Compassion Doesn't Run Out

"... Justice is not a finite commodity, nor are kindness and love." 

- Matthew Scully

The above quote, in its original context, addresses Scully's belief that it is not an excuse for people to offer no concern toward the plight of abused animals when there is already so much human suffering in the world requiring our attention. He is suggesting that we can't plug our fingers in our ears when presented with a difficult subject, with the reasoning that our capacities for caring about problems in our world are already at maximum and that we will focus on those, and not issues that seem secondary. We can care about starving people and starving animals and not feel guilty for letting seemingly "smaller problems" occupy our thoughts. Right? Sounds good to me.

I have theories on activism like this. I believe that in the same way that each of us has different talents from each other, we are also gifted with different "big problems" that nag at us and prompt us to action. For some of us, it is a widespread issue -- women's rights, hunger, pollution, or another  subject that we are passionate about no matter where it arises. 

For others of us, we are concerned with a specific place or thing, which can comprise of many of issues such as the above. We may care for the struggle of a certain endangered animal, which can be a matter of lack of habitat, environmental problems, lack of food, etc. We may be concerned for a certain place -- maybe a neighborhood -- and want to do something about the violence and poverty for that area in particular.

My theory is that we should absolutely care about all of these things. We do not have the finances to support every cause that is out there, or the time to research deeply into every single one -- time and money are finite. But allowing ourselves to feel upset over something that is wrong and offer prayer and encouragement to those who are devoting their resources to that issue? That is totally doable and I can't think of an excuse out there why we are incapable of doing that. 

There's no reason why we can't make room in our hearts for a tiny bit of awareness for every injustice that we come across as we go about our lives.

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed."

- Psalm 82:3

Transitioning into what led me to begin thinking more about this issue...

Just by my casual reading of comments on news stories, our "Christian" nation does not offer much of a heart for the plight of Detroit. We should just blow it up and start over, says the mayor of another city that experienced a tragedy that makes this comment incredibly insensitive on all counts. We should call it De-toilet instead. Because Democrats were in charge so much of the past decades, we should not give a rip about what happens now because we don't believe in their principles. Everyone in Detroit is racist against white people so we should just stay out and let them see what happens. (Seen the new mayor yet?)

The same people will book trips to Chicago and New Orleans, which also have very high violent crime rates, which is one of the many reasons they proclaim that they will never set foot in Detroit. 

I may not have known better, either, if I hadn't ever come here myself, and been able to explore Detroit with people who do understand. There are burned out shells of houses, but there are also some incredibly expensive homes inhabited by wealthy people, too. There are very fine restaurants and entertainment venues. Thousands and thousands of people live there every day, making their way how they have to and how they want to. Plenty of people can leave -- they choose not to.

I propose that if every person in this country let themselves just think that maybe it isn't a trash heap unworthy of saving -- maybe it contains national treasures that epitomize what America is all about, and diversity that makes our country colorful and rich -- and that that would make a difference. Not just slamming what they don't understand very well. Every person can afford that. It just takes a few seconds. Think that there are faces and names to the people that live here and that they do matter. 

That's all that someone has to do! And it could change the country, our politics, our churches, and so much more, just to say out loud, "I will choose to think positive about Detroit."

It's not to ignore the very real and serious problems, such as violence, blight, poverty, drugs, corruption, and the like. Thinking positively in fact propels more people to do something about these problems and be a part of building up, not tearing down.

I challenge anyone who comes across this to become a supporter of Detroit, even if just in spirit.

I have a Pinterest board devoted to finding things that might help you see a side of Detroit that you might not have before!

Anthony Bourdain just posted about his season finale of Parts Unknown, in Detroit, and might explain a little bit of what I am thinking, too. (There are a few crude words, just FYI.)

I will not pretend to be an expert or that I have done so much work rebuilding Detroit myself, but I am not afraid to go ahead and say that people need to spend a little more of their compassion on that city, no matter where they live. 

Rockin' the 313 with you,

- Lara

Workin' Woman

Alright, people, big news, and I don't have the patience to write good build-up... I GOT A FULL-TIME JOB! A grown-up job! 40 hours a week! Dress pants! I am sooooo excited! I did about fifty cartwheels around my house!

God's providence is so above and beyond would I could've imagined. As I said previously, I turned down pursuing a job with Quicken Loans. The hours were too unforgiving -- minimum 60 a week -- and there were licensing exams and all kinds of crazy things that made it seem like it would put too much of a stress on more important areas of my life. I wanted to have time to spend with Darin, getting plugged into a church, etc. Yet after I said no, I got really nervous about ever finding a job. Darin and I both wondered if that was a mistake to turn down my one lead. On Wednesday, though, out of nowhere, things changed!

Darin's awesome cousin Melissa, who has a super family (and the cutest kiddos ever), asked a bunch of people she knew if anyone was looking for a job, because there was an entry-level opening at her legal firm. Whaaaaaaaaat. Darin pounced on that for me while I was at the daycare and had me send my resume, and before I knew it on Monday I was driving up for an interview! And no one else had followed through on their search for someone to fill this position, and right away I knew I was on the team!

I couldn't be happier. I can learn the things needed for this job, it pays well, and it's full-time at last. It is also a big blessing that my supervisor will be my cousin-in-law, of course. :) I am so jazzed! It is the most massive answer to prayer, that I have the chance to make money and gain experience with a great firm and still have time to spend on the important things in life.

Yesterday when Darin and I started our bible-in-a-year reading plan, something jumped out to us that seems like the perfect description of what our lives should be. It was this:

"They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." Psalm 1:3

We noticed it because our street name was in there, so we are literally planted along the riverbank! Haha. But we were reminded that we are grounded and steady, faithful in our place, bearing fruit there continually. The river as the source of our power and nourishment sustains us and gives us success and life. This is where God planted us, and He has great things in store for our family! It may take time to see where He is heading us, but we're asking Him to see more of His kingdom come here, even on our little street or in our little offices.

Anyways, other news with us is pretty ordinary. We finally merged our bank accounts yesterday, so that's one more marriage check off the list! Now if only Secretary of State would SEND ME MY NEW DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR PETE'S SAKE but it's okay. It better come, though.

Those are the little headlines for today! Love and blessings!

Love, Lara

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Yesterday's headline: Happy 1 month-aversary to Darin and me! (YES that is grammatically correct people) Wow. So weird. It's yet another one of those times that on the one hand, time flew, but on the other, I feel like I've been married for a long time. I am used to seeing Darin when I roll over and wake up in the morning... in those last quiet moments before we have to be running out the door to some place. I am used to putting the toilet seat down, which is not this huge pain that some ladies complain about. Our giant sink full of dishes commemorates a month that we have to take care of this house and pretend to look like mature adults!

Last night, Darin and I were sitting on our office floor chillaxing and reflecting on our marriage and our walks with God so far. Both of us realized we've taken so many things for granted that it is shameful. We so often doubt that the Lord can bring amazing things to pass when we have ample reassurance of His truly breathtaking power and love for us! I know for myself that there are plenty of things I ceased to thank Him for when I forgot about it, and that is a pitiful thing.

First of all, I am to be so thankful for our home. It is beyond anything we could have dreamed with our little poor people budget. We can't wait to have people over more often, and are praying for big hearts that seek plenty of times to do it. And I'm thankful that God gave me a talent and strong passion for cooking and baking -- it gives us an excuse to make some people come finish off my experiments! (If they are not disgusting, of course. Usually not.)

As I went through a list of lots of things I need to continue to thank God for -- a job, health, family, friends, etc. -- of course I dwelled on how thankful I am for Darin. What happened next was that I was completely wonderstruck with our story, and that we could be here today. How could a Florida girl end up all the way in Michigan like this? It's honestly a huge miracle in my eyes, that this all began because we were on the same conference in Panama City Beach. Darin couldn't even afford to go; his friend Andy paid the three hundred or so bucks needed because he really wanted Darin to come. I almost studied abroad in Istanbul, Turkey over that week, but because my dad was so vocally against it, I decided to wait on that trip and do something else. Big Break, magnet of all who wander at Spring Break, you brought us into your grasp through a game of volleyball. My roomie Ashley at the conference met Darin playing on the beach and introduced him to the rest of us later. And that was that. We were getting married.

I am thankful that we met in this miraculous way, and that we survived a miraculous long distance relationship. The wait to see each other was at times torture, and the dropped calls and Skype issues were enough to make me scream. We stayed together in a miraculous way.

I am also thankful that Darin is even alive today and that we got married at all. In February, when he was living in East Detroit, someone in his neighborhood got into a dispute with someone they knew and pulled out a massive gun to fight back. As they duked it out, Darin's car was in the crossfire at that moment. (If you want to see a really scary looking vehicle come check it out. Still has the holes, haha.) If he'd been coming home at that moment, or was still in his car, he'd be done for -- there's a hole at head-level in the passenger's window. We joke that we wish that person had shot the engine out so that Darin could get something new, but I never stop and think about the grace God showed us in that moment. Everyone was okay. No one got hurt. Darin and his neighbor reconciled and shared barbecue.  It is the craziest story we probably have, as Darin got to share to one of our elderly neighbors here who noticed the bullet holes, and we really should never stop praising God for His providence six months ago.

Now we both are working married people with an exciting new season in life. What could I even ask of Him? Probably prayers more along the lines of these Jon Foreman (and originally, bible) lyrics that come to mind:

Won't you create in me a clean heart, O God
Restore in me the joy of Your salvation
(Psalm 51)

It's a theme that pops up a lot in my life, so I keep writing about it! I hope it keeps popping up for you too!

Love, Lara

Real Life Begins

I am seriously in a high place of thankfulness right now. My life up here in Michigan so far as been incredibly blessed and promising; the Lord is continuing to meet needs (and just plain wants) that we have had.

First of all, I am in a great position for getting a job very soon! I'll speak more on this later, but have applied to a few places involving child care and have been given paperwork to turn back in and hopefully be employed. Today I braved the needle again -- TB test, the least awful but still a needle -- and once the results come back I can hand all that in! I AM SO RELIEVED. It's interesting how the best opportunities that have come up do involve young kids. That is not what I went to school for and hasn't been my job application focus this whole time but the doors opening are in this direction, so I am excited to move this way and see what is coming my way, because I know it's for a reason.

Also, Darin and I have already had a great deal of community and friend time sent our way upon returning home. We've hung out with several friends and lots of family, and have gracious dinner invitations headed our way to spend more time with people up here. This is something I have been praying for long before coming to Michigan. The hardest thing to leave behind in Florida has not, shockingly, been the weather or Cuban sandwiches, but definitely friends and family for company. Not only is it awesome having Darin around approximately 91839182 times more often than when we were dating, but also connecting with his friends and hopefully making them my friends too! YOU HAVE TO. YOU LOVE ME. :)

I am really loving life up here so far! The weather has been beautiful -- I can't believe how cool it gets at night, haha. There are some super cute bunnies in our yard that I'm sure gardeners hate but I love watching them hop around. Our house is so cozy and is coming together one bit at a time. I am getting used to where things are and finding new spots for hanging out. Darin and I really liked dollar beers at Chesley's down the street and walking to the park near our house after dinner. I am also an mPerks gangsta at Meijer and you KNOW we're living large with fancy groceries and whatnot. Woohoo!

The best part is knowing that we have plenty, but we sure don't need it. If it were taken away somehow, we would still have a God-fearing family in this house (or another house). We know we don't need it all and that our circumstances don't have to be this good to believe in God's faithfulness to us. Being content is all the more reason to rely on Him.

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13 (I love when this verse is in its context!)

Can't wait to bring more of the Clintons' adventures as I start working and we head out on the town more often for different things!

Darin hung up all our instruments on the wall in our office and it looks so good!

Yesterday's sushi and Batman date since Darin got a day off :)

My ADVENTURIN' KICKS!!! I finally did the Chaco, Southern delight but bane of my poor husband's existence. Darin, I promise it'll be worth it when we do our outdoorsy business and my feets are happy!

Love, Lara

Invisible Warring

In case you didn't know, it's just ONE WEEK until my wedding! Technically less, actually, because it is midnight now and therefore a week from the first day of our honeymoon. :) I can't believe it. The past  six-ish months have been so long and so short at the same time, truly a phenomenon of physics.

One thing is for certain: I never want to look at another pinwheel again.

Or program. Or tablecloth. Or iTunes (still not done with my own wedding music!).

Wedding stuff is seriously getting poopy now. I am burned out for sure. Every day has mostly been comprised of me and my parents doing wedding-related shopping, crafting, planning, freaking out, and other activities. I barely see any of my friends, mostly because the majority of them are not in Orlando at present but also just due to me being busy and them having lives. I keep being left around 10 p.m. to yet another night of Frasier reruns. Don't get me wrong, Frasier is my favorite television show ever -- there just comes a point where you are ready for a little more jazz going on in life around that time than Kelsey Grammer.

The stress and boredom that comes with cutting out programs on a $6 paper cutter all day manifests in ways that aren't good. I find myself getting more irritable a lot faster. When my neck hurts and I've messed up a handful and need to print more, I feel more fussy. That collides with my interactions with Darin, who is also very busy with work and other things, leaving both of us exhausted throughout the day. I take his busyness and tiredness as him nonverbally saying, "You're not that important to me. I don't want to talk to you," rather than "You are so important to me, I am just really tired right now and can't talk long." The continued frustration of having less and less quality time with him as the wedding draws near makes the occasion all the more frustrating! It seems illogical, but it's hard to plunk down and DIY more and more for your wedding when you are worried your groom isn't really that excited to be with you himself.

Stewing in feelings of sadness, it hit me like a ton of bricks tonight as I was washing my face: SPIRITUAL WARFARE, CHICA. That is the connector between everything else. Satan is a master deceiver and wants God's children to feel uneasy and frustrated when huge events that glorify God approach. There are so many little opportunities for him to do his work, from conflating small issues into mountains of irritation for me in wedding planning, to twisting my interactions with Darin into visions of rejection and loneliness. Getting married and becoming one is a huge day of joy in the Christian kingdom because it honors God's plan for starting families and doing ministry as a permanent team, embodying the love Jesus has for his people! Why is it a big surprise that Satan would be so interested in meddling with a bride the week of her wedding?

What encourages me to consider is that he does this because we are moving towards something that is God's exciting plan for us, one that we are so grateful and overjoyed to take. There isn't a doubt in my mind that I am doing what I am meant to do. I am getting married to not only a godly and strong man, but also one who is my best friend! Realizing how much he means to me and how much our union pleases God and should point to Him combats the lies that want to take hold of my life as the wedding gets closer. It's important to pray for the strength to say no to untruth and withstand the temptation to have an outburst that I will regret later.

Believe that God is good.
Believe that He loves you.
Believe that the people He's given you in life love you, too.

I am hoping that this message is more firmly anchored into my heart. It's the weapon I need to fight these invisible wars and be the victor in enjoying this last week before I marry the love of my life and start my brand new life by his side!

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

Love, Lara

P.S. THANK YOU LORD THAT THIS LONG DISTANCE IS ENDING. I SERIOUSLY HATE IT ABOUT AS MUCH AS I HATE THE DEVIL. IT IS NOT GOOD.

The Humility of "I Do"

Weddings have a lot to do with humility. Ironic, given all the psycho brides on TLC today; weddings provide a great opportunity for women (and also men, a lot of the time) to run away with their pride and make several months increasingly about them until one day is over. But for the average, mostly sane woman getting married, a lot of humility comes into play as well.

Humility tends to be forced on you, but that's just how it goes!

I see more and more how much I am a scatterbrained, forgetful, and accidentally inconsiderate mess as the weeks go on. I had a horrific time trying to figure out bridesmaids, which makes it seem like it's great that I have so many good friends, but really just made me feel bad and mess some things up. Trying to keep the budget in tact has involved a lot of research, hair pulling, and hunching over a table for hours on end tying ribbons and punching corners of card stock for invitations I made on Photoshop by myself. (If you like how they turned out, hire me!!! Hahaha) Little changes in the plans and difficulties communicating what is going on with planning has led to some little snaps at Darin for not reading my mind.

And I've somehow missed sending a few invitations. A "few" isn't very many unless it describes people you know and love and want to make feel welcome and important! How in the world could I have done that?! I cross-checked my list SO MANY FREAKING TIMES THAT I CAN'T EVEN. And yet I get texts every week or so that say, "Hey babe, don't worry, but somehow __________ didn't get an invitation yet." Did I make one in the first place? I thought so! I CHECKED THAT DAGGUM LIST! IT HAS COLOR CODES AND SO MANY HELPFUL FEATURES. But alas, there are people wondering what happened to their invite.

My stress levels make my inner psycho come alive sometimes. I get so worried. Did they think I forgot? Or that I wouldn't invite them at all? Do they think I'm too stupid to stay organized and take care of everything? Do they think I didn't read millions of Martha Stewart wedding etiquette articles on her blog!? I must not even seem high-functioning enough to be married to another human being. (Panicked voice, not snarky voice.)


Humility time!

1. I am a speck of the universe.
2. I can't ruin people's lives or self-esteem with pieces of paper.
3. I am a flawed human being.
4. I am not likely to be the master of my fiance's guest list... full of people I've only met a few times. And with tons of similar names. (Families are like that I guess, haha.)
5. My wedding will be a real life event, not a glamor shoot for a magazine.
6. It's not all about me... it's about glorifying God's way of unifying two people to represent Christ's unity with the church!

BOOM! Can't argue with that! (Ephesians 5:22-33)

Everything in life has a way of pointing back to the gospel. Our goal in everything. And our identities are tied in the Lord, not our ability to keep UPS-worthy records of invitations.

Even if you literally have no earthly clue how it is possible that any could not make their destination.

This wedding will happen and it will be GOOD! I am thankful for humbling experiences to continue reminding me of what the purpose of this wedding is... actually getting married!

Love, Lara

Put a Ring On It

Hanging up the phone with Darin tonight, I just laid on my bed and sighed for a minute. The thought of getting married in a little over two months really struck me as so exciting and thrilling that I just couldn't stand it. I am just so nuts about that guy! I enjoy our time spent chatting on the phone, and am so ready to do that in person. (Or even just spend a few hours sitting around watching TV. Ahh, a relationship luxury that is to come. Haha!)

We are so in the stages still of little butterflies over everything. There's so much new territory with one another in our relationship, having only just met a bit over a year ago. It's so hard to imagine a time where we will be used to each other. Right now I feel like when we're married, I will wake up every morning shocked that there is someone else in my room! Is there really a time where that feels normal?


I just read a really interesting bit from C.S. Lewis that I think sheds some light on this topic of the slowing down of the crazy stages of love:


"People get from books the idea that if you have married the right person you may expect to go on 'being in love' forever. As a result, when they find they are not, they think this proves they have made a mistake and are entitled to a change — not realising that, when they have changed, the glamour will presently go out of the new love just as it went out of the old one. In this department of life, as in every other, thrills come at the beginning and do not last. The sort of thrill a boy has at the first idea of flying will not go on when he has joined the R.A.F. and is really learning to fly. The thrill you feel on first seeing some delightful place dies away when you really go to live there. Does this mean it would be better not to learn to fly and not to live in the beautiful place? By no means. In both cases, if you go through with it, the dying away of the first thrill will be compensated for by a quieter and more lasting kind of interest. What is more (and I can hardly find words to tell you how important I think this), it is just the people who are ready to submit to the loss of the thrill and settle down to the sober interest, who are then most likely to meet new thrills in some quite different direction. The man who has learned to fly and become a good pilot will suddenly discover music; the man who has settled down to live in the beauty spot will discover gardening.


This is, I think, one little part of what Christ meant by saying that a thing will not really live unless it first dies. It is simply no good trying to keep any thrill: that is the very worst thing you can do. Let the thrill go — let it die away — go on through that period of death into the quieter interest and happiness that follow — and you will find you are living in a world of new thrills all the time…. It is much better fun to learn to swim than to go on endlessly (and hopelessly) trying to get back the feeling you had when you first went paddling as a small boy."

Should we really be afraid of those sparks dimming just a little bit, and turning into a steady fire in the fireplace rather than an explosion? Is there not some comfort and pleasure in a routine walk around the block or spending breakfast reading the newspaper?

I loved C.S. Lewis' comparison of moving to a place you once visited on vacation. If you fell in love with Paris over a week trip and decided to relocate there permanently, of course the Eiffel Tower would seem more commonplace in your line of sight as you did your daily business. The bustling fun of the Champs-Élysées would not invigorate you as much as it did the first time. But no one would imagine talking you out of moving to Paris just because the novelty would wear off. They'd talk about the joys of becoming a regular cafe patron, a fluent French speaker, an appreciator of fashion or food or art, or whatever you like.

So why do people see marriage as the death of fun and excitement? It's the same thing, making a permanent choice to reside with what you delight in -- although instead of a city, it's a person. It's okay to grow used to waking up and seeing that someone still there, and bearing through normal life with them.

My plan is to embrace and ride out all the early excitement and passionate fun of marrying Darin; in no way do I want to talk myself out of that in favor of what is inevitable. It will be a blast while it happens naturally! And after that, we can practice what it's like to cultivate love rather than let it carry us like a raging rapid. I will be as proud and excited as can be for us to become old farts together, and have our usual coffee times and fold our laundry on Saturdays. I wouldn't trade a love like that for 80 years of crazy exciting passion; it'd probably take a new guy every year for that to be remotely possible. Never in a billion years! You have to be the world's biggest dope to trade anything for Darin. No one else could be as much fun to make up horrible future Clinton baby names with, dance like a goober with at weddings, invent recipes with, drink beer with, lay out at the pool with, or go bowling with, ever in your life.

Cheers to sealing the deal and letting true love grow!

Love, Lara

What I Love About You

Tonight, talking on the phone with Darin, I was really struck by just how much I love that guy. It's a shame the rest of ladykind will have to miss out on his goodness, but I am not sharing him for nothing! To me, it is truly one of those non-scientific proofs of God and His purpose for the lives of his children. How we met was so random and could have been prevented or changed by millions of tiny little things. How it worked out for us to continue talking, continue visiting each other, and continue growing together was surrounded by trillions more little miracles. We are so alike and so different; we challenge each other but satisfy each other, too. My mind is still blown by the past year I have spent knowing this man and I am thrilled at learning more in years to come!

I could write an ode about how much I love Darin!

1. He loves Flight of the Conchords and Freaks & Geeks, my two favorite and somewhat obscure TV shows.
2. He says some awfully weird things before thinking too hard about if they make any sense, and it usually cracks me up.
3. He is amazed by my cooking abilities and loves to eat fun food! (Sushi was a definite deal breaker... good thing he is a fan.)
4. He plays guitar and leads worship at church and Cru meetings sometimes. 
5. He has a good sense of style. We just look good together.
6. He is 6'1", aka way taller than me. I feel kind of like I robbed a tall-ish girl of a tall guy -- at 5'3", I am not hard to accommodate -- but I like it this way. :)
7. He appreciates me looking nice and doesn't make (a lot of) fun of my makeup, nail polish, and dress collections, but enjoys it because I end up looking fancy!
8. He is a handyman and can fix and make all kinds of things, and is a master house painter!
9. He is great with kids and so fun to watch when messing around with his nieces & nephews, and kids from his work at the Y.
10. His sense of humor is pretty darn wonderful. Anyone with a hillbilly mullet wig on hand in the trunk of the car is someone I would be intrigued by to some degree.
11. He is transparent and honest about everything, we've talked about everything under the sun.
12. When we have a disagreement or frustrating moment, he is quick to go "LARA! I love you!" and hug me, even when most of the time I don't want him to touch me, haha. (I like to mope when I am upset at myself for messing something up. Just FYI.)
13. I may be able to cook, but I can't really grill yet, but Darin makes up for that shortcoming. We have made some stinkin' good chicken!
14. He and I laugh at the same YouTube things.
15. He likes being near the city, as do I. We are not at all interested in rural living whatsoever. Even though downtown Detroit and downtown Orlando are two totally different places, they are our urban homegrills! (Although soon we will have the SAME ONE AHHH)
16. He loves all kinds of people and treats them all the same. He would be just as interested in and nice to the president as he would be to a homeless man.
17. He is bold with his faith! He doesn't think so, but he gets so many opportunities to share it and does so with all kinds of people he runs into.
18. He is a family guy, and has tons more relatives than I do, but spends time with them!

Oh, there is so much more, but I need to squeeze a little sleep in for my LAST WEEK OF CLASS! YES! I can't believe it! It is a doozy but it can be done!

Have you made a list of things you love about someone lately? It feels great to do and is such a great reminder of the gifts we have in our relationships! 

Love, Lara

Who I Am In Christ

Hello! I just got back from our Cru Women's Retreat, where a good group of ladies & I had an awesome time to get away, relax, have fun, and really hear some solid messages about God. I am pretty sure that I gave a talk at some point... haha I breezed the heck right through it and it was a blur! Either way, I got a lot out of preparing it, as I walked through what I have learned over my past 4 years at USF about applying the gospel to relationships. Hopefully sometime I will get the chance to revisit it when I am not quite as busy finishing up school and share more of where I got my thoughts and ideas from in my life experiences and God's word!

In the mean time, I just found a neato list that I got at a Cru leadership meeting that I really love and want to have handy anytime. It's simple and encouraging, pointing us to what the bible says about who we are if we have Christ. I want to make my own copy to hang somewhere that doesn't use Comic Sans (I am just picky like that), but am putting it here for the world to enjoy. I encourage anyone to take an afternoon out to sit and read these verses one by one, contemplating what they mean for us, and go forth confident that we have the greatest strong arm behind us to catch us and push us onward! :)

Who I Am In Christ

I Am Accepted

1. John 1:12- I am God's child.

2. John 15:15- I am Christ's friend.

3. Romans 5:1- I have been justified.

4. 1 Cor. 6:17- I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with him.

5. 1 Cor. 6:19-20- I have been bought with a price. I belong to God.

6. 1 Cor. 12:27- I am a member of Christ's body.

7. Eph. 1:1- I am a saint.

8. Eph. 1:5- I have been adopted as God's child.

9. Eph. 2:18- I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit.

10. Col. 1:14- I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

11. Col. 2:10- I am complete in Christ.

I Am Secure

12. Romans 8:1-2- I am free forever from condemnation.

13. Romans 8:28- I am assured that all things work together for good.

14. Romans 8:31-34- I am free from any condemning charges against me.

15. Romans 8:35-39- I cannot be separated from the love of God.

16. 2 Cor. 1:21-22- I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.

17. Col. 3:3- I am hidden with Christ in God

18. Phil. 1:6- I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected.

19. Phil. 3:20- I am a citizen of heaven.

20. 2 Tim. 1:7- I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.

21. Heb. 4:16- I can find grace and mercy in a time of need.

22. 1 John 5:18- I am born of Gid, and the evil one cannot touch me.

I Am Significant

23. Matthew 5:13-14- I am the salt and light of the earth.

24. John 15:1&5- I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of his life.

25. John 15:16- I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.

26. Acts 1:8- I am a personal witness of Christ.

27. 1 Cor. 3:16- I am God's temple.

28. 2 Cor. 5:17-21- I am a minister of reconciliation for God.

29. 2 Cor. 6:1- I am God's coworker.

30. Eph. 2:6- I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm.

31. Eph. 2:10- I am God's workmanship.

32. Eph. 3:12- I may approach God with freedom and confidence.

33. Phil. 4:13- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

This is a practical reference sheet for any and every question about ourselves in God's eyes, once we have given our lives over to Him because of what He did for us through Jesus. I hope it blesses you as much as it blesses me to have on hand and remember what is really true!

Have a refreshing Monday!

Love, Lara