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.
Sweet potato casserole, dressing, turkey, and loads of pumpkin pie.
The roots of my family tree run deep in the soil of the South.
As Southerners, we pride ourselves on being able to cook up some good ole’ finger licking’ food, and this ability really shines through at Thanksgiving.
As I dig into the skillfully prepared meal while surrounded by family that I do not get to see often, I cannot help but feel grateful for all of the blessings in my life.
We push it under the bed, sweep it under the rug, and bury it in the deep depths of our closets.
Don’t try to deny it, we are all guilty of it!
This was exactly what my sister, Beth, was doing while unpacking from a week-long trip. With a busy, chatty one-year-old, she doesn’t really have time to do too much organizing.
While stuffing some things away, she caught herself saying, “Out of sight, out of mind”.
Have you ever felt as though you do not quite measure up?
When you look around, you can’t help but think that you are not as good-looking, happy, or successful as the rest of your peers.
Your clothes are not as nice, your marriage or relationship isn’t as strong, and you didn’t get that promotion.
Sometimes, it feels like it is just part of our nature to compare, conform, and crave the attainment of worldly standards.
I love entertaining at my house, but I’ll be honest, it can also be exhausting! There are so many things to think about and prepare.
I have to make sure the house is clean, provide food and refreshments, and gather games, movies, or other sources of entertainment.
The work does not end when the company arrives, either.
Once the party starts, I always find myself rushing around, making sure that everyone has what they need and is having a good time.
Sometimes, I just wish that I had a remote control for life so that I could hit the pause button and have the time to enjoy the moment!
In Luke 10, Martha faced a similar situation.
She had a very special guest coming to her home…Jesus!
I would probably be a nervous wreck if Jesus was coming over to my house for dinner.
Like many of us do when we are preparing for guests, Martha, even after Jesus arrived, hurried around in frenzied preparation.
Sweat was pouring down his forehead. His knuckles were turning white, and he was struggling in his seat as he began to raise his voice saying,
We had just screeched to a halt after twisting, flipping, and racing through the Batman roller coaster, and it was taking a little too long for us to be unloaded from the tangle of seatbelts and safety restraints.
I’ve always wondered why my dad insisted on taking us to Six Flags every year before school started because this always seemed to happen. He would inevitably become severely claustrophobic on one…or several…of the attractions.
I’m always up for a challenge at the gym, but my trainer introduced me to a new exercise recently that brought me to my knees…literally.
It’s called the “surrender” and involves dropping first to one knee and then down to the other before rising up again into a mini squat one leg at a time. Trust me, it’s a lot harder than it sounds. After about 3 surrenders, I was breathing hard, my quads were burning, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the end!
I know we've all been anxious, especially this year. At least I have, I'll admit it. The election, the unrest in our country, the pandemic, lost jobs and lost lives cause us to see that we clearly are not in control.
What is the human reaction to seeing you're not in control?
Anxiety.
Have you ever felt let down?
Maybe it was a friend who did not fulfill a promise, a colleague who did not finish their part of the work or a family member who was not there when you needed them most.
It can be so hard at times to find people we can truly depend on and trust.
Recently, I found a trustworthy companion in the most unlikely of places…
My 17-month old nephew, Charlie.
My nephew, Charlie, is 17 months old, and it has been so much fun watching him grow.
Listening to him learn new words has probably been my favorite part of this process. One of the first words, other than Mama and Daddy, that he said clearly was “book”. It was adorable! I remember being so amazed at how this small little human had expressed such a clear thought. With each new word that he says, it brings a smile to my face.
It won’t be long before he expands his vocabulary further and even begins to string these solitary words into small sentences. Before we know it, he will be asking that question that parents with small children hear so often…”Why?”
Where do you feel closest to God?
Is it in a quiet, serene setting like a garden or flowery meadow??
Maybe it is in your living room with a cup of coffee in hand during the early morning hours.
What about in the back corner of a cozy coffee shop or when you are singing hymns in church?
All of these are good answers to the question, and, honestly, there are no wrong answers. Everyone is different and everyone experiences closeness with God in a different way.
Since losing my sight, I have experienced a lot of awkward and cringe-worthy moments.
I don’t even need to list all of them, because I’m sure you can imagine some of the crazy things that can happen when you are navigating the world without being able to see.
Recently, I had one of these experiences at the gym.
When I was about 10 years old, I experienced one of the scariest moments of my life.
It was a beautiful, sunny day and I was on horseback, my favorite place on earth. While riding through an open pasture with my sister, my horse suddenly got spooked and took off at a full gallop.
I considered myself a pretty seasoned equestrian at the time, but this sudden increase in speed took me by surprise and, before I knew it, I was literally hanging upside down beneath the horse’s neck.
When someone lives through a life-changing event or trauma, like I did when I lost my sight, people often wonder how they are able to keep moving and carry on with life.
Satisfaction is something that we all strive for in life.
We want to be happy, fulfilled, and content.
It is easy to feel content when everything is going our way, but how can we find satisfaction and feelings of fulfillment when circumstances are not ideal?
When we say that we “know” someone, what does that mean?
We usually describe that person using labels and identities.
“She is a doctor, a mother, a runner.”
But what happens when we change jobs, graduate college, or become injured and can no longer run?
I have always considered myself as being pretty independent.
From the time I was a little girl, I remember being completely content just doing my own thing. I had no problem exploring in the woods with just my dog for company, playing in my room on my own, and otherwise keeping myself entertained.
Since losing my sight in 2015, 2 Corinthians 5:7 has become my motto.
It says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Over the last five years, I have seen this verse ring true in my life both spiritually and literally as I navigate the world without my sight. Merriam Webster defines faith as, “Belief in, loyalty to, and complete trust in God, and as a firm belief in something for which there is no proof.”
So, what does it mean to navigate the world solely on your trust in God and on your belief in the unseen? What does it mean to walk by faith and not by sight?
A friend told me recently, “God doesn’t call the equipped, rather He equips those who are called!” This is so true! God definitely gave me the tools to be able to share my testimony when He called me to do so, and He continues to prepare me for this purpose even today. There are definitely times, though, when I do not receive God’s call as easily or willingly.
May 5, 2020 (5/5/20) will be the 5th anniversary of the surgery on May 5, 2015 (5/5/15) that left me blind. That’s a lot of fives! When this date comes around each year, it is always a very emotional time. I think a lot about what my life was like back in 2015 and how suddenly all of it changed. It is hard during these moments of reminiscing to not dwell on how challenging my life is now due to my blindness compared to how carefree my life used to be.
We are all afraid of something whether it’s heights, snakes, spiders or clowns. In fact, I used to be scared of the dark. Before I lost my sight, I always had to sleep with my closet light on...even when I was 20 years old. So, when the world went dark in 2015, I was forced to face this fear. It was scary, to say the least, but I was able to learn a lot about how to conquer what makes us afraid. Here are a few things that I learned.
