If you haven't already 'met' Sarah Shaffer, I would love to introduce you to this phenomenal woman! :) She joined the Dashing Dish team this past summer, and she has already been an incredible blessing to this ministry and to countless women! She has not only ministered individually to so many precious hearts, but her devotionals and more recently, the Fit Spirit Challenge she led has ministered to thousands! Sarah truly has one of the most beautiful and humble hearts I know, and I can say with sincerity that she seeks the Lord daily for what His heart is for each and every woman who visits Dashing Dish!

Because of you Sarah, this ministry has extended the heart of our Father to more hearts that I could have ever reached on my own. I'm so thankful for you, and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store!

Now...Let's get to know more about this dynamic woman, Sarah Shaffer!

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Well, I’m a little like vanilla ice cream (pretty simple) at the core, but enjoy some sprinkles now and then! Through and through I am a home-loving, yoga-pant wearing, lover of Jesus and my family. Coffee has a huge portion of my heart as well. ☺ I’m a born and bred Coloradan, God knew I belonged here. I adore my home state. I thrive outdoors in our amazing weather and The Lord speaks to me here though radiant sunset kissed mountain tops. I love God’s word. I am fascinated by it! And, as I continue to grow in it, my other true love emerges more and more. I love sharing the Lords messages! I remember when my son was born feeling nervous over how to teach Him about God. The Lord clearly spoke these words to me “teach Him as I teach you.” The same hold true today, one of my greatest gifts has been opportunities to simply share with others what God shares with me!

What passage or verse in Scripture is currently influencing your walk with the Lord?

Getting a little rocked by John 3:30!!! The Lord has been speaking to me a lot about the scriptural teaching of self-forgetfulness (dying to self). It’s taught in passages throughout the Word and I’ve been on a treasure hunt learning more about the concept. The Lord is really showing me that the key to true joy lies in these verses. I’m working on putting all of this together and will be excited to share it with everyone!

Have you struggled with your personal identity? How has God affirmed that you are His?

I can literally tell you that I had no idea who I was until as recently as five years ago. I never understood my worth. As a result, I would “morph” into whoever I sensed different people desired me to be at any given moment in hopes of gaining their approval. It was flat exhausting! When I finally understood and believed that God was not disappointed in me, that I was not a failure in His eyes, and that when I lived with His love for me in the forefront of my mind, the opinions of those around me naturally had less power. I also realized that all of a sudden not only was I more comfortable with myself, and had a deep sense of God’s approval, I discovered that my earthly relationships were deeper and more genuine as well. I spent the better part of my life trying to be “perfect” for others. The truth is, not only is that impossible, people desperately want fellowship with imperfect people. We all just want to know that we’re not alone and walking together is so much more the heart of God than exhausting ourselves to convince others that we’re the only human not struggling! I still have to be aware of my thoughts, especially when it comes to my physical appearance, but now I know it’s part of my calling and has holy motivation! Now I’m effective for God!

What is your favorite go-to meal to make for your family and why?

Honestly one of my greatest pleasures is feeding my family well. It’s an act of love for me. My husband blesses my heart because he receives it as an act of service and thoroughly enjoys being fed well. ☺ We tend to enjoy “simple” food. I almost always have what I need for any given meal already in my fridge or pantry because most of what I cook only requires very basic ingredients. The Dashing Dish meals are a perfect example. For me personally, my very favorite meal is a lot of pretty veggies and protein. I like them plain and simple with salt and pepper, and hot sauce for sure!

Your family has been affected by various food allergies. Do you have any helpful tips for moms that have had to navigate around the food allergies in their family?

We have. But as He always does, God has used what the Enemy intended for harm (anxiety, stress) and used it for good (healing, teaching). My husband was very sick to the point of near death about 5 years ago. At that point food took on a whole new meaning for us. I began to emotionally “detach” myself from food as I embraced the idea that if we were going to heal, I couldn’t attach so much value to what we could, or more importantly could not eat. The Lord has been incredible and healed my husband, and later my son, right before my very eyes. I get emotional every time I talk about it. My advice would be to get support if you don’t know where to begin, understanding how many options there are is a great source of peace and power. And, prepare. It takes work, but preparing to not feel “different” has been a huge part of our success. I take cupcakes to birthday parties, bring our favorites to Thanksgiving, send pizza for pizza parties – we rarely end up feeling “left out”. While I don’t claim any medical expertise, I am happy to help support moms who need it in this area by sharing our journey!

You are a certified health coach and fitness instructor. How have these certifications helped you guide others on their journey to health.

In ways you might not expect! The more I learn, the more I let go of! I’ve really settled into the knowledge that this life is a journey and the only way to be successful long-term is to find peace through balance. Extremes rarely bless us or last. It’s true in exercise and food. My whole focus when I coach people is to help them seek peace and pursue it. There is SO much information (mostly mixed) and it breeds a spirit of confusion that breaks my heart. Helping people uncover layers and breath into the way God intends to bless us with abundant life has been my greatest privilege.

In today society, there are so many definitions of health. What does being healthy look like to you?

The Lord really spoke to my heart one day about this very question. I wrote a short devotion about it that day, I hope it’s a blessing.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to start eating healthy and exercising, but doesn’t know where to start?

Start with your mind. We usually reverse it and determine to eat “better” and exercise and then work to find the “willpower” to sustain it. True health begins in the mind. 1 Peter 1:13 says, “So think clearly and exercise self-control.” We renew our minds and then exercise self-control. We have to do both, but the mind must be right first for the body to follow in a truly healthy way. Then, I would encourage them to pray Romans 12:2 for God’s plan about food and exercise. I love the amplified version that says, “Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for YOU].” The Lord has a different journey for each of His children and to imply that there is one standard of health that applies to everyone is unfair and sets us up for deception and failure. Healthy eating should be about enjoying foods that make you feel great, give you energy, nourish your body, but also leave you feeling satisfied and praising God! I always tell people if you walk away from your meal feeling physically satisfied and blessed it was a good choice, if you walk away resenting everyone who just ate a slice of pizza while you ate salad and grilled chicken, more balance may be helpful. A healthy life can include pizza in reasonable portions, because if your goal is to walk away singing praises for the blessing of a great meal, your mind is in the right place! The same goes for exercise. Start by seeking Gods direction for the best form of exercise for you. Trust Him to lead you into His perfect will, what is good and acceptable in His sight for YOU and your body. Allow yourself to experiment with exercise until you find something that is a blessing to your body. For example I love, love, love weight training, because it makes me feel strong and healthy! Exercise really is a blessing and should not be something we do to punish our bodies.

Since joining the Dashing Dish team, you have had quite the impact on so many women! One of them being the 31 day Fit Spirit Challenge that you led in January this year. Tell us how leading this challenge impacted your personal spiritual walk.

The truth is that so many women have had an impact on ME – truly!!! I feel so blessed to GET to be a part of these journeys! The depth of gratitude and humility I feel before the Lord for the privilege of being used by Him even in the smallest ways to help draw people near to him and lead them into truth is something I don’t have adequate words to describe. I’ve never understood as deeply the truth of God’s promise that iron sharpens iron as I have come to over the past six months.

Complete the phrases: Jesus is My Love___. I am _CHANGED__.