Sarah > Recent Status Updates

“If God is small enough to be understood, he wouldn’t be big enough to be worshipped.” -Evelyn Underhill

“Mountain tops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys” -Billy Graham

The Wiley held assumption that a person’s capacity to relate to God is lost when he or she loses cognitive function may just sell God short. … God can still relate to a person even if his or her ability to relate to God (or to other people) appears lost.

In order to build new neuropathways, we have to stay in the reality of this sensory-packed encounter (memories or images of God with us) with our Emmanuel for 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Our nervous system has to be convinced that there is another story that is more true.

When children awake from nightmares, their nervous system has to be convinced that there is another story that is more true. … how much of our lives are spent stuck in the waking nightmare of a lie

There are limits to what a caregiver can do even with God’s help, and God does not expect us to exceed them.

The reason that people warrant love is not that people are so lovable in themselves but that love is the appropriate way to treat those in God’s image.

Those who recognize caregiving as the call of a kind an loving God will hopefully respond to it, not with a grimacing fatalism but with a joyful expectation of what God is goin to accomplish in their lives.

Faith rises not because we’ve conjured a feeling of it, but because we are determined to stay present. “You are here,” we star. “You have what I need.”

Sin did not destroy the image of God … any more than damaging a building destroys the blueprint. … However, sin did damage our ability to reflect the image of God.

Don’t feel that you must necessarily change the subject if it is a sad one. Sometimes talking about things that are sad, such as recollections of someone who has died, is an important part of thinking about life.

We must be willing to embrace [God’s love] by faith - ceasing our laborious pursuit of self acceptance and self-esteem and instead preaching the truth of God’s love and acceptance to our own souls until we believe it and are filled with the truth of His approval and acceptance of us.

Though there are likely many idols present in our lives, there are four that seem to be primary motivating factors or ambitions behind our behavior: comfort/pleasure, approval, control, and power. Our quest for these often leads us further from the freedom God intends for His children.

The Israelites craved assurance of God’s presence with them and when they didn’t have it, rather than exercising faith, they took matters into their own hands. Rather than being devoted to God and entrusting themselves to Him alone, they were devoted to their own desires for comfort, power, control, and assurance.

A woman who is governed by love … knows and believes that God created her body, redeemed her body, and will recreate her body when Christ returns so she is free to steward it selflessly, offer it sacrificially, and spend it lavishly in love and service to God and others.

The Lord does not intended for us to be slaves to our bodies or for our bodies … there is only one kind of slavery that leads to life -> Romans 6:16-18

bodily discontent and insecurity … only expose what is within the heart of a woman, which is a restless desire to elevate herself in way her Creator never intended

We are driven to eat [by forces in our lives] - some are emotional needs, others reflect the pillars of processed food: taste, aroma, appearance, and texture

Sensory specific satiety - tendency for big distinct flavors to overwhelm the brain, which responds by making you feel ill, or striated, really fast

Sometimes as I wait for an answer from God, I don’t hear anything. I don’t force connection through words. I expórtenle the silence as an invitation to companionship.

While we work diligently to address the root causes of displacement, to advocate for just policies, and to create communities of welcome, we know that perfect justice and complete restoration await the return of Christ. This hope does not make us passive but rather frees us to work with joy and confidence, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).

For the marginalized, justice means more than relief from suffering; it means the opportunity to thrive. It means access to education, healthcare, and meaningful work. It means protection from violence, exploitation, and discrimination. It means there’s a seat at the table, a voice in the conversation, and a place to call home

Justice is not about tipping the scales in favor of one group over another, but about restoring what is right and fair for all.

Salvation is the heart of the gospel, but restoration is the goal. We are not saved by good works, but we are most certainly saved for them.