"dreaming of one day going there...."

Recent Pics

2009-11-16T00:25:00.004-06:00

Me and my new Chinese friend Kimmy. He's fun.

Some of my favorite ladies and I at the Focus Conference!

Having fun @ the Imax theater- Lifegroup roadtrip to Omaha!

OMAHA ZOO!!!

Beautiful women of my LG!

Updated LG! Halloween pic.

McClanahan kids on Halloween. L to R:
Dwight Schrute, Angela (from The Office),
Cloudy with a Chance of Showers, and Facebook.

Authentic Friendships

2009-10-27T19:48:00.003-05:00

I've been having some issues with superficial people lately. I've met and known several Christians who are fake and superficial at church. They're a completely different person Sunday morning than they are the rest of the week. It has discouraged me from really trusting people and trusting their intentions. I was encouraged by this entry I received in my email a few days ago:

October 26, 2009
Healing Choices: Authentic Friendships
by Rick Warren
"But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).

In Biblical fellowship, we should experience authenticity.

Authentic friendships are more than superficial, surface-level chit-chat. They involve genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level, sharing.

These friendships develop when we get honest about who we are and what is happening in our lives. They develop when we share our hurts, reveal our feelings, confess our failures, disclose our doubts, admit our fears, acknowledge our weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.

Unfortunately, this level of authenticity and intimacy is the exact opposite of what we find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, we often become involved in pretending, role-playing, politicking, superficial politeness, and shallow conversation. We begin to wear masks, keep our guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in our lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.

It's only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, "If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves" (1 John 1:7–8 NCV).

The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in God's light, we can bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.

Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.

Why would anyone take such a risk?

Because it's the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed" (James 5:16 MSG).

October Songs (Super late, I know!)

2009-10-22T23:47:00.002-05:00

1. Lets Just Fall in Love Again- Jason Castro
2. Ain't No Reason- Brett Dennon
3. Everyone- Ingrid Michaelson
4. Let it Rain- Jordin Sparks
5. Sink or Swim- Tyrone Wells
6. River Flows in You- Yiruma
7. African Sunset- African Tribal Orchestra
8. I've Been Thinking- Kim McMechan
9. Carbon Ribs- John Mark McMillan
10. Daylight- Matt & Kim
11. Haven't Met You Yet- Michael Buble
12. Beautiful Ending- BarlowGirl
13. Breakable- Ingrid Michaelson
14. Put Your Records On- Corinne Bailey Rae
15. Chinese- Lily Allen
16. Whatever It Is- Ben Lee
17. Superwoman- Alicia Keys
18. The Sporting Life- The Decemberists
19. Take It From Me- The Weepies
20. Stars- Everly

Happy Halloween from the Rock Worship Band

2009-10-12T12:45:00.001-05:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Geez, It Has Been A While......

2009-10-04T23:19:00.002-05:00

Update, here we go!

1. I'm going to be studying abroad next semester at a university in Glasgow, Scotland. Coming up fast, I'm pretty darn excited!

2. I got a concussion the first day of class. Nothing better than spending your first day of class in the E.R., let me tell ya....

3. Chinese is quickly becoming my favorite food. Holy cow, authentic homemade Chinese food is hard to beat! Yum.

4. Ummmm I can't think of what else is new... or random... at the moment. Oh, ok I got one! I have this new obsession with scented candles. Seriously. Can't get enough of them lately.

Wow. Ok, well I guess the 2 were the only real updates. The last 2 were me desperately trying to think of more things to add to the list.

Ok bye! I'll try to start blogging more. I've been failing at blogging lately.

Read this.

2009-09-11T13:04:00.001-05:00

Ames, Iowa- where to live the simple life.

iTunes iMix

2009-09-01T11:38:00.001-05:00

Hey friends!
I just posed an iMix to iTunes with some of my fav soundtrack songs. Check it out!

September Songs

2009-08-30T22:07:00.002-05:00

It's been a rollercoaster of a month. I'm a bit early, but here are the songs for September.

1. A Broken Heart- from "Ladies in Lavender"
2. Melody- Kate Earl
3. Giving Up- Ingrid Michaelson
4. Sunrise- Irene Nelson
5. Here I Go Again- Anuhea
6. Starting Now- Ingrid Michaelson
7. Droplets- Colbie Cailat & Jason Reeves
8. The Outsiders- Needtobreathe
9. That's Not My Name- The Ting Tings (don't listen to it too much or your head might explode!)
10. Wait it Out- Imogen Heap
11. One Day- Matisyahu
12. All That I Am- Parachute
13. The Friends (HP #6)- Nicholas Hooper
14. Sad Song- Shaun Groves
15. Follow You- Leeland w/Brandon Heath
16. Life and Death- Marc Shaiman (The Bucket List)
17. Ladies in Lavender- Joshua Bell
18. Priceless- Copeland (repeat, I know but it's so good!)
19. West Coast Friendship- Owl City
20. Fly Away- Tenth Avenue North

poll

2009-08-18T18:44:00.001-05:00

you should vote on the poll to the right. :)

August Tunes

2009-08-15T12:30:00.002-05:00

1. Say Hey (I love you) -Michael Franti & Spearhead
2. Laughing With- Regina Spektor
3. Maybe- Ingrid Michaelson
4. Fireflies- Owl City
5. Losing You- Camera Can't Lie
6. Ruin Me- Jeff Johnson
7. The Lost Get Found- Britt Nicole
8. What Do I Know of Holy- Addison Road
9. Perfect People- Natalie Grant
10. Love, Save the Empty- Erin McCarley
11. Single Ladies- Beyonce (laugh if you will! ;)
12. Can't Take Away -Mikeschair
13. Don't Worry Now- Britt Nicole
14. Sleeping Girl- Matt Anthoney (my co-worker!)
15. A Little Too Not Over You- David Archuleta
16. Lost in You- Rusty & Jessica
17. Love Song for No One- John Mayer
18. I'll Meet You There- Owl City
19. Calling Out- Tenth Avenue North
20. This is the Future- Owl City

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Yum.

2009-08-04T18:49:00.004-05:00

Here's what's new.

--Moved into my new apartment on Saturday. w00t.
--I'm taking Chinese in the fall. It's going to kick my butt. :)
--Just got over an inner ear infection I've been carrying with me since coming back from Hawaii.
--I have made some really awesome new Chinese friends.
--Switched my major. I'm now a communication studies and international studies double major with a minor in music.

Harry Potter

2009-07-17T22:57:00.005-05:00

My brothers, sister-in-law some friends and I dressed up for the midnight showing of Harry Potter amd the Half-Blood Prince. I had a fun time dressing up and playing the part of Professor Trelawney. :) Here are some early pics. Much more to come later.

Photos by Dan McClanahan
www.mcclanahanstudio.com

2009-07-09T16:49:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Reasons to Procrastinate:

1.

It's July!!! (Songs)

2009-07-07T13:03:00.002-05:00

Fire me from monthly song lists. Late, but here we go!

1. On the Street Where You Live- Dean Martin
2. More Beautiful You- Jonny Diaz
3. I Dreamed a Dream- Susan Boyle
4. Kalimba Suite- Bobby McFerrin
5. Dreamer (acoustic)- Bethany Dillon
6. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride- Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu
7. Brightest- Copeland
8. Writings on the Wall- Album Leaf
9. Pieces- Red
10. You Dance- Peter Bradley Adams
11. One for Sorrow. Two for Joy. -Innocence Mission
12. Kills Me- All But Screaming
13. White Horse- Taylor Swift (i know, i know, taylor swift. this song hits close to home this month so it's going on the top songs)
14. I'll Be Seeing You- Billie Holiday
15. You- Switchfoot
16. Whole Again- Jennifer Knapp
17. When You Love Someone- Bethany Dillon
18. When My Heart- Matt Redman
19. What If I Stumble- DC Talk
20. What Do I Know- Sara Groves

Iowa's Underrated

2009-06-23T15:02:00.003-05:00

I love Iowa. I never appreciate it until I'm away for a while and realize how great it is. Well, I was just away for a while and now I am reminded of why it is so great. Here are some good ol' Iowa pics I took from my family's farm in SW Iowa.

Hawaii

2009-06-14T19:41:00.003-05:00

I just returned from a trip I took to visit my friend Kayla in Hawaii. It was a blessing of a trip, as I had airline dollars to use up by the end of May and it was pretty much the exact amount for a plane ticket to Kona, Hawaii.

It was the most inexpensive vacation I will probably ever take. Here are a few of my highlights from the trip (many more on facebook):

-Going on a hokule’a. It was a huge honor to be given the opportunity to experience this, as it is such a historical and cultural part of the Hawaii islands. Not many native Hawaiians ever get to experience this, let alone tourists. It was amazing!
-Going to Pearl Harbor. What a humbling experience getting to witness where this disaster took place. Words cannot quite describe it.
-Going to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It is usually $50 for the cheapest admission to this center, but we were fortunate enough to meet a guy who was sitting next to me on my flight who worked there and got us in for free. It was so great to be able to learn more about the Polynesians and their discoveries.
-Going snorkeling and swimming with a couple of sea turtles. While we were leaving the same beach, we stumbled upon 4 sea turtles that had crawled up the beach to take a nap. It was incredible to be able to touch their shells and see them up close. Even Chris and Kayla who both live in Hawaii, were amazed that we stumbled upon them, as they are a very endangered species.
-Going to the Volcano Nat’l Park. We were able to get close to an active volcano. It was also neat to hike through some lava rock and find the pictographs carved in some of the lava rock by the Polynesians.
-Exploring the ranch where they film the TV show "Lost" and where they also have filmed such movies as "Jurassic Park" and "Mighty Joe Young".

A Laugh from my Grandma

2009-06-12T18:01:00.001-05:00

I got this in an email from my grandma. Thought I'd share:

LETTER FROM THE BOSS: As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our President and that our taxes and government fees will increase in a BIG way. To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to increase by about 10%. But since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we will have to lay off sixty of our employees instead. This has really been bothering me, since I believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go. So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lots and found sixty Obama bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change, I gave it to them. I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.

Fearing the Lord

2009-06-05T02:53:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about what fearing the Lord really looks like.

I would love to hear your thoughts/meditations/experiences on the subject.

Aloha from Hawaii! :)
Sarah

Top Songs for June

2009-05-26T11:33:00.003-05:00

I'm leaving today to go to Hawaii where I'll be for 12 days, so I'm doing my top songs a bit early this month.

1. The Way You Look Tonight- Kris Allen
2. Turn to Stone- Ingrid Michaelson
3. Chasing the Daylight- Phillip LaRue
4. The Planets Bend Between Us- Snowpatrol
5. Off I Go- Greg Laswell
6. Things We Go Through- Hawk Nelson
7. God of Justice- Tim Hughes
8. Permanent- David Cook
9. Quiet Times- Dido
10. No Boundaries- Kris Allen
11. Priceless- Copeland
12. Effortless- Rita Springer
13. Leah- Kim McMechan
14. In Your Atmosphere- John Mayer
15. Ooh Child- Beth Orton
16. Mmm... -Laura Izibor
17. Pin Your Wings- Copeland
18. Rain- Breaking Benjamin
19. Unsaid- The Fray
20. You Dance- Peter Bradley Adams

Honorary song of the month: For You- Johnny Cash & Dave Matthews*
Putting this on here is a huge deal for me- as I'm known for having a large dislike for music that even has a hint of country music in it. I must confess that my friend introduced me to this song and I LOVE IT. The words are so simple yet profound. (This doesn't mean I oficially like country music though.)

Many of the songs from this month were inspired by artists and songs I was introduced to this past weekend by my good friend Jules. I got to spend the weekend with her in Minnesota and she introduced me to some artists that I'm officially hooked on. :)

Finally! Concert Link

2009-05-20T22:21:00.003-05:00

I finally had someone help me burn the DVD of my performance with the ISU Orchestra from the Concerto Concert in March to my computer.

After much confusion and hassle, it's successfully on YouTube! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHZo9tuuKaQ

Gems

2009-05-12T23:08:00.003-05:00

I had some great God time on Sunday. I went with two of my favorite ladies to the Ledges park near Boone. We spent an afternoon hiking, wading in the creek and spending some individual time with the Lord. I read Proverbs 25-28 and I swear I underlined about 1/4 of what I read. So many gems! Here are a few of my favs:

"It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." Prov 25:2

I have been impatient lately. I've been asking God questions about my future, like who am I going to marry? Where am I going to live someday? How will certain circumstances I'm in now pan out? "It is the glory of God to conceal things". I haven't been considering it GOD'S GLORY. I've been considering it God holding out on me. God spoke to me through this verse. "All in due time, Sarah. Just trust me." That leaves the ball in my court. Will I trust?

"Better is open rebuke than hidden love." -Prov 27:5

Rebuke is hard to take. I've experienced my share of rebuke done out of love and rebuke done out of anger. I'm learning to examine my heart and make SURE that my intention is love before I rebuke someone, because I sure know how hurtful it can be to the person when it's given in anger- it can create wounding that is hard to lose.

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy." -Prov 27:6

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend". Wow. That struck me. "Profuse are the kisses of an enemy". Not as shocking there, but "Faithful are the wounds of a friend"? Wow. Never thought of it that way.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible:
"As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man." -Prov 27:19

I have been finding out recently first-hand that this verse is SO true. (Not that I necessarily need to experience everything in the Bible first-hand to believe it, but it's just nice when it does.... :) The heart of man cannot be hidden. Sooner or later, the inside intention and state of the heart is reflected through the man's actions, words, etc. It's sort of like God gave us a view of the "real" person inside each and every one of us through the heart. God views the heart. For some of us that is a comforting statement. For others of us, it's a scary statement. I've really been examining the state of my heart recently. I've found some pretty crummy stuff in there- but it's a good thing that my God is patient, loving and ABLE to purify me and make me white as snow. He's the only one who can. PTL.

"..the righteous are bold as a lion." -Prov.28:1b

O you, who consider yourself to be righteous-- are you bold as a lion? Wow. Something to strive for, that is for certain. Fear of the Lord is the only fear I want to experience. What sorts of things do YOU fear? My list gets pretty darn long. I strive to be more righteous and bold as a lion. With God on my side, how can I go wrong? Trust and faith are two things we cannot possibly have enough of.

Is it too Early to have a Christmas List?

2009-05-11T23:05:00.001-05:00

2009-05-08T18:04:00.003-05:00

GOD MADE
ADAM BIT
NOAH ARKED
ABRAHAM SPLIT
JOSEPH RULED * JACOB FOOLED
BUSH TALKED * MOSES BALKED
PHARAOH PLAGUED * PEOPLE WALKED
SEA DIVIDED
TABLETS GUIDED
PROMISE LANDED
SAUL FREAKED
DAVID PEEKED
PROPHETS WARNED
JESUS BORN
GOD WALKED
LOVE TALKED
ANGER CRUCIFIED
HOPE DIED
LOVE ROSE
SPIRIT FLAMED
WORD SPREAD
GOD REMAINED

This is Too Great Not to Share

2009-05-06T19:59:00.002-05:00

Being a fellow Drum Major in my High School marching band, this was fab to read.

"Girl Beats Back Muggers With Marching Band Baton

QUARTZ HILL, Calif. (AP) — Don't mess with the marching band.

That's what California authorities are saying after a 17-year-old girl used her marching band baton to beat back two would-be muggers.

Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Michael Rust says the Quartz Hill girl was walking to school April 24 when two men approached her from behind, tried to grab her coat and demanded money.

Instead, one got a punch in the nose and the other a kick to the groin. Rust says the girl then beat both of them with her band baton before she ran away.

The men had not been caught. But Rust says there's a clear message to take from the encounter:

"The moral to this story is don't mess with the marching band girls, or you just might get what you deserve. Final score: marching band 2, thugs 0.""

New Do

2009-05-04T23:45:00.000-05:00

I've decided to switch up my blog template a bit.

Time for a change.

:)