Sunday will be my father's last time preaching at Trinity Evangelical Free Church. I am excited for the blessings that lay before my parents as God leads them to their new church home, but after 27 years, my heart aches to leave our Trinity family.

They have watched me grow up from a shy 2 year-year-old baby to today. They have cared and loved my family through deep valleys and rejoiced with us in our triumphs. I praise God for them and know that they will always be in our hearts. I have confidence that we will be united with them again, if not on this earth, in heaven. 

This morning I will bless the LORD. I would have never chosen this path, but He knows what's best and His will, not mine.


Listen to:10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Matt Redman 

www.youtube.com/girlminneapolis - Worship Playlist

Beth Moore Weekend Recap

I feel so reenergized right now to run the race with perseverance. I spent Friday evening and Saturday morning at a Beth Moore Living Proof Live conference held at Grace of Eden Prairie. First off, how amazing to gather 4,300 God-fearing women in the same room! They had to convert most of the men's rooms into women's. I learned the hard way that the men's room only has 4 stalls compared to the ladies 15+ therefore even though the line looks short, it takes 3 times as long.

The worship was fantastic. Travis Cottrell and the rest of the worship were simply a blessing. What a gift to guide people into worship of Jesus through song. Then there's Beth Moore's teaching. God sure uses that lady as a mighty vessel to speak words of encouragement and truth. The focus of the weekend was "Untangled." Here's the 9 points:

1. God can untangle us when life's about to kill us.
2. Go can untangle us when we're tangled up inside.
3.God can untangle us when our motives are in tangles.
4. The Cross already cut the ropes of entangling sin.
5. Those entangled once can be well entangled, again.
6. A grudge can entangle us where we need untangling most.
7. If destruction fails to entangle us, distraction will do it's best.
8. God can make a mighty soldier out of anyone willing to get untangled.
9. Whatever tries to tangle with us tangles with God.

God is so good. He reminded me of such a simple thing, that is the most profound. God cares for me, and He will take care of me. I am a newlywed lady with 7 months of marriage under my belt. I love being married, but I have learned that it is easy to have unrealistic expectations of my husband. There are just some things that I can only get from God. My husband has been looking for a job for a year now. Knowing that it might take time for him to get a job and experiencing it are 2 very different things. It has strained our marriage and quite frankly, we're both sick of waiting. God reminded me this weekend to not depend on Tom to supply my physical needs, but on Himself. Even if Tom had a 6 figure job, it would still be God who was providing for us. So simply, yet I needed to be reminded of this. Not to mention, mentally releasing Tom from that expectation has already benefited our marriage.

God saves His children. God reminded me in point number 5 of how dangerous re-entanglement of sin can be. I have experienced this and the 2nd time you become entangled is definetly worse than the first. He warned me: "Stay Away! Flee! Don't Look Back!" Sometimes you don't even see the danger signs; God alerted me, and I am staying away from the temptation. Confessing to my husband that I was feeling tempted in the area was also a wonderful release. It's good to know that someone who loves you will hold you accountable.

Lastly, God convicted me of the distractions in my life that are getting in the way of my time with Him and allowing Him to mold me, shape me into the woman He wants me to be. It's amazing with 2 cell phones, 4 email addresses, 1 computer and 2 laptops that I can any else done besides work. I love my job at Parasole. I've been there for 5 years and plan on working there forever. I do digital marketing for restaurants which means that I need to be available; I need to handle online PR issues; restaurants don't work 9-5 and either do I. Still, balance is a beautiful thing and God showed me that I need to schedule time out of my evenings and weekends to "work," and stop. Give the rest of my time to Knowing Him, taking care of my house, cultivating relationships, serving Him and having fun with my husband.

God is so good to me. I know He loves me so deeply, unconditionally, and I have a responsibility to live my short time on this Earth for Him. To fullfill my destiny, my place in the line of Believers that are now watching from Heaven as I run my race with perseverance, strength and dignity. I feel very blessed.

Pure Barre

I've recently become inspired to start working out, again. This usually happens to me about this time of year.

My inspirations to start exercising again have come from:
1. my monthly gym bill
2. my pants that I can barely button
3. my co-worker Jodi who has been working out every other day and seeing results
4. God calls us to take care of the body He's given us, a Temple for the Holy Spirit

My NEW favorite way to exercise is Pure Barre!
Thanks to my very good friend, should be sister ... Megan who has been working out at a Pure Barre studio now for over a year and has an amazing figure to prove it!

I love Pure Barre, because I don't have to jump around and do goofy dancing moves that I can't manage to figure out. I don't break-out into a crazy sweat, can do it in my own living room and I see results. Besides I've always secretly wanted to be a ballet dancer; perhaps that's why I loved figure skating and always danced around in my room as a young girl.

Since there isn't a Pure Barre studio in Minnesota. I recommend everyone ordering a Pure Bare DVD. At a least, check out their web site and think about it: http://purebarre.com/index.html





photos from weheartit.com

Our God is Greater

Life gets hard sometimes. This past week I have felt like I am back in college writing reports on a deadline. Early morning and lots of coffee have been my companion.

Yesterday morning I rose at 4:30 AM with a typhoon wave of anxiety. I refused to begin my day an anxious, unsettled mess. Reaching for Linda Dillow's Calm My Anxious Heart, I found myself reading about being content in our life circumstances.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

I find it so easy to compare my circumstances with other Christian women. It's funny how you can think you're done battling a struggle and it just creeps up on you and ***BAM*** you're knocked over, again.

I love this Chris Tomlin song, "Our God is Greater." God is able to take me back to a place of contentment and joy. Yesterday, God did exactly that, after an hour of reading my book, the Bible and prayer ... God calmed my heart and gave me joy. God is so good to me.

I pray that despite the circumstances that surround you, that God fills you with contentment and joy this coming year.

Blessings, Love and Happy New Year.

Sarah

Chris Tomlin's "Our God is Greater"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SAtWjBDFeM

Living in Minneapolis

My first few months living in Minneapolis have been an adventure. My husband and I love living in our little corner of S. Mpls. We have our favorite pizzeria (that is conveniently located on our same block), walk around my favorite Lake Harriet and generally quite enjoy our side-by-side bungalow.

This is my first experience living on an alley. I give my daily update at work in the AM as to how difficult getting out of my semi-plowed alley was, if I got stuck, and how many at people at the bus stop (located at the top of the alley) watched me struggle out in my front-wheel drive car. I don't really care to live on an alley, ever again.

Tom and I took on shoveling duties traded for lower rent. We've figured out that we're probably earning below minimum wage at the rate the snow is falling. I don't think we'll take on shoveling duties next place. I have such fond memories of shoveling with my dad and siblings growing up. We often couldn't wait until the snow stopped and would shovel at night in the snow. It was so much fun! I assumed my husband would find it equally fun. He does not, but indulges me just the same. He must really love me.

photos from weheartit.com

A begining.

I find myself now a Mrs. 2 1/2 weeks freshly married, freshly moved. I have decided that it is the perfect time to start something else new ... a blog. My mother and father always told me that I should have been a story teller, or at least write down my stories and publish a book. Perhaps, my vivid imagination has allowed me to verbalize my experiences, rainbow style. We'll see what the world thinks.

I must say I was feeling quite torn about my blogging platform. My friends are on blogger, but those in my profession use Wordpress. I have a feeling that by the end of the year I will have both a blogger and Wordpress blog. I love my work, but there is something nice about escaping into a different world where I can be "me" in a different dimension. Only a few friends outside of my family know of my true ability to be totally and completely silly, goofy and childish.

I like parks with a playground. I do not find it agreeable that so many people think adults should stop playing. I love playing. Thankfully I found a man who loves to play like a child with me. "Thanks Tom!"

Tom and I love to read together, too. While on our honeymoon in Duluth, Tom and I read through Daniel and Esther. What an example of Godly strength. I pray that God makes me a woman of focused strength for His glory. In the book of Esther it does not talk about her great mothering, delicious cooking, amazing organizing and nesting skills. It talks about a beautiful woman whose beauty and Godly character elevated her to the level of Queen. It talks about a beautiful woman who put her life on the line to save an entire nation of people.

Esther 4:15-16, 5:1-2
'Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish."'

"Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace ... And so it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand..."

God has gifted every woman and man uniquely. God has gifted me uniquely. Am I using those gifts fully to His glory? Am I being a woman of focused strength, not wasting my time longing after foolishness?

Dear God,
Humble me daily. Love me fully. Guide my feet and keep me walking in the right direction. Show me how to be the wife you know I can be. Help me. Reveal yourself to me. Blow my mind with all the goodness you have for me. Keep me on my knees.

I love you above everyone and everything else. You are the Great Maker, Healer, Teacher, Lover, Creator. I want more of you.

Love,

Sarah