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
