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.
Why did I get fired?
Why did my mother have to leave us so early?
Why am I going through this divorce?
As Christians, we know that God is all-powerful. So, it seems natural for us to begin questioning Him as well.
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.
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!
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.
A common one is, “I wouldn’t be able to do that. Don’t you get nervous?”
The answer, honestly, is no.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To this day, my mind is filled with images of beautiful scenery and tales of exciting adventures. I am so thankful for all those special moments that can never be replaced.
My husband, Seth, is also a travel fanatic.
It was our very first vacation abroad as a couple and Seth’s first time venturing out of the country.
Spoiler alert…we had a blast!
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.
This year is seriously flying by so fast, and it has been a whirlwind for me.
Between speaking engagements, graduate school, family life, and other responsibilities, it seems as though I hardly have time to eat, breathe, or sleep!
Can any of you relate? Are you in a season that is so busy that you simply cannot find the time to slow down?
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.
I often get asked how I deal with all of the challenges and hardships that my blindness can cause and how I was able to face this sudden change in my life with strength and determination.
At that point in my life, it’s not that I was the strongest Christian.
I grew up in church and went through the motions, but I did not have a real personal relationship with Christ, and my prayer life was practically nonexistent.
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?
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.
The ladies and I all took turns naming our fears.
Many of the worries expressed related to health concerns, loved ones, and an uncertain future.
For me, I often feel anxious about the unknown.
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?
As an online student, I do most of my assignments virtually.
However, for my course in counseling skills, I had the opportunity to travel to campus for a week of face-to-face learning. It was a wonderful week in which I was able to connect with fellow students and learn the practical skills that I will use every day as a counselor.
