Worry Archives - Revolution YOU.

Happy Father’s Day!

June 16, 2013 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and happy Sunday! Hope you all are having a great day/weekend so far. Ours has been pretty low-key – just running errands and getting things done around the house. Last night we went and saw the new Superman movie, and I thought it was pretty good! I won’t say too much just in case you haven’t seen it yet, but the action was pretty intense, and overall I really enjoyed it. Go see it!

Apparently yesterday was by blog-anniversary [I had kinda forgot about it, but thankfully Facebook reminded me that this time last year I started by new blog…not really sure how Facebook knew that, but oh well]. So, a big thank you to everyone who has read my little blog at some time or another in the past year! I really appreciate your support, and I look forward to improving on what’s been started over the coming year. Thanks again:)

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Mustard Seed Faith.

March 6, 2013 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Good morning and happy Wednesday! Hope you all are having a great day so far. I have the day off today, which is always a good thing:) Although I’m getting to the point where I can’t really sleep in much past 7:30 or 8:00 anymore…I must be getting old. Ha. Anyways, I wanted to share a verse I read from Matthew this morning. It’s an oldie, but definitely a goodie…

“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. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

This is pretty amazing…and even more amazing when you think about how small a mustard seed really is—especially in comparison to a mountain. Those seeds are really tiny! It really goes to show just how powerful our faith can be. If we have even a tiny amount of faith, we are able to move mountain-sized things in our lives. What once seemed completely impossible is made entirely possible through faith.

If there is something going on in your life that seems impossible, or maybe a situation that seems rather hopeless, don’t give up. Have faith. Nothing will be impossible for you when you choose to put your faith in Christ. Don’t be afraid to step out and take that next step—you never know what you will be able to accomplish through faith and the power of Christ.

Well, I’m off to get a few things done around the house—hope you all have a great rest of your day! God Bless:)

No Excuses.

February 8, 2013 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and happy Friday! Seriously, how is it Friday already? This week has flown…probably because I’m so excited to see my FAMILY tonight! My parents and brother are flying in for a visit tonight, and I can’t wait to see them. Yay!

Anyways, I don’t have too much time, but wanted to share something that I read this morning from Matthew. In Matthew 4, Jesus begins to call his disciples into fulltime ministry with him. Now these disciples had other jobs prior to Jesus. They had family commitments. They didn’t really know Jesus all that well. They were probably afraid. I’m sure they were at least a little nervous. They had a whole arsenal of excuses that could be used to get out of following Jesus, yet they chose not to sue any of them. They simply dropped what they were doing and followed him. They didn’t let fear of the unknown or the comfort found in their current position deter them from reaching their true destiny—to become Jesus’s disciples. To change the world.

How often do we become so comfortable with our current surroundings that we lose sight of our true callings in Christ? If God were to call us into a different profession or even a different region, how hard would it be for us to simply drop what we were previously doing and follow his lead? I’m going to guess it would be challenging to say the least. We need to be more like the disciples. We need to be willing to go wherever and whenever God calls us. Taking that leap of faith into the unknown may sound scary at first, but in the end it will all be worth it:)

Just something I was thinking about while reading this morning. Well, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. I’ll be back on Tuesday, hopefully with some more updates:) 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:)

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:)

No Need to Worry.

October 29, 2012 By: Sarah Leff2 Comments

Hello! Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was great…went to a conference at a church in our area on Saturday, and then spent Sunday afternoon wandering around a beautiful lakeside park near Dallas, and the weather was perfect—sixty and sunny:) I’ll post some pictures of or adventures later on today.

I want to share what I read yesterday because I feel it is very relevant to what a lot of us are going through right now. I’ve been struggling a lot with worry over the past few weeks in particular, and this sequence of verses from Luke chapter 12 really hit the nail on the head for me so to speak, summing up everything that I have been needing to hear into one passage of scripture.

“Indeed the very hairs on your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more that many sparrows.”

Luke 12:7

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.”

Luke 12:22-23

“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

Luke 12:31

I think I was meant to read these verses in the sequence in which I have listed them here. First, God says we are important, and that he cares about every detail of our lives. In fact, we are so important to him that he even knows the number of hairs on our heads.

Then, God says he cares about us so much that we don’t have to worry about anything…not money, food, clothes, jobs…he just says not to worry about it. He will ALWAYS provide, not mater how difficult our situations may seem.

Finally, he says that all we have to do on our end is seek him and his kingdom first, and everything we need will be provided, or ‘given to you as well’. Instead of focusing on the things we think we need and worrying about how we are going to get them, God says to seek him first. Make him most important, and he will worry about the rest. God is much more concerned with our seeking his face than trying to provide for ourselves on our own without his help. He says that he will provide, and he says not to worry, so we should heed his words.

If we were to take all that energy we spend on worrying, and instead use it to seek after God, how much more fulfilling would our lives be? God has everything under control. Even when it seems like we are facing impossible situations, we need to remember that nothing is impossible for God, and that he will always meet our needs.

Just something that has really been on my heart recently, and something that I really needed to hear this weekend. Hope you find it encouraging as well. Have a great Monday and 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:)

No Worries.

October 2, 2012 By: Sarah Leff1 Comment

Hello and Happy Tuesday from Grapevine, TX! We are slowly getting a little more familiar with the area, and starting to settle in to our new apartment. I am missing fall in the Midwest, but the weather here has been pretty nice so far so I can’t really complain. I started reading the New Testament on Monday (yay). It’s slightly easier to read than the Old Testament, which is nice:) Anyways, I was reading in Matthew this morning, and this verse really stuck out to me…

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.”

Matthew 6:34

Needless to say, this was a good reminder for me this morning. Often, I find myself worrying WAY to easily. Not to say that moving half way across the country with less than two weeks notice comes without worry and stress—because it does—but sometimes I worry too much. I’ve mentioned previously that I am a planner my nature, and always like to know what is going to happen next. Planning is not a bad thing, but the point that our plans turn into worry is when we need to take a step back and reevaluate. The footnotes in my Bible said it well…

“Planning for tomorrow is time well spent; worrying about tomorrow is time wasted.”

Again, planning is not a bad thing—it is actually a good thing, and when done correctly can alleviate a lot of stress. But, planning goes wrong when we allow worry to creep into the picture. If we trust God with our plans in the first place, then there is no need to worry. I know this is much easier said than done—I’m living proof of that. But, overtime I have figured out that worrying really doesn’t get you anywhere—its only makes things worse. When we trust God with our plans and our problems, he is faithful to work things out in our favor.

Lord, help me to trust you with my plans, and not to worry about anything. I’ve let worry and stress get in the way of our relationship, and I’m sorry. Forgive me for worrying and stressing. Help me to trust you in all that I do today and always. Amen.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week! God Bless:)

Facing Your Fears.

August 1, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and happy Wednesday! It is a beautiful day here…the sun is out and everything looks so much greener after the rain we’ve finally been having. Love it. Anyways, today I thought I would deviate from my devotional journal and talk a little bit about something that has been on my heart lately. Fear. How many of you are afraid of something? You all better have said yes, because everyone everywhere is afraid of something at some time or another. Or, if your anything like me, you’re afraid of a lot of different things. Fear is a normal human feeling. We’re always going to feel it to some extent at certain times, but that doesn’t mean we have to LIVE in fear. Let me explain.

The Bible talks a lot about dealing with our fears. More specifically, it tells us not to fear. Here are a few that I found…

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalms 23:4

We don’t have to be afraid. Even when things seem unbearable and terrifying, there is no need to fear because God is with us. Fear does nothing for us except to make us afraid. It doesn’t strengthen us or help us in anyway. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s really quite useless to fear because no matter how fearful we become, we are unable to improve our fear filled situations on our own. We have to rely on God to come along side us and protect us from our fears.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

God is always with us. He will not leave us or forsake us. Ever. Remember, God is bigger than anything we could possibly be afraid of. He is bigger than our fears. And he isn’t going anywhere. Even when we feel overwhelmed by fear, he is with us. We don’t have to fear anything, because he is all powerful.

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Isaiah 41:13

God is our helper. When fear begins to creep into our lives, we need to turn to God for help. He won’t let us fall.

“There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

1 John 4:18

John says it best—there is no fear in love. Choose to love instead of fear. Choose to look your fears straight in the face, and choose not to be afraid. You can’t reach your full potential in Christ if you are living a life of fear. The devil knows this, and he tries his hardest to keep it that way. He wants us to live in fear, because that is when we are weakest. He prefers us to be cowardly and fearful instead of strong and courageous. He would rather have us live in fear than to live in love. It may seem easy to give into fear, but it’s important that we resist the temptation. Don’t give into the lies of the devil that would keep you living in fear your whole life. Choose to trust God and live in his perfect love and peace. Choose to be strong and courageous, and to break out of the darkness.

Are you living in fear? Be strong and courageous. Choose today to trust in God, and to live a life of love instead of fear.

God BlessJ

Refuge from the Storm

June 21, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, although its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalms 46:1-3

God is bigger than our problems. He is bigger than any natural disaster that could befall the Earth, and he is bigger than any thing we may face in our daily lives. Nothing is too big, challenging or frightening for God. And it doesn’t have to be for us either.

It seems like our world is out of control sometimes. Natural disasters rage. Wars begin. People fight. Persecute. Hate. But, when things seem out of control, remember that God is ALWAYS in control-no matter what. He is our refuge and strength no matter what the situation or circumstance may be. Big or small-we can always find refuge in him. We don’t have to be afraid of our problems. When we find strength and refuge in the Lord, nothing is too big or too challenging for us. And the best part—his refuge is not just temporary, it’s eternal.

We can find everlasting peace and rest from the storms of life in His eternal refuge.

We don’t have to fear the darkness, because He has already overcome it. All we have to do is choose to seek him, find our strength and take refuge in him. He will do the rest.

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