Gathering Grace, Gathering Manna

February 20, 2012February 20, 2012 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

God gives grace like manna – daily and always enough to meet our need. Why do we not go and gather the grace He freely gives? Why do we choose to limp through our days on our own strength rather than choosing to be carried by the grace of God? Last week I attempted to walk in my own strength as I carried the heavy, heavy burden of all we had seen and experienced in Haiti. This week I start fresh, listing the gifts and falling hard on the grace He gives, thankful for mercies that are new every morning. Counting the gifts is a way of listing the graces, how moment by moment He shows Himself faithful. And He is always faithful.

1541. feeling the Enemy’s attacks again

1542. sorting truth from lies

1543. God’s wild, obvious protection

1544. clean sink

1545. clean floors

1546. friends home from Haiti

1547. wonderful reports about our sweet girl

1548. images of Godly men loving on orphans

1549. a long, slow Saturday at home

1550.projects completed

1551. five days

1552. seventy degree days

1553. details coming together

1554. preparations coming to an end

1555. laundry not folded

1556. house not clean

1557. piles not put away

1558. team packed and ready to go

1559. New York City skyline at night – modern beauty

1560. a long-awaited day – finally here

1561. Lifeline

1562. meeting her

1563. first hugs

1564. a big smile when she sees me

1565. meeting all of these children

1566. hearing “Mama”, “Papa”, “mi Mami, mi Papi”

1567. all of our paperwork for our embassy appointment!

1568. Misterline

1569. Gretchen

1570. Miliane

1571. wrestling emotions

1572. feeling connected

1573. no power, no a/c

1574. church in Haiti

1575. roosters crowing all night long

1576. praising God together

1577. beautiful Shela

1578. praying and singing with all the girls

1579. missing home

1580. I-600 filed!

1581. Titi the driver

1582. food distribution

1583. beautiful, hungry people

1584. joy and hope amidst poverty, extreme poverty

1585. seeing her smile again

1586. that bottom lip

1587. working in the dirt

1588. Nicole’s story

1589. opening the floodgate of tears

1590. unpacking a lot of emotion

1591. going home soon

1592. Haiti beach

1593. watching the older kids “swim”

1594. roommates

1595. Aicha

1596. braided hair

1597. last night here

1598. girls singing

1599. sharing, reflecting, praying

1600. hard, hard good byes

1601. home

1602. beautiful basket from a friend, food for the whole weekend

1603. Haiti smells, Haiti memories

1604. daily seeing their faces in my mind

1605. knowing God holds them even when we cannot

1606. school year that drags on difficult

1607. a day set aside to show love

1608. mental, heart fog that hangs heavy

1609. wandering, feeling lost, directionless

1610. broken washer, thermostat, all these earthly things

1611. music – a soothing balm that flows from my phone, with me everywhere I go

1612. Psalm upon Psalm that directs me in the way

1613. a long nap with a snuggly six year old

1614. arms that feel so empty

1615. friend that lets me invade her house and use her washing machine while mine sits useless

1616. days that feel like I’m banging my head on a wall

1617. weeks that feel that way too

1618. beginning to see truth amidst the confusion, to see God’s purpose

1619. dinner with friends that understand, encourage, challenge

1620. a working washing machine!

1621. a Saturday at home

1622. still processing our Haiti experience

1623. seeing His grace in all these past ten days

We are able to have as much of God as we want. Christ puts the key to His treasure chest in our hands and invites us to take all we desire. If someone is allowed into a bank vault, told to help himself to the money, and leaves without one cent, whose fault is it if he remains poor? And whose fault is it that Christians usually have such meager portions of the free riches of God? ~ Alexander MacLaren (Streams in the Desert, February 20)

May you drink deeply of God’s great riches in grace and mercy this week and may your eyes be opened to the manna that is always before you, the daily, moment-by-moment renewing of His grace.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

A List with Pictures

January 23, 2012 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

As I continue to give humble thanks for the gift that was last week and the weekend, and as we prepare to open up a new week of learning, living, and practicing grace, a quick list and some pictures I found yesterday from this past summer.

1535. a completely different week – blessing!

1536. date night

1537. family night

1538. quiet Sunday

1539. ten more days

1540. generosity of friends

Wishing you a week of beauty and thanksgiving….

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Praising in the Storm

January 16, 2012 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

The storms they’ve raged. Every day. Wild and hard. Beating. Exhausting. They’ve raged not in extreme circumstances, but in the mundane, the every day. We battle minute-by-minute for grace, strength.

Some of life’s storms – a great sorrow, a bitter disappointment, a crushing defeat – suddenly come upon us. Others may come slowly, appearing on the uneven edge of the horizon no larger than a person’s hand. But trouble that seems so insignificant spreads until it covers the sky and overwhelms us.

Yet it is in the storm that God equips us for service. When God wants an oak tree, He plants it where the storms will shake it and the rains will beat down upon it. It is in the midnight battle with the elements that the oak develops its rugged fiber and becomes the king of the forest.

The beauties of nature come after the storm. The rugged beauty of the mountain is born in a storm, and the heroes of life are the storm-swept and battle-scarred.

The wind that blows can never kill

The tree God plants;

It blows toward east, and then toward west,

The tender leaves have little rest,

But any wind that blows is best.

The tree that God plants

Strikes deeper root, grows higher still,

Spreads greater limbs, for God’s good will

Meets all its wants.

There is not storm has power to blast

The tree God knows;

No thunderbolt, nor beating rain,

Nor lightning flash, nor hurricane;

When they are spent, it does remain,

The tree God knows.

Through every storm it still stands fast,

And from its first day to its last

Still fairer grows.

~ Streams in the Desert, January 16

1519. iMac back (again)

1520. feeling human again

1521. sweet, thoughtful text messages

1522. the blessing of friendship

1523. knowing who our enemy is

1524. knowing the victory is already won

1525. perspective on my own problems

1526. mini-Maacs

1527. moving on to Kansas City

1528. fighting hard against the enemy’s attacks

1529. relaxed dinner with friends

1530. pictures from Haiti – such a gift

1531. a quiet Sunday afternoon

1532. planning another week of school

1533. children and their imaginations

1534. peace in the storm

May you praise Him wherever He has you this week.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Counting Again

January 9, 2012 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

Monday. The second one of the new year. Last week slipped by, still a holiday. Today tries to get away as well.

Sick this morning with a stomach bug generously shared by my beloved (he’s a giver!), I didn’t get up early and the whole day has felt behind and as I look again and again at the to do list on my phone I feel heavy and frustrated that so little has been accomplished. And my spirit reminds me of my desire to yield this year, to put my own agenda aside and trust Him with my days and my to dos and some things will just have to wait.

But He still gives generously, even when the task list runs long and daunting and the stomach turns and discouragement threatens nearby. So in these few moments before dinner, before ballet and gymnastics, and a couple of hours in the car, I begin again to list the gifts. I pick up where I left off, but I take Ann’s challenge to list 1000 in a year. A new journal, fresh pages to list the love gifts, both laughter-filled and cried over, because if the easy things He gives are gifts, aren’t the hard things too?

1496. a week of slow

1497. crafts

1498. baking

1499. movies

1500. girls afternoon out with Grandpa

1501. impromptu dinner date with the hubs

1502. working iPhone

1503. Christmas weekend – so many good gifts!

1504. a slower week

1505. he’s 35!

1506. celebrating the gift he is to me

1507. home office, 3.0

1508. quiet New Year’s Eve at home

1509. the end of a wonderfully long, much-needed break

1510. one month until I meet her

1511. four days without a computer; realizing how much time it eats

**1512. a new year, a new list

1513. the challenge to count 1000 gifts in one year

1514. an afternoon out with the oldest

1515. Sunday

1516. thing checked off instead of put off

1517. sick on a Monday

1518. continually yielding my schedule to His

Will you join me this year in counting the gifts? Will you take the challenge to count 1000 before the curtain closes on 2012? It’s not hard. His gifts are all around us, if we will only open our eyes to see them.

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

Listing His Graces

December 5, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

I sit here on the cold living room floor, iMac hardwired to the internet as Carbonite continues to work its magic and restore my hard drive. And while files find their proper places again, the gifts they keep coming and I keep counting. In this season of gifts and giving, what better way to celebrate the ultimate Gift than by counting the daily gifts and graces He gives?

1461. sewing projects that just won’t go right

1462. morning devotions

1463. crashed hard drive

1464. (hopefully) backed up files

1465. appointment at the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince

1466. Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb

1467. old friends far away who help me troubleshoot my Mac

1468. new friends nearby who help me fix it

1469. iPhone and iPad that keep me connected and productive

1470. curtain project finished!

1471. cookie baking

1472. six free gift tickets to watch our favorite college team play basketball

1473. files being restored

1474. Elf

1475. decorating the tree with girls that are old enough to actually be helpful

1476. exterior Christmas lights, an annual love gift from my beloved

May your eyes be opened this week to His gifts.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Gifts

November 28, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

This is the day that I have made! As you rejoice in this day of life, it will yield up to you precious gifts and beneficial training. Walk with Me along the high road of thanksgiving, and you will find all the delights I have made ready for you.

To protect your thankfulness, you must remember that you reside in a fallen world, where blessings and sorrows intermingle freely. A constant focus on adversity defeats many Christians. They walk through a day that is brimming with beauty and brightness, seeing only the grayness of their thoughts. Neglecting the practice of giving thanks has darkened their minds. How precious are My children who remember to thank Me at all times. They can walk through the darkest days with Joy in their hearts because they know that the Light of My Presence is still shining on them. Rejoice in this day that I have made, for I am your steadfast Companion.

~ Jesus Calling, November 26

1450. shares that humble

1451. friends that discover the head lice before they come over

1452. the gift of the opportunity to encourage others

1453. early morning fog

1454. two hundred pairs of shoes donated

1455. eighty-plus health profiles

1456. a day of baking to celebrate thanks

1457. easy lunch buffets and an afternoon when it’s okay to graze

1458. a Thanksgiving day bike ride

1459. another six year old

1460. encounters that help me learn grace, practice thanks in all things

May your coming week be filled with blessings. May you not be able to count all the gifts He gives.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Giving Thanks

November 21, 2011November 21, 2011 / Sara Vincent / 1 Comment

It’s Monday morning and the beginning of a week of Thanksgiving but we count the gifts always here, trying to make a life of thanks-living. Pastor teaches yesterday on the value of a grateful heart and that God’s grace is at the center of all giving thanks. And he teaches how an ungrateful heart has forgotten the gospel and that the place in our heart created for thanksgiving will be filled with something dark, sinister, if it is not overflowing with praise to the One who gave all. And I think of my Savior, how He took the bread, broke it, and gave thanks, knowing it was His body that would be broken, His blood that would be poured out. And even still, He gave thanks. How can I not give thanks in the midst of my light and momentary struggles? How can I not praise Him in the midst of our daily storms?

Some days it is hard. The flesh cries foul at the seeming injustice of it all and the heart weighs heavy, weary that things will never change. What if they never do? Can I continue on in praise to Him? Can I continue to seek His will, to be molded into the image of the Son, even if my circumstances never change? The only other option is bitterness. I can praise or I can resent. I can give thanks or I can complain. My heart can continue to be made softer still or my heart can grow hard within me.

I do not want to be what the world tells me I deserve to be. I want to love the unlovable. I want to return kindness in the face of hatred. I want to bow my head in prayer when the flesh cries out to scream.

The practice of listing the gifts, intentional thanks, opens my eyes to what He gives. If everything is from His hand, I can trust Him that it is worth giving thanks for. And so I look, I watch for those God-gifts. Little things. Big things. All things.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

1444. Christmas shopping

1445. seventy degrees in mid-November

1446. decorations up

1447. tired ears that mean a fun day with my girls

1448. timely messages on Sunday morning

1449. a week of focused thanks