Abide

My spot.

My eno has easily been my favorite purchase of all time. I'm drawn to my yellow & blue spot- it's comfortable, it's calming, it's simple. It's where I would prefer to spend most of my time. I'd like to think hanging in my eno is a little glimpse of what heaven will be like. 

My time in my spot is precious to me, I read, I journal, I pray, and I read some more. I learn and I grow in that eno. I know that sounds crazy. But really, over the years I have learned and grown in the Lord just solely by being still and listening in that spot. It's me, the outdoors, Jesus and a book. That's it. And that's where I thrive. 

This past week at Athens campaigners we focused on the word 'abide'. 

Abide: to dwell

We discussed the importance of abiding in Jesus, spending time with Him and allowing Him to consume you with the Gospel, his love, his mercy and grace. 

As we abide in Him, He abides in us. And I really believe that that is when His spirit is truly and consistently at work within us. 

Find a spot. Be still and dwell in Jesus, let Him saturate you with the Gospel and let His spirit do mighty work inside of you. 

{Gratitude} Tuesday

    Lately, I've been thankful for this book and the straight truth it's been hittin me with. 

For my YL girls who are literally the coolest.

 

For a much needed, much relaxing spring break with my favorites. 

For this friend, and the constant encouragement she pours onto people. 

 For coffee in rainy Downtown Apex.

For this weather and being able to get out on the water in March.

For stillness. For no social media. And more coffee.


"...I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or living in want."
Philippians 4:12

happy tuesday homies

Chosen

My heart beats a little faster when I hear the word "chosen". Sometimes I have to just stop what I'm doing and listen for the Lord to whisper that word into me. 

Sarah,

you 

are 

chosen.

He chose me, He chose my heart to belong to Him. 

I've been reading The Ragamuffin Gospel and my jaw has been dropping page after page.

Get this: 

"If you were to hold out a dime at arm's length while gazing at the night sky, the coin would block out 15 million stars from your view, if your eyes could see with that power."

"The earth's weight has been estimated at six sextillion tons (that's six with twenty-one zeros). Yet it is perfectly balanced and turn easily on its axis."

"We are traveling through space at 19 miles per second or about 68,000 miles per hour."

I mean that is insane. That same all-powerful Creator tells me that I am His and that He chose me.  

Psalm 8

...I look up at your heavens, shaped by your fingers, at the moon and the stars you set firm, what are human beings that you spare a thought for them, or the child of Adam that you care for him?

"We tremble before God's majesty...yet we grow squeamish and skittish before God's love."

When I grow discouraged, I run to the thought of knowing the One who has my heart is the same One who hung those stars in the sky. I run and jump into His arms. Praying that He will hold me close and saturate me with His grace. 

God chose me to spread the Gospel at Athens Drive High School and He never told me it would be easy, but man it's gonna be worth it. He chose me because I was unable, because I am weak. Yet He tells me to get up. He tells me that when I can't hold onto Him, He's still holding onto me. What God started in me He's going to finish. He loves me consistently, He nurtures me consistently and embraces me consistently despite my broken, worn out heart. And in that I will delight and find my hope in. 

{Gratitude} Tuesday

                

Lately, I've been thankful for great weather & spending time in my favorite place.

For raspberry italian sodas from Cup A Joe.

For the chance to watch the Athens lax team kill it in their tournament. 

For watching this sweet old man read to his wife every week at Global Village Coffee.

For John 10:28, I mean DANG straight from Jesus' mouth--we can not be snatched from His hand, we are HIS.

And for m&ms + peanut butter #college.

"As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible." -Ann Voskamp

happy tuesday homies

The Beginning

ATHENS DRIVE HIGH SCHOOL! My new home, the very place God chose for me to pour out to the broken hearted. How EXCITING! It is still unreal that I am officially a Young Life leader. I am jumping into campaigners, club, and contact work and it's coming quick. 

It's scary and it's uncomfortable but what a privilege it is to be able to be included in what God is doing at this school. I've tasted and seen that the Lord is so so good, and I am so urgent for these high school girls to taste and see that the Lord is good. But, I know that it will take time to build relationships with these friends, to earn the right to be trusted by them and the right to be heard. It's a process and it takes effort. 

God brought me from life to death, and yet I still fear that He can't prepare the way for me through this high school. And then I have to stop and I have to remind myself that He absolutely can and will prepare the way for me. He's gone before me into Athens and into the hearts of these girls. There is nothing to fear. I serve a powerful God who can do anything in me. 

I am truly in awe of how the Lord is working in this ministry and I am so stoked to see the mighty work He does through all of these leaders! Excited for this journey and what lies ahead. Go Jags. 

New Greater Raleigh YL leaders!!!

Athens Drive YL team!

3 years to 3 days

This is the week. In three days I find out where I will be leading Young Life for the next three and a half years. The count down started three years ago. The moment the two weird college strangers stepped onto Middle Creek high school's campus, sat down and watched my lacrosse practice. I had no idea who they were and no idea why in the world they were coming to watch us...middle creek girl's lacrosse...run around a field acting like we knew what we were doing. But they showed up, time after time at Middle Creek, poured into me and my friends, loved us, spent time with us, encouraged us, showed us how to live a life for Jesus. I knew something was different about Emily and Liza, I wanted to do whatever they did, I wanted to have the joy that they had, I wanted to live life like they lived life, I wanted to follow them. So that's what I did. I followed Liza and Emily to campaigners, to YL club, and to YL camp-where my life was changed. I'm beyond thankful that the Lord chose them to usher me to the feet of Jesus, to show me how to live a life for the Kingdom, and how to love others unconditionally. I figured it out. Jesus was inside of them, they leaked Jesus wherever they went. I wanted that. So I began to run after and follow Jesus and they never left my side along the way. They are two of my best friends and now I get to follow in their footsteps and lead high school girls to the King. Wow.

The past few weeks have been filled with anticipation, wondering what school I will be placed at and wondering what lies ahead. It's been hard not trying to see myself at certain schools, or picking and choosing where I would want to be. But it's not my plan, it's the Lord's plan and sometimes that is hard to trust.

[Acts 20:24 the msg]

I'm completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won't be a picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant grace of God.

What boldness and selflessness Paul has. I am to consider my life nothing in comparison to spreading the Gospel. The Lord has set me apart. He has chosen me. He has chosen a school for me. A school that is full of brokenness. I'm on a mission to be bold and to pour out grace, love and truth. He has hand picked this school for me all for His glory. No matter the school I get, I pray that my heart will overflow with thankfulness and that I will fall to my knees in praise. What an honor that I'm on a mission for the Creator of this universe. What matters most is that I will live my life to finish the race that He started. I will trust in knowing that He has gone before me and that His plan is beyond perfect. That He delivers. I will cling to Him. Tightly. Never letting go, never losing sight of Him.

I'm ready and I am so STOKED to get the chance to do what Liza & Emily did for me in high school. There's a post to follow on the school I get placed at & what my next 3 and a half years will look like!

h o m e

I'm thankful for rest. 

I'm thankful for waking up to the sun rather than an alarm clock.

I'm thankful for quiet times on my porch.

I'm thankful for laying in my bed as long as I want, digging into the Lord's word.

I'm thankful for a good book.

I'm thankful for my mom's cooking.

I'm thankful for my family.

I'm thankful for honest, sweet, grace filled conversations with friends.

I'm thankful for the place I get to call home. 

My first semester in college I feel like I have constantly been on the go, never stopping. I've never been one for just sitting around. I was just running through the motions of my set and planned out days. [class-quiet time-coffee-class-lunch-class-homework-YL/bible study/babysitting-dinner-sleep]. It was all rushed, only to reach the next thing on the list. Even my times with the Lord, I felt like were rushed & I didn't truly take time to be still in His presence. Being home, forcing myself to rest, to be still, not always on the go and soaking in my time with Jesus has allowed me to open my eyes. To open my eyes and to realize what the Lord has been teaching my these past few months and how I have grown. I'm so grateful for this time and the ways it's taught me to slow down.

Being Christmas season, there is still a lot of presents to be bought, lights to be seen, friends to catch up with, books to be read, pictures to be taken, and so much more. But I'm stepping back and rejoicing in the birth that turned this world upside down. The birth of the One who came for me and for you. Jesus Christ. Born in a stable, from a teenage girl. Not an extravagant anything. A stable. So that we now walk with God, because Jesus Christ was born. Wow. That is Christmas season. I will delight and rest in knowing that Jesus came as Emmanuel. God with us.