Signs of getting older…

Posted on 07/16/2012 by saramarieallen

So, Friday, I was sitting poolside, enjoying the day… and Saturday morning I realized that I was a whole new level of OLD! Yes, I must’ve been squinting while I was out there, because I have tan lines–yes, WHITE tan lines–in my forehead wrinkles! Horrified, I had to write a poem about it (isn’t it fun to chronicle the aging process here? See my post on gray hair from February):

New Tan Lines
By Sara Marie Allen

Tan lines on my forehead!
(I feel so old right now.)
White tracks where my wrinkles
Sit upon my brow.
Squinting in the blazing sun,
My crinkled skin, protected.
(I didn’t streak the sunblock
So just creases were affected.)
I think perhaps some Botox
Might keep me tan line free—
But for now, I’m laughing
At the zebra that is me.

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Tornado…

Posted on 07/09/2012 by saramarieallen

Two Mondays ago, we had quite a storm rip through our neighborhood. There was no warning of anything beyond a strong thunderstorm, so I was pretty shocked when daylight turned suddenly to night, and the trees began to sway almost sideways as limbs and leaves crashed to the ground. The kids and I ducked into the window-less laundry room at that point, listening to the storm thunder and howl, praying for safety. The power went out, and we were plunged into darkness…

And then it stopped. The storm passed through as quickly as it came. But when the sky lightened, we saw the devastation: trees down on neighbors houses and car ports, street signs laying in the street… There was a diagonal line of destruction where tree tops toppled, as if a small tornado ripped through the clouds. Of course I wrote a poem about it…

This is our neighbor’s house, 100 feet from our home.

Tornado
By Sara Marie Allen

Tornado
Coming up fast,
Without warning,
Tearing apart framework
In a split second.
See the signs in the sky;
Seek refuge and prayer.
Wait until the light returns,
And emerge to a new reality.

Regardless of whether my storm was an actual tornado or not, there are many “storms” that come into our lives. Most of them happen without warning. It’s how we deal with the “new reality” that counts the most. Our neighborhood banded together with chainsaws and helping hands. Maybe your tornado brought an illness or job loss…

The LORD is with us and saves us during our storms. One of my favorite verses that speaks to this is Zephaniah 3:17: “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.”

We were so blessed to have only a pile of leaves and a couple of small branches in the yard as a result of the storm. But whatever your reality is, after the tornado rips through your life, remember the Lord is with you, and he is mighty to save.

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A Review of “Come Monday…”

Posted on 06/04/2012 by saramarieallen

Come Monday...My Journey on The Pink Ribbon Road

I gave this book 5 stars in my amazon review:

“Carolyn’s intimate journey through cancer and treatment was such a joy to read. It details her emotional, social, physical, and spiritual struggles from being a “gal with cancer” to recovery. I know many people who have faced cancer, and after seeing cancer and treatment through Carolyn’s eyes, I know how to talk to them and love them so much better. And since all of us will know or do know someone with cancer, her book is a wonderful encouragement for them as well, from the spiritual lessons she learned along the way to the AMAZING sense of humor she kept through all of it. This book will be a HUGE blessing to all who read it. Well done!”

You can buy her book on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985602104

or visit her author page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/CarolynMustianAuthor.

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Mother’s Day Song (get the tissues)

Posted on 05/13/2012 by saramarieallen

I wrote a song for my mom one Mother’s Day–only she discovered the words before I could perform it for her. I found her holding the words, crying… And now that I’m a mom, I KNOW this song is true. Enjoy!!!

Mommy’s Little Girl (click here to play)
 By Sara Marie Allen

You held her close the day that she was born.
You held her dear though you were tired and worn—
Mommy’s little girl,
Oh, she was your world.
You never thought you’d see her go away.
But now she’s grown up and that “never” is today.

Oh, mommy’s little girl
Out there in the world.
You wonder if she’s happy, if she’s safe.
Now she’s on her own,
Though she’s never all alone,
Mommy’s girl is now your closest friend.
You can’t wait ‘til you see her again.

Now that she’s gone away, things aren’t the same.
She’s not running around calling your name.
But when you hear her voice,
When she comes home, you rejoice.
It seems just like she’s right where she belongs—
It’s too bad that she can’t stay very long.

You pray for her each day on bended knee.
Such a privilege for you to intercede.
‘Cause Christ’s love spans the miles
Between you and your child.
May she grow closer to Him everyday,
Sometimes all a mom can do is kneel and pray.

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Shine Your Light

Posted on 05/01/2012 by saramarieallen

Maybe you remember the song “This Little Light of Mine”? Ahh… The blissful ignorance of childhood optimism. I mean, seriously, how can we really “let it shine”?

In Matthew 5, we have Jesus’ most famous sermon recorded for us (“blessed are the poor in spirit” and the “meek will inherit the earth”). But He also said: “You are the light of the world… Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

What does being “the light of the world” mean, anyway? In John 8, Jesus says, ““I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Soooo… If we are following Jesus, we should have His “light”. But what does “light” do? It helps people see in the dark (and I mean spiritual dark, as in John 12:46, for example); our lives should help others see God. Another thing light does: exposes sin and ugliness (right after John 3:16, it says that people sometimes don’t come into the light because they are “afraid their evil deeds will be exposed”). Our light should be a contrast to the sin and darkness around us.

But do we #1 help others see God with our light, and #2 contrast the sin and darkness around us?

“Let your light shine before others…” I don’t know about you, but I have a tough time letting my light shine day to day. It’s not like I purposefully put it under a bowl or anything; but in the end, I have the same result! Like many of you, I am so busy with a crazy schedule of work, school, church, my kids’ activities, exercise, etc… that I have NO TIME, and NO ENERGY to let my light shine. My busyness, among other things, prevents me from shining. I might as well be hiding my light under a “bowl”!

If you and I are the “light of the world” to bring the good news of the Gospel to a dark world, is the world in big trouble? I have been so convicted of my lack of “light”… my loss of shine and luster!

I think the challenge is to CARE. Everywhere we go, from the grocery store to our workplace to the bus stop, we are in close proximity to people who may have never seen the Light. And we may be the only one they meet who might SHINE it. I’m not saying that we should stand on the corners and preach the truth about Jesus (although a little more of that going on might not be so bad!). But we should be showing people God by our words and actions; we should be a contrast to the sin around us. And YES, we should be telling people about Jesus, sharing our testimony with people whenever we can, praying for opportunities to share.

So each day, I’ve started asking myself “did I shine the Light today”? It’s a question for the dinner table: how was your day? how did you shine His Light? I am more mindful of my shine. And I’m tossing out some of the bowls of busyness and exhaustion that cover it up.

I ask all of you: HOW HAVE YOU SHINED TODAY? Please, post and share your shining moments–we are SUPPOSED to let our “light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”!

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Guest blogger: Walker T. Allen

Posted on 04/24/2012 by saramarieallen

Walker wrote a poem last Wednesday night, and I thought it was worth sharing. He learned about children less fortunate than he–in particular, a girl who has little or nothing.6 year old poet

Poem by Walker T. Allen

No food,
No toys,
No care,
No wish.
But God is always with you.
Pray to God.

(used with permission)

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Tough Stuff

Posted on 04/16/2012 by saramarieallen

tough stuff

by Sara Marie Allen

tough stuff.
     tell my child,
          chin up,
               it’s a cruel world,
                    don’t care what they say.
I see his skin, tender
     like a molted spider’s,
          harden in the elements.
and over time,
     impervious to touch.

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Thank You Notes

Posted on 04/11/2012 by saramarieallen

It seems that thank you notes are becoming a thing of the past. I know that I still expect them, and I still write them (sometimes late, but I usually still write them). In this day and age, maybe a tweet or email or wall post suffices. I don’t really know. BUT, I do know that if I’m thankful for something someone else has given or done for me, I should let them know… Maybe take a minute today, and write a note, email, or text to let someone know you’re thankful.

Many years ago, I was overwhelmed by my wedding thank you note list. People were very generous to us, and I had a LOT of notes to write! As with any strong emotion in my life, this inspired a poem:

“Thank-you Notes” by Sara Marie Allen

I like getting gifts—it’s lots of fun—
But I can’t get those thank-you’s done!
So many notes—so much to write—
I slave and slave night after night.
Every time a note is finished,
My “To-do” list is not diminished!
I feel so guilty, so uptight;
Weeks have passed—it’s just not right!
And so I sit and “thank” away,
Knowing they’ll be done someday.

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Refinished

Posted on 04/02/2012 by saramarieallen

I bought some old dining room chairs a few weeks ago. They were truly hideous, but they had “good bones”. It was hard to see past the stained seats, the scraped up legs, and a busted chair back to what they could be. 

I set to work. I took off the seat cushions and took them apart, layer by ugly layer, hoping I could use the batting, but it was so old and dusty—totally unusable. The seat bottoms were cracked and coming apart. I glued and reinforced the seat bottoms; I bought new memory foam batting and cloth to cover them. I sanded out all the scars in the wood. I glued and puttied the broken seat back. And then I painted them all a new color.

Why am I telling you about my refinished dining room chairs? Because we’re all dining room chairs. We’re just one step away from the trash pile. But then Jesus works on us—and He’s a master carpenter. He sands away our imperfections; he fixes our broken spots. He takes our dusty, cracked, hard chair bottoms, and tricks us out in memory foam softness and leather. We are made new—almost unrecognizable. And what was once only fit for the dumpster, is now fit for a king.

 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

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Whatever is right

Posted on 03/26/2012 by saramarieallen

How much of our time is spent thinking about difficult and awful things? A Reader’s Digest article from April 2012 points out that happy and great news headlines are rare. It’s so true. Our entertainment is built around conflict, from our novels to our sitcoms. There’s always a problem that must be solved. Afterall, who would want to read a novel that was all about how wonderful life was?

But the Bible tells us, in the book of Philippians chapter four, to think about good things: “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Wow. That passage is such a departure from Bridezillas or an episode of 24. Who sits around thinking about those things? True? Noble? Right? Pure? Lovely? Admirable? Excellent? Praiseworthy?  Changing our thinking just might change us, don’t you think?

If we had the discipline to dwell only on those things, wouldn’t that change our speech? The ways we interact in our relationships? The ways we spend our time? What’s the catch?

Let me be clear: I am NOT saying that we don’t talk about ugly things. The world has lots of ugly in it. Poverty, societal issues, and sin shouldn’t be ignored. But we should be willing to make the UGLY into LOVELY. That was what Jesus did, and we should follow His example. In fact, Jesus became UGLY for us on the cross, so that we might be LOVELY to the Lord, taking our sin and our mess and making it His own.

What I am saying… If you want to think ugly thoughts about another person, STOP YOURSELF! If you want to watch a TV show or listen to music that doesn’t measure up to Philippians 4:8, PAUSE, RETHINK, and SHUT IT OFF. If you find yourself full of worry and anxiety, or your mind is captivated by envy, anger, or other ugly things, STOP!!! Fill your mind with good things, things that Jesus would have you focus on, and work to make the ugly things of this world lovely.

And, maybe, just maybe, the world, or at least YOUR world, will be a much TRUER, NOBLER, more RIGHT, PURER, LOVELIER, more ADMIRABLE, EXCELLENT, and PRAISEWORTHY place. Can I get an amen;)?

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