Treasures of Faith

How To Make A Skirt From Two Pair Of Jeans ~ Tutorial

2012-02-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

I have received so many requests for a tutorial on how to make a skirt from 2 pair of jeans, I thought it would be a perfect way to begin my sewing tutorials! I hope you enjoy it! And remember "It's sew easy!" (You can click on the pictures to make them bigger!)

1. Start with 2 pair of pants. One pair will be used for the base of the skirt and the second pair will be used for the triangle insert between the legs. I like to use similar colors.

2. First take the pair of jeans that will be used for the triangle inserts. Cut open the legs along the inside seam.

3. Cut off the bottom hem on each leg.

4. Cut both legs off of the jeans cutting up as high as possible. You want to be able to use as much material as possible.

5. Take one leg and fold in half along the seam, press it flat. (One side will be wider then the other.)

6. Trim the top and bottom of the leg. Save your scraps if you are adding appliques later!

7. Now cut your triangle. Beginning at the widest end, cut in a diagonal up the leg. Mine is about 9" at the bottom and 4" at the top. Cutting the triangle while it's folded in half will help you keep the seam centered in the triangle. :) Save your scraps if you are adding appliques later! (You may have noticed that the bottom of my triangle is actually the top of the leg. That's OK!)

8. Repeat steps 5-7 on the second leg so you have 2 triangles, set them aside. (oops! No picture!)

9. Take second pair of jeans and cut up the leg of the inseam all the way to the bottom of the other leg. (I prefer to cut out the inseam and roll over the leg because it's quicker. You can rip out the inseam with your seam ripper or scissors if you prefer.)

10. Cut off the bottom hem on both legs.

11. Cut out the inseam hem. (DON'T do this step if you ripped out the seam with your seam ripper!)

12. On the front side of the jeans take a seam ripper (or scissors) and cut the threads up to the zipper to open the seam. This will help it lay flat.

13. Place one of the triangles RIGHT SIDE UP, flat on your ironing board (or table) with a No Slip Ruler underneath the triangle. (You can use a cutting board from your kitchen if you don't have a cutting ruler.) The ruler helps you pin the top layers together without pinning the layer underneath!

14. Place the front of the open jeans over the triangle, RIGHT SIDE UP. (if you don't have an ironing board, make sure your plastic ruler is BETWEEN the triangle and bottom layer of the legs!)

15. Begin at the bottom and roll under the side of the leg about 1/2".

16. Overlap the folded leg over the bottom of the triangle about 1". (sorry it's so dark!)

17. Start pinning! This part may take a while. Go slow! I pin 3-4 pins of the bottom of each side of the triangle to get it started. Then making sure the triangle is centered, keep rolling and pinning up each leg towards the point. It's OK to roll more then 1/2" under to make sure it's flat, but make sure you don't roll less then that.

18. FINALLY! It's time to sew!! Let's begin with a straight stich.

19. Starting at the top, place your needle right under the zipper where you stopped cutting the thread. Sew along the stich line to the point and down towards the triangle. I sew about 1" past the triangle point to help stabilize the layers. Then turn around and sew back up to the zipper along the second stitch line.

20. To sew in the triangle I like to use a fancy stitch, but you can use a zig zag or 2 straight stiches if you want to. The reason I change stiches to sew in the triangle is because a single straight stitch is not always enough to keep the jeans from fraying and falling apart in the wash (I learned this one the hard way) .

21. Begin at the bottom of the skirt on the right hand side of the triangle, and sew up towards the top. I like to sew fairly close to the edge.

22. Sew up to the point of the triangle, turn the jeans, and sew back down the other side.

23. The front is finished, now we will work on the back. Using your seam ripper or scissors, cut the threads of the back seam. I like to go up to the pockets or a little higher. This helps the skirt lay flatter across the back.

24. Repeat steps 13-17 for the back. Don't forget to lay your ruler or cutting board between the layers so you are only pinning the triangle and back side of pants together. Take your time! Sew the seam above the point with the straight stitch first. Then change to your fancy stitch and sew the triangle down.

25. Turn the skirt inside out and trim the excess material about 1/2" from the seam. Save your scraps if you are adding appliques later!

26. Turn the skirt right side out. Now we're going to roll a hem. I roll my hem as I sew, but if you are not comfortable with this you can roll and pin it first. Begin rolling your hem towards the wrong side. I generally roll over between 1/4" - 1/2". Roll over twice so there are no frayed edges showing.

27. Sew the hem down, all the way around the skirt. You can use any stitch you like. Colored thread and fancy stitches look really nice around the hem and adds a little charm to your skirt

28. Press the seams and hem down making sure they are all nice and flat.

29. Voila! You've made your very own skirt out of 2 pair of jeans!

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and give it a try yourself! I would love to see your finished skirts if you want to post them below!! Stay tuned for my applique tutorial and more!

I'm linking up today with The Modest Mom, Deep Roots At Home, Frugally Sustainable, Raising Homemakers, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Our Simple Country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, Our Simple Farm and The Crafty Nest, Far Above Rubies, Feminine Adventures, Little Inspiration

Happy Sewing!! In case you were wondering Sarahsewta is my Etsy shop! :)

Sarah

Nikki's Testimony ~ Guest Post!

2011-11-15T04:48:00.001-08:00

Today I'd like to introduce you to one of my best friends, Sis Nikki. Sis Nikki has been a HUGE blessing in my life and has helped me overcome some really hard battles. I know God brought us together to help encourage and strengthen each other. I am so happy that she has agreed to share her testimony with you all. God has used Sis Nikki to heal so many scars in my life. I pray that He uses her to bless your life as well. Here is her story ...

I wrote this testimony November of 2009. I wasn’t sure at the time why but I felt God wanted me to write it down; and when I sat down to write it, it was like someone else was using my fingers. I let my husband read it first, and it was the first time he found out about a lot of the things in my past. Then I let my sister in law read it and told her I thought maybe someday I would be sharing it with many more people, but I hoped it wasn’t soon because I didn’t want to do it! So then I did my best to tuck it away and tried to forget about it all. I testified one night at church (Thanksgiving time last year) and stated that I was glad that God reached down to the bottom of the barrel and took me out. After that service Sarah's Father-in-law came up to me to shake my hand as always and said “Sister Nikki, I can’t imagine you were ever on the bottom of the barrel”. Again I believe God was edging me in this direction to share what He had asked me to write down a year earlier. Recently I was talking to one of my “sisters” and during our conversation God revealed to me that I had been letting the enemy use my past against me and it was time to cut it out! And to the enemy who has tried to discourage me from doing this I say:

Romans 8:31 "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” and 39: “ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

HERE IS MY TESTIMONY:

I am not writing this as a sympathy quest or pity party invitation. I only pray it will be beneficial in others healing, as well as perhaps my own.

I will start at the beginning when I was born; my father was 20 and my mother 2 weeks shy of 19. They were newlyweds with a 17month old daughter (Naomi) and now a new born (me). At one point we lived in my Nana and Grampy's house, with total of 12 people living there. Then we moved into my great grandmother’s house. As is always the case there are two sides to the story of why their marriage didn’t work, but whatever the reason their divorce was final the following year just before my first birthday. My mother was apparently awarded custody ("at that time fathers were not given custody" is what I was told). But being a single mother with no means to provide for her children, no support from her family, she would leave us with our Nana (my father’s mother). Most of the next little while is a bunch of he said, she said, no one takes responsibility bla, bla, bla. Looking back now I can see that it was God’s grace that landed me in my Nana and Grampy's custody.

For the next 10 years I only have a few memories of either my mother or father. My father would show up once in a while with my little brother Vic from his second wife, a rented VCR from Sounds Easy and the latest Royal Rumble WWF tape. He did live there after his second wife divorced him, but not for long. Then he moved on and had several "long term" girlfriends before getting married to Sue Ann and adopting Alisha.

As for my mother, she also remarried, when I was 3 1/2 and they had a son DJ a year later. But I only remember seeing her on Naomi and my birthdays’, and around thanksgiving, and then Christmas Eve. But other than that she was not around. She told me later in life that she was told she was not allowed to see us except for those times by Nana. And said she found out when I was 16 that in the custody agreement she was given rights to see us every other weekend.

Well my memories are few and far between. I remember falling off my pony in 3rd grade, cracking my head open, going to the ER for like 6 hours, laying on the table while what seemed like every doctor in the world poked their finger in my wound trying to figure out if my skull was broken or not. Finally deciding it was cracked, stitched it up and sent me on my way. The doctor wrapped the bandage around my head and then dipped 2 extra long q-tips in iodine and put them in the wrap like feathers, then I got up off the table (after 6 hours!) and threw up all over the floor!

To top it all off we were most upset about the fact that we missed the new episode of "High Way to Heaven", Nana's favorite. I couldn’t go to the field trip to the common ground fair because my wound got infected (just occurred to me, should of expected that with all those people touching it!) But I do remember I had to spend the day with my father because of missing the trip that Nana had promised to chaperon Naomi. So I actually got to go with him and I remember he made me homemade French fries. Other than slipping back in to the pool during swimming lessons and putting my teeth through my bottom lip, I don’t really have too many more memories.

I do remember fighting with my sister; doing lots of chores (milking the goats, working in the hay field, dusting, dishes). I had 2 different sets of cousins I got to play with once in a while. I really loved catching frogs in my pond in the summer and ice skating on it in the winter.

I know another time God watched over us when Naomi, Jennifer, Jason and I went to the stream behind their house in the winter and we decided to walk on the ice. I think 2 of them fell in, but we (or He) got them out, we got in a lot of trouble for that.

But when it was just us at home Nana, Grampy, Uncle Bart (their grown son with MR) Naomi and I, it was all work and no play. Grampy was always doing up keep for the farm, Nana was always baking something, Naomi was always watching tv. or reading, and I was always working or doing dishes or some other chore ( I know Cinderella).

I don’t remember Nana ever talking about God, I know she made sure we went to Sunday school at several different churches. I remember going to Vassalboro, Penny Memorial, Green Street Methodist and the Advent on rt.17. I actually went there last, until Naomi got in a fight with one of the men about not eating meat (he was a hunter). But Grampy always dropped us off, left, and picked us up later. But I don’t remember learning anything; I know that sounds awful.

As we grew up she always said don’t do this, don’t do that, but never told us why not to. I can actually remember her telling me "don’t ever let a boy kiss you because, that means he wants to do other things to you, and that’s bad". I had no clue what "other things" were, I just knew not to let them kiss me!

I don’t remember Nana and Grampy talking to each other, let alone showing affection. Grampy went to work, came home, worked, ate supper, sat down to watch tv, and fell asleep, I do remember an occasional outburst of anger. Nana did house work, cooked supper, sat down to watch tv. Supper was silent, tv time was silent. In that house children were seen and not heard, and seen as little as possible. I remember very few comments my Grampy said to me, but the one that sticks in my head was when my friend came over, I was like 11, and she brought makeup, and as little girls do we put some on and thought we looked beautiful. He said "take that stuff off, you look like a tv hooker" now at that time I didn’t even really know what a "hooker" did but I knew it wasn’t a good thing to look like. Of course looking back I am sure we didn’t look like he said, but it was very crushing to hear for a girl who just wanted to be noticed.

When I was 12 my aunt divorced her "abusive husband". She was planning on moving to Florida with her 2 children. My cousin happened to have a Ouija board game, which he convinced me to use with him. I didn’t know what it was, or what to do with it. But at the time we used it I knew he was moving to Florida and he didn’t, and neither did the board! So I knew that it was not to be trusted and no use in using it if it was going to give wrong answers.

Now the hard part comes for me to share. I can’t even remember the circumstances now but somehow my 14 year old cousin and I were left in the house alone. I was supposed to help him pack, because they had sold the house. All I can remember is him suggesting we play some strange game. I, being innocent and very naive, didn’t even know what was going on. And over the course of the next few weeks we had several encounters which were let’s just say inappropriate behavior for a 12 and 14 year old, let alone cousins. And I honestly think at the time the attention was a welcome thing for me, I really don’t think I knew at the beginning it was wrong. Until of course I realized if we were sneaking around it wasn’t right. It is all really sickening to me now still.

I think feeling that guilt and blame kept me scared from telling Nana after I realized it was wrong. Somehow I knew she would blame me. So I just kept it to myself. In fact I never told anyone until in my adult years my sister told me he tried stuff with her, but she told Nana, and Nana didn’t believe her, and told her it was her own fault.

See Naomi had a lot of “emotional problems” while we were growing up. She saw a lot of counselors and such; Nana was always over compensating for Naomi’s “illness”. She claimed she had brain damage from eating lead paint in my mother’s apartment as a toddler (which seems impossible since the story was Mum never took care of us). But I always felt it was spoiled child syndrome.

The next big chapter in my life is when Grampy died. I was 16 and Naomi 17. And Nana, feeling free for the first time in 44 years just kind of let everything go. Naomi would get to go out till late hours, when she suspected anything Nana would send me along to "chaperon" I guess figuring she would behave with me tagging along. Naomi of course would take me, leave me in the car and go in and do I didn’t’ even want to know what!

I always thought I had done pretty well at keeping out of trouble to this point. All that summer this boy form school had been after my sister decided he wanted me instead. And he would call and call and pester. So finally I agreed to start seeing him. Despite the fact he couldn't wait for me and ended up sleeping with my best friend, for some reason I became involved with him. He was a skater, guitar player in a band, but all in all (I had convinced myself) he was a decent guy for me. It turned out he was a real sicko, I had all kinds of people tell me stuff after the fact about him I can’t even repeat. And long story short I wasted my "false innocence" and 2 1/2 years of my life with him. Ironically enough he decided he didn’t want to stop dropping acid and getting drunk to keep me. And until that last month I had no idea he did any kind of drugs, he never invited me to do them with him in fact he didn’t even want me around them when I did find out.

So at this point in my life I am 19, trying to go to nursing school, working full time, I just got an apartment with my friend; then shortly after another by my lonely self. Trying to live the single life, all the while feeling so lonely and out of place. Despite boyfriend #1’s "occasion visits" I had sworn off guys, I just didn’t have time or the heart. Then I thought I had a spark somewhere, and almost on a bet to myself I think, I made another bad decision that fell apart and ended up in a "weekend stand" for lack of a better term; then there to comfort me why boyfriend # 1 of course. It is really scary how quickly out of control your life can spin when you don’t have roots to hold you down.

Well my newly found drinking buddy, I didn't drink with her at first, just hung out. Her boyfriend went off to "Job core". Her other friend started calling me and hanging around me, then seems like he was just plain stalking me! I remember taking a walk to the park near by one night and hiding in the playground till he left. He got the hint after that.

So her boyfriend decided "job core" isn't for him, too dirty and all, so he comes back to live with her, and brings a friend. So somewhere amongst the dying brains cells all the drinking was causing his friend, having "nowhere to go" as job core was his last chance with his parents; ends up coming home with me. And we proceeded to live the couple years together, in a multitude of sins. All the while he was “cleaning up”, getting his GED, getting a job (or several, none lasted more than a paycheck or two.) Every time I threatened to leave he talked about getting married and taking care of me, bla bla, bla. He managed to keep me going for a while like that.

At this point I am still going to nursing school full time, working 60 hours a week, to make rent, two car payments, driving my Nana around because she had had a stroke and could no longer drive. I am living in a slum neighborhood, taken to drinking regularly, and just buying cigarettes for him. Then one night he shows up with this cousin, who has no place to live, so guess where he lives now?? You got it with me. I think that is when he started to show his violent side. No he never hit me, just the wall an inch from my head, or kicked the dog, or throw the cat across the room.

I think it didn’t really bother me because that is how Grampy got, I never saw Grampy hit anyone, but when he got mad he would throw stuff and yell a lot. My father tells me when he grew up he endured daily beatings from my Grampy. I had convinced myself that as long as he wasn’t hitting me it was ok.

Back at the apt: One night he was supposed to pick me up at work 11pm and he didn’t show (again) and someone gave me a ride home. I sat on the front landing and waited for hours. I smoked my first cigarette that night, well first pack actually. I smoked from that night on (like I needed another bill or sin in my life.) I remember one night his rampage got so loud one of the neighbors called the police and they actually came and knocked on our door. His cousin sat on the couch in the living room right next to the door, he stood in the hall and blocked it so I couldn’t leave the bed room and open the door, and I was too scared to say anything at that moment. The police just left, no follow through or anything. It wasn’t very assuring that they didn’t try harder to make sure everyone was ok, thankfully I wasn’t really hurt.

As a bargaining tool for that makeup the cousin had to go. So he took my car, and headed to Brunswick with him. Well they got stopped, he had been drinking, got a ticket, and his cousin got arrested for some reason unbeknownst to me. And somehow through this (after I paid off his speeding ticket) we went on with our merry messed up life. We moved to a different apartment (just in case the neighbors wanted to call the cops again). I had bought him a car along the way, it wasn't good enough for him so I went and traded it in for a Firebird (he probably got a lot more girls in it than the Toyota).

And the cycle of dysfunction continued till I got sick of it all, the lies, alcohol, pot, fornication, bills, wondering where he was, he wrecked one car, blew up the clutch in the firebird, till finally I told him the next night he didn’t come home his stuff would be on the front step in a garbage when he did come back. I guess he didn’t think I meant it, cause he didn’t come home again, and I packed all his stuff in a garbage bag and left it on the step and left. I made plans with my mother to help me move back home that weekend. And that is what I did.

I went and traded my dented up car for a new one. For some reason I still don’t understand I let him take my new car, I told him to fill the gas tank. That gas tank of gas cost me! He got in crash, messed up my car, got arrested for drunk driving.

He kept after me for a while. I was working 11pm-7am and on two occasions came out and found flat tires on my car. I got an alarm for it and it went off a couple of times, harassing phone calls etc. Then finally they all stopped and he was gone, leaving nothing but a pile of bills behind!

That is when I decided (at the ripe old age of 21) that I was never going to get married, never have kids. I had found these cute little animals at the pet store called chinchillas; I would just get me a couple of those and call it good! However God had other plans for me, even before I was even sure He existed!

My mother, who I had become quite close to at this point, probably more than even realized, kept telling me about these friends she had and he had a brother. This brother was a nice, innocent, sweet boy, who was a hard worker, from a good family. I just didn’t think what she was describing was even possible, having seen what I had seen out there in the world. So I just kept putting it off. Then she got the friend (Barry) to get all the parts to fix my car. Then she set it up so I would watch their 5 year old son after she closed her daycare in the afternoon for like an hour and a half. Which I really didn’t have the time for but I had the bills for! So anyway I took the bait. And ended up meeting Barry and Kim, and they seemed like nice people. Became friends with Kim, and she talked me into going to the races to watch Barry race. Yes the mystery brother would be there, but no strings attached.

So I went the last week of July, and I never really believed in love at first sight, but I knew deep down inside that I was going to marry that dirty grease covered man. I had never seen a family work together the way they did. It just amazed me. So it took a while to get it all started, but I just knew if I could get him away from baseball games long enough, we'd have a good thing going! Four and a half months later we were engaged. Some where in that 6 months I developed an ovarian cyst, and the doctor informed me I would have to take The Pill for the rest of my life to avoid the cysts, and if I wanted to get pregnant it would be a race to get pregnant before the cyst came back. I also at some point that year had about of cervical dysplasia. So at that point I let Jamie know that I probably would not be able to have children, so if he wanted children he should look elsewhere. He said he would take his chances. So we got married the next July. I took my last Pill on the day we got married. We had Leann 11 months later and Jacob 22 months after that. When Leann was old enough Jamie’s mother started taking her to Sunday school. Then somewhere along the way she said "why do I have to go if you don’t have to?" So Jamie and I decided we were going to start going.

We spent about 3 years there. And amidst all the legalism and confusion that occurred there, there was a lot God did for me while I was there, that I don’t usually remember to tell people about. I gave my life to God there, I was delivered from cigarettes, and alcohol, and I was baptized in Jesus’ name there, I got the revelation of one God there. And I got close to my sister in law Stacy through working at the school there. If Jamie's family hadn’t been so strong, and determined to live for God, most likely none of us would have made it out of that battle alive for God.

But I thank God that we did. And I thank him for delivering me from generational curses, nicotine, alcohol, pot, fornication and all those strong holds I wanted to pretend weren’t there. And I thank him for bringing us to The Old Time Pentecostal Blood Bought Church. And I thank him for the pastors, and the sisters there and their testimonies. And I don’t mean to single anyone out or leave anyone out but, I believe God has put the body together, and set certain sisters here, to aid in each other’s healing. We can all relate in different capacities. From sharing knowing what it is like to have our trust crushed time and again, yet in that common thread we find the healing power of God. And it blesses me every time certain sisters give testimonies of overcoming the same hurdles I faced with issues with my parents. And I am trying to learn how to be a better sister, how to listen, how to love. Yet I know I am far from a finishes product.

A Brother told this story about a girl who was born with a deformed face. The doctor kept breaking the bones in her face over and over again. She asked him “why do you do that? I want you to fix my face not break it.” And the doctor replied "I need to break it so that I can put the pieces where I need them to be so you will be beautiful" So when I get to that place where I start felling all broken I try to remember that God has allowed this broken part to make it fit in to HIS plan. I thank God for picking up my pieces, and I am thankful He is still working on me!

Now I know that many of my past troubles were “self in-flicked” but most came from lack of having roots in God. And I also know now that each situation could have been a lot worse with much worse results and the only reason they weren’t is because God has a plan for my life, He always has since the beginning and I am unable to put into words how thankful I am for His mercy and His grace.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation, worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

And several times He has spoken to me saying that He has washed away the pain and the past and will use it all to His Glory. I think that’s what it is all about, not to see who can get there first, but how we can help each other get there together. And that is why I thank God for this church, and these Pastors and their wives; because they have so much love to share and to teach us how to share:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Romans 11:29-30 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

1 Corinthians 12:22-26 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.

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Flower Applique Tutorial With Pattern

2011-10-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

Last spring I made this adorable corduroy skirt with flower appliques on it. I have received so many compliments and questions on how to make it that I thought it would be fun to do a tutorial.

Skirt pattern McCalls #5429

I recently found two pairs of jeans for $1 each, how cool! I made this skirt out of them, but thought it was still a little boring so I'm going to add some flower applique's around the hem to dress it up a bit.

1. Draw and cut out your flower and leaf templates. Feel free to use my design if you don't want to make your own. I like to use card stock for my patterns.

2. Cut out two 3/4" x 33" strips for the vine. Trace the flowers and leaves on the back side of the fabric with a pen or pencil. For this skirt I cut 8 of each 1, 2 & 3 flowers and 16 - B leafs.

3. Cut out all the pieces and lay them out how you will layer them. They don't have to be perfectly lined up.

4. Sew the flowers together using a straight stitch and leaving 1/4" edge to fray. Sorry it's hard to see the white thread!

5. I sewed a few pearl beads in the center of each flower. Then I laid out the design I wanted on the skirt and pinned the vines, leaves and flowers overlapping a little.

6. I used a zig-zag stitch for the vine and a straight stitch for the leaves and flowers leaving a 1/4" edge to fray around the edges.

7. I washed and dried the skirt to help with the fray. (I only did this once, but the more you wear and wash it, the more it will fray!)

8. I cut all the long strings off. I'm finished! It is really pretty, although hard to see here. (You can click on the picture to see it close up)

I love this new skirt! And I can't go wrong for only $2! I hope you enjoyed my first tutorial! (Next time I won't use white!) Happy sewing!

I linked up today at:

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Walking By Faith Day By Day!

2011-09-07T04:20:00.000-07:00

I've been sharing my testimony lately so I thought this would be an appropriate time to share how I walk by faith on a day to day basis. As we all know some days are easier, and some days are very difficult. Here are some of the "treasures" God has taught me on my journey of faith ...

1. Don't underestimate the POWER of prayer!
James 5:16 "... the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!"

What does that mean? The passionate prayer of a godly person is powerful and is effective! Need I say more? PRAY!

2. Don't underestimate the POWER of worship!
John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: And they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth!"

Continually day and night praise is ever in my heart and on my lips. I play worship and praise music all day long. I sing and worship while I do my housework and sewing. I have found that NOTHING on earth breaks through negative thoughts and doubt like worship. Most important ... when you don't feel like worshiping, DO IT! Worship breaks the force of the enemy! It is a secret weapon God gave his people, USE IT!! Paul and Silas worshiped in prison and were set free. Joshua and the Israelites worshiped and conquered the city of Jericho. I overcame fear when I began to worship!

3. Don't underestimate the POWER of the word of God!
Psalms 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"

The word of God shall direct my steps and guide my way! The bible is the world's most unhidden secret weapon. We live in a day and age where nearly everyone has access to a bible. It's more accessible now then ever before. But sadly it is the most overlooked and under read book as well. It is full of God's secrets, God's plans, God's promises, God's love, God's hope ... need I go on? Open it! Read it! His truth's will enlighten and encourage you. When you are having a hard time reading, KEEP READING! Some days I have to read chapter after chapter. It feels like nothing is penetrating, but it is! Read stories about situations you are facing. If you need a healing, find scriptures on healing. If you are having trouble with submission, read scriptures about submission. God talks to his people through his word! A great bible resource is E-Sword! A free electronic bible for your computer with concordance, study and dictionary, and much much more! Write down your favorite scriptures and post them where you will see them. On the fridge, in the bathroom, by your computer, in front of the kitchen sink. Everywhere you look you will be reminded of God's promises!

4. Submit to God, resist the devil, and he WILL flee!
James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!"

You must yield yourself to God's will and be obedient to his word. Once you submit to God you are automatically resisting the devil. He no longer has influence or control of your thoughts and actions. If I know I am not doing everything in my power to submit to God, I find where the area is I am having difficulty in and pray about it and make a conscious decision to fight my flesh and change my ways. If I am still having a battle with the enemy and I know I am doing everything in my power to be obedient, I tell the devil that I am a child of God and command him to take up his weapons and flee, then I praise God for my deliverance. We do have authority through Jesus Christ to command the enemy to leave, but I do not spend much time on this. If you spend your time praising God and being obedient to him then you will feel the joy and peace that you need to conquer your battle! 1 John 4:4 says "..greater is he that is in you, then he that is in the world." If Christ is in you, you have nothing to fear from the enemy! If you have not yet submitted to God, I encourage you to do so! He is only a prayer away! Ephesians 6:11-18 is about putting on the armour of God.

5. Do not allow any negativity to enter your mind!
Philippians 4:8 "Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things!"

It was amazing to me when I finally conquered this battle how much joy was missing in my life, and how much easier my battles seemed to be afterwards. Negativity will rob you faster then any force on earth. It comes from friends, family, neighbors, saints, children, doctors. Even our own minds can deceive us with negativity and rob our victory. When negativity tries to creep it's way into my life I recognize it as soon as possible for what it is and talk back to it. Yes, sometimes I have to physically speak it out loud! "I am healed! I am delivered! God is in control of my life! Everything is going to be OK! I do love my husband! My body is made whole! I am not in pain! I feel great! I will have a baby! God will provide my finances!" I preach to myself all the good things God is doing in my life and speak by faith the things that I haven't seen yet. Remember "death and life are in the power of the tongue" Proverbs 18:21 I choose to speak life!

6. Live like your prayers are already answered!
Romans 4:17 "... calleth those things which be not, as though they really were"

We have been married for 15 years but so far no positive pregnancy test. Everyday I thank God for healing me and I rub my stomach! I thank God for my baby! I even named my baby! If someone asks if I am pregnant I say "I could be, I've been doing my part, the rest is up to God!" My nieces and nephews ask when our baby is going to come so I say "Some babies take longer to grow!" I don't EVER say I have infertility or I am not pregnant! That is negativity! I only speak faith! YES! It does matter the words you use! Choose wisely! I tell everybody that God has healed me and we are going to have a baby soon! Most people, family included, roll their eyes and feel pity for me. It doesn't matter to me if anybody else believes in my miracle or not, I believe! I also "prepare" for the baby! Read how I "prepare for rain" HERE! You can also read how I stood by faith when I was diagnosed with Cancer HERE!

7. BELIEVE!
Luke 17:19 "And he (Jesus) said unto them. Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole"
I suppose this probably should have been first! LOL You MUST believe that God can do it! Questioning whether he can, doubting if he will, saying that he won't will stop God from doing it! James 1:6-8 "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like the wave of the sea driven in the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways!" Once you ask, stand stead fast that God can and will do it! If you do waver, repent and ask God to forgive you, then start again! It's never to late to believe!

These are some of the lessons I have learned that help me walk by faith day by day! I hope you are encouraged to live by faith! I would love to hear how you encourage yourself to walk by faith!

I linked up today with:

Encourage One Another

My Testimony - Part 10 - With God NOTHING Shall Be Impossible!

2011-09-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

My testimony is very long so I have divided it up into parts. Don't forget to read:

Part 1 - God Calls A Child!

Part 2 - A Path Of Sin!

Part 3 - Redemption ... God's Amazing Grace!

Part 4 - Angel's Among Us!

Part 5 - 300 Days And Counting!

Part 6 - Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh!

Part 7 - My Darkest Days And God's Forgiveness!

Part 8 - An Adoption Story ... Well Sort Of!

Part 9 - Chemo And The "C" Word!

"For with God nothing shall be impossible!"

Luke 1:37

For years I have suffered with chronic fatigue and insomnia. I always figured it was because of all my surgeries, but it got so bad my primary care physician sent me to a neurologist. He did several tests and discovered that I had heart disease and sent me to a cardiologist. He said in a 30 minute test my heart beat was completely chaotic and no two beats were the same. I guess he was very concerned, I wasn't, because he made an emergency appointment for me for the next day. I took the stress test and I was very healthy by that standard! Ha I knew it! But he wanted to do the tilt table test. I told him fine whatever, there was nothing wrong with me anyway! The tilt table was to prove whether my BP dropped low enough for me to have fainting spells. Come on this is not Hollywood, I DO NOT FAINT!! I endured the test and used every bit of will power I had. I was going to prove him wrong. Finally after over a half hour, he put nitro under my tongue, and I passed out within seconds! Let me tell you the movies have it all wrong! There is nothing graceful about it at all. I had the worst headache EVER and just wanted to vomit. He was almost laughing at me after the test. He had never seen someone with so much will power to fight! LOL Guess he didn't know all that I had already been through. I was diagnosed with NeuroCardiogenic Syncope. A fancy name for saying that my BP drops too low and I faint. Seriously I was being diagnosed with a fainting disease. I thought it sounded stupid. (As you know by now I'm not very good when doctor's try to diagnose me. LOL)

I was put on a bunch of Blood Pressure pills, and as much as I hate to admit it, I did feel a lot better! I had always had low BP, but now that my large intestines were gone I had a hard time absorbing liquids, so my veins couldn't pump my blood to my head fast enough. It's not really as bad as it sounds. When I get up too fast, all my blood rushes to my feet and kinda sits there for a few seconds. Then my heart has to work super hard to try to get it to come back up. During those few seconds my brain doesn't have enough oxygen and I black out. Usually I can feel it happen and I have a split second to grab the wall or something until it passes. A few times it has caught me off guard and I fell on the floor, usually bumping my head pretty hard. (shh don't tell my doctor! LOL)

About a year and a half after I was diagnosed with heart disease I had a vision. (Before I go on I should tell you it's pretty common for me to have visions and dreams. I usually have one every couple months or so. It just seems to be one of the ways God talks to me.) Anyway so I had a vision and there were many things God showed me. And one of them was that I am already healed. I no longer have to rely on doctors for treatment. Just because I can't see the miracle yet, doesn't mean it's not there! I just have to stand with every ounce of my being, and believe! Don't look at circumstances or what my body is telling me, but trust what God has told me. He promised me my child was on the way, and my body is completely made whole. He was even going to grow back my intestines, and men and doctor's will wonder at the miracle he has done! AWESOME!

Well I was so excited when I woke up. Many people had told me these same things, but somehow God had made it so real to me. God has never lied to me, or failed me. I realized that I had already been healed and I had to start acting like it. I started buying maternity clothes and baby stuff. I was walking by faith that I was healed! I made an appointment with the cardiologist and told him I didn't need my medication anymore. He did a bunch of tests and told me I was healthy and I didn't need to take the medication anymore. He also showed me a picture from my first test and my most recent test. The most recent scan had showed perfect heart beats for a 30 minute period. Truly a miracle! God had done it again!

I was really hoping that I would see results of the baby immediately, but it was not to be. It has been over 3 years since this happened. But I have not doubted and wavered. I KNOW what God said! He promised to heal my womb and give me a child, and I KNOW it will happen! He promised to grow back my intestines, and every morning I look for that to happen! I don't know how or when these things will happen. All I know is that God told me to stand and believe that I am already healed and these things ARE going to happen!

Here is a prophecy God gave me on March 20, 2005

"I have done a complete healing from your mind, to the very bottom of your feet. From the very bottom of your feet to your mind. From the inside to the outside, I, your God, have done a complete healing. And the very thing that I have promised, this child, shall come to pass! Continue to stand and do not be afraid to speak it. For when you speak it, it will come to pass. When you believe with all your heart and with all your might and know that I can not lie. That I will not lie! It is impossible for me to lie! And what I said will come to pass. Just stand and believe and it will come to pass. And I am not done. I have completely healed your body. And men and doctor's shall wonder at what I have done. Because I am God and I am able to do anything. I created man out of the dust of the Earth. I can sure do it again. I am God and I am able to do it. And I can do it. And I will do it! If you will stand on my word, I will cause the very thing that man took out, I will put back. For I AM GOD!"

Sarah & Dustin summer 2010!

God has been so good to me and healed me many times. He has also given me many promises of what is to come, if I have enough faith to believe! I truly thank God for all he has brought me through and the lessons he has taught me along the way. I don't wish any of these trials away because God has used them to make me who I am today. I KNOW he can heal diseases, he healed ME! I KNOW he can heal cancer, he healed ME! I KNOW he can deliver from addictions, he delivered ME! I KNOW he can override doctor's reports, he has done it to me over and over again! And I KNOW I will have my own child soon! He has NEVER failed me and I KNOW HE NEVER WILL!
Thank you for reading my story! It has meant so much to me to share it with you! If you have enjoyed reading this series, please share with your friends! You never know who needs to hear this today. I'd love to read any comments you have! God Bless you and remember: GOD STILL PERFORMS MIRACLES!

Join me tomorrow as I share some "tips" I have learned to walk by faith day by day basis!

Have you been encouraged by Treasures of Faith?If so, won’t you subscribe and receive our latest posts sent to your inbox or RSS feed?You may also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, or follow us via Google Friend Connect.

My Testimony - Part 9 - Chemo ... And the "C" Word!

2011-09-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

My Testimony is very long so I am posting it in parts. Don't forget to read:

Part 1 - God Calls A Child!

Part 2 - A Path Of Sin!

Part 3 - Redemption ... God's Amazing Grace!

Part 4 - Angel's Among Us!

Part 5 - 300 Days And Counting!

Part 6 - Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh!

Part 7 - My Darkest Days ... And God's Forgiveness!

Part 8 - An Adoption Story ... Well Sort Of!

"Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall rise him up; and if have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." James 5:14-15

Because I had had so many complications after my surgeries I was sent to another specialist in Boston. He thought I should try a new Chemo treatment that was used to treat Crohn's. I technically am diagnosed with undetermined Crohn's/Colitis because all my tests show inconclusive results. So I agreed to try the chemo and see if it would help. I became so deathly ill and most of my hair fell out. I couldn't imagine why anybody on earth would agree to do this. After the first round of treatments my body had not responded the way they had hoped, so we all agreed to stop them.

Dustin, Sarah and Mazie!

Shortly after J.T. left I went to see an infertility specialist. (I have NEVER claimed that I have infertility! To be infertile is to be unable to become pregnant. And I believe that I will be able to become pregnant. I always tell my nieces and nephews, some babies just take longer to grow.) I knew I wasn't really healthy at the time, but wanted to start the process and see what they could do. Ever since I was a teenager I had a problem with ovarian cysts on my right side. When I was very sick, thankfully, most of this calmed down. But the healthier I got, the worse these became. The infertility doctor determined that I had a blockage in my left tube and a dysfunctional right ovary. Neither side was working properly. Also TONS of scar tissue was blocking the eggs from even getting to the tubes. The cysts on my right ovary had developed into strange looking black masses. They told me black always means cancer. The "mass" (I NEVER claimed it was cancer!) was totally surrounding the ovary and it would have to be removed, as well as the left tube. A left ovary and a right tube doesn't make a great recipe for conception. I was not pleased. The "mass" was extremely painful and was pinching the nerves in my right arm. I needed another miracle!

I went home and quoted every scripture I remembered about faith and believing for the impossible!(I will make a post with them all!) I fasted and prayed asking God to show me His plan in my life.

At the same time my pastor's wife and another woman in church were diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The three of us went in front of church and were prayed for and anointed with oil. As the bible tells us to in James, quoted above! For the first time in my life I felt my healing! Instantly ALL pain was gone! It was beautiful!

I called my doctor and told her nothing would be there, that I was healed! She still wanted to do the surgery and make sure, she didn't really believe me. I decided to go ahead and have the surgery, that way she would KNOW what God had done for me. I had the surgery and she was amazed! NO MASS! Not even a hint that one had ever been there! THANK YOU JESUS!! They did remove my left tube because it was slightly open and if I got pregnant on that side it would 100% be a tubal pregnancy, and they knew emotionally I could not handle that. My doctor tried to say after the surgery that they had mistaken shadows for a tumor, but the ultrasound tech would not budge. She knew what she saw and it wasn't a shadow!! I wish I had the pictures to post for you!

My pastor's wife and the other woman said they also felt pain leave their body, and God healed all 3 of us that day! There is POWER in prayer and in obedience to the word of God!

Two years later I was having pain again in my shoulder. I went to my OB/GYN and he did an ultrasound. It showed another mass over 10cm. In cyst world this is HUGE! It was very dangerous and would need to be removed. And of course they always like to throw in the "C" word whenever they can. I knew God had already healed me and there was no reason for me to have surgery. I went to church to get prayed for again and I knew God would do it. I told my doctor I was healed and he wouldn't need to do surgery. He was not convinced. So I told him to take another ultrasound and he would see. The new ultrasound showed that the mass was growing even bigger. But I did not falter. Every day for a month I cried and prayed, Lord I know you healed me and I don't want to have another surgery.

Whenever I felt pain in my body, I would not acknowledge the pain, but I would say, "Thank you Jesus I am healed". Many days the pain was so bad, all I could say was "Thank you Jesus I am healed! Thank you Jesus I am healed!" over and over and over. The day of surgery was approaching and I was getting upset. I did not want any more surgery! There was no need to have surgery if nothing was there! I consulted my husband and he prayed about it and felt that I should go ahead and have the surgery. I wanted to stand by faith and not have the surgery. I cried and prayed, and cried and prayed. I knew my husband would not make a decision that would hurt me or be bad for me, but I was just not seeing things his way.

So I prayed and asked God to give me peace. And I clearly heard a voice answer back, "Sarah, I'm going to use you to show other people a miracle" Thank You! Now I felt that the surgery had a purpose, it was not for nothing! God gave me the peace I so desperately needed.

The day of my surgery I told my doctor there would be nothing there. This time I was still in pain, but I stood on my faith in Jesus Christ that I was completely healed. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1. My doctor had tears in his eyes and told me he had not slept all weekend because he was trying to figure out how to save my ovary. I only had a right tube, so the right ovary is essential! I just smiled back at him. Time would tell. I wish I could have seen his face after surgery! He came out to the waiting area and just shrugged. There was nothing there! HAHAHA Oh God is so good. Although the doctor never did admit to me it was a miracle I knew God was talking to him.

Just recently I had another ultrasound and my doctor found another "mass" on my ovary. I went back to the same OB?GYN and he just said, "I am not worried. I know with you there's really nothing there!!!" Even my doctor is now speaking faith! Hahahaha I love it!!

I am so thankful that my pastor taught me not to have confidence in a doctor's report, but to have confidence in God! What a GREAT and MIGHTY God I serve!! It does not matter what situations come your way, or what death sentence a doctor tries to put on you! God's word says to speak life!

Pro 18:21a "Death and life are in the power of the tongue:"

I SPEAK LIFE!

REFLECTIONS:
~Did you know you DO NOT have to accept the doctor's diagnosis as truth! God can change your diagnosis if you stand by faith!
~God's answer may not always be what you want to hear. I did not want to have another surgery, but God wanted to use my as a vessel to reach someone else. How humbled I am that God can use me as his servant!
~Submission is so important! I asked my husband for godly council and he gave it. I did not initially agree with his answer, but after prayer I realized God had given him the correct answer. Trust those that are your leaders and covering. They have a great task to watch out for us and give us godly wisdom. I believe my obedience to my husband was key to my healing
~If you are having difficulty making a decision, PRAY about it! Do not make a move one way or the other until you have peace from God about it. Be open to hear the answer God has for you, whether it is what you want to hear or not. God talks to his people, we just have to listen and hear the answer he has for us!

Thank you for following along with my story! If you are enjoying this series, please share with your friends. You never know who needs encouragement today! If you would like prayer please leave a comment below or contact me via email (in my tabs above) and I will gladly pray with you for direction! Please join me tomorrow for Part 10 - With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible!

I linked up today with:

My Testimony - Part 8 - An Adoption Story ... Well Sort Of!

2011-09-01T04:33:00.000-07:00

My testimony is very long so I am posting it in several parts. Don't forget to read:

Part 1 - God Calls A Child!

Part 2 - A Path Of Sin!

Part 3 - Redemption - God's Amazing Grace!

Part 4 - Angel's Among Us!

Part 5 - 300 Days And Counting!

Part 6 - Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh!

Part 7 - My Darkest Days ... And God's Forgiveness!

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of Heaven!" Matthew 19:14

During my sickness all I could think about was having a child. Children are such a blessing, and somehow in my crazy mind I convinced myself that if I had a child, that would mean I was healthy. Because I still weighed less then 100 lbs the not so important parts of my body shut down. So I began to pray that we would be able to adopt. I'm going to keep most of this info general for the privacy of those involved.

My dear boy J.T. was born in October 2001. He was 10 weeks premature and couldn't remember how to eat or breath. He stopped breathing at least 10 times an hour. It really wasn't as scary as it sounds because he was on an apnea monitor and as soon as it would beep, he would jump and start breathing again. J.T. was my life! I had only had surgery 6 weeks prior to him being born, but all of a sudden nothing about me mattered! He was my world! Really things had felt so bad for so many years, this was my first real ray of sunshine!

I was so in love with this child I can't even begin to write about it. He was so fragile, and he needed me. I finally felt like I had a purpose. I rocked to him and sang to him. Prayed with him and cried with him. A biological mother could not love their child more! I knew within the first week that it didn't look like we were going to be able to adopt him, but how could I leave this precious little boy? My boy? I couldn't! So I went every day, not knowing if it was the last kiss I could give him. The last prayer I could say with him. The last time I would ever hold him and tell him how much I love him. Still I went because none of that mattered. All that mattered was he was struggling for his life and needed me.

Like most preemies J.T. struggled with his vitals. There was just too much for his poor little body to do. The nurses tried their best but for some reason I was the only person who was able to stabilize him. I held him in the kangaroo position, skin on skin, and his vitals would be perfect. Somehow my body knew how to regulate his temperature and blood pressure. His breathing became more regular and he was able to rest. I know this was a match made in heaven and God put us together! WHEW even after 10 years I cannot write this without crying! He was my boy!

We were able to raise our dear son for almost a year, and when he left he was very healthy and his doctor's were amazed at how well he had grown and developed. They had never seen anything like it. I still feel blessed that God allowed me to be part of his life! And although losing him was an enormous loss in my life, being his mother even for a short time was an even bigger gain. I honestly believe God sent him to me to save my life as well. It help me to forget what was going on with me, and to focus on someone else for a change. I have never been the same since!

REFLECTIONS:

~Have you ever prayed for something, but God's answer was no? Did you have a hard time submitting to God's will?

(I tried to keep this post as upbeat as possible, but as you can imagine, it was a great struggle for me letting my son go. You can read more about Saying Goodbye To My Son!)

Thank you for following along with my testimony! If you are enjoying this series please share with your friends! Please continue to Part 9 - Chemo and the "C" word!

I linked up today with:

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My Testimony - Part 7 - My Darkest Days ... And God's Forgiveness!

2011-08-31T04:22:00.000-07:00

My Testimony is very long so I'm dividing it into parts. Don't forget to read:
Part 1 - God Calls A Child!
Part 2 - A Path Of Sin!
Part 3 - Redemption - God's Amazing Grace!
Part 4 - Angel's Among Us!
Part 5 - 300 Days And Counting!
Part 6 - Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh!

This part is probably one of the hardest parts of my life to share. Mostly pride and shame are the reasons. But I believe it may help someone else and so I am willing to share it.

I did not always serve Jesus. I grew up believing in Him, and thought that was enough. I was a servant to myself. I did whatever I wanted, and made many bad decisions. The guilt of these decisions drove me to make even worse decisions until I was filled with so much self loathing and hate. I needed deliverance from myself. I needed a savior. Once I finally decided to serve God I knew I couldn't do it half hearted. God was helping me make better choices. He was helping me clean up my life, but it was many many years before I would learn to forgive myself.

I've always loved this picture!
When I fail he is right there ready to
forgive.

The guilt and self hatred I felt, mixed with all the pain from my surgeries led me to become a drug addict. Prescription medication is the proper term, but they were drugs, and I couldn't stop. I've asked myself over and over how a person trying to serve God to the best of their ability can become a drug addict. The answer is pretty simple actually. I started looking at the circumstances around me and not trusting God. I made excuses that I was in pain and needed them. And I WAS in pain. ALOT of pain. Both emotionally and physically. I started to have a fear that if I was in this much pain with the pills, what would I feel like without the pills? And I started taking more, just to be safe. After all more pills means less pain right?

I became cranky, mean, unapproachable. I knew what I was doing and nobody was going to tell me what was best for me. I was in pain and needed them, and that was that! I learned many tricks to get more drugs. (which I will not share! LOL) I had them stashed everywhere. In drawers, in closets, in clothes, under the bed. No matter where I was in the house I had a stash of pills close by, just in case. I even went so far as to carry them around the house and sleep with them. YES I WAS AN ADDICT! I'm sure Dustin threw away many bottles and hid them from me as best as he could. But every time he tried to talk to me about it I got angry and yelled, how dare he tell me I wasn't in pain. I had been through so much, didn't I deserve a break?

Our marriage became rocky. Not because he didn't love me, but because I convinced myself that he didn't love me. I became friends with people that were not good for me, and who didn't like Dustin. They convinced me he didn't trust me, and I believed them. I began to aim all my hatred and guilt at him. I made him the bad guy.

But even when we falter and stumble, God is close by. He brought a convicted drug dealer to our church fresh out of prison. This person got saved and began to witness to me. I had been going to church for years. I knew God! But God used this man to soften my heart. He began to tell me I had all the behaviors of being a drug addict. I was appalled! How could a Christian woman become an addict while serving God? But I knew in my heart it was true! I fell down on the floor and repented and asked God to help me. Then I did the only thing I could. I dumped all the pills in the toilet. I knew if I kept them around they would be a temptation. And the amazing thing was, I NEVER felt worse when I stopped taking them. Day by day I began to feel better. I had allowed the pills to hold me in bondage. And God used a drug dealer to witness to me. Although you may feel like you have nothing to offer, you never know who needs YOU!

Now that I was not snowed under I had to face reality. And that was I needed forgiveness. Not only from God but from myself. I wish I could tell you that this happened over night. But this was a long, slow, painful process. In order to forgive myself, I had to first accept that God forgave me. And when God forgives, he forgets, it's just like it never happened. I didn't have to repent over and over for my sins. I didn't have to beat myself up for the mistakes I made. I didn't have to see them for stumbling blocks, but use them as stepping stones to help me grow and change and be a better person. Forgiving myself is a daily step in my walk with Christ. I don't have to relive all my mistakes everyday. But everyday I do wake up and thank God for saving me from myself.

I also began working on my marriage. Love is a choice. And I could choose to love this man, or get a divorce. I chose to give love a try. I made myself tell Dustin everyday that I loved him and he was the best thing that ever happened to me. I didn't believe a word of it, but I thought if I said it enough it might become true. I called him at work just to tell him I was thinking about him. I wrote him notes in his lunch to have a good day. Slowly I began to let the walls come down and I began to see him through new eyes. He wasn't the bad guy, and neither was I. We had just been through 6 horrible years and it takes a toll, both physically and emotionally. But we were determined to make it work, and God renewed our love for each other and began to remove the sadness. And today we are so close and love each other more then anyone else in the world.

God's forgiveness is beautiful, and he is right there waiting for you to come to him. We all struggle with things in our lives. We all have followed the wrong path and have strayed. We all have had days where we didn't treat people like we should. Let today be the day you begin to change. Whether you serve God everyday, have walked away from him, or never knew him. It doesn't matter. He's waiting for you to come to him. Don't hesitate or wonder what people around you might think. Just do what you know in your heart is right. Put down that thing that has held you in bondage. Make a conscious effort to tell someone you haven't told in a while, that you love them. Don't let another day go by. Let today be YOUR day.

"Lord, I thank you that I have gone through these trials. They have shown me that no matter what, you love me. In my darkest days, you are there for me. Forgive me Lord for the things I stumble on and help me grow and learn that I can put my trust and confidence in you. I have many weaknesses Lord, and I need your help to over come them. Thank you for showing me the way. Thank you for your daily guidance and instruction. And most of all your forgiveness, which I am so undeserving of. And you offer so freely. In Jesus' name AMEN!"

REFLECTIONS:
~Have you ever found yourself in a situation you never dreamed you would fall into? Did you listen to advice from your friends and family? Did you pray about it and seek God's help?
~Have you ever struggled with addiction? God can help you get the deliverance you need!
~Have you struggled with forgiveness? Sadly it took me many years to realize that God wants to forgive me, but he only can do it if I let him!
~Have you ever struggled with loving your spouse? Did you know that love is a choice? Fireproof and The Love Dare are great resources to help you with your struggles of love! God gave me the very same principles during my own battle!

***DISCLOSURE*** I am in no way telling anybody to throw away their pills. I am only sharing what happened in my life.
Thank you for following along with my testimony. If you are enjoying this series please share with your friends. Please continue to Part 8 - An Adoption Story ... Well Sort Of!

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My Testimony - Part 6 - Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh!

2011-08-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

WELCOME to this special edition of "Miracle Monday"! Today I will be sharing a part of my testimony.

My testimony is very long so I am posting it in several parts. Don't forget to read:
Part 1 - God Calls A Child
Part 2 - A Path Of Sin!
Part 3 - Redemption - God's Amazing Grace!
Part 4 - Angels Among Us!
Part 5 - 300 Days And Counting!

"Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." Matthew 9:22

300 days in the hospital is exhausting!

I used to remember every statistic and every detail, but thankfully time has a way of making you forget the awfulness that happens. So I will sum it up as best as I can. I spent almost an entire year in Boston, as previously stated. Then 5 more years going back and forth every month. I still weighed only 78 lbs. I just couldn't gain weight no matter what awful shake or concoction I tried. And let me tell you everybody and their brother had some magic potion for gaining weight. It was exhausting. I had a total of 18 abdominal surgeries related to Crohn's Disease and many complications. I still wanted a baby desperately and so that became my focus. I became consumed with having a baby. Everything else was so dark and depressing that I focused on getting better so I could get pregnant. Of course we couldn't really "try" because I was so sick, but hey one can hope, right!!

Finally one ileostomy bag was reversed, but I still had the other one. Living with an ileostomy bag isn't really something you can prepare yourself for. Looking back I can honestly say that 90% is your mental outlook. If I let it overwhelm me, I fell apart. But when I started looking at it as just another way to go to the bathroom, it wasn't so bad. I'll tell some funny stories for you:

Our life for almost 6 years!

One day I was holding my son J.T. in church (you can read more about him HERE). I stood up to testify and felt something warm and gooey running down my leg. I looked down and my shoe was filled with, yup you guessed it, poop! LOL The baby had jumped on my leg and popped the clip off and poop was all over me, the floor, the baby .... everywhere. Gotta laugh!!

Someone told me it was easier to empty the ostomy bag standing up. I tried it, but the poop missed most of the toilet, and what did hit the toilet made a big splash all over me and the walls. It took a long time to clean it all up! EEWWW I don't think the person who told me that had ever tried it.

I LOVE sleeping on my stomach. Always have. Well I've learned to sleep at a bit of an angle with a pillow supporting me because in the early days I would lay on the bag and it would literally "blow up" and we would wake up covered in poo. AAHH gotta love this new life!

Some brilliant person told me to "burp" the bag. Which is to let some of the gas out so you don't have to go to the bathroom and empty it. If you've never smelt poop from an ostomy bag then it's hard to explain. It's from higher up in your intestines so the food is partially digested, very acidic and extremely runny. The smell is absolutely horrid. So one night I was in bed and so tired I decided to give the bag a "burp". Well the smell was so bad I pulled the covers way up to my neck to get away from it. Sadly Dustin didn't realize what I had done and he pulled the covers high over his head, poor thing. He woke up so fast and jumped from the bed throwing the blankets on the floor. Not only had he stuck his head right in the smell, but also some of the stool had run all over the sheets. I have never tried to "burp" again!

I could go on and on but you get the idea, it takes some adjustment. And don't believe everything you hear! LOL

Thankfully I married a man with a sense of humor!
I love him so much!

Doctor's tried several times to reverse the bag but I kept getting rectal/vaginal fistulas. Basically I pooped where I should have peed. It was very gross and uncontrollable. Any time I walked, turned or basically moved I pooped down my leg. EEWWW My doctor was convinced that the J-Pouch should work and put me through an incredible amount of tests, procedures and pain. Finally I told him enough is enough and I wasn't going through with it any more. We could no longer try to have a baby because, YES I was even pooping on my husband. That was the final straw for me. After much begging I was given a permanent ileostmy bag and the J-Pouch was removed. The doctor's found a hole the size of a quarter in the pouch. I had walked around for 6 years with a hole the size of a quarter in my intestines and NEVER got toxic! THAT IS A MIRACLE!!! It should have killed me within minutes, but I went 6 years. WOW!!

REFLECTIONS:
~Have you ever been in a situation that just so unbelievable you just had to laugh at the craziness?
~Did you know there is healing in laughing?
~Sometimes God doesn't save us from the trials, but he saves us in the midst of them!
~The hole in my intestines should have killed me, but God protected me and I survived for 6 years with it! Even though we don't always see God at work, he is undeniably there!

Thank you for following along with my story. If you are enjoying this series please share with your friends. Please continue to Part 7 - My Darkest Days ... And God's Forgiveness!!

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My Testimony - Part 5 - 300 Days And Counting!

2011-08-25T04:09:00.000-07:00

My Testimony is very long so I am sharing it in several parts. Be sure to read ...
Part 1 - God Calls A Child
Part 2 - A Path Of Sin!
Part 3 - Redemption - God's Amazing Grace!
Part 4 - Angels Among Us!

I was so excited about seeing angels and Jesus that I never stopped thinking about it or talking about it. Those moments are what kept me going for a long time.

The surgery I had was to remove all my large intestines, and my appendix, and create a new rectum with small intestines, called a J-pouch. I was only going to have the ileostomy bag for 6-8 weeks while the pouch healed then it would be reversed. I didn't like the bag but since it was such a short time I really didn't give it much thought.

The chest tube was now ready to be removed, but my lung collapsed again as soon as they took it out. It was so painful and I was relieved to have it out, but now they wanted to put it back in. Hahaha Over my dead body, I told them! Well they finally convinced me to put in a smaller chest tube. It wasn't as effective but hopefully would still do the job. Since I was having a hard time breathing, I agreed. The chest tube was a little scary because it was a machine run with water. Most of the nurses had never seen one and were given classes periodically in my room. Every nurse tried to add or remove water. I, obviously, was at every class and soon began teaching the nurses how to use the equipment that was running my body. It was a quite surreal.

Me in ICU after my emergency surgery.

I was finally sent home after almost a month in the hospital. AH I was so homesick! But I wasn't able to keep any food down at all and after only a few days home I returned to Boston. Some more tests were done and the doctor's discovered a kink in my bowels. Since I was so sick and not doing well with the ileostomy, my surgeon decided to reverse the bag early! No problem here! I was all for it. Dustin decided to go back to work until my surgery, we knew the bills would be outrageous.

One morning after the doctor's morning rounds I began crying out in pain. After 5 shots of narcotics he realized something was seriously wrong. My mom says my eyes were rolling back in my head and I was still crying out in pain. A portable x-ray machine was brought to my room and they discovered my intestines had perforated. I had just had a barium test and was told that it saved my life. If I had stool in my intestines it would have killed me. I was rushed to have emergency surgery. Dustin was called at work and told I would probably be dead before he arrived. He says it was the longest 3 hour drive of his life.

Me sitting up in ICU.

I woke up in ICU and patted my side, wondering if the ileostomy was gone. My mom told me no, and tears rolled down my cheek. The prednisone that I had been taking had eaten a hole in my intestines and they were not able to reverse the bag without making the damage worse, so they actually made a second ileostomy with the hole that perforated. I looked down and saw an ileostomy bag on each side of my stomach.They couldn't sew the wound up because they had to let the poison drain out so I had a HUGE wound from my belly button to my groin that was left open and held together with 4 wires. I also had 8 tubes in my body. My recovery was going to be incredibly long.

I went back and forth to Boston so much I kept track on a calender. I was there over 300 days out of 365. I stopped counting at 300 because it got depressing. My mom and Dustin stayed with me most of the time but I was over 3 hours away from the rest of my friends, family and most of all church. I know there were many prayers being said for me back home and I'll never be able to say thank you the appropriate way to everyone, but Thank You!

I didn't know if I would live or die, but I knew one thing for sure, I NEEDED God. I didn't blame Him or get angry. I was just so thankful that He was there for me and I wasn't going through this on my own. I never forgot where I had come from and the peace that he had given me. I was determined if I only lived a day, or lived 100 more years, I never wanted to go back to my old life. And somehow God gave me the strength to make it through! For many months the doctor's didn't know if I would live or die. Dustin and my mom were constantly being told to say goodbye, it was my last day. I clung to my vision of angels, read my bible every moment I could and basically prayed, Jesus help me. What else could I do? This was the beginning of my journey of walking by faith. I still only weighed 78 lbs. I needed help eating, bathing, walking, going to the bathroom and every basic thing in life we take for granted every day. It took all my strength to stand or pour a glass of water. We had to make a chart because I was taking 22 pills a day and it got confusing, and I still had two ileostomy bags. I knew this couldn't last forever. I just had to hold on to Jesus and make it through.

I sang the chorus "I Love Him Too Much To Fail Him Now" over and over:

I love Him too much to fail Him now, too much to break my vow

For I promised the Lord that I would make it somehow

Now I love Him too much to fail Him now.

Here is a version I found on YouTube if you don't know the song.

My mother also gave me the CD Shout To The Lord 2000. This CD saved my life! I played this CD over and over again and just cried as I worshiped God! There's something about worship that brings peace in every situation. I highly recommend you purchasing this CD or giving it as a gift!

REFLECTIONS:
~Have you ever had your heart set on a situation only to have complications come along and "ruin" all your plans? Were you able to praise God in the midst of your battle?
~Have you ever been in a situation so dark that all you could do was cry? I've found that playing worship music is the best way to help me through those moments. It's amazing how much peace and joy comes when we worship!
~Have you ever felt separated and alone? I was 150 miles away from friends, family and church. I had to learn to lean on Jesus and build my foundation on him. Although thoses years were very long and very hard I would never wish them away. It was during this time that I developed a true love for Jesus! He really became my best friend!
~Every trial you go through is an opportunity for God to do something amazing in your life. Are you looking for the good, or are you dwelling on the negative?

Thank you for following along with my testimony! If you are enjoying this series please share with yoru friends. Please continue to Part 6 - Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh!

Have you been encouraged by Treasures of Faith?If so, won’t you subscribe and receive our latest posts sent to your inbox or RSS feed?You may also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, or follow us via Google Friend Connect.

My Testimony - Part 4 - Angels Among Us!

2011-08-24T03:16:00.000-07:00

My testimony is very long so I am breaking it down into several posts.

Part 1 - God Calls A Child

Part 2 - A Path Of Sin

Part 3 - Redemption - God's Amazing Grace!

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; " Psalms 23:4

Our Wedding Day November 22, 1996

Dustin and I were married when I was 19 and he was 20. We thought we had life all figured out. We bought a house and a new truck. We both had fairly good jobs, life was going good. For the first year I didn't want children at all. I knew I was too young and didn't want all the work and trouble that came along with kids. Then all of a sudden it hit me. The baby fever. Out of the blue and totally unexpected this strong desire came to me. It was so overwhelming how strong the desire became. So Dustin and I decided to start trying. I had been on birth control so had to go off it and let it wear off. Within a few months I began feeling very sick and throwing up a lot. I KNEW it had to be morning sickness!! I told everyone at work I must be pregnant because all I did was run to the bathroom. Month after month this went on and still no pregnancy.

I started having rectal bleeding and my mom became concerned and convinced me to go to the doctors. Two weeks later my test results were in. I went into the office and my doctor said, "You have Crohn's disease, have a nice day" WHAT?!?!?! She didn't tell me what it was or give me a paper or anything. I didn't know if I had a week to live or what. Thankfully I did have more then a week to live, but still the diagnosis was bad. My body made ulcers all through my intestines causing the bleeding and vomiting. I became VERY sick and soon had to quit my job.

In the mean time I had a pilonidal cyst on my tail bone. I had it removed 5 times in the doctor's office and it never went away so I finally had to go in the OR and have it surgically removed. The cyst was extremely painful and so was the Crohn's. I was on A LOT of steroids and other medications at the time. Dustin worked around the clock and didn't realize how sick I was. I was so sick and didn't realize he didn't know. At this time I could barely get out of bed. I had to roll on the floor and crawl to the bathroom, still vomiting and bloody diarrhea. I had sores all through my my mouth and throat, which felt like needles, and soon I couldn't even swallow water. The doctor's just kept telling me this is how the disease goes and it would be 10-15 years before I was sick enough for surgery. Finally I was hospitalized. I had already lost over 30 lbs and I still couldn't swallow. My stool looked like tomato soup. My steroids and morphine were increased to the point that Dustin got very worried. He knew too much morphine was a death sentence. He begged that I be sent to Boston for a second opinion. The doctor was very angry, but after a week he finally agreed to send me. I was sent by ambulance with all medications locked out and without a chart. The EMT's were told I would be dead before I reached Boston. I remember how long that trip was. I couldn't have pain medication and I was very weak and tired.

Showing off my "big" muscles at 78 lbs!

When I arrived in Boston the doctor's in the ER were amazed that I had survived the trip. But unfortunately the hospital that sent me messed up my paperwork so they couldn't treat me immediately. They couldn't get my IV to work so they tried placing a central line, an IV in the main artery in my chest. I was so dehydrated and sick the line went through the vein and punctured my lung. Now I needed an emergency chest tube to drain the fluid and pump back up my lung. The chest tube was extremely painful. It was determined that I was indeed a candidate for surgery but was too sick and would probably die on the table, so they waited a week to give me fluids and TPN (IV nutrition). I underwent MANY tests that week, all miserable! My surgery was scheduled for the following Monday, but late Thursday we were told the Friday surgery was cancelled and I was bumped up. I was going to be given an ileostomy bag. It happened so fast I didn't even have time to process it all. But I was so sick I didn't care. I now weighed only 78 lbs.

Thursday night I died. (I didn't realize it at the time though) I can't even put into words what it felt like. It was so calm. Void of feeling or thought. The true meaning of peace! I was standing on the roof of the hospital looking down at my body in the hospital bed. The room was glowing so bright I couldn't see the walls. There were 4 angels standing guard of my bed. Two at the head and two at the foot of the bed. They looked like HUGE men with blond hair and off white linen robes. They were standing shoulder to shoulder and I felt so safe. I felt a presence beside me and I realized that I was at Jesus' feet. I heard his voice say. "Sarah are you scared?" I answered, "No I see my angels and I feel peace" Then I woke up...

Recovering after 8 hours of surgery!

I didn't fully comprehend what had happened, but one thing was sure, I had seen angels and I HAD peace! God was with me and no matter what happened I knew everything was going to be OK. I told every person I came in contact with about my visit with angels. The story spread through the hospital and soon everybody knew what I had seen.

My surgery was a lot more serious then anticipated. It lasted over 8 hours and finally late that night Dustin was allowed in the recovery room. He was crying. I don't remember him ever crying. He told me that my intestines were so diseased they were rotten. They were 4 inches in diameter and bright purple and fell apart in the doctor's hands as he removed them. He said I would not have lived through the weekend and made it to the original Monday surgery. All I could think about was the vision I had of Jesus and the angels! I thanked God all weekend for his mercy and love and for showing me He was with me. He knew what I would need for the days ahead.

REFLECTIONS:
~Have you ever had to fight for your rights because the people who were supposed to be fighting for you weren't?
~Have you ever been in the "valley of the shadow of death" but felt God's peace that everything was going to be OK?
~If my surgery was not changed to Friday I would have been dead before the original surgery date. Have you ever had circumstances change that first appeared to be random, then looking back you realized there was a higher power orchestrating things?

Thank you for following along with my testimony! If you are enjoying this series please share with your friends. Please continue to Part 5 - 300 Days And Counting!

Have you been encouraged by Treasures of Faith?If so, won’t you subscribe and receive our latest posts sent to your inbox or RSS feed?You may also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, or follow us via Google Friend Connect.

My Testimony - Part 3 - Redemption - God's Amazing Grace!

2011-08-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

My testimony is very long so I have divided it into chapters! Don't forget to read Part 1 and Part 2!

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Acts 2:38+39

Dustin & Sarah's engagement picture!

I knew Dustin from High School. I don't know how or why he showed up at my house one day shortly after I returned from College, except that it was divine intervention! At first I was not welcoming to him. I thought he was going to be judgemental and condemning, like I deserved. In fact I braced myself for rejection once again. But Dustin was different. He showed me compassion that I had not felt before. I told him about my past and revealed to him my scarred heart. But he did not see me as an ugly, dirty person. He saw what I had the potential to become through the grace of Jesus Christ! And for the first time in over a year the walls around my hardened heart began to crack.

I told Dustin about my search for truth and he smiled. He brought me straight to the church I had been searching for. They were not afraid to preach against the dangers of sin and the destruction it brings. I knew this was truth, I had lived it. But they also taught me I could find redemption (deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law by the atonement of Christ).

God gave me the revelation of his redemption plan in Acts 2:38+39 (above)

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see!
~John Newton

REFLECTIONS:
~Have you been scared of rejection and condemnation and allowed your heart to be cold towards God?
~Has someone shown you compassion when you didn't deserve it? Have you shown someone compassion when they didn't deserve it?
~Have you received the revelation of God's redemption plan and applied it to your life? It is available to everyone!
~Have you felt God's Amazing Grace?

Thank you for reading my testimony! If you are enjoying this series please share with your friends! Continue to Part 4 - Angel's Among Us! You won't want to miss it!

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My Testimony - Part 2 - A Path Of Sin!

2011-08-23T04:50:00.000-07:00

I'm writing my testimony in parts because it is so long. Don't forget to read Part 1 first!

"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 1 Corinthians 9:27

I would love to be able to say that I have always been obedient to God's word and followed his commandments faithfully. But that is simply not the case.

Sarah age 17.

I became complacent in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I was not guarded with my faith and I allowed the devil to influence my life. I suddenly had new "friends". I began sneaking out and doing things I knew my mom would not approve of. Hey, I didn't even approve of them. But other kids were having so much fun and I wanted to have fun too, right! Wrong! I was miserable in my sin. I never got high, I got depressed. I never got drunk, I got depressed. I never had fun, I just hated myself for being rebellious, but I kept trying! I began listening to the wrong voice, the voice of lies and deception and corruption.

I realized that partying was not for me and quit after only a few short months. But sadly I was too late to protect myself. The devil had taken full advantage of my time under his influence, and a tragedy occurred that would scar me for life. "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary; the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8 Those scars ran incredibly deep and wide. I was shocked that just a few months of rebellion could cause so much damage, but it did. And my life will never be the same again because of the choices I made. I knew God wanted me back safe in his arms, but I was ashamed. Ashamed of my behavior, ashamed of my rebellion, ashamed of the damage I had done to myself and others, ashamed that I could walk away from my God who loves me so much and gave so much for me, his life in fact. And yet I had turned my back on him.

That guilt and shame threatened to consume me. I did not realize I was still very much under the influence of the devil. There were two voices calling out to me, but I did not like the conviction I was feeling so I listened to the one I thought was "comforting" me instead. I became depressed, I withdrew myself from the church and good influences in my life. I didn't want them to see me this way. Dirty and ugly and condemned. My mother was very concerned for me and sent me to counseling. I went to a Christian College hoping to cover my sins with my good deeds, but it did not happen. I was saddened that there was as much partying amongst the "Christians" as there was with non-Christians. Not everybody at the school was living this sinful lifestyle, but somehow they always seemed to find me and the devil would play with my mind that I could never get deliverance from his torment. I had sinned, and I would pay for eternity for the destruction I had caused.

Sarah age 18.

Most people didn't know how badly I was suffering. I always knew how to have fun, and I could laugh and tell jokes and "pray" just like everybody else. One day in college a girl approached me and asked if she could shave my head bald. I said why not, it will grow back. (I was too scared to get a tattoo! Thank you Jesus!) With my bald head I felt ugly and sinful and disgusting, just like I felt on the inside. But nobody recognized my cry for help. And when asked how I was doing I would always make a joke about how great life was. It wasn't!

When I came home after only one year at college I realized something had to change. I had wasted an entire year running from my past, from myself and mostly from God. I didn't want to live like this one more day.

But how would I find God after I had run away for so long, and buried so many things deep in my heart? I decided I was going to go to every church possible until I found him. I knew I needed to go to a church that preached against sin but also taught about forgiveness and hope. It sounds simple, right? Sadly it wasn't! I visited church after church and all they taught about was God's love. Yes I knew God loved me and that was wonderful, but what next? I was still being tormented everyday. I prayed, "God I know you are out there but I can't seem to find you. Help me to find you! I need you more then I ever have before. Please don't make me live in this torment forever!" And God heard my prayers!

He sent Dustin to show me the way!

REFLECTIONS:
~Did you know the devil is out to rob you at any possible moment? That is why it is so important to guard our relationship with Christ and not let anything get between us and the cross. The Apostle Paul even warns about staying close to God "lest I myself be a castaway".
~Have you taught your children about the dangers behind sin and the damage it can cause? Sin will take you further then you want to go and keep you there longer then you want to stay.
~Have you seen abnormal behaviors in your children? They may be warning signs that something is not right in their heart.
~Have you seen someone hurting but were afraid to approach them and "interfere"? You may just be an answer to their prayers!
~If you are that person crying out, I urge you to pray and ask God for direction! He will not leave you comfortless and will guide you to the resources you need to help you!

Thank you for following along with my testimony! Continue to Part 3 - Redemption - God's Amazing Grace! If you are enjoying this series please share with your friends!

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My Testimony - Part 1 - God Calls A Child!

2011-08-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God." Luke 18:16

Sarah, in red, age 4. Isn't baby sister so cute!!

I am the middle daughter of 3 girls. My parent's were divorced when I was 3 years old. I remember some visits with my father growing up, but they were few and far between, and did not last for many years. We had a neighbor who was also named Sarah, so I was always called by my first and middle name, Sarah Jeanne, or more often Sarah Jeanne Jelly Bean. I love being called Sarah Jeanne, but my mother is the only one who still calls me that.

As you can see, we were raised by a single mom. And let me remind you in the 1980's it was not popular to be a single mom. But my mom loved us and was determined to put our needs before her own. I'm sure she made many sacrifices we never knew about, especially in my younger years.

Sarah age 6. Hubby's favorite picture.

My mother knew she would need help, support and encouragement to raise 3 daughters on her own, so she found a good church to bring us up in. We went to church every Sunday for as long as I can remember. I've always had a tender heart towards the Lord so it was not surprising to my mom when I wanted to be baptized as a young girl. I was farily quiet and shy as a child (don't know where that girl went to! LOL) so I begged my little sister to "go under" with me! Thankfully she was ready as well to dedicate her life to Christ!

I remember my mom taking me to a special service at a neighboring church when I was 7 or 8. The speaker was a foreign missionary, I can't remember to what country. This missionary was the biggest black man I had ever seen, and growing up in Maine, I had not seen many. He was animated and compassionate and I was greatly moved by his presentation about his mission work. I instantly fell in love with him and wanted to be just like him. In fact it was in this tiny little country church listening to this passionate missionary that God called me into the ministry.

Here I was, a little 7 year old girl who didn't even have adult teeth yet, and God was calling me. I just knew I had to tell the world how GREAT our God is! I remember this conversation I had with him ..

God calls Sarah to the ministry at age 7.
This was my "practice" missionary dress! LOL

"God I'm going to be a foreign missionary when I grow up!" I knew he would be so proud!

But he answered back, "Sarah, what about your own people?"

"Well God, they already have preachers here and I want to go where people have never heard about you before!"

Again God said, "Sarah, what about your own people?"

So I tried another argument, "Americans have heard the gospel for years and still refuse to bow. It's time to go to somebody who wants to hear the word of God." (That's quite a bit of wisdom for a 7 year old I think!)

But a third time God spoke to me and said, "Sarah, what about your own people? Who will preach to them?"

And I knew! I knew God wasn't going to let me off the hook! He wasn't going to call me to be a missionary in an exotic land and preach in the jungle. No he was calling me to work in my own back yard. A preacher of the gospel to "my own people" who have heard the word of God their whole lives and still refuse to bow. At the tender age of 7 God had called me to be a home missionary!

REFLECTIONS:
~Have you found a good support group in a local church? If not encourage you to look for one!
~Did you know God has a work even for children to do?
~Has God ever called you to do something, but you wanted him to call you to do something different?
~Have you found yourself arguing with God trying to "convince" him you are right?

Thank you for following along with my testimony! Please continue to Part 2 - A Path Of Sin. If you are enjoying this series please share with your friends!

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Preparing for RAIN!

2011-08-16T05:08:00.000-07:00

I heard a story of two farmers. Both farmers prayed for rain, but only one went to prepare his fields. Which one do you think believed that God would answer his prayers?

I love this little parable, it's so simple and yet drives it's point home. If you really believe God will answer your prayers, you'll act upon it!

You may or may not know that I've been praying for God to heal my womb so that I can conceive and have children. Several years ago God pressed upon me to "prepare" for my child. I actually set up the nursery, crib and everything. But we have a very small house and it wasn't long before the space was desperately needed. I know that God will provide when we need a bigger house, so I had to be creative and think of something else that was putting my faith into action.

Here are some of my cloth diapers and accessories!
YES I have more! :)

I decided that at least once a month I was going to buy something baby related. Anything from maternity clothes to cloth diapers. I had to limit myself because I confess, it's REALLY fun to shop for babies!! I am very selective and only purchase things that I know will not go out of style or will work for boy/girl. My wish list is HUGE and I am absolutely aware that most things on it are frivolous and not necessary at all. But it is fun shopping! And I love reminding myself that God's promises are "Yea and AMEN!" 2 Corinthians 1:20. It's just up to me to keep on the straight and narrow path and believe! He does the rest! (I surely know that after almost 15 years of marriage there is nothing I can do to make it happen!)

I don't pray that God will answer my prayer and heal me. Isaiah 53:5 says "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." He already paid the price when he took the stripes on his back (Mathew 27:26). So instead of asking for a healing, I thank him and praise him for already healing me! And slowly I fill my tote of baby items "preparing for rain".

I also have been spending time preparing my heart. Raising children is not easy these days and I've been blessed with time to read, study and learn as much as possible before I am placed in the situation. I am completely aware that no matter how much "preparing" I do, I will still have much more to learn that only experience can teach me. But what a blessing it is that God is preparing my heart now so that I can be the best mom that I am capable of. I spent most of the beginning of our marriage in the hospital and I am thankful that my child(ren) did not have to see me suffer and be raised by somebody else!

I still have days where I have to fight to prepare the my fields. After all, the devil wants my fields to be dry and barren and not "be fruitful and multiply!" Genesis 9:7 (Hahaha Sorry I couldn't resist!) He will try to use every opportunity to "walk about, seeking whom he may devour" 1 Peter 5:8. But I do not fear him, I know he is a liar! I used to spend time telling him he was a liar and to leave in Jesus name, and I do still do that on occasion. But mostly I simply ignore him and start praising God. You see he can not harm me if I keep myself under God's protection by being obedient to his word. So I have nothing to fear from him. The only way he can rob me is if I allow him to. And I've fought too long and hard to give up now.

Indeed, I've been standing 14 years. But I believe two things about my miracle. Number one, God has a set time for it to happen. Number two, there is a bigger picture and this miracle is not only for me. I don't know if it is for a friend, family member or stranger. I'm sure it will bless many people. But God's getting some other things aligned before my child can arrive. God is also preparing for the rain!

I confess all summer I've been in a "mini panic" about my 15th anniversary coming up! 15 years of marriage and still no children in my home, let me tell you it can be depressing if I let it. But God has been working on my heart in this area also. The time that the devil "thinks" he is robbing me is actually the time God is allowing me to prepare my fields. Many people would have given up on their miracle after 15 years, but I am more determined then ever to hold on! You see the longer I wait, the bigger my miracle will be. And the more lives will be touched through my faith and obedience. What a privilege and honor to be able to walk in this great calling!

Is there something in your life that you have been praying for, believing for? Have you been "preparing for the rain?" Have you thanked him for meeting your every need, even if you haven't seen the results of it yet? Keep standing and believing, it will come! And you never know who else God will touch through your faith!