Happy Birthday Julia!

Happy 8th Birthday to my little sissy, Julia! I love you very much and am so glad you are my sister!!!

I worked on Black Friday, and lived to tell about it!!

Well, I survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday. It was actually better than I was expecting. I had prepared myself for the worst, since I am an eternal pessimist, and was quite surprised at how calm it seemed. The worst part of the holiday was the fact that I was alone. My family left Wednesday, except for Kaley, who must have felt sorry for me and stayed to keep me company. Kaley and I left early Thursday morning so we could make it to the family dinner by noon. So, basically, I spent 8 hours on the road Thanksgiving day, all for a turkey dinner. I didn’t even get to see my other family members who are too far away… Dad came back with me Thursday night because he was leaving for a trip Friday morning. I worked Friday and Saturday which were both long days; the time seemed to creep by. I went to church all by myself on Sunday. I don’t think there’s anything worse than being alone, especially going to church alone. It’s just not the same. Sunday School wasn’t that bad, but then I walked into the auditorium, and someone was sitting in our pew!!!! How dare they! I found a seat on the other side of the auditorium in a group of older people. That looked safe enough. I asked the lady if anyone was sitting there, and she said no, so I sat down. She then stared at me and discussed me with her neighbor for the next 10 minutes. That just made my day (not!). It was quite unnerving. I hate it when people do that, but that’s what you get for being “the new girl.” You would think I would be used to that since I’ve been the new girl basically all my life, but I just can’t stand it. So, anyway, I’m sitting there deeply engrossed in the bulletin (yeah right) while they continue their scrutinizing. Come on, Pastor Johnny, isn’t it about time to start the service?? I was just praying they would skip the welcome because I certainly didn’t feel like shaking their hands and trying to make polite conversation. I just wanted to be left alone. Then, to my great relief, another older lady came up and sat in between me and Lady #1. Yes! Now she can’t stare at me anymore!! Just about that time, Lady #1 whispered something to New Lady, and New Lady turned and stared at me. What could be worse??? I felt like I was being shunned. Thankfully, the service finally got started and the staring stopped, so I was able to concentrate on the message. sigh The story of my life…

I took my first two bookkeeping exams on Monday and passed both of them. Yay! That relieved some stress. Now I just have four more exams. Please pray that I can find an office job. My current job is becoming more stressful for me, and I am really ready to stop living this nightmare. I’m sticking with it until after the Christmas season, but I have no reason to be tied down to it after that. I’m ready to be free.

Words of Hope

From the book Streams in the Desert:

"God knows that you can withstand your trial, or else He would not have given it to you. His trust in you explains the trials of your life, no matter how severe they may be. God knows your strength, and He measures it to the last inch. Remember, no trial has ever been given to anyone that was greater than that person's strength, through God, to endure it."

"Your crown of glory is hidden in the heart of these things- the hardships and trials pressing in on you this very hour, week, and month of your life. Yet the most difficult things are not those seen and known by the world but those deep within your soul, unseen and unknown by anyone except Jesus. It is in this secret place that you experience a little trial that you would never dare to mention to anyone else and that is more difficult for you to bear than martyrdom.
Beloved, your crown lies there. May God help you to overcome and to wear it."


******
I probably won't be able to post again before Thanksgiving, so I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. To all of my family: I love and miss you and wish I could come see you. To you people who go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, please be extra kind to all those poor people who have to work. And remember me in your prayers. I'm scared to death. Eight days and counting...

spiritual attack

Well, here I am at the library using their wireless internet so I can bring my faithful followers a quick update lol! I really wish we had the modern convenience of internet in our own home, but that will come later... I am very grateful that I can now do all of my laundry at home!!! After 10 weeks of having to use a laundromat, I have a new appreciation for such in-home appliances. :)

This week was the most stressful week of work I have yet experienced. I have no idea how I will survive the next two months, but I am so ready to get out of retail. I lay in bed unable to go to sleep until after midnight, and I'm tortured by thoughts of what I did wrong that day at work. On Thursday, I finally realized I was under spiritual attack. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12) For some reason, satan has been trying to pull me down and make me feel like I am failing. He wants me to believe that no matter how hard I try, I will never be good enough at my job or at church with the youth. Once I realized that, it relieved a huge burden, and also gave me reason to rejoice, because I must be causing harm to satan's schemes in order for him to attack me like this. I feel so vulnerable under this spiritual attack, but I know that my God is mighty to save. I keep pressing on, and I don't expect it to get easier, but I've been reminded of who my real enemy is, so now I will be more diligent to guard against his attacks.

I read these verses today in my devotion, and they really describe what I'm going through right now. I thought I would share them with you:

For we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about the affliction and oppressing distress which befell us in [the province of] Asia, how we were so utterly and unbearably weighed down and crushed that we despaired even of life [itself]. Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the [very] sentence of death, but that was to keep us from trusting in and depending on ourselves instead of on God Who raises the dead. [For it is He] Who rescued and saved us from such a perilous death, and He will still rescue and save us; in and on Him we have set our hope (our joyful and confident expectation) that He will again deliver us [from danger and destruction and draw us to Himself], While you also cooperate by your prayers for us [helping and laboring together with us]. Thus [the lips of] many persons [turned toward God will eventually] give thanks on our behalf for the grace (the blessing of deliverance) granted us at the request of the many who have prayed. 2 Cor. 1:8-11 Amplified

P.S. Don't forget to vote this coming Tuesday!!! I have already voted; I did mine by absentee ballot since I haven't changed my voter's registration yet. This is an important election, and will literally change the history of this nation and the world. Let your voice be heard!!! And go read Hannah's blog post from Thursday; I echo her words. The link is on the side of my blog.

My Bubba

Happy Birthday to my favorite brother, Chris!!!! He is 14 years old today. Wow. I remember changing his diapers. He probably did not want me to share that with everyone, but I was about 7 when he was born and loved being a little mommy to him. It was fun having a "real" baby doll. lol! I think we even put dresses on him a couple times!! :D (the things older sisters do to their baby brothers...) Chris and I have always had a special relationship. There was a time when he was annoying, and right now, he's kinda in that "annoying teenage brother" stage, but I still love him. :)

Christopher, my prayer for you is that you would grow into a godly young man. Seek after God with all your heart. Don't let the world drag you down. Be a hard worker. Be set apart. Don't chase after girls. Be a man. Be strong.

Happy Birthday from "Sissy La la" ;)

Is it okay to work on Sunday?

I’ve been asking myself this question over and over again for the last 20 hours. I walked by the time clock last night at work and saw a list of 15 or 20 names of people who would be working on Sunday. I freaked out. I never thought I would be faced with the situation of working on Sunday. You see, this week was a stressful week at work. My manager wasn’t too happy because the district manager isn’t happy, and so that makes everyone unhappy. The DM was in yesterday and wasn’t too pleased because we are behind on some layouts or the stockroom wasn’t organized to his satisfaction or something like that, so that’s why the “Sunday List” was published. A quick scan of the list brought a huge relief to me, because, by some miracle, my name wasn’t on there. I don’t know why I don’t have to work Sunday, but I’m one of maybe 3 or 4 people that don’t. I consider myself very blessed. I believe God’s hand was in it, and I’m so grateful He chose to favor me, because otherwise, I would have had to make an appeal, and I don’t think it would have been well received.

So, I’ve been pondering this question, and trying to figure out what I will do when I am asked (or more accurately, told) to work Sunday, because now I’m certain that day is coming. Growing up, I always thought it was a black-and-white thing. The Bible says “keep the Sabbath holy.” So, just don’t work on Sunday. How hard is that? Well... what about firemen, police officers, and military personnel who get called out on emergencies, or have to perform their duties on Sunday in order to keep us safe? What about pipeline workers who have to fix a leak? What about employees who have to work because their manager’s job is on the line? When is it okay? Where do you draw the line? I came home from work last night and began searching the Scripture and asking God what He would want me to do.

Another thing to consider is the fact that Sunday is not the actual Sabbath. We Christians observe Sunday as the Sabbath because that’s the day Christ rose from the grave, but the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday. That’s when God commanded the Israelites to rest. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled some of the laws of the Old Testament, such as the sacrifice. The sacrifices offered by the Israelites in the Old Testament were a picture of what Jesus would do for us by dying on the cross and making the eternal payment for our sins. It is paid in full. We don’t have to make sacrifices anymore.

Jesus said He is the “Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8) The Sabbath is a time for us to set aside to seek Him. It is a tithe of our week, giving the first day to Him. Can you do that when you are working? What if I went to church, and then went to work afterwards? Is that safe; is it enough to get by? I believe the problem is many people try to do “just enough” to keep the guilt away. In reality, it’s a heart issue. Do we seek to honor God and give Him glory in every area? Are we holding anything back from Him? Are we afraid of what people would say?

In searching the Scriptures last night for an answer, I came across Isaiah 56. Here is what it says in the Amplified Bible:
“Thus says the Lord: Keep justice, do and use righteousness (conformity to the will of God which brings salvation), for My salvation is soon to come and My righteousness (My rightness and justice) to be revealed. Blessed, happy, and fortunate is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold of it and binds himself fast to it, who keeps sacred the Sabbath so as not to profane it, and keeps his hand form doing any evil. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from His people. And let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths and choose the things which please Me and hold firmly My covenant— To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name better [and more enduring] than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to Him and to love the name of the Lord and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it and who holds fast My covenant [by conscientious obedience]— All these I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all people.”

Did you hear the blessings in those verses? God loves to bless those who “do and use righteousness,” “choose the things which please” Him, and “hold firmly” to His commands!! What amazing things He has promised!!

Here is my conclusion: I want to please my Savior in everything I do. I don’t want to be afraid of what other people think. As a Christian, it is my duty to bear the name of Christ in a way that would bring honor to Him. The majority (probably about 97%!) of my co-workers are not Christians, and don’t hold Christians in high regard. Therefore, if they saw me working on Sunday, it could ruin my witness. If, however, I don’t work on Sunday, it would be a testimony to them of my convictions (although I don’t think it would be well-accepted!). Lastly, Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I need to go to church on Sunday to receive my spiritual food for the week. I need the teaching, fellowship, and encouragement I receive from being around brothers and sisters in Christ. Especially since I often work on Wednesday nights. I can’t afford to give Sundays up.

I’m still not sure what I will say or how I will handle the situation when it arises, but my goal is to please Jesus Christ, so I’m confident He will reveal His will for me in this area.

What are your thoughts on this? I’ve put a poll on the side of my blog so you can vote and let me know what you think. Please also comment and let me know why you believe it is or isn’t right to work on Sunday. I must make this decision for myself (and you have to make the decision for yourself), but I believe God’s will can also be discerned through godly counsel.

I’d like to close with Colossians 2: 16, 17. Yes, I found this in my search last night, also! :)
“Therefore let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath. Such [things] are only the shadow of things that are to come, and they have only a symbolic value. But the reality (the substance, the solid fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it) belongs to Christ.” Amplified Version

alive and well

Hello out there! Life has been amazingly crazy for me! We are living in our new house now, and I love it! It's so much nicer than the apartment. lol! Get this, it has two bathrooms, a dishwasher, an oven that works, and no downstairs neighbor! lol! We are especially excited about the dishwasher. We've gone without one for the last 20 months. No more paper plates!!! What could be better?? Well, we could use a washer and dryer...I'm back at the apartment right now using the washing machine to clean my mountain of laundry, and then I'll head out for my weekly trip to the laundromat. Ugh. I hate laundromats. I will be so glad when I can dry my clothes in the comfort of my own home. We have a washing machine, we just haven't moved it into our new house yet, and we have a dryer back home that my family is going to bring up this coming weekend when we will "really" move in. It will be so nice to have my own bed back. I am so looking forward to that!! Oh yeah, amazing news: I have my own bedroom for the first time in my life!!!! My lifelong roommate, Bandy, isn't moving up with the rest of my family just yet. We have some horses and a calf that we can't bring with us since we don't have a place to keep them, so she will be staying there for a while to take care of them until we find some pasture up here. So, now that I'm almost 21, I have my own room. I am pretty much amazed since I never thought that would happen. lol! After all, I didn't even have my own bed until I was 19. I guess dreams really do come true.

Life is looking better. I finally made some friends up here. I met them Friday night when we were helping our pastor get ready for a fall festival at his campgrounds. I was so excited. I've been up here eight weeks, and haven't met any godly young people that I felt like I could be good friends with. Turns out they are all about 5 or 6 years older than me, but they don't seem to mind that and let me know that I was welcome to hang out with them. Very cool! Thank You, Jesus! I was very encouraged.

I don't like retail. I know that's random, but it's the truth. I thought I would try something different when I moved up here just to see if I would like something else better than office work. Well, I guess I don't. I wish I had my office job back. I really miss it. The pay, the hours, the co-workers, the actual work itself. Yep, pretty much everything about it. So, I've been aggresively pursuing my bookkeeper's certification. I'll stick with my retail job until after the holidays (because I don't want to ditch them during their biggest season). Meanwhile I'll get my exams out of the way, and be looking for office jobs. Once I pass all the exams I have to have 3,000 hours of experience before I get my certification. I've got about 1,000 right now. I'm just hoping I can survive the next 3 chaotic months in the retail business. *shivers*

Well, that basically catches you up on my life. I don't know when we'll get internet at our new house but I hope it's soon because I don't have time to go to the library. I'll try to keep you posted!

{{{hugs}}}
Lauren

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. There are so many things I could say about my mom. Aren't moms the best things ever??



I'm like my mom in so many ways, so we have always gotten along... for the most part (yeah, we've had our disagreements; I'm not perfect and she could definitely tell you some stories about me!). I can talk to her about my problems and she understands, but even better than that, she is able to give me advice. I wish I could be as wise as my mom. I've watched her counsel other ladies and offer words of wisdom so many times. I hope I can be like that when I'm older.



I haven't seen mom much the last seven weeks, so it really makes me appreciate her even more. I love my mom!

Tune My Heart

Wow, I've posted three days in a row now! Quite amazing! I had something that I wanted to share (duh!); I read it a couple days ago in Streams in the Desert and was convicted.

Dear tested and tried believer, it is your mission to walk onto the stage of this world in order to reveal to all of heaven and earth that the music of life lies not in your circumstances or external things but in your own soul.

I felt convicted because so many times I give into complaining. I don't like my circumstances and I want to make sure everyone knows about it! I'm not playing my part very well on this stage.

I have realized a whole new meaning to the words "it is well with my soul." My heart can be hurting and crying out, things can be going wrong, and yet, it can be "well with my soul." The flesh is what is "unwell." The flesh is our old nature. My new nature can be at peace in turmoil. My soul can rest in Christ and be "well." The state of the soul is separate from the state of the heart. It's so easy to be deceived and think that my emotions have to rule my attitude. When Horatio Spafford wrote "It is Well" he was in an incredible amount of pain. He had just lost all his children in a tragic accident. So how could he say all was well? He knew the secret! God gives peace in the midst of sorrow. God gives our soul the grace to overcome our emotions. In other words, God gives our new nature the grace to overcome our old nature.

Which brings me to another well-loved hymn: "Come Thou Fount."

Come Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

When I heard this a couple days ago, a new meaning jumped out at me. Tune my heart to sing Thy grace. God is tuning my heart! An instrument doesn't sound very good before it is tuned, and doesn't really sound good while it is being tuned...but after it is tuned, it can produce wonderful sounds. I didn't "sound good" before God started working on me, and I know I don't "sound good" right now, but God is teaching me how to sing His praise. He is tuning my heart to sing to Him. And why shouldn't I sing His praise?? After all, His "streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise."

It was such a good reminder to me; I know I've been complaining a lot lately about things that are going on in my life. But I don't want to be tuned for complaining. I want to be tuned for praising. I need to be singing His grace to those around me.

Come Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above,
Praise His name, I'm fixed upon it,
Name of God's redeming love.

Hitherto Thy love has blessed me,
Thou hast brought me to this place.
And I know Thy hand will lead me,
Safely home by Thy good grace.
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God.
He to rescue me from danger
Bought me with His precious blood.

Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart oh take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Here's my heart oh take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

An email story

This is a story that I got in an email. I liked it and thought I would share it with the world. lol! jk :)
~Lauren

This will give you the chills...GOOD chills.

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?'

After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk.

The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. 'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.

As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, 'Turn down that street.' 'This is crazy,' he thought, and drove on past the intersection.

Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will.' He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop.

He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something! , 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.

'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door. 'Okay God, if this is You, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If You want me to look like a crazy person, okay... I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away.

The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.

Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.'

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?'

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.

This is so true. Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do, if we are obedient to what He's asking, we can hear His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world). Phil 4:13

Tough Decisions

“I wish I could be a little girl again!”

I finally said what I told myself I would never say. I always wanted to grow up and be an adult, but at this stage in my life, it’s not very enjoyable. There are so many hard, hard decisions to make. So many unanswered questions. So many confusing choices. How does a girl know what to do?

Yes, I found myself wishing I could be a little girl again when my only cares were about doll clothes, crayon colors, and ice cream flavors. Ahh… the simple life.

But I’m in reality; I’m an adult; and there’s no looking back. Now I’ll get to the real reason for this post. All this reminiscing started with a tough decision my family was making last week.

You might remember me talking about a house we found (exactly three months ago today!) that we wanted to buy. However it was in foreclosure and wasn’t on the market yet, so we decided to wait it out. So we waited…and waited…and waited…and still no word. Dad finally started looking around again for more options, and a couple weeks ago, we found a promising house. It’s for rent and basically meets the long list of criteria we have. Long story short, if we had found it 3 or 4 months ago, we would have jumped on it in a heartbeat. But now we are hesitating because we have an amazing house that we would like to buy, we just don’t know how long it’s going to take. We thought about it for a while, and then finally discussed our predicament in great detail Wednesday night. The conclusion: we need to be together as a family; we need a house. So, Dad took the plunge and called the owner of the rent house. The owner is a good, Christian man of good standing in the community, and he is very understanding of our situation. Although he would prefer a one-year lease, he is fine with us moving in for a few months until our “dream house” comes on the market. Of course, if we aren’t able to buy that house (and we have no guarantee we will…hmmm…seems that’s how dreams go), then we will still have the rent house, and he even said he would be willing to sell it to us!

Okay, that probably got a little confusing there, so go ahead and read it again to try to make sense of it. I know it’s really complicated. Try living it out! lol!

So, I just wanted to pass along the latest word. We feel that God has given this rent house to us “for such a time as this.” We will probably be able to move in sometime next weekend (the 5th or 6th) and will stay for as long as God wants us there. If God never allows us to have the other house- my dream house!- I’m okay with that. sigh :)

What’s new in your world? lol!

home

I got to go home this last weekend.

It was wonderful.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, I knew I wouldn't want to leave, but when the time came to go, I discovered that I was okay with it. Or maybe I should say that God's grace made me okay with it!

I had a good visit with family and friends while I was home. My grandpa had been in the hospital last week with heart problems which was sad ;( but they put a pacemaker in and he seems to be doing well. I also got to have tons of fun with our friends from Texas who came up to escape Ike. We met them when they fled from Rita (who hit after Katrina three years ago). It's totally a God-thing. We are always sad when the have to come up to get away from hurricanes, but are glad to have the chance to fellowship.

I'm telling you, the air back home is different. When I stepped out of the car, I breathed it in deeply; when I fixed my hair, I could tell the difference. My hair had finally adjusted to the climate up here, and so it wasn't too happy about the change.

I've been so busy lately which is why I haven't posted in like a week! I hope to post again soon. I would like to say thank you again to every one of you special people who are reading this blog and praying for me. I appreciate it so much.

I'm posting an email that my sister sent out to some of her friends about a movie that's coming out this weekend. (I'm posting it in purple, since that's your signature color, Kaley!)


Dear friends (and family and acquaintances and admirers and whatever other category you choose to fall under),

Would you agree that a lot of the movies in theaters today aren’t worth watching? Would you like to stand up and tell Hollywood that we Christians don’t like seeing a lot of junk? Well, guess what, my dear friends… soon you’ll have the opportunity to do just that, and the neat thing is that it won’t take much sacrifice on your part!

I don’t know how many of you got to see FLYWHEEL or FACING THE GIANTS, but if you did, I’m sure you would agree that they were awesome movies. Sherwood Pictures recently finished their third film, FIREPROOF, a story about a firefighter whose marriage is going up in smoke. As he prepares for a divorce, he’s challenged by his father to try a 40-day experiment called “The Love Dare,” which sets him on a journey of trying to win back his wife’s heart.

Sound cheesy? Maybe. But that’s only because I’m a poor writer. If you’re at all familiar with Stephen and Alex Kendrick, then you can testify that their movies are definitely not cheesy. You all probably know what a drama queen I am and how much I love the Kendrick brothers and their movies. If you ask me (or even if you don’t—it doesn’t really matter), I think FACING THE GIANTS was outstanding.

The bottom line: FIREPROOF is a Christian movie about God’s perspective on marriage—that it’s a covenant, not a contract that can be broken when things aren’t going so well. The film’s message is that although marriage isn’t always easy, it’s worth fighting for. With divorce rates in America as high as they are, I think we would all admit that this movie is relevant to today’s audience.

So what am I saying? Go see FIREPROOF in theaters on September 26th! If you can’t go opening night, at least go opening weekend (includes Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th). Why? Because the movie industry considers a film successful if it does well on opening weekend. If we really want to get the message out that FACING THE GIANTS and FIREPROOF are the kind of movies we would like to see, then this is the way to do it. So if it’s absolutely impossible for you to go on opening weekend, please encourage someone else to go. Check out what the FIREPROOF guys had to say in a recent e-blast:

"Hollywood is loading up a for a huge release weekend on October 3 with as many as seven films scheduled to open in wide release. That means movie theaters will have limited "real estate" available for holdover films.The films that will remain (and be able to expand into other cities) will be the ones that have extremely strong opening-weekend sales. With FIREPROOF opening in more than 700 theaters, there needs to be overwhelming support from you and your friends to get theater circuits to keep this film playing more than one week. Are you ready to surprise Hollywood?"

I am!!! So perhaps we should plan on going to see it the weekend of October 3rd, too! That would be so awesome… but it can only happen if we make FIREPROOF a huge hit the first few days.

So why did I say at the beginning that it wouldn’t take much sacrifice on your part? Because from what I’ve heard about the movie (and what I know of the Kendrick brothers), I believe this film will be totally worth your time!

And what do I get out of all this if you guys go see the movie? Nothing, really…except the chance to see God’s Word triumph once again!

I’m sooooo excited about going to see this movie! Who will join me in the theaters?

Are you ready to surprise Hollywood?

- Kaley


For more info (such as a list of theaters in your area) go to FireprooftheMovie.com
or my personal favorite, fireproofthemovie.blogspot.com

P.S. Ladies, I’ve heard that you’ll need to take some Kleenexes! And, of course, be prepared to laugh, too.

my cross

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34

"The cross that my Lord calls me to carry may assume many different shapes. I may have to be content with mundane tasks in a limited area of service, when I may believe my abilities are suited for much greater work. I may be required to continually cultivate the same field year after year, even though it yields no harvest whatsoever. I may be asked of God to nurture kind and loving thoughts about the very person who has wronged me and to speak gently to him, take his side when others oppose him, and bestow sympathy and comfort to him. I may have to openly testify of my Master before those who do not want to be reminded of Him or His claims. And I may be called to walk through this world with a bright, smiling face while my heart is breaking.

Yes, there are many crosses, and every one of them is heavy and painful. And it is unlikely that I would seek out even one of them on my own. Yet Jesus is never as near to me as when I lift my cross, lay it sumbmissively on my shoulder, and welcome it with a patient and uncomplaining spirit.

He draws close to me in order to mature my wisdom, deepen my peace, increase my courage, and supplement my power. All this He dos so that through the very experience that is so painful and distressing to me, I will be of greater use to others."

~Streams in the Desert


God, I'm sorry that I have an impatient and complaining spirit. I once again humbly submit to your plans for my life knowing that You are in control of everything that is happening to me. You are more than able to handle anything that comes my way. There is no one else who could do a better job of orchestrating my life; I certainly could not. You hold the stars in place. You are concerned with the sparrows. You are taking care of me.

Treasures in the Darkness

Sorry I haven’t updated for a while. I think the post about apartment life took the last ounce of humor that I had. I was pretty down last week. I don’t want my blog to be depressing, and I hesitate to post things that sound like that. But I also don’t want to be fake. So I’ll be honest.

I’m struggling. I’m not enjoying life right now. It’s meaningless to me. When I try to look into my future, I see nothing but more of what I’m facing and fighting right now. And I want to go home. I don’t mean to some place here on earth, because in reality, I don’t feel like I belong anywhere. I want to go to my Real Home…in Heaven…with Jesus. Escape all these trials and hardships. Yeah, I had great plans for my life, and things I wanted to do before going Home. But now with those dreams slipping away, I find myself staring into nothing. Well, I’ve said enough about that, and I’ll spare you the rest of my thoughts, feelings, and emotions. But I would like to share something else.

I’ve been trying to read a book called “Prepare for Rain” by Michael Catt. It’s the story of the church that produced the movie Facing the Giants and the soon-to-be-released- in-theaters Fireproof (it opens September 26th and you have to go see it!!!). I haven’t gotten very far in the book because I haven’t had time for reading recently. But I found some time the other day when I was in line for the bathroom. Yes, you read that right. You see, another apartment story in itself is the fact that we only have one bathroom. And my family came to visit last week. Do the math. Seven people (five of them girls)…one bathroom…what do you come up with? A long line morning and evening and at certain intervals in between. In fact, I had to skip Sunday School this morning, because I was sitting in rush hour traffic in the hallway. But anyway, back to the book. As I was waiting in line one night about 10:30, I pulled the book out to keep myself from going crazy. I was reading along in chapter 4, and the author started talking about Isaiah 45 (you should read it sometime!). Here is what Michael Catt had to say:

“Sometimes we can’t imagine God working outside our box, our denomination, our theology or our system. I have to admit that it sometimes bothers me that God blesses people I disagree with. I, like the Israelites, would have to say I struggle when God uses someone like Cyrus. But He isn’t bound by my thoughts about how He should work. It bothers me that God uses problems to perfect us. It would be so much easier if he would just zap us with microwave spirituality. I would certainly never vote for God to use a Cyrus. I would never call Cyrus 'God’s anointed.' I had to learn that God is in charge and I’m not— or, as Martin Luther put it, 'Let God be God!' Embracing those four words would revolutionize the way we view life and circumstances beyond our control.”

A couple things stood out to me when I read this. First of all, what he said about Cyrus reminded me about the elections coming up. It’s reassuring to know that God can use a “Cyrus” to accomplish His plans. I hope we elect godly leaders this November, but whatever happens, God is in control. God is in control!!! *exhaling with relief* It also reminded me of the many times I’ve questioned the prosperity of unbelievers. “Why is everything working out for them while life is so hard for me??” Once again, God is in control, and He has different things in mind for them.

The second thing that stood out to me was what he said about God not working in our box. “…we can’t imagine God working outside our box…He isn’t bound by my thoughts about how He should work. It bothers me that God uses problems to perfect us. It would be so much easier if he would zap us with microwave spirituality…I had to learn that God is in charge and I’m not…’Let God be God!’” I often wish I could just skip all these hard lessons, but look at what Isaiah 45:3 says, “And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, Who calls you by your name.” God has treasures for me in this darkness. He has hidden riches in this secret place He has brought me to. That promise gives me the strength to move on, keep trying, continue fighting. I can only take it one day at a time. Don’t look at the future. Just face today. And look for the treasure in the darkness…even when I'm waiting in line for the bathroom. ;)

I Will Never Forget...

In respectful remembrance of those who died this day seven years ago, and with heartfelt thanks to those who have served and are serving in our nation's military. You are not forgotten...

This is Reality

I moved away from home three weeks ago. I can’t say I love it; and I can’t say I hate it. But I can say I’m where God wants me so I have His peace which makes me fine with it.

My new life feels surreal. At times it seems like I’m watching a movie of some other girl’s life. Sometimes I just stop and think “What are you doing here???” I often wonder why I’m here, and why I have this life. It’s hard to believe my old life is gone and my new one is here to stay. I think of what I would be doing if I were back home. I still feel like this is just temporary and I’ll be back where I belong later. But no, I’ve really said goodbye, and I might not ever see some of you again. This is nothing new to me, so why do I still have trouble grasping it?? Sorry for my jumbled thoughts, but I get in this reflective/contemplative mood a lot.


Here’s something I read a couple days ago. I know I quote a lot of books and other people, but sometimes I just can’t verbalize what I’m thinking inside. So, here is a good point on prayer:

“Some people say, and many more believe, that as soon as we meet all His conditions, God will answer our prayer. They teach that He lives in an eternal now, that with Him there is no past or future, and that if we can fulfill all He requires to be obedient to His will, immediately our needs will be met, our desires satisfied, and our prayers answered.
“While there is much truth in this belief, it expresses only one side of the truth. God does live in an eternal now, yet He works out His purposes over time. A petition presented to God is like a seed dropped into the ground. Forces above and beyond our control must work on it until the actual accomplishment of the answer.”
from The Still Small Voice


Okay, this is a change of pace, but I just remembered a funny story that I thought I would share. It’s one of those make-do-with-what-you-have stories. You see, here at the apartment, we don’t have luxury items such as butcher knives for cutting watermelons. So when my dad brought home the above mentioned fruit that my brother had grown back home, I had to figure out how to cut it open so we could actually eat it. My first thought (as much as I hate making messes) was to throw it down on the ground so it would break open, hopefully in small enough pieces for us to eat. But the mental picture of me trying to bite into a gigantic hacked-off piece of watermelon didn’t appeal to me, so I came up with a different plan. Enter the paring knife. You might not realize it, but that 2½ -inch blade can work wonders. My supportive sister, Kaley, stood by and laughed as I stabbed the 8.25 lb watermelon (okay, so we didn’t weigh it before we ate it, but it was no melon midget) and began “paring” away. After a bit of effort on my part, the tiny knife produced manageable slices and we were able to enjoy the “fruits” of my labor. Of course, my brother, Chris, gets some credit too since he grew it.

That is just one of the many humorous stories we have of apartment life. We do have some unusual luxuries here, like a crock-pot, but have you ever tried cooking alfredo noodles in that?? I haven’t either— I just went out and bought a saucepan. Oh yeah, and then there’s the chocolate chip cookies we made without chocolate chips…or vanilla. Dad said they were the best cookies he had ever eaten (but Kaley and I had different thoughts on the matter). Time would fail me to tell of other occurrences and dilemmas such as:

• The Local Ghost Light (we caught it on film!!!!!)
• The Clothes-Eating Dryer (um, unfortunately, we have evidence for this too)
• Phantom Noises from The Underworld (a.k.a. the neighbor downstairs)
• Sophisticated Burglary Systems (i.e. seriously squeaky stairs)
• The Perilous Back Balcony and Treacherous Three-story Descent
• The Hyper-Active Oven that knows no heat limits
• The undetterable characters next door who voraciously weed-eat their lawn at 10:30 AT NIGHT!!!!
• Tea bags + Frozen Grape Juice + Lemonade Mix + One Lonely Pitcher = assorted containers of beverages occupying our refrigerator shelves and continuous pitcher-washing!

Ah yes, this is reality. ;)

Hello out there

Hey Everybody! I’m excited because I get a TWO DAY WEEKEND!!! YAY!!! Just thought you’d like to know… :p

This fall weather is amazing, but alas! I’m not ready for it and not really able to enjoy it because I don’t have fall clothes with me! They are still packed away in boxes back home. ;( I may get to go home next weekend, so if I can just shiver my way through the rest of this week and next week then I can be happy in some comfy autumn attire. lol!

I’ve really felt a burden lately for some friends who are going through tough times. Having been through rough waters (and still experiencing them), I know how overwhelming life is. I wish I could have the perfect words to say to comfort them. I so wish I could somehow make their pain and troubles vanish, and make life easy for them. But I know that God has reasons for things that happen in our lives, and I know that if we didn’t experience the shadows, we wouldn’t appreciate the sunshine. These seem like such empty words to someone who is hurting and depressed, but I want you to know, there is a reason. You are not struggling in vain. God has a plan, and His plan is for your good and not for harm; He will get you through this.


Does Sorrow lay his hand upon your shoulder,
And walk with you in silence on life’s way,
While Joy, your bright companion once, grown colder,
Becomes to you more distant day to day?
Run not from the companionship of Sorrow,
He is the messenger of God to thee;
And you will thank Him in His great tomorrow—
For what you do not know now, you then will see;
He is God’s angel, clothed in veils of night,
With whom “we walk by faith” and “not by sight.”
Streams in the Desert, 2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV

Welcome to the Real World

I had to work on Labor Day.

Not only that, but all my family was back home, so this was my first time to spend a holiday all by myself and working. And it was a long, hard day at work, too. Yeah, I can hear some of you now, “Well, welcome to the real world, Lauren!!” Thanks, I’ve been officially welcomed. I never would have made it through the day on my own, especially since I was feeling sick (I don’t know if it was because of homesickness or stress or what), but once again, God’s grace was enough to get me through the work day.

The holiday wasn’t a complete tragedy though lol! I went to see my best friend on Sunday; they are like my second family, and I’m so glad I’ve got someone up here that I know. I’m not all alone in this big world after all. :)

God has closed another door on our house situation. Dad and I went to look at 3 houses last Friday, and he was seriously considering renting one of them, even though there were some cons involved. However, we got a call on Sunday that the owner decided to rent it to someone else. I was actually relieved, and that once again confirmed to me that God is in control and has a plan. Somewhere out there, there’s a home waiting for my family. Someday we’ll get a call that will solve all these problems. Somehow all this chaos will melt away.



“This is what God is teaching us, and He has to keep results that are encouraging away from us until we learn to trust Him without them. Then He loves to make His Word as real to us as in actuality it is in our faith.”
~ A. B. Simpson

Solid Ground

Well, I’m finally getting around to updating! I meant to do this sooner, but have actually been busy lately and haven’t had the chance. lol! I’m not as bored as I once was!

I enjoyed spending time with my family when they came for a visit, but it made me pray even harder that God would provide a house for us VERY SOON so we can all be together again. Is it wrong to beg God that He would do something right now? I think it’s okay to bring our requests to Him, but He wants us to be willing to accept His timing. So, I ask Him in full faith knowing that He could grant my requests in a heartbeat, but trusting Him to move in His timing. I know I’m where God wants me to be, and although I can’t understand why He hasn’t answered this prayer yet, I know that He must have an amazingly important reason for the delay! The house I’m praying fervently about is the one in foreclosure that we found two months ago. The bank must not be in a hurry. grrrrr We’ve been looking for a house for 7 months now, so, like I said, there must be a good reason…

You’ve been asking how I’m doing. I think I’m doing well. I haven’t had a meltdown (although when I saw a license plate from my home state, I almost cried). I’ve been blessed with God’s “peace that passes all understanding.” I discovered that once I took that leap of faith, that jump into the unknown that was so scary, I landed on Solid Ground. I don’t know how to describe it, but God has not let me fall, He hasn’t left me stranded, He has only proved even more to me just how faithful He truly is. He has given me new visions for ministry opportunities here, and I’m so excited about getting involved in my new community. I want to encourage you, dear friend, if you are struggling with a “leap of faith” that God has asked you to take, just do it!! I believe you will find your feet on solid ground also, and will be amazed at what God will do for those who hold nothing back. My relationship with God has only grown stronger, and everyday He increases my faith in so many little ways.

On a lighter note, I have now been officially “initiated” at work; ie, the stockmen have scared me. Apparently, they think that’s a requirement for employment there, so they hide around corners or sneak up behind you. Oh boy.

I have the day off today because I’m working tomorrow (I can hardly believe I’m finishing up my second week of work here!). Dad and I are going to go look at some more houses today. It’s so strange spending this much time with my dad. I have seen him everyday for a week now. I don’t think I’ve seen him that frequently since last Christmas!


Here’s something from the devotional “Streams in the Desert” that I’m reading. Hope it encourages you like it did me.

“Too many of us want to see our way through a new endeavor before we will even start. Imagine if we could see our way from beginning to end. How would we ever develop our Christian gifts? Faith, hope, and love cannot be picked from trees, like ripe apples. Remember, after the words “in the beginning” (Gen 1:1) comes the word “God.” It is our first step of faith that turns the key in the lock of His powerhouse. It is true that God helps those who help themselves, but He also helps those who are helpless. So no matter your circumstance, you can depend on Him every time.”

USAF

I got this in an email this week, and just had to post it. I thought it was really good, so here's my latest rant in defense of our nation's awesome military personnel. :) Go United States Air Force!!




Noise Complaint at Luke AFB, AZ

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed their day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.

The complaint:
Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet.Imagine our good fortune! Do the 'Tom Cruise-wannabes' feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyn's early bird special? Any response would be appreciated.'

The response:
Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' (Letters, Thursday):On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship fly-by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly-by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of Taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.A four-ship fly-by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show?' The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you..... Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul and liberty; the other for your natural freedom.
(signed) Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr. USAF

My Saturday

On Saturday, I got to...

...sleep in

...go shopping with my dad and sister

...buy some jeans on sale

...buy some Sketchers on sale

...buy a pair of New Balance on clearance for $10, yay!

...eat at Chipotle for the first time, yum!

...take pictures of my new shoes lol!

...see my mom and siblings

And for your enjoyment, I'm posting some pics of my new shoes, since I know you're just dying to see them. Well...actually... I love taking pictures of just about anything, and thought I would post them since I have the time. So, enjoy!

A Welcome Surprise

Yesterday as I was stocking the shelves in my department at work, I heard someone say “Excuse me…” Thinking it was one of the many customers I get every day asking for assistance with something, I turned around to see how I could help them. To my surprise, my sister Kaley was standing there with her little mischievous grin on her face and camera in hand.

I was so shocked I couldn’t even say anything for a minute. I was trying to figure out how she could have possibly gotten there since she doesn’t have a car and dad wasn’t supposed to be back until Saturday.

“How did…what are…HOW DID YOU GET HERE???” I finally managed to say.

She snickered, “Weeelllll, dad called me today…”

Aha, I knew he had to be behind this. I turned around to look down the aisle behind me. Alright, where is he? Sure enough, he came walking around the corner with a big, silly grin on his face.

Evidently, dad’s crew got to come home early, and he decided to drop by and surprise me at work. The two conniving plotters were quite proud of themselves, and enjoyed every minute of the surprise attack, I’m sure. Kaley got the whole thing on tape, but I have yet to see it.

I had to work a little late, but after I got off, I called them and we met up again and went to dinner. It was a very fun evening, and the highlight of my week.

I’m closing again tonight. I enjoyed closing on Wednesday; I’m not sure why, but maybe it was because I got to meet some of the people I work with, or it could have been the fact that all the customers left and it was quiet. :) I liked straightening shelves and making sure everything was picked up off the floor...it’s the perfectionist coming out in me. However, the drive home might have been the best part of all. Driving down a dark, empty road with the windows down and music playing is just so refreshing! The only bad thing was I arrived home wide awake and I couldn’t go to sleep until midnight and then had to get up at 6:30 the next morning to go to work!

God has been so good to me this week. He has helped me face every new day at work, and helped me overcome every difficulty in my path. He has even helped me find my way around this new city! One time, I was going to try to take a shortcut to Wal-mart, but I ended up taking a scenic route instead! I didn’t get lost, though and because I’ve driven around here with my parents looking at houses, I was able to drive straight to where I needed to be. Also, twice I was looking for a specific store, and thought I had gone too far, so I started to turn around, and each time, I looked up and saw the store sign right in front of me. I know that probably doesn’t sound amazing to you all, but for a girl hundreds of miles away from her family, friends, and home state, it’s very comforting. It seems like God puts me right where I need to be.

I’m also very grateful for internet access, too! Without it, I would feel even more separated from you.

I gotta go get ready for work! Thanks for stopping by, and have a good Friday!!

Quick update!

Well, we went in search of a library yesterday so we could get on the internet, and spent about two hours there trying to catch up on everything. We’ve been bored so we didn’t mind killing time. Then we went to the mall and walked around; yeah, we’re really lonely up here… Anyway, when we turned the laptop on this morning at the apartment it said, “oh yeah, there’s a wireless network in range.” DUH!! Why didn’t we check that in the first place??? I don’t know. But now I’m posting from the comfort (ha!) of my “own home.”
My first day on the job was good, and it went by surprisingly fast. It’s kinda hard to tell right now if I will like it because I’m really missing my family, and when you don’t have anything but a job to keep you busy, you get burned out. Dad’s been gone, but he comes home soon (yay!!) and then the rest of the family is coming up to spend a few days, too (double yay!) so if Kaley and I can survive until then, we’ll be okay. I didn’t think I would be so glad to see my family, but I can’t wait until we get a house so they can all move up here, and then we can all be together, and maybe I’ll have a real life. I know things will get easier as I get settled in and involved in a church and make new friends.
I’ll post more later…I gotta go to work, I’m on the closing shift tonight!
ttyl!
I miss all you guys!!!
{{hugs}}
Lauren

Luke 9:62 Amplified version

"Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God."

Here's My Life

Once again I said my goodbyes

To those I love most.

My heart feels that familiar pain

As I long for home.

'Cause this road is hard

When I feel so far

And God I'm crying out tonight

'Cause I've given You my life

But I'm tired and I'm missing what's behind

So once more here's my life.

On the day that You called my name

All that I knew changed.

I found when I said yes

That I would never be the same.

Though the call is hard,

You are worth it all.

God I'm crying out tonight

'Cause I've given You my life

But I'm tired and I'm missing what's behind

so once more....

Even when the tears are falling

When I find I fear the calling You remind me,

Words You've spoken over my life

Promises I've yet to see

You comfort me.

And God I'm crying out tonight

'Cause I've given You my life

But I'm tired and I'm missing what's behind

So once more....

God I'm crying out tonight

'Cause I've given You my life

But I'm tired and I'm missing what's behind

So once more here's my life.

Here's my life.

~ Barlow Girl

A new chapter

Today was my last day at work. :( I've worked here for four years, so it's hard to say good-bye. The office staff took me out to lunch and then got me cake and ice cream, so it was a good day. I will definitely miss them; it was an awesome job.

I'm frantically trying to get my stuff packed up. Tomorrow I'll load my car, and hit the road. The terrible unknown lies in front of me, and I must go and conquer it!! lol! Seriously, that's how it feels sometimes. I know that after this is over, I'll be a better person. I'll have more confidence, more experience. I'm learning new things every day...I just don't always enjoy it. As I set off on this new adventure, I'm faced with uncertainty, fear, anticipation, anxiety, and excitement. I keep asking myself if I'm making the right choice; I keep looking at what's behind me and asking why I have to leave all of that. The time has come to let go. It's time to find out what God has waiting for me in my new home. It's time to stop questioning and just believe. It's time to take the leap of faith...so here I go!

Life is a Highway

I never realized how much I took for granted the simple fact that my car would start every time I turned the key. The day before I was supposed to leave on the 400-mile trip for my job interview the battery in my car died, and I went from being a jump-starting novice to a seasoned pro by jumping my car 5 or 6 times in less than 24 hours. That put me a little behind schedule; we did have another battery we could put in my car, but by the time we did all the cleaning, charging, jumping, switching, more jumping, and finally installing, it was late. We had to drive all night to get there, so I got 5 hours of sleep and woke up with huge bags under my eyes the day of my interview (note to self: next time take eye cream and get at least 8 hours of sleep).

Now for the interview: it went well (despite the fact that I had to do an unexpected math test with a nervous and tired brain), and I now have a full-time position in the craft department at Hobby Lobby. I start this coming Monday, so it’s crunch time! I’m deep in the process of moving and everything that entails, while trying to retain at least a smidgen of composure! It’s not going to be a smooth ride, but I’m hoping things will settle down in a couple months, and maybe I can be back into a routine and add a little normalcy to life...whatever that means... I do feel very blessed that I am able to jump right into work without spending weeks off work searching. God is faithful to provide for my needs and bless me in amazing ways!

I’ll try to keep you posted as often as I can, but I won’t have internet access at my dad’s apartment, so I’ll be “fasting” from the worldwide web. I would appreciate your prayers. I’m facing a new world again and it seems to get harder as I get older.

Thanks for taking the time to read about my life. I know it’s not very fun or interesting, but I’m so glad to have people who care about how I’m doing. I love all of you!!

~Lauren

btw, my car did make up for all the trouble it caused by getting almost 30 mpg!!! Go Ford Mustangs! :)

ttyl

Well, this is good-bye for few days. Please pray for me, I have a job interview on Monday. That will determine what the next few weeks are going to be like for me. *deep breath* I'll let you know how it turns out as soon as I can. May you have a blessed weekend. Don't forget to take time to enjoy God's beauty all around you.

Picture Perfect Fun

Here are a few of my favorite pics from our photo shoot the other night. Hope you enjoy! We had a little fun with it, as you can tell... :)

(The shirt she was wearing was the one we made for our vacation. We surprised everyone with these shirts, and they were a big hit. I included a pic of the back of it so you could see it!)

FREEDOM!!!!!

And we were having so much fun taking pics of her, that we had to do a few with me. My hair was down, and when I jumped it would go wild, so I ended up looking like a jamming rock star in a couple pics. Here's my favorite, my hair is "tame" in this one! lol!

Doing pictures like these is quite fun, and a good exercise at the same time (although it's a bit hard in flip flops). You should try it! lol! ;)

Twenty-six years

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! You have been such an inspiration and example to me through the years.

Dad, you have had to change jobs countless times and have faced many setbacks, but you never gave up. You kept pressing forward, and now you have your dream job. I want to have your optimism and determination.

Mom, since Dad is gone a lot, you have had to run the household by yourself. I've watched as you have dealt with broken-down cars, burned-up washing machines, and insurance claims on our house fire, all by yourself. You have shown an inner strength and calmness that I admire.

I know it hasn't been easy raising us kids (especially me!), but I appreciate all of your sacrifices and the training you have given us. May you be blessed with many more years together. I love you!!

Way to go, Kaley!!

Congratulations to my "little" sister, Kaley, on passing her driving test today. Welcome to the "big" world! Now my parents only have two kids without licenses. That's a scary thought!

We had to do a photo shoot, of course! Kaley says that there aren't very many pictures of her since she is the middle child *poor thing* lol! So we took lots of pics and I'll try to post my favorites sometime. For some reason, I can't get them uploaded right now.

I'm still alive!

Our family vacation went really well, and everyone said they had a lot of fun. I'm relieved that it's over, but am looking forward to planning for next year! We had a great time of fellowship and made lots of memories. This was my first time to go to Branson, so it was really exciting. It's a fun place, but there are sooo many people there! I don't like crowds, and I certainly don't like driving in Branson, but it was a good experience, and I wouldn't mind going back! :) I even got to go to lunch with my friends because they were in Branson, too!

Life hasn't slowed down one bit. I'm trying to pack up the last of my stuff since I'll probably be moving next week. sigh It almost seems surreal. I feel kind of numb right now, because the emotions haven't hit me yet, but I know they are coming. I think when I actually get up there and start working is when it's going to be really hard.

Here's another excerpt from "Streams in the Desert" that really encouraged me:

"Be men of courage; be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Never pray for an easier life- pray to be a stronger person! Never pray for tasks equal to your power- pray for power equal to your tasks. Then doing your work will be no miracle- you will be the miracle. ~Phillips Brooks

Some people always avoid things that are costly, or things that require self-denial, self-restraint, and self-sacrifice. Yet it is hard work and difficulties that ultimately lead us to greatness, for greatness is not found by walking the moss-covered path laid out for us through the meadow. It is found by being sent to carve out our own path with our own hands.

Birthday girl

Happy Birthday, Bandy! I'm glad we are sisters! Hope you have a great birthday and a very blessed year.
Your lil' sis,
Lauren

Update on our house

We found a house in foreclosure a month ago today, and have been waiting for it to come on the market. The broker who showed it to us seems to think that it will hit the market in about 10 days, so we’ve been working with our realtor to get some paperwork signed ahead of time to be ready to make an offer the day it’s listed. I’ve been praying that God will give us favor and will allow us to get this house. We have been looking for houses up there since January, and are tired of Dad working 7 hours away, so this would be a huge blessing to be able to get this house. I’m looking forward to the day when we can all be together like a “real” family.

I’m busy with final preparations for our vacation, so I probably won’t blog for a few days. I hope you all have a blessed week!

It's not about me...

This post might seem kind of random, but it’s something that has been on my heart for awhile. I don’t know if my ramblings will make sense, but I’m going to give it a try!


“Even today we have people who live an inconsistent Christian life because they have become preoccupied with things that are external. Therefore they focus on their circumstances rather than focusing on God. And God desires that we grow in our ability to see Him in everything and to realize the importance of seemingly insignificant circumstances if they are used to deliver a message from Him.” ~From “Streams in the Desert”

It’s so easy to get caught up in life here on earth. We have school, jobs, church, and endless activities that demand our time and attention. Even if we are doing good things that will impact eternity we can get distracted from the purpose. Many Christians today— and I’m so guilty of this— forget about the eternal and focus on the temporal. We must seek to have an eternal mindset, to work with eternity in view, to live out our lives and faith in a way that points to our true destination. Life is more than a paycheck, a car, or a house. Life is more than a lay-off, an engine problem, or temporary housing. God is at work everywhere, in everything. I must find out how He is working, and seek to get involved. I must not get frustrated by my circumstances, but ask God what He’s trying to show me through them. I must not get depressed by feelings of insignificance, but allow God to speak to me and draw me closer to Him while He has me in this “hidden place.” I’m so tempted to get wrapped up in a career for myself, or do what I want to do, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m not on earth for me...Someone died for me, why should I live for myself??

More Good News!!

I heard back today about the application I turned in last week. I'm supposed to go up for an interview in a couple weeks. I've been feeling your prayers, God has given me a peace to know that He's got a plan, and I'm trusting Him to work out the details. I can't see the next step, so I just put my foot where He tells me to. Keep praying for me...I've got a lot of big decisions to make in the next few weeks.
Blessings to all of you!

Faith is believing what we do not see,

and the reward for this kind of faith

is to see what we believe.

~Saint Augustine

A whole new world!

Well, I got my braces off yesterday, so life is good! I tried out my new metal-free teeth by eating a chicken sandwich and pizza, and found out that eating is amazingly easy! :) I'm really enjoying this new freedom. My sisters made me a cake and cupcakes to celebrate "getting your braces off" day so it was a fun day for me! It was an ordeal trying to get the expander out, but after a few minutes of yanking and pain, it was gone. I can whistle, click my tongue on the top of my mouth, and chew gum now! After my dentist appointment, I went shopping with my mom and sister which was a lot of fun, and then went to renew my driver's license. I didn't really want to do that since I'm going to be moving, but I had no choice, and it was all worth it for the amazing picture I got!! I love it! :) For my first DL, the pic was fine, but the plastic backing on the card started peeling off that night, so I had to take it back in and found out they had put it on backwards, so they had to issue a new card. For reasons unknown to me, they had to take my pic again, and I was soo not ready for that. I had gotten sunburned and by that time was peeling, so it was a horrible picture to say the least. But now all that is behind me, and I have a decent looking license until I have to change it after I move!



Here's a picture of the new Lauren, along with a "before" picture. I must tell you how humbling it is to post the "before" picture, since I think my teeth looked awful, but I thought you would enjoy seeing the difference. lol! Soo, here's what a few thousand dollars can do!



Before:

After!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, and I got a new haircut, too! :)

The packing continues...

I made a goal of packing up one box a day. I was getting rather overwhelmed, so I decided just to simplify things and take it one step at a time. It's working great! I've got most of my stuff packed up now, except for my clothes, and most of those will stay until the very end, except for some winter clothes, that I still have in my closet. Everything is so uncertain right now. I haven't heard back about the application I turned in a week ago, and since then I found out that the choir I was in at church is going to be recording some songs. I would love to be able to record with them, but they start rehearsals in August and those will last 5 weeks. I just don't see how I could do that unless I don't get the job I applied for, so once again, I feel pulled in different directions. Of course, it doesn't do any good to worry about it, because I really can't do anything about it. Right now I'm just waiting to see how God works things out, and whatever happens will be His will, so that gives me the peace to wait. I love planning things; I would have my whole life planned out if God would let me, but that's not how it works, so I'm getting used to not knowing where I'll be or what I'll be doing in two weeks.


Speaking of planning things, did I mention that on top of everything else that's going on in my life right now, I'm planning a family vacation for 30 people? Well, I guess it's more like a reunion; I can't believe we are all going to be together! For the last few weeks I've been booking cabins, reserving tickets, and planning menus. Now that we are getting closer to the vacation, I'm busy buying food and other supplies, turning in final counts on tickets, and figuring out how everything is going to work. It's almost a full time job, but since I love to plan things, this has been fun for me. I just hope everyone else has fun!

Well, I gotta go pack up my box for the day!
Blessings!

Surrender

Earlier this year, I stumbled on a daily devotional book entitled “Streams in the Desert.” It’s been a life-saver this year, or maybe more accurately, a faith-saver. God has used it countless times to strengthen my weak faith and encourage my weary heart on the long, hard journey this year. Here’s something from a couple days ago that jumped out at me:

From the time of Abraham, people have been learning that when they obey God’s voice and surrender to Him whatever they hold most precious, He multiplies it thousands of times...This is exactly how God deals with every child of His when we truly sacrifice. We surrender everything we own and accept poverty— then He sends wealth. We leave a growing area of ministry at His command— then He provides one better than we had ever dreamed. We surrender all our cherished hopes and die to self— then He sends overflowing joy and His “life...that [we] might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). “After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised” (Heb. 6:15), and so will you. The moment of your greatest sacrifice will also be the precise moment of your greatest and most miraculous blessing...Indeed, there is nothing God will not do for those who will dare to step out in faith onto what appears to be only a mist. As they take their first step, they will find a rock beneath their feet.

God has been so faithful and patient with me; He never gives up on me. When I am weak, He is strong! The journey can be hard, but the lessons are priceless, and I've come to the place where I can thank Him for the lessons.

Excitement

One week from today I get my braces off!! I'm definitely looking forward to that event! I never really thought I would have straight teeth. Especially since I'm too old for braces- at least in my opinion. :) Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that my parents were willing to spend this much money on me, especially since I've been their most expensive child (they call me their "emergency room child" long story there), but I'm tired of people thinking I'm a teenager. I'm hoping that I'll look older without all this metal, plus I'll be able to eat anything I want without hassle! Life is already looking better! Chicken sandwiches, here I come!!!

I'm back!!

It is so good to be back home! I took some of my stuff up to my dad’s apartment this last weekend. Mom, Kaley, and Chris left on Friday and took a load with them, but I had to work, so I went up Saturday and Julia came with me. Do you know what it’s like taking a 6 ½ hour trip with a 7 year old? :) It actually wasn’t that bad; she sat there quietly for about the first 30 minutes, but then I guess the novelty of taking a road trip with big sis finally wore off, and she pulled out her DVD player and watched a movie. I had my iPod, so we were both happy! lol! We stopped once for lunch and gas and then hit the road again. It rained on us half of the trip, but it was a nice rain, and Julia took a nap, so really, it was a good trip! I spent Saturday evening unpacking my kitchen and doing dishes (I still don’t get a dishwasher, but since the whole family isn’t moving up yet, I shouldn’t have to do too many dishes!) I turned in a job application yesterday before I headed back home, so I’m praying that everything works out. I brought Chris home with me...do you know what it’s like taking a 6 ½ hour trip with a 13 year old boy?? lol! Well, he had a DVD player, too, but he watched a war movie, and my iPod couldn’t quite drown out all the shouts, guns, and cannons so it was interesting... :p We got to stop and see our grandparents on the way and have dinner with them, which was a nice break. Oh yeah, and my car got about 28 mi/gal, which is pretty good for a Mustang, don’t ya think? BTW, I like my car! :)

Well, it’s back to work this week. Along with packing up more stuff, planning for the family vacation, and getting ready for friends who are staying the weekend! It’s going to be a busy week, but I’ll try to keep you updated...Have a great week!



The burden of suffering seems to be a tombstone hung around our necks. Yet in reality it is simply the weight necessary to hold the diver down while he is searching for pearls. ~Julius Richter

The packing begins

I've started boxing up my stuff. I have about 7 boxes just of kitchen stuff!! And I still have 3 boxes of dishes I'm not taking! I'm kind of excited about it, but I'm also nervous. I'm facing the unknown yet again. I know this will be good for me, and I'll enjoy living up there...but I'm going to miss everything I'm leaving behind. I don't like saying goodbye. It's so hard to let go of what is behind me and welcome all the new things. Yet another journey of faith! I've gone through this before, so I know it's gonna be okay, but it also reminds me of how many friends I've had to leave behind through the years. The friendships are never the same. But, this is all part of God's plan, and I choose to believe that He has good things in store.

I would like to find a time to get together with my church friends and maybe have lunch and take pictures before I have to move. This month is going to be so busy I don't know if I can squeeze it in, but we'll see what happens. :)

Freedom

What does freedom mean to you? I've been thinking about this a lot this week. I've thought of all the things I was able to do this week because I live in a free country.

• Go to church and worship God
• Pray in public over the food
• Go to work and earn money without having to give all of it to the government
• Listen to Christian music on the radio and my iPod
• Wear a Christian t-shirt
• Have 5 Bibles in my room
• Blog about my faith
• Take time off work to go see my dad and friends
• Put gas in my own car
• Sleep in my own bed in my own house
• Sleep in peace without worrying about terrorists
• Go to the airport to pick up my sisters who went on a mission trip
• Watch a Christian movie

Some of these things are such simple things, but thousands of Americans have died for these everyday rights. Today there are empty chairs across our country. Please don't ever forget their sacrifice.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Last weekend

Last weekend, we got to go see dad and look at more houses. We were able to look at one that is not even on the market yet. It has been foreclosed on, and the bank hasn't put it up for sale yet, but one of our realtors found out about it and was able to show it to us. We really like it, and are going to try to be ready to buy it when it hits the market. I think it would be the perfect house for us! I'm praying that everything will work out. Three of our house deals have fallen through, so maybe this house is the one God is having us wait for. I certainly hope so! I'm ready to get this over with, and my dad is pretty much sick of looking at houses! :) Meanwhile, dad went ahead and rented an apartment since he's been living in a hotel since January. He wants me to move up there with him and do his laundry, cook his meals, etc. :) so I'm planning to move in a few weeks and hopefully get a job. It feels strange now that I'm actually moving. I'm still trying not to think about it too much. :)

I also got to spend some time with my best friend, Alicia, and her family while we were up there. We had fun, of course! We had their amazing homemade pizza, a yummy dessert of ice cream and brownie bites, and then we went for a walk. Later we went to Sonic and I had my first java chiller! If you ever go with a couple friends, you should order one caramel hazelnut, one mocha hazelnut, and one caramel mocha. It will confuse the employees!

Here are some pictures:

Alicia and me!

me, Alaina, and Alicia

...and Alaina being...Alaina! Sorry, I haven't figured out how to put the text under the photos yet! :)