Invasion From Heaven

There are so many times in my life, that I look back on the order of events that have occurred, and just stand in amazement.

Our ladies Bible study has just started this book, Seeking Him- Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival by Nancy Leigh DeMoss & Tim Grissom. This workbook has been hanging around our house way before we ever started this study. You see, it takes us ladies a quite a while to get through a study :) Lot's of talking and sharing....it's one of the best parts of being together! Each time we near the end of a study I begin the dreaded search process. This usually involves lots of pleading with God for direction, while I'm scouring the Christian Book Store and various other means in hopes of finding the perfect study. In the past, during this process, this Seeking Him book always crossed my path...and I always dismissed it. Oh, I had lots of good reasons...the main one being that I thought it was just "too deep" for where our group was at. Isn't that funny. What God has revealed to me now...is that it was "too deep" for me. I had wanted to believe that it was our group of Ladies that was not ready for it....but God said to my heart, "Sarah, you were not ready to lead it." *ouch* And, He was right.

When Seeking Him crossed my path this time, I was ready! God had begun to work a real revival in my own heart...and now I'm ready. As I look back, it makes me smile to see how God was gently pursuing me...never giving up...knowing that the revival was coming, all the while I was totally oblivious. I am so excited to continue this journey, to see what God has in store. Let me leave you with this quote from the study...love it!

"Revival is not some emotion or worked-up excitement; it is rather an invasion from heaven which brings to man a conscious awareness of God." - Stephen Olford

...invasion from heaven...I'm ready for that!

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Breaking Up is Hard To Do...

It's official...Coke Zero and I are no longer an item. I had to break it off. Our relationship trouble has been brewing awhile...we've been spending way too much time together. Then last week, as I opened my 2nd 24 oz bottle of the day, I saw the words Contains Phenylalanine in bold print, like it was some kind of warning or something. So, I of course Googled it...and couldn't get any info about what it really was!! WEIRD. I'm figuring it's probably not the best thing for me to be ingesting in such large quantities on a daily basis. What's that!?! Cut back, you say!?!? Nope...can't. I think it's all part of my "undiagnosed professionally/self diagnosed" slight problem with OCD. Coke Zero and I can't "just be friends"...we can't occasionally hang out...not for awhile anyways...the temptation is Just. Too. Much! A few years ago I had to break up with Pepsi...too many calories. It was a hard break-up...I think he may have been the one when it comes to pop. But, I'm a survivor :) I'm pretty sure my coffee intake is going to increase substantially, at least for the near future. And, if I seem a little sad or irritable...its just the break-up, I promise...I'll get over it :)

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Oh the Fun...

Someone at church today said, "Happy Resurrection Day" and I liked it...I think I like it better than "Easter"....I might just change the name of the holiday (in our home:) Can I do that? I think I can! What a fun day, both with church family and regular family. We were at Ben's parents this year and it was a blast. The kids got to hunt for Easter eggs in grandpa's new building (for working on his farm machinery) its heated and all clean still...which worked well since we woke up to snow on the ground!

PS - I'm SO glad we went to the dentist last week and not this week....I'm sure their teeth are all rotten now :)

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So NOT About the Bunny....

Can you tell I just learned how to post videos? I know, I know, second one in a row :) I've been racking my brain over my Easter post. How do I write about Easter...about something that isn't just a holiday for me...it's about my Savior, my best friend...how do I put that into words? Truth is...I can't. The Bible does it for me...and most know the Easter story. May this Easter be less about knowing the story and so much more about really, truly, knowing who Jesus is, and standing in awe of a God that loved me so much, he endured the cross, so that I would not have to. His sin did not put Him there....mine did. Why me?!? Why us?!? Why does He love us SO much? I have no idea! But I do know, that whenever I start to feel as though my life is insignificant, I'm reminded of all that He chose to do for me...because He loves me...and I am His.

The song above is one of my all time favorites. It sums it all up. And...if you cry like a baby through it, please know you're in good company :)

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I Dunno...

When my alarm went off at 5:45 this morning, I was not a happy camper. You should probably feel sorry for my running partner...God bless her for putting up with me that early in the morning! It's been a long week. No major catastrophes...but lots of those tiny little irritations that just keep building and building until I feel like I just can't take anymore. The dogs incessant need to bark at everything this week, the phrase "mom, can I have something to eat?" uttered a bazillion times a day, two trips to the dentist, constant fighting and bickering amongst brothers, battling the will of a 2 year old, who topped it all off last night when we found he had eaten most of a corn dog...frozen! WHY!?! Anybody know what I'm talking about?

So, as I sat down at the computer, trying to think about what to say...I knew I needed to open up my Bible first. So...I flipped it open and guess where God sent me? Psalms 119:25-38. The ones that really jumped out at me were, v25 "I am completely discouraged - I lie in the dust. Revive me by your Word." v37 "Turn me away from wanting any other plan than yours. Revive my heart toward you" *big sigh* As I read those words, I knew that in my heart that was how I was feeling...I just couldn't put my finger on it until I read them. I need Him to revive me...again...I'm in constant need of it.

Then, I popped in my earphones and cranked up my lovable Sansa....and the song (above) by Newsboys came on...and it was perfect. I dunno...I dunno why my 2 year old thinks eating a frozen corn dog is delicious, I dunno. But, I do know, that His love really is better than life! :)

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Starting Something New...

This morning I got to do something that I only get to do once every 5 weeks... it's one of my favorite things...yep, I got my hair cut! It was not a major change...just a trim...but man, do I. Feel. Better! My stylist does an amazing job and I pretty much adore her. I also got to go to the grocery store alone...I know, I know, it's been a big day for me thus far :)
I've decided to try something new...and make Thursdays my "Do you think the other pastor's wives that lived in this parsonage..." game. If you've never heard of this wonderfully amusing game I play click here for more details. Again...I should warn you, that this is generally much more amusing to me than those around me...and if it bores you, please go visit Beth and let her know :) It was her sweet comment that has opened the flood gates. She wondered if I had more...oh Beth....So. Much. More. Here's the list for today.

So, do you think the other pastor's wives that lived here...

• ever noticed, as they drove into town, that their minivan always smells like stale McDonald's...no matter how many air fresheners they use.
• Secretly believed that Heaven must smell like the Aveda Salon where she gets her hair cut.
• drove 45 mph the whole way home...just to extend her alone time.
• asked her husband, after grilling lunch, to quickly shut the garage door because it was embarrassingly full of junk.
• let her children eat a whole box of fruit snacks while she unloaded groceries.
• decided that if she ever came into a large sum of money...she would of course give lots to others...but keep enough to have someone else buy her groceries and cook her food.
• wore her favorite cardigan sweater (that has yellow in it) for the third day in a row.
• took pictures *herself* of her new hair cut. HA!
• was always in the middle of reading 3 different books, all at the same time, and knew God was speaking to her through each of them.
• thought about other wives that have lived in the parsonage, as much as I do...probably not :)
  
  View from the back :)
  
  

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They May Kill Me...

They might just kill me for posting this picture...most of them didn't even want to pose for it in the first place! If I'd had a blog at the time it was taken, they probably wouldn't have let me do it at all! But, I'm going to take the risk, and pray God grants me favor with each of them :) I have to post the picture...you have to see them. These are the ladies (the core group)that I meet with every other Tues. night for Bible study. They are truly amazing...each one. They have blessed me in so, so many ways.
I never really wanted to be a pastor's wife...seemed like a pain in the butt to me :) I also thought it must be a pretty lonely profession...after all, who can really be themselves around the pastor and his wife!?! Seriously! And, I was positive that as the wife, if I were myself...I'd probably scare them all away! And then...God proved me wrong (which He always does.) He totally went above and beyond what I ever could have imagined. Instead of the loneliness I had anticipated, God has surrounded me with friends. Not just women who are nice to me, but genuine friends. There are no pretenses in this group...no pretending. We are who we are. Each of us are at a unique place in our walk with God...and He uses that to help us learn from one another. I am one of them. Not the pastor's wife. Just Sarah. I don't want to take for granted, this amazing blessing in my life. So...guess what I've learned...being a pastor's wife really isn't a pain in the butt...and, you really can be just yourself around your pastor and his wife! WHO KNEW!?!?

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