"I was thinking about you earlier!"

My older brother sent me a Valentine this weekend. It was short, sassy, and made me smile because it so thoroughly captured how he says things. Those two sentences on a pink construction paper heart got me thinking.

An aside: long time no see! We took the past year and a half to live through senior year of high school and are now well into our freshman year of college! You might hear more from us these days, especially me. Madeleine has a really neat blog of her own-- you can check it out here. 

Back to that Valentine. I got to thinking, "I crossed his mind one day, and he had the forethought to write me a Valentine and tell me that I crossed his mind and that he loves me." Then I thought about all the people who cross my mind all the time who probably will never know. Family, friends, people I met once, cute waiters, people I wish I had apologized to, people I recognize on campus but have no idea if they know me...

So I want you to know that you crossed someone's mind today. You mean a lot to someone out there. Maybe they're shy or distracted or not able to communicate with you currently, or maybe they have communicated it to you but for whatever reason your heart won't believe it, but you are precious to someone, today and every day.

You are cherished, loved, and known. In the post-Valentine's Day season, when too many people are bashing themselves or feeling sorry for themselves for being single, or worse, bashing and pitying one another for being single, I think it just might be especially important for you to take a moment and understand that you are loved exactly as you are. 

This isn't just true because you crossed someone's mind today though, and it's not true for the people who crossed your mind because certain bits of electricity made certain connections in your brain. It's true because we are all loved and known by our good Daddy, which is even more exciting in my opinion. I'm loved because God says so, and there's nothing that'll change that. You're loved because God loves you and says so, and there's nothing that will ever change that. How. Freaking. Cool.

It's well-cited, but God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Daddy loves the world and its people: YOU. So much that he let his own Son die (if you poll most parents, they wouldn't be stoked about letting their kids die, especially if they have just one) for you. And for me. That's mind-blowing grace that I'm not quite able to wrap my head around, but I hope that you and I both can grasp just a taste of it today-- that we can understand that he loves us beyond anything we know or fathom, and that that cannot and will not change ever.

Challenge: tell people when they cross your mind today. Tell them that they matter, tell them that you love them, tell them that you miss them. Ask for their opinions, ask how their days are going. Reach out, put others first, and tell them that you're thinking of them. Sometimes, that's all it takes to bring a smile to their face.

Keep smiling, keep dancing, and know that you are loved.

xoxox Lo

Pretty Darn Cool

I was sitting in choir this week, listening to our director work with the soprano and bass sections, and I had this moment of sheer wonder. How cool is it that some 25 voices can all work in tandem to produce such a beautiful sound? How cool is it that some 25 pairs of eyes (and brains) can read music and translate that into commands for vocal folds?

Pretty darn cool.

I was half-watching TV tonight, some program about tornadoes, and was blown away by the idea that just rushing air can cause that much damage and capture our imaginations so thoroughly.

I was talking through conflict resolution concepts with one of my best friends, and it was so cool to consider how differently every single person on this planet thinks. We all see things so incredibly differently, and that's rad.

I was talking with a friend about the future and leadership opportunities, and she pointed out that it's no accident that I'm perfectly balanced between two demographics that are about to be united in a new campus and area organization.

My friend fell asleep, and I was watching their chest rise and fall. It blew my mind to just think about all the systems that work in a body, even a sleeping body. How cool is that?

Pretty darn cool.

We have an incredible, creative Father God. That's pretty darn cool.

Muddy Musings (alliteration points!)

If you missed it somehow, this little corner of the earth is underwater right now, at least mostly. Boulder, CO is a lot of a wet wreck, but at least we can't complain about the heat now. 

My personal corner of the world is pretty dry. The creek is up and the road is washed out in a spot, but we're doing well otherwise. 

Rain makes me muse-y, and this week is no exception. Riding home on the tailgate of the truck from mucking in a culvert or two, I realized how darn grateful I am for all those things that I take for granted most of the time. Like electricity (now that it's back) and showers and the fact that we're essentially self sufficient for short amounts of time up here. I'm grateful that we have heat and no basement to flood and a nice buffer of space between us and the creek. I'm so thankful for our neighbors who bring my Grandma things like a generator for her oxygen, and for all the great people who live up here. I'm thankful for my incredible senior class, most of which is out helping someone else right now, even though they're mostly all flooded too. I'm thankful for rain and it's moisture, even though this has been destructive. In a way, I'm thankful for the destruction. James 1 tells us to thank God for all things, so I'm trying to remember that. I'm also learning to let go of things because of the rain, and I'm sure others are too. I'm thankful for how darn awesome the community is too. I'm thankful for the toaster especially. 

If you're the praying sort (or even if you're not!) pray with me for the emergency crews out there this week. For the 20 unaccounted for people in Boulder County. For the people who have houses and cars underwater and who just have damp carpets. For the people who are pitching in to help others and the public service companies. For every family out there. For every building, especially the schools (and nonprofits). For everyone who can find a silver lining in this and for everyone who can't. Thanks be to God that he's sovereign through this and over the wind and the rain. 

Stay dry, loves! And if you can't do that, then accept your socks are wet and dive into the adventure:) 

Xoxox Lo

[A reminder we all need]

Hello, beautiful person! 

You are valuable beyond belief. You, yes, you. This is addressed directly to you. 

Your value doesn't come from if he smiled at you today or if she hit on you. It doesn't come from your performance in a sport or your gym class or how well you pay attention in choir. Your value isn't decreased by the fact you tripped down the stairs today or increased by how well you recovered it. You aren't more or less valuable because half the school is talking about you or because you memorized your part early. Just because your relationships aren't exactly swell doesn't mean you are any less or more valuable. You aren't extra special or extra average because you got your college apps in already or because you have no idea what you want to do with your life, or if college is even in the mix. What your parents, teachers, friends, siblings or strangers think about you doesn't change the fact that you are extraordinary, valuable, and loved beyond measure. Nothing can change that.  

You are exquisite because Daddy made you that way. He adores you and thinks you're the coolest person ever. That's pretty rad, if you ask me. What's better is that He always stays the same, so you can do NOTHING to lose or earn his love. It just is. 

So breathe in and exhale slowly. Relax, and know you're in good Hands. Know that while it's a great idea to study for this or practice for that or just be a generally kind or studious or whatever person, it doesn't make you worth more or less. You're excellent just as you are. Keep smiling:)

Happy weekend, loves! 

All my love, 

Lauren 

Letters and Birthday Wishes

Hi friends! It's been a while, hasn't it? Maybe M and I will track down more free time this year to bop here more often (aaaand maybe not). 

Just a few thoughts coming your way. Ready? 

First off, it is the lovely Madeleine's EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY! (Sorry about the shouting. I'll warn you next time) Soooo... A round of Happy Birthday is in order. But that's obnoxious to type, so sing it in your head. Madeleine, (shouting, coming up) THIS IS YOUR BIRTHDAY SONG; IT ISN'T VERY LONG. HEY! 

Next order of business: just take a moment and find 5 things you're legitimately grateful for in this moment. 

Mine: 

1. Spit 

2. That-after rain smell

3. Contacts 

4. Clean drinking water 

5. Hot showers

Just take a minute and thank Daddy for those things. He's so, SO good to you and me. 

My wonderful newly-turned-21-year-old brother (so many August birthdays already!) has brought the blog Today's Letter's to my attention. Go check it out sometime. I think her ideas are rad, and therefore I'm borrowing her little letter idea (the one that I assume the blog is named for). But go find hers for the real deal. 

Dear contacts, I wish we got along better. I wish we saw eye to eye more often (pun  vaguely intended and intentionally left), and I mostly wish I could see better when I was driving because you weren't acting up. Dear Ryan, thank you for making me laugh so much. I hope that things brighten up a little bit for you:) Dear pride, I really need to learn to let go of you. You like to masquerade as confidence sometimes, and that sucks. Stop doing that please. Dear mom, thanks for dinner. Dear Madsauce, happy birthday, princess. Olive you! Dear need for validation, why have you been acting up so much recently? I wish you weren't so dear to me. Calm yourself. 

Happy Monday, one and all! Know you're so loved and lovely, and know that you're not alone in whatever nonsense you're going through. 

Xoxox Lauren

Little Talks

What if you talked to God as much as you talked to your best friend?

Think about it.

I'm one of those people who will walk around texting or Facebook messaging someone all day. Generally it's my one of my best friends, and we talk about everything from what we're baking or eating right then, to our pets and families, to our least favorite capital letter to write, to deep stuff like fears and hopes and secrets. Those of you who talk to your boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse 24/7 can also relate to this- you cover everything possible, and mostly you just don't want the conversation to die. I will make ridiculous observations or say things that probably wouldn't come up otherwise to help a conversation stay alive.

So what would it look like if I talked to God like that? I generally don't, and get trapped in this idea that I need to just bring him my heavy stuff, my shortcomings, and my negative emotions. I've been treating God like a counselor instead of like a best friend.

Part of this probably comes from me misreading 1 Peter 5:7, which reads, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." I once took this to mean that while, sure, God cared about all of me and all the good things too, he just wanted to hear about what scared me and how good he was.

But that's not right. God cares about all of me- the fears and shames and negatives for sure, but also my hopes and dreams and what I made for breakfast today and which pair of mismatched socks I picked out this morning.

Luke 12:7 says, "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

If God cares about how many hairs I have, I think he also cares about the rest of my (and your!) life. He celebrates with me and smiles with me and loves to hear from me, whether it's about socks or sin.

I don't put much stock in resolutions, but this year and every year following, I'm going to try to make a conscious choice to talk to Daddy more frequently, about everything-- the good and the bad.

I pray that this year will be a challenge and a blessing for us all, and that "Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and dept, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3.17-19).

All my love,
Lauren

The Walk to the Mailbox

If you want to talk I'd prefer it in a letter as opposed to a phone call or text.

Don't get me wrong. I will reply to a text, and I'll answer my phone. But there's something about writing letters and receiving them.

I realize that I really like letters. Letters don't require instant reply, and they are an excellent lesson in patience. Letters allow you to put your thoughts down on a page. There is something very permanent about a pen, and something promising about putting it onto paper. In writing letters I have found I can be the most honest because I have time to collect all my thoughts. I have time to expand on ideas that otherwise get lost.
I like putting a stamp and addressing the letter. Licking the envelope is even a joyful experience. When I walk down to my mailbox with a letter to send, I get the chance to be thankful for the person I'm writing to. Putting the flag up on the mailbox is like sealing a deal.
Letters can be anything. Words of encouragement, apologies, ideas, jokes, condolences. 

You can call me later, text me tomorrow, but hey, today? Today, write me a letter.