Entries by Sara Anderson

When I Was A Child…

April 23, 2015 in , /by

I thought about this verse when I was reading an account of Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s life as the wife of aviator Charles Lindbergh. As her mother was dying, Anne supposedly told her, “Mother, you’re my hero.”  To which the woman replied, “You need to…stop looking for heroes, Anne.  Only the weak need heroes and heroes need those around them to remain weak.  You’re not weak.” I heard Harry Reeder, pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian in Birmingham, once say that we all need role models, but we should choose role models who are dead.  We need to look up to people who have […]

Are we preoccupied with sex or something?

February 10, 2015 in , /by

You can’t disagree that relationships, including sex, preoccupy the minds of young adults. You remember being young, don’t you? I do, vaguely. When our high school seniors go to college they find a world far different from that of their parents. Discussions these days aren’t about dating; they are about “hooking up” and “friends with benefits”. Relationships are more complicated today than ever before. If not approached from a Christian perspective, the complexities can leave wounds that scar a woman for the rest of her life. Bristol House has several books that deal specifically with relationships. Real Sex by Lauren […]

What Good Comes From Praying?

January 19, 2015 in , /by

Several years ago, the church I attend did a 6-week study on prayer based on the book, Love to Pray, by Alvin VanderGriend. Lately a friend unwittingly reminded me of some important prayer concepts in that book. I feel I have been led to help revive a prayer ministry in my church. I’ll admit to arguing with the Lord about this. “But if I do this, I will encounter more spiritual battle. Frankly, I don’t want the aggravation,” I muttered. I was rebuked by this passage from the book: “Prayer is the means by which God accomplishes His purposes and […]

Just Say ‘no’ to New Year’s Resolutions

January 14, 2015 in , /by

This is the time of year we make resolutions, most of which are broken by Valentine’s Day, if not before. We vow to exercise daily, cut back on our sugar consumption, read a book a week, clean out the garage, landscape the yard, etc. A few years ago I became so discouraged at my inability to follow through on my resolutions that I resolved NOT to make resolutions that year! Nevertheless, I acknowledge that it’s beneficial to approach a new year with some intention for focus and faithfulness. I was pondering what I should do this year when I saw […]

Try A Lot of Kindness

December 21, 2014 in , /by

By Sara Anderson There’s a lot of dark news on television, the internet and newspapers these days.  Sometimes I would like to crawl into bed and pull the quilt over my head.  But then I see grace-filled news about the kindness of ordinary people, which is heart-warming. Here’s a sampling: A woman’s husband collapses while mowing grass. After he has safely been taken to the hospital, one of the firemen comes back to finish mowing the lawn. An eight-year old girl hears that a veteran needs a service dog to assist him with his Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.  She begins […]

Sounds of Silence

December 21, 2014 in , /by

 By Sara Anderson One of the disciplines of the contemplative life is practicing periods of silence to listen to God and to think.  It is hard to find quiet in our clanging mostly urban and suburban world.  Yet such time is important for our sanity and the health of our souls. I recently returned from my third retreat and vacation to the island of Iona, one island in Scotland’s’ Inner Hebrides.  Approximately three miles long and one and a half miles wide, Iona is home to the historic Iona Abbey, founded by St. Columbia in 553.  The current structure dates to the […]