Simply Sara

Greedy for Unjust Gain

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Wed, 2 Dec 2009 13:40:00 -0700

Ezekiel 33:31-32 "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."

I have decided to join our church during their week long time of prayer and fasting. Yes, this means I may only be fasting for two days, but still, it's two days devoted to searching and listening to God. Last night during our meeting a pastor shared Ezekiel 33:31, which talks about believers who hear the word, but then never do it. They confess with their mouth they are Christians, but never really act on it. This alone was very convicting to me. I thought gosh, I have really slipped from the higher level of action I once had in my Christian walk. Now I am content to do my devotionals, go to church, listen to my Christian radio, and feel quite good about myself and my walk with God. But when I really stopped to examine the evidence of that walk- sadly it was pretty bleak. When was the last time I really shared my hope of living with someone else? When was the last time I ever even mentioned I go to church to anyone who isn't a Christian? Heck, why haven't I invited either of my neighbors to church, especially now that we have a new one starting in our very neighborhood?

This filled me with a desire and a passion to have that passion and fire reignited. I really prayed for the Holy Spirit to come and light the fire again and give me the strength, the boldness, and the sensitivity to see his devine appointments and reach out to others around me.

*Well gosh, that sounds all perfect and good right?*

Well, today I actually started the fast. I thought okay, if I'm going to do this, I'm jumping in with both feet. I really want to hear from the Lord. So during my lunch time at work I decided to spend the time doing a little devotional. I really didn't know where to start, but I felt a tugging to re-examine the scripture that started all of this in the first place. So I pulled up Exk 33:31 on my handy little iPhone (yes, I'm that addicted) and I reread the verse. However, this time, God wasn't speaking so much to the doing part, but the the "hearts greedy for unjust gain" part.

Initially I was like, "God, why are you pointing this part out to me? I'm not a greedy person." But then in that wonderful loving way that God has to simply politely listen and then show me what really is going on, He touched my heart to really examine that idea.

I may not be a penny-pinching tightwad that strives and strives to earn more and more money. I don't hold back when I see a need or when it comes to giving. But God has a way of digging deeper. How about those times when I misclassify things on my time-card, is that greedy? What about the times I've simply rationalized why I shouldn't do something or give a hand- is that really greed sneeking up? And when I got right down to it, I thought, you know I really am more greedy than I thought.

So now not only is God working on relighting my passion, but He's setting out the sweep away all the dust that was covering the wick in the first place.

Lessons Learned

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:00:00 -0600

Well today I got an email from family that was touching, sad, but touching. It was an email that was sent to my sister-in-law from a medic "Caroline" who worked on my brother David after the attack in Iraq. It struck a cord on two sides of my brain. On the analytical nurse side it finally gave some insight and answers to what actually happened to him. Five years after his death I still didn't know what the real cause of death was. Apparently he had some internal bleeding. That answers that.
The other side of my brain was the mushy/touchy/feely/little sister side. The email was exerpts from the medic's journal she wrote after the incident. She wrote repeatedly about how kind, loving, friendly, and thankful David was to everyone who was around him. This touched me. Not only did it give me peace to know he wasn't alone when he passed, but it touched me to know that even though he was dying he was still making friends and influencing people. That's just the way he was. And that's how I want to be too (well, if I could postpone the whole dying part for awhile). Even in the darkest hours, can I still be a shining light to those around me? Enough of a light to still ring true in a stranger's heart 5 years later? I hope so. I strive to be so.
As a nurse, I often see people at their worst moments. I'm not offended or hurt by some of those encounters because I always try to remember in the back of my head this could very well be one of the crappiest days of this person's life. It's common for patients to be cranky, pushy, or distant. I guess that's what touched me so much about this email. She talked about how David was so thankful and kind and loving. That is a side of patients we don't always get to see. And especially knowing how much David hated and feared needles and that this was probably the worst day of his life, it meant even that much more to me.
Lessons learned: 1. Be nice. Be nice even when you feel like you're dying. What type of memory do you want to leave on the people around you if this is the last time they will ever get to see you.
2. Reach out to people. David was reaching out to these medics up until the end. But even more than that- this medic- Caroline- reached out to my family more than 5 years later. How easy it would have been for her to never share her thoughts and experiences. Brush it off as "Oh, nobody cares about what I've seen/lived.", "I wouldn't want to bother them.", "It's not that important.", "What if they are offended, my words are perfect, I don't know what to say.". How many times have I thought these same things and not reached out to someone. But now being on the other end of it, seeing how much even just scattered thoughts can really mean to someone, I want to be sure to share whatever I know. It can truly change someone's life.
So thank you to the stranger that I will probably never meet, but who has touched my life deeply.

A Little Catch Up

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:27:00 -0600

Hahahaha, okay, so my last post was on my way to the first day of class. And now I'm a week away from starting my second semester. Oh well. For those of you who I know are so very curious, I did get an A in my first class. So I figure I should apply for all those grad school scholarships now since my GPA is 4.0, and do it before I take any more classes and screw that up! :)
NEWayz, today was a good day of catch up. I have had 2 weeks off in between classes and I started with this huge list of things I was going to do with my time off. And as usual, I have not completed many of these tasks. And tonight, after biking 6.5 miles with my sweetie, I thought I was going to come up to my office and start checking things off. But you know, I got distracted checking email and such and I realized there were other things I could do too. Like fix my blog from all those photos that didn't show up. Or actually make a new post. And you know, I feel relaxed and happy knowing that I just got some good quality "me" time in. Sure, my to-do list is still looming, but you know, sometimes you have to just turn your back on all the lists and follow your heart.
And if you are still in a funk, listen to a little "Portable Sounds" by Toby Mac and it will clear any of that up....
So here's to the end of day well spent and to another tomorrow to accomplish all those "to-do's"!

First day of school

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:52:00 -0700

On my way to class!

Sent from my iPhone

Can you believe it?!

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:01:00 -0700

Can you believe it?! My inbox is EMPTY!!! I haven't seen the bottom of this tray since October! Man it feels great to be cleaned out and organized. I'm sure it will probably last all of a day, but I'll savor the moment for now!

Ahhhh.......

A Long Hard Awful Day

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:58:00 -0700

The best part of today is that it's almost done! Thank God that His
blessings are new everyday!
This is a view from inside the elevator with the ground floor selected, my ticket out of here...

Yeah Football

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:50:00 -0700

I love football Sundays! Mostly for the snuggling, but you know, whatever works. Bring on the playoffs! Now if only the Broncos were playing...

Free at Last

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 18:23:00 -0700

Sometimes it's just good to go home. After a long week, this was a welcome view. This is the hospital from my car window as I drove away. Yeah!

Sent from my iPhone

The Power of Me Time (and Starbucks)

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Wed, 7 Jan 2009 17:26:00 -0700

Today was a particularly stressful day at work. But since I had to stay late the last two days, I was able to leave a little earlier. I took advantage of that time an made a little me time. I went to Starbucks and used a gift card I had received earlier. Don't worry, I haven't become a coffee fiend yet- I just got a hot chocolate- but it was GOOD! Then I went and got my car washed, which it desperatly needed. Actually this photo was taken while I was in line at the car wash (I wouldn't drink and drive, or take pictures while driving!). So next time you are stressed, remember to just take a few moments for you and it can make all the difference!

Sent from my iPhone

The Power of Human Touch

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 22:20:00 -0700

Today I really had an appreciation of the power of the human touch. This morning as I lay in bed, I started to stress out about a lot of things. But then I reached over and just laid my hand on my husband's shoulder and I immediately started to feel better. Then later on at work when I was dealing with a particularly stressful situation, I remembered that response and I reached out and gave a reassuring touch to a distraught co-worker. And tonight when my husband was putting together our new excercise bike, he needed several of my "helping hands" in order to complete the task. So I am thankful God has given me hands, and I hope I continue to use them to comfort, help, and heal.

Reflection and Awe

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 10:29:00 -0700

As I sat in the reception area of the top floor of the hospital,
waiting to meet with Colleen Goode the CNO, I watched the sunrise as
it hit the Denver Skyline and the Rocky Mountains. I saw all the
tinkling city lights of the front range, and it struck me. Never in a
million years would I have ever dreamed that I would be sitting in the
penthouse, waiting to meet with THE top nurse of University Hospital
in order to work on OUR presentation, living in Denver, being anything
but a regular staff RN. It was amazing to me to see all of Gods
wonderful provisions for me. I think back to this photo from our
appartment when we first moved here, and how the view "from the top"
was so similar, and SO different. God is so good and I can't wait to
see where He'll take me next!

It is finished!

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 20:33:00 -0700

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce my bedroom floor! Now I know what you are thinking- "man, how hard up for picture subjects is she?!". But you have to understand, this was a MAJOR undertaking! Some of this floor hasn't seen the light of day since October! (laugh, but it's true). Finally today, with the help of my husband, I was able to wash, fold, put away, and unpack everything that has been overtaking this space. It took all day, but it sure feels good to have it ALL DONE! I even vacuumed my closet! Now all that is left is the rest of the ironing...

Great Day for Killing Rabbids

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 23:59:00 -0700

Well we finally made it home! It was great to sleep in my bed, use my own shower, and bum around in sweats today!!! I got a chance to play with some of my Christmas presents today. Actually, just one of them- Rayman Raving Rabbids- a game for the Wii my brother got me. It's WAY too fun, and highly addictive! It was great! We also did a lot of running around town today- even though it was snowing. We even bought a new excercise bike! It has video games built in, but if you stop peddling, the game stops. I hope it will be good.

Goodnight!

New Year- New Ideas

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Thu, 1 Jan 2009 17:39:00 -0700

Well it's that time of year when everyone gets big ideas about what they are going to do in the New Year. One idea I had was to take a picture a day. So today I'm starting with this picture of my husbands Grandparents. We are staying at their home in Omaha while my husband gets them set up with a new computer and the Internet. Who knows, maybe next year my Grandma-in-law will be having a blog of her own! Maybe.....

Halloween Trick or Treat Bags

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:13:00 -0600

Here's a great way to make some really cute goody bags in less than 10 steps! They are simply decorated with a little Fun Flock and some ribbon. Easy!
1. Punch out circles from white cardstock and Halloween themed cardstock. It's easier if you are going to be making a lot to use strips cut the size of the circles, then simply feed the strip through the punch.

2. Stamp your image on the white cardstock. I chose a vampire stamp from The Angel Company.3. To use the Fun Flock, fill the part of your design you wish to cover with glue-

Tap the glued design into the Fun Flock, covering the glue well-

And Viola! A cute fuzzy element to your stamped image!

4. Color in your design with as much (or as little) creativity as you chose.

5. Adhere the stamped circles to your Halloween Themed Paper. I used the next size larger circle punch. You could also use a scalloped edge punch, or really any shape you so desire! :)
6. Fill your goody bags with CANDY!

7. Punch a hole in the top of the tag.

8. Adhere tag to goody bag with festive ribbon, curl ribbon.
9. And there you go! Cute, festive, goody bags that you can make in less than 10 steps!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Recycled Plastic Bags

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:51:00 -0600

Here's a video I made about how to fuse plastic grocery bags into reusable plastic lunch bags!

Thank You for Your Prayers

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:37:00 -0600

Thank you all for your prayers and support during this last month. For those of you who don't know, Dad didn't make it. He fought as hard as he could and we gave him a fighting chance, but his body just had enough and he went Home to join David and the rest of Dad's family. We stopped life support and he passed very peacefully on September 10th. We are so thankful and grateful for the excellent care and the compasionate care takers he had while at University of Colorado Hospital. And we couldn't have made it through this difficult time if it wasn't for all your love, prayers, and support!!! Thank you for being such great friends!

Please Pray for My Dad

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Tue, 9 Sep 2008 10:48:00 -0600

Please pray for my dad, Bruce McDonnall. Dad is in the medical intensive care unit at University Hospital. He came in to the ER yesterday and went into septic shock (whole body infection). He took a turn for the worse last night and is now intubated (on a breathing machine), and they are hoping to get continuous dialysis started after they give him some blood so they can place the dialysis line. He's in renal failure and right sided heart failure. He is heavily sedated so he is not feeling any pain and he can finally rest, which we are all thankful for. All of my family is here and we are doing as well as could be expected. We are honest and aware of all that's going on, but we are still hoping for the best. Your prayers are appreciated.

New Fun Tool

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:42:00 -0600

I found out about this neat online tool from Paper
Jewel's website. It's pretty fun! You put in text
and then it creates these word pictures with the
text.  I made this one using the words that
described some of my favorite things.

I also made one for Michael's Birthday Card:

Follow the link and check it out!

Scrap and Yap Reunion!

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:38:00 -0600

I had the awesome opportunity to see my close college buddies- The Tiki Girls- at this weekend's Scrap and Yap! For those of you who don't know what "Scrap and Yap" is- my girlfriends and I get together once a month at each others' houses to do just that- Scrap and Yap. Sometimes it's mostly yapping, sometimes it's mostly scrapping, but it is ALWAYS fun! And this weekend we had the wonderful happening of having 2 others join us who we had not seen in years! It was great fun! It was mostly yapping, but it was just so great to catch up with everyone and see what everybody had been up to. Here are some photos of our get together! Love you girls!

I haven't fallen off the face of the planet

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Thu, 3 Jul 2008 21:48:00 -0600

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, life has been, well....life. It's been a little crazy around here. I got a new job, and because of that new job, I am going to be going back to school in January. So I've been adjusting to different hours at work (more days a week, but less hours each day) and trying to study for the GRE, plus maintain all my other home duties. So needless to say, something had to fall off and it was the podcasting and blogging. I'm hoping to get some more YouTube videos up soon- especially after seeing THIS great idea!!!! But for now, I'm going to take a little "me" time and encourage all of you to do the same. Get off the computer and go out there and do something you truly enjoy!!! (And if reading silly blogs and wasting time online is something you truly enjoy- you've come to the right place!)

Part 2 of Legacy Lesson- Able vs Available. God wants us to be available to Him.

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:22:00 -0600

Here is the second podcast in my Legacy Lessons series. This episode looks at being able vs available. Here's the outline of my podcast. Feel free to post any comments or questions! To hear the full version either click on the title of this post, or simply CLICK HERE

God doesn't call the gifted, he gifts those he calls.

1 Corinthians 1:26-27- God chose the foolish and weak things.
Exodus 3:4- Moses TURNED aside and looked at the burning bush.
Exodus 4:10- God will equip us for what He has called us to do.

God doesn't call the able, he uses the available

You're only as busy as you want to be.
Isaiah 58:1-3- God's people are busy doing spiritual things, but not lending their heart.
Isaiah 58:6-9- God wants you to do what HE call you to.

How do we know God's heart? How do we listen?

Isaiah 30:15- Our salvation is in quietness and trust. We need to quiet ourselves and listen
Zephaniah 3:17- GOD will quiet us and help us tune into Him.
Zechariah 4:6- It's God's fight, not ours
1 Kings 19:11-13- Elijah heard God in the quiet whisper- not the great wind, fire, or earthquake
Listen and be flexible- be willing to do whatever, whenever called

What does God want us to do?

Micah 6:8- Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him

JUST BE AVAILABLE! :)

Part 1 of Legacy Lessons- "The Greatest Fear". Learn how to live your life in a way that leaves a lasting legacy.

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:43:00 -0600

Check out this first episode of my podcast! It's the first part in a series about living your life in a way that will leave a lasting legacy. Here is an outline of the first lesson:

The Greatest Fear is not the fear of death, but actually the fear of LIFE

We need to live a life of NO REGRETS

Examples from my oldest brother David's life

That's my brother David (the white guy with the baseball cap) :)

Hebrews 11:4- Abel's legacy continued even after he was dead.
Deuteronomy 30:19- Choose LIFE
Hebrews 11:26- Looking ahead for our reward
Hebrews 11:8- Moses didn't know where he was going- but went anyways
Hebrews 11:40- God has something BETTER planned for us
Hebrews 12:1- Run with perseverance and fix your eyes on Jesus
Deuteronomy 31:6- God will never leave or forsake us
Psalm 118: 6,7- Abundant life through Jesus

I hope you enjoy this podcast. Feel free to email me or post your comments. You can listen to the entire podcast by either clicking on the title of this post, or you can simply CLICK HERE

If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to my podcasts so you don't miss a single episode! You can do that by clicking on the orange square on the left hand side of my sidebar.

Have a great day!

Working On It

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:35:00 -0600

Well I have had a lot of thoughts running through my head this week. I have a dream of one day being a motivational speaker. But that leaves me with the question- how does one become a motivational speaker? This, I'm not too sure of just yet. I thought about the whole writing a book and then publicizing the book and building speaking engagements from there, but that seems like a long shot. So if any of you out there have any great ideas, shoot them my way. Right now the current topic I'm thinking of is "Leaving a Legacy". So I'm sure you will see more posts about that to follow! So for now, wish me luck, and look to see me at your next conference soon! Hahaha!

New Year Goals

scrapwithsara@yahoo.com (Sara Odell) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:46:00 -0700

Well, it's that time of year again, time that everyone vows to loose weight, make more money, and all sorts of other things that never happen. I like to set "goals". For some reason that sounds more attainable than "resolutions". So here are a few of my goals for 2008:

1. Be a Better Wife

2. Make Healthier Choices

3. Catch up on my Scrapbooking!

I have these broken down into smaller steps, seeing as though they are sorta vague and far reaching goals. And I plan on working on them a little bit each week. Feel free to email me and see how any of these goals are coming along and keep me on track!