The Place You Never Should Have Left

I prayed for humility this morning and I realized God had already begun to answer before I prayed for it.  All of my flaws were surfacing this week from others around me. It's not a bad thing. Just a pride swallowing, humbling thing -- that hurts for a minute and then you are down on your knees "in the place you never should have left".  How many times have you heard that one before? But really, I never should have left. On my own I am nothing. I was flipping through my notebook in class today and I found a journal entry I had written at the beginning of freshman year.  It made me smile because it put me back in the place I never should have left. It went like this:

Every teenage girl has hopes and dreams.
None expect to be stripped of all things the year that is suppose to be one of the greatest of her life.
Looking back she realizes it was everything it was suppose to be -- great.
She realized that the struggles taught her what it truly means to delight in the Lord.
She learned how to solely rely on her Lord and King.
She learned what it means to know God's best is yet to come. 
She leaned what it means to have patience so God could achieve "perfection" in her life.
And all this happened only so she could joyfully move forward and experience the blessings of God. 
But she realized that blessings -- while they are so wonderful -- they can be detrimental to her faith.
Although she realizes the blessing are from God and she thanks God every day for them God was no longer her sole desire. 
She lost sight of the one who blessed her, who held her, who knows the best plans for her.
It was all because of her selfish, earthly desires.
A backward step -- it is what it takes to refocus her heart. 
She can see the past more clearly.
It allows for a fresh start. 
It allows for the learning of God's patience again in order for Him to achieve His "perfection" in her life.
Her heart becoming solely His once again.
And once again Him being her only hopes and dreams. 



I'm not a teenager anymore, but I still have hopes and dreams and selfishness still hinders me. I get up off my knees to much. I still lose sight of the One who knows what's best for me all because I want things now instead of remembering God's best is still yet to come. It may not hit you as hard as it did me -- I don't expect it to -- but when you're done just think about it. What is keeping you from the place you never should have left?
On His adventure <3
Laurlee

Live Life

How do I feel about blogging? I'm not sure. I wish I could change the font choices because I feel the ones listed are too bloggerish, but other than that I think this is going to be a wonderful adventure. That's is what my life is -- an adventure. The best part is that it's not my adventure. I'm simply along for the glorious ride.  Lately, the Lord and I have been on a journey discovering (well me discovering and Him teaching) what it means to live life.  It has been awesome (which by the way, I only use the term awesome to describe the things of God, because let's face it, He is the only one who can make us truly stand in awe.  If things of this world or people in this world make you stand in awe by their own strength, well, this is completely judgmental and I'm sorry, but you need to get a life and experience the wonder of the Lord...I'm just sayin'...).  You may be thinking, "Laurlee, really? Live life? Everyone lives life." No, I mean really live life -- by faith.  The world is telling me I have to "do life" (that word do makes it feel more like a chore than an adventure) in a certain way, but you know what Jesus says, "...One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and COME, FOLLOW ME." Luke 18:22  Come and follow me, Jesus says. I used to think that that statement was not applicable to my life because Jesus is not physically on earth to follow any more, but boy, was I wrong. That statement is just as literal to me today as it was to Jesus then. I can choose to do life as the world tells me is appropriate for success -- undergrad, masters, a possible Ph.D, job, marriage, kids -- or I can choose to live life  by faith, following Jesus, on His adventure... "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15  I'm not sure where my life will take me. There are plenty of place I can see myself going on this adventure -- some with degrees and some without any necessary -- but one thing I know for sure: I will choose to serve the Lord and live by faith. Will you join me on the journey? Take the adventure with me and Jesus? Lets rediscover what it means to live by faith! It will be awesome!
On HIS adventure <3
Laurlee


P.S. That's why my Mimi calls me and I just thought it sounded like the name of an adventurer :)