Agape

For the past two years, I have spent a portion of the Christmas season in a place near and dear to my heart- Myanmar. This year, a trip is not possible. My heart hurts knowing I won't be able to see the smiling faces of all the beautiful children at Agape Orphanage this year.

For those of you who don't know, Agape Orphanage has been supported by Calvary for a number of years now. My family has been blessed with the amazing opportunity to go on a few different trips to stay at the Orphanage. No one has grabbed my heart more than all of the children I get to play with on those visits. No city, no country has burdened my heart more and called me to more passionate prayer. Myanmar needs Jesus, and it has been so cool to witness first hand the ways He is starting to reveal himself to a hurting people.

I learn a lot during every visit, but there is one thing that continually grabs me-

their desperate need for God. The people at Agape passionately seek God because he is all they have. They have no distractions, nothing to replace God with in order to experience momentary pleasures. He's it. And they live in that truth.

I was struggling with the fact that I won't be able to go to Myanmar this year. Nothing has brought me more joy than bringing them gifts and praising our King together during the holiday season. But recently, we found out that Agape is in desperate need of funds. They don't have enough money to buy food for the next two months. That makes anything you were recently worrying about seem so trivial, doesn't it?

I wholeheartedly believe that God has a plan for Agape. I believe He is going to use them in powerful ways to reveal

Himself to their people, and to restore the hearts of the lost. I want to get in on that! Don't you? We are a country that has been richly and abundantly blessed...why not share some of that blessing this holiday season? Whether it is through passionate prayer, spreading the word to others, or giving money, would you consider getting involved in God's plans for Myanmar? If not Myanmar, than I encourage you to pray about where God is calling you to give this holiday season. Because I can guarantee it will bring a heavenly kind of Joy that simply putting gifts under your tree can't bring!

The One and Only

Today I started a study by Beth Moore- Jesus- 90 Days with the One and Only. I have never been more excited and more in need of a journey as I am for this one. In Beth's introduction she said, "My chief request of God is that He will supernaturally flood my life with an unending, ever-increasing desire for His Son." I think that's a pretty solid request, don't you?

One of the first questions asked in this study was, what words or emotions come to mind when you hear or speak the name Jesus? I think of the truest depiction of agape love we have, I think of the perfect son of God who died for my sins, knowing full well how many times I would turn from Him.

But catch me on an off day, and my heart won't swell at the mention of his name. My pulse won't quicken, my soul won't sing. In a world with so many purposes, so many passions, it is easy to push the one true purpose, the one true passion, aside. I have no greater purpose than to spend my days falling deeply and intimately in love with Jesus. I don't want to lose sight of that.

What emotions do you experience at the mention of our precious Jesus? In a world of fleeting passions, don't lose sight of the one and only. Rather, allow yourself to be consumed by Him!

Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. Psalm 63:3

Fullness of Joy

For as long as I can remember, my parents have made it a part of their lives, and a part of our family's, to give thanks. From constantly reminding us as kids to say our "thank yous" to asking us to make lists of what we are most thankful for, to simply living out lives that continually look to God with gratitude. Being thankful is one of their favorite ways to praise God. In everything, and for everything, they have taught our family to look to God and give him thanks.

This seemingly simple act is rather hard to live out consistently. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, (it seems to come a lot quicker when you work in retail...) I have been thinking a lot about giving thanks. More specifically, I have been thinking about how resistent I have been to giving thanks to God. I can thank God all I want, but that doesn't mean my job is going to get easier, my family and friends will move to Pittsburgh, or I will find a church that is an exact clone of Calvary. More thanks does not equal easier times. I feel pretty ugly writing that, but in all honesty, after a long day at work, that's often how my heart feels.

As I was reading on my day off, this quote by Cynthia Heald broke my heart:

"Praise and thanksgiving do not magically change my circumstances. They radically alter my viewpoint. Praise and thanksgiving bring me back into the presence of God, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures evermore."

What a great reminder that I was desperately needing. I am not in need of a change in my circumstances, but a change in my viewpoint. Like I mentioned earlier, as a kid my parents would often have us make lists of what we are thankful for. I want to start that again. It's too easy to ask for a change in circumstance rather than a change in viewpoint. My hope is that through making these "thankful lists" I will begin a pattern of recognizing and living in the fullness of joy that are in my current circumstances.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is FULLNESS of JOY; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Fall=Gr8 Memories:)

There is something about the fall that brings about feelings of nostalgia. I guess it's because fall is my favorite season and I associate so many good memories with it. Last weekend my mom came to visit (and to clean) and we spent some time walking in downtown Sewickley. We walked past a church that had a yard covered with pumpkins they were selling. That brought up memories of a fun Harner Farms visit with my roomie Sacha. Which in turn made me miss her which then made me miss all my friends which then, naturally, made me miss Navs. Obviously, this caused me to change my profile picture to one from Navs Fall Retreat, which caused me to look through all my old pictures, which then through a serious of facebook comments, led me to Meg's blog (http://meghanelizabethbaker.blogspot.com/) which finally led me to this post. Whew. All that to say, this is just a post to remind me of all the good people and good times God has blessed me with. Love you all! Enjoy:)

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Labor Earnestly in Prayer

I love the people God has placed in my life. I would say, without hesitation, that the relationships I have with my family and my friends are, aside from my relationship with God, the most important things in my life. More important than my job, my possessions, or money. That is why the chapter on Intercessory Prayer in Heald's book "Becoming a Woman of Prayer" hit me so hard. If the people in my life are as important to me as I am claiming them to be, than this chapter should be a refresher for me, something that I am doing right. I thought it would be, but instead I find myself yet again convicted of a lacking prayer life.

In Colossians 4:12 Paul (my biblical crush) says of Epaphras: "always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." I can't say I remember the last time I labored earnestly in prayer for my family or friends. When my sister calls and says she has a huge exam, I pray. When I hear someone in my family is sick, I pray. When the father of a dear friend is going into heart surgery, I pray. But labored earnestly is a stretch. And the "always" part is a complete miss. I'm more of a "pray when situations arise" pray-er than a "always laboring earnestly" pray-er. I'm not okay with that.

Paul was a committed intercessor. He left behind some awesome prayers to pray for those we want to intercede for. I am going to begin to pray Ephesians 3:14-21 for the people that I claim to be most important in my life. I am going to pray that Christ will dwell in their hearts, that they will truly know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, that they will be filled with the fullness of God. Who are you going to labor earnestly for in prayer?

It's not only Paul that calls us to labor earnestly. In John 17:21-22 Jesus says, "that they may all be one, just as you, Father are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one..."

Jesus is calling us to oneness with each other. "The Lord wants us to be to one another what He has been to us in love, forgiveness, and unlimited concern" (Lloyd John Ogilvie). One of the ways we can experience this oneness through intercessory prayer.

It is a privilege to labor earnestly for one another in prayer- a privilege that I have not been taking advantage of. I don't want to pray for the important people in my life only when situations arise that beg for prayer. I want to always labor earnestly in prayer. I want to pray the way Paul did- by putting greater value in prayers pleading for spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and enlightenment rather than less suffering, material wealth, better jobs or good grades.

Are you laboring earnestly for the people in your life? What would you like to change in the way you pray for others? I challenge you to change it and experience the oneness God calls us to experience with one another!

"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you."

1 Samuel 12:23

Seek first God's Kingdom

A couple of weeks ago I tried out a new church service. Before they started the sermon, the congregation recited the Lord's Prayer. I half-heartedly recited it along with everyone else and didn't think much of it.

Now, I'm sitting in a coffee shop reading Cynthia Heald's book on prayer, and the chapter I'm at is all about the Lord's Prayer. Interesting. So I start to read through the chapter but don't really dig into it as much as I normally do, because it's the Lord's prayer. I've had it memorized since elementary school, what more is there to learn? Then I get to the last page, and God finally got my attention. Cynthia used the Lord's prayer as a model for her own prayer (you know, putting God's words "Pray then like this" into action). One particular part jumped out at me:

"Your kingdom being established here on earth needs to be a burning concern of mine as I pray and as I live. Wanting Your will and Your glory to be evidenced in our world begins with me."

The only burning concerns I have had as of late are either work related, or super-awesome-spy-tv-show Chuck related. So what kingdom am I establishing? If it all begins with me, then not many people I interact with on a daily basis are seeing evidence of God's glory. Work is becoming my kingdom. My little k. (Yes Dad, I can remember that far back.) I am putting all of my effort into furthering my little k, the kingdom I can control, rather than only concerning myself with the big K, God's Kingdom. Jesus was and is all about the Big K. He came to fully invest himself in the big K, and asks us to do the same:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness..." Matthew 6:33

I am going to seek the big K, and surrender my little k to Him. If the Lord's will and glory being evidenced in the world begins with me, then I better start focusing on Him! I need to start every day asking God to reveal to me how I can help to establish his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. I need to seek first his kingdom. The rest will follow.

So here is my new focus: (deep breath) I am going to let God show up in my little k rather than keep him separate from it. I think that is going to be awesome (and so very very hard)! God is probably smiling thinking, it's about time Sarah, just trust me already!

So I will end by asking the same question my dad asked last year, what are your little k's? Stop holding on, surrender them to him today. Seek first God's kingdom! You won't regret it:)

Trust in the Silence

In my quest to transform my prayer life, I recently blogged about my desire to transform my definition of an "answered prayer." My desire has been to thank God for listening to my prayers, regardless of if I get an expected response, a promise, an explanation, or a flat out no. Well, what if all I get is silence? What if I hear nothing from God? Then what?

Silence. This has been my most recent struggle.

Last weekend I went home for the wedding of two of my dear friends. I had been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time, because all of my friends would be back to celebrate. But as I spent the weekend catching up on their lives, I realized that's all it was- catching up. It was a fun time to dwell on how it used to be, but it was a time that was also going to end. We were all going to go our separate ways once the weekend was over. So as fun as it was to catch up on their lives, it was also a time that reinforced the fact that Pittsburgh is my new home (for now).

So as I dwelled on the truth that Pittsburgh is where God wants me, I was frustrated that I couldn't say why. Why does God want me in Pittsburgh? What is his will for me here? That has been my prayer since June- that God would reveal to me why he wants me here. I don't want to miss out on his purpose for me in Pittsburgh. But God has been silent. I've met a few people, tried out a few churches, and met a couple of neighbors. But nothing that screams, this is why God brought you here! I don't expect him to reveal everything he has planned for the next six months, but it would be nice to be lead to a church, to a community of believers, to something that makes me believe this move was worth while.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

And lead me in the way of everlasting!"

Psalm 139:23-24

When I allowed God to search my heart- I guess that's what it all came down to- selfishness. The pleading question of my heart is not, "God, what is your will for me in Pittsburgh?" but, "God, make your will something huge so that this stretching move can be labeled worth while for me." God has a purpose for me here. But until my heart wants that purpose revealed for pure reasons, my prayers will not be answered. I want to believe that if I only make one friend, if I only pour into one person, if God only teaches me one lesson through living in Pittsburgh, it will be beyond worth it. Because being where God wants me, being in the center of his will, is the only thing that matters. So I will continue to confess my selfishness and ask for his forgiveness. Then, eventually, my prayer will be one that He can take delight in.

And if he continues to be silent, then I will turn to one of my favorite verses as I learn to trust him in the silent times. To rest in him during silence.

"My soul, wait in silence for God only,

For my hope is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be shaken."

Psalm 62:5-6