Dear Natalie

I'm such a small ant!

2011-07-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

I've had so many conversations lately of people not knowing where to head, directionless, life seeming too big and possibly having to end up settling. I hate it. I deal with it too sometimes. Where situations seem too overwhelming. Trying to take it into my own hands but realizing it's way heavier than I can even carry then left being stressed, sick, and tired. It's not how we were meant to live. And we actually don't have to, thankfulllly!

Last month I went back to Chicago in that very state... ready to give up and throw in the towel and just be normal and do something easy. I wrote down every problem that I had in my life. Literally everything I could think of...it was long. Finally after doing that and looking at it for awhile God asked me...."What's the problem here? I don't really see a problem." I realized I was looking at it all from the wrong perspective. If I saw it all from His view (a WAY birds-eye view BTW) it seemed pretty miniscule. Allllll already taken care of, provided for, wiped clean. He wasn't sitting up there going "Dang Sarah...yeah you got yourself quitttee the problems there..not sure how we're gonna figure this one out." No!!! He is holding it all yet I'm trying to be like..."Nah, I can carry it!!" How ridiculous does that even sound??

If instead of freaking out in every situation we sat down looked at things clearly removing crazy emotions and had God show us his perspective, how much easier would everything go!? We would be so much more peaceful, have so much more direction, and literally nothing would be too hard! How weird to think that that's actually possible.

Think of other things in life that you literally don't worry about cause you already know it's a small issue. It doesn't worry you a bit. Like how you're going to swim to the other side of the pool...well that used to be HUGE at one point! God has already conquered it all and for us as well. So how much simpler to see it as already conquered!!

If you look at Jesus' life...He ALWAYS had God's perspective on things. He was always bigger than every situation. Nothing stumped him. Why can't that be ours as well?

Let's stop being ants trying to run through a maze never being able to figure out our way, with a huge load on our backs as well, and rise above by asking God for His perspective in each area! He'll show you and you can soar above it! Get up off that ground!! It's litterally NO BIG DEAL!!!

Investing your kisses.

2010-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here this morning looking out the window and just thinking... thinking about life and love and everything else that comes across my mind...
Of course being a girl, though, it always seems to wander to the more romantic side of life... dating, kissing for the first time, getting married... ya know the normal stuff;)
Sitting here contemplating all this I was thinking, "why?" Why am I keeping myself for my husband? Why am I not dating every guy that comes across my path? Why am I not making out with random guys...? Why?
It's not like it says not to in the bible... it's just not super clear about all of that unfortunately!
Yes, it says to live in purity... but what is defined as purity? Especially in our day and age compared to theirs?
So thinking about why... I realized that it all goes back to vision. For me in my life I know that if I have a purpose and vision guiding me I'm going to say no to opportunities that come my way that don't line up with that or are distracting... it keeps me on course and it's the most direct path to what I am called to do! I have a view on the future and that is going to give me permission to say no, now. Even though it may be hard I know that the future outcome is worth it.
I feel it's the same in relationships and the physical sides of them, also. If my goal is a strong healthy marriage without a ton of baggage or hurts from the past what can I say no to now to get to that place? (Not saying that you can't have a great marriage and have a lot of baggage from the past cause there is always grace and redemption... but if I can make the choice now to not have to go through all of that... now's the time to choose!)

Dating just for the heck of dating... I would LOVE to go out and date someone right now... it'd be so fun.. I get some nice attention and I get that "guy" spot in me filled for awhile! It be a blast! But in the long run what's it for? To satisfy my needs right now. Bad investment of time and energy-emotionally and physically. It's like a mini divorce in the end.
Kissing just for the heck of kissing... Gosh that would be nice if some guy that I kinda liked just came wrapped his arms around me picked me up and kissed me... it'd be so amazing. For that minute. Annnddd a couple minutes after of course....
But what about thinking about that same kiss when I'm going to kiss my future husband for the first time and starting to compare the two... and all that mess? Not a good investment for my original goal.
Same for everything else in between... as far as sleeping with someone... not a good investment for the end goal. Obviously.
All these things develop emotional and physical ties to these people as well as terrible heartbreak that can mostly be avoided if we have our eyes on the future...

What is an investment? Something that you put away right now...so that it can be even bigger and greater in the future.
All these things that I am saving are investments that I am putting into a "long term investment fund" for my marriage. Yeah it's hard! It's crazy hard sometimes.
But in the end if you really look at it obviously most of the world has not been thinking about their investments much if most of the marriages are ending these days...
So I'm ready to change that statistic. And hold these things so precious... not being the lazy servant but the wise one. Having an eye for the future and not just the NOW pleasures.

Matt 25:14-28
It will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

The Source.

2009-12-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Wow. I’m sorry I’ve neglected this blog for so long. Looking at the date of when I last posted I understand as I started teaching photography internships then throughout the summer pretty non stop. Finally getting time to reflect over the year and see what God has done has given me inspiration to write again! Hopefully there will be more posts in the next couple weeks as well!

Well, this past 6 months or so has been like no other in my life. I had close to 20 interns that came and lived with me for 10 days to learn everything about how to start their company, it was amazing time as I hosted 6 internships throughout the summer. Late nights, early mornings, long deep talks, ect. I definitely get pumped up from all of that..but it is constant pouring out all of who you are...which can be draining sometimes.

After the internships came to a close I started hanging out with a new group of friends! Growing up homeschooled and then starting my business very young I never really had a group of people that I would just hang out with...that was more what I would do with my family.

I got SO excited about this whole new experience that I literally wanted to hang out ALL the time. And we did! Ha! After awhile though and the “honeymoon” phase started dying down. I came to realize that I was completely drained in every area: physically-cause we were staying up SO late all the time; emotionally-cause I wasn’t around anyone that I had known for a long time; spiritually-cause I was putting all the fun times first before God and not making Him a priority at all; and even business wise I kinda checked out cause I was so worn out from the summer.

Finally, I was starting to feel the pressure of all this...and went to God. Duh! Can’t believe we do that once the heat turns out...rather than when everything is fine! It’s completely backwards!
He really ministered to me about first to inspect the walls(boundaries) in my life to see if I had let any get torn down or corrupted. To not open any door to the enemy in my life. Not even a crack. Also, he showed me that if I really want to see His signs and wonders and miracles in my life and others...I can keep hoping and hoping...but if a cord is hoping for power but is laying on the ground not plugged in, no matter how much it hopes for it it won’t get power until it’s PLUGGED IN! Whoa! What a concept! ha! He was showing me that I simply need to stay SO connected to Him and His spirit. To not ignore it. That yeah I can have these fun times and all but to never put him on the back burner through it all otherwise these, fruitful times won’t ever happen. They’ll stay purposeless useless...but fun times.

I was trying to draw strength from myself to be able to impact people. But that can only last so long until you burn out. Staying connected to that outlet(God) constantly...you can keep pouring out and overflowing all the time...and HE gives you the strength to do it! And keeps those walls intact too!! Sooo today....inspect those walls in your life, don’t open the door to the enemy. And STAY PLUGGED IN to THE Source! I love you all!!

Shoes.

2009-04-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Something that has been coming up in a lot of conversations lately and came up again yesterday at church... is faithfulness. Being a good steward.
I think it's something that gets looked over A LOT of the time as we are so focused on just getting things done. I was talking to one of my best friends, Sarah Chellappa, the other day and she is studying world religion. She was sharing with me that in Hinduism they believe that everything they have is from god. So they treat it so well, they don't throw their stuff around but believing that it is from god or is a god they treat it with the utmost care.
I started to think, why don't we do that?? I take soooo much of what God has given me for granted and not been a very faithful steward with my: finances, time, friends, my stuff, etc...
I heard a story years ago from a highly succesful guy names Peter Daniels. Basically when he was little he wasn't given much hope for his future whatsoever, told by his teachers that he would never amount to anything he started believing. Then in his late 20s when he was illeterate he decided that is NOT the way he wanted to live anymore... he taught himself to read and started making just little changes in his life, being faithful with the very little he was given. It was as basic as putting his shoes back in the closet exactly where they belonged. On his way to work about 45 min into the drive he realized that he hadn't put his shoes in the closet and litterally turned around and went back to do it. THAT is how disciplined he had to be with himself being faithful in the small but that discipline and trustworthiness poured over into so many other parts of his life that now he's either a multi millonaire or billionaire in Australia...just from taking those small steps in the beginning.
Whether it is putting your shoes back in your closet, making your bed in the morning, doing what you say you are going to do, or not buying that outfit that you don't realllly need.
I've always wondered why the rich keep getting richer and the poor poorer... it's all about the stewardship, how you value what you've been given? Treating it like treasure rather than squandering it! It's best illustrated here...
"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth....."His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! ....Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
"'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'
"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away." Luke 19:20-26

Time to put those shoes back in the closet!!

Me me MEEEEE time!

2009-03-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I was walking through the airport I had my ipod blairing into my headphones and a iced tea from starbucks in hand. I was planning on hopping on the plane and getting some serious work done...I had this down to a science. I was feeling sooo cool. Until all of a sudden my ipod just breaks...pretty much sounding like a ticking bomb about to explode. Oops.
All of a sudden I came back to reality and started asking God for ways in where I can truly be humble cause I hated that spirit of pride that can creep up so slowly.
I walked onto the plane to it sooo thankfully being close to empty! YEAH! I could have a whole row to myself! First I had to find my real seat and sit down then I could move to another spot once the doors were closed! As I headed down the aisle I was getting closer and closer to what I feared to be my seat and who I feared to be my seat buddy....
An ollllld old skinny cowboy who smelled like a keg of bear, licked his lips like the joker in Batman and was just pretty much scary!! I sat next to him in the little two seater side of the plane and waited patiently for those doors to close so I could switch seats...when all of a sudden I felt God saying to me..."no you won't! You're going to stay right here and talk to him!" As I had JUST 3 minutes early prayed for just this sort of thing...but of course I thought it was would come in a more glamorous way of course;)
But I had MY agenda! I needed my ME time! This was my last of 3 flights of the day and I was done with any human contact. I just wanted to bury my face in my work and zone everyone out...or just stretch out and sleep! Instead I talked to him the entire hour and a half flight home. At first it was sort of a drudgery...but God started opening my heart to him...and I was able to see him how God did: SOOO loved! By the end of that time I was more refreshed than even a 10 hour nap would supply! I was so energized and excited about what God was going to do in this guys life...I asked him what I could pray for him for and he lit up like a child at a candy store..I don't know if anyone had ever asked him that! He just kept thanking me for asking him that for the rest of the flight!
Sooo here..I could've chosen the ME time and gotten a little work done but probably would've been even more wiped out..but instead pouring into this guys life it beat out any kind of ME time that I could've had!
It is important to get away with God and get refreshed...I do it all the time...but when it is constantly about you...you are actually draining yourself!! It litterally depletes you! Which is sort of crazy but it's true!
Look for people and opportunities to have a little reverse ME time with!! It will refresh you...but even more THEM! Just being available with no agenda..just to listen, serve, speak and pray! Being able to set everything aside that YOU want to accomplish and just being there for them for their ME time! Try it today! You will be blown away! :)
Matt. 20:28- Just as the Son of Man came not to be waited on but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many[the price paid to set them free].

I have TOO many friends!

2009-03-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

So my sister Natalie and I were talking the other night about friends...we both somehow seemed to have been blessed with a TON of them...
Growing up I had a solid core group of friends from church that were my best friends...we rarely fought as it was just us...we sort of had cliques but they were pretty inclusive.
Once I was 14 everything changed...We moved to a new church and with it came a new set of friends, then onto my photography business, interns, an even newer church, clients, photographers, moving to Nashville, and finally my church down here! Which now means I have friends all over the globe and hundreds of them! It is REALLY hard to keep track of everyone and to stay in touch AND to make them all feel loved because I truly do want all of that. Thank God Facebook makes that a lot easier!
Something I realized though is that the more friends you have the less the quality of time and emotion you can devote to your core group! It gets spread thin to everyone else!! Don't get me wrong...being able to help alot of people with who God's created you to be is the best...but I'm specifically talking about those you pour your heart out to...
With my sister it was getting harder and harder cause as her friend list grew each one felt like it was supposed to be almost a best friend! And no matter how hard you try you can not have 55 best friends! One of the best piece of advise that I was given a while ago was to sit down for a couple hours and write down your friend list...allll the people in your life that you would consider a friend...and pray over it...see which ones you are really supposed to pursue right now, which ones were seasonal(meaning maybe it was just for a time and now it's time to move on), which ones are best friends, friends, people that you are mentoring or is a ministry opportunity, people who are your mentors and the people that you are on the same level as(iron sharpening iron). Also, if any of those people could be considered acquaintances?? People you've met and will sometimes hang out with and talk to but wouldn't necessarily call on the phone or go out to dinner with. This helps sooo much in knowing where to devote your time!! Realize that you are not put on this earth to be everyone's best friend...but only a few...
Also...if you already are the type with just a few friends do this anyways...it helps so much in evaluating where each friendship is going...if it's uplifting or going nowhere! Also if there are acquaintances that God would like to move to friendship but you just being open!! Take some time to do this!! I KNOW I NEED TOO! :)

I can top that!

2008-12-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

Ahhh onto more vulnerability... I'm sure I'm not the only one who deals with this sort of thing..at least I hope not!
The next thing that has really come out in the past couple weeks through seeing this whole "need for validation" thing is trying to PROVE myself. Thinking welllll if they don't know me and WHO I am...then I'll just have to show them!

IT. IS. PRIDE. Yuck....I've discovered it so strongly in my life and who I am, trying to tell allll the amazing things I've accomplished, when someone tells a story trying to top it, telling where I live or who I'm related to. It all goes back to the need for validation and is so incredibly selfish. Sure maybe it inspires people, maybe helps them see more... but all it does for you is keeps inflating that balloon more and more...and balloons WILL pop eventually.
For me the times that I discover that I do it the most are when I don't know what else to talk about, I feel bad about myself, or I want to prove myself.

Ugh... it is so hard. But I have been learning soooo much lately about servanthood and humility... obviously God knows that I need it! Today I opened right up to Micah 6:8 - He has showed you Oh man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God.

The VERY best that we can do is to...1. SERVE....anywhere and everywhere we can, not to get glory for what we've done but to truly see a need and accomplish it. It get's us out of ourselves and our own self preservation and a heart after others. 2. Ask questions...get interested in others and BOOST them up! Stand firmly in who YOU are in Christ and then you are able to pull other people up there too!

We usually view talking about how great we are and boosting ourselves up as high and lofty but it's actually one of THE lowest down and out things you could do! Be a present to unwrap! Let people ask about you and then you can share....HUMBLY still but the more interested you are in others the more that it boosts THEM up, you up, and helps that little pride balloon start deflating more and more.
It is something you have to keep a check on daily, watch every word that comes out of your mouth, how many times are you saying "I"??? IIIIIIII say it a lot, I've discovered! Make most of your talk end with a question mark....that is when you will know that you aren't talking about yourself! Here is a video to perfectly sum this up!! I love you alll!

PLEASE tell me I'm great!

2008-12-11T07:48:00.000-08:00

Ok...so I'll post about Fear part 2 in a little bit.. but this is really strong on my heart and what God has really been working in me HARD lately! This is a REALLY vulnerable post and some of it actually from my private journal... but I thought it would help you all:)

I'm sitting here today with A LOT on my mind.... moving to a new town and out on my own has caused me to wake up to a lot in my life that I didn't know about! It's hard discovering strong weaknesses in yourself that you wish you could just simply forget about one day and they'd be gone! They are deep rooted, ingrained issues that only God can really help you root out! The first is Validation....
I need it. I crave it. It's what I think about and what affects my mood. I never realized it until recently how strong an impact and pull it has in my life. To know that I am worth something to someone, to know I am good in the world, to know that I am making an impact.

I've starved for it lately as I haven't been receiving it as regularly as I would back at home. I would receive it from everyone I came in contact to practically. "Ohhh! You are Joe Barlow's daughter!! I heard allll about you." "Nooo way.. You are Barlowgirls cousin!! I LOVE them!! I want to be your friend." "Are you SARAH ANNE?? Like the photographer?? I LOVE your work!!"
To be recognized and acknowledged by those that I don't even know but also by those I know and love to constantly be lifting me up and encouraging me was the norm. It's what I've been built on. And yet with that I constantly NEED more. More and more. And more. It is NEVER enough. I may feel validated and wonderful one day and horrible the next. Those are surfacy words that I may always remember but never necessarily believe about myself... only that remembrance of the little high that I got when I received it.

God has been training me so much lately though in how He sees and values me and how it relates to a queen...He has me really in an Esther season right now.... in relation to a queen and validation he showed me that in being Queen.... she can not depend on others validating her. She HAS been validated. She knows her position and stands in it. If people don't agree that is their own fault.

She is the one that validates others from the firm validation she herself has received. She KNOWS who she is. It's not a daily questioning... well AM I a queen? Am I good enough? Am I smart enough or talented enough? NO! Even if she was none of these except queen.. she would STILL be queen and whatever she did would become the norm!

I desire to know that no matter how many friends I have, how popular I am, or how beautiful I am...I am STILL so solidly validated by God Himself... that even if no one ever gave me a compliment again...I would be SO sure in who He has made me to be that I wouldn't waver! I would stand up and be the "queen" He has created me to be.

To fear or not to fear?? Part uno....

2008-11-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Natalie, I haven't written in a LOONG time which I'm bummed about...but life definitely caught up over the summer! The past couple weeks though I've really been seeking about what to write! God is really working on me in SOO many different areas that I feel like every one is half way there! Probably THE most obvious and right in my face one right now though is the area of FEAR! The good, the bad, and the ugly of it! He has been really teaching me about all sides of it! I've really struggled lately in this area...fear of flying, fear of sickness, fear of not having enough, fear of not hearing God's voice correctly, ect...it just keeps popping up in most of the things I've been doing lately that last night it finally came to a peak I am DONE with this!
Two days ago I was praying and God gave me the word FEARLESS for me to meditate on... that I am fearless in everything I do! That I move forward confidently, with boldness and with FAITH! I realized I had let my faith level drop in a lot of areas and not keeping what God has said about my future before me! I let circumstances and petty things distract me!
It says in the bible that God has not given me a spirit of fear but a spirit of POWER, LOVE and a sound mind....so any time anything occurs to us that is opposite of these 3 things it's from the enemy! Also, when we are tempted with fear...and it's just that a temptation...and it also says in the bible that where there is a temptation there is ALWAYS a way out!...but when we are tempted with that spirit of fear we receive 3 others to combat it that are far more powerful that fear could ever defeat; power, love and a sound mind!!! Know that YOU have a call and destiny on your life! Take a promise that God has given you and STAND ON IT...even if there is no other possible hope around you keep standing on that at least! Walk confidently in God's plan for you! Pray Psalm 91 over yourself if that fear is creeping up...pray angels surrounding you and plead Jesus' blood over you! You know when the Israelites back in Egypt were commanded to put that lambs blood over their doorposts so there first borns could live...it was because the angel of death was coming through the camp and if it saw blood over the doorpost it meant death had already happened there so it could just move on. Well we have it even better now! Jesus died so WE can plead HIS blood over ourselves and it's telling the enemy...uh uh...you can't touch me! Death has ALREADY happened here!!! That is our PROMISE!! Stand on it and don't let the enemy tell you any different!! You are FEARLESS!!!!!
Love you!

Where did that cloud come from??

2008-04-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks I have been dealing with something that I'm VERY not used to.... I know that God has really given me such joy in life and I love to laugh constantly so what happened? Well the light seemed to dim.... I had NO clue what was going on! All I knew was that I couldn't hear from God clearly! There was so much confusion everytime I would try and listen for him! Just plain static! I got really upset about it which then got me into this depressed state! "What the heck!!!! THIS is NOT me!" I would think so many times!

Sometimes I felt God was leading me one way but then at the same time the other way! It was craziness! I finally met up with one of my friends and found out that she was dealing with the exact same thing and that a couple nights earlier we were dealing with the same kind of depression! I didn't want to do anything!
Finally, last week I broke down to my dad and was like "DAD! I don't know what to do! I can't hear God's voice clearly and I feel like I'm just hearing everything under the sun to distract me!" It was amazing too because that morning it was just getting pretty rough and finally I cried out to God asking Him for a clear word from Him! Well I went to church that morning and my dad was talking all about distractions and that when you are on your way to victory so many times the enemy will try and stop it with confusion and distractions! To combat it we have to get pumped up with the word!! The higher the word "level" we have in our hearts the harder it is for the enemy to lie to us! That afternoon when I was sharing everything with my dad finally he is like "Sarah, just go up into your room and start confessing the word!" He was like do it even if you have to for 3 days! Don't let the enemy get a foothold! I went right up and started praying, reading the bible and worshipping!! Then I wrote a little prayer out to keep my mind on track and I just said it over and over and over again until I felt this thing lift and guess what?? It did!!!! Thank God!!

It's interesting too because during that time I was looking back in my journal at the different scriptures that God had given me and one was from Isaiah 60:1- Arise from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you-rise to a new life! Shine be radiant with the glory of the Lord, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!
When I first got that verse I was like, God I'm not depressed!! He was just preparing me though and giving me weapons against the enemy!

He also showed me Luke 4 which basically in there it talks about right before Jesus came into his REAL calling that he had to go through a time of testing so he was led out into the desert and was tested and tempted by the enemy there for 40 days!! Wow!! Mine only lasted a couple days he was MUCH more enduring that I am! ha! After the devil took him to all these places and even tempted him with scripture Jesus still said no because he knew why He was there and what His calling truly was! So it was easy for him to say no!! And to say no WITH the scripture!! Just like I was doing! After that whole time he was then indued with power and then was released into His full calling!! Even though the path was mighty rough getting there I'm SURE it was worth it! Especially since he passed that test of temptation!!
I know this is something that a lot of you deal with!! You CAN pass it!!! Say NO to the enemy now with the word! And watch that cloud disperse!! I love you all so much!! :)

How usable are you??

2008-02-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

The other day I was preparing for our young women’s group for our church…which this time I was the only leader! Yikes! It was actually 15 minutes before it started and I still didn’t have anything solid…finally I went into my room and was like “God! I need something to teach the girls tonight!” I asked Him where I should turn to in the bible and I felt like I was supposed to go to Daniel 1 for some reason…odd!

Basically it talks about how when Daniel was working for the king..they wanted to feed him all this crazy fancy food! But he didn’t want to defile himself…because a lot of it was the type of food that God had forbidden the Jews to eat! He asked to eat vegetables and water instead! You might think YUCK!! Who would ask for veggies and water if they had a huge banquet in front of them?? They MUST be out of their mind! But….it keeps going and said that for 10 days Daniel and his friends ate just the vegetables and water…as a test…just to see who would be healthier and better looking afterwards…well sure enough..Daniel and his friends won the contest! It says that they were stronger and healthier than any of the other men!

I was like…ok God so what am I supposed to teach out of this?? That the girls are to eat veggies now all the time?? Lol! No! He reminded me that the day before he had given me another verse out of 2 Timothy 2….basically it says that God has made some of us for awesome purposes like pots of gold and silver…but others he has made for just everyday menial stuff…like clay pots…I was like wait a minute God you are not a respecter of people though! You don’t have favorites! Then I kept reading though and realized that it’s MY choice what kind of pot I want to be! It says those who keep themselves clean and set apart will be used for great purposes!!

I’ll actually post the verse here…“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.”

So basically if you get rid of the stuff in your life that is contaminating you and keeping you as an everyday vessel God can use you and you will become a beautiful vessel that can be used for incredible world changing stuff!

How amazing is that!! But here gets to the hard part….the part that was THE hardest to teach the other night too…What are you feeding yourself with? The other night we were over at our cousins house and started watching some movie after awhile there just got to be too much “stuff” in it… not even bedroom scenes…just a lot of talk! And finally we all had to turn it off because we know what God has called us to and the influence that we want to be so we had to shut if off to keep ourselves clean! You might be watching something or listening to something and some questionable things come on…what do you do? Do you think it just goes past you?? NO!! You are letting it in and the more you let in the more you are opening the door to sin and lessening your capacity of God really being able to use you!

Trust me….I am TOTALLY going through this too and it is always a process!! But I know that the more I set myself apart for God the more he honors that and can use me!

I had the girls make a list of boundaries that they were going to set for THEMSELVES in areas that they wouldn’t cross, put before their eyes or their ears…I know for me….that if there is a bedroom scene, nudity, talking about sex in songs, swear words in songs, etc, then I don’t watch it or listen to it! Now these might not be your boundaries…yours may be more strict or less…but go to God and ask him to reveal to you what to cut out so that he can truly use you and you can be a beautiful sparkling vessel of GOLD!!

Getting your eyes off love

2008-02-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

Finally back to posting! :)
I have been talking to a lot of people lately about exhausting your single years!
If you really look around VERY few people actually take advantage of being single! Basically you’re little, young, too young to date, then 16 or 18…sometimes younger than that and people start dating! Then break up, then drama, then find someone else and repeat the process until they get married!

If you look around basically every song, every movie, most ads are all about love or being in a relationship! It’s what our culture is driven by! People want to feel needed AND they need a time filler cause otherwise they don’t know what to do with their time!

I was listening to the radio the other day and really got so sad after listening to it because they were interviewing people and almost all of them said all they loved to do was go to parties, go to the movies, and hang out with their friends and boyfriends! What a waste of precious time! Now don’t get me wrong…I absolutely LOVE to do all of that..(except haven’t hung out with a boyfriend yet;)…but it’s not what I live for or what most of my time consists of!

You see once we get married, which I know a lot of you are looking forward to, you have a WHOLE new set of responsibilities..and your life is not your own! And that is for the REST of your life too!

Why not use these VERY few years before you get married to see the world, discover who God’s really created YOU to be, pursue your dreams for your life, and impact people’s lives! Then you’ll look back at those single years and won’t have regrets but will have exhausted every minute of it not waiting around for a guy or filling up the time with time wasters but living it to the complete full!!

I know that right now….I don’t care if I get married in 3, 5, 8 years or even ever! I’m so absolutely content in where God has me and in ALLLLLL that he has me doing that I’m such on a high right now! I KNOW that this is the way to be single…not desperate, lonely, or drama filled. But so satisfied with life and not having to be distracted with every distraction the world sends my way! It’s THE most fulfilling thing ever! HA…and I thought I wanted to get married when I was 18;)…LOL

Take Action!

2007-12-06T19:42:00.001-08:00

It's amazing what GOOD friends will do for you! They really get you thinking and keep you on the right track!
I've had some of the best conversations the past couple days especially about stepping out and doing what God has called you to.
I feel like we always wait and step out when it feels comfortable and everything is in place rather then stepping out when the waters seem rough and watch it all fall into place.
God really wants us to trust Him fully and His plan for us and if we just continue to wait until WE feel comfortable to do what He has called we'll never accomplish it or never to the potential that he has planned!
It is truly only OUR choice whether we live this life to the richest it can possibly be or just a safe(boring) life!

If God is guiding you into an area usually it is bigger than you think you can possibly do on your own. Which is His perfect plan because He doesn't want you to do it on your own in the first place! He wants to to ask for His help and wisdom! He LOVES to be needed and of course we DESPERATELY need Him especially if we hope to accomplish even just the smallest portion of all that He has called us to we'll need His help!

Sooo first. Find what areas of your life that you are holding back and waiting until you feel comfortable(because honestly you probably won't ever feel comfortable stepping out!).
Second. STEP OUT and TAKE ACTION! Really the only risk you are taking is to stay where you are...or go UP! So take your pick! :)
Third...and this should be during the whole time, ask God for His Wisdom on how to accomplish it as you step out and all along the way!
You will NEVER regret accomplishing what God has called you too! It's AMAZING and of course the most fulfilling thing!

Just ask!

2007-11-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

Well...at least I'm writing this within the month of the last one! haha!
God has really been ministering to me to write on this more..even if it's just short little things! I know it makes a difference! :)
I realized something last night that was small but really stuck out to me! I had stopped asking God for things that I wanted in life for the most part!
It is SOOO easy to get in the habit of completely relying on ourselves and our own abilities to accomplish and get things but why stop asking God or only ask him when we are in desperate need?? He is ALWAYS there!
My eyes were actually opened to this when I was thinking yesterday that I REALLY wanted to go to Hawaii sometime and wondering why I had never been...??
God then showed me that...duh...I hadn't asked Him for it!! I was just assuming that someday I'll eventually get around to going there..but who knows when! I almost saw it as impossible because I was looking at it in what I could do in my own strength and ability! So I sat down and said "God I'd like to go to Hawaii! I thank you that YOU have provided for that!" We simply need to ask! What in your life have you put on the back burner because you were only looking at in in how YOU could accomplish it rather than how God can work it out??? He is really opening my eyes now to how I've settled for less because I haven't looked to him as MY FATHER!! Wouldn't you ask your dad to provide for you in ways that you couldn't?? He is SOOOO far more faithful than any earthly father! Imagine that! :)
I love you all!!

Are you pursuing money or fulfillment?

2007-11-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

My friend's and I were talking about making money today and it really got me thinking...
What is our end result/goal/focus in what we are wanting to be when we get older? Is it to make more money?

I was looking at my finances last night and started to think...I want to make more money...what can I do to do that? Start up new businesses, do a workshop? But I had to stop. My goal was JUST to make more money which is most certainly not my end goal!
I HEARTILY believe in using your money wisely and making it grow...but when that is my only focus and the reason why I live...is to do that..I'm missing it completely!

When I was younger I wanted to be a lawyer, graphic designer, and finally an architect solely because they made alot of money! Finally when I found one of my callings, photography, all the doors started opening up and I was doing it NOT because of the money but because I loved it and because I loved creating beautiful work and seeing people enjoy it!

This generation is SOOOO focused on making more money that we are NOT fulfilling our actual callings! I was driving down the street the other day and saw a lady sitting in her car all raggedy and looking like she hadn't slept in days and realized that she probably is not in her calling and then looked around some more and realized that probably 75% of the people I was driving past were not even in THEIR callings either! Whether they were driving a nice car or not!
They could be driving the nicest car, living in a mansion..yet still not fulfilling what they are called to because just making money is the focus!

If all we focus on is wanting to make more money we will literally NEVER be fulfilled! That's why so many people are lacking fulfillment and it's a total rat race because they think that having more things and money will bring that..yet it is never satisfying!

I really feel like if we find out and pursue what God has called us to do the doors will open for us and the money will follow! That the end result is NOT adding another dollar to the bank account but making a difference and impact in this world! That's why were here anyways right??

It's so incredibly awesome that you are at this stage right now and most likely haven't even entered that whole world yet and are finding this out now so that you don't have to get into that rat race! You can enter right into your calling! It's so easy right now!:)

What do you want your end result to be in your future job or career? If it's making money...you should PROBABLY be rethinking your life...and career! We're not just here to survive....or even to survive well...we're here to fulfill our callings and destinies, and through that we really will change the world!:)

"I'm fat, I'm fat, I'm really really fat..."

2007-08-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

I used to sing these words when I was about 5 to an old Weird Al song. I don't know why but I LOVED this song! I didn't really understand it but thought it was cool! lol! Pretty sad huh??
Anyways, I've always struggled with believing I was overweight..and guess what?? alot of the time I was!

Now if you don't need to lose weight this post is still for you! It's so important to have a healthy eating style(diet). I am from a very healthy food eating family so I never would eat a ton of junk food but the thing that I JUST realized over the past couple weeks was even though I was eating healthier foods I would eat ALOT of it!! We had some friends over and I saw how much they ate and then looked at my plate and was like “I look like a pig!!”

My mom told me a couple months ago about some guy who was whining that he was overweight and finally God told him that he was just eating WAY too much! When I heard that story at first I got defensive and said “Mom, I don’t want to be anorexic! I eat just the right amount!” After a couple weeks of thinking about it then having those friends come over and seeing the portion sizes…I decided to just try cutting everything in half that I put in my mouth and not eating the other half! It was hard but I did it for a week and ended up losing about 3 pounds just that week! I thought! This must be it! This must be why I need to lose weight…I’m just STUFFING myself like a turkey!

You see us as Americans think that at each meal we aren’t going to eat for like the next 12 days so we eat and eat and eat until we are full or even stuffed! When guess what! We have the next meal in only a couple hours!! We aren’t going to starve! I think we all or most of us at least have caused our stomachs to grow because of our portions so that first week was hard because I was shrinking my stomach back to its real size which is only the size of your fist!! After that it became continually easier and easier until I started getting “full” on the half portions!! It was AMAZING!

So look at your portions this week…are you stuffing yourself? Do you feel bad leaving things on the plate? Guess what?? DON’T it’s going to end up in the same place anyways whether you eat it or it goes in the trash! LOL! It’s true!! So just eat until you have taken off that hunger burn and a little bit more than drink lots of water! It’s amazing what happens when you become disciplined in your eating habits!! I have sooo much more to say about this but this post is already pretty much a book! Haha! I love you all!! I’m going to be writing on here a bunch more because I have all the topics that I want to write about written down so I know what to write next! Fun times!!! Happy eating! :)

What's discipline?? Do I even have it?

2007-05-04T04:56:00.000-07:00

Hey beautiful girls!!
I'm am terribly sorry I have neglected this place for so long but the reason why is what I will be dealing with in this post, discipline..or the lack of it! haha!
The past couple weeks I have been noticing my office, bedroom, and life just getting messier and more cluttered!
Ugh!! Not cool! Especially when I have alot on my plate and to have disorganization everywhere, makes it hard to think or even process things!
What is the purpose for discipline anyways?? Why would I want it? Ok well say your going running, you get on your shoes, you know where your going, but this time you just decide not to tie your shoes! What will happen the minute you get out there! YOU trip!! Discipline not only helps propel us forward, but helps us get there quicker and in one piece!! haha!!

The best thing to do in many areas, to change a habit or cause a good change, is start small. I examined my life to see what was out of order and the first thing that came to mind was that I would just wake up whenever, get on my computer in my pajamas and work like that most of the day. Duh, why everything is out of order! lol!
I was praying awhile ago how I can adjust this and the first tip was a good but easy one that God gave me! Basically set office hours and don't go up there until then and when I do be fully dressed as if my office was out of the house! That DEFINITELY helped, so I put that in place.

Now for the next step!!! uh oh! lol! I prayed last night that God would wake me up when HE wanted me to wake up to have my devotional time. Well...guess what time that was??? 5:30!! But the awesome part was since he woke me up I was able to get up right away with no trouble even though I went to bed last night at midnight! I'm excited about this next step toward discipline in my life!

Do you think the president sits around in his pajamas all day and wakes up at any time??? NOPE!! He has set MANY disciplines in his life and it's taken him where he is today! I know discipline is a pretty harsh word and doesn't sound very fun! But really it takes ALOT of discipline to put the things in place but once they are there and become habits it's much easier and it can take you to the next level!! BUT guess what!! It's terribly hard to do or stay consistent on on our own! I've had MANY failed attempts at that! It helps SOOO far more when the Holy Spirit is guiding you in what to set in place and how to keep it there!

What small bit of discipline can you start to put into your life??? Find out what that is then ask God to help you with it and keep it there!! I love you all and am so excited for this journey!!

Captivating!

2007-01-25T09:23:00.001-08:00

So I just finished the book Captivating yesterday and it is seriously the best book I've ever read(besides the bible of course)!!! It took me about 6 months to read it cause when I read I like to really dissect the book so I get all that I can out of it, and plus I it was the busiest time of my life!! lol! Anyways, I highly highly recommend it to every woman!! It has totally changed my life! When I went on my little retreat a couple weeks ago this is what I read most of the time because it just really speaks to a woman's heart in a way that I have never seen another book do!
The 3 main things that the book talked about that a woman's heart longs for:
1. To be romanced
2. To to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure
3. To unveil beauty
The way it talks about doing this is unbelievably simple but so important!
One of the things is offering your true heart to people without fear of being rejected, it's risky but God did not give us these hearts to hide or bury but to come alive and to minister to others with them!
Another very important part that I read and God is really working in me right now is worshiping.
I have found that whenever I really like something I LOVE it and it becomes almost a god in my life! I remember I used to like a band when I was younger and it just became all that I would talk and think about! I was just sharing what I thought this fault was in my life with one of my friends yesterday and she said "THAT IS YOUR STRENGTH!!" I was taken back for a second cause I could not see how this could be a strength! But she went on to say when you turn that same attention to God that's when it is your strength! So my weakness then becomes perfected into my strength!
Lastly, in this book it talks about how a girls never ending question is: Am I lovely?
And it shows that we really try to get this question answered by everyone else but really the only one who can truly answer it is Jesus!
So yeah..Incredible book..drop everything you're doing right now and go out and buy it! The authors also have a book for guys called Wild at heart I haven't read it but heard it was excellent! I love you all!! Have an amazing day!

Aaachooooooooo!!!!

2007-01-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

Oh man!!! Well it's that most wonderful time of the year...everyone seems to be not feeling so good:( We have the holiday's to thank for it partly because we eat so much sugar that it weakens are immune systems so it can't fight as hard, then the weather sets in and it's just a fun mess of Kleenex!! haha!
I know I haven't really dealt much with health on this blog but now is definitely the time!
The absolute best thing to use is scripture....haha! Yeah I know..may sound weird you probably thought I was going to say like half a cup of warm water, some lemon and honey(even thought that IS really good for you) the very best thing is to dive into the word and get your faith built up! :)
My dad, two years ago was dealing with a never ending cold which he found out later was most likely pneumonia!! It just kept going on and on and on! For over a month! Finally he went to our pastor for prayer, our pastor prayed and my dad started feeling better but then it came back full force again. Later that night our pastor called him and said "You know whenever I feel those symptoms start to creep up on me I just take 4 or 5 healing scriptures and say them in the morning and at night!" And it works!!!! Seriously! It gets your faith built up in the area of healing so your taking what the devil meant for bad and turning it into good by getting that area that he is attacking built up!! When I broke my ankle I immediately got on those healing scriptures and started getting built up in the area of healing and even though I wasn't able to walk over night it healed up exactly how we had been praying and the doctors were very pleased how well it healed(cause I was going to need surgery!! But the doctor decided not to do it! Which in itself was a miracle)!!
So take that scripture like you take medicine! And with this there are no bad side effects either!! Only good ones!! So even if you're not sick I recommend start just confessing healing scriptures it will get you built up in that area so that when the devil wants to try to attack you have a bigger wall against him!!
Here are some healing scriptures that I have been speaking and you can use these too!
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
I pray that you all have a healthy happy amazing new year!!
I love you all!
Sarah

A time to talk and a time to SHUT UP!!!

2006-12-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

I'm sure it has happened to you many times before when you say something and a couple minutes later you are beating yourself up about saying it! Ugh! It's one of the worst feelings ever! Almost like letting someone down!
An awesome verse that really applies to this is: Proverbs 10:19 - Where words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Us as girls have no problem talking and speaking our minds! I actually was trying to find a comic strip that my dad told me about that perfectly illustrated this. Basically it was a picture of a guys mouth and brain and a girls. The guys had this big maze that the words had to go through before he spoke it and the girls just had one big pipe!! LOL!! It's really pretty true though! Not saying at all that guys don't have to watch what they say but especially us girls!
I was sitting down last night talking with my parents about some things I was struggling with and finally realized that everything I was dealing with directly related to me talking to much! I am a pretty open person about things I'm going through(instead of gossiping about others I find I gossip about myself!! lol!) so when I tell people they voice there opinion which isn't bad at all(it's usually helpful) But I realized that I would take their opinion over what God had told me!! It happened over and over again until I realized that it was affecting my everyday life!
So the moral of this is before you speak think, will I regret saying this later on?, is this building the other person up at all or just satisfying my need to tell some "juicy" story?? Psalm 141:3 -Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Proverbs 21:23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
As you can see in this verse it is very serious business what you let come out of your mouth!!
One of the best most practical ways to keep your mouth shut when you want to let it all out is to ask the other person questions and keep them talking! It will keep you from the temptation of telling what you would hate to have said later on!
Ask God to give you wisdom on what you should and shouldn't say! Then the holy spirit will give you a little check in your heart about what you shouldn't say!! It's awesome!! Thankfully we are not alone in this whole thing!!
I love you all!

Is it ok being single?

2006-11-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

OK!!!! Wow!!! Welll I'm so sorry it has taken me close to forever to write on here! hehe! I have had one of the busiest months ever! But I'm going to have alot of down time in the next couple weeks so hopefully I'll get to post more! :)

The biggest thing that has been coming up in conversations and that I have been thinking about is the topic of being single! Who would have thought?? lol!
Let me just start off with saying that I have ALWAYS been single so this is coming from that perspective.
Ok..so we all admit it being loved, cared for, needed, and adored is soooo amazing! That is what we get fulfilled in dating! That is why people normally would much rather be with someone than be without! And that is very valid because God put that desire in us! And it will be fulfilled someday through the person you will marry!

The thing that I have been thinking about lately is that it seems that the world puts so much pressure on us to not be single to always have SOMEONE that we never actually have a chance to become who we are separate from another person! I have seen it happen all to often where people jump from one person to the next without taking a break and becoming who they are in Christ! Becoming who we are in Christ and having THAT relationship be #1 in our lives is soooo important! If that relationship isn't strengthened than all our other relationships will fail! I am really enjoying being single right now cause I can completely focus on what I need to focus on ESPECIALLY my relationship with God! It's amazing how freeing it is! :) My friend Sarah and I were just talking about this last night and she shared with me this AMAZING poem that she found and I think it completely sums up what I have been talking about and my heart! Enjoy!

Saved & Single
What makes you think that just because I am an attractive woman of God that I'm incomplete without a mate? Who told you that without a man somethings missing from my life? And if so, what would that be?
Love? I love myself and more importantly I love the Lord. He told me that when I delight in Him, He will give me the desires of my heart.
Security? I have everything I need according to His riches in glory.
Intimacy? Now, how's a man going to get to know me when he doesn't even know who he is in the Lord.
See my Father told me I'm above a ruby's worth and a gem does not seek, it is sought. I'm single and that's all right with me. See, it's not that I oppose relationships it's that I detest co-dependency. As a woman I know it is not my role to chase after any man. Esther 2:14 reads that I am to wait on my king and when he's delighted in me he will call me by my name.
My Lord does not intend for me to be needy or desperate. I am to be cherished, Relished, Valued, and Honored. It's not my job to convince him or convict him of that. My mate will already know it and consistently show it and he will stay on his knees daily - not just to adore me but to praise the Lord for the virtuous woman he has found.
So, when you see me by myself - I'm not alone. I know what I have coming to me. I'm single and saved, and right now that's all I need to be!- Author Unknown

True Beauty?

2006-10-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hey girls! I just saw this video and it's a real eye opener! I know as girls we are always trying to live up to the beauty standards we see in all the magazines but really alot of them are fake!! God has made each one of us absulutely beautiful! And even better we are made in his image! I will talk more about this in another post:)

Compromise

2006-09-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago Natalie and I were talking about compromise and justifying things.

I have noticed a ton of my friends in the past years get deeper and deeper into things they shouldn’t be doing! I realized that it all started from a little seed!

They were on fire for God and they let in just a little something and it grew and grew until now it’s effecting their everyday lives!!

Setting boundaries and sticking with them is so important! It’s one of the most important things you can do in your life! It’s a part of self control.

Whether it’s with movies, food, relationships, even the way you talk SET BOUNDARIES!!!

I have seen it happen way to many times where friends decide to say one little bad word…no big deal!! They think. Now they don’t care what they say!! Just from that little seed! Same with movies and other things! “Oh! This movie only has a little bit of ‘stuff’ in it…I can handle it!” Now they are watching some of the worst movies I have heard of! I’m not condemning them..because it’s their decision. But their decisions effect others and themselves!

Normally if you have to justify things for yourself it probably not the best thing to do! Trust me! Don’t start opening that door because once it’s open it just keeps getting bigger and bigger! Set guidelines for the things that you let in you! Remember that you are the temple of the holy spirit! What kind of house do you want to provide him with? One that is filled with trash? Or one that is clean!!?? Watch what you put in your eyes, ears, and even mouth! What goes in WILL come out!!!

I love you all!! I’ll try to post WAY more often than I have

A new outlook.

2006-08-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

I was just having my devotional time this morning and God was speaking to me about my example.

He was showing me that I might be the only picture people see of Him! WOW!! You might be the only picture or example that people ever see of Jesus!! That carries more weight in the way we act, dress, talk, think, etc…

In the Bible it says they will know we are Christians by our love….but what if they already know that we are a Christian and we’re not loving or setting a good example? They’re going to get a bad taste in their mouth about Christians in general!

We need to in every area represent Jesus!

The way we act: What do you do that represents Jesus or doesn’t represent him? Take a minute to think about how you act in general. How does that represent God? If it’s not good then ask Him to show you how you are supposed to act the brings glory to Him not to yourself. Even if it's just smiling at people!! That makes their day and show's them God's love!!

The way we dress: How are you dressing? Does it cause guys to stumble? Does it look like you just got out of bed? How you dress also represents you AND God!! Because it’s how you come across…one of people’s first impressions of you! When you’re getting dressed each morning think, how does this represent me and God? Remember, you are a princess and you represent God in that way. So dress like one!!!!!!!

The way we talk: We need to make sure that the way we talk is reflecting God! I KNOW that this is hard sometimes cause we like to talk A LOT!! Lol! But know that in everything you say, it is a reflection of what’s really in your heart! When the world see’s us gossiping, swearing, etc. there is nothing different between us and them! But…when they see us building people up and responding in love it sets us apart and they then see what God is really like!!

Remember that God made us in HIS image and we are to look just like Him!! I recommend studying the Bible about love because that’s where it all starts! When you love others it comes out and that is when people truly see God. And the glory then goes to him! And that’s where it should be in the first place because we love Him so much!!

So take that to heart…show God to others today in every way! Let them see Him! You never know it might be their first time!!!!

Love you all!!

Sarah

A heart after God's heart.

2006-08-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hey girls! Wow! I have had one busy summer so far!! No, I haven’t forgotten about you all!!:)
I had posted earlier that I was going to go through the whole Proverbs 31 verse by verse…I decided that I’m going to switch it up a little and just write what God speaks to me..and when it’s about Proverbs 31 then it will be about that…but I’m going to jump around on different topics again, including Prov. 31 Enjoy!!

God has been ministering me a lot lately about having a heart after his! A heart that is molded to be just what he wants it to be! It is so easy to start doing what we want and pray for the things that WE want…but what is God desire for us? I struggle with this all the time and I always have to come back to God surrender my plans and ideas to him. Letting him clear away any junk that I mixed into it and let him shape it into what he wants it to be!

I want to hear God so clearly and when my plans and ideas start getting in the way it is soooo hard to hear him! I fast every Wednesday just to get away and surrender everything to him. It is so important to do this! Even if it’s just sugar, tv, etc. Surrender something! It helps so much to kill that flesh that would try to rise up and get in the way of God’s plans! Fasting is like a form of death….in the sense that your giving up self and surrendering to God. When that “self” is dead it can’t get in the way of God speaking!

Another way to have a heart after God’s heart is to be a servant! God was just speaking to me yesterday about this! Being a servant is humbling and will shape and mold your heart to exactly how God is! This is one of the most difficult things for me…because I have 6 younger brothers and sisters..and when I want something and they are just sitting around I ask them to do things for me…sometimes it’s fine.. But when it becomes a habit of other people doing things for you, you get out of the habit of serving others!! So yesterday I specifically did things to kill that “flesh” even more by serving and helping out! Even though it is hard sometimes it is so worth it in the end when your heart is pure and clean just like God’s own heart!
I love you all so much!! Have a wonderful day!
Sarah

Confidence

2006-07-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hey girls! Sorry I haven't written in awhile! I miss you all! I am sitting on a porch looking out over the mountains in the Dominican Republic it's gorgeous! Ok let's dive right in!

Proverbs 31:11- Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing in value.

How can we apply this to our lives right now??

Her husband has FULL confidence in her. That means that no matter what he can fully trust her!! He can trust her with hard responsibilities and to manage things; and he can trust her with sharing things with her!

This means that we should be so faithful and do things with integrity! No matter what! Even if it's a extremely hard task or responsibility people know that they can come to you because you are trustworthy and they know that no matter what you can get it done and they can fully trust you to do it! How awesome of a reputation would that be?? People have full confidence in you! In every area!

Every area!! hmm..that also means with our tongues!! Uh oh!! Hehe! When people share things with you, you keep it in confidence so as to not ruin their reputation or yours! I know this is so hard for us girls because we LOVE to talk..and often it gets into gossip, but how much better would it be for people to know you as someone they can come to and trust! And know that after they tell you the whole world won't know by tomorrow?

Full Confidence! People have no worries when they are around you because you put them at ease! And with this they lack NOTHING of value! In another translation it says "Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life." Wow! So we enrich people's lives through being trustworthy!

Be a person of integrity! It stands out!! Believe me! People will notice that no matter what they can trust you with anything! But don't just do it to be praised! God loves it when we show integrity! So it's a win-win-win situation! You are helping people, building a good reputation, and pleasing God! All at the same time!

So next time someone trusts you with something to do..don't just do it 100%!! Far surpass their expectations!! Let's GREATLY enrich people's lives!! That's why we're here!!!

I love you all!!

Sarah

Ps..Oh yeah! My friend Jake reminded me of this too!! Can not forget this!!: Also, part of having full confidence is knowing that you won't have "wandering eyes." Looking at EVERY guy thinking hmm.."Is he the one".."Oh!! he is sooo cute!!" I do it alot! But it's a habit that we need to work on breaking so that we don't do this in our marriages!! So many people have told me that once they get in that habit of being "On the prowl" it is very harmful after marraige! So trust God!! He will bring that person to you! It's alot easier that way!!...now I have to majorly work on that too..so you all aren't alone!

Rubies! - Proverbs 31:10

2006-07-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”

What in the world does this mean?

First even though you may not be a wife or even become one soon you still have to work on these qualities because they are God’s plan for how a woman is supposed to be!

First we’ll look at noble character. Noble means having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, or honor: a noble spirit. It also says in a different translation a virtuous woman. One of the meanings of virtuous means to be pure! Untainted or corrupted. Also someone who has saved themselves for their husband.

So basically in this verse it is saying who can find a girl that has strong character all the time and who is pure! The thing is is that it’s not popular to be pure or to stand up for what you believe is right! The world wants us to be passive and just go with the flow! YEAH RIGHT! We need to go against the grain! If the world was heading the right direction then it wouldn’t say in this verse “Who can find?” but because hardly anyone these days stay pure and have that strong noble character, we’re hard to find!

Even if you haven’t stayed pure in the past there is hope now! God can totally wipe your slate clean! All you need to do is ask for forgiveness It’s worth it!

Be that needle in the haystack! Or ruby in the haystack! Build that character up! Work on the fruit of the spirit! Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. The way you know how your character is is how you act in the middle of situations! If you react mean and harsh then you know that you need to work on love and peace! If you can’t stop eating those doughnuts then you know that you have to work on self control! Every time that you react right and with the fruit of the spirit it is building your character! Ask God to help you to strengthen that character…and watch out it won’t be easy! But it will be worth it because you’re a ruby being shined!

I love you all!

Proverbs 31!

2006-06-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

For the next couple weeks I'm going to be doing an indepth study on here on Proverbs 31! I'm really excited about this because it is what God has called us girls and women to be! Even if we are not married we can still work on these qualities, because I guarantee you that if you don't have them now they won't just appear all of a sudden when you are married! Some might with God's grace...but most of these things need to become habit now! As I said in an earlier post that for a whole semester my dad taught me on the Proverbs 31 woman. It was such an eye opener! Prov. 31 is now definitely my favorite chapter, probably because God has given me such revelation about it! Now to put it into practice! So for this first post about it, I'll just post the whole section so you can get a feel for what we'll be going over! :)
Proverbs 31:10-31
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Low times.....

2006-06-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

What do you do when everything seems to go wrong?? You don't feel like talking to God, everyone seems to be edgy(especially you), and nothing seems to flow! It happens to me every once in awhile! Like just now I typed up this whole thing and then accidently deleted it and had to write it alll over! It can be really depressing!
How do you handle it!!??
First, keep your joy!!! For instance say you totally messed something up, don't let the enemy steal your joy from you. With a bad attitude it will make the situation far worse but with a joyful attitude you can turn that situation around! Even just smiling or laughing will help! I've broken down on the highway a couple times and both times just laughed the whole way through, which actually made the situations kind of fun even though they wouldn't have been fun normally!!
Second, check your heart. See if there is anything that might have opened the door to these situations happening. If God convicts you of anything just repent. Don't leave any open door for the enemy! Third, pray! This will draw you closer to God and turn the situation around! Especially since this is normally the time that you really don't feel like praying and usually it's the time that you need to pray the most!!! Fourth, KEEP YOUR JOY!! I know this was #1 but is should be on here again because it will so improve the situation, your outlook, and your life!! No matter what happens keep that joy!! Smile, keep your chin up, and trust God! No situation is too hard for him!! :)

Lemonade stands???

2006-06-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ok...so let's see...I'm believing God for: studionewcameraequipmenthousetorentouthusbandclothesstrongrelationshipsetc!! Did you get all that? lol! Ever since I was little my parents taught me how to believe God for things. When I was 7 I wanted an American Girl doll sooooo bad!!! Allll of my friends had one but my parents wanted me to earn the money to buy one. Well...I could have a lemonade stand everyday for the next 10 years to possibly earn the money for one....or I could believe God for one! I choose the latter...or I might still be running a lemonade stand today!! The first thing I did was pray and ask God for the doll.. then I gave one of my favorite dolls away to someone to sow that seed for the next doll! When you sow you reap! It definitely didn't happen overnight it was a couple weeks or months until it finally manifested!! My parents one night asked me if I had $100 what would I do with it? Now for a 7 or 8 year old that is ALOT of money! I knew EXACTLY what I was going to do!! Buy that American Girl doll! My uncle had passed away and left every niece and nephew $100 and I was able to get the doll!! All it took was faith, prayer, and sowing!!! Sometimes God will give you wisdom if you are supposed to do something, like before this probably when I was 6 I wanted a different doll, so I gave another one away, prayed and had a lemonade stand! I had that doll by the end of the week!! You can't just be lazy and hope that what you are believing for will fall out of the sky!! God set these systems up for us to use! Not just hope that sometime in the future maybe what I want will happen!! NO!!! Get on it today!!! What are you believing God for?? Get a scripture for it, pray it, see if you need to sow anything, and start thanking God for that harvest!! Don't give up until it happens!!!! God wants to be involved in every part of your life even the things that you think are little he is there to help!!! Because he loves you!!!

My first love.

2006-06-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

You know how when someone falls in love with someone else they are so excited? They can't stop spending time with that other person, all they talk and think about is them? Well I noticed the same type of thing happens when someone gets saved!! They get sooo excited about God all they can do is talk about him and they get so excited about his word!! I noticed though that usually the people that this happens to are those who get saved later in life, who notice a huge difference in everything. What about those who got saved when they were really little!?? What do we do? We didn't necessarily have any major turnaround, we just said the prayer after our parents or whoever and knew that we were going to heaven! Yea! BUT!! What about being totally and utterly in love with God? For me I really started noticing it a couple years ago...
I wasn't in love with God...I hadn't even had that first love experience like so many people have had! So one day I cried out to God and told him exactly how I felt: that I loved other things more than him and I wanted him to be my first love, to fully have my heart! Sooo...he had me do something drastic! Our old pastor after every service would do an alter call...and for a couple weeks God was ministering for me to go up!! Yeah right! I was a Christian! Those were all sinners who were going up! Finally, that morning that I cried out to him, he spoke to me to go up that night to rededicate my life to him and to get baptized! Well I just got sick! What would people think of me!?? OMG!! That couldn't have been God telling me that! I couldn't do anything that day because I was so concerned and finally my parents noticed and asked what was up....I told them...and..they agreed that they thought it was God!! Ah!! So I did it that night! It was one of the hardest things ever but I had to get out of myself and make that public declaration! And trust me it wasn't overnight that all of a sudden I was sooo in love with God. It has been a process but an awesome one!! I'm am not saying at all that you all have to go up to the alter to rededicate...that is just what God gave me to do. He might give you something else. But the real question is: Is God your first love?

Modesty! Does it even exist?

2006-06-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

Well that is up to you!!
I know I know! When you go to the store you see the CUTEST shirt, perfect color, perfect style and everything! You go try it on in the dressing room and it's just a little hard to get on, but it's all good it will stretch out in time. You look in the mirror and WHOA!!! You're sexy!!! It just shows a little bit of cleavage but it's ok it's not THAT much and it's a little too tight but once you wear it everyday by the end of the week it might be a little less tight...
Does this sound like what happens when you shop??? Come on I know!! I confess I have done this!
What is the problem with showing just a little bit?? It can't hurt anyone!! Everyone else is wearing it!! It is soooo hard if not impossible to find modest clothes!!! Guess what!!! It can be done!!!
Whenever I'm feeling super discouraged about what to wear, thinking there is nothing out there, I go spend some time with my cousins!! LOL!! The Barlowgirls!
Something that I have learned from them is layers are VERY good!! Long undershirts and regular t-shirts can both be put under those really cute shirts! Be creative!!
What is the reason we don't want to show all this?
For me the reason that I try to dress modestly is because I don't want guys coming after me for the wrong reasons! JUST for what I'm showing! Girls, guys are motivated by vision!! When they see that, it is really hard for them to not take notice! We need to protect the guys around us and love them enough to not cause them to stumble!! It's worth it! Would you rather have a guy like you for who you are or for what you are showing!??
I'm definitely still working on this! So not everyone is perfect! The area that I'm stuggling with is finding shirts that don't show everything when you lean over!!! Ah!! But it can be done!!
So just go out and buy those longer shirts that cover your stomach and higher shirt's that cover that cleavage!! Save it for after your married!!! Not everyone needs to see it!! :) Plus we get to SHOP more!! Who doesn't love that!!

Boys Boys Boys!!!

2006-06-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ahh!!!! What do we do!!??!?!?! I think I started liking them at like 3 years old!!
I can't even count on two hands how many boys I've liked....
Justin, Steve, Joey, Louie, John, Bryan, David, Andrew, Jordan, etc...goes on and on!! lol!
(....most of them never even knew that I liked them!!!!)
A while ago I just cried out to God because even though it's fun to like someone....it is TIME consuming!! God showed me that each of these crushes were like tests!!! What!!?? How could it be a test? He showed me that with each guy that I would like I would think about, talk about, dream about, etc. allll the time!! So the test was whether I can keep God #1 or is the guy going to be #1!?? Hmm...well I most definitely failed everytime!!! And it just kept drawing me farther from God because all these guys were getting in the way! So that is why I cried out to God..at first I was like I just don't want to like anymore guys for a awhile!! Well...that didn't happen...but the way that I handle it is different now! :) Everytime that I think of that person that I like...I pray!!! And believe me I pray ALOT now....but it is building my faith, helping the situation, strengthening my prayer life, and drawing me closer to God rather than farther away!!
I also realized that I can't put my hope in any guys...because I will be disappointed...It says in the Bible to put your hope in God and you'll NEVER be disappointed!!! Which means my hope can never be in any guy even if I end up marrying him...it still can't be in him it has to stay in God!! Trust me this is super hard but worth it!!!
Soooo....I challenge you girls...(and even guys!) that everytime that you think of that awesomely amazing person that you think is the cutest thing that ever hit planet earth!!!!! Pray!!!!! Pass this test!! Don't let God be put on the backburner!! Show him that he is number #1 in everything!! It will MAJORLY help!!

Mean Girls

2006-06-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

Why are girls so mean??? Maybe it's hormonal...I really don't know!!
Seriously though...
We criticize how people look, what they're wearing, if their makeup is right, if they're too fat or too skinny, and it goes on an on as if we are some perfect flawless person!
I am definitely guilty of it!!
The thing that really gets me is leaving people out because their not as "cool" as you!!
I'm definitely guilty of this one too....When I was younger at our church there was more of the popular crowd and then the outcasts. We really never associated with the "other" people because they just didn't get it!! lol!
Now some of those people are some of my good friends!! If we just get past looks and dress and see what the people are really like!! They could be some of the most fun people to hang out with!!
An awesome thing to do is put yourself in their place!!
I had gone to our church for all of my life and we left when I was 14!!
My whole world changed when we went to a new church and I was no longer popular or well known...And many of you know that it is HARD to make it especially at that time of life. Everyone has their set friends they don't need anymore so you just get left out!! It is a huge struggle!!
So whether you are part of the popular crowd or the outcasts....get out of yourself(and your hormones!!) and invite people into your life! Find someone who you feel has been left out and start up a conversation with them!! You never know! They may become your best friend!!!
Oh!! I just thought of someone to do this with!! Now your turn to think of someone!!! :)

Ugh...Why can't I be a couch potato??

2006-05-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

In my freshman year of highschool my dad was out of work for 6 months. My mom ended up going to work and my dad stayed home to homeschool us!!
For the first semester he would sit me down everyday and teach from Proverbs 31! The whole first part of the school year revolved around those verses!
One of the days he was teaching
Proverbs 31:17- She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
He showed me that basically what this verse is saying is that this woman is not lazy and she is strong! Strong both emotionally and physically!
So today's topic is about EXERCISE!!!
What are the pros and cons of exercising??
Pros:
-You become healthier because more blood is flowing to your heart and you get more oxygen to your brain! Trust me this is good...lol!
-You have more energy! This is always good!
-You feel better! And are more productive!
-You become more toned and build muscle! "Her arms are strong for her tasks" :)
Cons:
I couldn't really think of any.... let me know if any of you come up with some!! lol!
So what are some types of exercising that you can do?
-Running!! After being a huge couch potato when I was younger I ended up running the Chicago Marathon!! It was a blast! But took 9 months of training at 3 in the morning! LOL
You don't have to go that far if you don't want...hehe!
-Tae Bo, this is alot of fun and a great workout!! You can get the videos basically anywhere:)
-Dance, this is probably the most fun for alot people! Plus it's a great place to make friends and wear fun outfits! I did Irish Dance for two years! It was so much fun and a GREAT workout!
-Sports, really any kind! It is a great workout and you have fun at the same time!
-Lifting weights, great for building up those muscles! Don't do ones that are too heavy though! Girls aren't very pretty with man looking muscles! lol!

Go out and do something! Just try it for a couple days and see how much better you will feel! Even if you don't want to start with something so vigorous walking is good!!
Starting this habit when your young is soooo important! And it's fun once you get into it!
Turn that TV off and go have fun!

Vision! Why do I need it?

2006-05-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

So many people talk about vision and the need for one but I have met soooo many people who don't have one and don't even know where to start to get one!! One of the things that I often feel really sad about is I see soooo many people totally forget all their morals and go the opposite direction in their life!!
I've always wondered, why is that? What causes them to do that and why do others stay on the right path??
I came to the conclusion that it all has to do with vision!
Proverbs 29:18 - Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law.
So basically this verse is saying that when people don't have vision or purpose for their life from God, that they just run wild!
When you have a vision, that vision guides you and keeps you on course!!
Vision gives you the license to say no to anything that is outside of the vision because you know where your headed and what you can and can't do to accomplish that!
It helps make decisions and peer pressure a whole lot easier! I can easily say no to alot of peer pressure because I know that it won't take me anywhere but off my course!
An awesome book to read about vision that REALLY helped me in this area is called The Power of Vision. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it!! A great thing to do today is to just take some time and get away, write down the things that you love to do, what you want to do in life, what you could do to change the world, and ask God how to do it all! Also, ask for him to give you purpose!! It will change your life!! Seriously!!

The power of a praying (future) wife!

2006-05-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

Several years ago my parents told me that it was very important to start praying for my husband! My dad told me that someone had told him the same thing when he was young and he never did it because he didn't think it was that important...
My mom went through some REALLY rough times in her late teens, that could have been prevented had he been praying! So I decided that I would start praying!! lol! I did for a couple months and forgot about it and then just did it every once in awhile when I would remember...
Then about 2 years ago for school(I was homeschooled) we had to make different confessions/prayers for areas in our life, that we would pray every day!
Now when I was younger I had A LIST of what I wanted in a husband, had to be an architect, had to be 5'5", etc... LOL!! Now the list has somewhat dwindled to the really important things, being a strong Christian, strong leader, etc.
I decided to incorporate that list into my everyday confession!! It has really really helped!! I have a confession binder that I just open every morning and pray! It makes it super easy and I always remember to do it now!
Also, once you get married you will be praying for your husband a lot! So why not get a head start?? Here is the confession **click here** that you can download and customize for yourself or you can create your own!! Also any guys that are reading this you could always just change it to be for you wife:)
This is one of the most important things you could do for your future!!!
Have a very fun blessed day!
Sarah
PS. I got some people saying after reading this post, that the only person who would fit that confession is Jesus...I totally understand that NO ONE is perfect and I'm soooo not going to marry a perfect guy that practices all of those qualities 100% but I can definitely pray that God helps him in those areas!!! One of the things God loves is for us to be specific!!! :)

My own God.

2006-05-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

So this morning I found all of my old notes for this book that I was going to write!! It has about a zillion topics that I could write about...so where to start is the hard part!! But! I decided that probably the best place to start would be with my relationship with God! Since that is above all the most important part of life!
I'll start with a little history, I got saved before I could remember...I think right when I could talk my parents had me say the prayer!! lol! I grew up in church and had a TON of friends. As time went on I started feeling more and more distant from God especially when I was around 13-14 years old... I remember laying in bed one night scared that I wasn't really saved! So I prayed and that was the time that I made Jesus MY savior not just my parents savior! That is such a huge key..especially when you grow up as a Christian! When you finally decide that you want to serve him not because you have to or your parents make you but because you love him so much that you want to! So from there I started growing more and more in my faith! And actually having my time with God without my parents having to tell me! This time in your life will come...or maybe it already has! Just take some time to check your heart and see where it is really at...
Would you go to church, have devotional time, talk to God, even if you parents weren't around?
I've come to the point now that I can not live without setting aside time for God!!
So today I challenge you to even if it's just for five minutes to get away and pray or read the bible! It will improve everything around you!!:)
Love you,
Sarah

Welcome to my new blog!!!

2006-05-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!!
I decided to start this "Dear Natalie" blog because awhile ago one of my sisters friends was having a party called "Welcoming into Womanhood" where all the lady's brought a word of encouragement for the girl as she enters this new stage in her life. I decided to write a little something...and it turned into 3 pages full of things!! So I thought...hmm...maybe I should write a book...just about my different experiences and how to deal with life in general. Things that I have learned over the years! The reason I named it "Dear Natalie" is because my sister's "Welcoming into Womanhood" party is coming up....and I always wanted to present her with a book of advice...from someone who's JUST been there...but that didn't happen so here is a blog to do the job! And maybe one day this will become a book!? We'll see:) But for now welcome to this new blog I hope it is encouraging not only to younger girls but to everyone else who reads it!
Sarah