My coffee's still in the cup

Hello! :)

For the last (almost) seven months of my life, my name has been Sarah Langness. However, for the the first 21 years of my life, I was known as Sarah Tonneson. (In case you didn't catch that, I was married to a fantastic man named Jordan Langness last September.) For the first 18 years of my life, I lived in Sioux Falls, SD. I then spent two years at the Association Free Lutheran Bible School in Minneapolis, which were, arguably, some of the best years of my entire life. I spent a year in Fargo, ND attending MSUM, and if it weren't for the great friends I had in Fargo, I probably wouldn't admit to living there. (Just kidding for those of you who love Fargo!) Once we were married, I followed my groom to his home in Beulah, ND, where Jordan is the youth director at Prince of Peace Lutheran.

As a young girl of about four years old, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I was (actually am) blessed with Christian parents who brought me up in the Word, training me up in the way I should go. A significant high point in my walk with the Lord occurred the summer before my sophomore year in high school at the Free Lutheran Youth Convention. As Pam Stenzel reached the conclusion of her "girl-talk" session that evening, she pointed us to Matthew 14:22-33, the passage where Jesus walks on water toward His disciples in the boat. We were challenged to step out of our boats - our comfort zones - and follow the Lord. Just as He reached out to save Peter when he began to sink, the Lord would be there to save us when difficult times came. I decided that night that I didn't want to be like one of the disciples who were waiting comfortably on the boat, watching the incredible work happen. I wanted to be a part of it. Then and there, I told the Lord that I would go wherever He wanted me to go and do whatever He wanted me to do.

So, although the Lord hasn't placed me in someplace "exciting" like Africa, China, or Brazil, He has placed me in Beulah. Here too is a group of young people who need to hear the words of the Lord and let them produce abundant fruit in their life. I suppose that's why you could say I joined the team of authors for this blog. The Lord has greatly blessed me and is constantly teaching me. Although personal growth is important, I don't believe the Lord wants us to keep it all to ourselves. Instead, we are to be faithful stewards with what He has given to us: "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy." (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)

May you be blessed as you read these blogs and may the Lord receive all the glory!

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14