'Tis the Season to Remember

I once asked the Lord to keep me from temptation, but He said nothing.

I once asked Him to bear my burdens, but He did nothing. 

I then prayed for patience, but it never came.

I cried, "Lord, give me direction!" but He gave me no map to life.

I asked Him for help in my troubled times, but He gave none.

Then, frustrated by His lack of apparent love, I asked Him why He was ignoring me.

He smiled sadily and replied, "My child, will you never learn? When you asked me to keep you from temptation, I gave you My Word, but you chose to never read it. 

You asked Me to bear your burdens and gladly would I have done if you had given them to me fully.

And when you prayed for Patience you ignored My silent prompting and chose anger over peace.

Then, when you asked for guidance, you never stopped to listen for My answer, instead going on with your own way. 

I sent you help in your troubled times, but you turned away your friends in pride and shame."

The tears were falling down my face as I realized the mistakes I had made.

Then I said, "Lord, please forgive me,"

He held out His nail-pierced hands and said, "My child, it is already done."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know there are so many posts going around talking about remembering the real reason for the season, so I won't say it again in so many words. However, I really do hope that we remember the true reason for Christ's birth- so that He could one day die on a cross to forgive us of our sins. 

I pray that all of you will have a very Merry Christmas surrounded by family and close friends. It is the season where we have the spirit of giving. We feel especially loving of our family and friends. We enjoy buying gifts and wrapping them with care to put under the tree. We all have our traditions for Christmas Eve (or Christmas Adam... which is a new one I learned from a friend. Get it? Adam comes before Eve??)... yeah.....

As I prepare to have a wonderful Christmas with my family, I want to wish you all the same and share one of my favorite songs. I might have shared it last year, but it truly is an amazing one. My sister and I play/sing it, but I don't have a recording of that... ;-) Probably better that way. In any case, please enjoy! 

Celebrating Christ's Birth,

Sarah

Tell My Disciples.... and Peter

Hello everyone! I hope that y'all had a blessed Easter. Our family went to visit my grandparents at their church this Easter Sunday. My Grandma sings in the choir and they did a lovely cantata. The singing was lovely, but the sermon was beautiful.

I will admit that I sometimes have a hard time coming away from a sermon with 'nuggets' that I can chew on later to think about, or just coming away feeling like I really needed to hear that particular story or what-have-you. This past Sunday, though, I was not disappointed.

Saturday night mom pulled up a bunch of songs on YouTube  Good Easter songs like, 'He's Alive' and 'Watch the Lamb' and the 'Amen song' from Carmen. My favorite is probably 'He's Alive'. It talks about the Jesus' Resurrection  but from Peter's perspective. It talks about how he denied Christ three times and how guilty he felt. Its a very beautiful and touching song. I've always felt for Peter. Can you imagine what it must have been like to DENY Christ? The One that you had known, had eaten with, had given up your livelihood to follow? Only to deny that you knew Him in the end. Out of all the disciples, I think Peter is my favorite. Why? Because I can relate to him. He failed again and again, but Jesus never sent him away. He was the one that cut off the servant's ear when the soldiers arrested Jesus. He was the one that told Christ that He would never deny Him.. yet he did. Each time, Jesus rebuked him harshly, in front of the other disciples. So imagine what they must have been feeling whenever Jesus chastised Peter. I imagine some of them were thinking that Peter was, perhaps, the black sheep of the family. Just couldn't get it right. Always stepping in at the wrong time and always doing the wrong thing. I wonder if they ever wondered whether or not Jesus would finally just send him away. I also wonder if they were surprised when Peter denied Christ. Perhaps slightly, but I also think that perhaps they weren't too shocked. After all, they had seen all the other things that Peter had done.

In the Gospel of Mark, did you know that there is a phrase that is not found in the other gospels? It is found in chapter 16, verse 7; "But go tell His disciples and Peter..."  I've never really noticed that before when reading in Mark, but the sermon that was taught this last Sunday was just about that verse. Its like Jesus was letting Peter know that, even after all he had done, Christ still died for him and forgave him. It was also a message to the other disciples, I think, to let them know also that after all Peter had done, Christ had forgiven him.

Isn't that beautiful? Christ knew exactly how He needed to deal with each person that He met. Peter was the kind of guy that needed reassurance. Christ gave him that when he needed it.

This was such a wonderful Easter Sunday. We make a big deal out of Christmas, and, although it is important that Christ came, its even more important that He died for us and rose again. If He had just been born but hadn't rose from the grave, then we would have no hope in Him. It is because of the empty grave that we have our hope and faith in Christ.

Here are just a few songs that I think you all will enjoy.

Wishing You All a Very Merry Christmas!!

Hello all of my faithful readers!!!  I hope that all of you will be blessed with a very merry Christmas this season as we celebrate Jesus' birth!!

Below are two videos. Both are songs that I really like. (although, the first one does still give glory to santa, at least it is giving most of it to Jesus and definitely makes you think!)  So, please turn up your volume, make sure all other blogger playlists are turned off, and enjoy!  If I can get it to upload, I will share a video that my friend made.







Also, I put up a Christmas post at my Wordpress blog Here, so please go check it out!

Oh, and to those who want a White Christmas (Samantha!), I am praying you get one!!! :-) I think we may be snowed in, which I don't want to happen, so I will try my best to send it your way. ;-)

Keeping warm,
Sarah

A brother who can stay sane even after his sister has lost it

Not lost it as in anger, but lost it totally in her sanity.  This evening, I was going around the house humming, "Oh Danny Boy". This is really a very pretty song, though a sad one.  I had recently taken an interest in it and had looked up the lyrics, chords, etc. Well, while I was fixing supper, I guess I began humming it.  After about ten minutes, Josh finally stands up from where he was sitting on the couch and said, "Sarah, can you PLEASE stop singing that?!" 
I looked at him innocently.  "Stop singing what?"
He looked at me. "That song."
"You mean, 'Oh Danny Boy'?" I asked, slightly confused.
He looked at me and smiled slightly, "Or at least finish it."
Now it was my turn to look at him suddenly. "Finish it?"
"Yeah, all evening you have been singing just the first part....Hummm, humm.." and he commenced to showing me what I was doing.  Yes, I was only humming the first part of the song and never got any further.  Don't know how it happened, but when Josh started imitating me, I immediately started laughing.  The thought of me walking about the house humming just one part of a song struck me as being rather silly, wouldn't you agree?  We laughed about it for a little while, then I continued doing dinner and Josh continued in his fire making. (don't worry, he was just lighting a fire in the wood stove)

A few minutes later, he jumps up again, "Sarah!...."
"What?"...........

Hope y'all are having a wonderful Christmas season! Keep up the joy in your house and have a couple of good laughs. It's good medicine. ;-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Jesus Take the Wheel

As we were driving in the car yesterday, this song came on the radio.  I had never heard it before, and as I listened to the lyrics, it really touched my heart.  The chorus of this song is this:

Jesus take the wheel, take it from my hands
'cause I can't do this on my own.
I'm letting go, so give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on,
Oh, Jesus take the wheel.

Our family has been going through a lot lately, and letting go and giving it all to God, who has the perfect plan, has not been easy.  However, I know that we will make it through, if we just let Jesus 'take the wheel'.

As soon as we have taken matters into our own hands, we are going no where. As soon as we give Jesus the wheel, He guides us, drives us, and takes care of us.  Holding your hand in a balled fist won't help, either.  You have to give God whatever is going on.  If we don't, we can become shattered, ruined, and desperate.

Although this is easy to say, it is very hard to do.  I know so many times I will pray, "Ok, God, please take this burden from me. I can't bear it any longer and I need You to help me...."  and then, a few days later, I am holding onto that burden again.  It really is hard, but it can be accomplished.

Remember Who holds the world in His hands.......

Enjoy the song, sung by Carrie Underwood (which, by the way, I was not familiar with until I heard this song!)



And this was a cute little video of a little girl singing to this song. Just the first few seconds are really cute. :)



In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Dancing with Jesus (repost)

This is a post I did on the Country Musings blog... I just thought I would share it again. :-)

As I was listening to the Butterfly Waltz by Brian Crain, I was inspired to just dance. By myself. All alone. However, was I? No. Someone was watching. No, this isn’t from some romantic movie where the gentleman catches the girl in a room by herself dancing, or writing, and he instantly falls in love, etc. Who was watching? Jesus.

As I sat there visualizing dancing with someone, but not knowing who, I started to dance with Jesus. My wonderful Prince Charming. The first one to win my heart.

Have you ever been walking in God’s beautiful nature and all of a sudden you are filled with an extreme joy? A joy that makes you break out into your biggest smile as tears roll down your face? You spread your arms open wide and let the sun kiss your face, while the wind blows your wisps of hair so that it tickles your cheeks. You twirl and just feel SO loved, safe, and secure that every worry you have ever had, every doubt, every sorrow is gone. You look into the great big beautiful sky and just thank the Lord from the bottom of your heart for this wonderful beauty.

God loves us so much, that He gives us a sense of security. Only, this isn't the kind of security where you are constantly wondering if a computer geek is going to break into your computer and steal all of your information. This is a security that NO ONE can shake, NO ONE can take away.

Have you ever been hugged where the person hugging you just seems to envelope you in warmth and love? My wonderful Daddy is a big man and every time I hug him, I feel so safe, so secure that nothing could possibly go wrong when I am in his arms. Imagine God. He rules over the universe! He made the Heavens! He made every living creature on earth. Not even one single tiny bird that no one pays much attention to half the time can fall without Him knowing it.

So, if I feel that safe in my earthly Daddy’s arms, what about my Heavenly Father’s? His arms carry me through every trial and every storm. His arms can even carry me through death, where my earthly Father’s can not.

I Love to dance. Polka’s, waltzes, jigs, reels, and any other dance that is somewhat historical (I don’t care much for the modern dances they do now a days!). Waltzes, when long, can get somewhat boring. However, when we are dancing with Christ, it will never be boring. In fact, we could dance for hours and hours and still beg for more! Life is similar. We have our years when peace prevails, and yet we have those years where it seems chaos every time you turn a corner. There are years full of joy and happiness, and there are years of sorrow and tears. Guess what? God is with us all the time, though! He is with us through every single thing we do. Every single thing. There is NOTHING we do without Him. He is the Master Planner.

Unless you really hate dancing, dancing makes any one happy. Now just imagine dancing with your first Prince Charming!

As we walk, remember those lilies. Even Solomon and all his glory was not clothed as one of these! If those lilies are so precious, imagine what a human, created in God’s OWN IMAGE, is to Him!

So, walk barefooted in the grass, let the sun shine upon you, let the flowers brighten your day, and remember Who created all of them! Jesus loves you SO much, you just can’t imagine! When you are down, or feeling sad, talk to Him. He is always listening. He is always there to hold your heart safely in His hands.

I will be praying for all of you, though I may not know your names, that you will have the love and peace of Jesus Christ in your hearts and lives. There is nothing so sweet, so special as having Christ Jesus’ love in your life.

I encourage all of you to live for Jesus and to remember to dance with Him through storm, trial, and sorrow. No matter what, remember He is always there, ready to envelope you in His love, mercies, and Grace.

Dancing in the Sunshine and the Rain,

Sarah

Day 15: A song that makes me cry

This song, Above All, makes me cry every time I listen to it.  Jesus' wonderful love to me and his mercy on such a sinner- a worthless sinner- makes me feel so humble.  I need this song playing all the time so that if I ever get to prideful in anything, it can remind what I used to be.



Isn't God just amazing?  I loved just watching the ocean waves on the video and being totally awed by His awesome power!  He is definitely an awesome and amazing Creator.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 12: A song I want played at my Wedding

I have to be totally honest in this post.  I haven't much thought about the song I want played at my wedding.  First off, I do have another person who will help with the planning of the wedding, but he hasn't gotten here yet, so I have to wait.  No use making plans without your partner!  Secondly, I find that when I dream of weddings and whatnot, I let my heart lose focus on my first True Love, Jesus Christ.  That doesn't mean that I don't want to get married, it only means that I want to wait on God's timing for that special day and special guy.
   As a young lady, it is extremely hard to not dream about these things. I mean, we were made to be wives, mother's, home makers, etc.  However, I encourage young girls to not let your dreams carry you away.  Although it is good to have dreams and plans for the future, make sure you don't lose your main focus.  It is so easy to do that, trust me.  So many times I have had to come back to the Lord on my knees to beg for help to keep my heart pure. I don't want to give my heart away to the wrong man!

However, just so I am not a spoiler, I will say that I do like "Pachebel's Canon".  :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 1 of the 30 day challenge

I am embarking, along with several other blogger friends, on a 30 day blog journey.  I must post something every day from the 30 day challenge list.  If you would like to join in, visit this link to check it out.

So, for day one,  I have to list my favorite song.  Well, this is extremely difficult because I have SO many, not to mention that they change from time to time.  However, the ones that stick out most (yes, sorry, but I can't do just one) are below.  Enjoy!

"Light up the Sky" by The Afters.  I just love this song because it reminds me that God is there all the time.  He shows His love by "lighting up the sky" with glorious sunsets, sunrises, bright moons, etc.  It is truly amazing and humbling.




This is a really cool fiddle song done by Mairead Nesbitt and some other girl.  I LOVE good fiddle songs, being a fiddle player myself, because they are inspiring.  It makes me want to practice more so I can get this good!




My other big time favorite song is "One Small Child" by David Meece, but sung by Anthony Delallo.  Delallo has an incredible voice.  Personally, I prefer male bass/tenor voices to that of a soprano or alto (yes, traitor to my own singing group! Sorry altos!). I have only known one guy who can sing really well.. until I found Anthony Delallo. Unfortunately I can't find a video to share and the only other thing is just the sample piece I found online (which I now cannot find..) any way....

Moving on to other things, I have to say that I was truly blessed today.  Some good friends of ours came by and dropped off two huge trash bags full of wool!! I am SO excited! I can use this stuff for needle felting, spinning, knitting and crocheting (after I spin it, of course)! All that for free! Sure beats buying it at the store, especially when you want to get the experience of spinning.. yes, some of you may think me extremely weird, but that is who I am. :-) Weird. lol!

Well, off to finish supper prep!  Hope some of you join in on this 30 day challenge! It should be lots of fun!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

One of my favorite songs...

This is one of my favorite songs.  I always cry at the end.  Thank you to all the soldiers who are out there fighting for our freedom, and to those who have lost their lives fighting.



Thank you for watching. Hope you enjoyed it.  HERE is the link to the YouTube sight if you prefer to watch it there.. Unfortunately I don't know how to resize the vid so it fits on my blog page.  Not a whole lot to miss, the words are what matters any way, right? ;-)  So, if any one knows what a good pixel size for videos like this is, I would appreciate if you would let me know. :-) Ahh, so much to learn, so little time! lol!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah  (my signature didn't want to upload today.. bad internet..)