Latest News/Staying strong

Latest news
Well, May 3rd we found out whether this new bundle of joy is going to be a boy or a girl! We are all excited to say we are expecting ...Drum roll please!... a boy!!!! Hannah has broken the Aulridge tradition of all girls! Yay! Don't get me wrong we love having all of these girls in our family, but I think we are ready for some boys! :) I am so excited to meet this little guy!!!
My friend I mentioned my last post is also having a boy! Our church has a slew of babies on the way right now and we are all elated! Please keep them all in your prayers!
Sadie Mae is walking around everywhere now! She loves to be tickled, and playing the piano, and she loves to sing the B-I-B-L-E. She's getting so big!
Bekah passed her entry exam for the community college in Hartville! She will be graduating on the 21st of next week! So happy for her!


Speaking of Hartsville! They had a bad flash flood yesterday with some pretty bad damage from the looks of it! They are expecting more rain and flooding today too. I was reading a report on it just now and I can't help but laugh!
"Flooding of low lying and other flood prone areas will be possible. People who live along creeks and streams should monitor water levels and be prepared to take action. Travelers should be alert for water covering roads. Turn around, Don`t drown."
The "Turn around, Don't drown." though. Really? haha! Yes, Please don't drown!
In all seriousness, we need to be praying for the people in that area. I remember the Carthage flood back in 2010. I cannot believe it has been six years! I haven't heard of any causalities, but I know that floods cause a lot of damage, so please pray for the people in Hartsville!


Our church got the chance to bring a group of people to a tent meeting in Kentucky. It was very good! I got a blessing from just the ride over and back home too! Thank GOD for good preaching and good Christian friends!


Staying Strong
I must admit I have been struggling with my commitments with music and movies lately. Even though I have not gotten back into the mess I was in before, I could sense my mind set easing back in that direction. That is a scary thing. I had gotten to the point I felt as though I couldn't lean on the friends I had. We had a lot of the same weaknesses. That makes it hard not to slip. For whatever reason, GOD has allowed me to kindle relationships with other people in my life that are much stronger than I am in their walks with HIM. These people are an encouragement and true motivators to do right. I don't want to let them down, and I want to please the LORD too. I had been slacking on my bible reading, and my prayer life was almost non-existent. All of my time had been consumed by stupid and worthless things. The more time I spend with my friends, the more time I want to spend with GOD and that is a wonderful feeling! To feel convicted by your friends' testimonies, is a great motivator to want to strive to do and be better for Christ! HE has been so good to me even when I paid HIM no real attention! Boy, HE's good!
God has been beating me up the past couple of weeks and continues to do so! I haven't had my heart in what I was doing, therefore the realness and the meaningfulness of it was beginning to slip away. I wasn't motivated. I was becoming comfortable with where I was at. I'm not doing any of the stuff my old friends are. I'm doing okay. Is "okay" or "good enough" truly enough for our Creator? Our Savior? Not at all! Motivation seems to be an unintended theme at church lately. I haven't been able to get Brother Earl Ankrom's message from a few years ago off my mind. "Leftovers". I've been giving GOD my leftovers! Isn't that backwards? I don't deserve the crumbs from HIS table and yet HE gives me a seat and full course meals! That should motivate me! Here I was giving almost nothing back! I've gotten motivated to do more. Through friends, church, and well, GOD! I hope you all will pray for me! Also, please pray for Cornerstone! I believe GOD is working on something big behind the scenes! Take heart and stay strong my brothers and sisters! Give HIM your all!


Simply,
      Sarah

New Blog/ Past Due News/ Latest News

Hello all!
I have started a new blog called Sarah's Rantings http://sarahsrantings96.blogspot.com/2016_04_26_archive.html . It is exactly what it sounds like! Me ranting passionately about my opinions. I hope you all enjoy it! Honestly, I feel I will begin to form my new blog with more zealousness, because my everyday life is not something people will enjoy hearing about all of the time. I feel like I can spend more time voicing my opinions and passions rather than my day to day life. I will however, continue to update Simply Sarah as exciting events occur.


Past Due News!

I ended up going with my  mom to Georgia last month to see my grandpa. Guys please pray for him! His health is not what it should be and he is thinking of selling his house and moving here to Tennessee. So if you all could pray he gets peace about whatever would be best, and if it's GOD's will, he can sell his house for a good price and GOD can make his move a lot easier on him.

While I was in Georgia, I got the chance to spend time with my Aunt Tonya, my cousins Nate and Brianna and Willow, Brianna's baby, who is so cute and chunky!!! :)

Sadie Mae is now one year old! Where does time go? We are loving watch her personality and love for food form! The girl will eat! Lol 

Now that it is out in the open and everyone knows, I can scream it from the roof tops: "I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT AGAIN!!!" I am so excited for this newest member of our family! My sister Hannah will find out the gender on May third! I will tell everyone the gender as soon as I'm given "the go ahead"!

A friend of mine that has had a hard time trying for children, now has one on the way! Our prayers have been answered! I am beyond happy for her! Please pray for these expecting ladies to have good pregnancies and good healthy babies!

Bekah recently got back from a trip to Florida with some of her friends for a birthday.

Mikah is a sixteen year old! I'm still trying to let that sink in!

Leah is a teenager this year and will properly broken-in at youth camp :P

Everyone is growing up so fast! I cannot believe this is my very last year in teen class! I may have already over-stayed my welcome but you're only a "teen" once in your life and I want to enjoy it as long as I can!






ON TO THE LATEST!

Now that you are all caught up on the old news here's the latest! :)


With Cody (My Boss) being in Australia, I have been working everyday with Mrs. Gayle. I must say I quite enjoyed getting to know her better, beings we rarely work on the same days.
Today, I'm flying solo! It's not been too bad actually! People have been very understanding and in all it has been a good day! Great even!


This past Saturday has definitely been the highlight of this month for me! Bekah and I and four friends of ours got a chance to go to the zoo. Originally, it was going to be a huge group, but a couple of people bailed and/or couldn't go. It ended up being six of us: Jon, Jed, Grace, Shannon, Bekah, and myself. I think we all went thinking it was a strange group of people, but all in all it was a great day full of fun! The zoo was fun because of course who doesn't like the zoo? And when you put a strange group like us in the zoo (with a jungle gym) of course it was fun! Even with some of the best exhibits closed we had a great time! But of course by three o'clock we were all past ready for lunch and went to subway. Grace and Shannon at one subway and the other four of us at another subway ( I won't get into this part of the story, because I want to save Grace and Shannon the embarrassment ;) ) Once we were done eating we went to the mall and made plans to go to a place called Jump Street (Grace's idea). I had never heard of the place, and if you have never been there, I highly suggest you go! It was a blast! Who's inner child doesn't enjoy a room full of trampolines? Mechanical Bull? Trampoline basketball? So much fun! Mom can I have my 20th birthday party there???
The whole day was definitely a successful one (we won't talk about me almost breaking my neck trying to do a flip...Or Jon getting hurt on the mechanical bull... seriously that's all you need to know lol!) !


Before I tell you this part of the story, you must remember my fear of heights. I get a sick feeling watching other people in high places or even a video! That is how scared I am of heights. I have panic attacks simply thinking of it sometimes! Yes, I'm that ridiculous! The only way to help it is to fight back and face my fear, but in front of friends, is risking having a panic attack and embarrassing myself to no end! So I was not about to get on the zip line at the zoo, even though I think everyone thought I was being ridiculous! But I did manage to make myself try a climbing thing at Jump Street. Basically, you are strapped into a harness and you step up from one pillar to the next until you get to the top and then you jump. This should be simple, right? Think again! For me, who has an intense fear of heights and falling, I don't exactly jump at the chance to climb and jump from things if my life doesn't depend on it! But I got to the fourth from the top and I jumped! I was actually proud of myself as silly as that sounds! But it wasn't enough. Who can brag when there are eight year olds making it to the top with no problem? So I went again, determined to make it to the top and jump. I tuned everything around me out, and climbed. I did fine until I reached the point I had stopped before. My heart began to race, rising to my throat. I pushed the thought of falling away and continued up. Next to last I made the mistake of glancing down. I swallowed and took the last step. I made it to the top! Now I only have to fall. Yikes... I took a deep breath then I stepped off. I cannot tell you how happy I was! To take that step may be easy for some, but hard for me.
The LORD made me realize that is all HE asked me to do: Trust the harness. GOD has given me a set of commandments to follow all the way to the end, but without that "harness" that fall could've hurt pretty badly. We are always told to take a leap of faith. But in today's society they forget to tell us to put on the harness before we jump. The harness could symbolize many things! The hand of GOD, the commandments of GOD, or the armor of GOD. Without any of these, what are you trusting in to catch your fall? The LORD also pointed out to me that I did not go all the way the first time. I thought I did "good enough". Until I had jumped too soon. But thank GOD for second chances! I had a chance to try again and follow through! Watching others climb with ease is encouraging and intimidating at time, and watching others fail and give up is also discouraging but can push you to pick up the ball and go farther than the person before you could! It's all in how much faith you have in the "harness".
I will spell out my huge metaphor for you. The Christian life looks easy from afar. It may be easier for some, with more faith. But without faith, there is nothing enjoyable about the Christian journey. Without faith nothing is keeping you on the right path, and it will be very easy to turn back or jump off the path too soon! Just because you think you're done, doesn't mean that the path GOD has placed you on has come to an end. DON'T LOSE FAITH!  GOD is worthy of a finished race! HE gave HIS life for us, can we not risk ours for HIM? Even if only metaphorically speaking? Are you afraid you will lose friends or popularity on GOD's path? Been there, done that my friend! And I am a world better for it! I am happier without something extra tugging me off the path! My flesh does enough of that! By the grace of GOD, here I am trying by faith to stay on the right path! GOD knows I've been known to drift from time to time and sometimes just flat out run! Again only BY HIS GRACE am I still here! PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR WORTHY IS HE! DO NOT LOSE FAITH!


Thanks for reading! Hope you got something out of all of this!


Simply,
    Sarah

WKU Tour & Other Happenings



As I have mentioned before, I have been praying about WKU for a while now. I got the chance to visit Western Kentucky's campus with my friend Hannah yesterday! I fell in love with the campus! It is absolutely beautiful! I loved what I saw of the dental program and would love to study there. I still have much to pray and think about. So please continue to pray! Not only for me but Hannah and all other people looking for GOD's will for this new exciting chapter of our lives! Thanks you!


There has been an outbreak of lice in smith county and other surrounding counties as well! Schools have had a problem with it and also my church! Last night before church my mom and Mrs. Melissa decided to check everyone to be safe! They were completely convinced we were "eat up with it"! We all thought we had it! As an active countermeasure we all combed and washed our hair. I alone washed my hair four times yesterday! We also washed our bedding and every hair brush in the house!
My mom asked Mrs. Kippi to come and double check for us to make sure what we were seeing was, in fact, lice. So she gladly came over and checked every one of us!!! (THANK YOU Mrs. Kippi! You're an angel!) She came to the conclusion that we didn't need lice shampoo; we need head & shoulders shampoo! We had no lice or any evidence of every having any at all! Mrs. Kippi said we must have had phantom lice! We were simply paranoid! What a relief it is to know we are clean of it!


Now that my plans for this weekend are still a go, I have quite a busy few days ahead of myself.


My List:
•Finish pulling clothes out form the attic
•Laundry (and lots of it!)
•Straighten the house
•Studying for the ACT
•Staying over at a friends house
•Helping prepare for a gift card shower


That may be a load of things to do but,with my mom heading back to Georgia on the 20th and not arriving back home until the 23rd, I'm in charge of keeping the house intact! lol Mikah's Birthday is on the 22rd She will be 16 years old! So crazy! Sadie Mae will be 1 year old on the 24th! Time seems to fly, does it not?


Well, I'll rest my fingers before I start rambling even more than usual! Thanks to those that still read my blog! Until next time!


~Simply,
            Sarah

I've always wanted to be a writer from the time I could read and write. Now that I'm older finding the time to write my "To Do List" is a task on its own!

Lately, I have been looking for a college that I feel would be best for me. I'm pretty set on Western Kentucky University for my last two years of college, but it's the first two years of school that stump me! I want to go for Dental Hygiene. People ask me to explain what that is every time I mention it, so I'll tell you. Dental Hygiene is actually exactly what it sounds like: Hygiene for teeth or cleaning teeth. I've wanted to do this for a long time and for many reasons. Firstly, the hours are great!  Second, the money isn't bad either! Thirdly, it is something I can do anywhere; in or out of country too. It is a much needed skill on the mission field. I don't know if I will be called or not but I am very open to the idea if the opportunity arises! All of that makes it a great convenience and practical for a young girl that would like to have a family one day. Anyways I'm having trouble settling on a community college.  This is one of the biggest decisions of my life and I desperately need your prayers! So please pray for me! I have also thought of going to WKU for two years and be done, but I'm still praying about that!

I have been working at State Farm under Brother Cody since a bit before thanksgiving. It truly has been an answer to prayer! I had been praying for a job while I was in Ethiopia. I prayed for a job with a good atmosphere, decent pay, possibly with someone from church and not too far from home. I couldn't think of anywhere or anyone, but I kept praying. When I arrived in Washington D.C. I called a few people to let them know I was back on American soil (and because I was bored...) anyways I called my grandmother. She mentioned something about my mom saying a guy at our church who worked in insurance was looking for someone to hire. So when I got home I asked my mom about it, and she said Brother Cody was looking for someone. I thought and prayed about it some more, though I had peace about it the whole time. I got peace to ask Brother Cody if he was still looking for someone to hire. He said he did and I could come by the office to see what I thought and talk more about it. So I did. He told me before I left I could start that day if I wanted and wasn't busy! I was busy, but I started that week. GOD worked it all out perfectly! I think Brother Cody got the sour end of the deal though ;)! He is a great boss and I couldn't have picked a better job or timing! GOD is good! 

With all that has been going on recently I can't help but want to go on another missions trip! I'm crazy I know! I'm praying about it, but it will only happen with if the hand of GOD is on it! So please pray HE will work it all out and make it clear to me what HE would have me to do.   

Sadie Mae will soon be a year old!!! Time Runs! As the Ethiopians would say! lol! I feel as if I missed a lot while I was gone, but GOD has blessed and that missions trip was the best thing that could've happened for me!

I have been sadly watching my old friends throw their lives away. I can't explain what that feels like. I could feel angry, bitter, or sad. I did at first. But I began to feel as if I was wallowing in self-pity. I felt pathetic. I was pathetic. I have no right to be angry, because I would be right there along side them if not for the grace of GOD! GOD gave me a change of heart and that changed my life! I would be an utter mess without the unfailing mercy HE has bestowed upon me. So yes, I am disappointed in the poor life choices my friends have made and continue to make; but I am so thankful that my Father pulled me out of all of that! PRAISE GOD FOR GRACE! 

Anyways this is simply another one of my many random ramblings and I thank you for those of you that put up with them!

Simply,

  Sarah

The Time Has Come!

The time has come to say goodbye! I just got back from the first night of Music Camp and saying goodbye to most of my friends! I'm glad I got to spend a little time at music camp and see a lot of my friends from out of town! Now here I am packed and ready to go to Ethiopia... TOMORROW! Well, I will be leaving for Washington D.C. early tomorrow, but I fly out the next morning for Ethiopia! That is still so crazy to think about! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it! I mean: Who just off and leaves the country for 3-4 months?!?! Supposedly me! Lol! I've always dreaming and wished to travel around the world, but I never expected Ethiopia would be the first place I'd go! I'm excited to see how everything goes. I hope and pray I can be a true blessing to the Fussners! I ask you to please do the same! 
A couple people have asked if I am going to blog about my missions trip, I am hoping to keep all of you updated! Krystal told me I may be able to once a month or so. I will try my best! :) Please try to keep me updated on everything that happens while I'm gone! 
I will miss everyone so much! I've already been so blessed by this chance! People have shown me so much love and have given me so many promises to pray for me and good wishes for my trip! I will be honest, I'm not a very lovey-dovey or emotional person, but it is awesome to see how much and how many people care about me! Not to be depressing or anything , but there was a time in my life when I didn't think there was many people that did. But that was definitely at least partially my fault. I had barricaded myself away to keep from getting hurt, but not having any close relationships hurts on its own. I had just gotten so tired of people failing and causing me and my family and friends to get hurt. Now I know that when I have actually opened up to people, they start opening up to me as well! Who would've thought?!?! Lol That is one of the best feelings ever! UCA has opened my eyes to how important friendships are! GOD has put so many great people in my life! I'm just starting to notice. I am so blessed! 
Well, I won't go on too much longer but I would like to thank Cornerstone for giving me this chance! In my opinion, Cornerstone is the best church in the world, I maybe a little prejudiced... But I truly believe if I spent my whole life looking I would never find a church that could even compare to my church family! I love you guys and again, sincerely, Thank you!

~Sarah ;)           

Commitments

I sit in the silence of my upstairs bedroom. I hear the voices of my loved ones downstairs going about their day. Reflecting on this past week of youth camp is like thinking about a dream. My life is empty of so many things i had before camp. Music, movies, TV shows, doubts,... life is so different already. I honestly don't know what to do with myself! I have so much to do, yet I have nothing I used to do. I'm trying to fill my time with cleaning, organizing, spending time in prayer and in the Word of GOD. It has been going well, yet I feel like i'm trying to completely remake who i have become! Trying to tear down what i have created in myself so GOD can create what HE wants me to be. It is so humbling. It is exciting, yet scary! Placing my faith back into HIS hands instead of my own. Yes, growing up in a good christian home and church makes it easier. "Easier" that is the key word! Not "Easy"! I've only been back from camp since this past Saturday and I've already had to struggle with my commitments! I steadily hope that people are praying for me to keep them! I continue to hopefully remind myself that if I can just continue to keep them until July 7th when I leave for Ethiopia then I have a true chance to keep my commitments! I know that is probably not the best way to think, but honestly, I have an extremely hard time with it! If I can do it with the LORD's help until July 7th, I will have no choice after that for another three to five months! GOD has lined everything up perfectly so I don't have to do it completely on my own! None of us do! So teenagers of Cornerstone don't drop the ball! Stay strong in your commitments! We can stand together and encourage each other. Iron sharpeneth iron! When I sat down to type i had no idea what i was going to write but I hope and pray that you will all pray for me and each other! Let's not slide this time! It gets harder each time to get back up, so lets stand and keep on standing! Thanks for reading me rambling on! :)    

~Sarah   

 

12 years ago today...

Wow. It's September eleventh again! I can't believe it's been twelve years! So many things were lost on that sad day. The lives of people. not just any people though. Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, grandchildren...a friend,... etc... most of those people that died, left behind a mourning family member or friend. when most people think on 09.11.01 they think about the twin towers that fell. but there were other buildings too. other people. Three buildings that once stood strong and tall are gone. All the people that were inside, gone. 

You hear stories of those people who died trying to fight for their lives only to fail. You don't hear much talk of the building that wasn't hit though. The people that didn't die that terrible day that were supposed to. And not many people know why they lived to see another day. It wasn't because they deserved it. It wasn't because they did something that those in the twin towers or the Pentagon didn't. They were saved because of the people on the fourth plane had no intention of dying trying to save their own lives, but the lives of others! That is why the people in the White House survived. Unselfishness. That one word describes the people and their actions on that plane to a tee! 

I could rant and rave all day of their courage, bravery, love, and loyalty these wonderful people had for their country and the people in it! But I won't. Their actions speak for themselves! All ill do is ask you to read the book "Let's Roll!". It will tell the story from Todd Beamer's wife's perspective. The guy that was one of the most unselfish men that ever lived, in my option. He was on the fourth plane that day. That plane crashed in a field leaving behind no survivors. Todd Beamer was among the those that passed. I wouldn't call him a victim though, nor anyone else on that plane, but the terrorist. Because they fought back and won! True no one survived, but their plan was to save the White House and those in it and they carried that out even though it meant losing their own lives. Todd Beamer left behind an expecting wife, and two little boys. 

But, even though some was lost this day twelve years ago, lets not go around hanging our heads, feeling as if we lost the battle. The losses of that battle are overwhelming, but America had victory that day! Let us be glad that it wasn't much worse and just let us pray that God will have mercy on this nation! So come on guys! Let's roll! 

God bless America! And please continue to shed Your grace on this nation even though we don't deserve it!