hilarity

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The story the tree tells.

A few days ago, my mom and I had the sweet blessing of trimming the tree together. Decorating the tree is one of those special memories I have from being a kid – especially those years when Shawn and Katie were at college and we would wait patiently for everyone to be at home again so we could all decorate the tree together. And though I’m now nearing 30..ish, I still consider it a great honor to be able to come home and decorate the tree. Though it takes much longer with just mom and me.

This year as I took out all my favorite ornaments I began to think of the great story our Christmas tree tells. We don’t have a designer tree, it isn’t color coordinated worth a hoot. Nope. It’s a hodge podge. A beautiful one, in my opinion, because this tree holds the testimony of my family’s life. If you spend a little time venturing between the branches you will uncover many stories…

Stories of waiting for children to come…


Stories of their arrival…

Stories of the places we’ve been…

Stories of the years that have passed…

Silly stories…

and stories that mean more than any others…

In the midst of looking at all these ornaments and marveling at this special scrapbook of sorts, I was just talking to the Lord about it and asking what would be on His tree?

His response was a sober one, for of course the most important testimony of God was hung on a tree, His own beloved Son. It made me pause again. How sweet the sacrifice of my King to give His life for me, that my life would be full and His love so abundant. I cherish again the blessings He has bestowed, so undeservedly upon my life, that our Christmas tree won’t even hold all the precious memories He has purchased for this very thankful adopted daughter.

Living Water

One day, my roommate Kristy was sharing what she wanted for Christmas. After some time in prayer and reflecting from some experiences of late, she thought what she would want for Christmas was to help build a well. What a beautiful idea, I thought and a wonderful gift to give! I invite you to learn more about Kristy’s inspiration and the organization she is partnering with that will help build a well to provide clean, healthy water to a community overseas in great need. How special would it be to be a part of providing such a life changing gift! I invite you to pray about contributing to the fund and to invite others to do so too!

Click here to find out more

Meeting Anna

At long last I have had the great blessing of meeting my oldest brother’s first baby, the adorable (and talkative) Anna. She is beautiful. She looks a lot like my brother did when he was a baby, but with her mother’s beautiful big eyes. She is now four months old and full of expressions and giggles. I was able to join Shawn, Katy and Anna for her baptism in the Lutheran church they attend. It was special to see my brother now as a father and to see them make a commitment to raise their child to know Jesus. That is my greatest prayer, that sweet Anna will someday make the decision in her own heart to follow Jesus and to love God with all her heart, mind, and strength. And I pray for my brother and Katy that they will continue to grow in their love for God and relationship with Jesus as they learn how to parent one of His precious gifts.

Cookies and Elephants

My last day helping out in my beloved first grade class I had the privilege of making chocolate chip cookies with the little people. For many of these kids it was the first time they had made cookies, what a great memory to share with them! They were deliciously adorable, even decked out in their new homemade aprons made by a friend of their teacher. Here’s a few photos from a wonderful afternoon.

We finished out our Christmas season with our annual Cairo House of Prayer white elephant party. It was a rich blessing to be surrounded by all of these wonderful friends that God has gathered together over the past 4 years, and a blessing to celebrate in our new House of Prayer home. The white elephant game started as a little diversion at the first Christmas party, but grew to quite the extravaganza this year. Lots of stealing (ah the Christmas spirit) and fun gifts. I was also really touched by the stories so many shared about their most memorable Christmas and what Christmas means to them this year.

Show me you’re ready…

Okay I need you to sit in your square on the carpet.
Criss-cross applesauce.
Mouths closed.
Eyes up here.
Show me you’re ready.

Show me you’re ready. Show me you’re ready. You’re not showing me you’re ready.
Rinse. repeat.

I must’ve said the above diatribe a million times a couple of weeks ago when I subbed a Kindergarten class. That phrase “show me you’re ready” echoed through my ears days later. During a prayer time before our weekly prayer and worship service on a Friday, the Lord continued to remind me of that phrase. But now, I was not the one saying it to a room full of adorable yougins. He was saying it to me. Show me you’re ready, Sara. Show me you’re ready.

It was a welcome reminder to me to prepare my heart to always be expectant for God to move in the midst of my life. Sometimes even in ministry, I can fall in old patterns and just go through the motions of the day to day activities. But the reality is, every day is new. In fact, everyday God’s mercies are new, and His Kingdom is expanding. Everyday is primed for a new move of God.

God is continuing to teach me how to abide here in this place, here in this season. He is teaching me how to keep my eyes on Him, to cross my legs and be still, and to close my mouth and listen, and wait, expectantly. May God bless you as you wait and expect for Him to move in your own life.

Revelation Song – Gateway Worship

I posted a version of this song before, but a friend just posted this one and I LOVE IT! So passionate!! Kari Jobe, sister, you are awesome!

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Revelation 1 – Jessica Meshell IHOP Prayer Room

Take us deeper, Lord.

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sara vs. the pre-k

My second subbing assignment seemed easy enough. I was going to go to Emerson, which houses the pre-k to second grade here in Cairo. My mission for the day was to bounce around filing in for teachers who needed to be at meetings through out the day. No problem, I thought. It’s Emerson. I just have to occupy the students while the teachers are gone for a bit – we can read books, we can color. No problemo.

For my first assignment all I had to do was walk a first grade class to PE. Mission accomplished. All children accounted for. No one tripped down the stairs.

My second assignment was to walk a class back from library. Mission was overtaken by an assistant teacher, so all I ended up doing was watching a class listen to a book being read by the wonderful librarian (who I discovered brings her study bible to school, thank you Lord.)

Up til this time, the day was fairly slow, but enjoyable. My next assignment didn’t seem so difficult, I was to rendezvous with a Pre-K class during lunch. “Sweet.” I thought to myself, “I get to hang out with the babies.”

Off I went to meet up with this precious, innocent looking group of pre-k kids who were carefully eating their chicken nuggets, sipping their chocolate milk, and playing with their green beans.

Their teacher began to give me instructions for the next hour that she might be gone, and although she sounded somewhat frantic, the instructions sounded pretty simple. Help kids finish lunch, take them to the bathroom, let them watch a movie and then get them all down for a nap. Hmm. Not so bad. She continued to say “I’m so sorry”. And that she would hurry back as soon as she could. “Why is she sorry?” I thought. Look at them. Cute, little, innocent 4 year olds. I am 27 years old. I can handle this.

As she ventured out of the cafeteria I turned to the students, sighing at the wonder that would be the next hour. How fortunate was I to hang out with more than a dozen little, little people. I carefully tried to go over the instructions in my head. I recalled that she had mentioned there were two “screamers” in the classroom. This is pre-K code for ’students who will proceed to scream without mercy at the mention of the word “nap”‘. And that there was one little boy who had some special needs and would need extra help with everything.

I sat down next to little B to help him eat his lunch. Immediately, a chorus of little voices rang out “I need to go use it.” And one little girl put on her “cape of super-rebellion” and ceased from this point forward to do anything I told her to. I’m 27, I can handle this.

With a little juggling I was able to feed little B and get the rest of the class lined up to head to the bathroom. We were doing good.

We lined up for the bathroom and water and I came up with some plan to orchestrate getting kids in and out. The teacher had told me that little B would need help to go to the bathroom which led me to the great predicament of trying to be in two places at one time. I had to some how maintain what was quickly becoming wiggling chaos outside the bathroom while getting sweet B in and out. Thankfully, God answers desperate prayers and at this moment one of the secretaries stepped out and watched the class while little B and I made a run for it.

About 10 minutes later we make it into the classroom. At this point I’m thinking, we’re in the homestretch. We’re going to watch “Finding Nemo” and take a nap. Yes. Kids love to watch movies.

But in a moment of delusion I let the following slip out of my mouth, “Okay guys, we need to have a seat on the carpet for the movie before we have our nap time, okay?” BAM. I had released the word of terror for the two aforementioned “screamers”. And before I could even revoke my sentence, they were off. Little B in my arms now wailing away and tiny cutie patootie hollering by my leg. Rocking, rocking, stroking little backs and they began to quiet down while we began the movie.

Interestingly enough “Finding Nemo” didn’t really capture the attention of the tiny wigglers and before I knew it, caped-rebellion girl was bouncing around and found the Kleenex box. With finesse and purpose she preceded to pull out an unGodly amount of Kleenex and stuff it creatively up her nose. With her show of Kleenex prowess the other youngins began to approach me asking for Kleenex, which at first I thought was just a ploy, but very quickly realized that 4 year olds are bonifide “drippers” and probably were the crutch that held up the entire Kleenex industry. Noses wiped, Kleenex trashed. Second wind of screaming begins. Girl with smuggled crackers is spotted on carpet by other child and loudly tattled on. Crumbs, everywhere. I’m 27…they can’t take me, I am going to win.

A hush seems to fall over the crowd and even little B is getting heavy in my arms as he wobbles to and fro in his sleepiness. Screamer number two has quieted and found a place on the carpet. I surmise that this would be a good time to put little B down on the carpet. Gently, I lower him. And within 2.5 seconds – MAYDAY!!! Child goes AWOL and crawls at lighting speed out of the classroom and down the hallway. With gazelle like agility I rush after him, realizing that now the classroom has no teacher and I am manically running after incredibly speedy crawler kid down the main hallway of the school. There should have been theme music. With one swoop of my arm I have retrieved AWOL child, and returned to classroom.

Note to self. Don’t let go of little B. I’m 27 and I’m not going down without a fight.

The time comes for the inevitable. And with one reminder of what we are transitioning to now, the screamers are again released. The other children venture off to their towels for naptime. I have been given some instructions for screamer A and B. Hold little girl in lap and rock until slumbering. For little B, physically hold him down until he’s out. This proves quite a tricky thing to do simultaneously, but somehow we manage. One by one the children pop up and down from their towels flapping them up and down as if to straighten them…it almost looks choreographed. I continue to instruct them to nap and eventually screamer girl is completely out. I maneuver her onto her towel and she, thankfully, doesn’t stir. This frees me to now hold down little b in napping position. He begins to cry again – I would too honestly, this can’t be very relaxing. I do what I only know how to do, I begin to pray over him and he begins to give up his fight a little.

Then, a sound comes from the other side of the room. The assistant teacher has arrived. Within a few seconds she gives the kids instructions by which they immediately become still and she takes over consoling little B. Hmm. She made that look so easy.

I grab my lunch on the desk which is now good and cold and tip toe my wait out of the sleeping den. I’m 27 and I survived. Pre-K kids pack quite a punch.

The remainder of the day was spent hanging out with a first grade class I already volunteer with. That was good fun and honestly fairly relaxing compared to the pre-k kids. They are sneaky those little ones. They have “cute” down to an art, but seem to possess an amazing ability for cooperative disruption. It was quite the little adventure, but in the end, I admit, I’m still rather fond of them.