Make A Living

"You want to know the meaning of life? This is your highest calling: You are called into the dynamic co-creation of the cosmos. This breath is your canvas and your brush. These are the raw materials for your art, for the life you are making. Nothing is off limits. Your backyard, your piano, your paintbrush, your conversation, Rwanda, New Orleans, Iraq, your marriage, your soul. You're making a living with every step you take. So when you make a living, do not merely make money. Why settle for cash when joy is on the line? You feel a thrill when you dance, when you sing, when you finish your poem; even when you sweep the room, you see order pressing back against the chaos. So when you create, never settle for making a living — at least not the way that the world might define that phrase. When you make a living, you are speaking a new world into existence. You are creating grace within the confines. You are co-signing God's blank checks."


Jon Foreman, Art House America

Now I am Alive in You

It seems You have awakened my soul. When I come broken and burdened, Your arms are welcoming me with abundant grace. I can fall apart in Your presence and realize that the judgment of who I am and where I have been is not a factor in how You love me. You have bewitched me, mind and soul intertwining into Yours. I realize that I have always loved You, even before I met You. Even before You found me. I find myself losing time loving You. The anticipation of when we will meet keeps me in a constant state of inspiration and awareness. I see the evidence of Your power and presence through out my days. 

Continue to romance my heart. Let this divine tie between our souls be forever growing as the strength of my days becomes more dependent on Yours. 

Hallelujah. 

Love Came Down

Just Beautiful

Morning Conversation

This is a typical conversation between me and my Dad. 


Me: Good Morning!
Pops: Howdy!
How are you? I am busy today!
I prayed for you this morning...and of course for a man.
Thank you. The new Needtobreathe is really good. Oh, and the new MuteMath video is out today. Watch it here. 
Mighty Fine. Thank you. When does the cd come out?
I want to say October
You can. I won't mind.
Huh?
You said you "wanted to say October" I was giving you Permission
Oh. ha ha ha. 


and it continues....


I love him.
I dont think every girl's future husband is prayed for by her dad, shares the same intrest in music (sometimes) and even though the jokes have to be explained at times, they are funny.

Garnet and Gold

Even though we lost, this past saturday was one of the best football games I have been to in a long time.

Love these people. Love the game. Loved this weekend.

My sweet friend, Lauren G! 

Father and Son

Jul, Sarah, me and Devon. LOVE these girls!

Some of our friends made a LEGIT sign and were on ESPN...a  few times. So proud!

Love this place. 80,000 of my closest friends. 

Redeem the Time

I actually wrote this to be submitted to a website who is feature this month is singleness. I figured I would post it here as well... Hope you enjoy.

It’s one of those days. The ones that sneak up on you out of nowhere and you are in no way prepared. Before you know it, your roommate walks in, the donut powder all over your tear streamed face, as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet replay their drama for the twelfth time on your laptop’s dvd player. You had just gotten asked to be in your 9th wedding and if one more person questions when it’s “your turn” you might slap someone. Sounds pathetic, but lets be real, you’re chuckling because you know exactly what I am talking about. (Maybe I’m the only one that reaches for the donut holes, and maybe I’m more dramatic than others, but I doubt it.)  We all have our “moments” here and there- sometimes it our current relationship status, other times its frustrations, fears and worries. But alas, they are there. These "moments" may not happen often but, when they do, they result in what I like to call a “cry fest hangover.” I wake up the next morning and think, “Wow. I did that? That was pathetic. So glad no one witnessed it.” I then proceed to shove all of those repressed emotions  back into the little closet in my mind, hoping they won’t resurface for awhile. The issue is they exist. My tears, my worries, my emotions and outcries, they are alive and no matter how far I try and shove them back, they still resurface.  So what do I do about them? 

In in the midst of single year 23, I have been given every book, heard every teaching, read every scripture and been fed all the relationship hot air you can imagine. I’m grateful, really, however I can save you some time in case you have not developed your own storehouse of knowledge, they all say the same thing. 

Wait.

“Ok, I can do that. Waiting doesn't sound too terrible.” Yet, after giving yourself, oh, thirty seconds to digest that four letter word,  a faint terror starts to bubble up as the realization there is no actual time frame promised starts to hit home. Then full blown panic sets in and you suddenly become that girl and take on the mantle of crazy-chick status. You know- the one that when you see or hear her name, the only thing that pops in your head is how desperate she wants to get married. Your name goes from what is on your birth certificate to “the chick who is husband desperate.” 

“Then the time came when the risk it took to remain in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anais Nin

One of the best pieces of advice anyone has ever given me is to not be idle. In the book of Nehemiah, we see a man who was heart-broken over what was happening to his hometown. All he wanted to do was get there and help his people. Yet he couldn't. So what did he do? He prayed and fasted on behalf of his people, imploring God to show him what he could do to help. So, when the time came for him to actually do something, he was ready! God had been preparing him for  that day  and Nehemiah was willing and able. And ready. Not only was he physically prepared, but emotionally, spiritually and mentally as well. He was where the Lord needed him to be. He had been obedient in the season he was in, and the Lord blessed him for it. 

I look at that story, and can’t help but look at my life and how God has (and is) orchestrating every minute detail with my heart in mind. I look back at certain events and when I am blessed with the clarity to understand why it all happened, it makes me laugh. Hind sight truly is 20/20. 

The mistake we all make is getting caught up in the future. There is nothing wrong with having desires and wants for your life. God gave us emotion and a brain for a reason. However,- it is the “one day” thoughts that become crippling. As a single person, this is a season of my life when I have ultimate freedom. A time I will never get back and I need to redeem it! Go on mission trips, work for a non-profit, travel, stay out way too late with friends, go skydiving, move! Be aware of the Holy Spirit that is in me and listen to what He is calling and asking me to do. Right now. All those weird, crazy ideas that I have swarming in my head? Now is the time to do them. But in that process, I must be aware that the Lord is working in  and through me. This is not a season of pointless idle chatter, I need to know He wants to move in me, speak to me and reveal things to me. I must be aware and awakened to the current process, knowing it is happening for a reason beyond what I can fathom.

One of the things I have to continue to remind myself is where my identity lies. There is so much more to me than my relationship status. My identify is not weather I am married or single. Did you know I have brown curly hair, have a constant desire for adventure and travel, love to dig into my creative side and have a regular craving for anything fried? Did you know I am the definition of a “social bee” and the desire to see God do amazing things through my life...single or married.  I am not single. I am Laura Jean. 

I have to trust that the Creator of the Universe is able to handle and create my timeline. The question is, how much are we going to fight the process  because we don't understand? 

Below is a fairly common verse, but it has so much depth and truth that there is a reason why it is so applicable. We hear it, and, yeah, we nod our head in agreement, but it usually goes in one ear and out the other. This time when you read it, take a deep breath. Slow down. Break apart what it is saying and digest it.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. (Breathe)

Lean not on your own understanding. (Breathe)

In all your ways acknowledge Him, (Breathe)

and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Proverb 3:5 (Relax)

  A (Not so Simple) Prayer

God how can I serve, love, grow and be faithful… today?

Give up.

Obedient:  complying with or submissive to authority

It’s amazing what happens when you are obedient. I had come to the point of treading, struggling so hard just to keep my head above water. Once I had gotten to the point of futile exhaustion, my lungs began to fill with fresh air as I felt the lifting of my spirit. 

Now, here I sit in a world I never thought would be part of my realm. Yet God continues to speak, reveal, lead and fill me with the utter urgency to seek Him. 

Today, we sat in the lobby, me behind my desk and her on the misplaced red sofa. We talked of things eternal and worldly. Everything from our lack of understanding of what Heaven will be like, to the utter excitement that we can take heart in our eternal salvation. 

We have a future and hope. Lets not take that for granted. Lets share it with the world. 

Grey

I look at my world, my environment that I am surrounded by as my heart breaks. It seems the line of conviction is becoming more blurred. The black and white is becoming more grey. The line is slowly becoming out of focus as we try and push the boundaries as far as we can. How far is too far going to be? What is it going to take for us to be awakened to the planks that are blinding our sight?

I desire revival. I desire a revolution. I see the Lord working; my spirit is being formed to how He wants to use me. God I don’t want to be a spectator on the outside, I want to be in the middle of it all.

“Your Presence is all I need. It’s all I want. It’s all I seek. 

Without there is no meaning.

Without it I’m not living.”

Prayer.

ENFP

My Roommate is awesome. She painted our kitchen hot pink, takes dance classes every night and stays out late... on a week night! (she has gotten crazy lately. let me tall ya.) I love her and am so proud of her. 

One of her new friends was over last night and we were doing personality test.

Side-note: I love when people just show up at our house. No really. I love that people feel that comfortable to just come over unannounced. It makes me feel happy. 

The result of them was actually pretty hilarious- me and my roommate are COMPLETELY opposite. I think with my emotions, she thinks with reason. I am driven by my social life and am a people pleaser. She just does her own thing and loves people along the way. What is so amazing is how much I respect and, in a way, am jealous of how she works. The results of the test are vaguely specific. (make sense? no? just roll with it) Its rather eye opening to hear someone describe you, allowing you to evaluate if its true or not. If you think its not, your roommate will tell you it is. 

However, I will forever be an irrational extravert who goes off how I “feel” in the moment. She will dissect the issue at hand, make a plan and execute. 

The results also told you what occupations you would be good at/interested in. I have thought about every single one! So creepy. 

Random but true:

If you have not discovered this you should. AMAZING. 

And just because posts are better with pictures. Me and the Roomie: 

Sisters by Choice

We actually met in Jr. High, only she was too cool for me. She was a cheerleader, had too many friends to count and I had triangle hair (enough said). 

Fast forward roughly nine years and I am standing by her side as she marries my brother. I don't have a sister- but she has made it possible for me to imagine what it would be like. 

Yesterday we got to celebrate her 25th year with the oh so wonderful trip to Fuzions!

Love you Jul and Happy Birthday (that was yesterday)!

Boots and Corn Hole.

This past weekend was the continuation of one of my favorite seasons of the year. Every Septmeber, we get a teaser of cooler weather, just to have the heat come back and mock us as we turn back on the A/C. But it just reminds me that I only have to endure the heat for a few more weeks, and that gets me so excited! I cant wait to break out my favorite Steve Maden boots! Oh and scarves, cardigans, and of course the lack of sweating is going to be glorious.

However, one of the best parts of this year is none other than the awakening of Florida State football. The days of tailgating, corn hole, the swarm of garnet and gold bring out the best in everyone.

And this has nothing to do with FSU, or my favorite boots, or really anything previously mentioned. But I just love my baby cousin and miss her!

Jemima June

I could stare at this all day...oh wait I do.