our duty

our duty as believers are to...

Honor the Glory of God

Revere the Holiness of God

Admire the Greatness of God

Praise the Power of God

Seek the Truthfulness of God

Esteem the Wisdom of God

Treasure the Beauty of God

Trust the Faithfulness of God

Savor the Goodness of God

Respect the Justice of God

Fear the Wrath of God

Cherish the Grace of God

Prize the Presents of God

Love the Person of God

if we could do this our lives would be less stressful and more joyful. because He is better than life. He is the giver of true peace and joy. let's do this.

tick tick

perhaps tuesdays shall be blogdays. today i am unfortunately not in nearly as chipper of a mood as i was last week (or the week before). the 21 units is catching up to me and i'm feeling pretty stretched. i want to be doing about a dozen things right now. none of which include writing 3 papers, interviewing grandma, or doing a math assignment. all of them include, but are not limited to, napping, reading, baking, watching a movie, being unemployed, and the like. my semester is over in 64 days and honestly, I dont know if i'm going to make it. if i'm missing for a substancial amount of time check the corner of the grind because my brain probably exploded.

now where is my planner...

tuesday blessings.

ya know how i know i'm on facebook too much? i keep thinking of what to blog about and the first sentence begins with "sarah is...." like a status. SO LAME.

3 things...

1) distance does not affect the Body. we can still be just as encouraged by one other despite the distance. whether it be los angeles, santa cruz, or mississippi!

2) our adoptions as sons has nothing to do with our efforts (or lack their of) but everything to do the Spirit of God that dwells within us. His love is the true definition of unconditional. it is the only that truly IS unconditional!

3) the word is food. i pray that we will never forget that it is the only thing that will truly fill us!!

purple mountains majesty

goodness gracious. i feel like this is the first time in a long time i have sat down with my bible open and blogged! the past month has been a hard one. i have not been this busy or stressed in a looooong time, maybe ever! and this has taken a toll on me emotionally (being too sensitive and weirdly emotional), mentally (i am so over school), physically (im tired! but still eating :)), and lastly spiritually. unfortunately my flesh has won when it comes to my free time. i fill my extra minutes with facebook and phone calls instead of being filled with the one thing that will truly fill me. the past week or so i have felt a physical hunger for the word. i am so so thankful that the Lord makes me hungry for it, draws me to it. he could very well let me run around, neglecting it but he doesn't. he knows that is truly the one thing that i need so he pushes me to it! praise God! i have been reminded lately of the blessings and divine power we are given as believers. do we realize this?? we are no longer of this world but are divine beings, children of the Creator, children of a King, THE King. we now have access to the throne of giver of all things, the ordainer and sustainer of all things. i forget this far too often. He is the one who delights in us most, who pursues us most, and who deserves all of my affections and glory. i want to remember this always!

in other news... i applied for grad school. one HUGE stressor that is now taken care of. now it's a waiting/trusting game. they are accepting 10 people into the counseling program. the Lord knows my desire to serve students and my need for health insurance! he will supply the opportunity i need to serve him the exact way He has in mind. whether that be with the music team at the well, mentoring, grad school, who knows!

in romans 1 it says that God reveals himself in creation so all men are without excuse. that being said, there are few times that i am truly thankful for the beauty of fresno but the past couple weeks have been one of those times! the rain makes the air so clear and you can see every mountain top of the sierras. His beauty is breath taking. i cannot help but reflect on not only creativity but His majestic power. how can someone look at the scene of those mountains and say there is no God? it is beyond me! what an amazing King we serve!

packrat.

so here i an at my parents house. my home for the next 3 months. im sitting in my dads beloved chair that I know I will have to get out of the second he walks through the door. his sanctuary (aka the office) is now decorated with shoes, purses, and pictures of flowers. i have never felt so girlie in my life and i know he is going to regret letting me live here the moment he walks in! also, when and how did i accumulate so much junk?? i have boxes and boxes of useless things that i know i shouldnt throw away but i have no idea what to do with. example: a broadway frame i got in NY with a picture of adam and me. i dont want to throw that away yet i dont want to display it either! the answer? put it on a shelf in the closet. maybe in 6 months when im moving this stuff out ill have the guts to toss it. not today... example two: the box my really nice bible came in. now normal people would throw it away but i dont want to. even as i typing this i feel lame for holding onto it. the answer? give it to char to make something nice.

ya know what im excited about? having a glass of wine with my mom every night while we play oh pshaw. that will be nice. i know i will get sick of this house and my family but i hope to grow closer to my parents and grandparents. besides, there is always a tent in the backyard i can live in! :)

my tuition dollars at work.

what i have found while not paying attention to in class...



how true indeed....

amata

it's 10:02 and i'm in bed. with my door closed. with my pjs on. i'm hoping this will become my routine for this next semester. goodbye late nights of hanging out and sleeping in til the crack of noon! it is a bittersweet farewell. while i will miss being lazy and having ultimate freedom, i am looking forward to getting disciplined and starting this new chapter of life. a chapter that includes graduation(!), some great reading, and of course, great fellowship. i know the Lord has some great things in store and i so look forward to the growth this new stage will bring! i pray that He will continue to reveal more of Himself to me and that I will be diligent in seeking Him out.

A friend wrote me a letter 2 years ago and reading it then, i had no idea it would be exactly what i would need today! I will share some of this letter with you
"A teacher pointed something out to me the other day. He said that we are the bride of Christ, yet so often we neglct this. WE FORGET WE ARE HIS BELOVED. That he cares for us deeply and tenderly. He delights in us. So, so often I forget that I am His beloved. Because of this, my relationship with Him becomes professional- this set of words and set of meeting times. What husband would want that? Yet I treat God as if He's satisfied with this. That's where this stationary quote comes in for me- God doesn't care about whatever I give Him if He can't have me: my realness, my non-eloquent verbage, my dull affections a times- He wants those because they are me and He desires to take those things and shape them beautifully. What an incredible God!"

I pray that I will remember to give God all my thought, questions, and concerns with all areas of my life. because He uses all those things to mold me to be more like Christ. which is the goal! we, His children, are the amata, the beloved.

its close to 10:30 now so i'm off to dreamland!