Getting Some Words Out….

January 5, 2012 / Sara Vincent / 1 Comment

Where do I start? So many thoughts have been in my head for so many days. My computer remains in the shop, so my opportunities to chronicle our days have been limited.

The break from the computer has been incredibly refreshing and eye-opening. Two weeks without it at the beginning of December was just frustrating. But the past ten days of it being buggy, unreliable, and out of commission have actually been kind of nice. Freeing, almost. I have realized how much of a habit my computer had become; an incredible time-eater. Having it out of the house and not even as an option to go look at has made me aware of just how much of my time and attention it was getting. Clearly, I need to redefine the relationship. As part of my goal setting and planning for the new year, I have spent some time making up an early morning schedule that (in theory) should allow me to get the bulk of daily computer work done in the morning, before the girls get up. After that, I think I need to just turn it off. I can do just about anything I need to on my phone, but it’s small size and touch-screen keyboard prevent me from wanting to do excessive browsing and time-killing on it. I have realized that I am very tied to my computer. It is an incredible asset in helping me keep our family running. Menu planning, list making, calendars, bill paying….almost everything is on that machine. But so are a lot of opportunities to be distracted from that which is most important and real. And I need to have my attention here, in real life.

Which brings me to something new for this year. I am doing something I have seen others do; I am choosing a word or a theme for this year. My word is attentiveness – showing the worth of a person or task by giving it my full concentration. My mind is always going, always moving (albeit, sometimes very slowly), and typically it is on the next thing that needs to be done. I am task-oriented to the core and I can go all day without noticing people. I go through WalMart and never notice those around me, except to think that there are way too many people out. I want to pay attention this year. Pay attention to my husband and children; not just what they’re telling me, but what they’re not necessarily telling me, to hear their hearts. I want to pay attention to those around me when I am out. One of the most convicting things I read last year was in Francis Chan’s book Erasing Hell, where he talked about sitting in Starbucks and stopping to look at all of the other patrons and began to wonder about the eternal destination of their souls. I see and encounter people every day. They are not just the cashier at Aldi, the drive-thru clerk at Wendy’s, or the frustrated driver in the other lane. They have real lives, real stories, real hurt, real joy. And the least I can do is notice them and interact with them and (even without words) share the love of Christ with them. And most of all, I want to pay attention to the voice of God. I want to be attuned to that still, small voice. I want to hear Him when He leads my heart or my day in a direction I hadn’t planned.

And because I can’t ever do the simple thing, I have a second word and it goes with being attentive to God. That word is yield. It came to me this morning as I looked at my calendar and saw another day filled with crazy. I’ve written about this and fought this for the past six or eight months. No matter how hard I try, I cannot get our schedule to behave itself. And I know God has some purpose for taking my scheduled self through this and as I said before Christmas, it’s time I stop fighting and learn to yield to it. Yield to the interruptions, yield to the constant going, yield to the fact that my time is actually His time and I am simply to do with it what He tells me to.

Attentiveness. Yield. My words for the year.

I have read some incredible quotes this week. Quotes I want to remember…

First, this one, from Ann…

“Contentment isn’t a state of organization, a weight on the scale, a state of better: better kids, better marriage, better health, better house. Contentment is never a matter of circumstances; contentment is always a state of communion — a daily embracing of God. A thankfulness for all the gifts – and moments and life, just as He gives it. Trying harder may only bring harder trials and contentment, it won’t be be found in the resolutions, but in the revolutions – in the turning round to God.”

And this one, the same day, in my quiet time…

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” (John 16:33 AMP)

And this blog post today, shared by a friend on Facebook.

Momastery: 2011 Lesson #2: Don’t Carpe Diem

I love it. I have so long wanted to write something similar, but could never find the words. I, too, have struggled with the well-intentioned grandmother-types in the grocery stores telling me to “Enjoy every minute!”, “These are the best days!”, “It goes so fast!”. Yes, that is all true…these are the best days and it does go so fast. But let’s be honest, it’s really, really hard. And some days you just want to make it through to bedtime without losing your cool or running away to Jamaica. I’ve often wondered how much we gloss over the hard days as time goes by….kind of like pregnancy and child birth. Although, I still remember both of those very vividly and there’s a reason why I really don’t want to do either again. I equate it more with running, actually. I love running. Rather, I love how running makes me feel. There are days when I love the action of running. But most of the time I hate it. It’s hard and I can’t breathe. I have to get out of my warm bed on dark, cold mornings and it’s highly inconvenient. But I love finishing the run. I love how I feel afterward. I love time with my friends that run with me. I love that post-run feeling so much that every once in a while, I’ll go crazy and sign up for a half marathon which only multiplies the hard and inconvenient. And for 13.1 miles (not to mention the countless miles of training), I will ask myself Why in the heck did I do this to myself? And then I cross the finish line and it feels amazing and I ACTUALLY THINK OF DOING IT AGAIN! I think that’s what these older women do in the grocery stores. They are trying to encourage us by telling us how great it is. But like the author of this post, I would rather they be gently honest. Not dumping on me about every bad thing ahead, but just empathize – These days are hard, but you will get through and you will look back on them fondly. Take a moment to enjoy this season a midst the crazy.

Well, it’s time to go pick up my oldest from art. Here’s to a wonderful 2012 – filled with paying attention and yielding to the will of God.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

A New Year, A New Start

January 3, 2012January 3, 2012 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

It’s January 3 already, and so many thoughts run through my head. I have so many hopes and desires for this new year. This is the first year that I can recall sitting down to set specific goals and creating a plan to achieve them, chief among them – my relationship with my computer – but more on that later. I want to share what I’m thinking, hoping, planning, and I will, but not tonight.

Tonight my thoughts and prayers are with a team of friends, loved ones, and a few strangers that just boarded an airplane that will eventually take them to Haiti. There they will minister to and love on the orphanage children, our girl included. Today I have been far too busy trying to get back into the routine of school with the girls to really think about this, but inside my heart is with them and I would be lying if I said I’m not jealous of my sister-in-law who will get to meet and hold my daughter before I will. 😉

And whether it is in thinking about Haiti or thinking about my goals for the year, I am reminded about practicing contentment and trust and patience and resting in the One who knows the future and has a plan and is worthy of my trust.

For His Glory ~
~ Sara

Week in Review

December 30, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

It’s the end of the week, the end of the month, the end of another year. A recap seems appropriate, but I’m not prepared to review the whole year…maybe next week. 🙂 For now, a recap on this week since I’ve been an absentee blogger anyway.

Christmas was delightful with so much to be thankful for. Most of all, three days of resting and relaxing and enjoying time with my favorite people.

Much of this week, like much of this month, has been filled with computer updates. I upgraded the OS on my Mac on Tuesday and have been trouble-shooting ever since. I’ve honestly been praying about what God’s purpose is with all of my technology troubles this month. I don’t really have any answers yet, but I’m sure it will all come to light eventually. For now, Molly Mac is in the shop as I am DONE trying to fix her and DONE mooching off of helpful friends. Lord willing, she will be up and running properly again soon and we can start 2012 off with updated, smooth-running computer gadgets.

Haiti travel teams are preparing to leave starting next week. The Enemy is on the prowl and we can all feel his attacks. He is defeated and we take comfort in that fact. In the meantime, though, he sure tries to make things hard for those of us “on the ground”.

Tonight I get to take my beloved out to celebrate his birthday. Joy! He turned that magical age of 35 on Tuesday, which means we are officially old enough to adopt from Haiti! 🙂

Matt always seems to get the short end of the celebration stick. A birthday two days after Christmas is hard for me to get used to, even after 13 years of celebrating together. Maybe – hopefully! – one of these years I’ll get my act together and do it up right. 🙂

I am beyond blessed to get to celebrate another year with my love. God has used him in so many ways in my life to change me. I say it all the time, but I cannot imagine doing this life without him and I’m so thankful for the journeys God has led us through and into and I am eager to see what the next year brings. God is so good and life following Him is never boring! Thanks, Matt, for walking this road with me, for leading us all as we follow God. Happy (belated) birthday, my love!

That’s it for us here. I wish you all a wonderful New Year!

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

December 24, 2011December 24, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

Merry Christmas!

May your holiday be filled with those you love and may your heart be filled with love for the Coming King!

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Slowing, Focusing. How Pictures from Haiti Help Me See.

December 23, 2011 / Sara Vincent / 2 Comments

I sit here on Christmas Eve eve. I’m tired. We’ve done a lot of good things this week, but I’m tired of doing and ready to rest. I could have done less, yes. But then I would probably be sitting here today wishing I had done more to share with others this Christmas. And isn’t that the strange way our minds work…no matter what we do, what we do is wrong.

As I look at the calendar pages, past Christmas into next week which runs quickly into January I am amazed that in just a little over a month I will (Lord willing) be able to see, meet, and hold my sweet girl in Haiti. And I think of the pictures brought to us by sweet friends who were visiting their daughter also waiting in Haiti and of the expression on her face as she looked at a picture of us.

And I am floored.

First of all, the hope and love I saw in her eyes. Perhaps not a full experience of love, but more than I ever expected to see this soon. I feel entirely unworthy of any such affections and I am humbled.

Second, though, I think of the hope she has for a future. The way she longs for her future home. For a family. For security. For love. And I think of our own longings and hope for our future. That this world is not our home anymore than Haiti is her permanent home and how Haiti is to America as America is to Heaven, yet the dichotomy is even greater. And I think of how my Jesus, He left that heavenly home to come rescue me, you, her. All of us. He came to our dingy, dirty, sin-soaked world and lived like us and ate like us and walked like us and did everything like us except sin. And as I sit here trying to bite my tired, hormone-infused tongue as I answer the same question for the I-don’t-know-how-manyth-time, I marvel at how He did this life sinlessly since I can’t even do an hour that way. And as I marvel at the how, I can’t help but contemplate the why. Why would He do that? Why would He love a broken humanity that much? Why would He give up everything to come to this dirty, broken world to save a dirty, broken people?

Because He loves us. Because His very nature is love. He is also goodness and holiness and righteousness and justice and glory. But He is love and it is that love the compelled Him to come, to live, to die, to save. And that is the most incredible gift and that is what Christmas is about and that is why Christmas is not the beginnning any more than Good Friday is the end because He has always been and always will be and He has known us since before time and because of His death and resurrection we can know Him for all eternity to come.

He is glorious and He is worthy and He is love. And He is our hope, our true hope.

This Christmas, as I finally finish up all of this baking and cleaning and stuff that in a lot of ways matters only to me, I feel my heart settling, slowing, and focusing. Focusing on a little girl in Haiti who waits expectantly and with hope for an earthly family to love her and take her home. And focusing on a Savior who loved humanity so much He chose to be born in a stable, live life as a man, and die on a tree.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Christmas Traditions

December 22, 2011 / Sara Vincent / 2 Comments

We’ve had a fun month and in particular a fun week of doing some old and new things to prepare for Christmas.

We started out by reading Ann Voskamp’s Jesse Tree devotional. This is our second year reading this wonderful collection. It is free to download on her website.

Another favorite is Max Lucado’s One Incredible Moment. A collection of stories from a variety of his books, we read one a day throughout December. It’s a wonderful way to reflect on the incredible gift of Jesus.

This Christmas season, Matt told me I could spend some money updating our Christmas decorations. I didn’t actually end up spending too much, but it did get my wheels turning and help me to look at our decorations to see what could be updated or changed or redone. It’s been fun! We did some different/new things this year that I’ve really liked, most of them involving cardstock, pictures, ornaments, and ribbon.

First, inspired by a photo posted by my friend Kristen last Christmas, we tied ornaments to ribbon and hung them from the curtain rods in all of the front windows. I haven’t been able to get a very good picture, but they look so lovely, if I may say so myself. 😉

I also decided to try something new with Christmas cards this year. We have two doorways that I drape garlands over. This year I bought black cardstock and some pretty ribbon. I pulled out the old decorative scrapbooking scissors and as Christmas pictures came in, I would adhere the pictures to the card stock, cut a pretty edge, put ribbon on the back, and hang it from the garland. It’s fun to see our friends and family’s smiling faces as we enter our home.

For gift tags this year I decided to print a bunch of pictures from the past year. Some of our girls don’t like to know who is getting what so I had to get creative. So, once again taking black cardstock, decorative scissors, and ribbon, on one side of the card stock I put a picture of who the gift was to, on the other side I put a group or family picture. I taped them by the ribbon to the box with the individual picture facing down. I only did this on our gifts to the girls, so there wasn’t any need to indicate who they were from. It’s so fun to see all their lovely faces on the packages under our tree.

One more decorating thing, I think… We have a beautiful old fireplace in our dining room, but it doesn’t work nor does it have a cover to hide the gas elements or whatever they’re called. For years I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make that part of it more attractive. Well, this year I decided to carry the ornament idea into the dining room. I hung ornaments from the same ribbon as I used in the windows, from the inside of the fireplace. They look lovely! Now I’ll have to figure out what to put there once the decorations come down!

We’ve also watched some of our favorite movies – The Polar Express, Miracle on 34th Street (the old version), and Elf. There are still a few I would like to watch. They include How the Grinch Stole Christmas (maybe I’ll take this one for the kids to watch tomorrow night at my parents’), The Nativity (planned for Christmas Eve sometime), The Christmas Story (on Christmas Day since it usually runs all day long). The only one I’m still trying to fit in is Christmas Vacation. We won’t let the girls watch that one yet, so maybe late one night this weekend.

We also got a little crafty this season (thank you, Pinterest). Grace is working on a couple of different things on her own, but yesterday everyone sat down together and painted ornaments. So easy, so fun, and so beautiful!

And let’s not forget all of the food we’ve made this month. Craziness!

Oh, it’s been a fun season of doing something different! I’m looking forward to this weekend and resting, relaxing, and celebrating His coming with those we love most.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Carrying Christmas On

December 21, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

Christmas draws closer by the moment. As I’ve said, the “hustle and bustle” are over here and we are enjoying slowing down – watching movies, reading books, baking yummy foods, just feeling a greater sense of rest.

I love the beginning of the Christmas season. Putting up the decorations. The delicious smells. The warmth. The wonder and anticipation. The excitement of so many special traditions about to be done again. And each day that passes is somewhat bittersweet, knowing that soon the wonder will be over and life will go on (yes, I have a bit of an inner Eeyore).

But someone shared recently in church that Christmas isn’t the beginning, any more than Good Friday is the end. This Jesus, He is the one who was and is and is to come. So how can we live in the light of Christmas year round? Can we carry this wonder and joy into the new year? Can we experience the mystery of God taking on human flesh on a rainy spring day? Can we delight in the thought of baby Jesus swaddled in the manger when it’s 90 degrees in July? Can we continue to imagine the wise men bowing low as leaves turn gold?

Can we live, as Simeon did, always in anticipation of the arrival of the Messiah? Because He is coming again, you know. We live in a long advent now, always awaiting His return, and shouldn’t our joy and hope be even greater because we know that He is coming back and He will come as a conquering King and He will make all things right?

I do have that inner-Eeyore, a tendency to get down when life gets uncomfortable or inconvenient or just plain mundane. But I want to carry the wonder of Christmas with me, to remember that something even greater is coming, and that we are to wait with eager anticipation for His glory to be revealed.

I’m not sure yet what this looks like, this carrying of Christmas through the year, but I want to continue this sense of wonder and joy, amazement at all He is and is doing and is going to do. Perhaps this is part of what the counting of gifts does. Keeps our eyes open to His goodness to us, His love for us, not just once a year under a tree, but year round as He shows us He loved us enough to die on a tree.

And that is what it’s about, isn’t it? The wonder of it all is that He does love us enough that He came to take on flesh, live life as a man, and die for one such as me, such as you. The wonder of it all!

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a Virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He

Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He

Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

‘Cause living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore

Death could not hold Him
The grave could not keep Him from rising again

Living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day
Glorious day

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my beloved one bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine

Living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day
Glorious day, oh, glorious day

(by Casting Crowns)

Oh, Lord, as Christmas comes and goes, let me never forget the wonder of you. Let me carry through the coming year the mystery of you coming as a babe to die as a man – for me, for all of us. Oh, glorious day!

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Tuesday Night Musings

December 20, 2011December 20, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

So, I had such great plans of keeping this week’s posts focused on Christmas and preparing our hearts, but life, well, it’s life and it does it’s own thing sometimes.

Instead, tonight I’m sitting here typing as I watch The Polar Express with the girls, trying to piece together a cohesive thought after two short nights of sleep.

Apparently this is the month for the Lord to work on my electronic dependencies since the iMac crashed at the beginning of the month and then last night, while trying to upgrade the OS on my iPhone, it crashed too. I bought the software to upgrade my Mac from Leopard to Snow Leopard and then Lion but, in spite of how easy everyone says it is, I’m genuinely afraid to do it with the way things have been going. Matt has made me promise not to even try until after Christmas for fear of the fallout if it goes wrong.

Today we did a full-on purge of Chandler and Ellie’s room. They also rearranged their furniture and Grace and Ellie swapped desks. I’m not sure what will become of all of Ellie’s belongings, as they were simply boxed up and put in a storage area for her to “earn back” as she shows responsibility with what was left for her. Truly most of it probably needs to just go in the trash.

In other news, I feel like I need to make a confession….I quit using the home made laundry soap. 😮 I really did like it and especially enjoyed the savings, but began noticing early this year that our exercise clothes had the horrible stench of perma-sweat. I tried a variety of methods for getting the odor out and even went so far as to just throw away two or three items that seemed to be beyond restoration. I added in Febreze Sport and that made a huge difference, but still I had some odor. So, I decided to try All Free & Clear. Our odor problems are over. Sadly, so is my love affair with home made soap. 😦

I think that’s it for me tonight. Maybe in the morning I’ll be feeling more reflective. 😉

For His Glory ~
~ Sara

Gifts

December 19, 2011December 19, 2011 / Sara Vincent / 1 Comment

It’s the most wonderful time of year. The time of giving and receiving, of blessing and being blessed. A time for gathering and reflecting and rejoicing.

In the past three weeks we’ve had four parties. These things always sound like a good idea in November when we start planning them. 🙂 The last party was Friday night. A wonderful time reflecting on the past year of involvement in Haiti ministry. And now we are into the last week before Christmas. I look forward to putting “projects” aside and focusing on continuing to stir the girls’ hearts in love for Christ, the One who came down to give His life as a ransom for many.

1489. saving money

1490. the last week of school

1491. celebrating God’s goodness in the Haiti ministry

1492. beautiful new pictures of her

1493. fun dinner with fun friends

1494. old Christmas movies that are part of the tradition

1495. friends who take little girls swimming

May your week be filled with the joy of giving, with an eye open to all you’ve been given.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

A Simple List (and a few precious photos)

December 12, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

Computer finally restored. A busy day of catching up and getting ready and staying on task. A quick moment here to chronicle the gifts, the thanks.

1477. release from physical therapy

1478. the second ten year old

1479. restoring files for the second time

1480. a flipped breaker switch that means restoring files for the third time

1481. a God who hears my cry and speaks to me deeply during my quiet time

1482. successful birthday party

1483. sweet friends for my girls

1484. celebrating another year of God’s provision

1485. overflow

1486. pictures worth more than a thousand words, more than a thousand thanks

1487. computer completely restored…just in time

DSCF0057

As Christmas celebrations draw closer and calendar squares nearly burst with activities, may we all be able to pause and remember the One True Gift and all that He so faithfully provides.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara