Do you trust me?

This year I have been learning to trust my God.

When I submitted my life to His lordship, things have been coming easy for me and to me.

I trust Him in providing a roof over my head, and food on the table, having fellowship, etc. I plan on graduating in May, and looking for a job, who knows where, doing what, but I trust that He has a plan that is already laid out and will guide me there.

I have watched many of my friends and family quit jobs, move, sell their homes, change schools, etc this year all with the intention of living a purposeful life for Him. None of the decisions were made lightly and without a lot of prayer. Some are still waiting on their homes to sell, or waiting for that call back from their interview.

So I am learning through minor details in my life and not so minor events in my friends lives. One family in particular. The Proffitt's.

One year ago, Aaron and Ashlee Proffitt expanded their family with the birth of Aaden.

Also, almost a year ago, they lost that same sweet baby. I remember praying that morning at our house with lots of brothers and sisters, I think I started and I remember praying through all of our sobbing "I will still love You". Now in retrospect, I think my declaration of love was a cover up for what was really pulling at my soul. Will I still trust you though? I did, and I do. I have some awesome examples of how. Aaron and Ashlee, and their family have been through something unfathomable. Yet they still trust, they sold their home, moved away from everything they knew, and are heading up a church plant to see more people come to know our Savior. They are serving our God with more passion and purpose than ever before.

My friends and I had our hearts shaped this year. Through tragedy, joy, pain, healing, love, encouragement, change, but mostly I think- trust.

Learning to trust in His sovereignty.

So tell me, when He asks You, do you trust me? With whatever it is, especially the not so easy things... How will you reply?

Closing a Chapter

Time to close another chapter, today is my last day of work at N.E.W. (well kind of) I was presented with the opportunity to do work for them again in the near future doing projects from home.

Once again I am filled with mixed emotions.

I am sad about the fact that I wont come into work anymore and see the people Ive worked with over the past 2 months. Especially Nikol, who has been a huge blessing to work with this summer. She started a week or so after I did and has the best attitude and work ethic. She is full of ideas and is such an asset to the training and design team. She also left me PB m&m's on my desk this morning =)I really like the coffee machine here, and the 24 hour gym, and making money (kind of- I spent a lot of it on gas and paying off my car, cant we just all ride pretty browns ones? that would save a lot...)I like swiping my badge to get in and out of the doors it makes me feel professional haha I've met a lot of people here this summer, had some great conversations, and learned a lot. To sum up the deliverable I am handing over today; I helped employ a scalable technology, through our intranet- NEW HR connect, we are launching Oracle PeopleSoft, it should roll out in September. Everyone has worked so hard to get this ready. It is a computer system that will allow employees of NEW to go in and update personal information that goes directly to HR. It allows managers to go in and promote, transfer, report a change request, terminate, etc. My part in helping roll this out was to create simulations, just in time animated help for people to learn how to use this system. So I learned the system and then created about 20 or so captivate tutorials. I am so thankful to have created something that over 6,000 employees will use for a long time. I really like words of affirmation and I recieved this nice email:
"Great Sarah - thanks for all your hard work! You should be proud that you created something at NEW that everyone uses! You made a difference! Sue"

N.E.W is a really great organization that I would like to keep an open door with. Who knows what the future holds for me professionally.

that was work related. NOW, life outside of work.
to say I will miss it would be an understatement. The past two months have been different, but awesome all in the same. I absolutely enjoyed living at the Down's. Mr. and Mrs. Downs are the most genuine people you will ever meet. Definitely gifted in hospitality and servanthood. They have such good hearts and I learned a lot from them. I felt home, I always got excited to get off work and go home even just to have dinner(which was always made, on the table, and delicious) and talk.
I made a lot of friendships this summer with people that have such a desire to learn and know our god. Bible study was amazing, and I will miss it terribly! I feel like everyone in the group is learning, growing, changing, being challenged, etc. I dont know if I've ever had such deep, thought out conversations before in a study. Shout out to Jason for stepping up and stepping aside (like he always prays) and letting our god DO WORK =) I am blown away by the contacts and relationships Micah has made and the people he has influenced and am so proud and blessed to be his girlfriend.


I am excited that I pick up my oldest friend in the world at 5:20 from the airport. I am excited to go to a cabin next week.
I am excited that when I get home, all of my roommates will still be there.
I am excited that Micah comes home in less than a week.
I am excited to go to Florida soon.
I am excited about all the things coming up with Aletheia.
I am excited to continue to see people's lives be changed this year.
I am excited that in less than a year I will have a Master's degree.
I am excited that we are all learning about change and how to embrace it.
I am excited to be surrounded, no matter where I go, with people that want to learn more about our Father.
I am excited that I have so many things to be excited about I cant name them all.

most of all though- I am grateful. I am so blown away by how awesome Yah is and all I can do is give thanks. It has been a great summer, with not one thing happening that I planned for or expected, and it isnt even over yet =)

"I wanna live for you, go where you lead me"

"All my bags are packed Im ready to go...  " - False

They are packed and in my car.  

I am sitting on the couch with my roommates and Chad watching Pirates of the Caribbean. 

I blogged previously about an exciting opportunity my Master has given me.  A paid internship in Sterling, VA.  I am so blessed.  I just want to be thankful.  I only want to feel joy and excitement.  I do... but... I am sad.  I am sad to leave Harrisonburg and the wonderful life I have here, even if it is for only 10 weeks, and I will be back on the weekends... haha it sounds a little silly when I write it out.  Some of my best friends have moved hours and hours away, for good. Some of them have yet to go...

Truth is though, I like routine, I like familiarity.  I like the country.  I like walking to work.  I like having a 5 minute drive to church. I like opening my door to see my wonderful roommates, and puppy.  

This was the last week we will all be living together.  Byrd moves to Tampa before my internship is finished.  It will never be the same.  Change is inevitable, so I want to embrace it.  There is so much coming that I almost just want to get it over with.  That isn't what we are called to do though and so I feel conflict within the deepest part of my soul.  I don't want to be a hypocrite.  Even to myself.  

I pray to be used by Him.  I pray for Him to teach me.  I pray to learn about obedience and how to love Him more.  I pray for opportunities.  I pray for His will.

Here is a exert out of a book called "His Princess" Love Letters from Your King...

My Princess, 

Go where I send you

You seek Me for your place in this world, and My answer to you is wherever you are standing.  I love to hear you pray to be used by Me.  Nothing pleases Me more than when your love flows warm and free.  When you're willing, I am ready to strategically place you somewhere to be a blessing.  Even the smallest effort can lift a burden of someone else when you are living by My power.  You won't always understand why I send you to do things that no one else will see, but you don't work for others- you work for Me.  What you do now will be seen by all on the other side of eternity.  So go where I send you today, knowing that I have prepared the way.

Love, 

Your King who is the Way

1 Corinthians 15:58

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain

I am going to work, probably behind a computer for 8 hours a day.  I will do it to the best of my ability every day.  I know He gave me this position and set up my living situation.  He takes care of me.  He calls us to sacrifice.  It may not seem huge, but I am sacrificing precious time with people I love dearly.  To put time into an organization, to spend time on the road commuting, etc.  I will do it all for His glory.  He knows the plans He has for me this summer and He wants me to succeed (Jeremiah 29:11).  Working in Sterling, living in Warrenton, it is all part of His plan for me, and I know He will use it all, and I have peace in that (Romans 8:28)

I want to be a light, to be a good example, to depend on Him even more, to get out of my comfort zone and meet people that need to know more about Him, to become more responsible, to love Him more than I love my life, more than I love my brother, *sisters*, mother, and father.  I do.  

Time I act like it.

It is time to go.  SEEEEE YAAAA (in Byrd's voice)

Grammar Rules

In the last week, I have heard two quotes I have never heard before: "Never put a period where God puts a comma" and "Don't put a comma where God puts a period"

This really struck me. Especially while reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. Weaver is writing about Matthew 16:21-23 where Jesus is trying to speak of His upcoming death. Peter didnt want to believe it and started to rebuke him. Jesus calls Peter, Satan! "Get behind me Satan" He says in verse 23. That is exactly what Jesus told Satan when He was being tempted by Him...("quit trying to get in my way")

This was probably a really sensitive time for Jesus, He was about to be crucified on a stake for all human kind. He knew what He had to go through in order that we that choose Him could have life. What if Peter would have gotten in His way? There would be no such thing as the redemption through repentance and faith. There would be no such thing as ultimate forgiveness. There would be no such thing as being new. There would be no such thing as peace that surpasses all understanding. There would be no such thing as agape love. There would be no such thing as eternal life. If Peter would have gotten in the way of God's ultimate plan. Even though it meant big changes for our Savior. It meant change for everyone who knew Him. It meant change for the rest of the world. It meant chance. God's biggest change which happened to be a death, a burial, and a resurrection meant chance for you and me. It meant people could come to know Him. People could enter a personal relationship with Him. It meant His Holy Spirit could dwelll within us while He couldn't be with us. A really unimaginably hard change for Him and everyone that knew Him.


Weaver says: "When you attempt to breathe life into something God intends to die, you become a stumbling block to Christ" yikes.

She goes on to say: "There are times in every life when God writes the end to a chapter, when he asks us to say good-bye to something or someone who has been important to us. Endings, are inevitable"

So is change. because change is an ending of something, but a beginning of something else. something new, something different.

Sometimes our Father has to move us or things around a little bit so not to get in the way of His awesome plans...

"Abba, please dont let our emotions, stubborness, pride, or selfishness get in your way- use us, move us, use us for you, and move in us"