All but two of Mocha's puppies are gone and yesterday I actually cried when one of the boys left. Ok, maybe not cried, but I definitely had tears. This poor little guy was so timid. I think the others must have ganged up on him several times (just playing of course), but he had a scar on his nose and some other cuts. Anyway, a few weeks ago, he was on the front porch just whining, so I went out there and brought him inside with me for awhile. He was like a limp rag doll. He just cuddled right up against my neck and didn't move. Yesterday, I walked out on the front porch and here was the same little guy just shaking all over. Again, I brought him inside and held him until he calmed down. Then, a mother and her son came to pick out a dog. They picked him. I glad because he'll receive a lot more one on one attention, but I'm so sad because he tugged at my heart more than the others. Can you believe it? I just spent one whole entry on dogs! There is definitely much more to concern myself with, but now you know...I'm a sucker for lab puppies...big time!

So, this past weekend was really fun. My friends from DC came in last Thursday and stayed until Sunday. We had a lot of fun...eating, watching movies, eating some more....ha!...listening to Cora say "bark bark" over and over (it was very cute!)...just being able to hang out and catch up. Saturday was the Susan G. Komen walk in Charleston, which was a lot of fun. We had a big group walking and this year they wore shirts that had my picture on them that said "pray for sarah beth" and on the back it said "we love your guts!" It was kind of weird seeing your face on all these t-shirts, but at the same time i felt so loved (not that i don't already). My cousin Blake wheeled me around (it was a 3 mile walk). Thanks Blake! After the walk, we had a cookout here at the house. It was a lot of fun and I have to say it was worth it to wheelchair the 3 mile walk so i could have enough energy for the dance-off. Can't wait for the next one Michael!! Julie and I will have to practice so we can pull off an upset. Tonight is the African Children's Choir at our church and I am sooooooo pumped. When mom gets home from work we are headed over there. That's all for now. Hope you all are having a great day!

:)
sarah

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

~Zephaniah 3:17


This past week an unspeakable tragedy happened to a family within our church family. I haven't been on here to blog this week, mainly because I just can't wrap my head around the whole situation. I was having lunch with my uncle Greg this past week and I told him it seemed our church had just been bombarded with tragedy. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that our church should be immune to suffering because of our faith. That scenerio is not biblical. But, sometimes we do wonder "why"? Jeremy Camp, a young christian artist, lost his wife to cancer. This is one of his songs:

"I Still Believe"

Scattered words and empty thoughts
seem to pour from my heart
I've never felt so torn before
seems I don't know where to start
but it's now that I feel Your grace falls like rain
from every fingertip, washing away my pain

[Chorus:]
I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your holy word
even when I don't see, I still believe

Though the questions still fog up my mind
with promises I still seem to bear
even when answers slowly unwind
it's my heart I see You prepare
but its now that I feel Your grace fall like rain
from every finger tip, washing away my pain

[Chorus]

The only place I can go is into your arms
where I throw to you my feeble prayers
in brokeness I can see that this was your will for me
Help me to know You are near


When unspeakable tragedy happens and we are literally putting one foot in front of the other to make it through the day, believe in the One who can and remember this verse:

"Come to me , all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.
~Matthew 11:28-29

So, to the Smith family...I love you as well as countless others. There will be many, many prayers being offered on your behalf. There will be many hard times ahead as you grieve your losses, but have comfort in knowing you not only have Christ, but you also have your church family and countless friends here for you. No one here on earth could ever understand why this tragedy happened, but I know that we who are believers understand this: you WILL see Zoey and Haley again in our sweet eternal home that we call heaven.

Love you,
Sarah

Hey everyone! Hope all is well with all of you. Things here are going well. This past weekend my brother Jeremy took me to a movie and dinner. Saturday we went to try and sell some of my puppies and then Sunday we went to church and to Julie and Hutch's to help them move into their new house. Since then I've just hung out at the house. It's been really pretty the past couple of days. Yesterday, dad and I went on a walk.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, but I've been reading a series of books by Joel Rosenberg. His latest is called Dead Heat and it is so good! Anyhow, I encourage you to go to his website: www.joelrosenberg.com

I want to thank all of you for your prayers and encouragement. God is good, faithful and He hears us when we call upon Him. I love the scripture where it says that His eyes are roaming the earth for those who are seeking Him. We can't fully experience God and all that He offers us if we aren't seeking Him with our whole heart. I'm learning that every day. May God bless you today as you seek His face.

:)
sarah

Something to be thankful for...today was so pretty outside. The trees are blooming and all the spring sounds are there. Just a reminder of the newness of life. When I was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, I started getting discouraged after about 10 days of being in there. I know it's not that long. There are many people who are in there much longer than that. Admittingly, I said aloud that I didn't know if I wanted to fight this anymore. To be honest, sometimes when you just don't feel good a lot of the time, it gets hard. There are times when it is easier to focus on the negative rather than the positive because the negative seems to overwhelm the good. I'm sure these are all normal feelings, but my soul just did not feel at rest. Then, last week didn't go so hot. I didn't feel good. My port (where I recieve my medicines IV) got infected and I had surgery on Thursday to remove that. Then I had an appointment with one of my doctors and was just completely frustrated and again broke down. Just plain discouragement.

When people have asked what they can pray for, I always tell them my heart. I don't mean for salvation, because I know I am already saved. I mean that my attitude would reflect that of Jesus' heart. So, these past few days I've been singing an old hymn that I absolutely love. Here's the chorus:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone,
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

When I start to think about all those in the Bible who suffered for and in the name of Jesus, it also helps to reshape my thinking. Sometimes it's hard to transform your mind, but Scripture calls for us to do just that. Ultimately I don't care what happens to my flesh, because my flesh is only temporary, but my soul will live forever. I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though it's getting harder, I don't want to give up. I will keep fighting and hopefully my life will be a reflection of the One whose heart I desire the most.

Yesterday my cousins Emmy and Cassie came with the kids and Julie, Jerri and Gracie came, too. It was a lot of fun and Gracie, Alaire, Ellis and Michael are just precious. We didn't get to the "dance off" with Michael, but Ellis did sing to us, well actually to Gracie. He fell in love with her. It was hilarious. He just stared and gave her kisses. It was his first time meeting her. (Gracie is almost 6 months and Ellis is 2). He sang "My God is So Big" and "Deep and Wide". So cute! We did take lots of pictures, so when I get them uploaded, I'll put them on here.

love ya,
sarah