Welcome!
My name is Sarah and I am mom to four amazing daughters, married to my college sweetheart, living as a missionary in Hungary and apprentice of Jesus. I am currently being stretched as I undertake my Masters Certificate in Spiritual Direction at Richmont Graduate University. In response to my excitement to all I am learning about spiritual formation and the “With God Life”, I needed to journey with others on The Way and that is how this blog was started.
Over the past few years I have discovered that I had been living under a heavy blanket of guilt (partly due to my enneagram 1, perfectionist tendencies- more on this later) when it came to my devotional or “quiet time” with God.
I used to always feel guilt when I didn’t have enough time to sit down and read the Word for more than a few moments each day. The guilt would pile on as I began to wonder, “Am I praying enough? Serving enough? Doing enough? Am I enough?” I was sinking into a guilt trap laid for me by the enemy.
It was the “I should…” mentality that was slowly burning me out. After all, that list never ends. The burden was becoming heavy, too heavy. I thought life with God was supposed to be a light burden?
There would be one perfect day where the sun was shining, the coffee in my mug was still hot, the kids were occupied and I had longer than ten minutes to sit and spend in the word, in prayer and in writing. I tended to set that atypical quiet time on a pedestal and if I could not get quiet time like THAT every day, I was simply not trying hard enough. I needed to do better.
Guilt. Guilt. Guilt.
Then…
I experienced a new way of being with God. A way that is a little more like living in freedom. A way that is not guilt induced, but instead feels more like an invitation to walk with God in the ordinary moments of my life. Less like trying to fit God into my quiet time box and more like paying attention to where He was already at work.
The spiritual disciplines became a new rhythm of grace in my life. They were a feast of ways to connect with God that I could weave throughout my day. And they didn’t all look the same!
Creativity, Nature, Imagining the Word…
Some of the disciplines were more time consuming and studious and so when I had the free time, I could (not should) choose one of those. Others were best being done when my hands were busy doing something else like cleaning or gardening. Slowly, the heavy burden began to lift and I was able to rest in the arms of the gentle shepherd without any guilt. I could just BE with Him.
Writing is also a spiritual discipline for me.
This blog will be a mixture of my stories about my personal experience of practicing the spiritual disciplines in my own life and also an Invitation for you to join this sacred ordinary journey with me.
No guilt required.
As we learn to put our trust and faith in God, we become open and available to receive God’s forming and transforming power in our own lives. In our better moments we know that it is God at work within us that provides the transformation. This is the day to claim God’s presence and help as you live the transformed life.
Reuben P. Job, A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God
Sarah Anderson 