Spring

It's finally here!! A new season. Spring.
Everything is new and smells fresh.Oh, I love it!!!
New life comes to earth. New trees and fresh new flowers.
It is so beautiful.
Rain comes and hopefully lots of it.
I do my best not to complain, but oh how I love the smell of rain.
Washing the earth and rinsing it all clean.
It is so wonderful.
For my family, its new livestock. Our cows will start having their babies.
New births, they are precious.
Experiencing new life as one breathing creature after another comes into the world.
Lets not forget Easter.
The weekend that we remember Christ dying on the cross and on the third day HE AROSE!!
Only one word to describe that blessed day...awesome!

Spring is lovely, fresh, new, and beautiful.
It's crisp, cool mornings and evenings.
The afternoons are warmed up to that perfect 70 degree temperature.
For me, its an Easter dress and matching shoes to go with it. (This year I also want a matching Easter hat, so we'll see).
It's also hearing the baby birds in the morning, especially the ones who have found home on our porch.
It's Daddy getting his garden ready for the years crops. He will grow peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, beets, strawberries, and all sorts of other stuff.
Its new grass coming up so my cows will have something to graze.

I love Spring.
Its about new beginnings.

Life Happens

Things aren't always what they seem to be. We all have a brain, but not one is the same. The way that we interpret things is different. Not every one will make decisions the same exact way. Whether we believe it or not, we are all uniquely different from others. The reason why I began with the statement  I chose is because of what I have had to face. Some people think that I have it all put together. If you think that, then you really don't know me. That's ok though. But for the ones who do know me, you can tell when I'm not my usual perky, bubbly self. Sometimes I don't even have to be in a mood, I could just be having one of those days. Hey!! It's called life for a reason and life happens!!
My life, I'm sure with several others around, has not turned out the way I thought it would. What do I have to say about that? Well, being a Christian I say the reason why it has not turned out the way I planned is because I tell myself and others that its not about what I want, but what God has planned already for my life. Everything has indeed happened for a reason. It's a reason that has been divinely orchestrated by God Himself.
I am having to learn several life lessons. Some are difficult to grasp and some are easy catch. However, I am also learning how control my minds thoughts. Again, sometimes easy; sometimes not.  There's a list of thoughts that I have written on my bathroom mirror to remind me what kinds of thoughts I should be thinking. These thoughts have already been of great help to me during this month of February. For example, there is a thought that says, "I am content and emotionally stable." I about busted out laughing when I saw it. I knew immediately that this was one I would have to work on. Contentment has become more accepting, but the emotionally stable part, not so much. This past year has been really testing me emotionally. So my goal for the past 28 days has been to change my way of thinking and to get a start and get grounded in my thoughts. For me it's been possible to do so because I have been reading my Bible more everyday. It has not felt like a chore. My prayer life is growing. I could be in my works supply room, and if you were to come in and hear me talking to myself, more than likely I am praying. The one thing I like that I have noticed is I am laughing more. I do not like the feeling of depression. It's a lonely place to be, but I am far from being lonely. God has never left me. I have a family. I have friends, several church family, and great people that I work with. God has indeed blessed me. My faith and hope are renewed. I am ready to move forward.

Pure Perfection: CHRIST

I believe that it has finally clicked. Well, it's at least getting to that point.

No one can ever love you like Jesus will.
No one can ever care for you like Jesus will.
No one can ever satisfy you like Jesus will.
No one can ever value you like Jesus will.

Believe what Jesus can and will do for you. Know that man will fail you. No one is perfect, but we seem to keep searching for that perfection in ourselves and in man. When really the only one who is perfect is Christ.

Valentine's Day

This years Valentine's Day has been by far the best I have ever experienced. Let me tell you why. I began a new job towards the middle of October as an after-school teacher here at a local church. After only being employed for about 3 1/2 months I am given the opportunity to become an assistant Pre-school teacher for Pre-K program. For me it was an honor and a privelidge to even be thought of, and of course I accepted. These past couple of months have been amazing. Never in a million years would I have thought of myself as a teacher. In fact, six months before even considering the after-school position, I would have not put myself as a teacher. Truly, it has to be the plan of God. Someone even made the statement, "I think you found your calling." Well, I guess so.

The children that I teach are really awesome kids. I tell the surrounding teachers that my class is the best. The candy that is shown above just goes to show how awesome they are. I am blessed beyond measure!!!

What Makes Me

Something that I have always struggled with is trying to please the people around me and caring way too much about what they think. It's a battle that I still fight even today. There are days that I don't feel good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, but its all a lie. To be honest though, I have fallen for the lie several times. I will beat myself up for it too. The mind that we have will either be trained to work for us or against us. Who trains the mind? Well, I have trained my mind to think the way it does. However, I am on a mission. The goal is to change my way of thinking. Stop being so hard on myself. I'm not supposed to be like anyone else, so why even bother trying? I am not those other people. I am Sarah. So what if my life has not turned out the way I thought it would, at least I'm not miserable. I am not depressed. I am beyond blessed.
 
On the other hand, I feel like I should care what people think of me. People should be able to believe what I say; they should know that if I say that I'm going to do something, then I will do it. People should see a woman who is confident in who she is and what she believes. Even when I am confident, if people don't like it, then its okay.


Don't judge me based on what you see on the outside, but on the inside. I came to the realization a while back that I am by no means perfect. I can strive for perfection, which is cool, but I will not obsess over the thought. Perfection will come soon enough. That's when Christ comes and takes His children home. 

After Midnight Soundtrack

One of my favorite things to do is go outside, after dark, and walk. Most of the time I take my music player with me, but the past two nights I haven't taken anything with me. Before going outside, I will write in my journal questions and thoughts; what I'm talking to God about. Then I go out the front door and begin to pray. Nothing in my ears playing; all I hear is God's nighttime orchestra.
Last night was great because along with what I was already hearing, a storm was coming close. Lightening flashes, thunder beginning to roll, and every now and then, you feel a rain drop. It was so beautiful. I asked God to let it rain. Either the day before or a couple of days before I remember reading a love letter from my Groom that He would send something to remind us of how much He loved us. Well, I asked for rain. It might sound strange, but I really enjoy the rain. I like how it feels. It feels so crisp and cool. I like how it smells. It smells clean and fresh. I like how it looks. Everything about the rain, I like. So as I was walking, talking with the Lord last night I told Him why I like the rain. When it rains, its like the earth is getting a rinse over; a shower. It has to be cleaned off from all the junk. Well, I thought about my life in a spiritual sense. I need it to rain down and pour on my life and wash away the junk that does not and should not be there. Now, I love the Lord with all my heart, but that doesn't mean that when I got saved that life would be easy and that I would have a free ride to everything. Life is not fair, but God is still faithful. He reminds us in the little things just how much He loves us.

Come Away With Me

To all the Jesus Culture fans you will recognize the title. One of my favorite things to do is listen to Praise and Worship, especially songs that are intimate and prophetic. Songs that really embrace the love that God has for His children. It brings joy to my heart to be reminded how much God loves me. The lyrics of this particular song are:

Come away with me, Come away with me

Its never too late, Its not too late for you

I have a plan for you

It's gonna be wild, It's gonna be great, It's gonna be for me

Open up your heart and let me in

The spirit of God is saying to me, "Come away with me!"

The words are simple, but why is it the act so difficult? Our flesh, maybe. Our minds....how about this? Our hearts.

Our spirit needs to be in tune with the Holy Spirit. He's calling us to come away with Him. He wants us to spend as much time with Him as we can; He has all the time in the world for you and for me. We're always saying how "busy" we are, but have you seen God's schedule? Hello!! Okay so I might be stretching it a bit, but I am only trying to make a point. Our time tables are not God's time tables. He operates on His own time. He has over 6 billion people to take care of and look over; you have how many? He still makes time for you and me. God never says that His next appointment is about to arrive, so you need to wrap it up. No! He loves you enough for you to get everything out on the table.

He's saying, "Son/Daughter! Come away." Don't you want to get away where its just you and God? No distractions of your "busy" life. If God said to me right now, "Sarah! Get in your car and drive. I'll show you where to go!" Honey, you would not have to tell me twice. When it comes to spending some intimate time with God, four things I have handy: Bible, Journal, Pen, and Prayer Shawl. Sometimes God will lead me just to the quietness of my bedroom. He just wants you to come away with Him. You be amazed at how much God would reveal to you if you just got alone with Him. Bask in His presence. Don't try and get out of it either, blessings come and blessings go. Don't miss out on your blessing or on what God has in store to share with you.

Come away!!

Come away daughter!

Come away son.

Come away father!

Come away mother.

All children of God, "Come away! Open up your heart and LET ME IN!"