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 in FAITH
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?
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 day when we get to stuff ourselves with turkey, dressing, and sweet potato casserole while being surrounded by family and friends. I honestly cannot think of anything better!
I love Thanksgiving for several reasons.
First, I get to visit with family who I don’t get to see that often.
Second, it means that Christmas is right around the corner.
Third, the food!!!
Fun fact: I actually love Thanksgiving food so much that I had it served at my wedding reception. My favorite? Sweet potato casserole!
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.
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.
In the blink of an eye, my collegiate equestrian career, my senior year of college, my health, and life as I knew it disappeared.
In the days, weeks, and months that followed, I faced one hard situation after another as I learned to live again in darkness.
It definitely felt like everything was falling apart, and I struggled to understand Where God was and what he was doing through it all.
The main reason, of course, is that I came back with my wonderful guide dog Jackson. He is such a gentleman and has truly changed my life already.
One of the other main reasons it was such a great trip is because of all of the people that I met. There were about twelve other people in my class at Leader Dog, and everyone was from different places and backgrounds with varying ages, careers, and even ranges of vision.
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?
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.
It’s official, I have been a married woman for over two months! I can hardly believe it! Time has flown by, and life as a newlywed has been wonderful. I wanted to thank all of you for the kind words of encouragement, support, and love that Seth and I received. I also wanted to share some of our wedding photos so that you can get a glimpse of our perfect day!
Stay tuned for an upcoming podcast featuring my husband, Seth. We will be playing our own version of “The Newlywed Game.” It will be a lot of fun, and there will definitely be a lot of laughs as you get a little peek into our life as a newlywed couple!
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.”
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.
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!
When I get an idea in my head or have a task to accomplish, I work efficiently and endlessly until it is finished!
However, this can also be one of my greatest weaknesses because sometimes, if I’m being honest, I take it a little too far.
The notion that tasks, plans, or exciting new ventures need to be realized instantly is not always realistic.
If I get an idea for a new project around the house, I would prefer for it to be done that day.
If I have a long to-do list, I often will not rest until each task is checked off.
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.
