Sarah Dixon Young's Blog: Love Much, page 15

Sustaining Power

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My oldest daughter has her driver’s permit. 

Though I use winter as an excuse to avoid letting her drive, my husband decided it was a fine time to let her drive to the city two hours away. High speeds, passing lanes, interstate on ramps, and semi trucks were included.

Let me tell you, friends, my what ifs were not wonderful that day. I stayed home, but I envisioned all sorts of disaster. I prayed too. 

Text to my husband: Let me know when you get there...

Burdens the Lord Carries

At a funeral, the pallbearers carry the heavy burden of the casket, but the family and friends have the greater burden of the loss. 

Watching a child mourn the loss of her mother, I contemplated that burden this week. It is too heavy.

It made me think of my own five year old, who fiercely insists, “I can do it myself.” One morning this week, I came down the stairs and found him holding an empty water jug and looking around at the flooded kitchen floor. It was too heavy a burden.

How of...

New Book Coming Soon!

I am so excited to announce the upcoming release of my new novel, “The Winning of Lady Wisdom.”

This book has been in the works for more than ten years, and it has been fun to watch it come to life over the past few months.

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if the woman called Wisdom walked off the pages of Proverbs 8? That’s the impetus behind this story.

Wisdom calls to a young man who has run out of options, a little girl with nowhere to call home, a single mom who st...

Devils Lake March for Life

You might have had trouble navigating through the streets of downtown Devils Lake last Wednesday night.

Perhaps you had to wait as the approximately 100 advocates for life marched together holding candles, saying prayers, and remembering all of those who have been affected by abortion.

A little girl walked out of one of the downtown shops and asked her mother, “Why are these people walking and holding candles?”

It is a fair question. Why march?

After walking twice around two city bl...

The Orange Peel Gospel

While we were visiting family in Florida, we had an orange peeling contest.

My mother-in-law laid butcher paper across the length of the room, and our children, nieces, and nephews lined up on either side of the paper.

Each child was given five oranges. They have often seen their fathers, native Floridians, peel an orange while keeping the peel in one piece. Their fathers always tell them that they learned this trick from the crafty Floridian raccoons.

All twelve children sat cross leg...

Power Walkers: North Dakota Sisters Practice Resilience on the John Muir Trail

    From top to bottom, the state of North Dakota spans 211 miles, the same distance as the John Muir Trail across the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. 

    After moving to the city of Salem, Oregon, North Dakota natives Molly and Carrie Nienhuis began to miss the beauty and wildness of home. 

    “I think we gravitated toward backpacking because it mirrored our upbringing. In a rural town, when you see someone in a grocery store, you start talking to them. The trail is like that. People are...

Out of Time

Over the holidays, aging grandparents and growing children reminded me that time never stands still.

    As the New Year dawns, we stuff calendars with dates and times, trying to find room for every event and appointment. A valuable measuring tool becomes an enemy on a daily basis as we race against time, fight against time, and never have enough time. 

    Before Christmas, we delivered shoebox gifts to our neighborhood. At one home, we knocked but no one came to the door. As I conte...

30 Days of Peace in Christ

When driving across the country, I often push the brakes. I push them so often that my leg gets sore. The funny thing about this is that I am sitting in the passenger seat.

How often do we try to take over even when something is out of our control?

For me, it is too often.

The Lord Jesus promises that His burden is light. Why do we insist on carrying our own heavy burdens instead of accepting His help?

Walking with the Lord brings peace when I pry my deathgrip off of the thi...

Christ’s Gift

An old ornament hangs on my tree. It says, “Baby’s First Christmas 1983.”

My first Christmas happened a long time ago, and I don’t remember any gift or event from that day. However, Christ’s Gift only grows more poignant and memorable with time.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” John wrote. Christmas Day has come and gone many times, but Jesus has come! He has pitched His tent here with us, and He has promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He has also promised, “If I ...

The Three R’s of Peace

An Excerpt from “Receive Him: A Disciple’s Advent”

Philippians 4:4-6; Luke 2:22-40

Anna had many reasons to grumble, complain, and lament.

She had been married young, but after only seven years, her husband died leaving her alone and childless. In her day and time, there was no way she could provide for herself. How would she live? What would she do?

Good thing Anna knew the three R’s of peace! 

First, despite her circumstances, she rejoiced in the Lord. For eighty-four years, “s...