Thank you for joining me as I walk by faith, and I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey!
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Email me at hellosaraclaudia@gmail.com.
All tagged Bible Study
It is something that cannot be fixed with a dose of Advil, a good night of sleep or a quick visit to the doctor.
It is always there, always debilitating, and always a challenge.
Can you relate?
In fact, I will be saying “I do” in just 3 days!
Throughout our engagement, Seth and I have learned a lot about each other.
As we have spent more time together, endured the stress of planning a wedding, suffered personal losses, and explored the foundation of our relationship in pre-marital counseling, the good and the not-so-good parts of both of us have been revealed.
Thanks to Voice Over, the screen reader software on Apple devices, I can listen to a friendly electronic voice telling me what is on the screen. Using this feature with certain gestures on the touch screen, I can text, scroll through Facebook, send emails, and use my phone in much of the same way as a sighted person.
While I am very thankful for this technology, sometimes I simply crave silence.
Sometimes, it seems as though we are stuck in a season of life where one trial follows another, and they all begin to build up until the weight of it all is crushing.
Blindness often brings upon those seasons because it impacts so many distinct aspects of my daily life.
“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:14-15, ESV)
I love exploring new places and cultures.
All of my adventures have been so different, but each have one thing in common…a lot of walking!
While traversing a new destination, you learn just how important it is to have sturdy, reliable, and comfortable shoes on your feet. You can be as healthy and in shape as an Olympic athlete, but blisters or aching feet can bring down even the best of us and leave us missing out on precious sightseeing time!
“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:14-15, ESV)
In my younger years, I was notorious for borrowing my older sister’s clothes. Beth always indulged me and when I donned one of her sweaters or blouses, I felt so glamorous, cool, and grown-up.
Having an older sister was kind of like always having access to a brand-new wardrobe!
When we come to know Christ, we become “new” in a much more important way.
“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:14-15, ESV)
Since losing my sight, I had to discover a different way to enjoy the garments other than visually.
Today, when I am picking out clothes, I rely mostly on textures, but I also have learned to attach memories and mental images to my clothing as well.
Well, I don’t completely agree with this statement.
Let me explain…
After losing my sight, my life changed drastically.
I left a lot behind as I struggled to move forward with my new circumstances, and it felt as though a lot had left me behind as well.
Thinking about the simplicities that came with sighted life was difficult, and as time progressed, I found it painful to remember the early days of my blindness and all of the trials that I endured
When we take a closer look at our fears, many of them center around the unknown, unfamiliar, or what is out of our control.
One of my greatest fears is storms.
The power and unpredictability that they possess turn me into a nervous wreck every time the thunder begins to roll and rain pounds on the roof. You never can quite tell what a simple summer thunderstorm may progress into.
Ironically, before I lost my sight, I also had a fear of the dark.
It is something that cannot be fixed with a dose of Advil, a good night of sleep or a quick visit to the doctor.
It is always there, always debilitating, and always a challenge.
Can you relate?
The trainers would set up traffic cones, large solid barriers, and other objects on the sidewalk to block our path.
The dogs are trained to stop in front of the obstacle, and then as a team, the dog and handler are to decide the best way to work around the object.
The first few times Jackson and I worked on this task; it was pretty much a disaster. I would give him the wrong command and completely confuse him. Or he would take matters into his own paws, guiding me on his own “creative” path around the obstacle.
It took a lot of practice, trust, and teamwork for us to finally become comfortable working together around these unexpected barriers.
We aren’t professional outdoorsmen by any means and won’t be tackling the Appalachian Trail any time soon, but we do enjoy an afternoon spent meandering through God’s beautiful creation.
On a recent long weekend, we drove to Berry College, where our goal was to hike to the House of Dreams. The charming cottage sits atop Lavender Mountain, 1,360 feet above sea level, and is surrounded by vibrant gardens and foliage and spectacular views of the campus and city of Rome, Georgia far below.
The House of Dreams was built as a gift for Martha Berry, the founder of Berry College, in 1922 by students and faculty.
It was meant to be somewhat of a retreat for her, and we were looking forward to having a peaceful retreat of our own into the mountains.
One of those “between a rock and a hard place” kind of circumstances that just seem impossible to wriggle out of.
Let’s face it, some problems that we find ourselves faced with are simply impossible for us to change, no matter how hard we try.
As much as I wish I could, I cannot bring my sight back.
It is a circumstance that I cannot change and if I’m being honest, this makes me pretty angry at times.
Ria Story, a leadership speaker, trainer, and author, says, “We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond to it.”
Maybe you moved to a new town, started a new job, or transferred to a new school.
Whatever the situation may be, when you are learning to live in a new place, literally or figuratively, it can be unfamiliar, unsettling, and scary.
First, there was the obvious way in which I had to learn to live again…figuring out how to do everything without my sight.
To say it was challenging would be an understatement, and to say that I have learned everything there is to know about living with blindness would be untrue.
The idea of being able to retreat into the depths of the ocean and explore all of the sea life, caverns, and underwater treasures in real-life color always seemed fascinating to me.
When I was 20 years old, I actually got the chance…kind of.
Yes, it was actually an elective course that was offered at my school. We were supplied with wet suits, goggles, flippers, and oxygen tanks as we learned all of the ins and outs of becoming a diver.
While it was a lot of fun, I definitely was not prepared for how challenging it would be, both mentally and physically!
You know, the not-so-nice one whose only goal seems to be to bring you down.
The one that repeats phrases like,
“You’re not good enough” or “No one really cares about you.”
In the news, in our favorite TV shows, and even in the phrases whispered by that little voice.
But this phenomenon is not new.
In fact, the enemy has been trying to deceive us and pull us away from God’s truth since the very beginning of mankind.
In fact, I will be saying “I do” in just 3 days!
Throughout our engagement, Seth and I have learned a lot about each other.
As we have spent more time together, endured the stress of planning a wedding, suffered personal losses, and explored the foundation of our relationship in pre-marital counseling, the good and the not-so-good parts of both of us have been revealed.
