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Archives for September 2012

Friday Favorites.

By: Sarah Leffcomment

Good morning and happy Friday! I am up in Michigan for the weekend visiting family before the big move to Texas next week (so soon!?). I’m trying to soak up these last few days of cool Michigan fall weather—my absolute favorite time of year—because I know I won’t be getting ANY of it in Dallas:( Most people would probably be excited about moving to a warmer climate, but I am a Michigan girl through and through, and I definitely enjoy the cooler weather. Despite not looking forward to the weather, I am getting more excited about moving. Still a little nervous, but I have a feeling everything (besides the weather) is going to work out great.

Without further ado, here is my list of Friday Favorites for the week…

5. Saying goodbye to our business in Fort Wayne. It wasn’t even all that bittersweet—it was basically all relief. This past year has been very stressful on James and on myself, and it was nice to be able to say goodbye to one of those unnecessary stressors in our lives. I have a feeling we will be a LOT happier in the coming days.

4. Celebrating James’ dad’s birthday up at their campground last weekend.We got to spend some quality time with his family last weekend before we take off for Texas. It was great to see everyone, and enjoy some more wonderful Midwestern weather (sad face).

3. Saying goodbye to friends this week. It’s not exactly a fun thing to say goodbye to friends, but it has definitely been good to catch up and see people I haven’t been able to see for a while. I will definitely miss friends when we are in Texas, but now I can fully utilize my Skype account:)

2. Spending time with my family in Grand Rapids this week/weekend. I am going to miss them so much. It’s been great to spend some time with them before I leave, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them this weekend as well.

1. Texas. I may be nervous and sad from saying goodbye to friends and family, but there is still a little bit of excitement in my heart. I like to travel and experience new things, so I am looking forward to this new chapter in our lives—even though it may be a little bittersweet. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in our lives over the next few months and years.

Anyways, there’s the list. Hope you all are having a great week, and will have an even better weekend! God Bless:)

Trusting God in the Transitions

By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and happy Wednesday! Sorry for the inconsistency in blog posting recently—James and I have been going through a stressful couple of weeks, BUT I can now announce that we will be moving to Dallas, TX at the end of the month! It’s a little scary for me—I’ve never even been there before—but I know God will be protecting us, and everything will work out just fine:) I’m excited to begin a new chapter in our lives, and embark on a new adventure!
Like I said, I’ve been a little nervous about the move, but the closer it gets the easier it seems for some reason. Consequently, I’ve been reading the book of Daniel lately, which has definitely helped me through this time of transition. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the story of Daniel, but if not, I’ll give you a few details. First, Daniel was living in captivity in a strange and foreign land (Babylon). He was not familiar with his surroundings, but he and his friends relied on God to keep them safe. Daniel trusted God, even when it wasn’t easy. For example, when a decree was issued that no one would be allowed to pray to anyone but the King, Daniel refused to obey. Even though the penalty was death by the lion’s den, Daniel refused to pray to anyone but the one true God. Because of his disobedience to the king, he was thrown into the lion’s den. But, God protected Daniel by closing the mouths of the lions, and he remained unharmed until the King pulled him out of the den the following morning.
Daniel lived a life outside of his home country—his comfort zone—and he was always faithful to God. Now, I’m not going to be living in captivity like Daniel was, but at the same time I felt a connection with his story as I read. Like Daniel, I need to be faithful to God no matter where I may be physically—even if it’s a little out of my comfort zone. I need to trust that God knows what’s best, and that he has a greater purpose for my life and transitions than I could ever fathom. So, with that being said, I’m choosing to trust that God will provide for us down in Dallas, just as he has been for years in the Midwest. I am going to trust that he has us going there for a reason, and everything will work out according to his perfect plan as long as I trust him.
What about you? Is there anything that you need to trust God with in your life? Any big changes or transitions that may seem scary? Trust that He will guide you and protect you, just as he did for Daniel, way back in the Old Testament.
Hope you all are having a great week so far! God Bless:) 

Friday Favorites.

By: Sarah Leffcomment


Happy Friday Everyone! This week has really flown by, but I am glad that it’s almost the weekend:) James and I are planning on hanging out with his family up at their campground, so I’m looking forward to spending some time with them and in the outdoors. Praying that the weather stays nice—it’s a little rainy now, but after al the droughts this summer, I have a new appreciation for rain that I doubt will ever go away. Anyways, here are some of my favorite things from the week…

5. Visiting my family in Grand Rapids for a few days earlier in the week. James was away on a business trip, so I went home for a bit to see the family (+ pig and gandie). It was great to relax and see everyone again.

Pig with his leaf:)
Gandie…in her favorite spot.
4. On Monday, my mom and I had a girls day:) We went and got pedicures, did some shopping, went raspberry picking, got lunch…it was a great day to say the least. I love hanging out with my mom—we always have a great time!

The Big Apple at Robinette’s Apple Orchard.
3. Also on Monday, I got to try on some bridesmaid dresses for my friend Sarah’s wedding this coming Spring! I am so excited for her, and trying on different bridesmaid dresses added to the excitement:) Can’t wait to be a part of her big day!

2. Holland. I got to go there briefly on Tuesday with my family because we were there visiting my little brother who goes to Hope College. It was great to see him, and of course visit some of my favorite Holland places—like dinner at the New Holland Brewing Company. Of course, it would have been better if James were there, but it was great to have dinner with the fam:)

The Lake View.
This will NEVER get old.
1. Life Changes. There are going to be some big changes coming up here in our lives that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. I like change, but at the same time it can be really scary. I’m praying that God would give me peace and courage as we go forward.

Well, there’s the list. Hope you all are having a fabulous week, and have a great weekend planned! God Bless:)

Dry Bones.

By: Sarah Leffcomment

Good Morning! Hope you all are having a fabulous week so far, and enjoying the awesome weather we’ve been having (well, at least it’s been exceptionally awesome where I am). Thought I’d share another verse with you from Ezekiel today, but first let me give you a little background information. Ezekiel did some pretty neat things through the power of God, but one of the most outstanding was when God told him to speak to a valley full of dry, dead bones, causing them to come back together and back to life. Pretty crazy right? Well, there are a lot of pretty crazy things we can do through the power of God, and Ezekiel’s life is proof of this.
“Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!’ This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breathe enter you, and you will come to life.”
Ezekiel 37:4-5
Through God’s power, Ezekiel prophesied to the dry (and dead) bones, and they instantly came back to life. Nothing short of a miraculous work of God right there. While we may not be physically dead, there is still a message to be gained here for our own lives. No matter what the state of your heart and spirit may be—no matter how dry—we can always be made new again in Christ. He has given us new life to live—free from all forms of spiritual dryness. Through him, we can overcome any obstacle in our lives—no matter how big they may be—and return to a life of fulfillment in Him. Ask God to spark revival in your heart, mind and spirit, so that you can live the life he intended you to live.
Hope you all have a great Wednesday:) God Bless!

A Fresh Start.

By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Tuesday! It’s a beautiful day here—sunny, breezy and in the 70’s. Perfection. I was able to do my devotions and journaling outside on the deck today, which was a great start to the day:) Anyways, I’m still in the book of Ezekiel, and it is still just as interesting. One passage in particular stuck out to me…
“I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” 

Ezekiel 36:25-26 

This is God’s word given to the Israelites, giving them hope of restoration even after all the things they did to desecrate God. He was willing to forgive them and give them a fresh start, despite everything that they had done. No matter how badly we’ve messed up, God is willing to give us a fresh start—just like he did for Israel. He will put a new heart and a new spirit in us; we just have to accept the gift he is giving us. He is willing to cleanse and purify us regardless of what we’ve done—all we have to do is ask, trust and receive. Think you’ve done something that is beyond forgiveness? You haven’t. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, God is willing to forgive and let you start fresh—clean slate. Why continue to live in your guilt and shame when God is offering you a way out? A fresh start is yours through the grace of God—all you have to do is take it.
Lord, I pray that you would purify me and cleanse my heart and spirit. Get rid of anything that is not like you, and in its place leave your peace and love. Thank you for your grace and mercy—even though I don’t deserve it. I love you. Amen. 

Hope you all are having a great week so far! God Bless:)

Friday Favorites.

By: Sarah Leffcomment

Happy Friday! I can’t believe it’s already the weekend again. And that it’s September. Craziness. Anyways, I hope you all are having a fabulous day and have fun weekends planned ahead of you:) We’re not doing too much around here…but it is supposed to be a beautiful weekend, with some cooler temperatures, that I am pretty excited about. I missed last week’s Friday Favorites, so I thought I would do a 2 week recap here…

5. It’s September.Fall is my favorite season of all time, and I am definitely looking forward to participating in some fun fall activities…namely cooking pumpkin related treats. There’s something about the season change and the cooler temperature that just gets me really excited about life…which is never a bad thing!

4. We got to spend some quality time with my family last weekend over Labor Day. We all went up to our cottage on Lake Michigan for the weekend, and go tot enjoy the beach one last time for the summer. It was great to see everyone, and of course I always love going to the beach:)

3. God’s guidance and direction—even when things aren’t the easiest. I won’t say much about this, but it’s an amazing feeling to know that we have a God who cares about us and meets all of our needs. He provides for us always, and loves us unconditionally. This has become more and more plain to me in the past few weeks. God is good—all the time.

2. Health. That may sound strange, but this week I haven’t been feeling the greatest, and it’s really made me realize how much I take for granted in terms of my health. I’m thankful that God has given me a strong and healthy body that is able to do the things I want to do.

1. Beginning new things. Sometimes change can be scary, and starting a new project or task can be daunting. But, at the same time new challenges can be exhilarating and exciting. Recently I’ve started to write more frequently, and am hoping to eventually write a book. It’s always been a dream of mine, and I guess I’ve finally decided to go for it. Exciting…and a little scary at the same time. But, God is good, and I know everything will fall into place in his timing:)

Well, that’s all I have for today. Hope you all have an excellent evening, and an even better weekend! God Bless:)

Don’t Be Spiritually Promiscuous.

By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello Again! It’s been awhile…but don’t worry, I’m back:) James and I have been were up in Michigan visiting my family over the long weekend, and saying a final goodbye to the lake cottage for the summer…definitely bittersweet. Lake Michigan is my favorite place in the world—literally—and I always miss spending time there when the weather turns colder. That being said, I also love the fall, and am excited for some cooler weather. Anyways, as far as my daily Bible reading goes I’m still in Ezekiel. Definitely an interesting read. I know last post I talked about Ezekiel’s obedience, and that definitely has been a common theme throughout the book. He is always faithful to whatever God calls him to do or say—even when it isn’t popular with the people.
A large portion of the middle section of Ezekiel talks about Ezekiel prophesying to the people of Israel concerning their disobedience from God, and their coming destruction. Sounds like a lot of doom and gloom, but as I was reading today I couldn’t help but make a comparison to today. Ezekiel chapter 23 goes about comparing Samaria and Jerusalem to two adulterous sisters. The text goes into detail about how these two “sisters” took up many lovers and prostituted themselves with the men from many surrounding nations. They pursued these nations instead of God (who was their first love) and ended up being humiliated and disgraced because of their actions.
It seemed to me an odd comparison, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. I mean that seems a little far-fetched right? But, I started thinking about how this situation could apply to us today. At first I thought there was no parallel. How could we be in a situation such as Jerusalem and Samaria were when Ezekiel compared them to prostitutes? But you know what? We are just like those people—just in a slightly different context. We don’t have other nations that we run to, and mold out behaviors and actions towards, but we do have worldly comparisons that we set for ourselves.
Just as those sisters were sexual promiscuous, we too are often spiritually promiscuous. 

Say what? Let me explain by using an example. Say you have some questions about a relationship you are currently in, and you just need some advice regarding the certain situation. How often do you look to a magazine, television broadcast, book or non-Christian expert for that advice? Would you say you look to these types of sources more often than opening up your Bible, and seeing what God’s word has to say about the issue? In doing so, you are saying that you value the opinions and advice of others over what God has to say.
Now, I’m not saying that asking advice from others is a bad thing, nor do I pretend to be innocent of said example. Sometimes it helps to talk things over with an accountable Christian confidant. All I’m saying is that we should be mindful of who we seek advice from, and remember that God’s opinion and advice matters most of all—more than anything you could ever read in a magazine. Food for thought I guess.
Okay, well I hope you all are having a fabulous week so far! God Bless:)

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