Thank you for joining me as I walk by faith, and I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey!
Want to have me speak to your church, group, or event?
Email me at hellosaraclaudia@gmail.com.
All tagged Jesus Christ
It’s a saying we all have heard, and we know it is true.
The wet, dreary weather we tend to endure in early spring gives way to a beautiful array of vibrant colors and energizing scents as time passes.
While the rain is not a welcome occurrence, it is necessary for the beauty that we all look forward to each year.
Whether my sight came back or not, I was bound and determined to return to who I was before. I wanted to do the same activities, live the same way, and enjoy the same things.
It didn’t take long to realize, however, that the “normal” I had experienced before would never completely be attained again.
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.
The idea that I would be sharing my faith with others would have been almost laughable to me.
Why?
Because I did not have a close relationship with Christ, I was living far from how a Christian should live, and I hardly ever touched my Bible.
As a result, my life is now drastically different.
My parents were constantly hearing noises of furniture being rolled or scraped across the floor above their heads. I have had to let this beloved pastime go since losing my sight.
Honestly, rearranged furniture is now one of my worst nightmares!
It would take me forever to get used to the changes, and thinking about all of the accompanying bumps and bruises makes me cringe!
Not only are her novels compelling and entertaining, but they are all based on scripture and Biblical truths.
Her writing always leaves me with a sense of peace and gratitude towards our Lord and Savior, and I always tend to learn something new about God and His word.
While reading Kingsbury’s novel, “Truly, Madly, Deeply,” I was given a whole new perspective on a Bible story that all of us know so well…the Christmas Story.
We often read the account of Jesus’ miraculous conception and birth with a sense of hope, joy, and peace.
And I definitely have not been disappointed!
I feel so much more confident traveling independently with my boy by my side. However, I also knew that having a guide dog would come with its challenges and occasional hardships.
Having a dog is very different from simply walking with a white cane.
For one thing, when you have a dog, you are responsible for a living, breathing animal. This means that, on occasion, they will become sick and need a day or two off of work.
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.
I know what you’re probably thinking because I’ve heard it many times before… “You have to apply? Shouldn’t anyone who is blind automatically be qualified for a guide dog?”
Actually, this is far from the truth because there is a lot more that goes into using a dog as a mobility tool than simply grabbing hold of the harness handle and being led everywhere you want to go.
As the dog’s handler, it is your responsibility to give your dog directions such as where to go and when to cross the street. The dog’s only responsibility is to follow your directions and guide you there safely.
As a result, the application process ensures that you have an adequate level of orientation and mobility skills to work with your dog as a team and that you can properly care for and provide for your new furry companion.
My dad and I were able to gaze upon the spectacular landscape from a unique vantage point on a helicopter ride.
Slightly terrifying? Yes! But the views were well worth the mild panic attack! It was one of the most wondrous things I have ever seen.
The Grand Canyon is one of those sights that just makes you think, “How in the world could someone not believe in God?”
How could something so beautiful and so spectacular simply arise by chance?
Have you ever looked at the world around you and simply wondered, “Why?”
Why is such a young person suffering from cancer?
Why is there so much trash on the television?
Why, when I turn on the news, is there yet another deadly tragedy?
Sometimes, all of the evil negativity that surrounds us can make it easy to also say, “Why would God allow this? Or even, “Why are you doing this God?”
Over the past six years, while struggling with my sight loss, I have been very tempted to question God.
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.
It’s a saying we all have heard, and we know it is true.
The wet, dreary weather we tend to endure in early spring gives way to a beautiful array of vibrant colors and energizing scents as time passes.
While the rain is not a welcome occurrence, it is necessary for the beauty that we all look forward to each year.
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.
