Holidays!

The FIRST Holiday Season for the D'Attoma's!!

Journey Fall Retreat (High School)

I realized I never posted pictures from the High School Retreat! Here's just a taste... for more go to the northside student website!!



(SO COLD!)




(Duck tape/balloon game)



(Ready to do the SWING SHOT!)






(Me and the hubbser)

HOME OWNERS! AH!

We searched and searched....



(on a busy road)



(too small...)



(sold!)



(TACKY homemade garage)



(Absolutely LOVED this house...but... wrong neighborhood...)



(Brand new... and...too expensive...)

Now...

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

We ended with this home.... one we BOTH loved, and actually could afford!! Jesus knew this one was waiting for us because it came up for sale just this past week... and we jumped!! It'll be ours officially on December 17th!

Well... after the 360 payments and interest and...

let's not think about that....

DRUM ROLL!!

The Pursuit!

The Middle School Retreat (The Pursuit) was this past weekend in Sunset, South Carolina. We ended up taking 39 students and around 12 leaders. Our speaker for the week was one of Mike's good friends; Clint Wyllie. He flew in from Livingston, Texas to join us for the retreat and speak from God's Word. The theme for the weekend was: SPEAK. We learned from Jeremiah that God has formed us, set us aside for a specific purpose, and that God is always with us. What a powerful and relevant message for these kids!

We began the weekend with a 3 hour drive up through the mountains to Camp McCall. After the kids got settled in the dorms (dragging their leapherd printed suitcases up the hill) we had our first session in the chapel. It was a beautiful setting on the top of the mountain and the kids were excited to be there. Our first late night activity was called the "Russian KGB" where the leaders act like they have taken over camp, and the students must find clues to "destroy” them. Even in the middle of pouring down rain, we managed to get them excited about this late night camp adventure!! Leigh and I watched over the tiny innocent 6th grade girls who would scream at any sight of trouble. We had a great time running around camp with them and ended up getting 3rd place – They were very proud of themselves!

Saturday we woke up to a gorgeous day. It was filled with games, worship, 2 messages from Clint, the zipline, the pole climb, the human swingshot, and the high ropes course over the waterfall! The bright leaves were out in all their glory and the fall colors were simply unbelievable. Many of the students had never been in the mountains, and they really appreciated the beauty of the creation around us.

Romans 1:20 says
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Saturday evening was a challenging time for our students. Many were faced with the opportunity to make commitments to Lord; whether rededicating their lives or for the firs time. I personally had the privilege to pray with 3 girls who made a first time commitment to Christ. It was incredibly exciting as I watched their child-like faith come alive. I learned big lessons from them that night.

After spending some time in their life groups we had the traditional smore-making, hot chocolate drinking, camp song-singing fun around the camp fire. The night got colder and colder and not too many slept through the frigid night. Many were bundled in sweatshirts and blankets for our last session on Sunday morning and eagerly jumped on the warm bus for the ride home. Despite the conditions, however, I could tell their lives had been touched and that they have hopefully embraced the challenge to SPEAK in their schools and to be intentional about telling their friends about Jesus.

The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

JEREMIAH 1:4-8

My beloved

Just stumbled on a new artist: Kari Jobe.
Check her out!!

Beloved:
You're My Beloved
You're My Bride
To sing over you is My delight
Come away with Me My love

You're Beautiful to Me
So beautiful to Me

Under My mercy
Come and wait
Till we are standing face to face
I see no stain on you
My child

You're Beautiful to Me
So Beautiful to Me

I sing over you My song of peace
Cast all your *cares* down at My feet

Come and find your rest in Me

I'll breathe My life inside of you
I'll bear you up on eagle's wings
And hide you in the shadow of My strength
I'll take you to My quiet waters
I'll restore your soul
Come rest in Me and be made whole

You're My beloved
You're My Bride
To sing over you is my delight
Come away with me my love

Anchor of the soul.

“So when God desired to show more convincingly to^A)"> the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope^E)"> set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into^F)"> the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf,^H)"> having become a high priest forever…”

Hebrews 6:17-20

Birthdays!

This past wednesday was Mike's 24th birthday! It was so fun being able to celebrate for him as a married couple... but a little difficult to buy presents with the JOINT CHECKING! ah! It was actually a nightmere trying to be sneaky and had to give up some of my hopes of doing that well.... I gave hjm a new Buckyes Jersey and a brand new pink collared shirt from express. The BIG gift that i really wanted to get for him was a home theater system, but the store I went to only carried them online... I found that out the day before his birthday. SO i told him about it and let him decide something else he might want. He chose an itrip for the car so he can listen to sermons while driving around... and maybe i can borrow that too sometimes!!!

We actually did pull off a pretty decent surprise party for him for his birthday.... It was on the same night as middle school youth group so all the leaders brought him his favorite food and decorated with tons of balloons, which i spent all day blowing up....it was fun :)

My parents came to visit this weekend and it was my mom's birthday as well! We went out to eat in a cute diner downtown and it was a pleasant surprise... the food was AMAZING. :) We will go back! :)

We are looking forward to another crazy weekend coming up -- our middle school fall retreat! We will take lots of pictures, i'm sure! :)

Love, Sarah

Chicago Marathon

An inspiring message from an old professor of mine... Old as in previous, not as in elderly. :) He is an incredibly humble and inspiring man who loves people in a way that I can only hope to one day. He is a beautiful picture of how Christ teaches us to love people who are hurting and desperate. Check out his story:

I finished the Chicago Marathon! Ha! 26.2 miles. Astonishing. No one is more surprised than I that such a thing was possible.

OK, so its not the Nobel Peace Prize. If someone were to say “That’s nice, but come on. Its not that big a deal. 45,000 other people ran it too, right? A lot of people run marathons.” My response would be, “You don’t understand. Yes, a lot of other people ran it… but we are talking about me. We are talking about something becoming a reality for me. “

It is a humbling experience. I didn’t start at the front of the pack with the elite, world - class runners. No one chanted my name. I was way behind from the very beginning. The crowd was so big I didn’t even get across the starting line for 21 minutes . No motorcycles with camera guys riding backwards filmed me with continuous TV commentary. No one interviewed me before or after the race. If you want to be kind to me, remember that in the same way you don’t ask ladies their age, you don’t ask 55 year old men what their time was for a marathon. Its not good manners.

I’ll tell you though. 5 hrs, 30 min. Its not world class. Probably 80% of the field finished in front of me. But I finished.

I did it as a reminder to myself that people stuck poverty and life dominating issues feel as powerless to do anything about their circumstances as the average middle class person feels incapable of running a marathon. The typical middle class person knows other people run marathons. They just can’t imagine that they could do it. They imagine all of the hurdles and good reasons why it would not be possible for them to succeed. They fail before they even get to the starting line.

What they would need to succeed is what I had that enabled me to be a finisher in Chicago: people who believed in me, who worked with me and encouraged me over the long haul, who trained me how to run, who were personal role models, who weren’t judgmental when I was less than perfect but nevertheless held me accountable, who prayed for me. No one could do it for me, but these are the kinds of things that help people succeed, either in life or a marathon.

Its the same kind of support broken people need who are coming out of addictions, prostitution, and other life dominating sins. It’s the kind of support Changing Lives Now gives to folks who are wanting to come off of the street. They are helping losers in life to be winners. You may not see them on TV either, but God takes notice.

Which is the other reason I ran: You understand, of course, that it was not about the race. Not about me. And it certainly wasn’t about my finishing time.

Sunday’s marathon was about helping to raise the visibility of CLN and connecting them with people who believe in what they do so they can be a financial part of a ministry in the trenches that is giving people a hand up… not a hand out.

So – want to give a hand up? www.Changinglivesnow.org.

You can give online. Its tax deductible. They and I will be profoundly grateful.

Beauty.

I was looking through some of my pictures that I have taken over the past year or so to post on my photography site. One popped out at me that I remember taking but never really took the time to appreciate it. The hydrangea is my favorite flower. I love how incredibly tiny each petal is, but all gathered together they form one enormous burst of soft color. My parents tried to buy Mike and I huge arrangements of them for our wedding, but they were just going out of season. Maybe someday we'll just fill our yard with them instead... :)

Lil Green

What do you think? :)

House Hunting (cont)!

We put in several offers on the home that was mentioned a few posts ago, but we decided that it would have been a purchase out of emotion at the top of our budget -- not the best way to start out. So, we have begun again and we are very excited about another property we found. We are going to look at it today...lots of pictures to come!!

Love, Sarah

It's different now...

Francis Chan is my "Father of the Faith". When I was in 8th grade, I accepted Christ at a youth camp where he was the main speaker. If you don't know who he is check out Cornerstone Church, located in Semi Valley, California.

He has written two books now: 1) Crazy Love and 2)The Forgotten God. I just completed The Forgotten God which is all about how was have tragically neglected to REALLY invite the spirit into our churches, our homes, and ultimately our daily lives. It's not that He isn't there, it's that we don't know what it means to live in step with the Spirit so that every decision, thought and action is motivated by His leading. What would our churches, homes and daily lives look like if we honestly and truly did that?

As I was reading it, I was asking Him (the Holy Spirit) to show me a tangible way that I could follow His leading. One of the ways that we often "make it without Him" is by working hard to provide for ourselves. When you have a good job, enough in the bank account, and a stable-looking future, it is easy to think we have that part figured out pretty well enough on our own. I want to be provided for by the Spirit. I want to wake up every morning and be blown away by how he blesses and supplies our needs.

Based on all of this, talking to Him as I read through this book, I am convinced that He wants me to make my photography a donation based ministry. I saw an "Extreme Home Makeover" several years ago that I will never forget. There was a woman who's ministry as a photographer was to go into the hospitals and take pictures with couples who had a premature baby that was only going to live HOURS. Maybe a week? She named the organization "Tiny Works of Heart." She would go into those dark suffocating rooms and breathe life into them. She would make the parents laugh with each other as they held their newborn and take literally THOUSANDS of pictures for them to cherish forever... beyond the fleeting hours with their child.

I have always been inspired by that, but I wasn't sure that was what I was called too. It takes a very special personality to be able to talk into a situation like that and bring joy, hope and peace. I know that God wants to use my photography to bless others and now it is going to be completely by donation. Families come from such an array of situations and have innumerable other financial burdens that take precinence now-adays. I am hoping this will be an encouragement to many....so.....

Spread the word! :)

Love, Sarah

Word of the Day

"When we are at our wits' end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer. But how can He give us an answer when we are still well supplied with all sorts of answers of our own?

Karl Barth.

House Hunting

Mike and I have started the search for a place of our own. After months for me, and years for him, of renting... it is time to be "allowed" to paint the walls, install cool lights, and put our fingerprints all over :)

We have found a house that we love at a price that is INSANE. Insanely low, that is. It is a foreclosed house, but the only one in this neighborhood which makes it less of an issue. It is now on a bidding block, so the price that is listed really means nothing.

We keep going back looking for flaws wondering what the deal is....This would be a house we couldn't have afforded otherwise and this could just be our diamond in the rough...

Take a peak!

Love, Sarah

In your freedom, Hillsong

I have listened to the Savior, King Album by Hillsong many many times, but never really heard the lyrics of this song until this morning. Check it out:

I search for You
God of strength
I bow to You
in my brokenness
And no other King
could have so humbly come
To save my soul
and heal my heart

I have nothing more than all You offer me
There is nothing else that’s of worth to me

And I love You Lord
You rescued me
You are all that I want
You’re all that I need
I pray to You God of peace
I rest in You
my cares released

I have nothing more than all You offer me
There is nothing else that’s of worth to me

And I love You Lord
You rescued me
You are all that I want
You’re all that I need

In Your freedom I will live
In Your freedom I will live
I offer devotion
I offer devotion

Back to School Bash

We have been praying for this event for weeks, asking God to bring hundreds of unsaved students onto Northside’s Campus. With everything ready to go, from the inflatables, to the band, to the speaker waiting to share, students began to stream in. At first I was discouraged because we didn’t have the “amount” of students we were praying for, but as I walked around I realized that there were hardly any faces I recognized. The event was from 4-8 and at 5:15, an hour before the band was going to start playing, I went to the back and prayed with them that many more students would arrive to hear the message. In the next half hour, at least another 50 students came through our doors.

The Starlit Drive was a favorite band from our Myrtle Beach Retreat back at the beginning of the summer, and the students who are apart of our Student Ministries were extremely excited to remember how God had touched their lives at this camp. Others, uncertain of their faith, having spent little time in a church, welcomed this Christian Band with equal excitement. As Shawn spoke about John 10:10 and how Christ desires to give them FULL lives, I could feel the Spirit moving in the room. Many rededicated their lives to Him, and many were faced with the opportunity to make that decision for the first time. I am so thankful for all that God is doing in the lives of the students from all across our city. Pray that we continue to see brand new faces every week… :)

Run!

In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run! on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

Ephesians 4:1-6

Imagine Campaign 2009

The team from Guatamala has returned safely! Mike is still processing all the experiences he had and I am sure that this will be something he will always remember and carry with him. He mentioned how sweet the children were there, which is something that always stuck out to me when to travelled to very impoverished places. I told him to bring home as many as he could carry, but i guess that's frowned upon... someday we'll snatch some of those little ones up.

Yesterday we had a church-wide picnic celebrating our vision for our new church location. We had it on the new property that has been paid off and now it's time to take a step of faith and pledge and start building. As our pastor said, despite economy, despite our own financial woes, if God has provided this for us and given us a word to move forward in faith, that is what we need to do. This new location will increase our influence greatly, not to mention we will be situated off of 2 major highways and next to 2 schools -- thousands will drive past every day -- thousands that we will have an opportunity to reach.

It's pretty exciting :)

Guatamala!

Pray for Mike and the team from Northside as they are serving in Guatamala this week! I have wishing with all my heart that I was there, but I know this is just not the right timing. They are in my thoughts and prayers constantly though... keep them in yours too!!

Love, Sarah

My favorite

Praying together after being pronounced husband and wife, unity candle, and taking communion together

Lots to say!

First off, I just had the most AMAZING 23rd birthday. Mike gave me a gift a day all week, starting with my new website on Monday. On Tuesday he gave me a new memory card for my camera which I have been desperately needing! Wednesday he gave me an external flash diffuser which told me that on Thursday.... my flash was coming! He made me breakfast Thursday morning at 5 am before work... (Who knows how, but he was WIDE awake...) and then we went out to dinner together that evening with a gift card from my parents. It was so much fun having all these little surprises all week long.

Also on Thursday, another huge blessing happened. Well, let me back up. Wednesday afternoon I stopped by the office after work to drop off some free biscuits. Our Associate Pastor Scott saw me and instantly noticed that I was very worn out with my job. Later that evening I went back into his office and he asked me why I had not applied for a position that had been open for several weeks in the church, which he thought I would be perfect for. I said that I felt a responsibility to Chick-fila (I know that sounds stupid) but they had saved a position for me for several months and I couldn't help feeling like I let them down.

He said, "Why don't you just email your resume and we'll see what happens."

So I prayed about it the rest of the day and sent my resume to Doug, the hiring pastor, late Wednesday evening. He emailed me in the middle of the night and asked if I could come in for an interview Thursday after work. I went in at 4:00 and had about an hour interview with him and felt very good about the position and about our potential relationship working together. He told me he would let me know by Monday if I got the job.

I got a phone call from him around 8:30 THURSDAY night to offer me the position!

God is so good.

So, anyways, now.... I am going to be...

The Assistant to our Pastor of Community Outreach! I could not be more excited about this opportunity to work at Northside (and get to work with mike!) and about the home we are building here in Lexington. We know with no doubts at all that God is richly blessing us here.

On another note, thursday we also got....
OUR WEDDING PICTURES!!! I am telling you, it was an awesome birthday! I love all of them so much and am glad that Mike talked us into getting a professional photographer for the wedding. I was going to drop that in interest of saving money and he knew I would always regret it --- he knows me so well!!

Happy birthday to me! 23 Years and Counting...
Love, Sarah

Chicken.

So i think Chickfila is a very dangerous job for me -- I was thinking about my past 3 weeks back to work and I have gotten sick and been sent home early, hit my head on an ice cream lever and had a bump on my forehead for over a week (i'm actually surprised I didn't pass out...) and on saturday I cut my hand cleaning a knife and ended up in doctors care.

I'm done with chicken! Mike says I am breaking his heart every time I say I can't eat it anymore, but after 5 years.... i just can't do it.... I think everyone feels that way about restaurants they have worked in for any length of time... you just can't bear it anymore.

However, we have decided that we are going to try save my paychecks towards a down payment on a house next summer -- get out of this leasing cycle! That is good motivation to get up and go to work every day... and try to come home alive.

The more time I spend at work, the more I realize how much I love my photography business. I pray every day that it will grow into something that could be classified at least as a part time job. Photography is a wonderful creative outlet for me, and it never EVER feels like a job.

The good hubs purchased a new website for me for my birthday... i am so pumped about it!! I kept looking at my old website and every time I went, I thought to myself "I would not hire me!" Thanks to Mike though, now it looks pretty darn good... at least I think so :)

Just one question though:
"Would you hire me?" :)

Visit and decide for yourself!! :)

Atlanta Braves

For our first married activity with the kids, we took a few of them to the Braves game. We started out the afternoon at the Varsity for lunch in downtown Atlanta, which is a local hit. This restaurant feels just like a concession stand at the ballpark and there was a crowd of probably 200 people waiting to order. I wish I had taken my camera in, but I had no idea it was going to be be something i'd want to document. Anyways, Mike and I were less than impressed with the greasy food, but apparently it is all about the experience, and the kids loved it.

At Turner Field, we were in the nosebleed section, but I actually don't mind sitting high up. We could see everything and I brought my telephoto zoom for my camera, which works perfectly as binoculars as well.

We topped off the experience on the way home with a stop for dinner at Mikes favorite gas station... yep... the Quik Trip. The kids were less than excited about it... and we heard many moans pulling into the parking lot. However, after giving it a chance, I think they all got their bellies filled. At least we hope so, since that is part of our job. :)


Oh, and the Braves won.

The beginning!

Hello READERS,

This is the first post of a lifetime of writing about daily life with my amazing husband and I. I still get caught off gaurd saying husband -- I've actually stumbled and said fiance several times since the wedding. We have only been married 11 days, but I am so excited about what God has in store for us. I love knowing that His purposes are uncomprehendable but always unbelievably wonderful and something to look forward too. :) Our dating life and our engaged life, however long and taxing, together we can look back and claim the name of Christ all over our past. What an incredible blessing. It makes me very burdened for those who can not say that they have found freedom in Him...that much more motivated to be different.

In light of this recent marriage, I have been spending a lot of time reading Isaiah 54 over and over again. It talks about the Lord being our husband and drawing us out from the desert into his unending and unbelievable love. Check it out. It's seriously amazing.

Anyways, here's a few snapshots of the transition from engagement to hitched... :)
Love,
Sarah

HITCHED! :)

Night before the big day!

Engaged!

Dating