Radical Living

"If we wanna live as Jesus lived, then we need to pray as Jesus prayed"-Seth Trimmer, Grace City Church

I dunno about you-but I want to live a radical life with and for Jesus. Through his power, I am able to change this world for his glory. I want to be a light for him. I want to overflow with his love for everyone and anyone I meet. Here is to changing my life and how I live through prayer. Cuz prayer is powerful and God moves through prayer.

 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine; according to his great power that is at work within us" Ephesians 4:20

God can do MORE that I can imagine. God can do MORE that I can even ask. His power is GREAT.

...This wasn't part of MY plan

When God changes our plans, we need to react in faith. God changes our plans because his plans are bigger and better than anything we could have imagined. God is not selling us short.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isiah 55:8-9

Moments of faith are to allows God's thoughts, plans, and ways to operate, lead, and motivate our lives. It gives us a peace that we are following Him. It may not be comfortable, but it is always worth it. After the trial is over, we can truly see why God put us through it.

God, thank you for changing the plans I had for my life. I know and believe your plans are better for me. I don't always see what you are doing, and I certainly do not understand, but I know you are good and I want to trust in what you are doing.

It is truly amazing the way God uses the baggage, the ugliness, the dirt from your life to bless, encourage, and love others. The way God takes dust and makes it beautiful. After a long conversation with a friend today, I am left amazed. Amazed that my sin, my mistakes, and my regrets brought her comfort, hope, and encouragement. I cannot say enough how amazing my Father is and the way He works.

God, thank you for taking me down the roads you have taken me. Although I cannot always see the purpose or the outcome, I know you have a bigger plan and I will forever put my trust in you. Thank you for letting me see a glimpse of how you are using me and my story. Thank you for answering my prayer.

“I don't always knew where this life is going. I can't see the end of the road, but here is the great part: Courage is not about knowing the path. It is about taking the first step. It is about Peter getting out of the boat, stepping out onto the water with complete faith that Jesus will not let him drown.”- Katie J. Davis

I find myself in You

Yesterday was September 11th, 2011.

 source

10 years from the original day when our country was attacked. I loved sitting by the tv and hearing story after story. I love to hear people's stories anyway, but something in me just wanted to keep hearing more. I love the way this horrific experience brought people together, and brought about healing.

Today, I woke up and for the first time in a long time, I was not dying of heat by 8am. I awoke to a gentle breeze coming from my window. I LOVE this kind of weather in Oregon. The quiet of the morning. The still smell in the air. Oh, I just love it. So I made some mint tea, set out my blue Mexico blanket on my balcony, grabbed my ipod, journal, and bible. I started to journal.

 source

Prayer journaling is something I have been doing consistently since camp. I LOVE to look back, read my old prayers, see where my heart was, and see how God worked. I prayed and prayed. The words just kept coming. I can't remember a time that I was able to just keep talking and talking to God. I am seeing changes within my own heart. I am seeing answers to prayers I have been praying for a very long time. Then I started to read the Word. I found myself hungry for His Word! I have not been hungry in a long time. I have not been so thankful in a long time. I am really praising Jesus for where He is taking me! I have a feeling I don't remember, and I think it is joy.

 source

I found a quote recently that says something along the lines of, "the opposite of joy is fear." That has been on my heart and mind since I heard it. I have been letting go of a lot of the fears I have been harboring my whole life and I am realizing as I do that, I am finding my joy again. Or, really, God is giving me joy again. And it feels so great. God is leading me to a wonderful place, His arms. And that is where I find myself. In Him.

Looking back on September 11 gives me hope. I know that healing is possible. I believe Our God is greater, stronger, and able to do anything. Oh, God is just so good!

I'm captured by this love I see

I find myself wishing I blogged about something other than God, but I can't help it. I love God. My love for Him overflows and is ingrained in every part of my life.

Tonight, at my bible study with some very beautiful women who love God,  I got such encouragement and a touch of what heaven will look like. I was reminded that I am not alone. I was reminded that everyone around me is facing trails. I was reminded that God is bigger than anything I may be facing in the moment. I was reminded that it is good to be raw, to be real, to be vulnerable. I was so blessed by these women who sat around me, spilled out what was on their heart and had tears flow from their eyes. This is community. This is beauty. I love the beauty that I see in real and honest tears. I love to see the beauty in the brokenness. Brokenness means growth, desire for change. Surrender. As each woman shared, we then circled them and prayed over them. We did this for every woman there. 

source

I firmly believe in the power of prayer. When we simply ask and express the desires of our hearts, the burdens we carry, God rewards that. Also, God tells us that when we gather together in his name, he will be there. I cannot wait to see how God uses this vulnerability. I cannot wait to hear about the answers to prayer. I cannot wait to get to know these women better. I am excited for what God is doing. I am not burdened by the pain, but I am excited for the goodness of God. He is so good! 

source

Beautiful Lord by Leeland

When the storm is raging all around me
You are the peace that calms
My troubled sea
And when the cares of this world
Darken my day
You are the light that shines
And shows me the way

Oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me!

Beautiful Lord

Awesome and mighty
I'm captured by this love I see
Beautiful Lord
Tender and holy
Your mercy brings me to my knees
It's Your mercy that has made me free
Beautiful Lord

When my sin is all that I can see
Your grace remains the shelter that I seek
And when my weakness is all I can give
Your gentle Spirit gives me strength again
And oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me

And I am lifted by Your love to sing!
It's Your mercy that has made me free!

You're beautiful, my Lord
You're beautiful, my Lord

Love, Sun, & Crafts

On Thursday, I went to a conference for young adults ages 18-28 called The Way Event//Love-ology. It was an amazing event all about relationships, marriage, femininity, masculinity, dating, sex, and love. The podcasts are available online, and you should definitely give a listen to them. They are pretty long and there are two days, however, so do it while cleaning, showering, driving, or cooking.

I took sooo many notes it is crazy! The whole event was absolutely beautiful to me. We gathered in an abandoned warehouse in Portland. It was cold, rainy, and not comfortable to say the least. There weren't enough chairs, so we sat on cold concrete. The "bathrooms" consisted of port-a-potties in the rain. I'm so glad  I have a small bladder and I got to experience them! All joking aside, the beauty of it to me is that we all had a desire to learn. We were all there because we want to learn about what God says about this things, what  Godly men and women look like.

On Sunday, the weather was absolutely stunning. It was sunny and 62 degrees! (I know, that sounds freezing to some of you, but the warm sun was so perfect!) I got to wear shorts and a tank for the first time this year. I greatly enjoyed it! I planned to go to the park and read, but instead, I took advantage of the balcony at my apartment.

 I was praying about my desire to be a Godly woman and have God use me. God whispered to me, "Sarah, you already are a woman of me. Follow me. I am using you." It was such comfort to hear those words straight from my Father! I was reading the Psalms and I got such a sense of where I belong. I often question things and feel like I don't belong for one reason or another. God reassured my wandering heart and made me feel so comforted and safe.

  I was so excited about the warm weather. Summer is coming! :) Here is my outfit: 

Shorts: Charlotte Russe
White Tank: Target
Purple Vest: Ross
Sunglasses: H&M
Necklace: Forever 21

I've been helping my friend Dani organize and decorate her craft room. It was a big explosion when we first started, but I helped her create a place that was calming, inspiring, organized, and functional. I think it looks pretty good if you ask me!

These are cork squares covered with decorative fabric and ribbon and inspirational collages

White wire ribbon with card fronts attached with mini colored clothes-pins

These cute little jars hold Dani's ribbon

I made this jar for Dani to put scissors and pens or whatever on her desk

This wall is absolutely my favorite, We decorated the letters with ripped up paper and mod-podged it. I did the R, A, T, and half of the E. 

There are some star lights over the window and a desk where Dani can work! Yay! The bin holds all her fabric, paper, and miscellaneous things. 

The room turned out really great! We didn't really have a color scheme when we started, but as it went along, it all unfolded perfectly. Dani loves color and I'm so glad I could help her make this space perfect for her. She has a shop on Etsy and makes some of the cutest things I've ever seen! Not to mention, I got to craft and organize with a good friend. Perfection.