Grace Goes Green: Day One

I'm in MOPS (Mothers Of Preschoolers). It's awesome! Once a month, moms come together for a devotion, a speaker, food, fun, and encouragement. I'm at the green table. My table-mates are great - I'm enjoying getting to know them. They encourage me to be a better wife, mom, and follower of Jesus. My mentor mom is amazing!  I think she is the living version of "What I wanna be when I grow up..." She doesn't know that, yet! I have much to learn from her, and I know that it was no accident that I'm at her table!! She is inspiring to all of us "Green Team Mamas!"

Last month, my group was talking about being busy and frazzled. Some days are so busy that the only time for Bible reading is while doing the dishes. I hatched an idea and made my table a flip-book devotional. I've decided to share that with you ... Little by little. :-) It sits on the windowsill right about my sink. Perfect for reading and reflecting while I wash, rinse, dry, and repeat.

Day 1: A New Creation!

I'm so grateful that I'm not the same old Sarah. Jesus has transformed me to be a new creation. A new person who reflects His love and glory! Amazing that the Creator of the universe cares about me enough to make me more like Him. 

 

I'm working on memorizing these 30 verses, and I'm already working on the second edition ...  :-)

What's your favorite verse? (If you can pick just one... I can't!!)

Refuge in the Storm

 

This verse is comforting to me when I am struggling.  I love to know that God has a hiding place for me.  He will give me refuge in His wings while I'm in the midst of a storm. 

 

Last week was a struggling week for me.  I was in the middle of a storm of worry and busy-ness.  I wasn't sleeping well, and I felt like I could not catch up with everything that I needed to get done. 

 

Enter Psalm 57:1.  God reminded me to slow down, to call on Him for mercy and healing, and to REST in Him during my tough week. 

 

What comfort to know that the Creator of the universe invites me to rest in the shadow of His wings when I am having a tough time.  He holds me close and gives me comfort when I feel like I can't get anything done.  He invites me to rest.

 

Resting... for a mama of a toddler, this is a precious commodity!  Nap time is too short, and my son doesn't always sleep through the night.  Feeling well-rested is something I took for granted for most of my adult life.  Now that I've been without rest, I realize how amazing a full night of solid sleep can be. 

 

When I think about resting in God, I equate peace and comfort with this term.  I'm so thankful that I can have peace and rest and calm even in a busy week with little sleep. 

 

 

Ephesians 2:8-10

I love this! 

-saved by grace through faith

-it's not from ourselves-can't earn it

-it's a gift!

-we are God's workmanship! His design!

-He's already prepared good works for us to do. 

Not only did God created me, He chose to save me, and I can't earn that salvation. It's a gift!  And then... He's thought about me and prepared good works for me to do. How amazing is that!  

Not only did God create and save me, but He also thought of me and has a plan for me to change my world. How deep the Father's love for us!

Quiet Time Thursday

Here are just a few verses from my quiet time Thursday ...

 

 

I want to be the kind of person that promotes love and brings cheer to others.

 

I love that God chose us BEFORE creation and that he ADOPTED us as His children. 

Adoption is very close to my heart!

 

There are so many people who fit into this Scripture for me ...

family, friends, church family, fellow Starters, my MOPS group ...

 

Thanks for stopping by!

The Best Things In Life Take Time

We live in a culture of NOW.  We have lost the art of delayed gratification and waiting for what we want.  We forget that our grandparents worked for months or even years before they bought a car or a new "toy."  We see some people enjoying life's pleasures and think that we need to participate in such things NOW.

 

I struggled with this mindset a LOT when I was a newlywed.  Nope, it didn't matter that I'd just moved to Tennessee and had been married for only one year.  I wanted a new couch.  I wanted a new(er) car.  I wanted to live in the best neighborhood.  I didn't wait for those things, so I dug a hole of debt that took years to overcome.

 

More recently, I took inventory of my choices - how I was behaving around others.  I realized that I wanted change in my life - be more gentle, more loving, more Christ-like.  I think that praying one prayer will grant me instant change.  uhh... that's not how life works!

 

Several years ago, Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class changed my world.  Not only did it give me perspective on finances and planning, but it reminded me of a key life lesson:  "The Tortoise Beats The Hare"

 

Change takes time.  Changing my financial path took time.  It took us three years to pay off two cars and two student loans.  It will still take more time to pay off my Master's Degree, but I'm still working towards my goal.

 

Changing my actions takes time.  I've attended Celebrate Recovery for over two and a half years to work on my own hurts, habits, and hang-ups.  I've been able to celebrate huge victories in working through two failed adoption attempts.  I've been amazed by God's faithfulness in the adoption of my son!  I've celebrated two and a half years of freedom from panic attacks.  This did NOT happen overnight!  This happened by living one day at a time.  This happened by trusting Jesus to bring me through those tough moments.

 

The deepest desires of my heart will not happen tomorrow... or even the tomorrow after that... but they will happen on some tomorrow - whether that's months or years down the road.  What I need to remember in THIS moment is that the Tortoise wins!  He wins by walking one step at a time even when he was miles behind the Hare.  The Tortoise wins by plugging along anyway.

 

So here I am, working towards my dreams... I'm working towards paying off my Master's degree.  I'm working on trusting Jesus more every day.  I'm working on the next adoption.  I'm working on sharing my story here.  I'm working on all of these things by taking one step ... then another ...

 

 

What's your dream?  What does the tortoise mean to you?

Discipleship Journal Day 1 - Genesis 12:1-9

 

We kick off home groups at church this week!  For the next ten months, my church is studying the Patriarchs, both in home groups and in the sermon series.

 

I like that our church leaders not only encourage us to be in the Word daily but also provide resources and a common reading plan.  I can open up my church's iPhone app and get the daily reading assignment, or I can follow along in this journal.

 

 

I used to journal all the time in my quiet time - especially in high school.  Sometime in college, I got away from journaling, and I have missed it.  This is helping me get back in the habit of journaling as I read my Bible. 

 

This morning - Genesis 12:1-9.  What is amazing to me is that Abram is 75 when God tells him to leave.  He has no children, yet God promises to give him a new land.  He literally tells him to pack up and go.  At 75, Abram began a new and unfamiliar journey into the unknown.

 

Just knowing my personality, I would probably have asked a few questions. 

 

Where are you sending me?

What's the best way to get there?

How long will the journey take?

What supplies will be there when I arrive?

What supplies do I need to take with me?

Am I ever coming back here to visit?

 

You see, those six questions took be about 10 seconds to type.  Genesis 12:4 begins, "So Abram went..."  God told him to go, and he went!  What amazing faith!

 

If you were spying on me this morning, you'd see day 1 of my journal filled out like this...

 

 

Courage - Joshua 1:6-9

This was my takeaway from quiet time this morning ...

Joshua 1:6-9

Some of you need this reminder ... as I did this morning.  :-) 

These verses are some of my favorites.  Though I still have moments of fear, weakness, and discouragement, this is my reminder of God's heart for me.  "Be strong and courageous." And ... the promise that "The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  What a promise - I am not alone!  I can rely on Him to be my strength and my courage.

Verse for today - Galatians 5:1a