Great night!

I just wanted to share with you what happened in the Roberts' house last night. We were doing our night time ritual of prayers and reading the bible with the kids and the story was Jesus getting baptized. We were just asking them questions about baptism and if they knew why people get baptized. It was really just normal night time conversation about our bible story before going to bed. After the potty, drinks etc. everybody was in bed and I was in Chloe's closet getting her clothes out for the next day when I heard,
"Mommy."
"Yes, Chloe?"
"I want Jesus to come live in my heart."
As tears ran down my face, I yelled at Chris to come here. I told her to repeat to Chris what she had said and she did. We looked at each other and knelt down beside her bed. Chris asked her why she wanted Jesus to come live in her heart and with the most innocent, sarcastic voice she said, "Dad, because He doesn't live there now."
We prayed the prayer to ask Jesus to come live in her heart with her in her bed.
Does she fully understand what exactly it means to be saved or born again or even grasp what Jesus did so she could ask him to come live in her heart. No She doesn't, but God reminded me
of the blind man who was born blind and Jesus healed him. The Pharisees were questioning him to find out what exactly happened-trying to find fault in Jesus in some way. When they asked the man about Jesus and what Jesus had done for him they said, "Give glory to God, we know this man (Jesus) is a sinner." The healed blind man replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind and now I see!"
He didn't fully understand what was going on, but what he did know was that he was blind and now he sees. Chloe doesn't fully understand the decision she made, but what she does know is that Jesus wasn't there before and now He is. Praise the Lord!!!!!
I never thought I would have a happier day than the day she was born. I was wrong-I have joy like I have never felt before-it is the day she was born again!

The best quote ever!!!

So...I was on facebook and I ran across a guy who was in my youth group back in the day and had this as one of his favorite quotes: God never said it would be easy. He just said it would be worth it! I love it! That quote hit me right between the eyes. Is this not so true in every aspect of our life?

Wait for the right person to marry-It will be worth it

Wait to have sex before you get married-It will be worth it

Wait on the job that is perfect for you and your family-It will be worth it

Wait until you have the cash to pay for something-It will be worth it

Wait for God's direction and not your own-It will be worth it

Wait for God to answer your prayer-It will be worth it

It may be hard being bold for Christ in your work, home, friends-It will be worth it

It may be hard staying true and faithful to your family-It will be worth it

It may be hard living in a world that rejects God-It will be worth it



The Bible teaches us that if we lose our life we will gain it. Giving up our life is suppose to be the most freeing thing, but we like to make things difficult and make it the most trying thing. Francis Chan, pastor and author of Crazy Love says that when things go wrong or get hard, we tend to hold on to them a little tighter instead of giving them fully over to God. Why? Because when things are going great-God is doing a great job with my life. But when things start getting a little tough, we think God must need a little help and we grab the wheel back and try to take over. The Bible says that God works ALL things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Yes, even the hard times!

I want to encourage you each time you have a bad day, month, or even year resist the temptation to take the reigns back in your life. God never said it would be easy-He just said it would be worth it!!!!




Be encouraged today!!!!

Have you sold your house?....Nope

Have you sold your house yet? I probably get asked that question at least once a day-every day. And every time, I reluctantly I have to mumble out the words...Nope not yet. When you are in the coaching profession, you kinda have to sike yourself up to move...again. You get tired of moving, but as for me, I am ready to move-now! I have to admit, I am all over the place in my prayers-I sometimes pray that our house will sell or that he would give my patience until it does or even ask for forgiveness for questioning God's whereabouts in all this. I just sometimes don't understand why God would lead us to this coaching job (which we love) in the town where I work, we go to church etc. and yet we still live somewhere else. You may have felt this way at some point or even right now. I will tell you something that helps me each time these thoughts creep into my mind.
I am encouraged by the story of David as a young shepherd boy. After God rejects Saul as King of Israel, He sends Samuel to the house of Jesse because "He had chosen one of his sons to be king." Samuel went to the house of Jesse and looked at all the older sons and even though they were very tall and handsome, God tells Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Samuel asks Jesse if he has any more sons and Jesse says, "There is still the youngest, but he is tending to the sheep." Sure enough, David is brought in and He is anointed to be the next King of Israel.

Even though David was told and called to be King by God-it wasn't time yet. So David went out and continued to tend to the sheep. He was then later called to play the harp for King Saul, killed a giant, fought in many battles, had to flee to live in a cave because King Saul wanted him dead, all while knowing that He was suppose to be King someday. I am sure at some point David was saying, "I am not sure what you are doing, God, but I will continue to go where you send me." Each one of these setbacks were actually set ups for what God was preparing to do in David and through David. Each test prepared David a little bit more to be the King God wanted him to be.

When David finally was seated at his calling as King of Israel, God said these words to him,

"I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. ....The Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you....Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me, your throne will be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:8-15

Wow!! That gets me every time! I believe God is with us, preparing us for great things. May you too, find comfort in the story of David. God is faithful-even if we are faithless! Be encouraged today

New Year, New You

Happy New Year!!!



I hope you each had great Holiday season with your family and friends. I have never been one that made new years resolutions, but this year our pastor challenged us to pursue God in asking for one thing this year. Maybe its "one thing" you desire from God or "one thing" you lack or "one thing" you need to let go. Whatever it is I want to challenge you, like our pastor challenged us, to answer at least one of these questions. There is something God wants to do IN you while preparing to do something through you. Now for me, I could easily ask God to SELL OUR HOUSE!!! That could be my one thing, but what fun is that.
So, after much prayer and thought I have decided what my "one thing" will be this year: To be bold for the name of Christ in TRUTH and GRACE while having complete humility. Now if you know me, you might think, "Being bold is not a problem." Well, you are partly right:) I am called to be bold with truth and grace. There are times when I want to speak only truth without the grace, which comes off as being judgemental, but then there are times when I speak grace with little truth and it comes off being passive. The bible teaches us in John 1:17 that Jesus came in Truth and Grace and if I could show the people around me both-that would be awesome! Now, I added the last phrase "with complete humility" because I know myself. The moment I can fully understand showing both truth and grace, I want to remind myself it wasn't on my own, but with Christ and Christ alone! Galations 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives within me." OK, now that I have been real with you I want you to be real with me. What is your "one thing" for 2010? Let me know!!!

Trying to sell the house

So....Chris has been at his new job for 7 months now and we are still commuting to work because we can't sell our house. I am not going to lie, it has been somewhat frustrating because everything has worked out so great with the new coaching position, except for the house. Do you know how hard it is to keep a house in "somewhat" showing condition with a 5, 3, and 7 month old? I just keep thinking "It would be so much easier if we didn't have to drive almost everyday and have to take our clothes with us if we are doing anything else in the evening." And then the lesson....there's always a lesson:)
I was preparing for the bible study I lead and it was over John 11 and the the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus to come and heal their brother, but Jesus waited. He waited until Lazarus had passed away to return to Bethany. He said these words to his disciples, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." EVERYTHING we go through is to accomplish one thing and one thing only: so that you and I will believe and our faith in God Almighty will become stronger. You may have sent for Jesus in trying to sell a house or to save a lost friend or heal family member and it seems as though He is not coming, but in reality He is not coming right now and not in the way we want or choose. But HE will come!! He will come to us as our healer, comforter, counselor, and Savior! May you and I both walk in His timing and not our own!
Have a great Christmas!!!

cheater

So... we were playing horseshoes in our backyard the other day. I had made a line where we had to stand when throwing the horseshoes to the stake. I went first and then my son followed. He initially started at the line and then decided to take a few steps in front to finish up his turn. Chloe was next-she didn't even start at the line, she simply just walked up to the stake and put the horseshoe around it and began jumping up and down that she had did it. My son was very peturbed at her and yelled, "but she cheated! She is a cheater." I looked at him and replied, "but so did you." "But I didn't cheat as bad as she did," he replied.
That sounds so "child-like" that he would think his cheating was ok because it wasn't as bad as his sister's cheating, but in reality I still find myself thinking those thoughts sometimes as a grown woman. "My shortcomings aren't near as bad as other peoples. People have a lot more to work on themselves than I do. I am overall a really good person." Right? Then the little, still quiet voice replies, "Compared to who? God continues, "Compared to that person-maybe, but compared to me-no! And I am the standard." The good news for you and me is that he made a way for us to live up to his standard and that is our relationship with his son Jesus Christ!
I don't know about you, but for me I want to do as Paul strived to do, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galations 6:14. I know God has a lot more He wants to do in me before he can complete His work through me.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!!

Mud in your eye

Do you ever feel like things always get worse before they get better? Things can never just get better. Well, if you have felt like that or are feeling like that as we speak this blog entry is for you! I was reading John 9 where Jesus heals the blind man. Let me just set this up for you. You have a blind man who has been blind since birth and he hears footsteps coming towards him. The next thing he knows he hears the person spit on the crowd and then feels mud in his eyes. I can only imagine what he was thinking-"What are you doing? I am already blind and now you have to rub mud in my eyes made by your own spit. Kick a man why he's down why don't ya" (or something like that :)) But then Jesus said go wash it off and the man obeyed (probably just because he wanted to get the mud off his face) and he was shown a whole new world. He was blind and now he could see. Sometimes in order to reach the top of the mountain we have to go through a valley first. We have to know that God is working in your situation right now. Maybe you can't imagine things getting any better. Know you just have mud in your eyes and at some point God is going to wash it off and your eyes will be open. For you were blind to what God wanted to do in you and through you and now you can see that God truly does work all things to the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Whatever your situation is please know you are loved by the creator of the universe and all He wants to do is get the chance to spit in your eye:) (laugh its good for the soul)

Have a super week!

Sarah