You changed me without even knowing

You came into my life at a time I wasn’t expecting it. But the funny thing is, the timing was perfect.

From the moment you swept in, you began shaping me, molding me, and changing me into someone new, someone better. You were changing me from the very beginning, and you didn’t even know it. That’s because you didn’t have to try to help me become better, you just had the ability to do it from the get-go.

You taught me things I could only learn from you. You showed me places I didn’t even know existed, places I didn’t even know we could travel to.

Without you, this blog may not exist, since you were the one who inspired me to start it. You have encouraged me to take up new hobbies such as painting and cooking, and to continue to dig deep into writing, to become a writer. You showed me that doing the hobbies I love don’t only benefit myself, but also those around me.

I find myself taking on new challenges, laughing like crazy, and feeling pure joy when I am with you.

Around you, I am the me I want to be. 

Surprises

I celebrated my birthday last week; and as we all know, with birthday celebrations come lots and lots of surprises.

“Life is full of surprises” is a common phrase, and isn’t it the truth! If you think about it, there is one mini surprise after another each and every day. Bumping into a friend at the grocery store, getting off of work 30 mins early…But what about those big surprises that really throw us off guard?

God puts things in our lives we aren’t expecting, things that aren’t in our plan. Sometimes we feel called to do something that we feel a little uncomfortable with, something new. So what do we do? We pray, take God’s hand, and walk the path He has put in front of us. Our life, our journey with God, is full of surprises.

And here’s the thing about surprises: Although they may make you feel confused, anxious and uncomfortable at first, they are always good. Has anyone ever walked into a surprise birthday party and after taking in the sight of a room filled with family and friends felt lousy and sad? I would hope not. In most cases, the person being surprised feels loved and happy! And that is how God surprises us and that is how He wants us to feel. Because in the end, ultimately, it is always going to be good.

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

So what we need to do is embrace God’s surprises, and trust and truly believe in the fact that His plans are good.

With that, I would like to encourage you to go outside your comfort zone today. Let the Holy Spirit guide you into situations where you might feel slightly uncomfortable, and see what surprises God has in store for you along the way.

Everything is going to be ok

My heart hurts, for both the good and the bad.

It could be a friend going through a rough time, or even the opposite – witnessing a loved one go through a really proud moment. Either way, my heart feels it.

And it always seems like I turn to others for comfort or to celebrate before I turn to God. Sometimes, it seems I don’t put my trust in God until the very end of the day. I grow tired during the day, and the end of the day is when I am ready to fully surrender it all to God. But what would happen if I put my trust in God at the beginning of the day and then sustained that trust throughout the day? Isaiah 40:31 reveals the answer: But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will sour on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

But do you know what the cool thing is about having the Holy Spirit inside of you?

Every night as I lay down to sleep, no matter what I am feeling, no matter how much I talked to God that day, no matter how much I surrendered -  I know for a fact that everything is going to be ok.

As I lay my head on the pillow, I can hear Him whisper – “everything is going to be ok.”

Imperfect

I have many great relationships;

               With wonderful friends,

                              A caring boyfriend,

                                             And a loving family.

God has blessed me with so many great people in my life.

So why do I worry,

               Why do I doubt,

                              And why am I sometimes unhappy with them?

Because none of these relationships are perfect.

We hurt each other,

               We cast burdens on one another,

                              And sometimes we are hard to handle.

No relationship can be perfect,

               Because no person is perfect.

The only perfect relationship we can have is with God,

               Even though we still mess up our side of the relationship.

So if relationships are sometimes hard,

               What keeps them going?

Love.

Love holds us together when all is falling apart,

               When it gets hard,

                              Love keeps us from scattering.

Love is powerful,

               Prayer is powerful,

                              And most importantly, God is powerful.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all the people you have blessed us with in our lives, even if our relationships with them aren’t perfect. Help us to love one another like You love us. Thank you for the power of love and the power of prayer. Amen. 

Weight on my shoulders

There is a weight on my shoulders.

I am carrying burdens,

                              My own and others.

Sometimes it gets too heavy,

               Sometimes I break down,

                              Sometimes I need to let go.

But what if there was no more weight?

Shouldn’t there be none because I should give it all to God?

My life is not my own, I know that.

               Although, I don’t always act on it.

But if I am truly Christian,

               I want to care for others.

                                             I want to carry their burdens.

                             

So having this weight makes sense.

As I grow in my faith,

               It seems the weight doesn’t go away,

                              But it keeps getting heavier.

But if I can handle it,

               With God’s strength if I can bear it,

                              Then is it so bad?

Would I really be living without weight?

                              Without burdens,

                                             Without sadness,

                                                            And without problems?

Somehow with this weight,

               I am happy.

Carrying this weight makes me feel like there is always something to improve,

               To overcome,

                              And to change.

If everything was perfect,

               Well that would be no fun at all.

As long as I can bear it,

               As long as I am ultimately relying on God and giving it to Him,

                              Carrying weight isn’t all that bad.

So I will keep living with weight for as long as I live,

               Because carrying weight means living. 

Reflecting and Remembering

See what He has done.

It’s reflection time! I have just finished my first year of college, and yes, a lot has happened.

How was your first year of college, Sarah?

Well, where do I even start? I have made new connections, survived school, and learned more about myself and others. I have strengthened past relationships, and obtained new ones. I got a job I am very passionate about, and became a part of leading student groups with causes that I care about. I survived dorm life, and started my own residence hall club within the dorms. I found a church, took up teaching Sunday school, and had opportunities to tell people about Jesus. I have gained new knowledge and new ideas for my future career. I am so thankful for all the experiences and opportunities I have had this first year.

And now, summer is here! It will be different and challenging, but yet another time in my life where I will be able to look back and see how God worked. But in order to move forward into summer in a good matter, I need to first look back.

So let’s reflect.  Do it with me.

What has God done in my life?

What did I accomplish with His help?

What new values or goals have I obtained for myself?

Looking back, there are a lot of good parts, some really great things have happened where I can pin point: that could not have happened without God’s hand on it.

But there are also parts where it is hard to look, times when there wasn’t much sun. But we can look at these times and ask ourselves:

What did I learn?

How did God reveal Himself?

And then you realize that God was there in the bad, He was in the midst of it. Looking back, you can see how He worked in the bad just like he worked in the good. And isn’t that amazing?

Now that we have looked back, we can now move forward. We can make goals for the summer, we can ask ourselves:

What do I want God to do in my life this summer?

Spiritual Fuel

Running the race God has put in front of us

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. – Hebrews 12:1

Before a big race, what do runners need? – A good breakfast and a good night’s rest. In other words, they need fuel.

If we want to glorify God every day, to run the race He has set in front of us, we also need fuel.

And the best kind of fuel is spiritual fuel. And how do we fill our tanks with spiritual fuel? – By reading God’s word.

If we fill our minds with Scripture, we will also be able to speak and act out Scripture. You know the saying: Put good in, get good out.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. – 2 Timothy 3:16

I often find myself recognizing when I don’t have enough spiritual fuel to last through the day. It gets to be towards the end of the day and my attitudes towards others are less loving, and my thoughts are more focused on myself instead of the needs around me. I start to find my comfort in those things that are earthly instead of focusing on eternity. I especially notice these attitudes and thoughts to be escalated when I don’t have any spiritual fuel in my tank. I found that as I grow in my faith, I want and need spiritual fuel in the morning when I wake up in order to have a good day, a day where I feel I am living to glorify Him. Maybe you feel this way too.

And it doesn’t just have to be in the morning. It can be listening to uplifting songs in the car radio, or reading an article online at lunch time. You could also fill your tank by doing good deeds for those around you – complementing a co-worker or sticking a post-it note with an encouraging message on a neighbor’s door.

Lord, thank you for creating us in Your image and for all the opportunities You give us every day to glorify You. Help us to fuel up with spiritual fuel by reading Scripture and praying to You every day. Help us not to get caught up in earthly things, but be focused on eternity. Thank you for Your sacrifice so that we may live. In Jesus’ name, Amen.