12/15/2017 6 Comments The Man I prayed for at age 8From a young age I use to think will he ever love me? Who is he you ask, I had no idea at the time. I was eight when the thoughts first flooded my head. I saw love in movies, between my parents, and my grandparents. But I often wondered how will my arm affect the way whoever he is, and his love for me. I talked about boys with my best friend Paige and we always talked about what they might think or say about our arms. We both worried, but knew it was far away. However, I said a prayer once. I prayed that one day someone would love me despite my arm, and love my arm, and most importantly hold it like it was an actual hand.
I knew I wouldn't have my left hand to put my wedding ring on and honestly I didn't care, I had another hand, but the most important thing was my prayer. When I got to middle school, and high school of course I dated but it was easy for me to know when a guy was right because I looked back on my prayer. There were guys that said they were okay with my arm, there were guys that didn't say anything at all, and there were guys (particularly one) who said some nasty things about my arm. There was one time I wore a prosthetic because of those hurtful words. I wore it for a day and then decided he wasn't worth my time. There were guys that were really sweet about my arm, but something wasn't quite right. None of the guys I dated were the answer to my prayer. So you are probably thinking, Sarah why are you writing this? Well, I am writing this so that another little girl that says the same prayer, has the same worry, and same fear, can know that one day the man that will love you despite your difference, that will see you and love you through God's eyes instead of society's will come. Just wait. So Him, Yeah you. You know who you are. Thank You. I know you can't imagine anything else, because you don't see me through society's eyes. But really, you are a blessing. Your love, compassion, and continuous support is a blessing. Every time you grab my little arm and hold it, I think to myself, God answered my prayer. Every time you kiss it, I don't think you understand how much I want to burst into tears because you never once questioned any part of me. You never once looked at me as different. You deal with the stares and you win a lot of staring contests, haha. No but really. There is one more thing that I am beyond grateful for. You hold me accountable, you don't give up on me, and you don't let me say I can't. You help me figure out ways to do things, if I say I am worried about doing something or how I will zip up my kids coat, or if they will be bullied. You make sure that you help me figure out ways to do things, you taught me to climb a rock wall and how to figure out different ways for my little arm to grab onto the rock. You comfort me, and you always hold my little arm. Thank you. And when I had a one arm moment the other day as I tried to hold my phone, wallet, coffee, and try to open my car door all at the same time and dropped my Starbucks in the midst of it all. As tears formed in my eyes from my disappointment and frustration with myself failing due to my arm. You so kindly looked at me, kissed me, and said "don't worry sweets I drop things all the time and I have two hands." I have fears of course when it comes to having kids and how I will hold my coffee and push a stroller (because obviously I NEED my coffee) :) but I no longer fear them because I know that with you by my side, supporting me, you will always help me figure out a way for me. Little girl & girls, I know how you feel, you feel trapped and scared, you are worried he might not love you. Let me give you some advice.... if he doesn't love you for who YOU ARE, for who God has created you to be, then let him go. He isn't the one and you deserve better. Find a man that fills the shoes you need him to. That helps you figure difficult tasks out but let's you figure challenges out on your own too in order for you to grow stronger. Find a man that loves your difference and can't imagine you without it. Find a man that holds your little arm. Also, don't go looking, he will come to you when God has it in his plan. But I promise you he is out there. He exists and he will love you and your difference more than you could ever imagine. And ladies...... never change for a boy. DO NOT hide your difference just to date a boy you think you might like. Find a man that you are comfortable to be with. And to the boys with the nasty words and comments..... stand strong, stay courageous, and give them a piece of their own medicine and tell them to go see the movie wonder. I love you all so much! Thank you for your constant support. Love, Sarah
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Check Out Hu Kitchen: https://hukitchen.com 10/8/2017 0 Comments Why am I so confident???Confidence
I’ve decided to touch on a topic that I continuously get asked about. There are so many times that I have tried to write this or make a video to explain and I always feel like it is such a simple explanation that I never upload the content. You are probably thinking…Sarah, if it is so simple wouldn’t it be easy to upload? Well, yes and no. It is simple because there is only one explanation to my own confidence. The BIG Question: “Sarah why and how are you so confident?” My answer: GOD. It is as simple as that. A single three letter word. However, it is so much more complex than that. My parents My parents are a large part of why I am who I am today. They raised me in a loving home full of faith. As a kid I remember us having “circle prayer” every night before bed where we read the bible and prayed together as a family. My parents didn’t make life easy for me. They didn’t give me things to adapt to my arm. They had me figure out challenging tasks on my own and if I needed help I knew they would be there to assist me. My parents did not treat me any different from my brother even those I obviously was physically different. My brother picked on me just like every brother, and my parents pushed me to always do my best and reach to do greater in all I did. I have faith because I grew up in a home where my parents taught me about Jesus and showed me his love and grace. I am determined because my parents pushed me in whatever I choose to do. My parents let me know from a young age that God has created me with one arm for a rhyme, reason, and purpose. I am blessed to have parents that have raised me to love Jesus. I am blessed to have been given the greatest parents I could have ever asked for. Growing Up I grew up in a small community just big enough to be a city and I love it dearly. Everyone knew my story. On the first day of school my parents explained to the kids in my class that I was no different than them, and explained my story. Growing up I never realized I was super different from the other kids around me and I honestly didn’t care. I played every sport that I could try as a kid, and I found ways around different struggles I faced. I never questioned who I was or why I was created with one arm really, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have rough days…. Which I’ll get to that later. As a kid we do not worry about fitting in as much as we do when we grow older. We do not care if we fit into society’s standards and we don’t mind if we don’t have the best clothes or the perfect body or the coolest shoes. As we grow older, it seems to matter more. With technology advances and constantly scrolling through social media pages, we gain this idea that we need to look “perfect” like the models we see on social media, on TV, and in magazines. The problem with this is one, children are getting cell phones and social media at younger ages. 13 year olds are now wearing clothes most girls didn’t wear until they were 20. We are pressuring younger kids to look and act a certain way, and as a result they have a lower level of confidence and self-worth. However, I believe that we do not have to allow society’s views to change our own. We need to in all situations give it to God and trust his plan for our lives. Hard Times While I have always been known to be comfortable and confident (which I am) doesn’t mean that there aren’t and haven’t been times that are hard. There are night for me just like so many of you that I cry at night because the stares got too much that day, or the task that I so badly wanted to figure out, I never did. I am human, we all are human. Which means that we are all imperfect human beings. At the age of eight it was difficult for me to watch every girl in my grade put their hair in a ponytail and I couldn’t yet. It was difficult to watch kids jump rope in gym class and I had to sit on the sideline. It was hard transitioning into college where no one knew me or my story and I had to deal with stares wherever I went, and guys asking me in the gym if I needed a hand. HAHAHA WELL OBVIOUSLY!!!! The thing is… IT IS OKAY TO HAVE HARD TIMES BUT….. DO NOT LET THOSE TIMES DEFINE YOU Your differences do not define who you are. However, your differences and the hardships that you experience and go through are a part of your story. They are a part of your story that God had planned for your life since before you were even born. It all comes down to one simple thing: MINDSET You can choose to live a life full of brokenness or you can find hope in it and live a life full of faith, love, hope, grace, and wholeness through Jesus. My Faith So remember when I said above how we are all imperfect human beings???? If you don’t go have a quick recap! Here’s why I live by my saying “IMPERFECTLY PERFECT”
Bible Verses I have lived by my whole Life:
As I made clear before my faith is the sole purpose to why I am who I am today. God is the sole reason to why I am so confident in my arm and who I am. He has created all of us fearfully and wonderfully. He made no mistake in creating you. Your differences have a purpose to your story. You may not understand that purpose right now but, trust me he has one. Do not find your worth in things on earth, especially society. Your worth is not found in clothes, shoes, makeup, the latest technology, your friend group, or socially. You worth is found in one thing only. YOUR WORTH IS FOUND IN GOD. Whenever you feel unworthy, or uncomfortable, like you are an outcast and a lost sheep. Just know, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6
"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you." – Deuteronomy 31:6
I can remember when I was younger and I would get extremely anxious about test’s in school because I wanted to do well. However, I knew God was with me so I always set out a pencil for him and prayed he would guide me through the test. I knew he was with me and I no longer would be anxious because he was there sitting next to me. “For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.” – Proverbs 3:26
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” –Proverbs 3:5-6
For those of you who have constantly asked me about this subject I have one answer to my confidence and yours. The answer is: GOD 3/28/2017 2 Comments the best place in indianaGrowing up in "the best place in Indiana"
I was five when we moved. I remember moving into what we called the little house. And that's exactly what it was, it was a small little house. It was white, and attached to it was a larger house that my great grandfather lived in. The little house didn't have enough bedrooms for my brother, my parents, and I so while our kitchen, our bathroom, our formal living room, and our TV room, as well as a small upstairs play area were in the little house, our bedrooms were in the larger house with my great grandfather. I can't imagine growing up anywhere else. My great grandpas bedrooms downstairs and my parents my brothers and my bedroom were upstairs. My brother and I shared a room and closet growing up and my parents bedroom was attached to ours by a single door. It might have been a small house which may not be ideal for many families but I can't imagine growing up anywhere else. You see, living in that little house taught me so much. And while the house taught me so much, the man that was born in that house taught me much more. My great grandpa was a man of faith, family, support, love, and most importantly a man of God. Every time I walked into his house and into the kitchen he thanked me for coming. My brother and I often ate breakfast with him, and lunch as well, in summer. He often had Honey nut Cheerios for almost every meal. There are so many specific details that I remember about my great grandpa, its hard to choose a few for this. Each specific detail made an impact on my life. Each specific detail taught me something. My great grandpa read his Bible every single night out loud and I can remember sitting before I went to bed listening to him read it. He also read it at lunch and in the morning. And when he went to bed he prayed and you could hear him from our bedrooms. Growing up I took gymnastics and I would practice cart wheels in his living room. After every single cart wheel he always Clapped and cheered me on. It meant the world to a little girl trying to be good at something. And I remember He would sit in his chair and watch the squirrels in the tree in front of his window. It was things so simple to me but he made them meaningful. At the age of five my parents let me get my own pet, I got a cat and her name was dancer. Dancer lived in grandpa's house with us. She's soon not only became my best friend but his as well. When my grandma came to give him lunch or go out to lunch with him, my brother and I would ride in his Oldsmobile car with them and they would take us through the drive-through of McDonald's for lunch, my brother and I would get our food and then my grandma, grandpa, and great grandpa would go get their lunch. It wasn't just a car ride with him it was more than that. He also had these pillows on his couch that had real feathers and then and I can remember my brother and I plucking them out. And as kids whenever my brother and I found treasures outside, such as worms are butterflies we always ran into show grandpa Dean our treasures. You see, I was named after his wife, Sarah Elizabeth. And he never ever forgot my name even when he grew very old, he always knew who I was. After many years of Sharing a home with him, we decided to build our own house next to his and tear down the little house. Growing up I began to get busy with school and sports and I didn't see him as much, but I always made my best effort to go see him next door. And every time we drove up our Long lane driveway you could always see my great grandpa in his chair waving at us no matter what time of day. He had the greatest stories to tell. But my favorite is when he told me that we live in the best place in Indiana. The farm. When we moved into our new house next-door, we decided to let the cat stay with grandpa. He loved her so much, and she loved him, even though she scratched him sometimes. He would feed her so many treats and he even cut them up for her. She was spoiled rotten and that showed. And even though she scratched him sometimes he loved her anyway. Two peas in a pod, Dean and Dancer. My great grandpa grew to be very old. He made it in his 100s. But one of my favorite last memories of him is sharing something that we both had in common. We both held a key to the city of Nappanee. It was a special moment to share with him. I love my great grandpa. He was the greatest man I've ever met. He was so full of love for the Lord. He had the best stories. He was the greatest cheerleader. The best cat treat feeder. And the best great Grandpa I could've ever been given. I'm so grateful. I am blessed to have grown up with a great grandpa and grown up at the best place in Indiana. And every time I go past his grave I blink my lights like we did when he waved to us as we drove up the lane because I know he is waving back at me from heaven. I could tell you many more things I loved about him but if you have a great grandparent, take an hour or more out of your day and go talk to them, ask them to tell you stories, because they truly are the best stories. 3/6/2017 1 Comment ​MILLENNIALSWe are known as the ME ME ME generation. As the generation that is lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow. Why yes, we can be all these things, but so can everyone else in different generations. We are known to be consumed in our cell phones and laptops. Which I won’t deny. I spend hours each day on both, whether it is for school purposes or for my blog, watching YouTube videos, etc. However that doesn’t mean that I don’t care, just because we post a selfie doesn’t make us awful humans. Posting a selfie for the world to see is actually pretty scary, it uses courage within someone. A selfie means you are allowing society to view you, to see you, to judge who we are based on one photo. Selfies can create confident people. They say we are lazy, but Millennials are some of the hardest working people I know, we just work differently than most generations. We want to work hard to find a cure for cancer, to save our oceans, to eliminate factory farming. Millennials have big dreams and are willing to work as hard as they have to in order to achieve those dreams. We are known to not be able to connect face to face anymore but are more than capable of connecting through email, text, Skype, or FaceTime. That we are consumed in our social lives. However, from my own personal story, I was given the opportunity to meet my best friend of 8 years at the time because of Skype. I was able to chat with her for 16 years thanks to email, and Skype. Without that I would have never met my best friend. I would never be able to share what I was going through living my life with one arm and have her share what her life is like having one arm and have the ability to help each other through the hardest times of our lives. YES SOCIAL MEDIA CONSUMES US. YES WE ARE CONSTANTLY ON OUR PHONES AND LAPTOPS While many of these statements are true, Millennials are capable of so much more than you think. We are the most diverse and educated generation yet. We are open minded and want to learn others point of view. We see value, importance, and we want to change the world. We want to change society and will do everything we can to make an impact in some way, whether that is complementing someone we see as we cross the street, or commenting a positive message on someone’s photo on Instagram. They say that we think the world revolves around us, but we are creating campaigns globally to change the world, to gain recognition for others, to share others stories so that those stories can impact lives. Millennials are not content because we always want to be better, do better, and find better ways of accomplishing tasks. This is why we will achieve more than you can ever imagine. We hope to be a better version of ourselves each day and strive to be great. Millennials understand your perspective and we won’t deny that what you say might be true but before you speak or dis on us, please look into each of these statements and research a little bit further, take into consideration why we do what we do. Why we consume ourselves in technology, because the reason you think is most likely not truly the reason. From my personal life, I consume myself in social media because I want to change the world, I want to change the idea of perfection, to make an impact on those around me, and to help others who might experience the same situations I have and if they can hear my story first it might help them through difficult times and challenges. We care, that’s why we share. Cheers, xxx Sarah #ImperfectlyPerfect
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Well known for her love for Jesus, coffee, and having one arm. Sarah share's stories in her life in hope to help others. She wants you to know that,
"Our differences do not define who we are but are a part of the story that God has written for our lives." Sarah says, " I hope that I can be someone to relate to in a world of untold real stories. Everything I write is from my heart and real." "We are all created imperfectly perfect by God, we should be proud of our imperfections and differences, they make us who we are today but do not define us, know that you are beautiful and remind yourself of this everyday." |