I realize I confess a lot on my blog and today is no different...I guess I hope that in someway God will use my stories to get through yours. I read one little verse that hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce." Proverbs 3:9.
The part that hit me and made my mind race was..."honor the Lord with the best part of everything. The questions I started asking myself were "who or what gets the best part of me?"..."who gets the best part of my time?" "who gets the best part of my patience?" "who gets the best part of my attention?" I humbly had to admit that it wasn't the Lord. I often give him the leftovers. There are even times in my quiet times with Him that I have also planned the next days activities or this weeks family meal plan. So where does my best go? The ironic thing is my best goes to the ministry I have been given and the family I have been entrusted. For you it might be your work outside the home, or your kids, or your friends, or your tv, or your workout schedule. None of these are bad things, but when given our best time, attention, effort will always keep us from being our best for which God has called us to.
God knows that without giving Him our best then it is impossible to be the best at all he has called us to be...wife, mom, sister, friend, minister etc. It is all a reminder, once again, that I am called to "Be still" and sit at the feet of Jesus so that I can serve as the body of Christ.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
My Word for 2012
I have a confession...I am a fixer. Can you relate? I am the person that likes to "fix" the problems. When my kids come to me with a problem...I figure a way to fix it with a kiss or bandaid. If my husband has a problem...I figure a way to fix it with a letter or scripture. Being in ministry, People come to me daily with their problems and I immediately go into "OK, lets come up with a plan and see if we can fix this thing." It is my way of controlling the world in which I live in because if I can control it then I can fix it and everything will be ok. I don't like seeing people hurt and/or in pain so the easiest thing to do is try to fix it. Well, over the past couple of months my heart has been so overwhelmed and broken with all the problems I can't fix....like the pain my friend is going through in her marriage and nobody even knows it or the friend who is struggling with the most likely death of her TWO children or the girl that has struggled with years of abuse and the only way "she feels" loved is in the arms of another girl and on and on....
Well, I was laying in bed crying out to God about how I could help or "fix" them...I finally looked up and there on my wall were the letters I had put a few months back that read..."Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
First, he calls us to "Be Still"...not do more...not serve more....not fix more but be still. Why? Ask Mary and Martha (Luke 10). I have always felt bad for Martha because all she wanted to do was serve. There is nothing wrong with serving in fact, we are called to serve. Jesus himself said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and and to give his life as a ransom for many." What Martha was doing wasn't wrong she was just doing it in the wrong order. We are suppose to sit then serve. Sit at his feet so then we can serve. Sit at his feet so we know how to serve. Sit at his feet so we know when to serve. My prayer times were so filled with praying for the needs of other people that I forgot to just sit and marvel and who He was. I forgot to sit and be filled up. I forgot to sit and just "be still."
The second part of that verse reminded me that He is God and I am not. I was never intended to save anyone from their problems or even fix their problems. That is a weight I was never intended to bear. I was trying to be what only Jesus can....their Savior. We are not called to fix problems just LISTEN and point them into the direction of the ONE who can....Jesus. He is God, comforter, leader, provider, healer...ALL that we need.
So....My word for 2012 is Still. When there is a need...be STILL. When there is a problem...be STILL. When I am angry....be STILL. When I am overwhelmed....be STILL. This is not going to be easy for me, but in the words of Bethany Hamilton,"I don't need easy, I just need possible."
I would love to hear your WORD for 2012!!
.
Well, I was laying in bed crying out to God about how I could help or "fix" them...I finally looked up and there on my wall were the letters I had put a few months back that read..."Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
First, he calls us to "Be Still"...not do more...not serve more....not fix more but be still. Why? Ask Mary and Martha (Luke 10). I have always felt bad for Martha because all she wanted to do was serve. There is nothing wrong with serving in fact, we are called to serve. Jesus himself said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and and to give his life as a ransom for many." What Martha was doing wasn't wrong she was just doing it in the wrong order. We are suppose to sit then serve. Sit at his feet so then we can serve. Sit at his feet so we know how to serve. Sit at his feet so we know when to serve. My prayer times were so filled with praying for the needs of other people that I forgot to just sit and marvel and who He was. I forgot to sit and be filled up. I forgot to sit and just "be still."
The second part of that verse reminded me that He is God and I am not. I was never intended to save anyone from their problems or even fix their problems. That is a weight I was never intended to bear. I was trying to be what only Jesus can....their Savior. We are not called to fix problems just LISTEN and point them into the direction of the ONE who can....Jesus. He is God, comforter, leader, provider, healer...ALL that we need.
So....My word for 2012 is Still. When there is a need...be STILL. When there is a problem...be STILL. When I am angry....be STILL. When I am overwhelmed....be STILL. This is not going to be easy for me, but in the words of Bethany Hamilton,"I don't need easy, I just need possible."
I would love to hear your WORD for 2012!!
.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Great Expectations
There was a study done by a Psychologists by the name of William Marsten. In this study, Dr. Marsten asked 3,000 people "What do you have to live for?" What he found was that 94% of the people were living for the future. Some couldn't wait for a vacation...Some couldn't wait until their kids went to college....Some couldn't wait until they could retire....Some couldn't wait to get married....Some couldn't wait to have kids. We go through our entire lives waiting for what might happen. When we are 10 we can't wait to be 13...When we are 13 we can't wait to be 16...When we are 16 we can't wait to be 21 and then after 21 we wish we were 18 again. There's got to be more to life than enduring the present to get to the future. Right? If we look to tomorrow, we are going to miss what God wants to do today. Jesus said, "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10NLT) He never intended for us to "just get through" this life so we could get to the next. No!...there is purpose in this life....there is purpose in this year of your life...there is purpose in today...there is purpose for every season of our lives that will lead to a "rich and satisfying life." And it starts with today! In 1 Peter 1 it says "Now, we live with great expectation...". Now not later,but now! We can expect great things from God today because of what He did for us yesterday. It's time to live life to the full...today!
I encourage you...stop looking for your purpose in tomorrow and ask God what His purpose is for you today...because tomorrow never comes.
Have a great week!
I encourage you...stop looking for your purpose in tomorrow and ask God what His purpose is for you today...because tomorrow never comes.
Have a great week!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Retweet Please?
Hello my name is Sarah Roberts and I am Twitterholic. Not really, but I do love me some twitter. I love posting what God is doing in me and through me, funny things my kids say, and how I love my Husband. lol I also like following people that inspire me, provide wisdom, or just make me smile like Pastor Steven Furtick, Sheila Walsh, Elisabeth Hasselback etc...Each time I get on my twitter there is one thing that jumps out at me each and every time and it really bothers me. They are the people begging to get a "retweet" from someone famous. Now, I am not talking about those who are trying to get the word out about a sick child or a certain cause. No, I am talking about the people who constantly ask movie stars, athletes, and even well-known pastors to simply retweet them. It bothers me because I feel like they are looking for validation that "they are somebody" if only a famous "somebody" would acknowledge their existence.
Do they not know that the God of the universe who loves them? Do they not know there is a specific purpose for their lives that is greater than being retweeted by Kevin Durant? Do they not know they were created by God for God? Do they not know they may feel like they have been overlooked by man, but have been handpicked by God! The thing is I know these things, but sometimes I forget...can you relate? We may not be asking for a retweet, but we still search for validation in other ways. Maybe yours is....You can't say no because you don't want to let anybody down. Maybe you are the one that is always going above and beyond for that extra pat on the back. Maybe you feel like you can't speak up about your faith because you don't want to feel the rejection from people. Maybe you have to have the perfect look with the perfect body to feel accepted by people. If you can relate to any or all of these.....
I want to encourage you with the story of David (1 Samuel 16:). God told Samuel that the next King of Israel was at the house of Jesse. As Samuel looked at each of the tall, dark, and handsome 7 sons of Samuel, he said (vs 6) "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him" for anyone would have picked these men of great features and stature. They were impressive to the world's eyes. But God said (vs 7), "Do not look on his appearance or on his height of his stature, because I have rejected them. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons and Jesse said yes, BUT he is the youngest and is keeping the sheep....aka....Yes, but you surely you don't want him he just tends sheep....he's just a little guy. They brought David in and God said (vs 13), "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." The one the world overlooked is the one that God chose. Isn't that great news?!!!! When you feel like you have been overlooked by the world, all you have to do is look at the cross and know you have been chosen by God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16. And once you realize that you have been chosen by God...you need to know that you have been chosen for God. There is something that God wants to do through you! "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6
Consider this blog post your retweet from God....that he is acknowledging you...that he does love you...that he does see you....and he has chosen you...and there is something he wants to do through you!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!
Do they not know that the God of the universe who loves them? Do they not know there is a specific purpose for their lives that is greater than being retweeted by Kevin Durant? Do they not know they were created by God for God? Do they not know they may feel like they have been overlooked by man, but have been handpicked by God! The thing is I know these things, but sometimes I forget...can you relate? We may not be asking for a retweet, but we still search for validation in other ways. Maybe yours is....You can't say no because you don't want to let anybody down. Maybe you are the one that is always going above and beyond for that extra pat on the back. Maybe you feel like you can't speak up about your faith because you don't want to feel the rejection from people. Maybe you have to have the perfect look with the perfect body to feel accepted by people. If you can relate to any or all of these.....
I want to encourage you with the story of David (1 Samuel 16:). God told Samuel that the next King of Israel was at the house of Jesse. As Samuel looked at each of the tall, dark, and handsome 7 sons of Samuel, he said (vs 6) "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him" for anyone would have picked these men of great features and stature. They were impressive to the world's eyes. But God said (vs 7), "Do not look on his appearance or on his height of his stature, because I have rejected them. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons and Jesse said yes, BUT he is the youngest and is keeping the sheep....aka....Yes, but you surely you don't want him he just tends sheep....he's just a little guy. They brought David in and God said (vs 13), "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." The one the world overlooked is the one that God chose. Isn't that great news?!!!! When you feel like you have been overlooked by the world, all you have to do is look at the cross and know you have been chosen by God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16. And once you realize that you have been chosen by God...you need to know that you have been chosen for God. There is something that God wants to do through you! "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6
Consider this blog post your retweet from God....that he is acknowledging you...that he does love you...that he does see you....and he has chosen you...and there is something he wants to do through you!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!
Monday, November 7, 2011
My biggest struggle
This was a day my son and I had talked about for weeks. He wanted me to bring him lunch from a restaurant and have lunch with him at his school. We finally settled on a day and we were both super excited. He got up that morning (I didn't even have to wake him up) and requested Sonic for our special lunch. I picked up lunch and walked into his school promptly at 11:30 pm. I felt really good about myself as a mom at that moment, but that did not last long. I walked into an empty classroom that was suppose to be filled with noisy 1st graders getting ready to have lunch. It was Empty... except for my sweet Cale crying his eyes out while his teacher is trying to console him. As my heart dropped, I rushed over to him just in time for him to look up at me with those tear-filled eyes and say, "momma, you missed it." I turned to his teacher and asked what time lunch was and she informed me it was 11:15-11:30. I had thought the whole time it was 11:30-11:45. I had crushed my little boys heart into a thousand pieces. I apologized and apologized, but still felt like the worst mom ever. I left the school as I cried and cried! I couldn't believe I screwed this up. And even after he had forgiven me and I took him his favorite lunch later that week...I still couldn't let it go. I couldn't forgive myself. I know you may be thinking "It was just a lunch...he will get over it...it's not that big of deal...you are being too hard on yourself." That is my problem. I am actually better at forgiving others and offering grace to others than I am myself.
For some reason...I hold myself to an unrealistic standard and when I fail...I tend to hit rock bottom. Even though I know in my mind that nobody is perfect, I live my life as though I am going to be the first. I want to be the perfect coaches wife my husband says, "Yep! she is mine." I want to be the mom my kids tell their friends about. I want to be the friend everyone turns to because they know I will always have something wise to say. I want to be the one that young people look up to in their faith and on and on and on. If this is you, you understand how stressful and overwhelming this can be, but once again God has used his Word to offer me HIS PEACE, HIS JOY, and HIS GRACE.
I read this verse today and I was broken, "I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of Course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ." -Galations 3:5
God doesn't work through me because I have obeyed every law...No! It is because I have a RELATIONSHIP with his son Jesus....GRACE
Cale doesn't love me because I do everything right as his mom...No! He love me because I have a relationship with him as my son....GRACE
People don't look up to me because I have done everything perfect on my life...No!!! They look up to me because of my relationship with Jesus....GRACE.
The craziest thing is... I speak on this topic all the time...and it is the area I struggle with the most. I have to remind myself daily and some times hourly....I don't have to be perfect because I am loved by perfection. Honestly, it is my prayer that I can go everyday and 1)not think to highly of myself (humility) because of what I have done and 2) not think to lowly of myself because of what I have done (grace).
Thanks for letting my confess to you today and maybe my struggles will help you get through yours!
For some reason...I hold myself to an unrealistic standard and when I fail...I tend to hit rock bottom. Even though I know in my mind that nobody is perfect, I live my life as though I am going to be the first. I want to be the perfect coaches wife my husband says, "Yep! she is mine." I want to be the mom my kids tell their friends about. I want to be the friend everyone turns to because they know I will always have something wise to say. I want to be the one that young people look up to in their faith and on and on and on. If this is you, you understand how stressful and overwhelming this can be, but once again God has used his Word to offer me HIS PEACE, HIS JOY, and HIS GRACE.
I read this verse today and I was broken, "I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of Course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ." -Galations 3:5
God doesn't work through me because I have obeyed every law...No! It is because I have a RELATIONSHIP with his son Jesus....GRACE
Cale doesn't love me because I do everything right as his mom...No! He love me because I have a relationship with him as my son....GRACE
People don't look up to me because I have done everything perfect on my life...No!!! They look up to me because of my relationship with Jesus....GRACE.
The craziest thing is... I speak on this topic all the time...and it is the area I struggle with the most. I have to remind myself daily and some times hourly....I don't have to be perfect because I am loved by perfection. Honestly, it is my prayer that I can go everyday and 1)not think to highly of myself (humility) because of what I have done and 2) not think to lowly of myself because of what I have done (grace).
Thanks for letting my confess to you today and maybe my struggles will help you get through yours!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Dealing with your Judas
So...I sent a devotion to all my coaches and coach's wives yesterday from a Max Lucado book. I got sooooo much feedback and replies that I knew I had to write a blog post about it. Everybody, including the coach's family will feel like they have been betrayed as some point. It may be your friends who betray your trust or the parents of a player who love you one minute but don't the next or the administration that doesn't back you or maybe it is your own family member that has betrayed you. At one point, we will all feel betrayed. How do we deal with such thing? Look to Jesus....
It would be hard to find someone worse than Judas. Some say he was a good man
with a backfired strategy. I don't buy this. The Bible says, "Judas...was a thief (John 12:6)
The man was a crook. Somehow he was able to live in the presence of God and experience
the miracles of Christ and remain unchanged. In the end he decided he'd rather have
money than a friend, so he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver...Judas was a scoundrel
a cheat, and a bum. How could anyone see him any other way? I don't know, but Jesus
did. Only inches from the face of his own betrayer, Jesus looked at him and said, "Friend,
do what you came to do." (Matthew 26:50) What Jesus saw in Judas as worthy of being
called Friend, I can't imagine. But I do know that Jesus doesn't lie, and in that moment
saw something good in a very bad man...He can help us do the same with those who hurt us
Max Lucado
There are going to be times in our lives where we will be betrayed and we have an opportunity to be bitter or to be better, to fight or to forgive, to put up another wall or choose to see the good in something bad. Believe me, I am the first to admit, I am not the best example in this area especially when it comes to the betrayal of someone I love like my husband and children. My first instinct is to fight back and then put up a wall so they can never betray me again. You know the saying, "betray me once...shame on you. betray me twice shame on me." I will not be a fool. Right? Was Jesus a fool? No! He was able to see the good in what the world saw was bad. He did this in everything from his death on the cross to the ultimate betrayal of one of his own disciples. Once again Jesus isn't asking us to do something he hasn't already done himself. But He is offering to help us do the same when it comes to dealing with our own Judas. "I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil 4:13)
Here's to seeing ALL as friends...or at least frenemies (just kidding:)).....
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Words I don't like to hear
There are always words that I don't like to hear....For instance, if I am in the other room and I hear the words "uh-oh" or "oops" or "sorry momma"...I know it is not going to be good. I do not like to hear those words. When I my husband says the words "We need to talk" I know I have done something wrong. I don't like to hear those words. When my sister says, "What are you wearing" I know I have just committed a fashion faux peau. I don't like to hear those words. And when Jesus says, "In this world you will have trouble..."I do not like to hear those words. It's inevitable, you, me, and everyone else WILL have trouble in this world. Why? Because "this world" is not our home. We will have trouble in our jobs, we will have trouble in our marriage, we will have trouble with our friends, we will have trouble with our children. I am really not trying to depress you, but on the contrary...I want to encourage you.
It is kinda like when my kids decide they are going to jump on me. If I know it is coming, I can brace myself, prepare myself, and it never hurts quite as bad. But if I have no idea it is coming, it definitely hurts a lot more! If we prepare ourselves for the troubles to come...we can brace ourselves and not fear the "if" but get ready for the "when." So how do we prepare?
It is kinda like when my kids decide they are going to jump on me. If I know it is coming, I can brace myself, prepare myself, and it never hurts quite as bad. But if I have no idea it is coming, it definitely hurts a lot more! If we prepare ourselves for the troubles to come...we can brace ourselves and not fear the "if" but get ready for the "when." So how do we prepare?
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12
First, your joy comes in the hope we have in Jesus. The hope that He will work our trouble for the good. The hope that He will never leave us or forsake us. The hope that there is NO wasted tears. Second, we must be patient during the storm for "this too shall pass." Maybe you are waiting on an answer from God about your job...be patient. May be you are waiting on your children to come back to God...be patient. Maybe you are waiting on your husband to lead spiritually...be patient. Maybe you are waiting for your house to sell...be patient. Third, be faithful in prayer. Never stop praying....it doesn't have to be these highly spiritual prayers. Many of my prayers are ones of questioning, anger, doubt, confusion and guess what? He hears these prayers just as loud as the Lord's Prayer. That is part of the relationship we get to have with our heavenly father. He is not this "Big man who lives upstairs." No...He is the one true God who is fighting in the trenches with us and for us everyday!
No I don't like the words..."In this world you will have trouble..." But I do love the words..."But take heart! I have overcome this world! (John 16:33) My Jesus (any yours) has overcome this world and because He did, we have the hope we want and the patience we need to get through the troubles we will face.
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