Hello, My Name Is….

March 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
  • Unsuccessful
  • Unlovable
  • Ugly…

How often do you find yourself being defined what others say about you?  Do you let the lies of the devil sink into your heart?  I find myself letting negative thinking get in the way of me being fully used by God.  I use words like “stupid” and “unsuccessful” float around in my vocabulary.  If we could introduce ourselves to others with the words we let define us, it would be quite the introduction!

Hello, my name is ugly and worthless, nice to meet you.

That would be insane to introduce ourselves to people like that, but it makes you think about how you define yourselves.  I listened to Matthew West song, “Hello, My Name Is” yesterday for the first time.  It got me thinking.  How would my life be different if I defined myself as “a child of the one true King,” instead of the negative names I give myself?

It blows my mind knowing that I have a heavenly Father who loves me.  He loves me in spite of my weaknesses, my sins, my faults, my crazy hair days…the list goes on.  That’s awesome!  He loves you in spite of your past mistakes, your current mistakes, and your future mistakes.  When I sit and think about God’s love for me, I am extremely overwhelmed.

I ask God, “How could you love me?  I don’t even love me sometimes.  How could you love me when I fall flat on my face?  Didn’t you hear all the names people gave me?  You must have not gotten the memo.  I don’t deserve your love.”

Do you define yourself by your mistakes and weaknesses?  I do too.  I think it is time we change the definition.

Here’s a good start.

“Hello, my name is child of the one true King I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free “Amazing Grace” is the song I sing.  Hello, my name is child of the one true King

I am a child of the one true King.” {Matthew West–”Hello, My Name Is”–Into the Light}

“The Lord your God is with you,

the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Matthew West is an amazing artist and man of God.  I feel like listening to his songs is like having a good heart-to-heart with a best friend.  Check out this song!  It blessed my heart, and I am sure it will be a huge blessing to your heart too!

Filed Under: Christian Music, Learning Along the Way, My Life Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Finding God’s Fingerprints

November 9, 2012 Leave a Comment

As I am sitting in a coffee shop trying to study for a test, I can’t help but think of God’s fingerprints in my week.  I just can’t get it out of my head, so I must write about it!  God is everywhere.  He speaks through people, events, music, His word, you name it.  Every week, I find myself constantly being reminded of God’s presence in my life.

This week I was feeling overwhelmed by school, work, family, the list goes on.  I have been going to a new Bible study, and I meeting some really awesome people.  I met some new people and I began to ramble like I always do.  I told  them all about my  busy week (great conversationalist, huh), and I said “I don’t know if I can make it through the week”.  And all of the sudden one of the guys said, “I don’t even know you, but I know you can do it.”  Fingerprint of God #3,251,789.  God used him to encourage me; how awesome!  I think the little kid  finger prints on my dad’s restaurant’s windows are numerous, but it surely doesn’t compare to God’s fingerprints!

Right now, I am listening to Luminate’s “Love is Loud,” and it reminds me of how God is everywhere.  This song is pretty fitting for what I have been experiencing.  If you haven’t heard this song or any other songs by Luminate, you must them out!  I love their music; I am pretty obsessed with their music!  (When am I not obsessed with beautifully written Christian music?! haha)

“And every single day we are walking proof.  That every living thing is an echo of You.  You were everywhere, You are everywhere” (Luminate)

Have you noticed God’s fingerprints in your life?  Leave a comment, I would love to hear all about it!

Filed Under: Learning Along the Way, My Life, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , ,

God, I Think I Need to Reschedule

November 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

If you are anything like me, you get so busy with the day-to-day activities that you can miss seeing God’s work in your life.  Instead of taking the time to see God’s work in my life, I focus on everything but Him.  I think about the stresses of life, work, school, family, you name it.  I need to change my perspective.  Lately, God has been showing me just how important it is to focus on Him.

God has been using divine appointments to reveal to me that He hears my prayers and He has a plan for each detail of my life.  I am no Biblical scholar but when I talk about divine appointments in my life, I am talking about God placing certain people, certain situations in my path for a purpose.  Unfortunately, when I think of appointments, I am reminded how busy I can get.  For example, if I am too busy to make it to a dentist appointment, I can just reschedule or if I just can’t handle one more errand in my day, I can just change my hair appointment to another day.  But, if we treat divine appointments like our dentist appointment or hair appointment, we are going to miss the boat!  We are going to miss God’s work in our life if we can caught up in our busyness.

Recently, God has been showing me that He is active even in the smallest details of my life.  There have been many situations where I sit and think, “That was definitely a God thing; it was a divine appointment.  What if I decided to ignore what God was trying to tell me through these situations?  By getting caught up in the craziness of our daily life, we essentially (me included) miss out on exactly on what God has for us.  I sometimes get so caught up that I think, “Doesn’t God know I am so busy; can’t I just reschedule for a time that would be more convenient for me.”  God knows the perfect time for anything, I just have to remember that.

Do divine appointments really exist or am I just making this up?  With what I have seen in my own life, I believe divine appointments are definitely real.  You can look in the Bible and see how God put people in the right place, at the right time.

Here are the situations that reminded me how God uses situations to remind us that He cares for us, hears our prayers, and has a plan for our lives.

A month ago, I was feeling down because I longed for the community I had at my college Bible study.  I prayed for God’s guidance and work in that area.  I am super impatient and I thought God forgot all about me because He didn’t answer my prayer right away.  The next week I met someone who works near my dad’s restaurant.  He told me about the Bible study he goes to and he even invited me to join his Bible study.  Talk about God placing the right person in your path.  Now I have a Bible study to go to, which I am super happy about!  God is pretty good at His job :)

I must have forgotten God’s work the few weeks prior, because last week I was feeling like He wasn’t hearing my prayers.  One day last week, I was struggling with feelings of loneliness and depression.  I cried out to God, saying, “Don’t you know how lonely I am?  Can’t you bring me friendships or at least some peace about the situation?”  The next day, I was making a laundry detergent run at the dollar store in my small town.  Just as I was rounding the corner, I saw an old classmate from high school.  She also moved home recently and we struck up a conversation.  We even decided to meet the next week and catch up over dinner.  I was thinking, “God you must be crazy.  You brought me a friend in a dollar store.  That is definitely something I wouldn’t have thought up.”  Even better, I can continue ministering to her because she is not a believer.  God does some pretty amazing things when I take the time to notice His workings in my life.

If you are anything like me, busy trying to navigate through this crazy mess called life, don’t miss the opportunities God sends your way.  Don’t get to busy that you miss your divine appointments.

If you have any cool stories about God’s work in your life, please comment.  I would love to hear all about it!

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Lighting the Way

October 5, 2012 2 Comments

I am experiencing a new way of learning this year—night classes!  I moved back home to save some money, so I attend classes at a local college.  Usually when I get home on my longest night of classes it is around 9:30-10:00.   I am sleepy and worn out.  As I head on the highway, cranking up my Christian music and singing as loud as I can, I discovered something.

I watch as the headlights in my car illuminate my path, just enough so I can see a little ways in front of me.  Isn’t that what Christ does for us?  He gives us just enough direction, help, encouragement to see what is facing us that day, hour, minute.  He doesn’t show us the entire path, just enough of what we are facing in that moment.  As much as I would love for Him to tell me exactly what I will be facing for the rest of my life, I am glad He doesn’t .  I am worrier, so that wouldn’t be beneficial for me.  I would be over thinking every situation.

Unfortunately, we live in a scary world, filled with family problems, illness, violence, economic crisis, poverty, you name it.  But, Christ is our light in that darkness. He gives us just enough light to make it through that moment.  I know I couldn’t make it without Christ.  I try to be a strong, independent woman and do things on my own, but that’s not how it works.  I try and fail because I am suppose to be depending on God.  We don’t like to seem weak, but we are weak.  The world says: “Do it on your own.  You don’t need anyone but yourself.  Strong, independent women are the ones that will make it in this world.”  Christ reminds me, “Rest in Me.  I love you so much that I would die for you.  Trust in Me because I hold your life in my hands.  Stop wearing yourself out by trying to do it all on your own.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-11

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul definitely got it right.  He realized that he was strongest when he was weak.  What a concept!  The world would laugh at that, but Christ can do amazing things through out weaknesses.

I imagine driving home from class without my lights on.  I would get lost or go right into the ditch.  Without Christ’s guidance in our life, without His light guiding our path, we get lost and confused.  As I am writing this, I am being convicted.  I haven’t been turning my “lights” on.  I haven’t been relying on Christ’s strength and reading my “car manual”, the Bible.  It is time to go back to the basics.

I can just keep the lights on and go about my day lost, worn out, confused.  Or I could turn my high beams on, trusting God will light my path and guide me in the right direction.

Psalm 119: 105

Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.

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Exercising Our Faith Muscle

July 15, 2012 3 Comments

(Wow, its been forever since I have blogged.  Summer classes, work, the list goes on…has been keeping me busy!  I am alive, so don’t worry haha!)

My favorite part of the day is the time I before I go to bed.  I love the time I have to read my Charles Stanley devotionals and Bible and to have quite time with God.   This week has been a challenging week.  I was in need of some divine encouragement.  While reading my devotional one day, I get that extra boost of encouragement I needed.

“If we all had lives of ease without opposition, trials or pain, we’d never really know God because we’d never really need Him…Adversity teaches us more about the Lord than simply reading the Bible ever will.” Charles Stanley

What an amazing thought.  If I had an easy time of it, if everyday was smooth sailing, I wouldn’t need to depend on Christ for strength.  Our struggles remind us of our constant need for God’s help in our life.  I was humbled this week.  I was battling a cold, knee pain, work issues, along with watching some of my family members struggle with debilitating health issues.  I was reminded that I can’t do it on my own–I need my Savior to walk alongside me and pick me up when I can’t go any longer.

While doing physical therapy on my knee this week I learned a lot about muscles.  My muscles are weak and I need to do exercises to strengthen them (which is not a fun process!)  Our faith like a muscle.  If we don’t exercise it, it will become weak; we need to constantly exercise it and use it in order to make it stronger.  God places difficult circumstance in our life to strengthen our faith.  It might not be easy, but in the end if will be worth it.  Knowing God has plan has helped me through difficult circumstances.

One of my favorite songs “This is the Stuff” by Francesca Battistelli.  This song played through my head this week.  I think these lyrics sum up how we feel during those rough days.

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that’s getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I’m blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

If you are having a rough time, know that God has plan for your life.  You are working your faith muscle, and you are going to have six-pack equivalent once you are done!  Praying God’s blessing over your life!

Filed Under: Christian Music, Learning Along the Way, My Life Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Rejection: Is it Part of God’s Plan?

June 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

I have struggled with rejection my whole life.  I try not to let it bother me, but I have to admit it gets to me.  This morning as I was getting ready for work, I was dwelling on rejection from past friends and peers. Why would God allow for me to go through such painful experiences?  Then a thought popped into my head, and I am pretty sure God had something to do with it.  Rejection is part of God’s plan and it has a purpose.

What if there is a reason why I and many other believers have gone through periods of rejection? And what if that reason is because God has a perfect plan–He is protecting us from relationships and friendships that aren’t right for us.

As much as it is hard to be rejected, knowing that God has a perfect plan for my life is comforting.  He knows what is good for my life and who is good in my life.  No matter what, I know Jesus loved me and you so much that He was willing to die for us.  He thinks we are beautiful, special, valuable, and lovable.  No amount of rejection can keep us from the love of Christ.  Now when I look back on those times when I was rejected, I realize that God had a plan even in that difficult time.  We serve a wonderful God!

If you are feeling discouraged and rejected today, know Jesus loves you more than you could ever know.  He thinks you are beautiful, special, valuable, and lovable.

Filed Under: Encouragement, Learning Along the Way Tagged With: , , , , , ,

I’ve Seem to Misplace Something…Grace

June 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

I have an addiction to knick-knack.  If you saw some of the cutsie things in my room, you would think I was a hoarder of all things knick knacks; I just can’t help myself.  I walked into my room today to discover my newest thrifting find was sitting under my desk–this new find is a wooden cross that has Grace painted on it.  Seeing the cross got me thinking…

As Christians, we fall in to a trap.  Sometimes without even realizing it, we start to think we are better than others, especially unbelievers (Many of us are guilty of this, including myself).  This starts to happen we when figuratively “lose our Grace.”  Now, I am not taking about God taking His grace away from us.  I am talking about when we forget we are sinners saved by grace.  We forget what grace is all about.  Grace is God giving us something we don’t deserve.  We don’t deserve salvation nor can we ever earn our salvation–it is a gift from God.  We didn’t earn our salvation because we did x, y, z but because God loved us.  So how are we better than others?  We aren’t, we are just blessed enough to come to know Jesus as our Savior.  This should spur us on to spread the Gospel so others can have a personal relationship with Jesus as well.

Ephesians 2:8: ”For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Imagine how silly this sounds.

  • “I know I am a wretched sinner, and I know I didn’t save myself, Jesus did.  But, something about me being saved just makes me a better person.”
  •  ”I sure hope there is enough grace for you too, but you never know.  Some of us just get more grace than others.  It depends on what measuring cup you use.”
  •  ”I think on the salvation scale, I might just be more saved than you because I helped at the church bake sale.”
  • “Some people just are savable; you just have to fit the part.”

I know this is an exaggeration but it reminds us how silly it is for us to think we are better than others, including nonbelievers.

We are all sinners.  Every single one of us, regardless of the sin and regardless of how many good works we have done.  We are on a level playing field.  God did all the work when He gave us the gift of salvation through His son–it was a gift.  So, the next time you feel yourself falling into the trap of the “I am better than you because….” remember the grace God has given you.  You didn’t save yourself, so don’t try and toot your own horn.  Don’t just shove that grace in the corner…humble yourself and remember the wonderful gift God has given you!

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Check It Out

June 18, 2012 2 Comments

I am excited today….some of my family, friends, and I have started a new website: What Would Jesus Have You Do?

Check out the new blog!

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Jesus, Faith, and GPS

June 16, 2012 6 Comments

A few weeks ago, my mom and I were looking for a new thrift store.  We were having a hard time finding the store, so I decided to enter the address in my iPhone.  Finally, we were on our way.  The cool thing about my GPS is that it shows you when you go off course and it has a blinking pin right on your destination.  So, if you pay close attention, you will successfully get to your destination.  Easy enough right?  Even with the GPS, we had some trouble finding the store, but we finally got there (We are directionally challenged).

I started to think about my Christian walk.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if Jesus gave us the coordinates of our destinations in life?  Then I could just enter it into my phone and know exactly where I  was going.  The blinky pin would be on my destination and it would show me when I was going off course.  That would be so cool!  But, it doesn’t work that way.  If Jesus gave us a GPS then we wouldn’t need faith to trust Him because we would know our life plan exactly, moment by moment.  One thing is for sure, if we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we know our final destination—heaven.  God doesn’t give us details instructions of where we are going and what bumps in the road we might face, but He does give us His perfect peace and His guidance and direction.  We are able to come to Him in prayer and ask for His guidance and will for our life.

If you are anything like me, you are a major planner.  I plan out my day, my week, my month, my school year, etc.  I plan what I am going to wear, what I am going to eat for breakfast, and what I am going to do after work.  Let’s just say I am a control freak.  Being a control freak and follow the guidance of someone; how does that work?

I am reminded of something my mom said today.  We were walking around a park that we aren’t too familiar with.  I had been to the park recently, so I knew my way around the park better than my mom did.  I told her, “Follow me, I know where to go.”  She didn’t hear me, and she started walking another path.  Then I remind her that I knew the way.  She said,”I guess I am not very good at following.”

The same is true in my Christian walk.  I am not very good at following.  Jesus is telling me, “Come on, Sarah, I already have a path for you, just follow me.  I know the way.”  But, I tell Jesus, “Sure, I will follow you, but first I want to do a few things.  I need to take a detour.”  But, that is not following Jesus.  If I want to be a follower of Christ, I have to give up my plans, and follow Jesus.  His plans and timing are far better than mine.

I came to a conclusion today.  I am missing the point; I am missing the boat.  I say I am a follower of Christ, but I am actually following Him?  Am I trusting Him?   I have been struggling because I want to make my own plans.  I have been going a million miles an hour trying to find a Christian mate.  But, today Jesus nudged me and said, “Sarah, I got it under control, just follow me and everything will fall into place.”  I decided to stop worrying about finding a mate; if it’s God will, it will happen.  Follow Jesus.  He is smarter and a better planner than all of us combined!

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It’s Not Up to Me

June 3, 2012 2 Comments

Like  any family dinner, dinner conversation can be interesting.  Our family talks about anything and everything, and usually the topic of my love life comes into conversation.  My dad thinks I spend to much time trying to find my prince charming and less time working at the family restaurant, so not true haha!  After my family discussed my prince charming pursuit, I proudly told my dad,  ”I am not going to get married, it is just to much work trying to find the right one.  And I don’t want to have to leave you and Mom.  I will just stay single.”

I find the most profound things are said at the most unlikely of times.

After telling my dad I wanted to stay single, he said, “It’s not up to you.  There is a plan, and everything happens for a reason.”

My dad reminded me that God has a perfect plan for my life.  If He plans for me to find a Godly man to marry, then I will be married.  If he plans for me to stay single, than I will stay single.  But, my dad’s advice doesn’t just apply to this situation.  God has a plan for every detail of our lives, and we can’t make the mistake of trying to take over and make our own plans.  I am not in charge and my planning is useless when God already has everything planned out.

I am so grateful to have such wonderful parents.  They are always there to remind me of God’s love and His plan for my life.

 ”‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Jeremiah 29:11

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