"Excuse me August, where did you come from?"

It has taken me FOREVER to write an update on my spiritual life, and my spiritual health/physical health. The summer (plus a ladies Bible study that the women in my church are doing) has been keeping me really busy!

Here is an update of my life so far and a few pictures from my iPod touch (which I LOVE BTW):

Question: "What's new with you, Sarah?"

Answer: Well, what's new is that the summer is almost gone and I feel like it just started! I've been staying really busy with work (I clean houses/condos with my sisters), cleaning almost every weekend. Praise Jehovah! The Provider of all my needs! =) My brother (Timothy) is coming down in a few weeks for a nice long visit! YAY!! So excited about that; for it has been a while since we've all seem him. Among that, and trying to stay dry (it's been raining here almost everyday for weeks!), things have been pretty much the same.

Question: "What has God been doing in your life so far?"

Answer: Let's just say that the Lord has been really working in me. He keeps testing me with my faith in Him - which I know isn't as strong as He (or I) would like it to be.
He has been teaching me to rely solely on Him and His Word. I am still in 1st grade when it comes to my *knowledge of the Bible.
He keeps bringing cretin things from my past back into view that I guess I haven't resolved with Him or surrendered to Him. It is sad to say that I've been holding onto some things with a very tight grip - of course I never thought that my grip was tight; but in fact it was, and still is (like I said, He is teaching me). The ladies Bible study I mentioned before has really been an eye-opener. We are reading the book "Lies Women Believe...And The Truth That Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss". If you haven't read it, go get yourself a copy! So far it has been amazing. =)

Here is a link to Amazon and the book if you're really interested: ;-)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802476007/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d1_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0JNYZAJEZKM93GNMVVQH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846

Side note: As I was writing this *, the Lord brought to my intention the definition of that word (knowledge); which is,

information in mind: general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles
specific information: clear awareness or explicit information, e.g. of a situation or fact
all that can be known: all the information, facts, truths, and principles learned throughout time

After reading all the definitions, I came to the understanding that I do not have any of this when it comes to my reading and retaining of the Word. Do I have a "clean awareness" of the Scriptures? Do I know (or at least, am I striving to gain this understanding) "all the information, facts, truths and principles"?
Just a thought.

Question: "Any new health updates (No, I haven't been sick or anything! I've just been going through a rough spot with my "view" of health.)?"

Answer (this one is kinda long): Like I said, I haven't been sick, just tired. I've been using coconut oil on my face as a moisturizer every night before I go to sleep and every morning. I can tell a slight difference in the tone of my skin and the feel of it: it is much softer and more even looking. So if y'all are looking for a nice (and safe, might I add) moisturizer for your face without any junk in it, then 100% Pure Coconut Oil is your man...or nut? :p

Like most of us (ladies), my body LOVES carbs and it doesn't like to burn them off! I'm gonna be 100% honest here: as of 2013 I am at my heavyset weight...(dun dun dunnn).....
............1........5........1 pounds! *exhales large amount of air* There. I said it.
I always used to be able to loose weight quite easily (that was when I was younger, of course!). As I got older is was still fairly easy. Then "things" started to change and I realized that in order for me to get into better shape, I needed to workout harder. Much harder. And that was okay for me because I like a hardcore workout. :-)
However, over the course of months (not sure how many, maybe 8 or 9 months) I lost two pounds. Yep. Only two measly pounds! Then I started having some slight health issues and I had to eat differently. Very differently.
And with that I had to stop working out because I was loosing too much weight - I went down to 132 pounds. I went from 147 pounds to 132 in a matter of months. Now that may not seem like a lot of weight to you, but for my 5"6 height it was (and is) WAY too small. I hated not being able to work out! It was very hard for me to quit. There were days when all I wanted to do was my ballet workout DVD, but I couldn't because I couldn't loose any more weight. I needed to gain, and boy is that hard! No, I'm not kidding. It is hard.
It took me till the end of 2011 (I had to change my diet in June of 2011) to be able to actually workout. My sisters and I started training for our first 5K which was taking place the following February.
Let me tell you that it is very hard going from easily loosing weight to not loosing at all. There are days when I felt like giving up and never working out again because the scale isn't showing me what I want to see. But that's quite the wrong attitude, isn't it? It's not about the number on the scale. It is about being healthy. Not skinny. I am to care for this body that the Lord has given me for such a short time. Besides, it isn't my body anyway! It belongs to Him! I belong to Him!
I still exercise...just not as much as I used to. There are better things that need my attention: His Word, and He Himself. I need Him every moment of every day! By His grace I am getting better.
I feel like the Lord is using this moment in my life as a way for me to grow closer to Him and to strengthen my faith and trust in His Great Plan for my life. Let's just say that the Lord is humbling me...a lot...like a ton a lot.

That was a long post. Thanks for sticking with me! =)

Here a few pics from my iPod (mind you, they are completely random):