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ForGod4Country
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Name: Sarah
Birthday: 4/14/1984
Gender: Female
Interests: I am here for two reasons...for my God and for my country but enjoying life while I'm at it :)...gardening, being outside, open fields, piano, (just about anything musical, that's truly music ;) classical music, Josh Groban and Jim Brickman CDs, singing, doing concerts with my family, law, politics, debating, hangin' out with friends, goin' to the movies, talk radio, discussions of substance, (though I like to talk about nothing, too:), philosophy, theology, IMing, concerts, cooking, sewing, writing, chess, volleyball, iceskating, walking, hiking, shopping, bookstores, Mexican/Itallian food, chocolate (anything), decaf coffee, I enjoy MOST people, annoying my brother (but if you know him, you know why! j/k :P) I guess that is about it, enough to fill a life. :D Oh! Did I forget, studying? ;)
Expertise: Piano/Voice
Occupation: Teacher
Industry: Musical
Message: message me
AIM:  forgod4country
Yahoo:  forgod4country
Member Since:
5/18/2006
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| Call your senator about it today! www.senate.gov.
"Withold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."
Our congressmen and women will be voting soon on the famed "Healthcare" (I prefer to call it, "Death") Bill. Though there are many problems with this bill, I have named just a few below. Please take just a few minutes to call your senators today to encourage them to vote against this bill! Here's why I have chosen to call:
1) Healthcare is not the responsibility of the government. It is the responsibility of the people.
2) This bill would use our tax dollars to fund abortion - furthering the pro-death agenda of the radical left and destroying the lives of hundreds more of innocent children thus requiring God's judgement.
3) Death and life are in the power of God. This bill would give government the choice as to who lives and who dies, who is eligible for healthcare and who is not.
4) Our nation is already up to our ears in debt. This bill would plummet us more into that hole.
I don't even know all the problems with this bill, but this info was enough for me to do more than twiddle my thumbs.
If you feel led to call your senators, you can find out who your senators are and how to reach them from: www.senate.gov.
Besides calling, please take a few minutes to pray!!! BTW, I recently discovered that calling is generally more effective than writing or emailing because it can help tie up the phone lines and you can be sure you're opinions get to your representative. Just be ready to tell the staff member WHY you are against or for a bill. I've forgotten that little detail before. 
~Sarah
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| If there was ever a title to describe what God is working in me, it's this. I was so blessed by the message that was shared in our new church this Sunday on this topic. The problem I have had with this general word, love, is that it has not been selfless in many ways in my relationships with people. Im not saying this beat myself over the head with it, God has done that just fine! lol in all of His perfect wisdom and boundless mercy, He has shown me through the school of hard knocks this principle. And when I love in a selfish way, to get back what is given, I give way to fear, because not only am I looking at the relationship from my perspective, but I'm trying to control it! Something that belongs to God.
The example was given of Joseph. Talk about a man who had suffered because of the hatred of those closest to him and had much reason to succomb to fear! He knew pain. He knew hurt. He had every reason to look at his situation and say, God doesn't understand. He doesn't care. And choose to look at it from his own. But he didn't. he didn't because he CHOSE to see it from God's perspective. "You meant it for evil but God meant it for good." He didn't because he trusted in God's sovereignty. He didn't because he trusted in God's goodwill toward him. He had faith.
To sum this up, the speaker shared a passage in Romans 5 that is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and I want to meditate on it a little more.  So here it is:
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; beacuse the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts." Rom. 5:1-5
The first part of this makes me think of Eph. 6, "...above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." We stand in His power - a picture of victory and rejoicing in whose glory? God's! I have to have this mindset! And then in addition to that, I need to glory in my tribulations, and expect and accept that it's going to take time (THAT'S for SURE! lol) but in that time, I will learn a lot that will help me to hope more in the Lord. This hope will help me not to fear or be ashamed because at that point God is perfecting His love in me (perfect love WILL cast out fear). I've definitely been through some experience in this area positively and negatively, so I guess I'm headed for hope! 
So basically, pure love is a mindset, God's mindset. It takes time. But it WILL be accomplished because God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of love and of a sound mind. This is especially helpful to me now. I want to build the new relationships I'm making on THAT firm foundation. There seems to be so much room for fear as I'm in unfamiliar territory (literally!) in most areas of life right now so I very much appreciated this message - it hit right home!
An update on the Plourd Saga is next so stay tuned! 
Learning in Him,
~Sarah | | |
| I wasn't going to write a post tonight but I'm here and y'all have been so kind asking about me and besides I've already had SOMEONE ask me if I was planning to post again and dare to insult my new MAC! I took the hint.
So first of all, what can I say about how GOOD our God is to do His goodness justice in our lives!? I have watched him answer countless "emergency" prayers. I've watched Him work in the people's hearts down here toward us in AMAZING ways. I've watched Him provide most creatively. I've been uplifted by a kind word from someone I hardly know. I've seen Him be our Interior Decorator and bring portions of our house into a home (it's still a work in progress ). I've watched Him unbury various items from box heaps. I've watched Him work in people's hearts everywhere to pray for us. I've seen the joy on my dad's face because he loves doing a job he has the credentials to do and so much more. It is a beautiful picture. I want to know this God more!!!
I've been going non-stop in helping mom unpack and decorate and organize the rooms in this home. Which reminds me, IT"S MORE AMAZING THAN I HAD THOUGHT!!! I really love this home, even more than the one we had in NH. The day we moved in, our friends through whom dad got this job, came over with prolly 4 meal's worth of food and raked and blowed all our leaves from our front and back yard and helped us to start unpack and the church we visited is so encouraging! I don't know what God is doing, but I like it so far!
Not much else to say. I AM lonely and miss all you wonderful NH, ME and IN peoples!!! Having said that, I know it takes time to form relationships so I'm just enjoying the day-to-day things and look forward with anticipation to the new friendships we'll establish down here. Oh and I've GOT to get SOMEWHAT used to this city! I felt like I was walking into a different country. It's crazy.
Well, I'm getting tired and there isn't much more to say anyway, so hope y'all are doin well! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers! I look forward to catching up wtih you hopefully in the not-too-distant future, now that I am finally back on cyberspace...WOOOT!
Joying in Him,
~Sarah | | |
| ...to people who have meant soooo very much to you? Who've been there through thick and thin, who've seen your tears, who've brought great joy into your life, who've remembered your birthday, who've rescued you from having to gut a deer because you accidentally hit one, who've spent HOURS pouring over God's precious Word with you, who've played music with you, who've surprised you with a brand new chainsaw you discovered in the back of your van, who've smuggled food under the seat after church, who've written verses sharing what you mean to them, who've provided finances just to make it through those tough years, who've bought you a brand new well when you didn't have enough water, who've given you plants and guided you through what is required of life in the boonies, who've brought you to church because you were snowed in, who've engaged in long deep conversations regarding things of the Lord, who've been there when you need help packing oodles of boxes, who've spent long evenings with you when you'd otherwise be alone, who've taken you out to eat just so you can get out of the house for a while, who's trusted you enough to share their hearts with you, who've forgiven and forgotten what you've done wrong and love you anyway, who've spanned many hours just to spend time with you and play the piano so you can compose together, who've encouraged you in a way no one else can and believed in your abilities, who've opened your hearts like no one else can, who's rejoiced with you over the smallest but most significant things at the time, who've spend hours praying for you...and on and on and on it goes, and I still haven't touched it all. Yes, I remember all those things. You know who you are. And it breaks my heart to leave you for this little while.
As happy faces retreat into their vehicle, as hugs are shared and there's a sense of longing one can feel as they look at their friends, things swirl in my mind to say and I find it is inadequate to say anything. When it does come out, it never does it justice to what's in my heart. That's when I take comfort in those Divine words, "As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man." They know. I know, how much we mean to each other and that that will bring joy when we can be together again! Thank you God, ever so much for these dear brothers and sisters in Christ who've been all this and more to me. Thank You for your love for me through them.
I look forward to being in that wonderful place where no good byes are said and take comfort in knowing I always have a Friend in Him and those He will continue to bring into my life!
Resting in Him,
~Sarah | | |
| Howdy folks!
My dear friend, Sharon and I have long been discussing, balance. You see, both she and I have come from a somewhat legalistic background. Now before go into that, I would like to explain what I consider legalism to be, because I think there is a lot of confusion on this subject. My understanding of the word is to mean, basically doing something we percieve as good for the purpose of meriting God's favor. The problem here is that we already HAVE his favor!!! (Among many other problems with it ) So anyway, that explained, I will continue.
You can pick a topic. Any topic. Right now, Sharon and I have been discovering God's purpose for the Body of Christ. More specifically, HIS perspective of the relationship between brothers and sisters in Christ. Then you can get into the nitty gritty details of, should they talk to each other? Should communication only be on light subjects or work-related? Is it ok to call a brother or sister of the opposite gender just to see how they're doing? etc. etc. etc. You can go on and on. Coming from the perspective, "Oh my word! You shouldn't TALK to a guy unless it's about business or ministry!" we both feel the sense of imbalance in this. And this takes me to the crux of the issue. We don't want to espouse a perspective that is in direct contrast with what we've come from else, we'll prolly land on the other side and accomplish the same undesired goal of imbalance - after all, that is what we are trying to correct! So how can this balance be achieved? Here's some verses that I was excited to find has direct application to this question!
"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men...And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some; pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ;
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro [imbalance], and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, wereby they lie in wait to deceive:
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working on the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Eph. 4:8, 11-16
One of the main answers I recieved from this passage is: People. People gifted by God bring balance to our perspective of life to the point it affects our growth in Christ. And not just one person. Many people! PastorS. EvangelistS...etc, speaking truth in love. Though I haven't gotten my answer on nitty gritty details, it is a comfort to know how God WILL bring balance to my perspective through His Body. I needn't worry because of past mistakes in my life or areas where my parents have failed. God is working on me and will bring those parts of His Body to bring perfection to my life and to me! THAT is exciting! I can't wait to see how He will use those people in VA with all their gifts to grow me and use me to grow them!
Another little thought, is, if how God has led us to relate to our brothers and sisters is bringing forth true fruit in their and our lives and drawing them and us to Christ, should we even WORRY about the nitty gritties??? Haven't thought through this a lot...so feel free to share your thoughts.
Many blessings on your weekend! Ours is going to be crazy but fast.
~Sarah
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