Urgent Prayer Request

One of my mom’s very good friends (Laura Hicks) son was just in a very bad car accident about 2 hours ago in La Junta.  They are flying him to St. Anothony’s here in Denver right now. Sean Hicks is 19 and they don’t really know what happened. They believe he overcorrected on a turn and flipped his car. He has no feeling from the waist down but was semi alert. 


Please pray for this family. 

non essential essentials...

I really have NOTHING to write about, but since I've committed to writing each day...here we go. 


I was thinking today about the things in my life that are non essential essentials for me. Confused? Don't be... You know ever since we decided to downsize, put our house on the market, tear into all the things we've been holding on to for so many years...I've really gotten good at throwing stuff in the garage sale pile. I keep thinking at any moment I'm going to have a nervous breakdown...mainly because I see something that floods me with: 'O! I remember this...' and I ask myself...do I really need to carry this with me to a smaller home? The answer is usually NO and I put it in the pile...but before I can cry over it I walk away abruptly and pick something else up and move on....I'm so totally suppressing every emotion that wants to crawl out of me...THAT is why I might end up in the nutty ward one of these days. Lord help me...and I mean that in all sincerity.


There are some things that are so non essential in my life...but essential all the same. So here is my list...(in case you were wondering)...you're on the edge of your seat aren't you? Okay...here we go (real quick...you will probably think less of me after this...just a warning) now really...on to the list:

• I am a shampoo and conditioner snob - I could probably find something reasonably cheap that doesn't make me want to itch my head off...but why when they make products like Pureology?
• I like good jeans - Walmarts (yes I know how I spelled it) sells jeans...I've seen them there...it's like the peek out at me from around every corner reminding me they are relatively cheap...but I really like a good pair of jeans...and yes...I am a sucker for The Buckle.
• Sheets...now...they SAY that there really isn't anything valid about a thread count above 400...I heard a lady on The Today Show say once that it doesn't exist..."um...excuse me...me thinks you are lost". Now...this is a total non essential essential I do not have...I did...but I don't anymore. Why you ask? Why Sara must you not buy the fancy sheets? Well...because my husband has a tendency to put his toenails through them...thus...no fancy sheets for us till ... well... i guess never.
• I have a Dyson - it is essential in that everyone has to vacuum, it is also essential in that I went through a vacuum every year for 5 years before my husband would let me get one...it is not essential though really if you think about it...I could just stop vacuuming so much...maybe altogether. Who needs clean floors anyway?
• i like butter
• I can justify buying good cheese better than anyone you've ever met
• Oil of Olay makes me cringe...but Clinique makes me happy!
• I could drink water...but why when there is Diet Dr. Pepper?

I could keep going....but I'll stop there for now and interject this. When and if my man and I go to some other country I realize I'm going to have to give up a lot! The one thing I know for sure...the One Essential in my life makes the non essential so much more non...I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. Psalm 3:5. 

I can give up a lot...I can by His strength. I know what I chose to hold on to and what I chose to let go of...and I know more than anything when He calls me to let go of something...I will do it. Ultimately He is the One Essential I need. Everything else is just icing on the cake...and I'm blessed. 

God is still God

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Amazing Story. Amazing Testimony...

God is good even when....
God is good even if....

What do I know about anything?

I'm not an expert on anything. I realized that today...yep...just now. I was just as shocked as you are.  I didn't walk away from college as an expert...I didn't finish giving birth to 3 babies and walk away a better mother...watched a movie the other night and I'm pretty sure it made me dumber...


I think it kinda bothers me that I'm not an expert. I do lots of stuff...just enough to mess it up...but I'm not an expert. I use this as a crutch in my arguments with God a LOT. I tend to wince when He calls me to do something and then I shrug my shoulders and in the most whiny voice I can muster I say: But I don't know how to do that..  or  Are you SURE you want me to do THAT? And then when He says 'Yes' I (in my disbelief that my childish attitude didn't win Him over to my side) shrug my shoulders and say 'Well okay, but don't say I didn't tell you so'. 


This is when God likes to remind me that even in my "really ... you want me to do that..." and my "this is so inconvenient and I really don't appreciate it" attitude that it's not about me and that He will prove it by using my weakest areas of self to show off His strength. This is also when He likes to remind me that I asked to inconvenienced for His sake....and that He is. I'm inconvenienced...just thought you should know. 


Are you?

finding my way home...

So the time came to make some decisions. I've been writing lately about the BIG decisions that come along in life...not like...what should we eat for dinner...OR even...where should we go on vacation (that is IF you take vacations...we haven't...in a while). Standing at the edge of life we looked around, surveyed all we had, decided we didn't have what we wanted...some things had to go...

**If you're looking for a post to brighten your day, you may want to hit the 'next blog' button up top...this will not be one of those

Serious conversations began. We have had some REALLY rough years, this last year probably being one of the hardest. As we took a dive into our existence to see what we were made of, one of the things we've learned is God has to...HAS TO...have His way with us or we won't ever fulfill His purpose here. As our Pastor L put it this weekend...we were made to give Him everything...and when we give Him everything...we find out what we were made for. So we're starting the process of giving Him everything. What does that look like for us? Well first step is to sell our house. Hard to do in this economy. Might not look pretty...but it's a start and it's necessary. 

One of the things that dawned on me today is even though I get the fact Isaac is at home in Heaven...there was something in the back of my mind gnawing at me about leaving this place...and my memories of him here...this was our home with him...he never made it back with us from the hospital...but still this place was our home together...and leaving here...means leaving some of that. Part of me is grateful I don't have to go into my office in the basement anymore where I spent a lot of time crying, the other part of me is so sad. There is history engraved in this place. I know I know...the memories go with me...but all the same...it's tough. 

This Summer I took a drive...wasn't sure where I was going...I ended up driving up and up...and somewhere on Mt. Evans...I pulled over and was listening to Mercy Seat blaring in my car...I rolled down the window's to let the sound blast through a meadow and watched some dear grazing while I cried out begging God to tell me what in the world He was doing. His only response to me ... "I make all things new"...and that He does...

It will be an interesting journey packing up this house...I'm sure the tears will keep coming and the uncertainty of what God is doing with us will continue until He choses to fill us in...but the two things we know are: Give Him everything...find yourself...and He will make all things new. 


More to come...more decisions to be made...I'll let you know as they happen...

Say what?

We have been grappling with finding the path God wants us on. More and more the signs are pointing to a specific region, at a specific place, with a specific people...hmmm? Could I be more specific? no...

Anyway...Sunday morning I just happened to be helping in Kids Church for the first time EVER and we were watching a Compassion video on some kids from this specific place and they were in a Church singing. My daughter the Bug leaned over with a very concerned look on her face and said: "mom, are they worshiping the One True God?" I didn't think the love barometer could spike so high...but it did and in a half a second I was in tears. "yes baby, they are worshiping the one true God."  Later when we got in the car, she started telling us everything she was planning on giving to the children AND that we needed to bring one boy and one girl home so we stayed even...she is truly an amazing child...and I'm not sure what I did to deserve her...

as a side note, if you live in the San Antonio area and need an amazing photographer...who happened to take the above picture go here.

In any case...I just wanted to say that when the Lord starts to call you to His plan and His work...or rather...when WE start to listen and finally hear the call...because I think all of us are called...He makes it so evident...He even has the audacity to use our children (gasp!)

I promise to keep you updated. This could be a short term thing, it could be a long term thing, it could be a 'Just wanted to see if you would say yes' thing, but all the way around we know it will be a God thing.

Love you all,

Sara

Layla went to play with the angels early this morning. Rest in peace precious Layla. 11/26/2007 - 3/9/2010

www.laylagrace.org

To the Marsh Family, 

My prayers are with you. I cannot fathom the loss. I'm so sorry. 

In Christ,

Sara Pipkin