But What About Jesus?

So my last blog post was right after my birthday. And it breaks my heart to realize I have written five or six drafts since then, but this is the first moment I was able to take a deep breath and actually write. I have still been writing, but not necessarily the way I love. I’m the head of the blog for a non-profit organization called Speak Now. I’ve talked about it several times here, but if you haven’t had the time. CHECK. IT. OUT. I love the heart of the organization and the cause and everything. Mommy and I take turns posting on the site. Our posts go up twice a week, and I’m gonna be real. You don’t want to miss out. Here’s the link: SPEAK NOW.

My only issue is that I can’t talk about Jesus on the blog. Ellie Coburn, who is a good friend and the CEO and Founder of Speak Now (and only 17. My WORD this gal is awesome!!) is a Christian and I know her heart seeks after the Lord, but she believes we can’t encourage women while preaching about Jesus too because it scares off a lot of our followers. And I see her reasoning and respect that decision. It’s not a coincidence though that almost all of our board of representatives are Christ followers. Jesus is working here. So if you wouldn’t mind, join me in prayer that my secular words can reach out to these souls and show them Jesus.

And this kind of brings me to what is most heavily on my heart these days. The prayer I have so repeatedly prayed and the ache in my soul just keeps asking… WHERE. IS. JESUS?? I do not doubt The Almighty One and I don’t question The Author of Time, but this world is just so lost and so empty. I feel like my actions over this school year have been so of the flesh, and not of my God. So in humble conviction I hit my knees whispering… Where is Jesus??

I looked around my school’s campus as the school year came to a close and just asked… What is all this for if not for Jesus?

Looking through this building and through the bustle of the backpacks and said… But why are we working if not for Jesus?

I earned straight A’s this semester making my sophomore year GPA a 4.0 ——> Praise the Great Lion of Judah! But what are all my efforts for if not for Jesus? Why do I study so diligently about meaningless pieces of history or write essays about forgotten pieces of literature instead of studying and writing about the gospel. isn’t THAT the story that needs to be told and told again?

So for now, I will just keep on keeping on. Seeking His Goodness in this world of sin and darkness. Attempting to be a beacon of light in this dark and empty place.

Life Lessons with a side of Urban Air

Oh. My. Good. Gracious. I am 20!! 20?!?!?! What?

This was me on the day I was born… Daddy holding me. Man this is cute.

I was reminiscing about my previous years of life thus far (like I usually do on my birthday) and I have decided a couple things.

{1} I have become my mother. I cannot deny it anymore. Seriously. I couldn’t find my coffee for like 20 minutes today and then I found it in the microwave. Which for those of you who may not know, that is a classic Kim Moog move. It was so funny and it made me realize it was inevitable that I would become her. And I am ok with that.

{2} I am LOST without Christ. And I would say I have known this for a while, but the older I become and the longer I have been a Christian; I am realizing this more and more. While it is my 20th birthday, it is almost my 4th birthday in Christ. And it was’t until the other day that I realized I am just a baby in all of this. It’s ok that I don’t have everything right. It’s ok that I still struggle with even the most basic of devoted tasks and disciplines in faith. I keep TRYING and I keep FAILING and God keeps FORGIVING and REDEEMING. His love amazes me more and more each day.

{3} Friends are worth keeping. I would say my 19th year was a lonely lonely year. A hard year in school, a hard year emotionally, and just an all around tough year. But it also was filled with so many blessings. And as it came to a close God started to remind me that maybe the reason I am so lonely is because I felt like I wasn’t worth friends and friends weren’t worth me. I didn’t want to be around people. But the Holy Spirit whispered softly to me, that people love me. And I love people. I am a people person that tried to live life independently and isolated and that isn’t how God made me. I desire intimate relations with people and friends that want that connection with me.

{4} I want to BE somebody. I think I have spent such a large portion of my life trying to become someone special that I wasn’t willing to live my life as the special person I am. I have this NEED to make something of myself in order to make my parents and friends and the LORD proud, but I’ve come to face the facts. I already make them proud. I AM somebody. Maybe one day I will become a famous author or someone who gets to travel the world teaching the Word and spreading the gospel like Beth Moore does, but maybe I am supposed to be a loving mom, friend, wife, sister, daughter, who teaches the word and spreads the gospel in my own backyard. You know? The gospel is just as POWERFUL on 1633 Hart Rd. Knoxville, TN than it is in Kenya or England or Australia. We will just have to see where God takes me. I am willing servant of the Lord.

Anyways… I just wanted to share these thoughts. The “new and improved” 20 year old Sarah thinks these things and I needed to write them down so 30 and 40 and 50 year old Sarah can go back and laugh at herself and reminisce on later birthdays. I hope you enjoyed these thoughts as well and maybe they shines some light on situations for you too.

Also… here are pictures from my birthday. It. Was. Awesome.

Over and Out. – Sarah

Stories.

One of my favorite things to do when I am driving alone in my car is to write the stories of the drivers around me. I pretend the business man is speeding to get to the birth of his first son. Or the old woman driving extremely slow is taking a nice leisurely drive like she used to do before the world became so busy and technologically filled. The two college-aged girls are discussing the cute boy that sits in front of them in their math class…. These stories aren’t true. Maybe that is the part I love about them. I will never know if I am right or wrong. I will never be able to know where they are actually traveling to. Sometimes that is the best part, isn’t it? You can look at something and never know its story. You just have to hope it’s a good one.

 

These steps. I take them everyday to get to class. I have to walk up a horridly large hill and then I find myself at the bottom of these steps. I dread them. I doubt there is a moment throughout my day that contains more self-loathing than when I walk up these steps. But it’s not the steps I hate it’s their location and the context that they sit at the top of a hill that was difficult to climb. But what’s the story of the steps? I can’t hate them. It would be an injustice to hate something so mysterious. I’ll never know what scenes they have seen. What moments these steps have assisted. Maybe there is a couple that softly kiss on these steps. They walk down them on a romantic stroll in the midst of collegiate chaos. How could I hate a story like that?

 

Or this swing. I adore this swing. Unfortunately, I’ve never even swung on it. But I think it is beautiful. I find it enchanting. Like the world would pause if I only took the moment to sit on it and ponder for a while. However, I pass this swing immediately after I climb the steps you saw above, which means I am rushing to class and I never find time to sit on it. I can only imagine all the stories it holds. It sits on the front porch of a chapel on Religious Row on campus, so I think of all the prayers there. I think of the songs of praise sung, the whispers of confession spoken on it. Isn’t just breathtaking?

 

This is my favorite spot on campus. No one would know it. I’ve never walked in this door. I couldn’t even tell you what the building is called. It sits across from the cafeteria. I would sit and look at it while I quickly scarfed down some breakfast before I ran to class last year. Today I walked out of my way to snap a photo of it. I wonder what stories it holds. I bet there are tons. Wonderfully exciting and unique to it. Doesn’t it just look delightful? Maybe one day, I will have time to stop and listen to what goes on in the building. Maybe then I can write it a story that would be closer to accuracy than what I can currently come up with. I bet they are great stories.

Look around you. There are stories everywhere. If someone doesn’t sit down and write them what will happen to them? Where will they go? Who will they get told to? I can only imagine…. but I guess that’s just the reason I want to be a writer. To take on the duty of writing them. So things’ and people’s stories can be heard. No matter how unnoticed they are. Someone thinks they are important. If not, they wouldn’t be there and then there wouldn’t be a story to tell…

 

- Sarah

 

{Guest Post} Salvation vs. Sanctification

Our guest blogger today is my very own Mommy! She is the CEO and founder of Focused Creative Energy, a published author in financial assistance (check out her book and E-book here), she is a mother of three, and a wonderful wife. Besides all of that she is also the leader of a small group at her local church, North Point Community Church. This post is about an experience she recently had with her group of girls!

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I am a leader of a group of 9^th grade girls at our church, and a few weekends ago we went on an awesome retreat where we talked about our relationships with our friends.  On our retreat in October, we had talked about our relationships with God.  This is the conversation I had with my girls after that retreat:

On Saturday night after session, we talked a little bit about the difference between Salvation and Sanctification; and I said that there are two parts of your relationship with Christ.  The first, Salvation, is when you accept him as your Savior.  The second, Sanctification, is when you accept him as your King.  The process of Sanctification also means that, as you grow in your relationship with Him, you will look more like Christ.  More and more you will begin to be a reflection of Christ to the people around you.

In Mark 12:28-31 it says,

^“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Jesus told them of all the commandments that Moses had given them, there were two that were the most important: Loving God with all their strength, and Loving their neighbor as themselves.

SO….If all you do is concentrate on those two things: Loving God (point towards the sky) and Loving each other (point at your two best friends on either side of you), what does that make your reflection to the world look like?  Hopefully, you will see that it starts to make you look more like the cross and more of a reflection of Christ to the people in the world around you.

Blessings,

Kim Moog

Eucharisto.

Eucharisto. [yoo-khar-is-teh'-o]. It is Greek Lexicon and it means to be grateful, feel thankful, to give thanks.

There is so much to be thankful for lately that it is overwhelming. So I thought I would fill you in.

School is back in session, and while my desires are possibly on hold, I am in fact pursuing my dreams of becoming a published author and writer. I am currently taking 18 hours and my mind spins and tears pour at least twice a week. But I have learned my lesson. Taking 18 hours is insane and I will never do it again. [PERIOD.]

I am a nanny to three kids that teach me how to use my inside voice even when my patience ran out over an hour ago. It also teaches me how to continue being persistent in loving kids, and people even when I do not want to. It is reminding me why I cannot wait until I get to be a mom while also convincing me to wait until I am MUCH older to even consider children. [I would also need an eligible bachelor to sweep me off my feet and then somehow I can convince him he should put a ring on this clumsy, nerdy, sinful, and imperfect girl. (or as some people say, "wife me.")]

I recently accepted a part-time job at Zoe’s Kitchen. DE-LISH. If you don’t know what that is seriously go google it right now. The rest of this blog post can wait. So I will be working there after my nannying job some weeknights and on weekends. (If you live in Knoxville come visit me. It is on Bearden Hill.)

I spent the past weekend with my beautiful little sister. She has made me so thankful for so much. She is so stunningly beautiful she doesn’t even realize it. She has confident humor that I have always envied and she makes friends faster than Nicki Minaj can rap. [DANG. That's fast.] She has taught me so much in the past year including, but not limited to: what snapchat is. what the word “twerk” means. how to be stubborn (in a good way). how to patiently brush hair. that setting goals is a great thing. to believe in myself. and how to sneak through Puppy Zone without getting noticed by people that shall remain nameless. Savannah I love you and you are definitely one of the biggest reasons I can seek Eucharisto.

Also I have been thankful for good friends. Too many to name. But I feel like God has truly been placing people in my life at the most opportune moments to sit down and say, “Hey Sarah! I care about you.” So thank you to all of the friends that have taken time out of their busy lives in order to make me feel important. I love you all.

I encourage anyone who was daring enough to read to this point in my post to stop and think about what they are thankful for. And if you haven’t done so already. Start making a list. If you want you can join me in Ann Voskamp’s JOY DARE. It’s awesome and worth the 30 seconds a day.

NEXT WEEK there will be a guest post by one of my favorite people. My Mommy. She is a published author. The CEO and Founder of Focused Creative Energy. She is my editor and chief. She birthed 3 girls. She overcame a life-threatening experience and then went on to “get back on the horse.” She is a wife to a man who I couldn’t praise more. And most importantly she is a daughter of The King. so GET EXCITED. She will be posting about the difference between Salvation and Sanctification.

Til then. – Sarah (:

Books.

Writing comes naturally to me. So I have found the past several months to be difficult when I cannot find time or energy or purpose to write. It seems that the days are being filled with everything from school work to work work to friends to sleep to cooking and cleaning, but not a spare moment to write. I thought over winter break I would be able to get a large portion of my book completed, but I didn’t even open my novel binder. And Lord have mercy, TOMORROW IS FEBRUARY!!

All of that complaining was to simply lead me into what I have to say now: It is ok to not write publicly. I always said that if my blog became too stressful and too time consuming I would delete it. So it doesn’t bother me that I haven’t published anything in over a month. Coming up on a month and a half.

BUT it does bother me that I have barely written for my own love for writing. I fight battles with my words. A stroke of a pen does more good to my heart than talking to any therapist could ever give me. There is a part of my soul that I can only reach when I am alone in my room, wrapped up in blankets, and my hand is attempting to keep up with my mind and heart as they dance such a beautiful duet. All of my “problems” seem to disappear for that short while. I saw the photo below on Pinterest and I had to share it here. It is so beautiful and so true. And it reminded me of my deep love for books and why I so desperately dream of becoming an author.

Source: highexistence.com via Sarah on Pinteres

I will leave you with one of my all time favorite quotes, but before I do. I am sorry this post wasn’t necessarily rejuvenating or calling for revival or calling on the name of Jesus. But I do hope that it encourages you to pick up a book, sit down by the cozy fire, get a blanket and a cup of something warm (I adore coffee, tea, and cocoa), and put your world on hold so you can step into the world an author so delicately and intricately designed for you. Because, my friends, THAT is why I write.

“Stories can sneak past the ever watchful dragons that guard your heart.” – C .S. Lewis

- Sarah (:

A Christmas to Remember

The lights were dark in the sanctuary. Candles were aflame in various parts of the room, and the pastor called forward all who had been saved, came back to Christ, or had been baptized this past year. I don’t like alter calls and I do not like walking to the front of a church when you feel like the world is looking at you. And in that moment, fear took over me. I whispered to Mom if I should walk to the front. After all, I was baptized in May of this year. The moment was overwhelming. She replied, “You can if you want to,” and without thinking my feet began to carry me. They took me down the stairs as tears streamed down my face and I sang “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.”… The tears started rushing even harder. “I am not faithful,” I thought. “Not even close. After all I’ve done. After every mistake. I am the least of these.” None of these people should be looking at me or the small light that shined oh so brightly in the terribly dark room. But something inside me made me desire the light. My maternal instincts made me clasp my hand around the flame, not daring to let it burn out. I walked back across the room and up the stairs to my seat with my family. The whole time allowing the tears to pour and the light to shine.

Because that is what Christmas is all about. The people of the world were so UNDESERVING of a Savior. So UNPREPARED. So UNWORTHY. Yet God sent His Son. He sent HIS ONLY SON knowing we would hate Him. The children He loved Oh so VERY much, would reject His most precious gift to us. So we stand once a year, in a large sanctuary, and the Elders pass out candles, and we all sing, and we all remember the little babe. We remember the humble mother, the doubtful father, the dirty stable, and the UNPREDICTABLE, IMPOSSIBLE, yet REMARKABLE birth of the baby who came to save the world.

This Christmas I encourage you to remember. Remember the gift that came. And to remember how much love God MUST have for us, in order to give us His Son. I wish you the Merriest of Christmases, and the Happiest of New Years.

- Sarah (:

P.S. If you missed my Baptism video. Here’s the link!

Divine Instances of Vulnerability

Over the past several years I have come to realize that God creates within us divine instances of vulnerability for His purpose. A Divine Instance of Vulnerability is when a person is so consumed with the mightiness of God in a mere second of ultimate realness that they are quite literally overwhelmed. The only way such an instance can occur is by the person practically getting taken by surprise by the Lord Himself. You see, you cannot prepare your heart for such an instance. It just happens. You are taken aback in awe of the Mighty One, because He is loving enough to desire such a closeness with you that He will demand it from your very being. In the end, the LORD sought out your heart and purposefully grabbed hold of its nakedness at the perfect moment to influence your life and your relationship with Him exactly as He has intended it to be from the very beginning of time.

- Sarah (:

A Published Author At Last!

Ladies and Gentleman I am officially a published author. SAY WHAT??!?! Yes. Me. Sarah Rachelle Moog.

My poem was published is the BeYouGirl Magazine. You can check out the link to the magazine here. Here is a picture of the magazine page and below is the poem that was published in the magazine!!

I am so excited for this day!! I am SO blessed by the LORD Almighty and His grace and His heart. He truly gives me the desires of my heart. Praise the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.

Me, My Faith, and I

To call faith a roller coaster ride,
Is to undermine its impact.
The strength of a teenager’s faith,
Is like a very doubtable fact.

Those with faith try to understand,
We want the shack on the rock.
But our actions turn out looking,
Like a boat tied to a dock.

I know I am not alone in this,
This feeling of deep confusion.
I just know I am over it,
I want my heart to make a decision.

I want to represent my Father,
Make the Lord proud.
I want to stand and proclaim Him,
In front of an enormous crowd.

I am simply sixteen,
And ignorant I am sure.
But I feel forgotten and lost,
I’m on the wrong side of the door.

At church I praise and sing,
To the best of my ability.
And still my heart does question,
My tempered soul’s morality.

So today I proclaim, my friends,
I know my imperfections.
I recognize my faults,
And my mislead direction.

Today I ask you to acknowledge,
That I really do try!
But we are taking it day by day,
Me, my faith, and I.

by: Sarah Moog

{If you were wondering} This poem was written in August of 2009. Shortly after my mother’s accident and at the early early stages of my walk with the LORD. It was around 2:00a.m. if I remember correctly and it seemed that all hope was lost on so many different levels. These were the words that poured out of the depths of my soul and through the ink onto the page. I submitted it to BeYouGirl because my previous boss, Mrs. G, encouraged me to do so! Who knew that lonely night in August would be redeemed into this. Only God Himself, of this I am sure!

- Sarah (:

Singing More than A Song

Sitting alone in my room I softly sing praises to the Almighty One. I hum, almost to myself, but not in declaration of His Holiness. The words roll off my tongue and I continue to work on my to-do list for the day. It seems that I am absently living for Christ rather than whole heartedly worshiping. It seems that I have allowed my mind to know the words so well that they have lost their meaning. So where is my heart? Is it in the right place for being subconsciously praising Jesus? Or is it in the wrong place for singing mindlessly? When do the words become praises? When do songs become rejoicing?

These are the things that I struggle with. I cannot find the balance between the necessities of life and the obligations I must hold myself to, and finding the time to praise and worship my Jesus. I know I can set aside 30 minutes a day or even an hour, but is that fair to Him? The Creator of Life? The Author of Time? Doesn’t he deserve MORE? How can we not just fall to our knees in worship at all hours of the day? Since when did the latest episode on T.V. take precedence to the Master of ALL?

Now I attempt to find a way to do both. To walk throughout my day with the attitude of praise in my soul. Not just singing the words because I like the tune, but reaching into the depths of their meanings and finding worship there. Praying continuously as I walk to class. Finding moments of silence and filling them with cries of thankfulness to the One Who Paid It All. I attempt to form conversations around Him rather than around the score of the UT game. Or even to ignore the gossip on the street, that my flesh so desires to listen to, and replace that noise with hymns of salvation and victory.

Wholeheartedly living. That is where I attempt to stand today.

- Sarah (: