Sarah Nyhan’s Texas

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I find myself frequently sharing information with people about what to do and where to go in Texas. Specifically in San Antonio. So I am in the process of creating a guide to my favorite places.

It is a work in progress. I am slowly creating pages for each genre. Click HERE for the main landing page. There are also additional places listed on this Google Map I was previously using to keep track of my recommendations.

Please feel free to comment and offer up your own recommendations. Please double-check the information about these places before venturing out.

Maybe

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Maybe people need less Bible and more Jesus. Maybe they need less sermons from preachers and more Jesus. Less commentaries and more Spirit.

Do you worship the Bible or do you worship God?

Are your eyes on the Bible or are your eyes on Jesus?

“But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

Are your eyes on the invitation? Studying it? Pouring over it? Instead of actually going to the party?

I know you mean well, but you don’t trust. You seek control because of fear. Because of how we misrepresent God to each other constantly. Because all they ever told us was that we were orphans.

Not willing to risk any mystery. Only what your eyes can see.

Yet you intellectually agree that Their ways are higher than our ways. There thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

But then also, “No, Jesus – You must get back into the little tiny box I made for You.”

Jesus is the Word, the final Word of God. Spirit teaches, but Jesus judged us worthy, Loved, valuable, beautiful, important. There is no flaw in you?

What if Jesus came to show us that we don’t have anything to be afraid of? To show us what is also possible for us? That we have an Abba versus a Zeus. That we always had a home and an inexhaustable inheritance that we have sadly almost not even touched. When the world is CRYING out for us to step into all that even we want to be. That our hearts still yearn for. If we were not so intimidated by fear.

Who is bigger? Your failures or your God?

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

It has always been about relationship versus rules. We are the ones who insist on not believing that. Who insist on a transactional existence. But in the geniusness of God, Trinity said, “Ok, We’ll meet you even there.” So Jesus came down and fulfilled OUR demands. “How many sins have you committed against each other? What is the punishment you demand? Pour it all out on Me. See, I AM still here. I AM not mad. Now that that is off the table, we can move on. We can step into all you can be and do. If you want to.”

What if the past is to show us what is possible for us? Not that the whole of existence is just to get really good at understanding Moses or Abraham’s walk. But no, that those same experiences are here RIGHT NOW for us! And even more! Because we know more, so we are able to know better.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and GREATER works than these he will do.”

I don’t know about you, but that bothers me. That Jesus said we will do greater works. If that is true, I want all of it! For all of us! What a fantastically better world that would be! And can be. Is possible even right now. If we just believe. Even enough to say that we don’t believe. To tell God that we don’t see it.

That’s the entire point. Start by being honest. Start by asking what you want to ask. Even in anger and frustration. You are of course already fully known. And I confidently believe, also fully Loved.

This is about you. Your life. God showing up for you! At least as much as Trinity did 2,000+ years ago for those men and women who were just like us. We make them big names now, but back then they were just regular people. On purpose. To show us that God is still more than available for regular people like you and me.

I challenge you. To choose Life. Even in unbelief. Even in fear. Just experiment. Act as if. And see where God catches you. See where God shows up for you – personally. Not in some story 2,000 years ago. But now, today – for you! I promise you that when it happens, you won’t ever want to go back. You’ll never settle again. You’ll finally understand for yourself like no book could ever tell you. That this is not now and never was about how small we are. That this is and always has been about how great Trinity’s boundless Love for us will forever be!

Amen?

Where Are You?

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Where does your theology begin?

Does it begin in the last book of our Bible? The book of Revelation? If so, what is being revealed? What Jesus did for you? As Father? As Holy Spirit? Or what you think you have to do? What is going to occur to you?

Does your theology begin Trinity? With Three united in Love and relationship as One? Or is your theology based on humans deciding to judge for themselves what is good and what is bad?

Leave your original sin – thinking God doesn’t love you and has not accepted you.

Cleave to what Jesus showed us when we murdered Him: no matter how much we can throw at Them, no matter how many punches, no matter how many thorns, no matter how many rips of the whip, no matter how many nails, or how many swords, no matter if we all turn our backs away – Trinity does not retaliate against us. Trinity is not the least bit intimidated by our blindness, deafness, and hardness of hearts.

Trinity is not even offended. As God needs no validation from us for an ego.

Since Trinity is complete and perfect, there is nothing God needs from us.

A God who abundantly fills this amazing planet – so vast are the beautiful mysteries that scientists still have universes of questions after how many millennia? The more we know, the more discoveries remain. Is this Creator in need of anything from us?

If you haven’t noticed yet, this world doesn’t revolve around us. I’m also sometimes guilty, but thinking so is a maniacal level of insane audacity. To think God depends on us. When we are dependent on every breath of air to even have time to consider such a statement. We do not manufacture much in our existence. All the factors alone to sustain our physical survival.

Does a punishing egotistical diety Create endless majestic sunrises and sunsets just for the hell of it? Does a retributive diety Create dogs and cats that make us constantly laugh? Birds that can mimic us? Foliage and other natural theatrics that can arrest our senses? Just for the hell of it?

Or is our environment constantly calling to us? To believe. To see. How beautiful is our God and therefore how beautiful Trinity’s love for us!

God’s kids. In God’s likeness, no? Pretty much the main deal out of all that is here. And yet we dismiss it.

Do we not hear Jesus when He tells us that He and Father are one? Jesus is the final Word on the subject. The complete Word.

Do we let the stories in our Bible define who Jesus is? Or do we let Jesus define the stories in our Bible? What lens are we reading this book through? I believe if we are reading any story through anything other than how Jesus showed us who He is when He showed up in person, then we are missing the point. I say that lovingly as I spent the large majority of my life in that space.

Do we start with Love, perfect Love, that Created us – and we were are very good?

Or do we insist on basing our theology and our Creation story on fear?

Rejection

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We tend to think of rejection as someone telling us that we are not enough. But I think many times the opposite is true. Many times rejection is actually the other person telling us that they are not “enough”.

They see the power and life in us. The Love and so much more. Our presence alone even challenges them. They don’t want to face themselves. They aren’t ready to level up. They are scared of the work.

We tell them it’s ok, that shame isn’t even on the table. But they don’t believe us. We don’t see that deep down they judge themselves more harshly than we ever could.

They want what we have. Otherwise they never would have been attracted to us in the first place. But they can’t yet see the Way. They focus on the wrong things.

Their jealousy festers. Challenging them to choose differently. To grow. But no, most instead settle for, and I do mean settle for, the crumbs of stabbing us in the back.  Just to see the sadness on our face. Just to see us mad. Hoping we’ll lose it. That we’ll fall down and join them. Again.

Their loss. Not ours. And they know that more than we do.

We want the person we know they can be. We keep fighting for them in that regard. But they think they want the person in us who will let them be. Literally. They think they want to bring us down to a place where we won’t challenge them anymore. Where they’ll feel superior again. Where they can help us navigate the darkness again. Company for comfort. They think that’s what they want.

Testing us. Desperation. Wanting to know if we’re really real. If we’ll give up and join them. Or if the Love in us is enough. If Love in us really stands up. If we’ll move on and not close up. Light in us still shining BIG. For all to see. In spite of. Real Life; not just the theatrical show many sing and dance for.

Rejection is sometimes, maybe many times, actually a bigger compliment than the half-hearted placations of peers. Sometimes those who reject you are your biggest fans.

Refocus. Ask for wisdom.

Maybe the greatest, healthiest thing you can do for them, for the people you love that hurt you, is to move on. Show them. Let them watch. As you fully embrace the beauty of broken humanity. Proving that our value is not found in perfect performance. That we don’t have to get it right before we start living. That it’s ok not to be ok.

Walking away. Making them want more.

But be careful. This kind of jealousy can turn dangerous. Listen the first time when they disrespect you. When they tell you they don’t want to participate anymore. We were told about this long ago. They will trample you if you insist. If you won’t walk away. If you stay and won’t let them have their way. Don’t end up on the news. But be smart about leaving – this isn’t a game for them.

And then Love them by putting them in the hands and heart of the only Someone who already proved They are big enough to handle any rage, the biggest temper tantrums thrown Their way. Hand them over to the hell they choose. For their ultimate healing. So that their lies will be burned away.

And then hopefully we’ll rejoice in seeing them free one day. On this side. In their right minds. Without any interference needed from us. Was Love enough for you? Then let Love be enough for them. You are trying to help, but you might be in the way. Delaying what you want. Let them go. Let them be. Is your trust in your strength or in Trinity?

Don’t be intimidated. Don’t play small with good intentions. You step up. Or maybe better yet, step In.

We are no better. Special, but not exceptional. In the sense that all need healing in their own ways.

Back

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“Why wouldn’t I give My children good things?”

Is every roadblock a lesson? What if every roadblock isn’t a closed door? Isn’t a “sign”? What if they are for my growth? What if I’m supposed to be learning how to jump over or go around them? Versus stopping and going backwards.

What if our obsession with what comes after this human experience is keeping us from the work Love really wants us to be doing while we are here? Did Love tell us to be obsessed with what is next? Or to focus on being Love to each other while we are still here? Even to ourselves?

What if it really is up to us? I think of the one who buried his treasure in the sand. Out of fear. Instead of letting his light shine. No condemnation; but what if there is so much more NOW? Not just later.

The hoarded manna spoils. What if I only get more when I use up what I already have? Not throw away. Not waste. But put to use. Even for myself.

This is not a Father who is ever afraid. Love gives me wings. Love says, “Let’s go forward.” What if the world is waiting for us to wake up? To step into so much that we have neglected to see. That we have been scared to be.

What if we really are that free?