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February 16, 2016

Prayer

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I don’t know about you, but the words “pray without ceasing” are almost enough for me to just throw in the towel. There is absolutely no way I could ever pray forever, let alone rejoice forever and give thanks always. These verses sound so much more like ideas then actual commands.

Funny thing is, the more I pray, the more I realize how desperate I am, and in turn the more I want to pray.

Prayer for me comes in many forms. Quick prayers over meals, long prayers with lots of tears by myself in my room, written prayers in a journal I keep with me at all times, desperation prayers for a friends battling cancer for the third time in her short life. There are really countless prayers I could list.

I feel like prayer is so important that it needs its own ceremony. I need to go somewhere special, break open my journal, and pray specific things in a specific order. God can definitely meet me there, but God can just as easily meet me at my desk as I type this blog. He can just as easily speak to me in a moment of silence at a stoplight. The reason why I don’t tend to find God at my desk, or in my car, is because I’m not looking for him there.

The real point of prayer is communication with God. The real reason I don’t have prayer without ceasing is that I don’t try. I don’t give God breathing room. I don’t let him into my every moment. But, that’s exactly where He wants to be.

The more I think about it, I really want to be a person who prays without ceasing.

There is a great story I will leave you with: my friend DJ has been going to our church since 1957. She is who I want to be when I’m old. She has power in her words, love in every hug, and joy in her worship. My pastor’s wife told a story recently about DJ. They shared a room for one night at a women’s retreat a few years ago. DJ warned that she talks in her sleep. The reality is that she goes to bed praying, prays in her sleep, and wakes up praying. Just amazing.
I’m in this journey with you all. Attempting to be a person who is joyful, prayerful and thankful. At the start, I have to have a routine time set aside for prayer. My hope, is that it will become the thread weaving through every part of me, just like DJ.

Will you join me? Lent is a perfect time to get centered with God. That’s what I’m doing. Getting centered, spending my first hour after I get off work with Him. When will you set aside time? What are you doing? Let me know so I can pray with you as you pray for me.

February 11, 2016

The 5 Love Languages

“What is your love language?”

When I was first asked that question, I had a look of utter confusion. Before that moment, I have never heard of a “love language”. I didn’t know that love had it’s own language.

First off…

What is a love language?

How do I know what my love language is?

How can a love language help me in my life?

My friend let me borrow his copy of The 5 Love Languages so I can see what all the hype was really about. Gary Chapman shares that there are 5 love languages that people can express. These love languages are: gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, and physical touch. Your love language may be different in the way you receive or give love.

Now I am not a big reader, so when I decide to pick up a book it better grab my attention. I finished the book within 72 hours. It was so enlightening! I was so into this book and that I could not wait to take the quiz to see what love language reigns supreme in my life.

Yet shortly after all the excitement of discovering my love language, I asked myself, “How can I apply this to my life?” At the time I was single and was nowhere close to even starting a romantic relationship. What was the point of reading this book?

I then began to evaluate my friends and paid close attention to their actions. My friends are unique in wonderful ways and each of them give and receive different love languages. I realized that this idea of a love language can be used to help build my friendships with those around me. It’s not just for romantic relationships; It’s also for maintaining and building the platonic relationships that currently surround me.

Something I want to reiterate again is: your love language may be different in the way you receive or give love. You might feel loved more by receiving hugs over receiving gifts, but you may love giving gifts as an expression of love. Paying attention to this can help you understand your friends as well as yourself.

We have been fearfully and wonderfully made. God created us all in unique, remarkable ways, that make us the women we are today. I mean, how boring would it be if God gave us all the same love language? Life would be pretty bland. God is extremely creative, and He truly put time, effort, and love into each and every one of us.

My challenge to you this Valentine’s season, is to apply this idea of a love language to all the relationships in your life. See how your relationships with your family, friends, and loved ones grow by speaking their “language”.

So what’s the first step? Grab a copy of The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Last. If you don’t want to read the book, take the quiz!

February 4, 2016

What I’ve Learned in Marriage

I met my husband Wes when I was 19. He was 24. A whirlwind of a year later, we were married! Now, I’m 25 and he’s 31. Since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, I’m going to share a little of what God has revealed to me about love through five years of marriage and share my perspective on getting married at a young age.

Marriage is a powerfully tangible metaphor for God’s love. The love and incredible bond between a married couple is just a glimpse of a believer’s relationship with God and of God’s love for His children. I had a basic understanding of this idea before getting married, but now it becomes more evident to me everyday. 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 reads, “For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This passage perfectly articulates that the mystery of God’s love is partially revealed to us here on earth in a unique way though marriage and that it will be fully revealed to us when we reach Heaven.

Marriage has also taught me about the necessity of relying on God to be able to love well. John 13:34-35 reads, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” This passage of scripture has been really important to me in regard to my work in ministry and in simply modeling my life after Jesus’. Yet after five years of marriage, this passage has taken on a new meaning because, after the newlywed/head-over-heels love wears off and life gets tough, I’ve realized that any love I can muster on my own just isn’t enough. Human love runs out, gives up, and gets old, but God’s love never fails. It’s only by abiding in and operating out of His love that I am able to love unconditionally.

The past five years have also given me a new outlook on getting married young. I’ve often heard it said that someone shouldn’t get married until he or she has experienced X, Y, and Z, and knows who he or she is – as if there has to be a certain amount of self-understanding before a person can make the unfathomably weighty commitment of marriage. This was definitely not true for me. I was 20 when I got married and, while I had every confidence that marrying Wes was the right thing to do, I was still in college, jobless, moving to a new city, and unsure of what I wanted to do in life. I wasn’t even completely sure of my calling, yet I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God would reveal whatever He had in store for me over time and that that time would include being married to Wes. In a sense, I didn’t know what I was doing but I knew it was ok.

I’ve learned the incredibly special thing about getting married young is that you get to figure out life together, and together is better. “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up…” (Eccl. 4:9-10).

This Valentine’s Day, if you’re pondering love and maybe even the leap of faith that is marriage, know that’s only by God’s love that any love is possible. If God’s plan for you includes marriage, whether while you’re young or later in life, rest assured that love happens in His timing. That timing might seem crazy when it happens, but that’s ok, because God knows what He’s doing even when we don’t.

February 2, 2016

DIY Valentine’s Day Card

I love making & sending cards. I really do believe that it’s my love language. Got a new job? Send a card! Going to the moon? Send a card! Today, I want to share a super simple way to make Valentine’s Day cards. Your friends will be impressed by your craftiness, even if you’re terrible in this department. Give the cards to your friends, boyfriend/husband, co-workers, family, etc.

What You Need

Decorative paper – I purchased mine from Paper Source.
Paper for inside layer – Also purchased from Paper Source.
Envelopes – I recommend A2 envelopes due to the sizing I’ll be giving you. Again, I purchased mine from Paper Source. I just love that store.
Paper trimmer – I couldn’t find a link for the one I use, but I would recommend this one from Amazon.
Ruler.
Scissors.
Washi tape – The one I have pictured was purchased from Target in the dollar bins.
Pencil.
Double sided tape (not pictured).

On the opposite side of your decorative paper, mark 8 1/4 x 5 1/2. Since I’m working with a big piece of paper, I use my scissors to cut out the paper with an extra half inch on each side. I also mark my non-decorate paper – the dimensions I used is 7 3/4 x 5. I like it to be a little smaller than the decorate paper – it looks pretty professional that way.

I then use my paper trimmer to get an exact cut, which is straight and sleek. I unfortunately have shaky hands when I cut, so the paper trimmer is my best friend.

Next I put the pieces on top of each other and fold. I had to trim a little of my non-decorative paper so it looked even. Once you have trimmed and folded your paper, use double sided tape to secure the pieces.

And bam! Pretty Valentine’s Day card to send to all the special people in your life. Add some pretty washi tape & use your best penmanship. The recipient of these cards will feel loved by you!

January 26, 2016

A Cry of Desperation

After battling with questions of what I should do with my future & the emptiness I felt, I cried out to God for Him to comfort me. I prayed for three things: show me that You’re listening, give me peace, & give me direction. This is what He did the Fall of 2012.

“God, I don’t know what I’m doing here in this season of life. I don’t understand Your plans and it frustrates me. My soul is irritated and uneasy. God, I feel empty and lost at sea. Help me understand You are near. Lord, I am crying out to feel You with me. Show me that You’re here and You’re paying attention to my prayer. Give me peace because I desperately need it. Lord, show me direction in my next step I need to take. Align myself to You.”

That was the prayer I desperately cried out. Thinking back to that night, I sobbed. Tears and snot. It was that kind of night. I felt helpless.

I opened up my Bible to the book of Colossians. It was book that I had read here and there, but on that night it rocked my world.

“May God our Father give you grace and peace.”-Colossians 1:2

Woah. I was praying for peace and that He would stir in my heart that He was listening – this verse identified that He was.

It was Him and I.

It was loud outside my apartment window but I wasn’t paying attention because the God of the universe was speaking to me.

As I continued to read chapter 1 of Colossians, I stopped at verse 9. “We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.” He was responding again to my prayer of seeking direction.

Lord, thank You for this. Continue to encourage my heart. I want Your will and help me to discern Your will against my desires.

During that time in Colossians, I didn’t hear exactly what I was supposed to do with my life but I felt God and that’s what I needed. I didn’t need complete understanding, I needed God. He knew that I needed that time with Him. I needed Him to fill me and satisfy my hungry heart. I needed to know He was there even though I’ve always known He was.

I needed that moment with God.

We need to cry out to Him and say, “Lord, I’m in desperation. I can’t do this. I need to know You are there and that You’re listening. I need You to romance my heart.”

And God shows up. He doesn’t leave His kids crying in their apartments desperate to be with Him. Why? Because He’s always there… He just waits for us to call on His name.

Originally posted on Sarah Sandoval’s personal blog – https://bytheirfruit.wordpress.com

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