Hello, old friend :)

Over Christmas Break and the next year, I plan to use this blog as a place of praise, worship, and encouragement in Jesus. I am praying to be diligent in digging deeper into myself as I walk with the Lord and share what He places on my heart.

As we run down the home stretch of Finals Week, I will be praying over everyone's focus and motivation to finish strong. Be encouraged by the truth that we can glorify our King by not giving up and trusting in his strength and power to continue through this week of numerous trials.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love."
2 Peter 1:5-7

"May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ."
2 Thessalonians 3:5

With God, we can cross the finish line with a refreshed spirit and a smile on our faces.

lauren.ashleigh

2010 Weekend of Champions - For Hannah Sobeski

2010 Weekend of Champions - For Hannah Sobeski from Lauren Dean on Vimeo.

And So I Choose...

"I CHOOSE LOVE...
No occassion justifies hatred;
No injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances.
I refuse the temptation to be cynical...
The tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see
People as anything less than human beings,
Created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as
Anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll
Invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the
Wait is too long. I will thank God for a moment
To pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new
assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...
I will be king to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to
The unkind, for such is how God treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...
I will go without a dollar
Before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked
Before I will boast. I will confess before I will
Accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITFULNESS...
Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates
Will not question my word. My wife will not
Question my love. And my children will never fear
That their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...
I am a spritual being...
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I will choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow
And rest."

Max Lucado - When God Whispers Your Name

God works in amazing ways.

God have placed a verse in the hearts of a few of us today. The daily verse widget on my phone, Billy's tweet, and Jessi and Holly's daily devotional. All the same verse: John 16:33. God is clearly telling us to not worry. Do not fear for He is with us always. The Holy Spirit is making Himself known in our lives. Jesus have already overcome the world. Do not fear! I am so thankful for the magnitude of God's authority. He placed this verse in our lives and it would be a shame to not pay attention.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

I Shall Not Want

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:11-13

What blessings I have :)

God has blessed me in pretty much every aspect of my life lately. My father is employed after about a year and a half of unemployment, I moved in with two wonderful ladies, I am working my two jobs and am saving so much money, and so many more. What more can I ask for?!

Jesus is so gracious to me.

Stand Firm in the Faith That is Christ Jesus

How Great Is Our God?

When you least expect your prayers to be answered, the Lord does some pretty wonderful things. I go through my day just like I would any other. I get up. I read. I praise. I go to class. I coach. I come home. But, on this particular night, the Lord decided that it was time to bless my father with a job. Rachel (lil' sis) sent me a text message that said, "Our father has a job. God is great!" Practice was coming to an end and I was only checking the time, but this message caused me to jump up and down like a crazy person and say "Oh! My God. Oh! My God. Oh! My God!" My dad has a way out. He has the opportunity to get back what was taken away from him. I love the Lord. He is always there when we need him. It may have seemed to take a while, but God has a plan. He knows what's up.

So, I would like to shout praises to the Lord.

"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."

1 Chronicles 29:13

My Spiritual Gifts - Thanks God :)

Your dominant gifts are Exhortation, Showing Mercy, Administration

The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your number one dominant gift is EXHORTATION! The Greek word "parakaleo" means to admonish, to encourage, to beseech. You are a "how to" person. You have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by motivating others to action by urging them to pursue a course of conduct. In a teaching position, you are able to explain how to apply God's Word. Your goal is to present material that enables the Holy Spirit to promote change in the student's life. You reach out and help Christians become more mature.

As an exhorter you are a very practical person, a good counselor, tolerant of others, serious-minded, orderly, and usually impulsive. You are expressive in a group setting; the group listens when you speak. You are comfortable working one-on-one or in groups. You are enthusiastic and talkative and enjoy encouraging others.

You are burdened to show how Scripture relates to conduct and have a desire to unify people by using practical rather than doctrinal issues. You likely place great importance on God's will and believe that His Word has the answer for every problem. You tend to make decisions logically rather than on feelings and are very orderly.

Be careful not to interrupt other people; your enthusiasm sometimes makes you guilty of this. Others may think you don't use enough Scripture in teaching because you tend to use Scripture to support what you are teaching rather than starting with Scripture.

Unlike teachers, you have the willingness to teach the same material again and again, updating and perfecting it as you do. As a counselor you usually have the ability to leave other people's problems "in the office" rather than letting them drag you down.

Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He may cause pride in your motivational abilities. He may influence you to lose sight of people because of program emphasis. Don't become discouraged when results are not evident. Be careful not to encourage others to do the wrong things through your persuasive abilities.

HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR DOMINANT GIFT? You may use your special gift in many areas. You may want to be a leadership trainer. You could certainly serve as a counselor in church or in a counseling center. You could teach in church training or seminars or even small groups. You would make a good telephone ministry worker and would be a tremendous volunteer to follow up with new converts. You would work well as an encourager with those who are discouraged and as a counselor in a drug or alcohol program, rescue mission, poverty program, half-way house or runaway ministry or in a shelter for abused women and children. You could also use your gift in organizing or serving in a Men's or Women's Ministry.

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The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your second dominant gift is MERCY SHOWING! The Greek word "ellco" means to feel sympathy with or for others. As a mercy-shower you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by identifying with and comforting those who are in distress. You understand and comfort your fellow Christian. You enter into the grief or happiness of others and have the ability to show empathy which is to feel WITH others, not just for others.

As a mercy-shower you are willing to deal with and minister to people who have needs that most people feel very uncomfortable working with. You seem to say the right thing at the right time. Your personality is likely one of soft-spoken love. It hurts you to scold someone; you are very non-condemning. People love you because of all the love you give them. You find it easy to express yourself and are outgoing with a low-key, inoffensive personality. You are easy to talk to, responsive to people, a good listener, peaceable, and agreeable. You tend to make decisions based on feelings more than fact and like to think about things for a while before making a decision.

In your burden to comfort others, your heart goes out to the poor, the aged, the ill, the underprivileged, and so on. You tend to attract people who are hurting or rejoicing because you identify with them. Be careful not to let others use you. Try not to resent others who are not as understanding as you. Refrain from becoming a gossiper when you are around other mercy-showers. Do not let your circumstances control you. Because of your supernatural ability to show mercy, others accuse you of taking up for people, being a softy and a compromiser. They may think you are too emotional.

Mercy-showers make excellent counselors. However, left untrained, you may destroy yourself by your tendency to take people's problems home with you. Your empathy can become detrimental without personal training on how to deal with it.

Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He can cause pride because of your ability to relate to others. He may influence you to disregard rules and authority. You may experience a lack of discipline because of strong feeling for those who hurt due to disobedience and sin. Don't fall into Satan's trap of complaining and griping.

HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR GIFT? Your gift is used best in times of sorrow and in times of great joy. It fits well with another gift of service such as deacon, youth worker or hospital visitation. With a counseling course, you could become a good counselor. You may serve as a hospital, nursing home, or shut-in worker; a funeral coordinator and provider of sympathy and support; or a poverty center worker. You would do well as an usher or greeter and welcome center worker or hospitality person. You may want to work in a telephone ministry. You would make people feel welcome on a newcomer visitation team. Other appropriate ministry areas include missions, committee member, furlough assistance, and correspondence helper. You would work well with the elderly and with people who have mental and physical disabilities, in nursing, and with special ministries to migrants, released offenders or abused children and women.

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The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your second dominant gift is ADMINISTRATION! The Greek word "kubernesis" means one who steers a ship. This expert had the responsibility to bring a ship into the harbor through the rocks and shoals, under all types of pressures. As an administrator you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by organizing, administering, promoting, and leading the various affairs of the church. The administrator is not a glorified file clerk.

As an administrator you are a take-charge person who jumps in and starts giving orders when no one is in charge. You will put a plan on paper and start delegating responsibility. You may lean toward organizing things, events or programs, OR toward organizing people, emphasizing personal relationships and leadership responsibilities. In the first case, you usually organize details and have people carry them out. In the second case, you tend to organize people and rely on others to take care of the little things.

You don't often admit to mistakes and do not like to take time to explain why you are doing things; you just expect the job to get done. If things in the church, office, club, etc. become fragmented, you can harmonize the whole program if given a chance. You are a person with a dream and are not afraid to attempt the impossible. You are goal-oriented, well-disciplined, and work best under heavy pressure. You are often a good motivator and not a procrastinator. You are serious minded, highly motivated, intense, and have an accurate self-image. You tend to be more interested in the welfare of the group than your own desire. You are probably a perfectionist and want things done your way now.

Although to others you appear to be organized, you usually aren't. Be careful that you do not make decisions just based on logic rather than Scripture. Work on your willingness to admit to making a mistake and on being more sensitive to "little" people. Try to be a little more tolerant of other people's mistakes.

Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He can cause pride because of your leadership role, selfishness because of success (not sharing glory with those under you), blame-shifting when things go wrong, discouragement and frustration when goals are not met, anger and mistreatment of those who disagree with your plans, lack of concern for people, lack of spiritual growth, and wrong motives.

HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR DOMINANT GIFT? You may work well as the leader of a project, ministry, or program; chairman of a committee or board; a church planner; or chairman of building or fund-raising projects. Other positions where you may serve well include pastor, assistant pastor, business manager, office manager or department head for large staff, Sunday school superintendent, fellowship group or missionary circle leader, library manager, camp director, church moderator, bus ministry director, nursery coordinator or Vacation Bible School director.

Find out your spiritual gifts here.

A Masterpiece

A masterpiece.

Designed by the best.

Intricately created

to be different from the rest.

Not better nor worse.

No, there is no comparing.

When the plan was drawn,

It made His heart want to sing.

This Designer has an eye for detail.

Every mark has it's purpose.

You may only see the beautiful covering,

but He sees past the surface.

He knows its soul.

He knows its heart.

He knows its mind.

He knows every part.

I am a masterpiece.

Designed by the Lord.

I am intricately created

to glorify Him, forevermore.

Awesome.. Just Awesome.

How to write a paper in college:

1. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a well lit place in front of your computer.

2. Log onto Facebook. Check your email.

3. Read over the assignment carefully, to make certain you understand it.

4. Walk down to the vending machines and buy some chocolate to help you concentrate.

5. Check your Facebook/email.

6. Call up a friend and ask if he/she wants to go to grab a coffee. Just to get settled down and ready to work.

7. When you get back to your room, sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well lit place.

8. Read over the assignment again to make absolutely certain you understand it.

9. Check your Facebook/email.

10. You know, you haven't written to that kid you met at camp since fourth grade. You'd better write that letter now and get it out of the way so you can concentrate.

11. Look at your teeth in the bathroom mirror.

12. Grab some mp3z off of iTunes.

13. Check your Facebook/email. ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR YET?!

14. MSN chat/Skype with one of your friends about the future. (ie summer plans).

15. Check your Facebook/email.

16. Listen to your new mp3z and download some more.

17. Phone your friend on the other floor and ask if she's started writing yet. Exchange derogatory emarks about your prof, the course, the college, the world at large.

18. Walk to the store and buy a pack of gum. You've probably run out.

19. While you've got the gum you may as well buy a magazine and read it.

20. Check your Facebook/email.

21. Check the newspaper listings to make sure you aren't missing something truly worthwhile on TV.

22. Play some solitare (or Farmville).

23. Check out bored.com. (or stumbleupon.com, mlia, tfln, etc.)

24. Wash your hands.

25. Call up a friend to see how much they have done, probably haven't started either.

26. Look through your housemate's book of pictures from home. Ask who everyone is.

27. Sit down and do some serious thinking about your plans for the future.

28. Check to see if bored.com has been updated yet.

29. Check your Facebook/email and listen to your new mp3z.

30. You should be rebooting by now, assuming that windows is crashing on schedule.

31. Read over the assignment one more time, just for heck of it.

32. Scoot your chair across the room to the window and watch the sunrise.

33. Lie face down on the floor and moan.

34. Punch the wall and break something.

35. Check your Facebook/email.

36. Mumble obscenities.

37. 5am - start hacking on the paper without stopping. 6am -paper is finished.

38. Complain to everyone that you didn't get any sleep because you had to write that stupid paper.

39. Go to class, hand in paper, and leave right away so you can take a nap.

We Are... Uniquely Perfect!

It's funny to fantasize about something, like a small group, and when it actually happens, it turns out to be wayyy more amazing than you could ever imagine. That happened tonight. God is a pretty incredible organizer. When all the ladies arrived at the house tonight, we all had thought about the same thing: 'How did we all end up in this group together? It is way too ideal to be really happening.' Well, that's a testament to the Lord, people.

Can you believe that I have the opportunity to grow in a group of 9 other uniquely perfect and wonderfully crafted young women? I can't!! God just rocks my world. He was definitely at the Ashby House tonight [along with Dane Cook ;)]. I can't believe the potential that was in that room. I swear it was about to burst out the door.

I pray that we will continue to laugh, cry, and praise with each other over the next 12 weeks [and more]. I just can't tell you how excited I am [I could just keep going on and on about it]!

It's rare that a girl can find friends who just can't be described by words, but I think I may be onto something!

"The LORD your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."

This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for you eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, love to complete your life."

"Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!'" C.S. Lewis

I love each and every one of you. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us!

"Praise"

Another little something that I wrote for the Lord.

"My heart will praise You
and all Your wonders.
Oh, I'm so glad to praise!
I rejoice when I praise You.
I will sing to You all my days!"

I Am So Thankful For These Ladies...

Sally Free - Thank you for being the caring young woman you are. I love that you put others before yourself. I always enjoy our talks. Moe's Monday's, girl. Herewego!

Jessi Tomlinson - You are such a beautiful lady. I am so blessed to have met you at Shandon, but even better than that... I had a class with you and God put our seats right next to each other. Your fire for the Lord is so awesome and I can't wait to see that grow.

Holly Tomlinson - I am so glad to have you as a sister in Christ. You are so wonderful. I can't wait to have our weekly time with God and each other. I'm so blessed to have a friendship with the Lord first. :)

Melissa Brantley - I can't tell you how much I love our talks. We both sit down and can't stop blabbing about anything on our minds. It is like we are journals for each other. I am excited to see what the Lord has planned for us both!!

I love all of you so much!!

"From You"

Here is a prayer that I wrote. I guess it is more like the chorus of a song. I kept singing it over and over again after reading today's Psalm.

"From You comes strength.
From You comes mercy.
From You comes grace,
For all who believe.
From You comes light
in all this darkness.
From You comes love
To set us free."

Passion 2010: Awakening!

In all honesty, going in to Passion 2010, I did not understand a lot about God. And for the most part, I was ok with that. I don't like to get into the details of things. I feel like the details make everything so complicated. It is amazing to finally have my eyes opened to my God. I realized that I had become comfortable in the unknown. I believe that God has blessed me with that gift, but not when it comes to knowing HIM. I was getting things confused. I was keeping myself at a safe distance by not digging for the details, but I was totally in the wrong. Our Creator, our Heavenly Father, wants to be known - bottom line. We are to do EVERYTHING to make HIM famous! I never grasped that on a personal level. I never connected that I was not seeking Him first. I was actually being very, very selfish. I mean, my actions were saying, "Hey God. I'm going to read right quick.. get what I NEED out of this and I'll catch you later." I have been humbled greatly. Yeah, I loved the Lord before, but only because it was convenient to me. I didn't glorify the Lord who placed himself at the most humble position just to experience what I go through daily, but perfectly. And, even though HE DID NOT SIN he died on the cross FOR MY SINS!! Wow. Why do I not want to know God on a deeper level? He didn't die on the cross because it was convenient. He died on the cross because He loves. He died on the cross because he sacrifices. He died on the cross because He is to be glorified!

The words to this song never meant more to me than they do now. I love my Father!