Sara

Live like you’re loved

By Sara | October 13, 2026 | Comments 0 Comment

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

The devil loves to attack, steal, and destroy our joy. He will torture, torment, terrify, and tear us apart, piece by piece and limb by limb – whatever it takes, using whatever or whoever he can to try, test, and trap us in doubt, despair, and dejection – all for the sole purpose of destroying our Christian walk by obliterating our contentment. Sometimes, I think, the stronger we are in our faith, the more arrows the devil will shoot at us; the more he desires to hurt us. If we have Christ in our hearts, Satan can never take away our salvation. What he can do is disable us, preventing us from growing and becoming the creation that Christ longs for each of us to become. We can’t let that happen.

It’s no secret that I’ve been under spiritual attack these past few months. The more I long to serve God, the harder the devil has been working to shut me down. Fatigue, anxiety, job upheaval, health challenges, and even relational issues have each had their respective turns at repeatedly knocking me off my feet.

This past year, it’s taken a conscious effort to keep my eyes focused on Christ as He’s led me across the stormy waters. I’ve had to trust more, dig deeper, and praise harder than ever before, even when my spirit was lagging within me. It’s been a choice, a persistent effort to refocus my mind and pray, praising God while lying awake in the middle of the night, wondering what tomorrow will bring. I’ve battled despair, demoralization, and detachment in ways I thought I’d never feel again. It’s not been easy to let go of my circumstances to inwardly praise, surrender, and move forward while external forces were pummeling me. With God’s help, my journey continues.

I love my husband. David is a gift from God. Sometimes, however, I’m not sure if he feels the same way about me. He’s been a bachelor for most of his adult life, and having a wife to remind, question, and subtly suggest that there may be other ways to do things that he’s been doing for as long as he can remember is, undoubtedly, hard for him. That’s what married life is – or at least, that’s how I believe it should be.

Anger, fear, and mistrust are not just emotions – they’re solid bricklayers. Before we know it, these simple emotive responses can create walls in even the most secure relationships. We never intend to erect them, but behind the scenes, with every argument, angry statement, and unguarded utterance, these bricks are piling up, oftentimes unseen, erecting obstacles that can be difficult to knock down.

In the midst of all my job chaos, what I thought was a mutual decision for me not to accompany David to celebrate his older brother’s birthday in California became what he perceived as my rejection of his family – and his life, in general. There are times when I admit to wondering if David is happy with me at all. Such thoughts denigrate me like little else.

David and I are two very different people. His gregarious nature doesn’t match my reclusiveness. What I once perceived as a shared happy life has become a recurring litany of how different his existence is with me in it. This, more than any other attack by the devil, hurts me more than anything else. I miss being accepted. I miss feeling secure. I miss being able to be myself with my husband. There are days when I know he loves me even while fully accepting that he doesn’t always like me that much.

And so, I went to California. Social events with required small talk are about as far outside my comfort zone as possible, and yet, I went. The event was understandably important for David, and so it was important for me to be there. As he so succinctly put it, “I’ve spent my whole life attending events alone.” He’s not alone, and so he wasn’t. I had one relational conversation while I was there that proved the trip to be invaluable – and I’m glad I was there for that.

*From left to right, David with his 3 brothers – Bruce, Jeff, and Doug* – *on the terrace of Epic Steak, in San Francisco, CA.*

Despite this trip and David’s happiness about our shared travel, the hurtful things he says to me when he’s angry keep coming up. I’m concerned about triggering his anger, as it seems he has a list of my insufficiencies that will be brought up when he’s upset. He knows I won’t always like his decisions, so he has made a few without discussion that ended up hurting me and making him angry.

The things said in these disagreements – or sometimes even just my unspoken reactions to his decisions – are so similar to the refrains that are repeatedly cycled in my psyche that I can’t immediately let the hurt go. David perceives my inability to turn off my pain on demand as “stewing” on things that he said. I’m not stewing, baking, or cooking anything. The dinner was served, and his perception of me hasn’t changed. It’s impossible to let such a reality go. I consider, learn, and adjust. Words, once uttered and repeated, can’t be turned off like a switch. They have changed me.

David isn’t my savior. He is my husband. We’ll have good days and bad, happy times and sad times as a couple. That’s how marriage works. David may never understand how words, rejection, and abuse have controlled, debased, and squashed me in the past. That’s unfortunate. He said I don’t know who he is. Honestly, I can say the same to him about me. He doesn’t seem to know who I am either.

Each day, I make a conscious choice to remind myself that my true Savior, Jesus Christ, loves me – no matter what I say, do, or how I react. It doesn’t matter if I’m perfect or flawed, outgoing or introverted, engaging or pensive. Jesus loves me in a deeply devoted and uniquely dynamic manner. His love will never change. It remains the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

My Savior understands me. God doesn’t see my imperfections; He sees the blood that His precious Son, Jesus Christ, shed on the cross to cover my sins. He loves me, just the way I am – and that fact matters more to me than anything.

I’m happy I went to California to support David. He may see my quietness as a detriment, but I know God created me the way I am for a reason, for His unique purpose. I don’t need to fit into a mold, act a certain way, or be comfortable with every situation to be flawless to my Creator.

I am God’s creation. Insecurities and imperfections mean nothing to Him. He sees me as His perfect child because of His love that covers me.

In the end, Christ’s opinion of me is all that matters. I’m grateful for the flaws that remind me of my need for a perfect Savior. I will continue to strive to be more like Him, even as I accept my imperfections. I thank God daily for His omnipresent love, whose length, breadth, and depth can never be measured.

When I am weak, then I am strong

By Sara | September 13, 2026

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4: 8)

In my last post, Unexpected Turbulence, I wrote about the difficult season I’m in. Having left a job that was eating me alive in hopes of working for someone I believed was making a difference in the world, I found myself instead in a downward spiral marked by micromanagement, misrepresentation, and misery. I’m literally expecting to be let go any day.

In my former role, I interacted with team members and felt I was making a difference in the lives of everyone I communicated with. I am normally a happy, uplifting, encouraging person who always felt like my real job was sharing God’s love with everyone I encountered. Every text, every meeting I joined was an opportunity for me to shine, uplift, and help others. All of that is now gone.

In my current position, I have little to do but try to reconcile my former boss’s expenses from one year ago until today. Since her absence and my assignment to this task, I’ve learned that, as the CEO, no one questioned her actions – even when they went against existing policies.

As such, there are few accessible records, infrequent notes on her calendar to validate trip purposes, and little, if any, obtainable receipts. My task feels doomed to failure. For every three expenses submitted, two are rejected and returned. As an overachiever, I find overseeing implosions demoralizing. And yet, what can I do? I have been given no other assignment than this one. When this project is done, I can see no other outcome than the organization letting me go. There is no visible reason to keep paying me to do nothing.

And so, I’m doing a job with no future, working in a role with no interaction with others, with zero opportunity to shine God’s love, encourage anyone, or be the light of Christ to my peers. I’ve never held such a solitary, unredeeming role in my entire career. There is no value to my work – a concept, in and of itself, that feels completely bankrupt to a soul seeking to make a difference in the world.

Enter COVID into my already desolate experience. For the past two weeks, I’ve been knocked off my feet by a particularly brutal strain of COVID-19. In addition to the sore throat, body aches, chest congestion, nausea, and cough, I also had the relatively rare experience of infected taste buds that made everything I drank taste rancid.

I couldn’t help but feel as Solomon did when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, whose frequent refrain was “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Eccl. 1:14) Where is the color, the brightness, and the taste of redemptive work? I can’t find it right now.

King Solomon had it all – wisdom, wealth, and worldly respect. All these things were multiplied to Solomon when he humbly asked God to give him discernment to lead his nation after his father David’s death. For a time, Solomon was humbled by his Creator’s provision, as demonstrated by the way he led his people in worship and the dedication he showed in building the glorious tabernacle his father had designed under God’s guidance.

Ultimately, Solomon erred in his blatant disregard for his Creator’s directive against forming relationships with foreign wives, and everything went downhill from there. Despite his God-given intelligence, Solomon disregarded the advice in Deuteronomy 17:17 to “not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray.” 1 Kings 11:2 further clarified God’s instructions: “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.”

Despite this warning, Solomon felt the need to enhance his kingdom’s wealth and riches by forming trade agreements and alliances with other nations and by taking numerous foreign wives as part of those bargains. 1 Kings 11: 1,3 explains that, “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women… He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away [from God].”

After doing so, Solomon’s descent came at the expense not just of his nation’s turmoil but also of his own estrangement from his Heavenly Father. “For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God.” Shockingly, this man who declared his nation’s wholehearted devotion to his Creator in the dedication of the greatest tabernacle ever built on the face of the earth, ultimately worshipped foreign gods on altars built on high places, just as the nations God ordered the Israelites to defeat did.

Is it any wonder that the words Solomon recorded in the first chapter of his book of Ecclesiastes describe his emptiness without God.

1 “The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’
says the Teacher.
‘Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.’
3 What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
7 All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.
8 All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers the former generations,
and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow them.
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.”

(Ecclesiastes 1: 1-18)

Like Solomon, my sole purpose can only be found in the worship of God. It is only by leaning on Christ’s power that I can find my strength. As the Apostle Paul said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

And so, I will glorify Christ in this season when I can do nothing to advance myself; I can find no means to climb above on my own. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

I thank God for this time when I must rely fully on my Savior. I give praise to Him for whatever He is perfecting in me. I will sing praise to my Creator for enacting the circumstances that have humbled, disrupted, and beaten me down so I can look up to His sustaining power, His perpetual promises, and His divine intervention.

It is in this time of surrender to my Heavenly Father that I find myself saying again, thank you, God, for being strong enough – for both of us.

Unexpected turbulence

By Sara | August 30, 2026

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 43:5)

“We’re traveling just to the left of a very hard cell. We expect some turbulence, but we’ll get you to the other side as quickly as possible.”

*View outside my plane window, just prior to our entry into a storm cell.*

So said the pilot on my flight from Atlanta to Jacksonville, on my way home after completing my mom’s final move out of Colorado.

What a perfect analogy, I thought. How my life has played out just like that!

It’s been a bumpy year and a half. I can barely remember what happened in 2025. My job nearly consumed me. What started as support for the company’s #2 executive grew into my supporting him and 14 other executives on his team. I was regularly working 50-60 hours a week to maintain the level of support needed.

And I was tired!

In the midst of all that chaos, David and I flew to Colorado to move my mom’s household to GA. Driving a 26-foot U-Haul truck towing a 15-foot trailer, we made our way across the country in a cross-country adventure that deserves its own write-up.

Two weeks after that trip, I began preparing for our corporate conference – coordinating 47 customer meetings for my executives over a 2-day event. At that point, I was working over 70 hours a week and not getting much sleep.

In the middle of that fatigue, God sent a recruiter my way, who asked if I was interested in another job. Less than 2 weeks later, I landed a new position as the executive assistant to the CEO at a non-profit agency. This could be none other than divine intervention, I believed. I would be moving from supporting 15 executives to supporting 1 in an industry that gives back to the community. What could be more perfect?

Or so I thought.

*A look back at the massive storm cloud that knocked our plane around and elicited screams from my fellow passengers.*

On day 2, I learned that my support would no longer be autonomous. Everything I did, every meeting I coordinated, had to be documented in a spreadsheet for both the CEO and the Chief of Staff to review – with ongoing reports back to both on progress and completion.

Worse yet, I was required to create a daily outline providing a 2-4-week look-ahead for scheduling, which I then shared in a 40-minute meeting each morning with both of these executives. The amount of micromanagement was astounding. I later learned that 9 previous admins had unsuccessfully filled my seat over the 2.5 years leading up to my start.

Three weeks into that ordeal, I returned from my Colorado trip to find that the CEO had gone on indefinite leave – with much doubt as to her return – and the interim CEO didn’t want or need my assistance. It never occurred to me that I might soon be out of a job until the Chief of Staff advised me that he, too, didn’t know how long he’d be needed. A “temporary” move to support another C-level executive led to the individual’s candid statement that he, too, required nominal assistance. I went from 60-hour weeks to barely enough to keep me busy every day, and the fear of being let go at any moment.

Attempts to return to my former employer were for naught. My former head executive had already filled my seat, and my application for a new, lower-level role was shot down after my first interview.

*Small, gentle clouds greeted our plane as we exited the storm cell.*

Equally disappointing, I later discovered that a “friend” who had advised me about the role contributed to my rejection.

In addition to the humiliation of crawling back for this role, the blood, sweat, and tears in my former position – one that had begun to affect my health, as noted in my post “Be anxious in nothing” – yielded no fruit in my pursuit. Those I’d befriended, lost sleep over, and stood beside over the past 5 years of my life have vanished in my hour of need.

It’s hard not to feel betrayed by friends and trapped in a role that will soon end. I can’t find another job at this point, and every molecule of my planning-and-preparation genes has been squashed. I have no idea what will happen next. Even my thoughts of starting my own business were shot down after I voiced them out loud.

“Where’s your faith?” David yelled at me as I tried to eat lunch after church today. “You’re just feeling sorry for yourself.”

His words hurt me more than anyone else’s. “I have more faith than anyone you know,” I retorted. “You’re being a cruel comforter.”

And so, here I sit, thinking back on the hard cell that the pilot reported to us on my flight home, back on August 4^th. That feels like a lifetime ago. I survived the storm, but the unexpected turbulence remains, jostling my spirit around like a rag doll.

*Beautiful waterways over coastal Georgia appear to be dancing, as seen from the air before we landed in Jacksonville, Florida.*

I’ve always been able to pray, reason, petition, advocate, and work my way out of every other circumstance that held me down in life. This one is beyond me.

And so, I will wait on God’s timing and intervention.

Get behind me, Devil. My God is in full control.

I know that truth in my heart and soul, but my arrival on the other side of the storm can’t come quickly enough.

Bring down the rain

By Sara | April 28, 2026

“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it.

Living in coastal GA means my terrain is normally lush and green. Not so, right now. With only 11” of total rainfall since last September, what should be semi-tropical terrain is instead, a brown, dry tinderbox, just waiting for a match to ignite.

And ignite it has. On April 21st, David shared a photo with me of dark smoke clouds hovering over the interstate in an a county just west of ours. The smoke was from one of thirty wildfires, burning up our state. As of Sunday, April 26th, the wildfire closest to us is only 25 miles from our home, having already consumed 20,933 acres and 90 homes. With no rain in the forecast for the next 5 days, the fire is only 7% contained. Scary stuff!

Even though our church opened its doors to wildfire evacuees and collected snacks, bottled water, and Gatorade for the firefighters, the threat seemed a distant cause for alarm. That is until we awoke five days later to a heavy smoke cloud, blanketing our neighborhood. My travels to FL for a work flight the same day, evidenced the smoke’s thickness as it enveloped our area. From I-95, I normally can always see our area’s beautiful suspension bridge that sits above the Brunswick River. As I drove along the interstate, I was struck by the fact that the landmark had completely vanished in the smoke.

*Wildfire smoke blanketed the Brunswick GA region on April 26, 2026.*

Earlier in the week, a man driving a golf cart through our community stopped David and I to explain that he was staying with family after evacuating from the fire with his grandchildren. When I asked him how his home was, he remarked that he kept his sprinklers running when he left, hoping the water would save his property.

This coming Friday, David and I are planning to fly to CO to pack a 26-foot U-Haul truck with my mom’s and brother’s entire household to drive their belongings to GA, where they’re permanently relocating to live near us. I’m now concerned about leaving, knowing that this threat is looming, with no end and no rain in sight.

The Weather Channel posted a video today, explaining that firefighters are battling the fire from above, dropping materials from planes to try to squelch and contain the devastation.

I couldn’t help but see the irony in that statement. How often do we battle the fires that consume our lives with our own power. We try to beat back the flames, dig fire lines, and do what we can to contain our problems – attempting to battle the voracious demons at our doors by our own volition. Such a thing is impossible. We can’t be successful alone.

*Information about the Highway 82 fire in Brantley County, GA as of April 26,* 2026. (https://data.augustachronicle.com/fires/)

We need help from on high. We have to stay plugged into God’s power to remain strong. We need our Heavenly Father’s celestial firefighters to combat the fiery forces of the evil one. Only God can protect, preserve, and empower us to control the flames that are stronger than anything we could ever extinguish on our own.

*Screenshot taken from my iPhone weather app regarding the air quality around my home on April 26, 2026.*

We are nothing without Christ. Our greatest efforts are minuscule in comparison to the awesome power of our Creator. He created the sun, moon and all the celestial bodies in a single day. He fashioned our planet so that it could sustain the life. He then breathed that life into existence. While we call the elements the “forces of nature,” they are, in fact, the forces of our Creator, HE gives and He takes away.

While David and I have helped in the aftermath of hurricanes and know, firsthand, how destructive they can be, they are nothing compared to the unforgiving ferocity of fire. I pray we never have to find out just how destructive this force of God can be.

Now and every single day of my life, I give all I have to Him. May He have mercy on all those in the immediate path of this fire as we all pray together for our Creator to bring down the rain.

Almighty Jehovah, please save us. Protect our home, and the homes, property, and animals of those who are in the path of your mighty fires. We don’t know why such destruction has to happen, but we give it all to You. All that we have, all that we think is ours is a gift from You. We know that we are only temporary stewards of all that You have blessed us with. Protect us, Lord. Show us, anew, how great and awesome You are. Bring down the rain, Lord. Our souls are thirsting for your grace and provision. Bring down the rain.

Be anxious for nothing

By Sara | April 12, 2026

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

I have no qualms in stating that my work is stressful. There’s little room for error in what I do every day. Being responsible for the schedules, travel, deadlines, and behind-the-scenes coordination of top corporate executives means that if I miss something, if I can’t keep up, problem-solve, and facilitate as needed, successful daily operations, events, and management will fail. I quietly carry that responsibility on my shoulders every day. It’s enough to carry that burden for one chief corporate officer. I carry this weight for eight executives, with two more starting in the next three weeks. That’s a heavy burden to bear.

I barely remember the last year of my life. Working 12-hour days does that to you. Gone are my evenings when I could quit at 4:00 pm, work in the yard, and read before bed at night. I now cook a week’s worth of meals on Sundays and live for Saturdays, when I can finally work in my yard and leave my computer behind. Even writing about this lifestyle leaves my stomach in knots.

Over the past two months, my stomach aches have advanced to chest tightness, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. I visited my doctor last week to try to figure out what’s going on.

“My work is stressful,” I began, after explaining my symptoms to her. “This isn’t fun.”

“You’re having panic attacks,” she explained.

“But I’m not panicking,” I retorted. “I’m just sitting at my desk, working.”

“Your body is reacting to the stress,” she explained. “Part of your body wants to rest, and the other part is saying, ‘Keep up! Get moving! Don’t stop!’ The result is a chemical reaction resulting in all the symptoms you’ve been feeling.”

While she prescribed a pill I can take up to three times a day, if I need to, I don’t like pills. I tried what she prescribed, and while it helped with some of the symptoms, it also has side effects that aren’t any more comfortable.

What I need is peace. What I need is to give it all to God. I’m determined to do so. I’m covering all of this with prayer. I need to reclaim my life, refocus on God, and remember that what I do for Him, how much time I give to His focus, worship, and praise, is what’s most important.

For now, I’m collecting Bible verses on anxiety and peace. Here are just a few that mean so much to me:

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. (Proverbs 12: 25)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27)
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)
Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34)
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6: 25-27)
I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

I know this won’t be an easy forward path, as my workload isn’t changing. I can’t control that.

What I can control is how I handle the stress, how I deal with letting it pile up.

I know that my God is greater than anything the world can throw at me. I am not alone. My Heavenly Father is the Creator of the universe. Even the winds and rain obey Him. The next time I feel the stress begin to build, I’m going to stop, pray, and meditate on the words He gave us all, remembering that He alone is in control.

I trust that God will sustain me. After all, His Word commands, not asks me, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

And so, I shall. I know He will deliver me.

Surrender is a verb

By Sara | March 12, 2026

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

On March 12, 2023, David and I became husband and wife in a ceremony I never would have thought possible. I, the outcast, super-nerd, last one to ever get picked for the team, had somehow become the one that a handsome, intelligent, talented man would choose to spend the rest of his life with. That thought still astounds me.

More than that, I remain in awe and gratitude that God chose David and me for each other before we were born. While the paths we traveled in life were often troublesome, they were what our Heavenly Father ordained for us. We needed to learn, adjust, and trust that His way is better than our way. We needed to learn and relearn full surrender. We needed to put God first before seeking our own ways.

So often in life, we think we know what’s best. We plan without praying, we pursue and plunge without full consideration of the consequences. And then we wonder why we fail.

Isaiah 55: 8-9 tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Plenty of people succeed without God, that’s true, but how shallow are their victories? How empty are their pursuits? God’s plans for us are so much greater than anything we could ever come up with ourselves. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way – and then some.

In my case, I was so desperate for love and acceptance that I foolishly believed it would come from someone who didn’t know how to put God first. How wrong I was. Without God’s love surrounding our lives, without the understanding that we must serve and surrender our will to His, everything we achieve on our own is shallow and flawed.

I had a million reasons why I couldn’t travel to Florida to help Samaritan’s Purse in October 2022. I didn’t have a pet-sitter. I didn’t have vacation time. I didn’t know the first thing about construction, and I’m awkward in social situations. How could I serve in this capacity when I was so insignificant?

Still, I surrendered.

God, if you want me there, I remember praying, you’re going to have to open the doors.

And that’s exactly what He did.

I found a pet-sitter. I learned that my employer offered paid volunteer time. On my first night at the Ft Myers church that housed the Samaritan’s Purse (SP) volunteers, I was joined at the dinner table by a church group that immediately made me feel welcome.

*Me in my Kevlar suit* *outside a hurricane ravaged motor home in Ft Myers after helping remove water-soaked insulation from beneath the sub floor.*

Still, the surrender continued. It was on my third day volunteering when I surrendered to the group’s request to join their team that I met David.

It was in surrendering half of my lunch to David, the first day he arrived, that he saw my heart.

It was only after I had surrendered more time to stay in Ft Myers beyond my original departure date that I heard David’s testimony.

In surrendering my thoughts to God’s, I, who knew nothing about construction, spontaneously asked a couple we were helping whether they’d considered tearing down a wall in their kitchen when they rebuilt their home. They said they’d consider it.

*David installing a new garbage disposal in the kitchen he helped rebuild in Ft Myers, FL. (January 2023)*

Before returning the next day, I asked David if such an undertaking was even possible. Not only could the work be done, David assured, but he promised to tear down the wall himself – and then rebuild their home.

Me, *grouting the new floors David installed in the Ft Myers, FL home. (January 2023)*

This new promise prompted David to ask me to help. Of course, I couldn’t help but surrender to his request.

On December 11th, one day shy of the two months I’d known David, he asked me to marry him – in the house he was rebuilding, on the morning after I’d finally surrendered and driven back to Florida to deliver the help I’d promised to give.

The act of surrender isn’t a noun. It’s a verb. It requires continual action, perpetual reinforcement, and consistent affirmation. I, more than anyone, know how valuable surrender to God can be.

Psalm 37:4 tells us to “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Surrender to God is a delight. He knows more than we do what is best for us. His plans are better than anything we can come up with on our own.

*David and I helped Samaritan’s Purse in Ft Myers on December 12, 2022 – the day after he proposed to me.*

I stand here today, a surrendered woman, blessed beyond measure by a God that I can never outgive.

*David and I celebrated our third anniversary at a local restaurant.*

March 12th isn’t just my wedding anniversary; it’s a celebration of how gracious our God is, and it’s a day that allows me to continually testify to the unending, unparalleled power of surrender.

Thank you, Jesus, for teaching me the act of surrender. May I never cease to sing Your praises, and may I never stop surrendering to You.

No greater love

By Sara | March 1, 2026

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3)

“It’s hard to leave,” David said on the day he stopped by my house on his way back to Florida to begin rebuilding the home of a couple who lost everything after Hurricane Ian in September 2022. I will never forget those words. We had only known each other for a few days at the time, but we had already bonded, as I had with my entire Samaritan’s Purse (SP) team, having spent the previous week serving together for God’s glory.

*David and I (second and third from the right) posed with a homeowner and our Samaritan’s Purse team after serving in Ft Myers, FL (September 2022).*

There was no shortage of help needed for those who had lost everything after this catastrophic Category 4 storm barreled into the state, with 150 mph winds, 10 inches of rain, and a 7.21-foot storm surge. More impactful than the cleanup we provided was the love we shared with those who were feeling hurt and helpless after realizing how much they’d lost in the storm. Our reminder that they were not alone but rather loved by God was precisely the help and hope they needed to press onward into an unknown future.

*David adding new flooring to the Ft Myers home he helped rebuild after Hurricane Ian.*

Following this week of service to share God’s love, David visited me on his way home to Virginia Beach. I chronicled his request to do so in my blog entitled “I’ve been looking for you.”

We had initially planned for David to stop again on his journey back to Florida. I had promised to show him around my coastal town, followed by a homemade dinner together before he continued on his way. I made lasagna for the occasion and had envisioned something significant happening on that day.

Instead, David sent me a text the night before telling me he couldn’t make it. He was finishing a remodeling job back at home, which was taking longer than expected. Despite his apologies, I was incredibly disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to spend any time together.

More than that, I felt like this change of plans was God’s way of protecting me, preventing me from getting too attached to someone I barely knew when I’d spent the last ten years of my life defending my heart from men who were not what they appeared to be. I didn’t want to be involved in another relationship. It was just God and me then – and that’s exactly how I wanted it to be.

Still, I remember the great sense of disappointment that surprised me when I learned my Sunday plans with David weren’t going to happen. I cried my eyes out when I received that message. My response didn’t make sense to me. I was determined not to let my relationship with David be anything more than a Christian friendship – and yet, I was crushed to learn that my first afternoon out in ten years, this one pseudo “date” had gone by the wayside.

And then I thanked God. Surely, I thought, my Heavenly Father prevented me from any further hurt by reminding me to keep my walls up and my expectations down.

Rather than let David know of my disappointment, I told him not to worry about it. I assured him that I understood and wished him well on the rest of his venture.

It was then that David asked if he could still stop on his way back to Florida. “Mondays are extremely busy for me,” I retorted. “If you want to stop, I’ll be happy to give you a snack and a sandwich for the rest of your journey, but I won’t be able to talk long.”

And so, that’s how our visit went. I was kind but somewhat guarded when David and his sweet kitty, Bo, stopped at my house late Monday morning. I gave David an egg sandwich for his snack and a German sweet-bologna sandwich for the rest of his drive into Florida. We chatted for a bit – and then he gave me Bo to hold.

*Bo and me after his first manicure at my house.*

“His nails are really long,” I said. “Would you like me to trim them?”

After David agreed, I took Bo to my screen porch, where I brushed his fur and gave him a quick manicure, all the while talking to the kitty more than I was to David.

David sat in an adjacent chair, taking it all in, then asked if he could take a photo of Bo and me to remember the visit. “Of course,” I said as he captured one of my all-time favorite pictures of me holding this sweet kitty.

We exchanged a few more niceties, then David got the hint that it was time to go.

As I walked David to his SUV, he put Bo back inside, then stretched out his arms for a good-bye hug. “It’s going to be hard to leave,” David said as he opened the car door, sat down, and smiled up to me from inside.

I remember being shocked at his chosen turn of phrase, even thinking at the time, “Surely, he doesn’t mean that the way it sounds.”

But he did. And he still does. It’s a gift that never stops giving. David and I frequently repeat this phrase as he runs to the store or leaves the house to run errands. “Is it going to be hard to leave?” I will ask. “It always is,” he’ll respond.

*David and Bo on one of their many car rides together.*

And I always smile at the love I feel when I think of all God gave me in this man. From a simple act of surrendering to God by going to Florida came the gift of a soulmate that I will never take for granted.

God loves us like this. He loves us so much that He will stand at the door, waiting for us to open it and welcome him in. His love is patient, kind, compassionate, and all-knowing yet wholly forgiving. We are to model our compassion for others after the kind of devotion God detailed for us in Corinthians.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

That’s the kind of love that David and I share. There is nothing greater than the magnanimous affection our Creator has for us. David and I entwine ourselves in it as we pray before meals, read the Bible together every night, and constantly, fervently, continuously give thanks to our Heavenly Father for His sustaining grace, strength, and provision. We would be nothing without our Creator’s love. We would be nothing without Him – in our lives and in our marriage.

“I could’ve stood in that driveway all day holding you. I never wanted to let go,” David reminded me as we embraced each other earlier today.

That’s how God feels about us, as well. He is always holding us. His love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

I am blessed to be loved like that – not just by David, but by my Creator. There is nothing greater on earth.

Will the real King please stand up?

By Sara | February 16, 2026

“God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15)

*My brother was all smiles at the Georgia Elvis Festival in December 2025.*

My brother is a huge Elvis fan, so I knew gifting him and my mom with tickets to a local Elvis festival concert last December would be a huge hit. What I didn’t anticipate was the impact our Elvis weekend would have on me.

Of all the concerts held over the three-day event, we attended the “Elvis Christmas Show,” which promised to include gospel favorites. This event was no amateur hour. These singers were all either Ultimate Elvis Champions or award-winning Elvis Tribute Artists (ETAs), and they were phenomenal. Their voices, outfits, and dancing moves would have made Elvis himself proud.

What blew me away, most of all, though, were the testimonies. These singers didn’t just honor the King of Rock and Roll; a few of them stood unafraid in a theater filled with hundreds of fans to proclaim their faith in the King of kings before singing their favorite gospel songs in a Presley-style manner.

Bill Cherry’s version of “How Great Thou Art,” in particular, gave me goosebumps with its passion and conviction. When Ultimate Elvis Champion David Lee testified about his faith and invited the audience to a free concert on Sunday morning at a local church, my family and I agreed we had to attend.

As we rode home after the show, still basking in the fun experience that none of us will ever forget, I pondered Elvis’s faith journey. Was he a Christian? From his later years, it may have been hard to tell, but perhaps he had lost his way in all the adoration and expectations that doubtlessly comprised his life.

*Grand Champion Elvis Tribute Artist Alex Mitchell posed for a picture with my mom and me.*

Upon researching this topic, I discovered that Presley was raised in the church but didn’t seem overly interested in Christianity until the late 1950s. After skyrocketing to fame, Elvis purportedly felt empty and longed to discover a deeper purpose in life. It was in 1956 that Presley encountered the gospel singer Jake Hess, who drew him into the genre’s evangelistic lyrics. Not long afterwards, Elvis sought Christian counseling and began reading the Bible on his own. It was then that Presley started talking about his faith to his friends and family.

In 1977, Elvis was baptized at Memphis’s First Assembly of God. Unashamed of his transformation, Elvis began incorporating more Christian songs into his repertoire and eventually recorded several gospel albums.

Presley’s stepbrother, Billy Stanley, wrote a book about Elvis’s faith entitled The Faith of Elvis: A Story Only a Brother Can Tell.

“He was a Christian, and most people don’t know that,” Stanley told CBN. “When I say ‘Christian,’ he was a Bible-carrying Christian…wherever he went, he took the Bible with him.” Stanley should know, as he was often tasked with making sure Elvis’s Bible was always with him on tour.

“He read the Bible almost every day,” Stanley said.

*Elvis Tribute Artist Riley Jenkins performed with the Infinit-E Tribute Band at Epworth by the Sea* *on St. Simons Island, GA in December 2025.*

Still, the pressures of fame haunted Presley. “I always thought…he had the devil on one side, and he’s got God on the other side, and there was a constant battle going on inside of his head.”

*ETA Riley Jenkins posed for a photo with my mom at the Elvis Festival.*

Only God knows who won the battle in the end.

After seeing the Elvis impersonators in concert the night before, it was a bit surreal to see David Lee, still looking every bit like the icon – from his pompadour and sideburns to his gold-brocade-trimmed jacket – casually talking to parishioners before his morning concert at a local church. I had no idea what to expect, but it was the faith this man expressed on stage that drew me to his secondary event. It must be hard for these ETAs to shed their stage personas, I mused, after making a career out of living, breathing, and becoming the legendary rocker at regular events across the country.

While he didn’t provide the full details of his conversion, Lee testified during the service that the only time he was in church growing up was during occasional Vacation Bible School sessions. Consequently, he surrendered to Christ later in life. He now uses his platform as an ETA to share his faith with others, hoping to bring his fans closer to the Heavenly Father who saved him. “My job may be singing like Elvis,” Lee said, “but the most important thing I do is to perform at events like this, where I can share my faith and hopefully help someone else find Jesus.”

*My mom and Ultimate Elvis Champion, David Lee, at the Brunswick Worship Center.*

“It must be hard to walk around in public with that hair and sideburns,” I later mused to my husband, David, “knowing he’s always going to get looks and have Elvis fans fawning over him. He can’t hide that persona.”

Case in point, one of my church friends later told me that she and her friends spotted Lee at a local buffet, after the service. “He seemed nice,” she said, adding that they had all spoken to him.

All of this leaves me wondering who we, as Christians, are emulating. We may not sport pompadours or flashy outfits, but who do we embody when others see us? Do our lives exemplify our faith, or would our friends and co-workers be surprised to hear that we are Christians? Are we closet-believers, fearing “offending” others with what we believe, or do we live our faith out loud, standing bold in our convictions, unashamed in our beliefs, and confident in our salvation?

Elvis Presley will always be known as the King of rock and roll, but Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. It’s indisputable who changed the world more profoundly.

We don’t need to sermonize to stand for our Savior. We don’t need to dress in sandals to walk a path of conviction. It is our humility, kindness, and dedication that will speak volumes to our colleagues.

The world desperately needs King Jesus. As Christians, we need to live, breathe, and emulate Him on the stage of our lives so that everyone we encounter will see Christ in everything that we do.

I’ve been looking for you

By Sara | February 8, 2026

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

“Sara, I’ve been looking for you!”

So came the cry that changed my life, uttered by my husband David in October 2022.

It was my last day serving with Samaritan’s Purse in Fort Myers, Florida, following Hurricane Ian. I had spent the previous 6 days helping homeowners gut their storm-ravaged homes – removing personal belongings, floodwater-soaked insulation, clothing, appliances, and even rotten food from refrigerators. Our labor of love helped hurting individuals see their way forward, so contractors could begin rebuilding their houses. More importantly, our prayers and compassion brought the love of Christ to everyone we helped.

*Debris piles lined the streets in front of Ft Myers’ homes after Hurricane Ian decimated the community.*

On my last day, as we returned to our church base camp, David asked our disaster response team to sign his Samaritan’s Purse Bible before we all went our separate ways. I was excited to do so, but disappointed that I didn’t get to say goodbye to him, as he disappeared while I was writing. After handing off David’s copy of God’s Word to another team member, I reentered the building to gather my belongings and load my car for the journey home.

*David’s Samaritan’s Purse Bible, annotated by me to him, to commemorate our time serving together after Hurricane Ian.*

Before leaving, I decided to change out of my dirty work clothes before hitting the road. Upon reentering the bathroom, I spotted my first miracle. There, on a bench outside the shower stall, sat the handcrafted toiletry bag my sister had made me. Had I not returned to change, I never would have seen it, nor would I have known it was missing until days later. In fact, I might never have found it again.

*My reflections topped the page of David’s Bible as I was the first one to sign it.*

Leaving the restrooms, I should have turned left to the parking lot and headed home.

Instead, I believe God’s angels turned me right so I would exit the building the wrong way. What makes me say so? Because it was there, outside the back of the church, in an area I had no purpose in visiting, that I heard David’s call: “Sara, I’ve been looking for you!”

As David and I smiled at one another across the campus, I waved, and he came rushing over to hug me. After doing so, he asked if he could stop by my house on his way home to Virginia – thereby forever altering my life. Had I not gone back into the building, had I not turned right instead of left after doing so, had I not gone out of a door I had no reason to exit, I might never have seen David again.

But that’s not what God wanted, for both of us.

The rest is, as they say, “history.”

So it is with God’s pursuit of all of us. From before we were born, our Heavenly Father has pursued our hearts. He longs for us to find Him and call Him Lord. Our free will allows us to pursue our own selfishness or God’s grace. The choice is always ours. He is always ready for us to walk into His open arms, to turn the corner, and pursue His faithfulness.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently find Me.” (Proverbs 8:17)

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

“Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually!” (1 Chronicles 16:11)

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

Just as David was looking for me, I was looking for Him – without even knowing it. He was the other half of my heart that I never thought I’d find, the happiness I never thought I’d experience. We found unspeakable joy when we found each other.

So it is for all of us when we surrender to our Savior. We can only find what has been missing in our lives, the happiness beyond comprehension, the fulfillment of all that we’ve been seeking, if we invite Christ into our hearts. More than a soulmate, Jesus Christ is our soul’s eternal Savior. He’s the only one who can give us eternal life and fulfillment beyond comparison if we will turn our hearts, minds, and souls over to Him.

“I’ve been looking for you,” says God. Turn right and walk into His waiting arms. Let the angels guide you to eternal life in Christ Jesus. Surrender and be made whole. You might never find Him if you don’t seek Him. Your Heavenly Father has been waiting for you.

Never be afraid to share God’s love

By Sara | January 18, 2026

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32)

Before Christmas, I was privileged to spend four days smiling, dancing, greeting, and loving my community by ringing a bell outside my local Sam’s Club to collect money for my local Salvation Army. Notice I didn’t say that I was a bellringer. I was more than that. I was a giver and receiver of love – God’s love.

While I played music and rang a bell for hours each day, I also simultaneously offered blessings to everyone who walked past me. I never asked anyone for money. I just gave love – with my energy, smiles, and joy. The donations that came in, simply because people knew my cause was worthy and recognized the Red Kettle, blew me away – every single day. In fact, my kettle was so full at the end of my first day that the local coordinator provided me with two kettles each day thereafter.

Every day, someone touched my heart and soul. There was the man who, while riding by on his scooter, stopped to tell me he was in constant pain but still wanted to give to others. After telling him that I’d pray for him, he thanked me. “Sometimes, God uses pain to get our attention,” I said. He said he knew that, confirming he gave our Savior thanks every day for the ability to keep moving.

*My Salvation Army Red Kettle was full to overflowing on the evening of my first day* *of volunteer service.*

There was the woman who told me it was her 65th birthday as she placed money in the kettle for others on her special day. I asked her if I could sing her the unique song my family has been repeating on birthdays since I was four years old. She agreed, so I showered her with “A happy birthday to you. A happy birthday to you. Every day of the year, may you find Jesus near. A happy birthday to you. A happy birthday to you. May this be your most blessed year!” When I was done, I hugged her and told her she was a blessing. She responded by saying that my simple song “made her day,” while I assured her that she had made mine!

There was also the pastor I didn’t know was a pastor, who went to his car, came back with a church newsletter, and handed it to me, saying, “You blessed me, now I want to bless you.” The newsletter featured a story he’d written, years before, talking about a classic car his father had helped him buy as a young man, and how much it meant to him. It seems that his father never expressed emotion, so he learned to withhold his feelings in the same way. When his father gave him what he perceived as an ugly, distasteful car ornament to add to the car, he withheld doing so for years, thinking he didn’t want to demean the car’s value by adding it.

Privately, he hadn’t thought about this ornament for decades, choosing to hide it just as he’d hidden his emotions. It was only when deciding to share the story in a sermon analogy that he faced the raw emotion of how we often hide our faith in Christ, never wanting to offend or demean others with His blood and sacrifice. As it turns out, the day he shared this story, his parents came to hear him preach – nearly causing him to rethink what he would openly disclose to both his congregation and father.

While urging his congregants never to be afraid of public perception, he looked over at his dad, who was wiping tears from his eyes. At that moment, the pastor left his pulpit, walked directly to his father, pulled him out of the pews, and told him he loved him. As the congregation cheered, he reminded everyone never to be afraid to show God’s love.

And so, I won’t. Whether it’s in front of Sam’s Club as I told every passerby, “God bless you” and “Merry Christmas” while playing traditional and contemporary carols, proclaiming the joy of Jesus, or by standing unafraid to tell others in my workplace how the light they see is Christ in me, we all must stand unafraid to talk to others about our Savior.

*Day 4.* *Bell ringing on Christmas Eve.*

Matthew 10:8 reminds us, “Freely you have received; freely give.” More important than filling a Red Kettle, may we generously bestow the love that Christ so sacrificially gave to us. If He could hang on a cross – stripped, broken, and bleeding to show His compassion for us – how can we give anything less to a world that so desperately needs Him?

We are the only gospel that many people will ever see – the only church they may ever know. We are Christ’s church, and everything we do should glorify our Savior and proclaim His love. This year, I am praying that God gives me more boldness, more faith, more passion for His faithfulness. I would be nothing without Christ. May I never be afraid to say so. May we all do the same.

Author: Sara