and princesses of the King They begin to amazing miracles. They walked into a hospital and one boy felt like he was supposed to sing a worship song. As he did, people begin to be healed and got up out of their hospital beds. The other patients asked the kids to come and talk with them and pray for them, people began to be healed and saved. Many many people walked out of that hospital and were healed – by God. The children then went to the streets for a week and paraded through the town saying, Bungoma Children for Jesus! They went up to people on the street and people were healed and received Jesus as their Savior.

I told our children that there is absolutely no difference between them and the children in Africa. The only thing they need to realize is that Jesus wants to come and reveal himself to them. The kids were so impacted by the story and the revelation that Jesus is already here. We then did our declarations which we received from Bethel’s children ministry, I will post them later because they are powerful. That led into a time of worship where the children were completely engaged dancing around the room and worshiping their Papa God.

We sang Deep Cries Out to Deep. Then I had the kids sit down in a circle and we sang “Holy Spirit you are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere. Your glory God is what my heart longs for to be overwhelmed by your presence Lord.” The presence of God was so thick in that room, after that song was over one of the little first-graders said slowly and in awe, “that was amazing”. I asked her why and she tried to describe the feeling of His presence.

Then I had the kids lay on the ground as we listen to, “I Love You Lord”. It was a beautiful version I found on YouTube. I told them that last night I saw Jesus coming into the room and heal them and speak to them and show them who he was like never before. They then listen to the song and soaked in God’s presence. Many of them jumped up about halfway through the song to the tables where I had paper and markers for them to draw out prophetic art of what they saw while been in God’s presence. I kept soaking music on while the drew the most incredible pictures of what God was telling them. Some of them came up and shared their pictures and words that God told them, many of the words were confirmations of what God had told me about the class and others in the church.

The presence of God was so sweet and precious. I had one little first-grade girl, and tell me she saw Jesus walking over to a young boy in class who has a deformed arm, And He touched the boy and his arm grew out. I saw the same thing in my vision last night about Jesus touching his arm. I know without a shadow of a doubt our class will see Joshua’s arm grow to a normal size before our eyes!

Many children saw Angels the whole class time either dancing with us or in different parts of the room. I know it will be a day they will never forget. Holy Spirit is so faithful to touch our children. I talked to the teacher in our toddler class, Katherine Carter before the service and told her the vision of the circle and Jesus walking in the middle, and declaring the same thing over her class. At the end of the service she told me she definitely felt Jesus show up in a powerful way in her class.

If anyone ever tells you that you are missing out of what is happening in the main service by teaching in children’s church, I can tell you they have it reversed. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else, despite missing many guest speakers, what I received back from these children nothing can compare to!

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Heaven brought to earth: the Sunday I will never forget!

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(Facebook Post August 10th 2014)

Today I experienced something I haven’t experienced in 19 years, since Renewal hit in ’94-95. It took place while listening to my dad speak part two of his message, For Zion’s Sake. (Click the link to listen to both of these timely and important messages about Israel and the Middle East)It was an in depth teaching on Gods love for Arabs and Jews and why God is not done with either of them. Something deep inside of me cried out during our prayer time. An intercession that you can’t produce or cause to happen. Such a burden for those persecuted all over the world for the name of Christ. I had the video and pictures in my mind of Arabs in Iraq being slaughtered, young and old. An intercession crying out for mercy, protection and justice.

During the message I could feel a host on Angels all around. Then as my dad shared miracle after miracle of what God has done to protect and defend the land of Israel, I saw and heard a massive group of angels watching and cheering on what was being shared like they were watching a sports game. They were high 5’ing each other and laughing and cheering saying, “remember when we did that!”. They were cheering on my dad Joel Hjertstedt as he was speaking.

Then as he started reading
Ephesians 2:11-22 I saw Jesus get off of the throne and lay prostrate on top of the glass ceiling over us. He began to weep and blow His breath down into us. He was so grateful about what was being shared. He was also weeping for the friends he grew up with on Earth who did not recognize who he was. He was crying out for the Jews whose eyes need to be open to see that He is their messiah. He was blowing and fanning our hearts to burn for him and to burn with passion for the land of Israel and also for the Arabs which he blessed also through Abraham.

He told me that there are some who are wondering why the pastor was talking about Israel like this. And Jesus said it is because it is a part of our mandate, not only our pastor’s mandate, but the mandate of the church. It is part of our mission on earth to share this with the body of Christ so their eyes will be open to reach out and accept with open arms the Jews and Arabs who will be coming to Him by the millions!

When Pastor Ken was prophesying over my dad, God told me those words were over me as well. Israel and our families connection to it is part of my heritage and destiny. I know I will be back, God spoke very clearly when we visited in 1995. We were leaving for the airport and I was weeping in the car because I did not want to leave the land. I was only a Jr in High School so there was no option. But I told God I didn’t want to leave unless I knew I was coming back some day. I turned and looked out the window and saw the hugest brightest rainbow I had ever. There is something about seeing a rainbow in Israel that brings it’s meaning of a promise a little close to home.

The heavy weighty glory and the “tipsy” filling of the Holy Spirit lasted over an house after the service, marked me in a deep deep way. A woman came up to me right after the service and told me she has been trying to share with her friends back in Japan what is taking place in the Middle East, and was so discouraged because they wouldn’t respond to her at all. She felt ignored , haha, but God had a very powerful word or her that I was barely able to speak out at that time because of the heavy weighty glory.

What a day!!!! Just the beginning!

Here is the verse that I saw Jesus come off of his throne for :

Ephesians 2:11-22 “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ which is done in the body by human hands – remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Honor: Receiving from our Grandparents

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G&G Hj & Josh & me                    Rachelle, boys G&G HJ

(Written on my Facebook notes: March 21, 2011)

Isaac, my 9 year old, was tearing up in church today. When I asked him what he was feeling, he said he was thinking about “Palsy Walsey” his Great Grandpa David Hjertstedt. Elicia had been talking just a few days ago about wanting to see Palsey Walsey up on the Mountain in Heaven. Now being up in Canada visiting my in-laws it makes me drawn to and love my husbands grandparents Hugh & Audrey Layzell (click on link to order their testimony on Amazon. They have had a live long impact on the nation of Uganda and also the Latter Rain Movement in North America) so deeply. They are the only grandparents I have left on this earth, so when I’m in Chilliwack I want to cherish the time I could have with them. We have to cherish our grandparents & great grandparents while we have them on this Earth. They have so much to impart into our lives if we open ourselves up to them and allow them to pour in. If you get board with your grandparents telling you all the old stories over and over, please cherish them, write the stories down (I know I did with my grandpa, but now I tear up knowing if I would have just paid more attention than I would have a wealth of testimonies to pass down to my own kids). There really was something to God telling Moses to have the generations have the young ones sit on their knees and recite to them the stories of faith of their fathers. I want to receive every blessing and impartation I can from our families Patriarchs & Matriarchs. Why miss out?  Your children and your children’s children will receive the blessing you receive if you want to receive it from your family heritage.

In this profile picture my brother Josh and I with the most incredible Revivalists that ever walked this earth! My Grandparents David and Faith Hjertstedt. They might not be in your Bible School textbooks as that, but they are still meeting all the thousands of people in heaven who are there because of encountering Jesus through them. They brought worship back to Israel, when no one in the church believed God would save Israel. They brought Jew and Arab together in their many churches they started over there. David and Faith Hjertstedt, like stealth bombers, spread the fire of the reality of the presence of God all over the world and didn’t stop till the day they took their last breath. My grandpa spent more time at the mall than I have in my entire life. Even till the age of 84 he spent his days sharing Jesus with everyone he could meet. Then he would come home and spend hours with Jesus in his room. Countless nights my parents would hear him weeping usually in the hours of (12 – 2AM) as he laid in intercession and was physically being encountered by the intimate presence of Jesus. Like no one else I know, he walked like Moses did, who “knew Jesus face to face”. And was truly a friend of God. Also as “King David” whose heart cry was, “This one thing I have desired of the Lord and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord (which is inside of us, not just a church building) all the days of my life, and to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Ps 27:4 – More than anything that scripture encapsulates who and what my grandpa was, but now is for eternity. –

There are hours and hours of video clips that friends took of my Grandpa Hjertstedt a few years before he died. As soon as I get those digitally copied I will include them on this blog. I am stoked because I haven’t seen them yet