Archives for October 2012

God’s Will First.

October 18, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello! Hope you all are having a great Thursday so far! It’s a beautiful day here, although it still seems strange for the weather to be so warm in October. I won’t complain. We are officially moved in to the new place…as in I finished unpacking all the boxes yesterday afternoon! Praise the Lord. Seriously, it finally is starting to feel like home around here, and I love it:)

I know I’ve been talking about prayer a lot lately, but it is something God has been laying on my heart. He keeps bringing up different scripture on the topic, and when that happens it is usually a silent queue for me to pay attention, and learn something. So, here is something I read this morning…

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:24

Whatever I ask for? Well, not exactly. See, so often we ask God for the things that WE want, and expect him just to drop it into our laps. We ask for different things out of our own selfish desires, and are then surprised and angry when we don’t receive. I mean the Bible tells us to ask and receive, right? Actually, we are forgetting one key component. Jesus talks about this component later in Mark on the night he is to be crucified. He asks God to take his cup from him (or to take his suffering away), but then he backs up a step and say, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

We may think we have a pretty good idea of the things that we want and need, but in reality, we don’t—only God does. He knows what we need, and he wants his will to be done in our lives. Instead of asking him for whatever our selfish hearts desire, we need to first ask that his will be done in our lives. Then, when our will lines up with his will for our lives, we can ask him for the things he wants to give us (according to his will), and expect to receive them through faith.

Let me put it this way. We can ask for anything we want, but if it doesn’t line up with what we need to fulfill his will in our lives, we won’t receive it. This is where a lot of people become frustrated, and start to believe that God doesn’t answer their prayers. He does answer them—in his perfect timing, and in accordance with his will in our lives. If we are diligently and honestly seeking his will to be done in our lives, then he will grant us the things that we ask for, because those things will be within his perfect will.

On the night he was to be crucified, Jesus would probably have liked to have the suffering and pain taken away. It would have been easy for him to ask God to take him from the scene. But, he knew that leaving was not God’s will, and that he had to follow through with his imminent death so that later he could be resurrected, and in doing so save us from death by our own sinful nature. The point? Seek God’s will to be done first in your life before you ask him for the things you think you need—you might be surprised by what he shows you.

Hope that makes sense—it’s just what God has been really speaking to me about this week. Hope you are having a great day! God Bless:)

Prayer is the Key.

October 17, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and happy Wednesday! I am really loving having furniture in or apartment finally…I slept so good in an actual bed last night:) I got about half of our stuff unpacked yesterday, but am going to conquer the rest of it today…wish me luck! Sampson has been a big help…not. He mainly follows me around meowing until I pick him up for a bit. I guess I’m getting used to how an actual child would act?? Hmm. Anyways, here’s what I read this morning…

“After Jesus had gone indoors, the disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it (the demon) out?”

He Replied, “this kind can only some out by prayer.”

Mark 9:28-29

Let me give you a little background information. Jesus’ disciples were trying to cast out a demon from a young boy, but were unable to do so. When Jesus showed up at the scene, he drove the demon out without a problem. This confused the disciples, and when they asked Jesus about it, he replied, “this kind can only come out by prayer.”

“Prayer is the key that unlocks faith in our lives (footnotes).” And it is vital for living. The disciples were trying to cast out demons without using prayer…obviously it wasn’t going to work. The only way we can accomplish anything in our lives is through the power of prayer. Even things that seem impossible are made possible through the power of prayer. I know, I know it is much easier said then done. It can seem strange to rely so heavily on prayer, especially for those of us who like to be in control of their lives. But the bottom line is that we are not in control—God is. And the only way we can communicate with the one in charge is through PRAYER.

Prayer is the answer to any and every situation in our lives. It may sound cliché to say “just pray about it,” like something magical is going to happen by saying those words, but I assure you, prayer is well worth your time. It is so important, yet it is something we do much too infrequently. I am as guilty of this as anyone. It sounds strange, but often times I literally forget to pray. Sometimes I become really stressed about a certain situation or decision, and I can’t figure out why I am feeling so stressed and worried. Sometimes it takes a friend (usually James) asking me, “did you pray about it?” to make me remember what I should have thought of doing in the first place. Everything always goes much more smoothly when we pray about our decisions and situations in our lives because we are actively communicating with God, the only one who has the power to guide us and direct us towards the right outcome.

Choose today to pray. No matter what situation you may be facing, I promise it will be made easier through prayer.

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

P.S. I am contemplating making some changes and/or additions to the blog…if you have any suggestions or feedback I would love to hear from you! You can leave a comment, or shoot me an email at sarah@revolutionyou.net . Thanks so much, and I really appreciate you stopping by…I hope what you read is encouraging to you in your walk with God.

Just a little more…

October 16, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello! Big news…we got our furniture last night! After two weeks of sleeping on an air mattress, sitting on the floor, eating out of paper bowls with plastic utensils, and no cooking items, I am a little bit excited about seeing our stuff all in one place again:) It came last night so everything is still in boxes, but thankfully I have all day to unpack.

I was reading in Mark this morning and this verse really stuck out to me…

“He (Jesus) could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.”

Mark 6:5-6

Jesus and his disciples went into Nazareth to teach the people living there. However, when they arrived, Jesus was unable to preform miracles. At first when I read this I thought it was a little strange—I mean this is Jesus we’re talking about. He should be able to do anything at anytime. But then I took a closer look.

It’s not that Jesus wasn’t physically able to perform the miracles—he chose not to when the people did not believe. And since these people didn’t believe, he wasn’t able to perform miracles—due to their lack of faith, not his lack of ability. If only the people of Nazareth would have believed, Jesus would have been able to do far greater miracles.

I think the same sort of thing happens to us today. We pray for miracles and healings, but do we honestly, truly believe that those miracles will take place? Are we completely sincere—without a doubt?

I know that sometimes I find myself doubting God’s abilities when it comes to the miraculous in my own life. It’s not something that I am used to, so sometimes I find it hard to have faith in his supernatural power. I’m guessing some of you struggle with the same thoughts at times. But, think of it this way. How much more would God be able to do in and through us if we would just have a little more faith? I’m guessing it would be quite a bit. Don’t try and put a limit on God’s power in your life. Trust him. Believe. And allow him to work in and through you—I think you’ll be surprised what he is able to do.

Hope you all are having a great start to the week! I’m off to start unpacking.

God Bless:)

Just Believe.

October 15, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Monday! Hope you all (y’all?) had a great weekend. James and I took it pretty easy and did a bit of sight seeing and exploring. We were supposed to get our furniture yesterday, but it was delayed until this evening…only a few more hours! I seriously never knew how much I could miss a bed. Anyways. I finished Matthew and started Mark over the weekend, and this morning I came across a short but impactful verse…

“Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Mark 5:36b

Like I said—short and sweet. Let me give you a little bit of background information so you understand the context. Jesus was on his way to heal the daughter of Jarius, on of the synagogue rulers, when word reached them that Jarius’ daughter had already died. Assuming they were too late, Jarius became sad and afraid. But, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” I don’t know about you, but I think if I were Jarius I would have found it rather hard to believe anything right then. I would have been thinking about how my child had just died—not that there was still any hope left. But with Jesus all things are possible—even bringing the dead back to life. They carried on towards Jarius’ house, and when they reached it Jesus told all who were there that the daughter was not dead but merely sleeping. Onlookers laughed, but Jesus had other plans. He went to the child, held her hands, and brought her back to life. Amazing.

“Don’t be afraid; just believe.” It sounds so simple, yet it can be so difficult at times. When times are tough, fear and doubt seem like the easiest places to turn. So often we fall into fear, when what we really need to do is trust and believe. When tempted to be afraid, we must remember these words spoken by Jesus. No matter what the circumstance may be, Jesus is much bigger, and able to overcome it. We don’t need to be afraid. Instead, we need to believe in him and in his perfect will for our lives. When we begin to feel hopeless and afraid, remember that Jesus is king of all, and that his ways are higher and better than ours.

Is there something that you are struggling with today? Perhaps it is something that is causing you to live in fear. I challenge you to remember the words of Jesus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe,” and let him guide you through whatever it is that you are going through.

Hope you all are having a great day so far—God bless!

Friday Favorites

October 12, 2012 By: Sarah Leff1 Comment

Hello and happy Friday! It’s a beautiful day here in Grapevine–sunny and not too hot:) I figured my Friday Favorite posts were a little bit overdue, so I thought I would combine the last couple weeks of favorites into a picture collage of sorts. So without further ado, here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks (can’t believe we’ve already been in Texas for two weeks…seriously, time goes by so quickly).

Sadly, this is not Texas.

Last visit to Michigan for awhile…I had to take in the trees!

I got a little carried away with scenery pictures.

What can I say? I wanted to remember home.

And of course, Mr. Piggers. Such a happy fellow.

Again, with the trees. Do you think I love Michigan fall??

And of course downtown Rockford.

We drove through this CRAZY storm on our way down to Texas.

Our apartment has a complementary car wash. It’s the little things in life…

AND they have a Corner Bakery here! I almost got in a wreck when I passed by out of excitement.

Cool lake side park in Dallas.

Pretty Lake. I had no idea there were lakes in Dallas.

Grapevine has an AWESOME farmers market…BONUS!

Our pool area, which is right outside our balcony. So resort-ish.

The HUGE balcony…seriously, we are going to have to buy some patio furniture.

Note the huge lake in the background. Seriously, who knew?

Not me…but I’m loving it!

The newest addition to our family…baby SAMPSON!

He fell asleep in the fireplace (no fire!) on his first night here.

He likes to cuddle while I do devotions in the morning.

Fall asleep.

Look cute.

Pretend to help me work on my book. He is a very good writer.

He even stands on the word of God (thats my Bible if you can’t tell).

And he even sleeps on my shoulder. Precious, I know.

Well we are enjoying our time here in Grapevine/Dallas so far. And I am definitely loving our new addition…baby Sampson:) Hope you enjoyed the pictures. I’m going to try and do a better job with posting pictures from now on…I think it makes everything a little more interesting!

Hope you all are having a great Friday! God Bless:)

Use It.

October 11, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Throughout the past couple of weeks, I have been reading the book of Matthew. One of the things I love about this book, along with the other gospels, is the large amount of parables included within.

One parable I read this morning was entitled, “The Parable of the Loaned Money”. In this parable, there is a master and his three servants. The master decides to go away one day, and leaves each of his servants with some money to invest with while he is away. The first servant receives 5 talents, the second 2, and the third 1. The first and second servant make use of the money while their master is away, and end up being able to double the amount they were originally given. The third servant however, takes the 1 talent he was given and hides it in the ground because he was afraid of what his master would do when he returned. When the master returned, he was very pleased with the first two servants, placing them in charge of much since they were faithful with the little that he gave them. But, when he found out what the third servant did, he became very angry. He punished him for not being a good steward of what was given him, and for hiding it away when he could have invested it and used it for gain.

“So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”

Matthew 25:25

The cool thing about parables is that they can be related to real life circumstances. In this case, we are like those servants in the story, and God is the master. He gives each of us unique gifts, talents and abilities for a purpose—to use them in furthering his kingdom on Earth. His desire for us is to behave like the first two servants—using our talents for the greater good, and multiplying what has been entrusted to us. But, so often we behave like the third servant. We see the gifts and talents that we have, and instead of using them to glorify God, we use them for personal gain—or maybe we don’t even use them at all. We become selfish with our talents and abilities, and choose to ‘hide’ them from the kingdom of God. When we do this, we are not able to fulfill our true purpose and calling in life. Instead, we end up living a half-life—full of selfishness and bitterness. God has given each of us special and unique abilities for a reason. It’s our job to use them in ways that are glorifying to him, and assist in furthering his kingdom here on Earth.

What about you? Do you have a God-given talent that is being used only for personal gain? OR maybe you have a talent that isn’t being used at all. God wants to use you and your talents to further his kingdom, and reach the lost—are you ready and willing to let him in?

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

Letting Go.

October 10, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

So. Big news. James and I have just added a new addition to the family…we adopted a little baby kitten yesterday! He is seriously the cutest thing ever. And he is so tiny! So far he likes climbing up my clothes, sitting on my shoulder, and then falling asleep on my lap. I will try and post some pictures tomorrow:) Oh, and his name is Sampson. He must know his name is biblical, because as I was doing my devotions this morning, he fell asleep on my Bible. Precious.

Anyways, while I was trying to read around baby Sampson sleeping on my Bible, I came across this verse…

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”

Matthew 23:37

Jesus continually tried to gather the people of Jerusalem to him. He wanted to protect them, like a hen protects her young, but they rejected him. In the same way, he longs to wrap each of us in his arms and protect us from the sinful world we live in. Unfortunately, just as the Israelites, we tend to reject him. We think we can do everything on our own—and that we don’t need his help. How wrong we are.

When we let him in and allow him to help us, we can never fail. We should learn a lesson from Jerusalem. When things in life become difficult—even when things are easy—the most important thing we can do is relinquish our own personal control, and let him in. He wants so badly to help, guide and protect us. We need to let go of our pride, our idols, and anything else that is getting in his way, and let him overtake us with his perfect love and peace.

This is something that I have been dealing with a lot lately. I try so hard to do things on my own. I think that I can plan every detail of my life on my own, and I tend to think I know what’s best for me. Generally, I end up failing. It’s difficult for me, but I am learning day by day how to give up my own plans, worries, stresses, fears and anxieties, and turn everything over to God. His plan is perfect, and he wants to protect me, just as he wanted to, and still wants to, protect Jerusalem. Letting go can be scary, but the peace that accompanies it makes everything worth it. Is there anything you need to let go of today? Let Jesus in, and allow him to hold and protect you. It may seem hard at first, but it will be more than worth it in the end.

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

Childlike vs Childish.

October 9, 2012 By: Sarah Leff1 Comment

Happy Tuesday! Hope you are all having a great week so far! James and I are doing some exploring today around the Dallas area…there are so many neat things to do around here. I don’t think we will ever run out of new things to try=)

Familiar Passage…

“And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like the little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:3-4

I’ve heard this passage before, but the footnotes associated with it caused me to think of it in a different light. It never ceases to amaze me how God can use a well known scripture—one you’ve read countless times—and cast it in a new light, giving you new insight and revelation. Amazing.

So, the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They wanted to figure out what the secret was to becoming the greatest…and then wanted to become greatest. But, Jesus gave them a startling answer. He said in order to be the greatest, they had to first become like a little child. Children have amazing faith. They are humble, generous, and willing to believe without proof or sight. It’s important for us to humble ourselves before the Lord, and receive Christ with childlike faith. When the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest, they were not acting ‘childlike’, but were instead behaving ‘childish’. There is a difference. ‘Childish’ behavior involves being self centered and proud, while ‘childlike’ behavior comes from having a pure and humble heart.

Are you acting ‘childish’ or ‘childlike’? I’d like to say I am childlike, but I am quite certain I often exhibit childish behavior. If this is you as well, as God to humble and purify you heart so you can behave in a childlike fashion.

Have a great Tuesday! God Bless:)

Impossible is Nothing.

October 7, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and happy chilly Sunday! It’s been, well, CHILLY this weekend, and I am LOVING it. Seriously. One of the things I was sad to leave behind in the Midwest was the chilly autumn days and the colorful leafs—well this weekend felt just like home:) I think it is supposed to get warm again next week, but for now I am thoroughly enjoying the chilly weather!

This morning I was reading again in Matthew, and this familiar verse stood out to me. It’s funny how God points out certain verses at specific times in our lives, and this was definitely one of those times.

“He replied, “Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothingwill be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20-21

Jesus was explaining to his disciples that in order for them to do miracles in His name, they must first have faith. Faith is not always an easy thing. More often than not, I find myself attempting to rely on my own abilities rather than God’s, and doing never seems to work out in quite the way that I had planned. When presented with obstacles, I tend to give up too easily. So often I feel that a certain situation or circumstance is too challenging for me. I feel incompetent, insecure, and unable to do what is asked or required of me. But, the only reason I feel this way is because I allow my focus to turn away from God. Instead of focusing on him, I focus on the problem, and focusing on the problem without including God only leads to fear, anxiety, insecurity and doubt.

It’s like when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, and asked him to call him out into the waves as well. Jesus called, and for a moment, Peter was able to walk on the water. But, as soon as he let his eyes shift away from Jesus and towards the whistling wind and crashing waves, he began to sink. In the same way, our obstacles and stresses in life are like the wind and the waves. When we shift our eyes away from Jesus and instead look to them, we begin to sink. We feel overwhelmed, stressed, insecure and unable. But, Jesus is bigger than any wave you may be facing in life, and he is right there, waiting for us to call out to him so he can save us from the waves.

I need to have more faith. Faith that God is indeed bigger than and problem or challenge I could ever face, and that with him, ALL things are possible. There is no limit to what we can do when we actively shift our focus from the waves, and instead focus on the only one who can save us from drowning.

Is there something in your life today that feels to big to handle? Maybe it even seems impossible. Whatever it is, give it to God. With him, all things are not only possible—they are probable and completely doable.

Lord, help me to shift my attitude and focus away from the problems and obstacles in my life in order to step out in faith and focus on you. I pray for your guidance and wisdom, and the courage to face any circumstance—no matter what it may be—with you by my side. Amen.

Hope you all had an excellent weekend! God Bless:)

New Wineskins.

October 4, 2012 By: Sarah Leff2 Comments

Hello and happy Thursday! This week is really flying by…well actually the last month has really flown by. Is it seriously October already?? Craziness I tell you. Well, I’ll get right down to it. This morning I was reading in Matthew again, and came across this verse…

“Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Matthew 9:17

I love the way Jesus speaks to us using examples, parables and short stories—it makes his message very easy for me to relate to. Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I LOVE the way the gospels are written:) Here, Jesus is using wineskins to describe our lives, and the way in which we respond to his message.

The message of Christ is like new wine, while our sinful nature causes us to be like old wineskins. When we hear the message, our lives should be changed—significantly. Although we are not perfect, we should strive to live above sin, and flee from the evil desires of this world. However, if we go about living our lives in the same sinful ways, and don’t change our lifestyle, we are like new wine in old wineskins. We can’t contain the truth and the message inside our old sinful shell, so we burst. In order to accommodate the new wine, we need to become like new wineskins—strong, sturdy and able to receive and apply the message of Christ to our daily lives. In order to contain it, we need to make the necessary like or lifestyle changes so that our lives match up with the word and will of God. If we refuse to give up old sinful habits, we remain like old wineskins, and are unable to experience the joy, peace and purpose that comes from the new wine. Make the changes that are necessary; experience true freedom in Christ.

This is something that I have dealt with throughout the years. When I rededicated my life to Christ, I had to give up a lot of the old habits that kept me bound in sin. But, once I did, I was able to experience the true freedom found only in Christ and the “new wine”.

Is there anything in your life that is keeping you from experiencing this freedom? Let it go. I promise you, no matter how difficult it may seem to let go of; it will be worth it in the end.

Hope you all are having an excellent week so far! God Bless:)

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