5 minutes with Sally ...
Tell us a little about yourself My name is Sally Abboud and I live in Sydney, Australia. My husband Rob is currently studying at bible college and we are interested in full time ministry in a multicultural setting. I am a trained Drama & English teacher and love working with kids of all ages and sharing what Jesus has done for them. I am also a photographer, mainly specialising in weddings and families but I generally love taking photos of people enjoying life.
What's your favourite bible passage and why?
My favourite bible passage at the moment is 1 John 4:7-19 as it lays out the gospel clearly and our need to respond to it. In a world where the definition of love is thwarted and temporary this passage reminds of REAL love, vs 10 "Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." His sacrifice was the ultimate act of love and now as a disciple I need to emanate God's love by loving others in the same way. I constantly need the reminder to put others before myself and love because he first loved us.
How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?
Keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus in this busy, individualistic and distracting world requires me to contanstly be feeding on scripture by reading my bible regularly. I aim to read my bible in the morning before I start my day. Real fellowship with friends who will ask me how I am going with Jesus also helps me keep my eyes fixed on Jesus.
What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know?
I want the next generation of Christian women to know that their identity and life is found in Jesus and nothing else. I want them not to feel they have to be beautiful, successful and and worthy in the worlds eyes but rather look to God and thinks about who they are. And in response to understanding that I want them to remember the power of living an other centred life, loving others as God has loved us.
What's one thing that you love about the local church?
I love the desire for my local church to keep the word of God and Jesus at the focus of everything they do even if it isn't the most popular decision. They aim to look at the bible and grapple with making it relevant for our community rather than looking at what is relevant and making the bible fit into that.
What did you learn about God at a time in your life you found hard?
When I finished school and began University my whole life changed as I began developing what I didn't know at the time was Narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleep condition that means I have the inability to stay awake during the day. I was exhausted all the time and everything I valued in life I could no longer do in the same way. I had to stop playing sport, stop university, I had to quit my job and my social life collapsed. The doctors diagnosed me with Chronic Fatigue for two years until they discovered that I had Narcolepsy. Now I am on medication which helps me function much better and I have been able to live a relatively "normal" life. During that time of extreme exhaustion I had to question my identity and if I was going to trust God even if that meant not living the "full" life I had planned. I read my bible and prayed more than ever in this time and discovered the value of being still and knowing that God is God. I struggled with who I was and what God desired for me. Rob and I learnt so much about each other, our sinful nature and God's goodness in suffering. This whole experience did and still does help me understand struggles and weaknesses that other people go through and I have learnt a lot about looking outwards to instead of looking inwards and being consumed with self pity. I have learnt that comparison is the thief of joy and true contentment in Jesus.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about making Jesus known in this world. I love photography and particularly capturing joyful and authentic moments in life. I highly value people and am passionate about making intentional relationships in order to share Jesus with others through my life as well as having real relationships and spurring one another on to keep living for Jesus in every aspect of our lives. What do you enjoy doing when you rest?
Rest is something I battle with regularly. I love being busy and am always struggling to say no to things. I need more sleep than the average person but I have learnt that sleeping is different to resting. So even though I may nap during the afternoon does not mean I have rested. To REALLY rest I enjoy watching a movie or going to the beach for a swim and a relaxing walk without my phone or any outside distraction. www.sallysphotos.com
