When Traveling to Mexico with 2 Seven Month Old Babies

I know. I know. I promised to BLOG once per week and I haven't... but I have a great excuse! We were on VACATION! We spent 7 wonderful days in Los Cabos, Mexico with my mom, dad, my younger brother, older sister, my brother in law, their daughter, and our precious baby girls, Kennedi & Brooklyn. 

Some people thought we were absolutely crazy to plan a vacation with two 7 month old babies. But, if you know anything about me and my husband BJ is that we love vacation and we love to do what people think is crazy. So, we decided to join some of our family for a week in paradise. Since I had been pregnant the summer before we didn't take our yearly vacation. So, this was a much needed time away for us. 

Once we booked our flights, we began preparing ourselves for the trip. We went to the post office the next week to get the girls their passports. I began searching the web for "items to bring when traveling with 7 month old babies" as well as shopping for all the water gadgets and other items we were going to need for our trip. We even started taking the girls to the pool so that they would get used to being in the water.  As the days approached, we became more excited about our trip. Every once in a while we would look at each other and say, "Cabo baby!" Anticipation surrounded us. We would picture ourselves sitting by the pool or laying on the beach, eating delicious food and swimming in the ocean. We could hear the sounds of the waves crashing at the shore and could even smell the salt from the ocean. We were beyond excited to say the least. 

With all of the craziness when flying these days, we decided we were going to get to the airport really early. Well, that didn't happen. We woke up at the time we had planned to arrive at the airport. We jumped out of bed only to find out we had accidentally set it for PM instead of AM. We quickly got ourselves ready, piled into the car and headed to the airport. As we were weaving in and out of LA traffic we noticed cars stopping. Not that traffic in LA should have surprised us, but this was not your ordinary LA traffic, this was a complete halt. There was an accident up ahead and the four lane highway was merging into one lane! I nervously began tapping my feet, clapping my hands and even cried out to God saying, "If you could part the Red Sea, you can make this traffic cease!" Well, we sat in traffic for longer than we had hoped. 

Once we finally made it to the airport we quickly unloaded the car, grabbing bags and babies. We decided that we would take advantage of the Curb Side Check- In. We waited for the gentleman and as he began checking us in, he informed us that people flying internationally could not do so outside. So, we grabbed all of our things and headed inside. The lines of course were LONG. We weren't going to panic or at least attempt not to. We waited patiently in line and finally we were at the Kiosk. BJ took the lead and began checking us in. We looked at each other with a sigh of relief. That lasted for about, oh, I don't know, 2 seconds. The Kiosk informed us that people traveling with small children needed to check in at a different desk. Our departure time continued to get closer and closer and the excitement of our trip was slipping away. 

If we wanted to make our flight there was no way we could afford to stand in another long line. We grabbed a supervisor, informed her about our situation, and to our surprise, she took us to the front of the line. We handed her our four passports, our reservation number, lDs and everything else we needed. The lady looked at us in all seriousness and asked, "You have tickets for your two daughters correct?" Umm.. no, they are only 7 months and babies under the age of 2 fly free. She went on to tell me that because it's an international flight the same rules do not apply. My heart dropped, my face went pale, and my dreams of going to paradise were slipping away right before my eyes. There was no way we could pay for two additional roundtrip tickets! After much debate and conversation we came to the understanding that we had to pay the taxes for the girls' tickets. We had to use our Cabo spending money to pay for the tickets. 

We headed towards security and of course I was "randomly selected" to be checked. They went through my bags, made me take of my clothes all in a very slow, not in a hurry kind of manner. Finally, the gate was in our sights! We were getting on the plane! We gave the attendant our tickets and as she opened the door we realized that there was not a plane on the other side. This particular gate was under construction and we were going to be shuttled to another part of the airport. 

We thought we would never make it to Cabo! But after ALL of that we did. We landed in sunny Mexico and for the next seven days we enjoyed the pool, the ocean, the food and the great company. We quickly forgot about all the unexpected detours and obstacles that came along the way. Looking back I can laugh as I tell the story. The priceless memories we made while on our first vacation with our daughters far exceed the craziness we endured to get there. 

In the pursuit of our dreams we will encounter situations we have not planned for. And although it can be frustrating and overwhelming at times, we will get to our destination. But how we get there and who we are when we arrive is what matters. I'm so thankful for a husband who keeps me balanced and who can see the humor in the midst of adversity. During this whole ordeal he kept saying, "Cabo baby!" With every new obstacle we faced he continued to remind me of a great vacation we were going to have. BJ made me laugh at our situation instead of crying about it. Although I do believe I cried at some point between LA and Mexico. 

There has been a handful of unexpected situations that have come along our journey. Some have been easier to get through and others have made us question if we were ever going to make it to where we are going. If you have found yourself there, or if you are there now, be encouraged to know that you are not alone. Face these challenges head on. Remind yourself about His promises to you... "Cabo Baby!" Press forward.  You will make it to where you are going. 

How did she do it?!

Can I be honest. For just a second. We have all asked the question, "how did she do it?" Usually when someone we know has recently shed a few pounds. A few months ago, I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a while. The first thing I noticed when I saw her was that she had lost a significant amount of weight. I knew that she had trouble sticking to diets and weight loss plans in the past, so when I saw her I immediately complemented her by saying, "WOW, you look GREAT!" Of course, she brushed it off by saying, "oh thank you... I've just been busy." Busy? Really? That's it? No secrets. Nothing. She wasn't giving up any of her secrets.

The girls were about 3 months at the time and I was eagerly looking for a weight loss plan that would help get rid of the baby (babies) weight. I had been trying to eat healthy and work out a few times a week. It seemed as thought the weight was just not coming off. I was a bit insecure in my weight at the time and so I immediately compared my results with hers. I had turned down dessert after dinner, went to workout instead of napping, ate my vegetables, and cut out a lot of my favorite foods. And she lost weight because she had been busy? It wasn't her answer that frustrated me... but my reaction.

I realized something that day. Many of us, including myself, compare what we go through privately to what we see in others publicly. We see people take fancy vacations while we scrap for change to treat ourselves to a coffee. We see our friends  fulfilled in their life while we are in the "wilderness" not knowing what tomorrow holds. We see others fall in love and get married while we are obedient day after day, waiting for God to bring "the one" our way. It's frustrating and disheartening at times and it just seems unfair. But comparing what people are willing to admit publicly to what we go through behind closed doors will get us into a lot of trouble. It can be quite dangerous actually. If we are not careful, we can get caught up in a vicious cycle of comparing our lives with others. What we see of their lives is only a small piece of a bigger picture. Just because they don't tell the world that they have been eating grilled chicken and celery everyday doesn't mean they have lost weight "because they have been busy." :) We don't know what people have endured in order to be where they are or what they are currently going through to have what they have.

Comparing leaves us feeling discontent, ungrateful, and empty. When we are discontent we miss out on the day to day blessings that God has for us. Let's not fall into a habit of comparing. Instead, let's be people who embrace where we are in our journey while encouraging others in theirs! Your journey is your journey and is not made to be lived out by anyone else. So when we are tempted to ask, "How did she do it?" let's assume she has done it simply.... by the grace of God!

To all my friends...

Good morning or Good afternoon! (if you are reading this from the East Coast)

I wanted to write each of you a quick note to let you know how thankful I am that you and I are on this journey called life together. Many of you know that this BLOG was birthed out of one of the most challenging times of my life. I was on the phone with one of my "mommas in the faith" and as we were talking, she encouraged me to start using my gift to write and BLOG. I was a bit nervous at first. The thought of displaying my life's journey for all to see was a bit intimidating. I'm so glad I listened. 

This BLOG, now entitled, "TRUTH OR DARE" was never meant to be just another BLOG... because, we all know, there are plenty of them out there to read. It's purpose has always been to remind you of the TRUTH... God's WORD/ His promises to us, while DARING you to believe it! It has stretched me to be honest with where I have been, with where I am now, and with my concerns or expectations of where I am going... 

I have connected with a lot of old friends, kept up with my close friends, and have even met some new friends along the way. I have LOVED every response; whether it be a comment on Face Book, an e mail, or even a text. Thank you all for sharing with me your experiences! With so many of you spread across the country, It feels like we get a chance to "meet for coffee" every once in a while and encourage each other. :)

This is just the beginning! Over the next few weeks, I am going to be adding video Blogs to the mix. Many of you have asked me to...and so I will :) I have also been asked to write weekly...and so I will :) Thank you for stretching me! I think it will be fun to "meet for coffee" once a week, don't you? 

Like I mentioned earlier, many of you respond via e mail or on Face Book. If you would HELP ME by commenting on the BLOG page. I know many of you share personal things with me as well, so if you would, comment on the page as well as e mail or text me :) This will give us ALL an opportunity to share with one another!

I love each and everyone of you, and so humbled by how God has used this BLOG to speak to you, to encourage you, to excite you... Looking forward to our weekly coffee dates! 

xoxo,

Sarah Jo

Comfy, lazy, do nothin' -kinda day!

I LOVE lazy days. You know the days when you stay in your comfy clothes, drink a pot of coffee, and snuggle under a blanket all day? Those days are even better when it's a little cold outside, maybe even raining and when the house is stocked with snacks! I treated myself to one of those days last week. I didn't worry about the dishes, the laundry, and didn't even glance at my never ending "To- Do" list.  My idea of a comfy, lazy, do nothin'- kinda day still includes feeding, changing diapers, and lots of other things. So, I made sure that I maximized my doing "nothingness" as much as possible. I really enjoyed it and admit that I was pretty good at it.

The next day rolled around and I was tempted to give myself another one of those comfy, lazy, do nothin'- kinda days. I deserved it right? Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. After a few minutes of debating what to do, I decided to pass on the comfy, lazy, do nothin'- kinda day and got moving. As I was getting ready for my day, a thought came to me. And, yes... a BLOG was inspired.

How often do we prefer the comfy, lazy, do nothin' kinda life over the risky, crazy, do all we can do- kinda life? How often do we look forward to the "weekends" and wish the week away? Where our mornings are spent complaining about going into the office and our evenings spent complaining about how much time our ministry has consumed? We daydream about the days where we can sit around, drink coffee, read our devotion, and just be lazy. But that's not the life we were meant to live. We were created to live extravagantly! You can not experience an abundant life while pursuing the safe, boring, self indulging life that we have convinced ourselves we deserve. Please, don't get me wrong, I believe we all deserve "me time, family time and vacation time;" but these should serve as moments of refreshing, not become our life's focus.

The truth is, is that there is much work to be done. And although it sounds good, we can't accomplish these things being comfy. This extravagant life you desire comes with a price tag. When we ask to be used by God, we will often feel like we are being used. It will cause us to be uncomfortable. We will be stretched. Our faith will be challenged. But our dreams will come true. Our hearts' desires will come to pass. Our life's purpose will be lived out.

So drink your coffee on the go, put on your running shoes, and together, let's live a risky, crazy, do all we can do- kinda life!
I.DARE.YOU.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 

                                                                                                                                                         -2 Timothy 4:6

"Can't Touch This"

Have you ever just busted out into song? Well, it seems like I do just about every few hours. My girls absolutely love music and they seem to love my singing... or maybe it's because I don't ever seem to sing the traditional lullabies or songs like "The Wheels on the Bus." Instead, I find myself singing songs by JLO, Train, Hillsong and this morning it was MC Hammer!

Everyone knows the song, "Can't Touch This," and now, my girls do to. It's such a fun song to sing, but only when you dance like a crazy person while doing so. I think I just figured out why my girls seem to enjoy their momma's singing so much... it really is my dance moves.

As I was singing this song, a thought came to mind. How often have I sang this song to God? How often have I told Him what He can and can't have control over? I trust Him with my marriage, my children, my finances and even enough to move across the country with two newborn babies! But I have a hard time trusting Him with my failures. I have always been a pretty competitive person, someone who doesn't like to lose. So, failing isn't easy for me. I consider myself a risk taker and someone who lives life on the edge, but I don't like the thought of failing. It's the season right after the step of faith that I take that I seem to tell God, "Can't touch this!" 

When we first arrived in sunny Southern California, I was so excited about the new season we were walking in. God had told us to pack up our things and head to California, and that is what we did. As we began to settle in and make this new season our life, I began to get anxious. I immediately started trying to figure it all out. Little by little, I started taking back what I had already handed over to God. Each time, feeling more and more out of control. We had done what He asked, we had been obedient, but He wasn't moving fast enough for me. I began to worry about everything. I mean, everything!! All of a sudden my great expectations of this new season became clouded with worry and doubt. I didn't want this BIG leap of faith to result in a failure.

After doing all that I thought I should do, like making "to-do" lists and writing out a plan for our life, I did what I was supposed to do, and prayed. It was an honest prayer and I received an honest answer. "The area in your life that you continue to withhold from me, is the place I will go and hide myself in, so when you look for me, there you will find me."  God hides himself right where you don't want Him to be, so, that when you  look for Him, you will find Him!!! 

What area are you having a hard time trusting God? What area in your life are you singing, "Can't Touch This" ? Whatever it is, know that the longer you withhold it from Him the more opportunities He will give you to hand it over. His desire for you is to trust Him with all of you... not just part of you. Because when He has all of you, you will walk in ALL that He has for you!

TRUTH: 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
      do not depend on your own understanding.
  Seek his will in all you do,
      and he will show you which path to take.

                                         PROVERBS 3:5-6 NLT

"What's next ,Papa?" - Why moving back to Cali was just crazy!

My girls will be four months old tomorrow! Can you believe it? I know I can't. It seems like just yesterday that they made their entrance to the world. I am so, so in love and absolutely LOVING being a mommy. They are always smiling, laughing and talking non stop. My most favorite times are in the morning, when they great me with a HUGE smile. I don't think I have had a bad day for over a month. I mean, how can you, when you start your day off smiling at your promises. They are beautiful and take my breath away every time I look at them. Since I find myself starring at them all day, I am not too sure how many breaths I have taken in four months. :)

Speaking of mornings, as I was reading God's word, I came across this scripture.

       This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave- tending life.

It's ADVENTUROUSLY expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's spirit touches our spirit and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us- an incredible inheritance!- Romans 8:15-17 MSG

As most of you know, we recently moved back to California after living in North Carolina for four years. Contrary to what most think, moving back to California was harder than our move to NC. When BJ and I moved to North Carolina, we were newlyweds and were so excited about the ministry opportunity we were offered, we didn't have much time to think about how BIG of a move we were actually making. Moving back to California after building a marriage and starting a family in NC was a different story...it was crazy!

When we were pregnant, we felt as though we were supposed to drop everything, pick up, and move ourselves and our newborn twins across the country to serve at the Los Angeles Dream Center. Crazy? Exactly! I remember telling God that we would be obedient to what He was asking us to do if He provided a few things before. We wanted some guarentees. I mean, we had two newborns; wouldn't He want us to do the responsible thing and make sure we had a few things lined up before making a committment like that? 

Our entire marriage has been a crazy adventure filled with crazy decisions we have made in order to be obedient to God. But this time it wasn't just BJ and Sarah that we were thinking about. We know we could go without food (FASTING) but we weren't sure how long Brooklyn & Kennedi could LOL. Joking and a little serious all at the same time haha. We found our conversations with one another about the girls' future and how we had to make a responsible decision. People warned us of how children would change our life and change our decision making process. In fact, people would tell us how we wouldn't be able to do everything we ever wanted to do because of children. I remember BJ and I disagreeing with their statements and even hoping for the chance to prove them wrong. Well, here was our chance. It was harder than we thought... until we asked ourselves the right question. What was/is more important to us... providing for our children a "safe/risk free" environment or raising our children to be risk takers always looking to God asking, "What's next, PaPa?" Yes, we want our children to have all they need and even things they want, but it's far more important to us that they live a life trusting and believing God. That is the inheritance we want to leave them!

So, we booked a UHAUL, found an apartment, and denied the chance to extend our lease that day! We were reminded that our God was not just the God of BJ and Sarah, but was the God of Kennedi & Brooklyn too! And just as He has always taken care of the both of us, He was going to take care of them too! We understand the GREAT responsibility we have as parents to these girls, but we understand even more so the GREAT responsibility we have as children of God. 

God has provided everything we have needed to make this HUGE leap of faith possible and we are certain He will continue! What's next for you? What has God been asking you to do? What crazy move are you supposed to make? Maybe it's not moving 3,000 miles with newborn babies. Maybe it is! Whatever it is... do it!

Life as We Know It

I love these girls with all of me... My life has been forever changed... In fact as I grabbed my coffee and began to type, my oldest daughter (by one minute) Kennedi Ila Johnson, started squirming and needed me to change her diaper. I was glad too.. having a healthy little girl who needs my attention makes my heart overflow with joy. I still can not believe she is mine...still can't believe THEY are mine. Brooklyn Elysse Johnson is sound asleep on her BOPPY, which she loves! Ok, now Kennedi wants to eat..didn't I just feed her? I think I did, but these days they do a lot of that. So feeding her is what I'll do, then little sister will probably want to eat too, so I will continue this BLOG in a few hours or even a few days. However long it takes me to finish it, I'm ok with that...I have two great excuses!

*******************24 hours, 16 feedings, 20 diapers, endless kisses and hugs later****************

I cant not believe it has been 8 weeks since I gave birth to two perfectly healthy little girls. I remember like it was just yesterday that my water broke. In fact, about 4 hours before my water broke, BJ and I were talking about 2011 and talking about what we felt it was going to be for our family. As we talked, God lead us to a scripture we have heard many times, but this time I read it in the MESSAGE translation... Here is what it says...

"Forget about what's happened;
   don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new.
   It's bursting out! Don't you see it?
There it is! I'm making a road through the desert,
   rivers in the badlands.

Isaiah 43 MSG 

4 hours before I went into labor, this is the scripture we read and declared for our family for 2011. Wow! Many of you have kept up with our journey this past year through my blog...so you know that it hasn't been the easiest year for us as a family. We have been through a lot of ups and downs, highs and lows. In fact, a year ago today, we were pregnant with our first pregnancy where we lost the baby...that was a low... a few months later, that April, we found out we were pregnant...with TWINS...that was a high... I would have to say that there have been more trials than victories in 2010. It was a year filled with uncertainty, heart break, isolation... it was our wilderness. We were ready for a fresh year, a new start, and we embraced that scripture, believing God was going to do something new! And He did... about 15 hours later, two PROMISES came true... On December 30th, I gave birth to TWO healthy little girls. But God didn't wait for the big apple to drop in New York, He brought me my promises at the end of the hardest year of my life. 

On the way to the hospital, I was asked God, why He was choosing to give me these babies so soon? I was only 34 1/2 weeks pregnant and the doctors told us that the ideal week to labor with twins is 36 weeks...so I had some time...it was as though He was right in that car with me, I heard Him say, " Sarah, I am doing a NEW thing in you and BJ, but I am not willing for you to believe that everything you have endured this past year was in vain. This past year was simply the process to your PROMISE and instead of considering this year your worst year yet, you will know it as the BEST year of your life for as long as you live!" I was speechless and yet so full of words, as BJ and I were filming the drive to the hospital, wanting document every moment of this amazing experience.

A few hours later, the doctor let me know that one of the babies, Baby B, (Brooklyn) was no longer head down and that unless she turned we would not be able to deliver her naturally. Another factor was, I was not dilated... my cervix was completely closed. We had our heart set on a natural delivery but after talking with the doctors we felt it was in the best to deliver via C Section. The nurse said to me in that moment, "Sarah, you are doing the right thing, if you were to decide to attempt a natural delivery, we would give you medication to INCREASE the amount and the intensity of your contractions. In order for your body to labor, it must experience pain." 

uh HELLO!!! That spoke right to me. Pain is the very thing that causes us to labor and deliver the promises of God that are inside of us! Our bodies respond to pain by preparing a vessel to deliver. In the same way, God allows pain and trials in our life to prepare a vessel where His promises can come to pass.I don't know what pain you are enduring, what trials you are walking through, but know they are not meant to break you, but position you. God's promises to us will come to pass. They came to pass for me. And although my body did not labor, my body experienced a BURSTING OUT!!! I love how the middle of that scripture in Isaiah says, "it is bursting out." It makes me laugh knowing that the NEW thing that God did that day literally bursted out of me... twice! 

My cervix never dilated, which tells me that my body was not ready to "labor." The doctors explained that there were a lot of women who went into labor that morning because of their water breaking due to the change in the " barometric pressure."Before and during a storm it actually "tugs" or creates a suction on the amniotic sac and can persuade it to rupture. It had snowed the days leading up to that day and because of it there was a change in pressure which caused me to go into labor early.  Although my body wasn't ready to labor, God was ready for some things to come bursting out in my life. What pressures are you facing today? What things are you praying about that you want God to step in and pull out of you? Whatever it is, do not avoid the pressure that you are feeling, instead embrace it. 

 That evening, I gave birth to two healthy baby girls! There was absolutely nothing wrong or premature about them. In fact, the doctors went on and on about how impressed they were with their health. I owe that all to God. He knew what He was doing when He allowed me to deliver my girls almost 6 weeks before their due date. For He was doing something new in me! My life has not been the same since... and it will never be. My heart is full. I am so glad I chose to TRUST Him through this process. I am so glad  I didn't have to know what I know now then in order to trust Him with all of me....

BJ always says, "What God does in the natural, God does in the supernatural." I believe the Lord spoke to me through this process of pregnancy to demonstrate how He works and operates in our lives. He has my best in mind...He has your best in mind... 

           Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
                   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
   Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
   your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
   give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
   your wine vats will brim over.

Proverbs 3:5-8MSG