Thank you for joining me as I walk by faith, and I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey!
Want to have me speak to your church, group, or event?
Email me at hellosaraclaudia@gmail.com.
All tagged Christian
It’s a saying we all have heard, and we know it is true.
The wet, dreary weather we tend to endure in early spring gives way to a beautiful array of vibrant colors and energizing scents as time passes.
While the rain is not a welcome occurrence, it is necessary for the beauty that we all look forward to each year.
Dear God, Be Merciful
This was a familiar storyline for me, a self-described wallflower, bent on blending in and staying quiet. My introverted personality played into my perpetual feeling of being overlooked. And so I carefully crafted identities that felt safe to protect my heart.
At the children’s hospital, hooked up to morphine, Julian finally stopped crying and drifted off to sleep. Everything was quiet and still around us when finally, the words came, but I wouldn’t exactly call them a prayer.
“WE DON’T WANT TO BE HERE!”
I never donned a dance leotard, ballet slippers, gymnast suit, or cheerleader uniform.
No, I was more comfortable in boots, brushing ponies, and riding in a dusty arena.
I did try gymnastics lessons once, though.
Quickly, I realized it wasn’t for me.
In an attempt to find an excuse to gracefully bow out of the sport, I told my parents that I didn’t want to do gymnastics anymore because my instructor had a ponytail…it was the logic of a 5-year-old, but it worked!
So, I never learned how to do a cartwheel, stand on my hands, or be flexible.
He proposed that, in addition to pursuing a career in professional counseling, I should also consider a job as a professional planner. In this role, I could plan people’s trips, meals, day-to-day activities, and overall lives.
As you can probably tell, he was poking fun at my tendency to construct plans in my own life, which can sometimes be excessive.
During this program, one of the most surprising and enlightening things I have learned is that skills or techniques are not the most important factors that make an effective counselor. Rather, the most powerful way of helping to facilitate healing, growth, and change in the lives of clients is a counselor’s way of sitting with hurting people.
I find it no coincidence that God in all His divine will would allow me to share a story of faith just one day after our belated child’s birthday, and just two days after Christmas. What should be a celebratory season, filled with hope, joy, and fulfilled prophecy, is riddled with such sadness for so many, including myself. As we celebrate the birth of a Savior, we mourn the loss of our very own promise, our only son, Briggs. I will never forget the utter joy of finding out I was pregnant with him, just one year after losing his unborn sibling. The immense pain, tears, questions, and prayers that preceded Briggs arrival were ever-constant, and were, then, one of the darkest times of my life.
It had always been my absolute favorite holiday, filled with family traditions, magical memories, and lots of Christmas cookies! That year, however, as the season approached, I began to dread adorning the tree with lights, watching my favorite holiday movies, and enjoying all of the beautiful decorations.
I had lost my sight that May, so in my mind, no amount of Christmas cheer could prepare me for all of the changes that my blindness would bring to the beloved holiday.
When I was younger, I used to play piano. The piano is one of those instruments that needs to be tuned periodically. I remember watching (or rather listening to) a man tune our piano in our home.
He used a lever or “hammer” to turn the tuning pins inside the piano, an action which increases or decreases the tension of the strings.
A good piano tuning results in two things: accuracy (in tune) and stability (staying in tune). Depending on how accurate your ear is, you can hear when a piano or other instrument is out of tune, because it emits tones and notes that sound “off.”
Jazz and Jambalaya, bayous and banana fosters, Cajun cooking, and riverboat cruising.
New Orleans has long since been on my travel bucket list, and I was so excited to get to visit a few years back with my parents.
Now, we all know that NOLA has a bit of a reputation, so before my arrival, I braced myself for the noise and chaos that I would inevitably encounter on Bourbon Street.
Why did I get fired?
Why did my mother have to leave us so early?
Why am I going through this divorce?
As Christians, we know that God is all-powerful. So, it seems natural for us to begin questioning Him as well.
Sweat was pouring down his forehead. His knuckles were turning white, and he was struggling in his seat as he began to raise his voice saying,
We had just screeched to a halt after twisting, flipping, and racing through the Batman roller coaster, and it was taking a little too long for us to be unloaded from the tangle of seatbelts and safety restraints.
I’ve always wondered why my dad insisted on taking us to Six Flags every year before school started because this always seemed to happen. He would inevitably become severely claustrophobic on one…or several…of the attractions.
It’s called the “surrender” and involves dropping first to one knee and then down to the other before rising up again into a mini squat one leg at a time. Trust me, it’s a lot harder than it sounds. After about 3 surrenders, I was breathing hard, my quads were burning, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the end!
Since losing my sight, I have experienced a lot of awkward and cringe-worthy moments.
I don’t even need to list all of them, because I’m sure you can imagine some of the crazy things that can happen when you are navigating the world without being able to see.
Recently, I had one of these experiences at the gym.
I love entertaining at my house, but I’ll be honest, it can also be exhausting! There are so many things to think about and prepare.
I have to make sure the house is clean, provide food and refreshments, and gather games, movies, or other sources of entertainment.
The work does not end when the company arrives, either.
Once the party starts, I always find myself rushing around, making sure that everyone has what they need and is having a good time.
Sometimes, I just wish that I had a remote control for life so that I could hit the pause button and have the time to enjoy the moment!
In Luke 10, Martha faced a similar situation.
She had a very special guest coming to her home…Jesus!
I would probably be a nervous wreck if Jesus was coming over to my house for dinner.
Like many of us do when we are preparing for guests, Martha, even after Jesus arrived, hurried around in frenzied preparation.
We push it under the bed, sweep it under the rug, and bury it in the deep depths of our closets.
Don’t try to deny it, we are all guilty of it!
This was exactly what my sister, Beth, was doing while unpacking from a week-long trip. With a busy, chatty one-year-old, she doesn’t really have time to do too much organizing.
While stuffing some things away, she caught herself saying, “Out of sight, out of mind”.
Have you ever felt as though you do not quite measure up?
When you look around, you can’t help but think that you are not as good-looking, happy, or successful as the rest of your peers.
Your clothes are not as nice, your marriage or relationship isn’t as strong, and you didn’t get that promotion.
Sometimes, it feels like it is just part of our nature to compare, conform, and crave the attainment of worldly standards.
Where do you feel closest to God?
Is it in a quiet, serene setting like a garden or flowery meadow??
Maybe it is in your living room with a cup of coffee in hand during the early morning hours.
What about in the back corner of a cozy coffee shop or when you are singing hymns in church?
All of these are good answers to the question, and, honestly, there are no wrong answers. Everyone is different and everyone experiences closeness with God in a different way.
