God’s Love

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.

God did it

By Sara | October 12, 2025

“You thrill me, Lord, with all You have done for me! I sing for joy because of what You have done.” (Psalm 92:4)

On October 9, 2022, I embarked on a journey that would forever alter my life in ways I never could have imagined. In a blog entitled, “Here Am I. Send Me,” I detailed the doors God opened that led me to assist Samaritan’s Purse after Hurricane Ian decimated Ft. Myers, FL. Through prayerful surrender, I know my Creator led me to demonstrate His love to those who had suffered immeasurable losses following this natural disaster. The more I gave, the more joy I received. God’s love is like that. He’s still giving back to me, to this day.

In a later blog post, dated December 31, 2022, entitled “Surrender – Samaritan’s Purse Deployment, Part 7,” I described what came next. “On October 12, 2022, Sara Victoria Christiansen and David Robert Olson had a divine appointment to meet on a Hurricane Ian disaster relief bus while serving Christ through Samaritan’s Purse (SP). What began as an act of total surrender has blossomed into a love story to span the ages.”

David and I posed with our Samaritan’s Purse team in October 2022 in front of the home of Herm and Nancy in Ft. Myers, FL. (David is in the back row, second from the right. I am on the far right, front row.)

Three years later, the love that David and I feel for one another is stronger than ever. My stomach still does a quick flip when David smiles at me ardently upon entering the room. We both sigh with contentment when we “huggle” (an original David and Saraism, meaning a combination of hugging and snuggling) while watching TV, falling asleep, and waking up together. We still pray with our arms wrapped around each other at every meal. We work together on chores such as cooking, washing dishes, and yard work on a regular basis. And I must say that, for someone who has always been a loner, my experience being a part of “Team Olson” is pretty spectacular.

But where does all this affection come from? What is our secret?

The answer is simple: God. Matthew 19:26 reminds us that “With God, all things are possible.”

David and I have never been alone in our relationship. From the very beginning, God has always been right here with us. It is His love that surrounds us, first and foremost. It is His strength that keeps us strong. Ecclesiastes 4:11-13 explains this principle this way, “If two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

“We met on a church bus,” David and I often tell others before beginning the story of how God brought the two of us together. We fell in love while serving our Savior. We were both dirty, sweaty, unpretentious people who saw each other in the truest light possible. There is no falsehood when you’re serving Christ in a disaster zone.

David and I joke that we courted in Home Depot, while picking up supplies to help a husband and wife whose home David was rebuilding for them after the hurricane. In my Turning Trials Into Triumph – Samaritan’s Purse Deployment, Part 6 blog post, I explained how all of this came to be.

“We serve a risen Savior who will always turn our trials into triumphs,” I wrote, “We have only to surrender all the pieces of our broken puzzles for our Divine Creator to put us back together again.”

*David and I volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse in Ft. Meyers, FL the day after he proposed to me – on Dec. 13, 2022.*

And so, here David and I are today: still as much in love as we were when God brought us together. We may not have known at the time of our initial meeting that we loved one another, but God did. He knew before we were born that we were destined to be together. He knew that we had to get through all the mud and muck of our messy lives to learn, grow, and become the people that now fit together like two proverbial peas in a pod. Had we met earlier, we might not have been the people who could have fallen in love so quickly. I might not have responded to David’s proposal, just two short months after we met, “A million, trillion, kabillion times ‘Yes!’” had God not made David the man he is now.

And David might not have known I was the one for him had he, too, not seen me showing God’s love in Florida. We both had to be there, at that moment, in total surrender to our Creator, for everything to come together the way it did.

*Three years post-meeting, David and I broke out our SP shirts to celebrate the occasion by “huggling” on the couch.*

As “Jesus [is] the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), so, too, He is the author and finisher of our love story. Without prayer, David and I wouldn’t be as close as we are. And without our daily commitment to reading God’s Word, we wouldn’t be growing stronger in our faith and commitment to our Savior.

The truth is, there are three participants in our marriage: David, me, and God. Our Creator keeps us strong. He keeps us faithful – to Him and to each other. He guides us in our actions toward one another and to Him. He “keep(s) [our] tongues from evil and [our] lips from telling lies.” (Psalm 34:14)

*Even at a church luncheon, David and I always sit close and take photos with our heads touching.* (October 12, 2025)

We “Trust in the Lord with all [our] hearts, and do not lean on [our] own understanding. In all [our] ways [we] acknowledge him, and He [makes] straight [our] paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

David and I are two imperfect people – but we have God and each other, which means we have everything we need. Because of Christ, we both know love, true love, like we’ve never known before.

I bought a sign at an estate sale years ago that graces the upper wall of our screened porch. While David and I have straightened the sign numerous times, it always seems to shift and hang crooked above our seating area. It’s too high on the wall to straighten without bringing a ladder inside to do so. Truthfully, I like its crooked positioning as it’s emblematic of our lives. The sign reads, “We may not have it all together, but together, we have it all.”

*Our perpetually crooked sign hangs on the wall of our screen porch.*

With Christ as our center, tethered around us, we do have it all. He doesn’t ask us to be perfect. He asks us to give everything to Him.

David and I don’t know what God has in store for the rest of our days, but we know He does – and that’s enough for us. We trust Him, completely. He’s brought us this far, and He will see us through.

If the World Hated Me, It Will Also Hate You

By Sara | September 28, 2025

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.'” (John 15:18-27)

It finally dawned on me why there is so much toxic vitriol directed at Charlie Kirk. It’s not about the man who stood fearlessly for his faith, freedom, and family at college campuses across our country. Ultimately, this is all about God.

From the moment a sniper’s bullet hit Kirk, many people celebrated this violent act. Videos of people clapping, cheering, and celebrating the death of a 31-year-old father, husband, and Christian man are visible all across social media. When word spread that Charlie was dead, the evil rhetoric didn’t end – in fact, it intensified. The more Kirk’s friends, associates, and even our president lauded him, the more people seemed to justify their hatred of this conservative leader.

Where does all this anger come from? How can so many people find it acceptable to celebrate the death of someone they didn’t even know? Is this all about Charlie’s political views, or is it more about his Biblical stances?

Charlie Kirk was a man of God. He spoke unashamedly about Biblical truths related to traditional marriage. Charlie attested to the spiritual, mental, and emotional values of celebrating one’s God-given gender and living in a traditional, heterosexual marriage. Unfortunately, such talk in today’s cultural environment is considered by many to be a form of hate speech. In fact, had Charlie espoused such beliefs in the U.K., he could have been arrested and incarcerated for simply sharing Biblical concepts in a public setting, as Pastor John Sherwood was. In fact, a recent Telegraph article, published on Sept. 3, 2025, details how an average of over 30 people are being arrested daily in the U.K. for violating new hate speech laws. Their “crimes” include such things as praying outside abortion facilities, using the wrong pronoun for trans individuals, or even posting negative information about one’s boss.

Photo credit: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/03/the-victims-of-britains-free-speech-crackdown

According to PreventHate.org, Section 4 of the U.K. Public Order Act 1986 makes it illegal to use “words or behaviors that are threatening, abusive, or insulting and that are likely to cause annoyance, alarm, or distress to another person.” Such a perceived offense can be deemed criminal under these new laws – a frightening concept.

Political correctness now means that anything less than complete acceptance of who, what, and how others are living may be deemed hateful by others, to the point where such perceived “hate” is legally worthy of arrest, incarceration, or even – in Kirk’s case – death.

Although this anger is being manifested at a man who can no longer defend himself, logically speaking, the one they’re angry at is God. The outcry may be perceived to be against Charlie, yes. But Kirk’s stances were our Creator’s. His arguments were intended to spark debate and encourage others to delve deeper into God’s Word. To argue with Kirk is to rage against the wisdom of the Almighty.

Charlie spoke only what God’s word tells anyone who reads the Holy Scriptures. Anything outside of God’s grace is sinful. We’re all sinners in need of a savior. That’s the gospel truth. It may be uncomfortable, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate.

Aaron Edwards, a theology professor at Cliff College in England and father of five, knows a thing or two about being hated for taking a Biblical stance against homosexuality. After warning his peers about accepting a 2023 vote to accept same-sex marriage within the British Methodist church, he was suspended, fired, and ultimately evicted from his home. School officials also threatened to report him to the U.K.’s anti-terrorism office, Prevent.

Similarly, Bernard Randall, Christian chaplain at the Church of England (CofE), was reported to Prevent and ultimately forced out of his role for “telling students in a chapel sermon that it was OK to question LGBTQ ideology.” Randall told Christian Concern, “My story sends a message to other Christians that you are not free to talk about your faith. It seems it is no longer enough to just ‘tolerate’ LGBT ideology. You must accept it without question, and no debate is allowed without serious consequences. Someone else will decide what is and what isn’t acceptable, and suddenly you can become an outcast, possibly for the rest of your life.”

In Kirk’s case, as with these British clergymen, there was never any rebuke or directive, telling anyone how to live. Instead, all three of these men urged anyone who would listen to consult with God’s guidebook – the Bible – to obtain that advice. Repeating such wisdom isn’t hateful. It’s loving. It’s up to each of us, individually, to determine whether we want to read, heed, and obey God’s Word. Since people like Kirk’s killer can’t go after God for His message, they’re more than happy to attack people like Kirk for being a spokesperson for the same.

The amount of kindness, decency, patience, and love we demonstrate in sharing this message doesn’t seem to matter. Anything less than total acceptance of an alternate opinion is deemed hateful in today’s culture.

Worse than that, many have been conditioned to perceive the lack of acceptance as worthy of death. To put it more bluntly, anyone who stands for God rather than humanity doesn’t deserve to live. They deserve a bullet. They will reap what they sow. These messages and more have been circulating since Kirk’s death, and they are a sad testament to the degradation of our society.

The good news is that God’s love is more powerful than evil. It is a consuming fire. The devil may think he won the day by wreaking havoc, mayhem, and death across our nation with the recent slew of terror attacks against Christians, but all he’s done is empower those of us who see past our present traumas to God’s all-knowing purpose in bringing good out of every evil act. Over the past few months, Satan spurred Tyler Robinson into firing a bullet into the neck of Charlie Kirk in September, Robin Westman into killing two children and injuring 18 more at a Minneapolis Catholic school in August, and Thomas Jacob Sanford to drive his car through the front doors of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Michigan on Sunday, September 28^th. Following his crash, Sanford began randomly shooting into the congregation of over 100 people, killing two and critically injuring another. Two additional victims later died in an ensuing fire set by Stanford, which also decimated the church building.

These acts of terror were seemingly enacted against those whose only perceived crimes were being Christian. It’s up to the rest of us to stand firm in our faith and demonstrate forgiveness in the face of such evil.

Kirk’s legacy, beliefs, and desire to show courage in the face of hate will live on forever. Charlie’s willingness to speak truth and love to a world filled with lies and deception is no longer just his mission. We are all Charlie Kirk now.

Even more critical than following in Kirk’s footsteps, we must model ourselves after Christ. If we must emulate anyone, it should be Jesus. Let us, as Christians, go forward in faith, remembering the one who died on a cross in demonstration of His love for us. The world hated Christ, just as they hated Charlie – and all Christians around the world. Now, more than ever, we can’t let hatred stop us from showing God’s love to those who need a Savior.

Dr. Ben Carson reminded those viewing Kirk’s memorial service that an assassin may have ended Kirk’s life at 12:24 pm, but the gospel of John tells us in chapter 12, verse 24 that “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Drawing from this parallel, we can take comfort in knowing that many more lives will be committed to a greater purpose in living for Christ as a result of witnessing Kirk’s testimony – in life and in death.

Psalm 56:4 reminds us, “In God I will praise His Word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Let us all stand firmly for Christ – no matter the cost.

The world hated Jesus, and it will also hate us. Let us always show love and forgiveness in return. After all, they will know we are Christians by our love.

All my stuff’s here

By Sara | August 10, 2025

For the first two years of our marriage, David and I split our time living between his Virginia Beach house and mine in Georgia. Such arrangements were necessary while he finished renovating his former 1963 home to sell it in late December 2024. As David returns to VA Beach this week to work on a side job with one of his dearest friends, I’m reminded of one of our favorite David and Sara-isms that still makes us laugh.

Until the final week we moved out of what we called our “northern guest home,” we maintained two separate households. Each of these properties had all the comforts we needed to live there for weeks, if not months, at a time. In addition to our clothing, each house had beds, pots and pans, towels, plates, and even TVs. More important than all the comforts of these homes, most of David’s tools resided in VA Beach, where he needed them to complete his renovations.

With such a long interval of living between the two states, the reality of David’s final move to GA still seemed surreal, once complete. In one instance, earlier this year, David offered to help our local church with a small job: replacing some roof shingles after a windstorm.

As he shared his commitment with me after our Sunday service, I had to stop myself from asking a question David knew was on my mind.

“Do you have…” I began, before stopping myself short.

“I have everything I need,” David said, laughing. “All my stuff’s here. I live here now.”

“I didn’t even have to finish my sentence,” I chuckled in return. “You knew exactly what I was thinking.”

“I did,” David said,” because I was thinking the same thing!”

Since then, David and I use this phrase often: “All your stuff is here.” Doing so always makes us laugh.

How often do we forget that our earthly dwellings are only temporary? Not enough, I suspect. I’m guilty of often doing so, myself. I get so caught up in the day-to-day busyness of our lives and all the things I need and want to accomplish that I often forget that this place is not my forever home. My life here is only temporary.

*God provided David with a beautiful double-rainbow to accompany him on his drive to VA Beach.*

It’s easy to get caught up in the here and now, and even what is happening tomorrow. While all of that is important, our worries and strivings for what we have and hope to have pale compared to what God has in store for us.

Matthew 6 admonishes us, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (V 19-21)

I freely admit that, having to start over 3 times in my adult life, I place too high a value on the things I’ve been able to secure for my home. Apart from the furniture and coastal decor I acquired from various estate sales over the years, I drive a cute yellow Hyundai Veloster and have way too many clothes and shoes. In short, I have a lot of “stuff” – much more than I need.

*The rainbow that graced David’s journey north stretched across the road he was traveling.*

I know I “can’t take it with me” when my Heavenly Father calls me home, so I should be more heavenly-minded to do more earthly good. Like David’s tools in Georgia, all my stuff’s here. I need to concentrate more on what I’m doing for Christ’s kingdom – consistently being Christ’s hands and feet to everyone I meet and work with. I need to give more for the furtherance of His gospel worldwide. I must “lay up for [myself] treasures in heaven” rather than worrying about what I have while I’m on earth.

*The further David drove, the more he marveled at the beautiful double rainbow that covered the highway.*

1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds us, “’What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ — the things God has prepared for those who love Him.” That’s what I need to concentrate on.

I need to change the phrase to “All my stuff’s there.” That’s where I need it to be. Heaven is my eternal home. I can’t wait to see what my Heavenly Father has in store for me there.

Maintaining a healthy heart

By Sara | May 19, 2025

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

Life with Blondie and Brownie, our new dogs, has already been a fantastic journey. From the moment they arrived, our lives drastically altered. We wake earlier, exercise more, and have learned to adapt to prevent the steady slew of chewed reading glasses, chair edges, and ripped dog beds that the two formerly greeted us with each morning. As frustrating as damaged property may be, our fur babies bring us joy and laughter daily. We wouldn’t exchange that for anything.

While the pair began their heartworm treatment on the first day they were rescued in Puerto Rico, their oral pills were nothing compared to the shots they’ll receive over the next month. Our vet administered the first of their three-shot regimen this past week.

*Our fur babies waited patiently at the vet’s office following their* *first heartworm shots.*

Per the American Heartworm Society (AHS), melarsomine is the only approved adulticide that can successfully treat and eliminate the disease. That being said, “melarsomine is [also] an arsenical with potentially serious side effects.” In addition to the crucial importance of injecting this drug into a precise location in a critical manner to avoid any medical issues, the cure can be as frightening as the foot-long worms that are currently living inside our fur babies.

*Blondie and Brownie will be sporting the same shaved spots over their epaxial (lumbar) muscles over the next few months, during treatment.*

Essentially, our vet has administered a form of arsenic to our dogs to kill their parasites. As awful as that sounds, it’s equally terrifying to consider that these dead or dying worms will pervade our dogs’ bloodstreams over the next two months before they’re slowly absorbed into their systems. In short, these foreign bodies could act as embolisms, causing catastrophic damage. We must keep our fur babies calm and limit physical activity to keep their blood pressure down to prevent the same. Easier said than done.

*A sleepy Blondie relaxed on his bed after consuming his first calming chew.*

Rather than crate them over the next few months, we’re utilizing a combination of prescriptive Trazodone in the mornings and calming chews with chamomile and melatonin before bed. So far, so good.

*Brownie was much calmer after consuming his first dose of Trazodone.*

As we walk through this process, I can’t help but think about Proverbs 4:23, which reminds us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Christians must protect our hearts, minds, and bodies from anything that can distract, pervade, and lead us away from Christ – no easy task while living in a culture permeated with materialism, idolatry, and sensuality. While society may say, “if it feels good, do it,” Christians must be mindful that “if Christ wouldn’t do it, neither should I.”

Developing this mindset requires strict adherence to Biblical values, a disciplined schedule of scripture reading, selective viewing of media options, and a discerning selection of friends. I’ve always been particularly mindful of who I hung out with. I never needed a slew of friends and always lived by the idea that having a single friend I could trust and count on was all I ever needed. I still believe that to be true.

As Solomon said in Proverbs 12:26, “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” The same can be said of those we choose to date or marry. Earlier in life, I trusted too much and leaned more on my emotions than the sound Biblical wisdom I should have listened to. I thought I could “change” my exes and bring them to God. I now know that God is the only one who can change anyone, and only if they want to change.

I’m blessed to have a Godly husband as my faithful partner, confidant, and best friend. David shares my values and strives to grow in His love of Christ. It’s God’s love that intertwines our hearts. He is the cord that ties us together and protects us.

I’m struck by how vital healthy hearts are to the well-being of all living creatures. While Blondie and Brownie developed their heartworms through the transmission of infected mosquitoes, our hearts can easily become diseased and infected by the company we keep, the thoughts we allow entry into our minds, and the things that occupy our time.

While our dogs had no one to give them preventives to keep them safe from the parasites, we each have a choice as to what measures we’ll take to protect our hearts from going astray. Choosing Christ is the best defensive measure one could ever take to prevent heart disease.

In the case of Blondie and Brownie, they will never be without their monthly heartworm pills.

As a Christian, I will stay true to my daily regimen of prayer and praise to stay rooted in Christ and focused on His wisdom. After all, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard [my] heart and [my] mind in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

May it be so for all of us.

Let Them See You In Me

By Sara | February 3, 2025

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

In November 2024, I spent two weeks working in Marshall, NC, while serving in my former role. While those two weeks were incredibly stressful, there were moments that stood out as they reminded me that I was there for God’s purpose – to show the Light of Christ to the world.

One particular exchange during the second week of that interval will always remain with me. As usual, I had made a lunch run, venturing out from the remote location where my workplace was building a retreat center in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. Just after lunch, one of the senior executives from the London office turned back to where I was sitting to thank me for getting everyone’s food. As I smiled and gave her my typical “My pleasure” response, she stopped mid-stride and returned to me.

“You have the most beautiful smile, Sara,” she began. “I truly mean that. It’s not just your smile. It’s more that when you smile, your whole existence lights up.”

“Thank you,” I replied, smiling again. “It’s not me. It’s what’s inside me that you see.”

Amid all the darkness of the company I worked for, their New Age talk and practices consuming me then, that brief encounter made me happy – particularly because my boss at the time heard the entire exchange. While she didn’t comment, I saw her look at me before turning away after hearing my response.

That’s why I’m here, I remember thinking at the time. I’m here to show God’s Light to you. While I later regretted not clarifying by saying, “It’s who is inside me that you see,” I knew I would be more specific if given another opportunity to do so.

Much to my delight, the opportunity to speak about this topic again came sooner than I could ever have anticipated.

Having tendered my two-week notice of resignation a month later, my boss precisely detailed who she felt I should notify about my departure. Thankfully, the British executive I’d met in NC was someone she wanted me to reach out to.

“She really liked you,” my boss explained. “Make sure you let her know you’re leaving.”

Seizing this opportunity to refine the comments I’d made the previous month better, I did so in my notification.

“I must begin by thanking you for your kindness during your visit to Marshall in November,” I began. “While I tendered my letter of resignation earlier this week, I will take fond memories of all those gracious to me when I leave – you being chief among them.

“I will never forget how you told me my smile lit up my entire existence and that there is a glow about me,” I continued. “At the time, I said that it’s what’s inside me that you see. I should have clarified that it is really who is inside me that shines forth. That Light is my Savior, Jesus Christ. As I mentioned to [my boss], there is a difference between being a Christian and having a relationship with Jesus Christ. I have the latter. While I hoped this relationship could exist alongside my work here, I now know it cannot – hence my departure. I already exist in a place of peace, wisdom, and love, which allows me to walk away and accept God’s guidance for my next steps.

“All that being said, I greatly admire you and all those choosing to show love to the world with your whole being. I am doing the same – just in a different manner through a different source. I hope and pray that you can understand and feel the same one day. In the meantime, you remain in my heart and prayers. Never forget how precious you are. Most appreciatively, Sara.”

While I had no idea how this correspondence would be received, the response was astounding.

“Dear Sara,” came the reply. “Thank you for your light, your thoughtfulness, your service, and most of all, your love and care.

“On a personal note, I’m so deeply grateful for meeting you and bearing witness to your heartfulness which shines through in all that you are and do. You have such a gentle way and penetrating intelligence, and we are blessed that your bright and loving presence has helped us since your arrival. Wishing you all the love and joy in your next adventure.”

To say that I was stunned by this response is an understatement. I was overjoyed to learn that not only were my words received with the love I wrapped around them but that God’s Light had indeed shown through my everyday actions. That’s what I had hoped for, as that’s how I try to live my life every day.

One profound truth will always remain with me from that job: a vast amount of people live in darkness – many more than I ever realized. Anyone who lives without Christ is living in the dark.

They may appear happy, kind, and full of love – but their love differs from God’s. Their love is conditional and requires steady feeding to remain satiated.

Our Heavenly Father’s love is wholly unconditional and everlasting. Nothing can compare to being loved by the Creator of the universe. Anything else will always come short – yet countless people pursue temporary happiness and worldly pleasure. They seek it in people, drugs, money, and wisdom. They seek it in power, prestige, and even in a “higher consciousness” – as was the case in my former company.

We can’t find peace, wisdom, and love by morphing our minds into another realm. Such an ideal is nothing short of demonic. Only our Heavenly Father can break through the darkness and show us the real Light of the world. Only God can satisfy.

The sad truth is that too often, people don’t even realize they’re living in the dark because they’ve never experienced the true Light of Christ. As Charles Martin explains in his fictional work, The Record Keeper, “People in darkness don’t know they’re in darkness because it’s all they’ve ever known. It’s their world. They navigate primarily by bumping off things that are stronger. Immovable. They don’t know darkness is darkness until someone turns on a light. Only then does the darkness roll back like a scroll. It has to. Darkness can’t stand Light. And it hasn’t. Not since God spoke it into existence.”

Years ago, I remember hearing a sermon describing the importance of our witness: “You may be the only church anyone ever experiences. Make it count.” I might now add that you may be the only reflection of Jesus’s Light someone may ever see. May we never lose an opportunity to shine God’s luminescence into the shadows.

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. As followers of Christ, so also are we. I am His hands and feet, just as I am privileged to be His Light. As Christ said, “You are the Light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives Light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15)

*Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, Tavernier, FL (FL Keys)*

And so, I intend to keep shining. I earnestly pray that Christ’s Light will always be reflected off of me – every day, everywhere I go, and in everything I do. After all, “It’s not me you see, but Christ – the Light of the world – inside of me.”

God uses everything for His purpose

By Sara | September 15, 2024

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38)

I drove from GA to VA Beach three weeks ago with three kitties in tow to bring our fur baby, Bo, to David. Bo hadn’t been doing well due to his age and kidney disease. In the two weeks prior, Bo had almost stopped eating and was getting weaker every day. I knew I had to get him to David while I could, as Bo has been David’s near-constant companion and travel co-pilot for over 12 years.

*Our brave kitty, Bo, is such a fighter.*

Since my arrival in VA Beach and our steady administration of thrice weekly subcutaneous fluids, our Heavenly Father heard our prayers for more time with our beloved fur baby. Bo has since made a remarkable turnaround and is now thriving again. Every day is a gift. That’s blessing number one.

A week after I arrived, David told me he wanted to give away his old refrigerator. He had bought a new stainless steel fridge to match his upgraded kitchen, but his old one was still working perfectly, and we didn’t want to trash it.

“I’ll post it on ‘Everything’s free in VA Beach’ on Facebook and maybe we can get it to someone who needs it,” I suggested. David and his friend Jason pushed the fridge to the driveway’s edge. I took pictures and posted the notice.

An hour later, David informed me that he had saved the appliance from someone who stopped by to take it for scrap. “I told the man I was glad someone could use it,” David said, “That’s when he told me he was going to scrap it. I told him that it worked, and we wanted it to go to someone who needed it.”

“I’m so glad,” I said. “Hopefully, someone will respond to my ad soon.”

A pop-up message on my phone a few hours later advised me that our prayers had been answered. “I need this,” were the simple words I received in response to my ad. I was ecstatic. That was blessing number two – finding someone who would greatly benefit from what God allowed us to give.

*David wanted his old refrigerator to go to someone who really needed it.*

I replied to the respondent, Tiffany, that the fridge was still available, and we were happy it would go to a good home. Tiffany confirmed that it would, as her refrigerator wasn’t keeping things cold. After professing my joy with this news, I asked if she could pick up the appliance that evening or the next day, Thursday.

Tiffany responded that she could get it on Friday after renting a U-Haul. I told her I’d need to check with my husband about keeping it another day, as I knew David was ready for it to be gone.

My next thought was that we have a trailer; we could deliver it to her. I hesitated to ask David as I knew this was a huge request. Instead, I determined to explain the situation to David to see how he’d respond, unprompted.

When David returned from the store, I shared the good news of our recipient – then informed him that we’d have to keep it until Friday since Tiffany couldn’t get a U-Haul until then.

David looked at me without flinching and said, “I can take it to her.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “Will you be able to put it on your trailer upright? It won’t be too heavy?”

“Yes. I’m sure,” David replied. “I’ll strap it in. It’ll be fine.”

“What about your back?” I asked. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself doing this.”

“Ask her if she can get someone to help,” David replied. “Let’s do it!”

That’s when I told David I’d been thinking the same thing. I wanted to ensure he felt good about providing this extra service without suggesting it. With his immediate response, I knew it was the right thing to do —David’s validation of my thoughts was blessing number three.

I then contacted Tiffany to let her know that we could bring the fridge to her if she’d provided us with her address.

“Omg, are you serious?” asked Tiffany. “Yes, I have someone. You both are such a blessing.🙌”

“I am totally serious,” I replied. “It would be our privilege to help you, Tiffany. 🙏”

“If you give us your address and a good time to bring it, we’ll get it there,” I continued. “It will be a gift from God through us to you.”

After providing her address, Tiffany shared, “My kids gonna be in school. They gonna be surprised tomorrow.”

“HOORAY! Christmas in August!” I replied, “I love it!!

“Awesome. Now I don’t have to freeze their milk for cereal anymore,” Tiffany shared. “I’m so happy! 😀”

After telling Tiffany how pleased her news made me, we coordinated a time to bring the fridge to its new home. I also asked if she had someone who could help if we needed it.

“Yes, that [time] will work,” Tiffany replied. “I have my nephew here. He will get it. You and your husband have blessed my family, and I will be forever grateful for you two. 💙”

“Amen,” I replied. “God blesses us every day, so we are just doing what we can to share those blessings with you and any others that we can. We’ll see you in the morning!!!”

The next day, and a few texts later, I’d cleaned up David’s old microwave as Tiffany confirmed that she could use it also. In the meantime, David pulled his trailer around and called me outside to help.

After attempting to push and pull the fridge directly onto the trailer, we knew we needed a different system to load it. David found two long boards in his backyard and screwed them into the wood.

Just as I attempted to push and David pull the fridge up, a truck drove by, pulled over, and a Good Samaritan jumped out to help. David saw him first and told me to stop. After trotting back to help me push, we had the fridge on the trailer ready to strap down.

Better than strapping it alone, David fashioned an ingenious board system around the appliance that he screwed down to keep the fridge from moving. With the straps and boards in place, I snapped photos and told Tiffany we were on our way.

*With the help of a Good Samaritan and David’s ingenious framing system, we loaded David’s fridge on his trailer for special delivery to a family in need.*

Upon arrival in downtown Norfolk, we were met by Tiffany’s nephew, who helped us get the fridge off the trailer and up the steps to their home. After sharing hugs and gratitude, I told Tiffany how God had brought David and me together in FL after Hurricane Ian.

*David helped push his fridge up 3 steps to Tiffany’s porch.*

“We both long to share God’s blessings with others. Now, we’re able to do so together. I hope every time you look at this fridge, you remember that God loves you. Tell your children that, too. You are so important! Never forget that.”

“I won’t,” Tiffany confirmed.

As David and I drove away, I was struck by the fact that however much we give and no matter what we do, we can never outgive God. Our cups are overflowing with God’s mercies every single day. David and I recount our blessings every time we pray. We have each other, first and foremost, which will always be the uttermost tangible gift either of us has ever received from our Heavenly Father. Love is an infinite, unquantifiable godsend for which we will never stop thanking our Creator.

*David and I shared hugs and smiles after the successful hand-off of his former fridge to its new owners.*

Additionally, we have our health, home, and David’s VA Beach house, which we get closer to completing every day. We also have food in our refrigerator and clothes on our backs, and we are safe. We are blessed with everything we need, and God has allowed us to share what we have with others.

*David and his co-pilot Bo were all smiles on their return trip to GA following Bo’s miraculous recovery.*

We also, miraculously, have our sweet Bo-man for a little longer, as God has seen fit to restore him to near-perfect health and surprising vigor since I arrived in VA Beach. We are so grateful for every extra day with him – especially the good days we’ve experienced lately.

Even more so, in giving of ourselves and our abundance, we can share God’s blessings with others. While my interaction with Tiffany was brief, I hope and pray that the words shared and the household appliances gifted will serve as tangible evidence of our Heavenly Father’s goodness, grace, and generosity in her life. Although we’ll never know if anything we did impacted her in any way, our Creator does, and that’s all that matters.

God can use anything and everything for His purpose – even a refrigerator – to reach the lives of those who might never have heard His name or seen Him in any other way. We never know what our Creator will need us to give, what He will ask us to say, or who He wants us to tell it to. All we can do is give, speak, and pray that God will use it all for His divine purpose.

Everything we have is His anyway. All we’re doing is giving back as He directs us.

I got you

By Sara | February 18, 2024

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

For most of my life, Valentine’s Day was a somber reminder of how unloved I always felt. Visits to the store around this holiday always made me feel like I was the oddball, never knowing what it was like to feel truly loved. Worse yet, my desire for unselfish love was called “unrealistic” by my former abusive spouses. The desire to love and be loved that God planted in my heart at a young age was “unachievable,” I was told. As a result, I believed the kind of love I hoped for could never be real. It was a fairy tale, an illusion, a stupid, unattainable, idealistic notion. Sad as that was, I acknowledged and accepted that as reality.

*Wedding day, VA Beach – March 12, 2023*

Mercifully, God thought differently – and sent me David.

Knowing that I am now unconditionally loved every single day still seems surreal to me. And yet, here I am, still in awe of finding my soulmate – the one person God created for me even as he crafted me for him. I still find myself asking my husband, “Are you for real?”

“Every day is Valentine’s Day to us,” I told David in the lead-in to the candy-crusted celebration. “Every day, we have love, love, love – not just on one day of the year. I love you more every day, and that’s never going to change.”

Our love story spans the ages. I never tire of hugging, kissing, and telling David how much he means to me. Our prayers always start by thanking God for “love, love, love.” No matter what passes between us, we are committed to staying as much in love today as we were when David asked me to marry him.

But how can we do so? I can answer that question with a single word – God. God is the cord that ties the two of us together. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Can anyone imagine a love like that? David and I can. Each of us would gladly lay down our lives for one another. We can’t imagine a world where we aren’t together. Isn’t that just how our Creator feels? “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

*Torrey Pines Natural State Reserve, La Jolla, CA – January 2024*

And what about 1 John 4:19, which says, “We love because He first loved us”? Isn’t that precisely why our Creator joined David and me in marriage? We stepped out in faith to show God’s love to strangers, and in return, we can now be the embodiment of His love in action to one another. To David and me, love is precisely what our hearts always hoped for but never thought we’d find.

David and I found one another because of Christ. We know that. We thank God for that – daily, constantly, with every heartbeat. God is the cord that surrounds us. Jesus first demonstrated love by dying on the cross for our sins. And that unique, unselfish love ties the two of us together. We are unbreakable because of Christ.

*Tavernier, Florida Keys, FL – December 2023*

David and I each know that we could have spent the rest of our lives apart, serving God, worshipping our Savior, and praising Him for His mighty love in our lives. Instead, we not only have the Creator’s love but also share that same unquenchable, unexplainable, unbreakable love for one another that He has for the two of us – and all the world that He made. God doesn’t want us to be separated from Him – that’s why He sent His Son to bridge the chasm that would forever separate us from Him – sin. Christ’s sacrifice covered our sins with His love. The perfect blood of the Lamb allows us to live forever with our Creator for all eternity. We have only to acknowledge our sins, proclaim our need for a Savior, accept Jesus as God’s only Son into our hearts, and ask Him to make us new again.

My wish to everyone reading these words is not that you will find your true love on earth but that you will acknowledge Jesus as your Savior first and let Him lead you to His great love. Without Christ, there can be no such thing as perfect love. You must begin with God and keep Him at the forefront of your heart and mind thereafter. Then, and only then, can you find and understand what real love is.

*Valentine’s Day Banquet at our Brunswick GA church – February 2024*

1 John 4:7 reminds us, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” Love isn’t a fairy tale. It’s obtainable and achievable by anyone who asks Christ into their heart. Do so today! Your lonely heart can be filled to overflowing when you invite Christ into your life to become your Savior. I’m a living, breathing testimony to the same.

I’ve always had Christ – and that thought kept me strong enough to hold on. If someone couldn’t love me like Christ could, I would rather be alone. Through all the fires, all the triumphs, and all the brokenness in my life – God was always with me.

And now – thanks to Jesus – I have David.

Invite Jesus inside you and let Him make you whole. He has always held you in the palm of His hand. Once you’ve asked Christ into your heart, you too will be able to say with as much joy as I do that “I got you.”

Category: God’s Love