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 Christian blogger
This means that, as I hold on to my companion’s elbow, they lead me around obstacles and along a safe, clear path.
At least, that is the intention!
In this way, I can navigate by feeling how the other person moves as well as by relying on their verbal directions and cues.
On an average morning, we are dropped off downtown where we will usually run by the coffee shop or head to my office to start working.
Work for my ministry usually consists of writing a blog or devotion, rehearsing a speech, conducting a Bible study, or having an encouragement session with someone either in person or over the phone.
All of which Jackson does not find too exciting, so he will settle in for a nap.
Throughout the day, Jackson and I may visit one of the local shops or grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant.
In Genesis 37, Joseph, the son of Jacob, was sold into slavery by his own brothers.
By no fault of his own, all of a sudden, Joseph found himself being plucked out of his homeland and shipped off to Egypt towards a life of labor and lack of freedom.
Joseph’s unfair judgment continued as he was sold to the captain of the palace guard, falsely accused of rape by the officer’s wife, and thrown into prison. Joseph was locked up for two years.
Through it all, however, he remained faithful to God and God remained faithful to Joseph.
It can be difficult for me to take the advice of others. In fact, sometimes I will even seek out affirmation over advice because I know it will be much easier to swallow.
My mom may critique an outfit down to the color of the thread if I ask her opinion, whereas it can be easier to just ask my husband who will always say, ”You look great, honey!”
If I send a blog post for revision to my editor, Erica, she will probably knit-pick it to death, whereas someone else would say, “This is great work!”
You get my point, it can seem easier and better for our ego to ask for advice from someone who will agree with what we have already decided, but this way of thinking doesn’t always lead to the best outcome.
There were so many challenges that accompanied the unexpected tragedy which occurred over 6 years ago.
Some of these hardships included losing my independence, having to adjust to a new way of living and engaging with the world, and enduring the frustrating search to find my purpose as someone with a disability.
Losing sight of my way, my plans for the future, and the purpose I thought I had for my life would be one of the hardest things I had to face.
At the time of my sight loss in 2015, I was on track to graduate college the following year, pursue a graduate degree, and begin a career in the field of Psychology.
In the blink of an eye, all of that disappeared and I no longer had a plan for what my life would be ten years down the road, let alone 10 months, weeks, or even days in the future.
When I am in a conversation with someone, I cannot read their body language, and this is a pretty important aspect!
As a result, it can be hard to know if I have their attention, if they are distracted, or even if they have walked off and left the conversation all together!
In situations like this, I often end up feeling unheard and unanswered.
Flowers bloom, the weather gets warmer, and we can finally start to venture out of our cozy winter cocoon of blankets and fleece!
The weather is not the only thing that has been changing for me recently.
My life has been undergoing a season of change that has brought sad goodbyes, exciting new endeavors, and a whirlwind of emotions.
I wanted to let you in on what God has been teaching me through it all.
Without visual cues, it can be so hard to identify someone by their voice, especially when I am in a crowded room or when the voice belongs to someone who I do not speak with often.
There are some people, like family members and close friends, who I can immediately recognize as soon as they utter one word, but this is definitely not the case with everyone.
While I do not write as often about this aspect of my disability, it still impacts my life in many ways.
Thankfully, the hearing in my right ear was not damaged, so I still have relatively good hearing overall.
I have a hard time hearing any soft noises that originate on my left side, and it took me a long time to get used to only holding the phone up to my right ear.
This means that, as I hold on to my companion’s elbow, they lead me around obstacles and along a safe, clear path.
At least, that is the intention!
In this way, I can navigate by feeling how the other person moves as well as by relying on their verbal directions and cues.
Did you know that the tradition of New Year’s resolutions is actually thought to date back to the ancient Babylonians?
About 4,000 years ago, these people would make promises to their gods in hopes that they could keep their word and find favor in the eyes of their idols.
We make promises to ourselves in hopes to better our careers, health, or relationships in the year to come.
We hope that, if we keep these vows of change, the year will be favorable for us.
For many people, the new year represents a fresh start and a chance to reinvent ourselves.
After the tumultuous year that 2020 has been, I think that we all are craving a little change.
