Spread the Word

Psalm 40: 1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, 
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feel upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth-
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.

Reading this familiar passage last night, I felt a warmth come over me.  It is so good to remember what God has done; what He has brought me from and what he is bringing me through.  But last night, it was the last two lines that really had me in awe.  It's not just about what God has done in my life, it is about how He will work in the lives of others through what He has done in my life.  This is the miraculous way in which God works but it relies on our obedience.  I have begun praying this scripture over my life and asking the Holy Spirit to lead me to always be obedient to His calling, so that not only will my faith be built up, but the faith of many.    

October 25th

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite people in all the world!  Paro, as we affectionately call her, was born this day some time ago.  When I started teaching she welcomed me with open arms not only to the school, but into her home and family!  She has been like my mom away from home.  I don't know what life would be like without her funny antics at school, her generous spirit, and her sweet personality!  I love you Paro!  Thank you for being in my life!


If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane, If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane, If we weren't all crazy we would go insane. 
Jimmy Buffett 

Wishful Thinking

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Ephesians 4:29  

AKA: If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all put this into practice...just sayin'.  I'm talking to myself here too.  

Friends Forever

There are some people in my life who I know will be life-long friends.  People that, despite distance and time, will always hold a piece of my heart.  I have been blessed to have a few deep, life-changing friendships.  Some of the best and worst memories of my life include these people.  They know me in a way that takes real time and real adversity.  Some I may only talk to as little as every few months, or only see once a year if I'm lucky, but I treasure those times.  I wish I could keep these friends close.  I wish I could see and talk to them everyday, but life moves on and we all have to go our own ways.  I love these people more than words can say and know that because of them I am a better person.   After a short FB chat with one of my friends forever tonight I kept singing my old Girl Scouts song in my head...

        Make new friends, but keep the old.

        One is silver and the other gold.

You are more precious than gold to me friends!  I am so thankful for you!   

A man of many companions may come to ruin, 
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  Proverbs 18:24

To Do List

I love lists!  Grocery lists, packing lists, supply lists, name lists, honey-do lists, any kind of list!  I always have a "to do" going on in some respect.  I just find the action of crossing things off refreshing.  I feel like I have accomplished something, made headway, gotten things done!  


The other night, I was reading my Bible and really looking at prayer.  I was reading all the prayer verses and of course the whole "pray without ceasing" came to mind.  So I found the verse (1 Thessalonians 5:14-22) and as I read it this time, God spoke a fresh word to me.  "This should be your to do list Sara.  These should be your goals everyday."  So here it is....the new and highly improved to do list....

-Warn those who are unruly 

-Comfort the fainthearted

-Uphold the weak

-Be patient with all 

-Pursue what is good for all

-Rejoice always

-Pray without ceasing

-In everything give thanks

-Do not quench the Spirit

-Do not despise prophecies

-Test all things

-Hold fast to what is good

-Abstain from every evil

This is a pretty tall order, but I am really trying to implement this into my daily life.  I know that shifting my priorities to God's to do list will help me to have a larger impact that any to do list I could come up with.  I will let you know how it goes.

Rainy Day Treat

You gotta love a lazy, rainy Saturday!  I had a bag of butterscotch chips sitting in my cabinet so I decided now would be a great time to whip my hubby up some yummy Butterscotch Chip Cookies!  He has been super sweet this week with me starting back to work and being under the weather.  I have been coming home and going straight to the bed with NyQuil.  I am so blessed to have him by my side!  So here we go...

I got out my ingredients (sans nuts...didn't have any on hand)

Got it all together

On the pan

In the oven

To the tummy....Happy Guy!

Here's the link to the recipe if you want to make your own rainy day treats!   http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1910,156189-236193,00.html

Better Business

If you know me, you know I am not a tuber.  I do not enjoy floating in a river due to my fear of snakes and other strange creatures that inhabit said river.  However, because I am a loving wife and devoted youth leader :) I do go on one tubing trip a year.  We usually head to the standby Adventures Unlimited, but this year we heard about another place-Perdido Natural Adventures.  It's only 15 mins. from the church and 1/3rd the price!  We thought we would try it out.  
We pulled up to Fran's Country Grill to meet the bus to pick us up.  At this point-it's a little sketchy!  Fran's is a shack next to a truck repair shop in the middle of nowhere!  As we walked up to the bus I was expecting red-neck Bob to meet us.  Much to my surprise and delight we were greeted by Hannah and William.  Hannah is from Finland and has a marvelous accent!  William is the nicest guy!  They welcomed us and were so excited to have us with them.  We piled the kids in the bus with Mr. William and the leaders rode in "the SUV" -as Ms. Hannah called it-down to the river.  They were the most helpful and genuinely sweet people.  They got all the tubes, canoes, and kayaks down.  They loaded and tied the coolers into tubes for us, got all the kids flip-flops and shirts organized and back on the bus, and made sure everyone had applied sunscreen!  They sent us off with waves and no time limit.  Just have fun and they would be there when we were ready.  
Hannah and William took care of everything when we got back.  They got all the coolers out, put all the boats away, made sure the kids all had extra time to swing on the rope swing and that they all got the rights shoes and shirts.  This was the best service I have experienced anywhere in a long time!  We had a great day and the Lord blessed us by keeping the storm away until we were all safe in our cars.  
If you live in the Pensacola area I highly recommend Perdido Natural Adventures-great time, great location, great prices, and the sweetest people!  


 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' – Matthew 22:37-39