Sarah C.

Today, Sarah speaks to us about God speaking wholeness over her, books to add to your reading list and gratitude in prayer.

Tell us a bit about how you grew up and your childhood: I grew up in an amazing home. My parents threw themselves at the feet of Jesus when me and my brother came along, for help and guidance on how to raise us. Unfortunately, I struggled heavily with anxiety as a kid. Stomach ulcers were the result of carrying so much fear, not understanding God’s grace, His love for myself, and fearing a perceived exacting God. Even though my parents did all they could with the knowledge they had, the enemy really took advantage of any opportunity to project his character onto God’s in my mind. Besides struggling deeply with this, I loved being homeschooled, with the freedom to roam the woods, write stories, and play Indians with my brother. 

Inspiring biblical passage of the moment: Hosea 2. It’s literally a roadmap of what forgiven and loved looks like. My testimony is steeped in this narrative and every time I read it I find the next step in God’s plan of restoration for me. I scoured this chapter through different versions of the Bible, the original Hebrew, and wrote those things out along with what it meant to me. You can find my scoured version here.

Spiritual growth focus at the moment: Gratitude literally changes your brain, your thought patterns, your focus, and what you believe. Scientific research shows even further shifts occur when gratitude is done as a prayer. So, I write prayer gratitudes in my journal. Gratitude is currently growing me because it refocuses my mind when I’m spinning with emotions. It builds a relationship with God where I know that no matter what is happening, God is still good. I’m also growing spiritually with my husband, God is showing me my weak points, my triggers and wounds and using a loving man to help me heal, resolve, and grow past those things. 

“Gratitude literally changes your brain, your thought patterns, your focus, and what you believe. Scientific research shows even further shifts occur when gratitude is done as a prayer.”

Profession/Mission: I studied Clinical Nutrition and Clinical Exercise Physiology in university. I loved the science aspect so much and studying the effects of all kinds of things but specifically mental health, nutrition and disease processes on our ability to move the way we were meant to. While I loved cardiac rehab and physical therapy post grad, I’m currently away from my spot in clinical settings. I felt a strong desire to work in ministry and share the radical transformation God did in my life. Currently, I work at CORE school of evangelism. It’s a nine month discipleship program for young adults who want to grow their faith, find their calling, and learn how to effectively serve. I help to run the school, write, mentor young adults in growth and ministry, and travel around the country recruiting and sharing the gospel with my husband. Our heavy emphasis is on mental health and the radical transforming power of the Gospel. Its an incredible gift to watch our student’s minds and spirituality dramatically shift for the better!

If you wrote a memoir, what would the title be? It would likely be, “Returns to Edenic Shalom”. Because, that’s been the trajectory of my life. Making returns to how it was meant to be in Eden one moment and perspective shift at a time. And let communing with Love Himself be how I make returns in my own friendships, family bonds, and marriage.  

When did you first encounter God and how did you encounter Him? A big moment with God was when I decided to leave Him and He showed up with a BIG PROMISE of love as a comeback to my running away. That’s the first time I really really saw God for Who He is. 

How would you describe Jesus? He is a loving husband with eternity on His mind. 

How has your relationship with Him changed you? He’s spoken wholeness into me. He reminds me of my value. It’s made me far more outward focused in terms of having the desire to serve. He’s taken my heavy burdens. I’m free, whole, and inspired. Giving my story to Jesus and allowing Him to write His story over mine has given me so much healing and I’m forever changed. I’m more at peace than I’ve ever been. 

“He’s spoken wholeness into me. He reminds me of my value.”

What has been the darkest time in your life, and how did you see God in it? Experiencing five years of domestic violence was no joke! God sat with me in my pain and spoke comfort and assurance into my heart that it wasn’t too late to ask for rescue. The moment I said yes to rescue, He stood up and walked me right out of that situation and into an excruciating but brilliant season of healing that was 10000% all worth it! 

“The moment I said yes to rescue, He stood up and walked me right out of that situation and into an excruciating but brilliant season of healing that was 10000% all worth it!”

What has helped you grow spiritually in this season? Stopping to read more and being inspired by stories of people who love God more than anything. Also, studying mental health with my mentors has grown me and expanded my view and understanding on pain, trauma, healing and where God is in all of it. 

Just read/currently reading (and what has it taught you?): Sisters In Arms by Sukeshinie Goonatilleke is incredible. There are women in the reformation period who stood up, spoke up, and chose what they heard the Holy Spirit teaching over their lives, family, and position. It’s one of the most inspiring woman and God focused books. Desire of Ages and Steps to Christ by Ellen G. White are hands down some of my current favorites. You’ll never be the same. Reading Steps to Christ with my husband has set us in awe of the love of God and united us spiritually in a valuable way. How We Love by Milan and Kay Yerkovich is an amazing window to seeing the root cause of many of our unhealthy behaviors (we all have them). Learning about attachments styles and their effect on our life is huge for living a life towards healing understanding, and growth. 

Top three essentials: My Bible, water bottle, and a cozy sweater. 

How did God speak to you recently? Aforementioned Hosea 2, where He keeps showing me what’s next in healing and growth and his plan of restoration for me. 

Hobby: Rock climbing, charcoal drawing, wood DIY projects. 

Top three practical tips for staying spiritually strong: Be in the Word! Claim those promises over your life and loved ones. Surround yourself with community that is Godly. Serve in some way, because it strengthens you big time when you do mission/ministry work/friendship evangelism. Serving pushes you to lean on God and that’s where strength comes from. So lean in!

Favorite person in scripture? Hands down Jesus flipping old constructs and rebuilding with a series of “but I say” and intentional ways of doing life. He was so perfectly different. I want to be just like Him as I grow up. 

What do you want people to learn about God when they look at you? That He is our compassionate wounded Healer. 

How do you engage with your community? Planning time to spend in person has been huge! We’ll have people over for good food, games, and vespers (a worship before/after Sabbath). Long distance will be FaceTime for interim ’till we see each other in person. But we make sure to ask the deeper things and check in on each other’s hearts and goals. For our literal surrounding community we’ll be out with our school doing literature evangelism and Bible work, health seminars, and meeting the physical needs of the people we meet where we can. 

Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving has always been the big one for my family and I’m obsessed with fall time! My husband and I try to bring awareness around what the natives went through during that time in history and promote how we can give back. Because we don’t agree with how natives were treated, it’s a fall celebration and a chance to be grateful to God with family and friends. 

A goal you have? I really want to record more music.

A special tradition you and your family engage in or keep: Every Friday night my husband and I will ask each other what was the best part of the week and what was the hardest? This gives us a chance to connect emotionally more after a busy week, be there for each other if anything has happened that needs some extra TLC. It’s a chance to observe and express all we have to grateful for. 

Question you will ask when you get to heaven? “Can I just have a big ole hug, Jesus? I missed you.” 

What does your morning routine consist of? God time, a few moments with my husband to connect, a bit of hair and make up with worship music in the background, finding the comfiest clothes option to wear, nutrition packed breakfast, making sure our teachers are good to go and I’m out the door!  

What is on your nightstand? My water bottle, my Bible and Bible highlighters. Pieces of nature I’ve collected like leaves from the inspiring William Miller pioneer home, acorns from the Appalachian mountains, sticks from Alaska, shells from our honeymoon beach. 

Define Christianity in a sentence: Disciples of Jesus who are enraptured and changes by His Love and living righteous by faith. And they’re discipling others back home.

For more Sarah:

IG: @mrssarahcasper

Music: Sarah Avaylon wherever you stream music

YouTube Channel: Sarah Avaylon Casper

Ministry: COREevangelism.com, IG: @COREevangelism

Until next time, keep witnessing!

XX