Faith Archives - Page 3 of 5

A Restful Sunday.

January 20, 2013 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Sunday! Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend. It is absolutely beautiful here in Texas—the sun is shinning, and it’s about 65 degrees out. Beautiful! Even though I much prefer snow and cold at this time of year, I can’t complain about this beautiful weather:)

Beautiful Day!

And a Sleepy Samson:)

So I missed my Friday Favorites post on Friday this past week—so sorry about that. I got home from work, and was just so tired for some reason. I’ve actually been pretty tired all weekend—hoping and praying that I’m not getting sick! There is a lot of sickness going around in general right now, and I don’t want to be a pat of it!

Anyways, Thursday and Friday of this week James and I are going to be going to a conference at our church [Gateway] called Kairos. It’s an inner healing/ cleansing sort of conference, and while I’m a little nervous, I’m also excited. I’ve never done anything like this before [which is why I’m a little nervous I suppose] and I don’t really know what to expect, but I do know it will be powerful.

In preparation for this event we had to watch five videos online, sort of like an intro to the actual conference. Again, I wasn’t sure what to expect with these videos, but let me just say—they were amazing! Basically they are all about becoming the people God has called us to be, and choosing to live life His way—not ours. If you have a minute [or longer] I would encourage you to go online here, and take a look at them. James and I have both been very blessed through them, and I hope that you are too!

All right, so take a look at the videos if you get a chance, and I’ll be back tomorrow with another post. Hope you have a great rest of your weekend! God Bless:)

Being Courageous.

January 14, 2013 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was pretty low key…actually really low key. We did take an evening excursion to Trader Joes though on Saturday, which was excellent, and made a quick stop at our favorite bubble tea shop which was right down the road [so convenient]. But, other than that, nothing new to report.

In other news, I’ve been reading the book of Esther over the weekend. If you haven’t actually read the whole book, I would encourage you to do so—it’s very good! If you’re not familiar with Esther’s story, let me give you a brief background. Esther was a Jew, who was chosen amongst many other beautiful women to be the new queen in Persia. During her time as queen, an evil advisor convinced the king to issue a decree stating that anyone could kill any Jew at any time beginning on a certain set date in the near future. The king wasn’t fully aware of what this decree entailed, and definitely did not know that his own queen was, in fact, a Jew. When Esther learned about the decree from her cousin Mordecai, she was devastated. Devastated and afraid. But, under her cousins’ instruction, she decided to approach the king [which was illegal and punishable by death] and plead with him for the lives of her people. In the end, the king accepts her, listens to her, and eventually executes the evil advisor who instigated the imminent slaughter in the first place. He then gave the Jews the right to fight back and defend themselves against anyone who would attempt to harm them. In the end the Jews were saved—all because of Esther’s bravery. But just because she was brave, doesn’t mean she wasn’t afraid.

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.”

Esther 4:14

Esther didn’t have any of the usual qualification for becoming a queen in Persia, and the circumstances that brought about her queen-ship were far from ordinary. But, God knew what he was doing. He knew about Haman’s [the evil advisor] plot to kill the Jews before he even spoke of it. He knew that someone who supported the Jews needed to be in authority to save them at that specific time. So, what did he do? He placed Esther in a position of authority, granted her favor with the king, and through her courage saved the Jews from imminent destruction.

She was right where God wanted her to be, exactly when he wanted her to be there. She was faithful to God’s promptings in her life, and her people reaped the benefits of her obedience.

We can learn a valuable lesson from Esther’s life. While we may not be destined to become royalty, or to save an entire nation from destruction, God has a specific plan and purpose for each of our lives. He has things for us to do, and a timeline for us to follow. It’s so important to be doing what he wants us to do when he wants us to do it. And the plans he has for us may require us to be courageous. They may not always be the most comfortable or easy actions for us to take—Esther definitely didn’t have an easy task. But, the end results will always be worth any discomfort we may initially experience.

Well, on that note, I’m off. Enjoy the rest of your day, and God Bless:)

Pure Joy.

December 20, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Good Morning! Hope you all are having a great Thursday so far. Did anyone else experience crazy windstorms last night?? It was seriously SO windy outside our apartment last night. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t enjoy it—because I did. I love the wind—it reminds me of being out on a sailboat in the middle of Lake Michigan, and that is always a pleasant reminder. Needless to say, we survived the crazy wind, and none of our furniture blew away. However apparently there is a large tree down somewhere in our apartment complex, so it must have been windy enough to blow that down…

Anyways, let me share with you what I read this morning from the book of James.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James 1:2-4

While this is a fairly popular and commonly known verse, it is full of importance. As Christians, we are guaranteed to face trials and challenges in our lives. There is always going to be someone who opposes us, or a situation that pushes us to our limits. The trials aren’t the important part. The important part is how we handle those trials in our lives. James says we are to consider our trials ‘pure joy’ because in the end they are what cause us to grow as Christians in our walk with the Lord. If we never had any challenges in our lives, do you really think we would grow? Definitely not. The trials, temptations and challenges are necessary in developing us into the people we are in Christ.

So, when you are faced with a challenging situation or a difficult person to love, remember that those trials are for your ultimate benefit. Embrace that fact, and allow God to work in and through every situation in your life-whether it be good or bad. In the end, all those trials you went through will mean something, and you’ll be glad for the lessons you learned along the way.

Well, I’m off to work. Hope you all have a fabulous rest of your day! God Bless:)

Having Faith.

December 18, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Tuesday! For some reason it really doesn’t feel like a Tuesday today…guess I’m just really off in my days. Another thing that just doesn’t seem right is that Christmas is exactly one week from today! Maybe it’s the Texas weather, or the fact that my family is going to be out of town and I won’t be going home, but it certainly doesn’t feel like Christmas to me. Guess that means I’m gonna have to watch a few more Christmas movies and bake some more cookies over this coming week to put me more in the mood:) Shucks.

Today I read a familiar verse from Hebrews that I want to share with you this morning…

“Now faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1

I’m sure most of you have heard this verse before—it’s usually a popular one for Sunday school memorization. But, have you ever really thought about what it’s actually saying? If you’re anything like me, you want all the answers up front. You want God to tell you exactly what is going to happen and why, and you don’t want there to be any surprises. But, if God made everything perfectly clear to us, what would be the point of having faith? If we knew all the answers already, why would we need to trust God to reveal them to us? We wouldn’t.

Christianity is completely based in faith. If it weren’t that way, our testimonies wouldn’t be so powerful. There’s something about being required to have faith that really creates a unique and wonderful connection between God and us. If faith were not required, we wouldn’t trust and respect him as much as we do. Faith is being sure of what we hope for a certain of what we do not see. Even though we can’t know for sure what the future holds, we can be confident that God has a purpose and a plan behind each of our lives. And while we can’t actually see God, we can have faith that he is always with us, guiding us where we are supposed to go.

While it may be frustrating some times not to have all the answers, faith really is a gift and a blessing. Without it, our lives would be completely different, and we wouldn’t truly appreciate the journey that eventually leads to our eternal destination in Heaven.

Just some food for thought. Hope you all are having a great day! God Bless:)

Through His Strength.

December 13, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and happy Thursday! Hope you all are having a great week so far. It’s been staying chilly here all week, so mine has definitely been going well:) It’s putting me a bit more into the Christmas spirit, which in turn is making me want to start doing some holiday baking! Usually I do a lot of holiday baking with my family, but since they are going to be out of town over Christmas I guess I am going to have to do the baking all on my own…sadness. Maybe I can convince James to help…at least with the eating part haha. Anyways I read one of my favorite verses a few days ago, and wanted to share [even though I’m sure you all have read this one before]…

“I can do anything through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 3:14

Anything and everything. No matter how difficult a situation may seem, we can do anything through him who gives us strength. Sometimes life doesn’t go our way, and the situations we face seem near impossible. We may feel like giving up. But, instead of giving up, we need to remember where our strength should be coming from. I f we are trying to do things in our own strength, it’s never going to work out—sadly, we’re just not that strong. Instead of our own strength, we should be relying on Christ’s strength. Only through his strength are we able to accomplish what otherwise would be impossible on our own.

So often I try and do things on my own, and then I wonder why I fail. I definitely need to remember to rely on Christ’s strength instead of my own to get me through any and every circumstance.

Well, I hope you all have a great day planned ahead of you! Remember that you can do all things through him who gives you strength. God Bless:)

Be Different.

November 26, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Monday! It’s been a little while since my last post—hope you al had a great Thanksgiving! James and I had a great time up in Tulsa, OK visiting with aunts and uncles and cousins, eating lots of good food, and exploring the city of Tulsa. Thursday we did the traditional Thanksgiving thing, and then Friday we went to the aquarium with one of James’ uncles—I love aquariums. Overall it was a great holiday weekend, with lots of quality family time.

Turtles at the Aquarium.

Pretty Trees…kind of reminded me of Michigan a little bit:)

Oh, side note, we also went to this amazing light display on Thursday night near Tulsa. I can’t remember what it was called…but it was awesome! I have never seen so many Christmas lights in one place before…literally. Here are some [blurry] pictures..

The Jesus Train.

Cute…despite the red eyes.

We got back Saturday night, and spent the day Sunday regrouping and getting ready for the week—it always seems like I have so much to do after coming back from a vacation/holiday. Little Samson was very happy to have us home. He hasn’t really stopped purring since we walked through the door on Saturday night—I think he missed us:)

Peek-A-Boo!

Over the weekend I also started reading in Romans—one of my favorite books of the New Testament. There is so much meat there. I love it.

“Do not transform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

I love this verse, and it is so relevant to our world today. One thing I notice over and over again is how, in general, the church is becoming much more like the world than it ever has been. We have become so seeker sensitive that our desire to fit in to the worlds system has overcome our original mandate to live differently than the world does.

As Christians, we need to work on this. We should not desire to be like the world, but instead desire to be more like Jesus. This can only be done through the renewing of our minds, and ultimately the transformation of our lives through a personal relationship with Jesus. When we allow him into our lives, we should no longer strive to fit into the world’s way of doing things. Instead, we should stand out. Be different.

When others look at our lives, they should see a difference between our lifestyle, and that of the worlds. Only when we are living transformed lives can we truly be in alignment with God’s will for out lives. This can’t happen if we are trying to fit in to the patterns of the world. It can only happen through the renewing of our minds and the complete transformation of our lives.

Just some food for thought. Hope you all are having a great day so far! God Bless:)

Courage.

November 20, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello! Hope you all are having a great Tuesday! Still can’t get over how warm it is right now…I’m so used to it being cold at this time of year. Definitely does not feel like November! I won’t complain though. I apologize for the shorter posts lately. Our Internet is STILL out, so I’ve had to plan around that unfortunately. Hopefully it will be fixed by the end of the day. Hopefully.

Anyways, I was reading about Paul this morning, and how he went in to Jerusalem to preach the gospel even though he knew he would be rejected, and the possibility of death was great. Almost immediately upon entering the city he was taken hostage by the people, even though they really had nothing legally against him. He spoke his message anyways, which caused even more chaos, and ended with him being put in jail for his own safety. While in prison, the Lord came to him with some encouragement…

“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Acts 23:11

Right when he thought he was finished, the Lord came and told him he also was going to be speaking in Rome! But, Paul was not afraid of challenge, and was also not afraid to die for the cause. He spoke bravely and courageously in front of those who had previously rejected him, and who wished to kill him. The Lord was with Paul, protecting him until the end. He never left his side, and encouraged him to press on and speak courageously.

Even when things are difficult, and we find it challenging to share our faith, we should remember Paul’s courage and carry on courageously as he did. Just as the Lord gave strength and encouragement to Paul, so to does he strengthen us throughout the challenges of this life. There is no obstacle or challenge that we cannot overcome through the power of Christ within us. So, even when you feel like giving up—don’t! God will always be with you, just as he was right by Paul’s side until the very end.

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

Finishing the Race.

November 19, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend! Ours was pretty good…the weather was a little cooler, and things are starting to look mighty festive around here—yay for Thanksgiving and Christmas! I just love this time of year.

I was reading in Acts this morning, and came across this verse…

“However, I (Paul) consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

Acts 21:24

Paul knew his time on Earth was coming to an end, and that he would more than likely not see the other disciples again this side of Heaven. In saying goodbye to them, he emphasized that the only thing of importance to him was to finish the task that the Lord had given him to do. His life meant nothing to him apart from completing his task.

Paul was whole-heartedly and completely dedicated to doing the work God had assigned for him while on Earth. He was determined not to let anything else get in the way of what he was called to do—which was preach the gospel of Christ. As I was reading this verse, I started thinking about my own life. Am I living like Paul lived? Am I so focused on completing the task and finishing the race that everything else I do seems to fade in comparison? As much as I’d like to say yes, I know that this wouldn’t be completely true. Often I find myself getting so distracted by daily life that I lose focus on what really matters—finishing the task God has assigned to me. This scripture was a good reality check for me in keeping my priorities straight, and in alignment with the priorities God has placed in my life.

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

Being Extraordinary.

November 14, 2012 By: Sarah Leff2 Comments

Good Morning, and Happy Wednesday! Sorry I didn’t get a post up yesterday. Unfortunately our Internet was down—AGAIN—and I was working during the day, so I didn’t get a chance to make it to a Wi-Fi area. I’ve never dealt with Internet quite this bad before—I’m not entirely sure what to do about it! Anyways. So, I was reading in Acts again yesterday, and came across this verse…

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Acts 4:13

Peter and John had just finished speaking before the Sanhedrin in response to their most recent “crime” of healing a crippled man. The Sanhedrin were looking for a way to get rid of them, but when they heard the two speak, they were astonished, and they weren’t quite sure how to go about punishing them for what they had done. It wasn’t because of Peter and John’s credentials though that they were astonished—it was the fact that the two of them had been with Jesus, and were acting courageously for him. They weren’t familiar with that kind of courage.

Peter and John were ordinary men changed by the extraordinary power of God. They didn’t have master’s degrees or PhD’s. They hadn’t gone to seminary. No. They had been changed by the radical power of Jesus in their lives—and that power was all that was needed to change the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Sometimes we think that were not qualified enough to serve God, or that doing so would be easier if we were smarter, more attractive or more articulate. But our own credentials are not what change hearts and minds towards Christ. Those credentials aren’t what change the ordinary into the extraordinary. No. That can only be done through the power of Jesus working through me—and that; that is enough.

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

Giving God the Glory First.

November 12, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello! Happy Monday…hope you all had a great weekend! Ours was pretty good. We were both pretty tired, so ours was quite low key, but still great:) In other news, it was 37degrees when I woke up this morning! Now I know most normal people would think this is freezing and horrible, but I was SO excited to see that number on my weather app this morning. I guess you could say I’m more of a cold weather type of gal, and I already know this winter is going to be tough for me—no snow, no skiing, no cold weather—bah. I think the closet ski area is about 500 mile away. Boo. Maybe I can convince James to make the trip at least once in the upcoming months…we will see. Ha.

Anyways, in other other news, I started reading Acts this morning. I’ve been really excited to get to the book of Acts, mainly because I’ve never actually read the whole thing through. The parts I have read though have been great, so I’m looking forward to reading it through start to finish.

One story in particular that I read was about Peter healing a crippled man who was sitting in front of the temple gate, called Beautiful. After the healing took place, Peter said this…

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can see.”

Acts 3:16

When Peter healed the crippled man in Jesus’ name, the people were in awe. Peter had to explain to them that it wasn’t by his power that the healing had occurred, but by the power of God working through him. The miraculous signs and healings that the disciples would perform weren’t about what they could do, but about what God could do through them.

Likewise, anything we do is ultimately not by our own power, but by God’s power working through us. No matter what the situation, we need to remember to always point the glory to God first and foremost. Without his power, we would be unable to accomplish anything—but through him, we can do ALL things.

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

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