Day 31

I am becoming more and more like my mom everyday. I truly am. She listens to the TV in the mornings while she gets ready, and so do I (although he watches the View and I watch Fox and Friends). We both put on our makeup before we blow dry our hair. We both like to have time to drink coffee in the mornings and read (her the newspaper and me my Bible). We have incredible similar facial features. We have similar body types. We both like half/half and splenda in our coffee (although mine is a dairy-free creamer because my lactose intolerance). We are so much alike.

You know, my mom is an amazing woman. She truly is (although we haven't talked much recently because she is keeping busy with work!). And I am so glad that she was the one who raised me, along with my daddy. If I am half of the woman she is when I "grow up," then I will be totally okay with that. She is so funny, smart, and cares so much about everyone. She is an amazing help-meet to my dad, an awesome cook, and she set aside everything she wanted to do to raise us and be our chauffeur.

My dad is such an amazing man. He is truly our spiritual leader of the home. He is so so so smart, he is funny (in an engineering way, which unfortunately I got his humor), he is so caring. He truly is a man that everyone goes to, they depend on my dad, they admire my dad, and I am so proud of him. Whenever I get the opportunity, I talk about my dad, and my mom as well, but I make sure to let people know how wonderful my father is.

My dad is a perfect (well, nearly) example of what I want in a spouse. My dad, even though he works all day, still does the laundry for my mom. Yeah, he may not do his dishes, but he makes sure to get off work and makes every event that we have ever had, almost. He could've been obsessed with his work, gotten promoted so many times, and be in the hot seat, but you know what? It's his family that's his dream, and his job comes second. He takes care of his girls. He prays for us, prays with us, and gives us spiritual guidance and reassurance.

My mom is an amazing example of how to be a mother, a wife, and an active member in church ministry. Now she is an amazing example of how to balance work with home. She is so so talented, but she makes choices to choose her family over her job.

I was raised with fantastic examples of a Christ-centered home. I was a little brat back in the day, yet they dealt with me with patience and with so much love. I am the straying lamb, and Jesus has used my parents to constantly bring me back. The Lord has given my parents such strength in the hard times, and the enemy is constantly being defeated in our home through my parents' example.

I say all this because not only am I very blessed to have the home I did, but I wonder what it's like for those who don't ever hear about Jesus. I feel for them because they don't have a Daddy God who they can turn to, to pray to, to laugh with, to thank... I feel awful that they never got to walk down the aisles at church with their palms on Palm Sunday and hear the amazing story of Jesus. What do they think Easter is all about? Are their lives void? What does Christmas mean to them?

I was put in the home I was for a purpose... I was put there to have a Biblical example of a marriage, and of parenthood for my own life. My parents have raised me to be a minister to God's Word...

I am so blessed to have grown up like I did. I am thankful to God and I need to give my thanks about that area more in my life.

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 30

January is just a very long month. It seems that I have been at school forever already, but I've only been here for 18 days, minus the 3 days in Hot Springs, so 15 days. I feel like my schedule is full, my routine is in place, and my homework is just as daunting as ever.

Psalm 25
^"1 O LORD, I give my life to you.
    ² I trust in you, my God!
   Do not let me be disgraced,
      or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
 ³ No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
      but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
 ⁴ Show me the right path, O LORD;
      point out the road for me to follow.
 ⁵ Lead me by your truth and teach me,
      for you are the God who saves me.
      All day long I put my hope in you.
 ⁶ Remember, O LORD, your compassion and unfailing love,
      which you have shown from long ages past.
 ⁷ Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
      Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
      for you are merciful, O LORD.
 ⁸ The LORD is good and does what is right;
      he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
 ⁹ He leads the humble in doing right,
      teaching them his way.
 ¹⁰ The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
      all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
 ¹¹ For the honor of your name, O LORD,
      forgive my many, many sins.
 ¹² Who are those who fear the LORD?
      He will show them the path they should choose.
 ¹³ They will live in prosperity,
      and their children will inherit the land.
 ¹⁴ The LORD is a friend to those who fear him.
      He teaches them his covenant.
 ¹⁵ My eyes are always on the LORD,
      for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies."

I really trust that God will take care of my life. There are some things that he is orchestrating right now that I want to be impatient about. I want to act on my own accord and take things into my own hands. I want what I want and I want it now... But God doesn't work that way. You either trust him, or you don't. Those who trust him won't be disgraced, those who trust him will get to the RIGHT path at the RIGHT time. Isn't that what is most important? I am purposing to live for what God wants me to do TODAY rather than focus on the desires of my heart. Those will come in time. Those will come when I'm ready, and everyone involved is ready.

See that's what we don't get. When we take matters into our own hands, we will be defeated. Things will not turn out in God's perfect design because they aren't. They are the designs of the enemy--they are a victory for the devil. I mean, "The Lord is good and does what is right." But we must have him "forgive [our] many, many sins." We are all sinners. That means, whatever WE decide to do, is going to be centered around sin. Whatever we take into our own hands is straying off God's perfect path.

I promise you, I have made enough mistakes in my life that I don't want anything less than God's perfect plan, because I know what a disaster my own plans turn out to be. I don't want anyone else to rule my life because I know how wonderful God's love is and the amazing plans that he has laid for me.

Again, IT'S IN THE GOSPEL!! ""For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.""

God knows what's up. I mean, he told Moses exactly how many times Pharaoh would refuse before the Israelites could leave. God is omnipotent! Of course he knows!

As for me, I don't want to stray from this path. I mean, I will, and I do everyday. But I don't want my life to turn 180 again. I don't want to go back to the place I was--living for myself and making my own decisions. I have gotten so much gratification from being patient and from waiting on the Lord. I know that God has a perfect an amazing plan better than anything I could ever imagine. And I'm praying everyday.

That's all we can do right?

I'm going to close with the lyrics from the song by John Waller. This song appears in the movie Fireproof and is just a real testament to what my life is doing right now.

"I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am peaceful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it's not easy no, but faithfully I will wait
Yes, I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
I'll be taking every step in obedience, yeah

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint

And I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You Lord

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting"

God bless,
Lauren

Day 29

Well short post because it's Sunday. You know, this weekend has been amazing. Yeah, I didn't get all the homework done I needed to so far (I've been trying to do all my hw between Friday and Saturday so I have Sunday for the Lord), but that's alright. I had a great time with my roommates, had amazing fellowship with friends, and now I get to go and worship my God!

I feel bad for the Israelites who were denied that by Pharaoh. I mean, seriously dude?! You have had 6 plagues and your heart is still hard?? Your people are miserable because of the hail that destroyed animals, crops, and landscape. They are disgusting because of boils. Their water was turned to blood. Frogs invaded everywhere and then created a horrible stench. Flies and gnats were looming. Seriously, Pharaoh?!

But you know what, this just resembles us. In all honesty. We see how hard Pharaoh's heart is against letting the Israelites be close with God, but aren't all of our hearts hard?

We make excuses, we continue to sin, we continue to deny that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, we continue to deny God, we continue to live in sin everyday. Whenever there was a plague, Pharaoh would tell Moses, "I know that your God is the most powerful, please make this stop and I'll let your people go and worship."

We say: "God I know that you are Lord and Savior. I know that you sent your son, Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Please just let these hard times pass and I promise I'll make you the center of my life. I promise I'll tithe, I promise I'll get involved with church, I promise I won't ever talk bad about my co-workers again... Please just make this stop!"

God is faithful and God is loving, so he does. And what do we do? Forget our covenant. We forget our promises and commitments. Just like Pharaoh.

We can look at Pharaoh and judge him and despise him because of how he treated the Israelites, but Pharaoh is a reflection of ourselves. It's not the Israelites we are enslaving, it's our souls. We won't let our souls go and worship God, we won't make the sacrifices for God, rather, we let our flesh get in the way and harden ourselves.

Just thoughts to ponder on.

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 28

It has been 4 weeks. Almost a month! Wow! I am feeling so great. Last night, whenever I was deciding what time I needed to get up, I really almost considering not getting up before I gave a campus tour at 10 and just reading my Bible afterwards. But, I know how great I feel when I get the Word into my system before I start my day, so I did it! I got up earlier, got ready, and now I'm doing my routine of drinking coffee and studying God's word!

So, Psalm 23--probably one of the most famous psalms in the history of the Bible, but as I read the NLT today, I realized how much more I like the KJV better.

"¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
 ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
 ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
 ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
 ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

I did UIL One Act Play my sophomore year of high school, and we went to state! Our first year! It was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I played about six different characters, and one of the characters said this exact Psalm at the end of the play, during the most climactic and dramatic part. I will never forget that because it's truly the first Bible verse I ever memorized. And it's dear to my heart because whenever I had gone through rough times after that, I would literally just say that psalm over and over because it was the only Bible verse I had memorized verbatim. Yes, I know how to summarize other verses, and knew that there was this one verse that said something like this, but I knew this one. And the Lord's prayer of course :)

So I like the KJV because it think that it gets the point across. There are many verses that are difficult to understand and apply because of the language and the diction, that's why versions such as the NLT and NIV are so great. These translations take the meaning of KJV and translate it to modern-day, understandable text. But this verse, these words, this meaning, comes across better in the language of old.

Everyday, we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death-" life. All around us our world is dying. All around us people's souls are fighting for life, but the light never seems to penetrate the darkness. All the time, the enemy draws nearer and God is trying to fight for us. God is trying to let his rod and staff give us joy and peace. He is trying to anoint our heads with oil and let us drink from his cup of everlasting life. But there is one catch, we have the make him our shepherd that is with us always.

Yesterday's and today's Matthew reading coincide with that point. The Lord is literally a shepherd that tends to his flock. He gives us water to drink, food to eat, care, love, affection, and most of all guidance.

Have you ever seen the movie Babe? It's basically a story about a "sheep pig" who rounds up sheep for a competition and avoids being bacon (among other things, it's a really great movie!). But one of the parts I remember most, it really just popped into my head, was when sheep were being taken by thieves who wanted to have their wool for themselves. They had their own sheepdogs that would take these sheep in the night and attack them, leaving them nearly dead and their wool gone.

The enemy is trying to steal our "wool" per se. He sends his own army in to attack us, to leave our souls nearly dead. But God will go and get that one lost sheep and leave the 99 who weren't attacked, who didn't stray, who didn't let themselves get tempted. God will risk everything to save one. That's why it's so important for us to recognize the enemy's sheep dog versus our master's. Because when we avoid our wool being taken, we can truly be lead "in the paths of righteousness for his name sake."

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 27

Whenever I grow up and have children of my own, I'm reading them Bible stories every night instead of fairytales!
Why?
1. Bible stories are just as adventurous and exciting.
2. Bible stories don't put unrealistic notions of life in your head--it's truth.
3. Bible stories express what all God has done for us!!

Today's readings just really hit a chord. I didn't realize how much Moses did NOT want to do what God had told him to. I didn't realize how scared he was, how he wanted to give the responsibility to his brother, Aaron, and I didn't realize that he had such little faith! I guess I had these ethereal notions about Moses based on the movie--how wrong I was.

I can't wait to find out what happens to Moses!!

Matthew 18:7-9
"“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. ⁸ So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."

Wow. So let's think about this young ladies- If we wear a short skirt that practically shows our coochie, then we are definitely causing our brothers to lust. If we wear a low-cut top that shows our boobies, then we are definitely causing our brother to lust. Brothers- if you go to the beach and don't wear a shirt, you cause us to lust. If you talk to us in a romantic or sexual way, you are causing us to lust and you take away emotional purity on both sides.

Lust. Probably one of the biggest temptations facing young people today. We see it everywhere. It's how the enemy has penetrated the world even further--through the sin and temptation of lust. Like Jesus said, "temptations are inevitable," but what we can do, is guard our hearts from those temptations. We can choose to dress in a modest way. Now that doesn't mean you have to wear long, pioneer woman skirts and bonnets all the time. Or, if you're a man, wearing trousers and suspenders. But just keep what's supposed to be covered up, covered up. It would do any man or woman of God a huge favor, and maybe even have an unbeliever stop and pause at you're choices.


When the world is telling us that it's okay to look skimpy. That slutty is equivalent to sexy. That ripped is equivalent to attractiveness. That's not okay. That's not okay at all. And if that's the world we have come to, then the devil has already won. 


Matthew 18:18 "“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."

I don't want a slutty and boisterous environment in my heaven. And honestly, I get really uncomfortable when looking at girls who imitate Jersey Shore (I know that's a heavily used reference, but it's appalling). I don't judge, but I get sad at girls who think that they have to wear 7 inch stilettos, bump their hair, wear a tiny dress that reveals their booty and boobies. I just want to give them a hug and tell them, "Jesus love you this I know, for the Bible tells you so!" I look at the "teen scene" these days, and I get terrified because it's like looking in hell. Literally. Into the face of the enemy. 


But Matthew 18:19-20 says, " “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ²⁰ For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”"

So there is hope. We believers and followers of Christ have to unite! We have to ask God to save this world! We have to ask God to make our generation see the error, see the enemy within their ways. 

This world embraces immoral sexual sins. They think that it's better to "try them out" before marriage to know if their good in bed or not. Seriously. I have heard that argument from a friend who was trying to get me to give it up to someone. He said, "how are you going to know if you love them and can be pleased by them if you don't try them out first." Wow. And you know, at the time, I didn't know how to respond except, "No, thanks." That was an opportunity missed to share the gospel. That was an opportunity missed to maybe save his soul. 


I was reminded of that this morning when reading Proverbs.
"5 Drink water from your own well—
      share your love only with your wife.
 ¹⁶ Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
      having sex with just anyone?
 ¹⁷ You should reserve it for yourselves.
      Never share it with strangers.
 ¹⁸ Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
      Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
 ¹⁹ She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
      Let her breasts satisfy you always.
      May you always be captivated by her love.
 ²⁰ Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
      or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?
 ²¹ For the LORD sees clearly what a man does,
      examining every path he takes.""

God wants us to have sex! He designed it to be the most amazing and incredible thing! Between a man and woman. And you know, if my future hubby doesn't "satisfy" me the first time, you know what's the best part? Is that WE HAVE OUR WHOLE LIVES TO PRACTICE!!! I don't think people understand that. God gives us the gift us sex and pleasure, but it should only be given in the realm of marriage. I don't know if y'all have ever read studies, but men receive physical pleasure, women receive emotional pleasure. I'm not going to go into detail because we are treading on dangerous waters of lust here, but basically, in the context of marriage, when you love a person so so deeply and it's a love designed through God, you are going to have the best time together no matter what.

But if you are young immoral woman, an amazing Christian man of God will want nothing to do with you. If you dress like a whore, act like a whore, and talk like a whore, then the godly young men will steer clear of you. You attract what you act. So if you act like an immoral and sinful woman, you are going to attract and immoral and sinful man. And how faithful do you think he is going to be? How well do you think he will treat you? How wonderful do you think your love will be after the honeymoon if y'all aren't constantly striving to imitate the love Christ had for us and strive to minister and serve by your relationship?

You will be miserable.

But if you are modest. If you are chaste. If every action you make glorifies God. If you desire to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," then everything else shall be added unto you. You will get a man who desires to do the same and will love you with everything he has.

Please. Let us believers work to ask God to save this world. To cast out the enemy and his demons from these night clubs and reclaim the world.

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 26

Man, God is good! I've gotten into Exodus (as you can see from my previous post about intro to Moses) and definitely some awesome things have come to mind while I have been reading. I'm almost done with the book of Matthew and the more I read of Jesus, the more I know that he was not this smiling, sweet man. No, he was blunt and serious. But he had a love for people I cannot even fathom those people felt.

I have three HUGE big topics that I want to discuss from my readings from Exodus, Matthew, and the Proverbs, but I really don't have time to do that. So I'll just focus on one aspect of today's reading.

Probably the passage from Proverbs was the most shocking though. Jesus said the disciples couldn't cast out demons because they had little faith. This was the passage about the mustard seed in Matthew. Moses had to strip himself of the world before he could get close with God in Exodus. And the Proverbs told young men "Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!" Proverbs 5:8

I certainly don't want to be that young woman that God is telling his sons to stay away from. What warranted that command? Whose doors should these young men go to? And what happens?

Well first, this is in the passage of Proverbs, so it has got to do with wisdom. So 1) The girl was not wise. Not wise in what? Well, first and foremost living for God. She is probably what you would call a "Jezebel" or a "Delilah." She is the temptress of the enemy. This is something young Christian men have GOT to watch out for. Girls who put on a facade of a servant of God. Girls whose hearts aren't completely in a relationship with the Lord.

Ladies: Don't be that girl!! You want to know why? Because you will only attract the men whose hearts aren't completely God's. And how happy can you be without a Christ-centered relationship? Not very. Most likely the man you will get will be selfish, will be arrogant, will be lazy--he won't have any qualities of a man after God's heart.

So we know that the girl had no wisdom concerning her life with the Lord. She probably dressed provocatively so as to lure a man's eyes. If young men must "Don't go near the door of her house," obviously that's her physical place of residence because if you do, you will be tempted and most likely succumb to sexual sin, but also her house as in her body. If God has to specifically say that, then that means a lot of her body is showing for you to even be enticed.

Later, Proverbs 31 describes the women that men should seek. The women whose worth are far above rubies. My friend Sarah told me that "Just reading Proverbs 31 already makes me tired;" which is absolutely true. It's hard work to be a lady of God. It's hard work to not only have a job (tending the field) but to also teach your children, keep your home, and serve your husband. I'll go more in depth when I actually read Proverbs 31, but for now, let's just say that young Christian men should flock to her door and stay away from Jezebel/Delilah.

So what happens to those men who defy God and go for the temptress? Proverbs 5:9-14 goes in depth on the consequences:
"⁹ If you do, you will lose your honor
      and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
 ¹⁰ Strangers will consume your wealth,
      and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
 ¹¹ In the end you will groan in anguish
      when disease consumes your body.
 ¹² You will say, “How I hated discipline!
      If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
 ¹³ Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
      Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
 ¹⁴ I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
      and now I must face public disgrace.”

So let's see-- you will be destitute, you will be mocked, you will be scored, you will be dishonored, you will not only be physically but emotionally scarred. There will be a physical disease that takes over your body, and lamenting and regretting not heeding the warnings.

So men: Recognize the good young women. Pay attention to God's warnings about those who don't walk towards Christ.

Women: Don't tempt your brothers. Don't be the woman that God warns men to stay away from.

The consequences are dire. The cost is more than anyone should bear.

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 25

Well, Joseph and his generation died, and the story of Moses is beginning. I remember watching "The Prince of Egypt" when I was younger. I remember how angry (yes, it was animated) the Egyptians seemed at the Israelites. I remember being sad when the horses drowned in the sea after Moses parted it and the Egyptians ran after them.

I'm not sure how accurate that movie is, but I do know that when you go oppress and try to destroy God's people, beware.

Speaking of God's people, the passage from Matthew today had a couple verses that should define us as the people of God.
Matthew 16:24-27
"²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. ²⁵ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. ²⁶ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds."

Alright, so as I read this, I really needed to decipher, "What is God asking of me?"
1. God isn't asking us to literally get crucified, but today in this world, standing up for God means putting yourself out there. Standing up for God means taking persecution, judgment, hatred, and disdain from those who don't understand and don't know how amazing our God is. 
-Quite frankly, I'll admit it. I'm a coward. I don't proclaim my faith verbally everyday, yeah I may dress appropriately, I may not cuss, I listen to Worship music and turn my iPhone so other see, I wear my cross, I say "God Bless You" in stead of just "Bless You" when someone sneezes.... But is that enough? God doesn't think so. God wants us to not be so selfish in our faith--to shout out his name from the rooftops and proclaim the Good News.

On Monday, whenever I was having a conversation with a professor who I'm pretty sure isn't a believer, I spoke of my faith, of my desire to serve God with my career in the long-run, and it was VERY liberating. But now, the pressure is on. My actions and words are under a microscope in front of him. I hope that I can rise to the challenge! It was funny because this is my Shakespeare class, and every subtle Biblical reference, he would point to me and say, "Lauren, background story for this biblical reference, please."


So just another added incentive to know this Bible backwards and forwards! 


2. We also learn from this passage that the more you cling to your "life"-- and your life could be the secular music that you listen to, the friends who tempt you, the movies that are suggestive. It could be loving to date and being in relationships, it could be anything that makes up your "life." If you try to cling onto that, you will certainly lose it. You will not be satisfied in your life. You will not gain entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. If you don't absolutely surrender your life with God, if you don't take up the Cross that is Jesus, you will be judged according to the Son of Man. Your soul is the most precious thing that you have. Why would you want acceptance in this world, if it meant rejection in Heaven?


I know I don't! I don't want to be apart of this world. Each day that I am in this secular university, listen to my peers conversations on the bus, or just walking down Jayhawk Boulevard, I feel absolutely disconnected. But the more disconnected I feel with this world, the more connected I am with God. 

Closing with lyrics from a Toby Mac song: "I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul."


God Bless,
Lauren
 

Day 24

Good morning! Well it was an early morning again because of basketball. Oh the things that college students do to support their team! Especially at KU.

This morning, whenever I read the Proverbs passage, immediately all of these thoughts came to me.
The passage was from Proverbs 4:20-27
"²⁰ My child, pay attention to what I say.
      Listen carefully to my words.
 ²¹ Don’t lose sight of them.
      Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
 ²² for they bring life to those who find them,
      and healing to their whole body.
 ²³ Guard your heart above all else,
      for it determines the course of your life.
 ²⁴ Avoid all perverse talk;
      stay away from corrupt speech.
 ²⁵ Look straight ahead,
      and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
 ²⁶ Mark out a straight path for your feet;
      stay on the safe path.
 ²⁷ Don’t get sidetracked;
      keep your feet from following evil."

Guard your heart.. Hmm.. Interesting concept. Have you ever heard that phrase "She wears her heart on her sleeve"? People who "wear their heart on their sleeve" are known to fall in love easily, to get easily attached to things. That's not only disappointing in the long-run, but it goes against scripture.

Whenever we encounter men or women, we aren't supposed to share our whole life stories, our deepest concerns and fears-essentially our hearts. We are supposed to guard ourselves, protect ourselves, and keep our hearts safe for that one person. God tells us "don't get sidetracked," yet how many relationships do we have before we meet the right person? Getting sidetracked here is equated with evil. So why do we keep on going with this whole dating game? It's a secular trick that the enemy has used to deceive us. The world is our garden and dating/popular music/popular movies (cultural fads) are the fruit from the tree of knowledge.

Girls are deceived into thinking that their self-worth is derived from their boyfriend, they way that they look, they clothes that they have, the material items that further the consumerist mentality. Boys are deceived into thinking that they won't be accepted with their peers if they haven't slept with girls, lots of them. In college, men and women get drunk on the weekends, dress in an immodest manner, have physical relationships with the opposite sex... Really?? The enemy has penetrated deep and impregnated these ideals into modern society. Material worth derives happiness, the latest trends are equated with success, and many relationships are deemed the norm.

But God says, "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path." The secular world tells us to look around and follow whatever is popular, but God says to stay on the straight and narrow. Put on your blinders and focus on what HE has in store for us in our future. The road to salvation and biblical principals is the only safe one out there, because every other way is corrupted.

Matthew 7:13-14 "“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."

Guarding our hearts is VITAL in our relationship with God. Guarding our hearts, focusing on what the Bible instructs us to do with our lives is the only way to discover the hidden passageway to salvation. But the best part is, God wants us to find it. He gives us maps, he holds out flashing signs, he gives us guides... But you know what, we are too distracted on the way to this pathway by the temptations the enemy throws at us.  


We are supposed to "Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech," but instead we listen to secular music, and follow the instructions the enemy puts in them. We look towards Hollywood for our role models and listen to what they tell us about how we should look, act, and dress. We listen to our peers, MTV, and other ridiculous modern "role-models" for instructions. We succumb to the corrupt speech, the corrupt sight, and the distorted standards that the enemy has distracted us with.

Guarding our hearts is not just meant for relationships or for secular norms, but it's to protect ourselves from the deceit of the enemy that leaves us hurt and destroyed. It leaves us separated from God, ashamed, and it leaves us with a void in our hearts. This void can't be filled with more purses, shoes, the best make-up, name brand clothes, the "rockin'" bod, the hottest boyfriend, the most money... But rather "Don’t lose sight of [God]. Let [him] penetrate deep into your heart, for [he] brings life to those who find [him], and healing to their whole body"

God heals everything. Only God can fill that void that the enemy has left. Only God can give us peace. Only God can bring us happiness. Only God.

Keep your sights narrow, don't look left and right, avoid the fruit from the tree of knowledge, and let's live our faith!

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 23

I have lots and lots of homework. If I were my old self, I would probably be overwhelmed, stressed, tired, and a hermit. Maybe that's how I should be to hold to my standard, but I'm not. Now, I'm not sure if it's because I have just gotten used to school so I don't "care" as much anymore, or because I have such faith in God that I know that I don't need to worry.

Phillipians 4:6 says, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

So that's what I'm doing. If I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed, I say a quick prayer. When I get a reading done, I say a quick prayer. When I'm losing focus while reading, I say a quick prayer.

You know, I love how my life has possibilities. God designed us single people to not have any ties and to truly go where the Lord leads. When I was talking to my friend last night, I told him all of the things I would like to do after I graduate Law School that doesn't really involve too much Law at all. And I realized that God was just opening my heart to accept anything he throws my way. I mean, I would be happy going around the country speaking at college campuses and revival events. I would love that. I would also like going to another country for mission work and potentially teaching English. I would also love to work in publication as an editor for a Christian publication company. I would also love to work in marketing or PR for revival events or Christian based companies. I would also love to just practice law and exert Christian principals into my practice.

God opens so many doors. God truly gives us a passion for things and he gives us so many options in ways we can utilize our passion and gifts.

But in everything:
"May the words of my mouth
      and the meditation of my heart
   be pleasing to you,
      O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
Psalm 19:14

Whatever I do in life, wherever I end up, I know that I will be serving the Lord. He has given me a heart for hospitality, for young adults, a talent for speaking, writing, he has given me a love for Jesus, for young women, for reading, and for life. I know that God has huge plans for me beyond anything I could think of. I know that God is going to use my gifts for service. And I'm absolutely okay with that! In fact, I'm ready to get done with school so that I can being ministry!

Proverbs 4:14-19
^"14 Don’t do as the wicked do,
      and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
 ¹⁵ Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
      Turn away and keep moving.
 ¹⁶ For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
      They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
 ¹⁷ They eat the food of wickedness
      and drink the wine of violence!
 ¹⁸ The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
      which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
 ¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
      They have no idea what they are stumbling over."

I want my ways to reflect my faith. I want people to see the way I act and carry myself and know that I love the omniscient Creator of the universe and that he loves me. I want people to know that my heart longs to serve him.

God calls us everyday to live by faith. In Matthew, the Gentile woman begged Jesus to free her daughter from demons, but she was a Gentile. "“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed."

She rejected her wicked ways, overcame her pride from being a Gentile and humbled herself before God. That's what I'm striving for everyday and that's what we all should strive for. We need to get on our knees before God and just give him the praise and honor he deserves! Even the faith of a mustard seed can move a mountain. I'm hoping that my faith is at least a sunflower seed by now...

Lord give us strength today to exemplify your ways and to live our faith out loud! Let us be known as a generation who seeks to glorify you, God.

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 22

Well, a little bit shorter post today because it's Sunday! Well, I have a guest here staying this weekend because he is in the Airforce and moving to Minot, North Dakota. It turns out Lawrence is exactly half way! So he arrived last night when it was freezing in shorts and flip-flops. Texas kids... Anyways, I'm making breakfast for people this morning before we head off to church.

I really do love hospitality. I love cooking for people, serving, having others over.. I mean I love it all! I definitely feel like God has given me a heart for that to serve in his ministry in those ways.

Wisdom. Pretty much in every single reading, along with the Proverbs, there is some passage asking for wisdom or discernment or guidance from God. Wisdom is probably one of the most important things to ask for. Wisdom dictates how you react to every situation in your life. Wisdom is what gives you the ability to know the will of God. Wisdom gives you discernment when making decisions...

Proverbs 4:11-13
"¹¹ I will teach you wisdom’s ways
      and lead you in straight paths.
 ¹² When you walk, you won’t be held back;
      when you run, you won’t stumble.
 ¹³ Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
      Guard them, for they are the key to life."

So asking for wisdom is the key to our life. The key that unlocks the door to God's will. The key that opens the gate to the narrow path to Heaven. Normally when I pray I generally ask for patience (character flaw), but somehow wisdom slips under the radar.

I guess that since it's not DIRECTLY stated in the fruits of the spirit, we forget to ask for wisdom in our lives. We ask God what to do, we ask God to give us guidance, but we never ask for the wisdom to discern what God is telling us to do. We never ask for the wisdom that will make all aspects of our life glorifying to God.

Galatians 5:22-23
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"

Alright, so those are the character traits that God commands us to have, but we must ask for the WISDOM to strive for these things daily in our lives.

Joseph asked for wisdom when dealing with his brothers, he asked for wisdom in interpreting the dreams, he asked for wisdom in taking action so as to have food during the famine. God just doesn't tell us what to do, we need to ask for the wisdom to have the Holy Spirit give us convictions.

If wisdom wasn't important, there wouldn't be a whole book of the Bible (Proverbs) talking about how to get wisdom.

My challenge this week is I'm going to pray everyday for wisdom in my decision making, my actions, my relations, my schoolwork, and my ministry.

What's your challenge?

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 21

This morning I'm feeling sick. I have a cold I think.. Or something. I had a hard time sleeping last night, I'm stopped up, I have a head ache.. Blah. But you know what? God has given me rest and peace. Instead of worrying about all of the things I have to do today, all of the homework I have- God has stilled my heart and every time I woke up last night, I just said a prayer. Hot tea is definitely going to be going through my body religiously today...

But prayer is a funny thing. When something bad happens, we remember to pray, before we eat we remember to pray (sometimes), and when something good happens, like really good, we tend to pray. But God wants us to pray ALL the time. He wants our hearts fully in his and he wants our dependence. I haven't always been the best with prayer, but I have done some things to remind myself I need to be praying all the time, and what/whom I need to be praying for.

1) I went to Hobby Lobby because I have saved up enough money to finally decorate my apartment a little bit, and I got all Christian decorations. I got plaques with Bible Verses, pictures, crosses--all reminders of my Creator, my Rock, my Everything. No matter where I look in my house now (well there are still a few empty walls) I am reminded of what I'm living for.
2) I don't really like to write on my hand, but I am going to start writing "prayer" on my hand just so it's literally, a constant reminder of what I need to be doing all the time.
3) I am making several lists of who I need to pray for, what I need to pray for, and blessings that I'm thankful for. I'm going to take them on my bathroom mirror so that every time I go in there (which is a lot) I know exactly what should be on my heart when talking to God.

Those are just suggestions that will help me personally to keep my mind and heart focused. Remember how I was telling you guys about a couple distractions that I had? Well thank you for your prayers, because truly, God has made those distractions just prayer concern. My life isn't about my career, about getting married, about anything else but serving God. I'm doing everything in my power to follow his will, and the rest will come. Although I have desires, it's not desperation, it's not discouragement. It's a hopefulness in the awesome things that God has in store for me if I focus on him. The amazing direction my life is going as long as I make my focus about serving him. I honestly have complete faith that God will provide and that he will give me the tools to be a successful minister for his Kingdom.

Yesterday, I was very excited to continue the story of Joseph! Today was so great, but not I'm even more excited to finish! How Joseph could provide a feast for his brother, money for his family, and care so much about them after they just about killed him takes sincere grace from God. He still hasn't revealed to them that he is Joseph, but he has treated them like kings. When he saw Benjamin, his full blood brother, he had to go into his room and weep.

Now one thing that I have come to realize in my lifetime is that there is a big difference between crying and weeping. Crying is a little bit causal, you might be sad, you might be a little bit happy. But when you weep, it's a deep emotional experience. Whenever I feel God's love just pouring into my heart, I absolutely weep. But let's say on a movie when there is something sad, I just cry. Weeping stems from your core, your heart. Crying is a mental stimulation.

But Joseph was weeping. He was stimulated from his core. He felt God's blessings in his life and he felt a heartfelt compassion for his brothers. Wow.
Stay tuned for the Joseph story!

The Psalm from today is probably one of my favorites I have ever read. Definitely going into my Bible verse memory book!
"¹⁶ He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
      he drew me out of deep waters.
 ¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
      from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
 ¹⁸ They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
      but the LORD supported me.
 ¹⁹ He led me to a place of safety;
      he rescued me because he delights in me.
 ²⁰ The LORD rewarded me for doing right;
      he restored me because of my innocence.
 ²¹ For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
      I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
 ²² I have followed all his regulations;
      I have never abandoned his decrees.
 ²³ I am blameless before God;
      I have kept myself from sin.
 ²⁴ The LORD rewarded me for doing right.
      He has seen my innocence.
 ²⁵ To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
      to those with integrity you show integrity.
 ²⁶ To the pure you show yourself pure,
      but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
 ²⁷ You rescue the humble,
      but you humiliate the proud.
 ²⁸ You light a lamp for me.
      The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.
 ²⁹ In your strength I can crush an army;
      with my God I can scale any wall.
 ³⁰ God’s way is perfect.
      All the LORD’s promises prove true.
      He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
 ³¹ For who is God except the LORD?
      Who but our God is a solid rock?
 ³² God arms me with strength,
      and he makes my way perfect.
 ³³ He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
      enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
 ³⁴ He trains my hands for battle;
      he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
 ³⁵ You have given me your shield of victory.
      Your right hand supports me;
      your help has made me great.
 ³⁶ You have made a wide path for my feet
      to keep them from slipping."
Psalm 18:16-36

I did a Bible study last year with some amazing women over the book Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard and it was absolutely amazing. It was all about a young girls struggle to get up a mountain to the high places. It was about all of the trials she faced by those trying to bring her down. It's an allegory, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Let me tell you, I feel like everyday we are alive, we climb up the mountain towards God. All we want is to reach the high places, to know God, to enjoy everlasting life in his Kingdom. But it's hard. It's tough, and sometimes we might falter. But guess what? God gives us our shield, he gives us our strength, he makes our feet to be able to take the rocky terrain, he makes our path wider and clearer, he does everything in his power to give us the tools to fight our way up. Like I was saying yesterday, all we have to do is ask. All we have to do is pray.

Also, if we want this reward, we have to actually USE God's gifts to fight for it. What good is our equipment that he has given us if we don't use it?

Ephesians 6:10-12
"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

Use God's armor! Use his grace everyday in your life! Joseph did. The challenge is going to be that- a challenge. But the prize is beyond our imaginings. The prize is everlasting life with our Lord and Savior.

God bless,
Lauren

Day 20

I love the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob (and Rachel) and grandson of Issac (and Rebekah) and great-grandson of Abraham (and Sarah), in Egypt. It's riveting! I can see it being turned into a movie (I hope that's not blasphemous). I want to read ahead and find out what happens! But it gives me just one more thing to look forward to tomorrow.

So it's about 6:30 in the morning. I've been up since 4:50, and I'm not tired yet. I'm just sitting in Allen Field House (our basketball arena) enjoying the quiet hum of the heater. For basketball, we "camp" for seats in the field house. The morning right after a home game, we go to lottery, where we draw a group number. That group number is how soon we get into the field house and so we can run and grab seats in the student section to save for the rest of our group. During the week leading up to the game, we "camp" inside AFH from 6am-10pm. At any time, there can be a roll-call, and if you're group isn't there, then you get knocked off the list to the bottom. So someone has to be here at all times in case of a roll call.

That really didn't pertain at all to my reading this morning, but just a little background info on why I'm at AFH before the sun is even up.

I also finally figured out how to set the delay on my coffee-maker. It's quite simple really, but I have never taken the time to read the instructions that came with it. I never have taken the time to explore it. Now that I have, I'm able to set the delay so my coffee is ready for me when I come out of my room in the morning. The fresh aroma is able to wake me up and get me set. All I had to do was read the instructions. All I have to do is prepare (the night before) so that I can have my coffee ready for me.

Is that not what the Bible is? It's an instruction manual on how to live our lives. If we take the time to read it, to explore it, we can have our hearts and minds prepared everyday to wake us up, refreshed, and face the world.

Our lives are about preparing, exploring, and doing things for the Lord. And one thing I have learned is the power of prayer. I have been reading Preparing to Be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl from No Greater Joy Ministries. I read Created To Be His Help Meet by Michael and Debi Pearl which was fantastic. I am not only preparing my heart for the plans God has for me not only within marriage, but in ministry, but I'm preparing my mind. If I know what to expect when married, if I know what I want in a spouse and how to honor him based on his gifts, then I'm doing God's will. If I'm praying everyday for my future spouse, my husband, and myself for wisdom and discernment in all that I do, then I'm doing God's will. God wants us to pray about everything because he desires nothing more than to help us. He wants us to succeed, he wants us to live in his word, he wants to bless us, but for some reason, we absolutely refuse.

It's like when children don't want to eat there vegetables at dinner. Parents will usually try to bribe them with dessert, but there are still kids who refuse to eat them! They would rather sit at the table, have punishments, and not get a reward because they don't want to do something that someone else is imposing on them. Even if it tastes bad for a second, you have that wonderful dessert to look forward to.

Is that not our relationship with God? It's like he's jumping up and down, waving his arms saying, "Follow me! Please! Come to me! I can give you comfort! I can give you joy! I can bless you!" But most of us live our own lives. We refuse the sweet delight of Heaven and eternal life because we have to endure a moment of sour grapes.

Joseph endured. He endured YEARS in prison. He was faithful to God. He prayed. He relied on God. He gave God all the glory. And you know what? Because Joseph endured for God, he was blessed.

My favorite, absolute favorite scripture from today was this:
"¹ I love you, LORD;
      you are my strength.
 ² The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
      my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
   He is my shield, the power that saves me,
      and my place of safety.
 ³ I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
      and he saved me from my enemies."
Psalm 18:1-3

Is that not beautiful? God wants us to turn to him for everything. All we have to do is ASK? Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Amen! Just ask for everything in your life. Pray for those things, because God wants to give us our dessert. We just have to eat our vegetables.

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 19

You know how whenever you have one plan, and God intervenes? Yeah, that was fellowship last night. Our Student Minister had the Word prepared and the Holy Spirit intervened and we just had a great night of prayer.

Yesterday was my second day of school, and I think the M, W, F days are going to be a lot easier. One of the classes I'm taking is "Introduction to Computers: Web Programming." Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I am NOT technology savvy (this blog is about advanced as I can go). But one thing I realized in class yesterday was that you have write a code for a website, and it's complicated. Every detail has to be perfect. There are major differences between what you see and what you don't see. There are very precise languages of computers that if you get one thing wrong, the entire project won't work out.

Well, that is how we are in our lives. God writes us a perfect code. But, by our modification, we become imperfect. We decide to "bold" a title instead of "italicize" it like God had originally planned. Whenever we decide to take matters into our hands, the website isn't near as perfect as it originally was. It's tainted, it's broken, and it needs to be rewritten and refreshed.

Let me tell you, I have tried to rewrite my codes for a long time. I have thought that my way was better than God's way. But like I said, I know NOTHING about technology, but God does. So why am I trying to intervene when he is the ultimate PhD? I'm not really sure. But I'm glad I have figured that out because I would rather not complicate my life by trying to "fix" things God had initially put in my code.

This really does go along with my reading for today. I just really need to include the parable Jesus taught because it is so good!

Matthew 13:3-8
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"
Matthew 13:18-23
 ¹⁸ “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²² The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Most of our whole lives, we will be the seeds in shallow and rocky. We will live most of our lives really excited about God on Sundays and Wednesdays, but, when things get rough, when the sun beats down on our lives and things get too hot, we die. We need to be taken care of and replanted.

I really am tired of withering away after every rough patch I go through. You know that saying, "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen"? Well, I'm gonna be a plant that is firmly rooted in God's Word and ways, so I'm gonna take that heat, and there ain't nothin' the enemy can do about it! 

I'm going to close with part of the Psalm for today:
" ³ You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
      You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
      I am determined not to sin in what I say.
 ⁴ I have followed your commands,
      which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
 ⁵ My steps have stayed on your path;
      I have not wavered from following you. "
Psalm 17:3-5

Let's stay on the path, let's be firmly rooted, let's live our faith today!

God bless,
Lauren 

Day 18

I love the Bible! I mean it's truly a story book that amazes me everyday. I just have these images of at bedtime, my husband reading the Word to our children and I before we go to sleep and praying with our children. I mean, even though the stories in the Old Testament are a little bit disturbing, I am so excited to read tomorrow what happens to Joseph, what happens to Judah, and continuing on with Genesis.

I know some Christians who only read the King James Version and don't believe in any other translations, but when you compare all of the translations, they all say the same thing! I'm using the New Living Translation because I find that it is easiest to understand and apply to my life.

Well the first day of school was yesterday, and because back at a secular University is more difficult than I thought. Professors cuss, if I say anything about God, people judge me and give me strange looks, some things of what we talk about are contrary to Biblical teachings... For example, my first professor spent half of our first class talking about his previous drug use when he was at Harvard and how that stemmed some of the most creative poetry writing in his life. I just said a prayer for him in my head. What do we do in these situations?

We had an online discussion post already due, and part of it was a "getting to know you" post, so I made sure to mention my love for God, the ministry, and said one of my favorite books was the Bible. I'm not trying to be show-offy or anything like that. I'm just hoping that I can somehow proclaim the Good News and show others my faith by my actions.

At Sarah's church, pretty much everyone lives on the property of the church grounds because it's a huge ranch and also a summer camp. You are a walk away from the church and chapel and everywhere! The people you surround yourself with are all such godly people because they are all in ministry at the church. I know it kind of sounds like a cult, but it's seriously just a community of believers. Oh if I could only do that right now!

But God would not place us in a secular environment with temptations and struggles without a purpose. I know that I'm supposed to minister and witness to as many people as I can because that's what Jesus said to do! I want God to laugh and Satan's face, just as he did with Job, and be proud of me. Be proud that I resisted the ways of this world. It's interesting, because being back at school, I almost feel like an outcast of sorts. I don't feel like I belong in this world. Whenever I was talking about that with my best friend, she said, "If you are living your faith right, that's how it's supposed to be."

I just have this passion for trying to revive and change our generation. I truly feel like this is a calling from God and I'm going to honor that in any way that I can.

The passage from Matthew today, oddly enough (God is awesome :) are about the generations..
Matthew 12:33-37
³³ “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. ³⁴ You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. ³⁵ A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. ³⁶ And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. ³⁷ The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Wow, that's powerful stuff. Think about all of the words we say to our friends, to our colleagues, our family, the pictures we post, the actions we do... Does our generation even know that? No. They live for today. They live for the next great party, the next top that will reveal more cleavage, the next Jersey Shore episode. They don't care about the consequences. They don't care that in order to be a light, the must have a lighted heart. 

So this is what Jesus said about that:
Mathew 12:43-45
⁴³ “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. ⁴⁵ Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

So basically, the evil you are doing now will make your life 10x worse in the future. If you are serving the enemy now, he will remember that and make your life harder in the future. But, if you discard all of the evil actions and possession of the enemy over your life, Jesus will give you strength to combat the enemy. Jesus will lighten your life and cast out the demons. But, it's your job to prepare your heart so that when the enemy attacks worse than ever,  you are ready to stand up for Jesus. Because remember, the words you say now will be with you on judgment day.


I don't know what's up with these fire and brimstone thoughts, but the Holy Spirit is making my fingers a frenzy, and if he lays it on my heart, I won't dare ignore God.


Who's excited for church tonight??


God bless,
Lauren

Day 17

Yesterday's post was pitiful. I was so tired, but I did read! So Amen for that.

Today's reading reminds me of why I never got through Genesis. It was listing the descendents and nations of Jacob and Esau. Those names are hard to pronounce, they all blend together, and you can't remember who is who! But it got me thinking, "Why does the Bible put all of this in? What relevance does it have?"

Then an idea popped into my head (thank you Holy Spirit)... It's important to know our lineage, our histories, where we come from, what struggles our ancestors had-to not only appreciate where we are now and how far we have come, but to see God's blessing and Providence in all of it. God was with them ALL the time. He had big plans for them and for their descendents. I mean, they had a HUGE task of populating the Earth.. That's pretty hefty for a couple of brothers!

I mean, Jacob lost his beloved Rachel fulfilling God's plan. But it's important to know where her blood was transferred to. I think it's funny that her sons are the only names I could pronounce. Joseph and Benjamin. Ha! I really did laugh out loud this morning...

From the passage of Matthew, the pharisees keep trying to find ways to kill Jesus themselves. They tell him it's against the law to work on the Sabbath and Jesus just shoved scripture in their faces. One of my favorite verses from today is "And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:11-12. I can just imagine the looks on the pharisees faces. They were for sure put in their place. 


What if we acted like that today? What if we knew scripture so well that when a servant to the enemy tried to discredit Jesus, when they tried to question our motives or deeds, when they try to use "reason" to stop us from making disciples, we can combat with not only scriptures, but with history lessons as well. 


I think this passage was really trying to tell me this morning that it's not enough to just KNOW the word, and to read it, we must meditate, we must know our own histories, know the historical facts of the world supporting the Bible. We must know facts on false teachings (great book by the way!). We must be ready at all times for this war with the enemy. 


I have been really nervous about coming back to school because I know how hard I'm going to have to work this semester. I know that it's going to be a struggle when my heart is so set on serving God, that I have to live in a secular world where most people try to bring you down. But God doesn't abandon us, in fact, he makes our longings for him stronger so we never want to regress to our old ways without him!


"He gives power to the weak
      and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
      and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.
      They will soar high on wings like eagles.
   They will run and not grow weary.
      They will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:29-31

Today, as we live our lives in a secular world, let us work even harder to make disciples. Let us show everyone our faith by our actions and words. Let us live our faith! It's time to decide which side of the line you are one. Are you with God? Or against God and a servant to the enemy? You can't be with God halfway, only when it's convenient. Being with God requires complete surrender, but you'll have a peace that you have never known and a joy that you have never felt. If you choose to not live in God's word, then you are a slave to the enemy and that's where you'll stay for eternity. 
Matthew 10:33 "But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."

I know that's rough to hear, but it's true.

On that note, decide! Live your faith! Enjoy a life you have never known!

Amen?

Amen.

God Bless,
Lauren

Day 16

Happy MLK day! What a testament of a man of God!

Well I'm not going to say much because it is so late, school is tomorrow, and I have had a non-stop going day. I drove back home, got my oil changed, got my tires rotated, then went to the basketball game. And what a game it was!

But, today really reminded me of how necessary it is to consume yourself in the word. I found that today, if a song came on while I was driving that wasn't focused on our Creator, my mind would wander from Him to other things and temptations in my life. Tonight at the basketball game, there was so much profanity, which I haven't heard in so long, and I noticed my thoughts were becoming negative, I was feeling negative, and I was thinking those curse words.

It is so vital that we have our best army surrounding us when we battle the enemy everyday!

My memory verse from the passage today is: Matthew 11:28-30 "²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Speaking of weary, I think that I am going to meditate on the scripture for the day then hit the hay. Tomorrow's post will have my closing thoughts from the conference :) 


God Bless,
Lauren

Day 15

Well I’m writing this at 9:30 in the morning, but I don’t know when I will actually get to post it because of the lack of Internet at Sarah’s house. I have loved not having the internet surprisingly! It’s such a nice get-away and you actually have to talk to each other. Imagine that! Sarah and I have just been talking non-stop! Now that I come to think about it, that’s how God is. We are so busy with distractions like the internet, TV, texting, gossip, and just daily life, that we never really stop to have a get-away and conversation with God. Man oh man, I’m so glad that I have these times in the mornings to myself to just spend with God. It really gets my day going right and I just feel unnecessarily stressed whenever I don’t have that time with God.

I think we don’t have our priorities right. We always focus on what’s next, what we need, what our next destination is. But, just spending time with God and letting go of your worries should be the #1 priority.

It is really amazing being up here. Their church is on hundreds of acres in a ranch. It’s also a summer camp and college is well. There are so many staff members that live on the ranch, and Sarah and her hubby are one of them. I don’t know what it is about the water here, but it causes people to get married. Young godly women get married to young godly men and have the best time together and live very happily in their love for the Lord. Last night, we all went out to dinner for Sarah’s sister-in-law’s birthday, and then we hung out with some other young couples… All married. I was always the odd one out. And you know, I’m not going to lie, I really was aching for that companionship and being one with a person and having a relationship that is pleasing for God. So I was a little bit discouraged last night, but I wasn’t lonely because I just felt like the Lord was with me. Last night, whenever I was lying down in bed, I was literally praying for a husband. I wanted the Lord to bring him into my life by the end of this year. I was like, “God, I know that you can do this.” Well, you know what? I just heard this voice tell me, “Lauren, I am going to use you like you don’t even know. Just wait for me. Find comfort in me. I am going to use you.”

And then I just felt this peace of mind and spirit in my heart, and I was reminded of all of the things that I plan on doing. I’m going to South Africa this summer; I would love to go to Costa Rica over Christmas. I would love to go to London over Spring Break, I would love to go on a mission trip to Africa next summer, I would love to go to Israel, I would love to speak at college campuses to young women, I would love to write a book… Now I don’t know if the Lord wants me to do 99% of that, but I am going to ask him every step of the way and have him guide me. I’m young! I feel a lot older, but it God is calling me into ministry as a single-lady, then that’s what I’ll do.

From the reading today, Matthew 11:6 “God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.”

And Pslam 13:5-6 “But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me.”

Amen? Absolutely! If we turn to the Lord, if we confide in him and ask him for guidance, he will bless us beyond comprehension! I know that sometimes when we get so desperate for what we want, we think that God is talking to us, but it’s actually our own will.

Even though I would love to be married and meet my prince charming that God has for my life, it’s not MY will I’m living for, it’s THY will.

Have an amazing and blessed Sunday. Make God the center of your life and he will bless you! Praise him, rejoice in him, and spend time with you and you will know a happiness and love that knows no bounds.

God Bless,

Lauren

Day 14

Sorry it's late, but at my friend's house there is no internet connection. Nice get-away!

I would definitely have to say that Arkansas is probably one of THE prettiest states. I can see why it’s called the “Natural State.” To get to my friend’s house, I literally was going over the rivers, through the woods, over the mountains, under the mountains, around the mountains…. Let me tell you, I was praying pretty much the whole 30 miles on this backwoods road. I was honestly feeling very car sick, but about 20 miles into it, I just felt a surge of relief. I know it was God! Hallelujah!

Somehow, even with a GPS, I managed to get lost not once, but twice. I’m going to give the excuse, “I was just taking the scenic route.” Well, every route you take in Arkansas is scenic. I mean, I followed the directions on my GPS, but that does you no good when you haven’t updated it in almost a year. Actually, over a year. Woops. But that’s so much like our faith. If we don’t constantly consume ourselves in it, if we don’t let God dictate our lives, and if we don’t keep our spirits up-to-date everyday with the Word, we are going to get lost! When I was misguided, I saw some amazing houses, I saw some beautiful trees, I saw gorgeous mountains, I saw wonderful rock formations (okay, I took geology ;), but it strayed me from the path I needed to go. It took me longer to get to my destination. Who knows what other beautiful parts of God’s country I would have seen if I would have stayed on the right road.

This weekend there has been a ministry conference at Sarah’s church. Let me just say, when the Holy Spirit is involved, you can’t even fathom how much power is present. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. Yes, the speakers were mainly speaking for those in ministry on how to deal with a congregation, but it was SO applicable in just how to minister to those in the secular world! There were three different sessions—the first given by the senior pastor of this church, the second was praise and worship, and the third was given by a pastor named Jerry.

Pastor Tim (the senior pastor) talked about the concept of endurance within ministry. How true this is for just everyday life! I won’t go into detail, but basically, the greater the accomplishment, the more endurance the path requires. Amen! And Pastor Jerry came up, and told us how he had a sermon prepared, but the Holy Spirit was working within him and he felt that he needed to just let the Holy Spirit speak through him. He prophesized about people who he knew nothing about. What he said though wasn’t strictly for those he called out by name, but it was applicable to everyone in that place. I just felt the presence of God and I just knew that God was saying those prophesies to me. Pastor Jerry would turn, what I felt like was to me, and just was looking into my soul… And I knew that it was God. I just kept hearing the phrase “I love you, Lauren” over and over in my heart. My heart felt like it was going to explode and the tears flowed from my eyes.

When you accept God into your heart, you just feel his presence constantly, and you just know that everything you’re doing, all of the hardships and sacrifices are for HIS glory and HIS Kingdom.

2 Timothy 2:10-13

“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.”

Amen? I think so!

And God again just shows me his power when today’s reading was all about endurance! Jacob endured mistreatment from Laban in order to obtain wealth and his wives and children finally. He had to endure deceit and time for the glory of God. But God was faithful and blessed him!

In Matthew, the disciples are encouraged to endure the most painful and hard things in order to proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God!

Matthew 10:22 “But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.”

Let’s endure. Let’s persevere. Let’s proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God! In this day in age, in this country, what do we sacrifice for Jesus Christ? There are Christians in other countries still getting fed to lions; there are martyrs who are shot dead because of their faith. But you know what, they proclaim it and they die a worthy death graciously. We hide our faith in this country where we have the freedom to practice without consequence. And why? Let’s endure what people might say or think about us because who cares what those in service of the enemy have to say! What is it that God thinks of us?

God Bless,

Lauren

 

Day 13

Well, as you guys know, I got back to school in Kansas yesterday, and this morning I'm headed to Arkansas! God is good that he has blessed me with the energy and financial stability to make this trip! A new brother and Christ and I have had amazing Facebook conversations and we are both in agreement that having a good circle of godly friends is one of the most important things that you can do in your faith walk! So I'm excited for the fellowship, and I'm excited for the ministry conference that will be at her church this weekend. God is just doing AMAZING things!!

This is going to be a shorter post because I need to get on the road soon, but today's big story was about Jacob and his love for Rachel. Hello! Ladies! This is how we should encounter relationships with young men!! Let's overlook the fact that they were 1st cousins, okay? Jacob LOVED Rachel. He saw the fire in her eyes and knew that she was going to be his wife from the first moment he saw her. He pursued her! And guess what is even more amazing... She waited for him for 7 years. She had to endure the fact that Leah was also connected to him... She had to remain in servitude to her father for 14 years just so her and Jacob could be together...

Doesn't this exemplify how relationships should be? Rachel didn't give Jacob her phone number, dress provocatively, pursue Jacob, have pre-marital sex with him... NO! She waited for him. She let him work for her and win her hand. She kept herself modest, chaste, and WORTHY. She waited for what God had planned for her, even though it took awhile.

There are so many verses in the Bible that talk about how a man leaves his family and takes on his wife, that marriage is when two become one.. So what is this dating game that we play? I don't know about you, but I'm taking the examples of Biblical relationships to base my relations with the opposite sex on because I know God's way is fool proof.

I will be the first to tell you that I have made mistakes in my lifetime, I have sinned, and I haven't done it God's way. But I have learned that there is nothing you can do that will succeed unless God is the center of it. I understand that for anything to work, it must be in the Word and driven by the Lord. That is especially true for relationships!

Ladies- Wait for you man! Don't give up the goods! Not even emotionally. How awful is it that you might have to tell your future spouse one day, the one that God has had planned for you that there is someone else, or multiple people, that know you in the most intimate ways. Whether that be emotionally or physically as well, you are not allowing yourself 100% of the happiness that God has in store by taking matters into your own hands. Trust me, if you encounter a young man who you think is cute, and funny, and a man of God, pray about it! Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Like I have said earlier, the Bible is an instruction book, and God clearly gives not only examples of the happiness one can feel when you follow God's plan, but it also gives the instructions! Plain as a sunny day in Galveston.

Gentlemen- All I can really say is that women of God are waiting for their knight and shining armor. Women of God are praying for you just as fervently as you are for them. If you meet a godly young women and think "she could be my wife and mother to my children," then pray about it! Ask God to lead you every step of the way. Don't pursue her unless you're ready to be a husband and provider. Talk to mentors and friends and just get to know one another in groups. Have high standards for yourself!

When Abraham's servant was sent to look for Isaac's Rebekah, the standards were high. When Jacob went to look for his Rachel, the standards were high. Have high standards! Write down what you need in a spouse, but also what you want. Pray to God. Pray for your future spouse everyday. Don't settle for less. God loves you SO much. He would never give you anything less than what you deserve, so why should you become complacent and desperate? Trust in the Lord.

Those who needing healing through Jesus had the faith to just touch his robe and knew they would be healed. We need to have that faith that God knows what is best for us and the best timing, and it will work out!

Alright, that wasn't that short...

Praise God!

God Bless,
Lauren