one another.

John 13: 34-35 NLT
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13: 34-35 the message
34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.
this summer at youth group, we've been talking about one another. for each week we talked about each different one--
love   >
forgive >
teach    >
serve    >                      one another.
worship with >  
pray for   >
encourage   >

I love this quote by a friend of mine ;) - "Love is always the answer. For every action against you, love is the perfect reaction. Don't hurt yourself by hurting others." -Manwell Reyes
I think these things are really important when we're going back to school and everything coming up. I want this year to be different for me, and all of us. That even if, like me, you don't spend a lot of time around unbelievers, I still want people to see Jesus in me. I want to love like Jesus, forgive like Jesus, encourage like Jesus. I want Jesus to shine through me, so that I'll be seen differently, I won't blend in, I won't be like the rest. And for the ones who don't believe, you might be the only Jesus they'll ever see, ever meet. don't waste what might be their only chance to see Jesus.

remember those things this year. love, forgive, serve, worship, pray, teach, encourage.
If you're truly living by the ways of Christ, you're not going to be the same as everyone else.
Do you think Jesus blended in and acted like the world?
He stood out, and so you're going to have to, too.
and please be praying for my life group leader and laura ashleys grandpa :)
xxxxx

D-Now

I was completely blessed to be able to attend D-Now this weekend. It was SO amazing, I don't know where to start. I was just so thankful for every little thing that happened. First off, I got put with my one friend in the youthgroup, and her friend, who became my friend. So just 3 of us and an AMAZING leader got put in a host home, who was two AMAZING people! Everyone I was around that weekend was the most amazing, sweetest people ever. It was so fun, tiring, but really fun. So we had sessions at our home, just like little bible studies. Then we had 3 services.  They were aaaamaazzzinnggg. I'll be posting stuff from those later. I know, I'm keep saying amazing, but the whole thing is pretty much summed up in the word Amazing! but anyway, the worship music... well, it was beyond amazing. We had our old worship leader back(he moved away) and his band, they are amazing too. But, the worship was just soooo moving. The songs were so fitting, so true in my life, and as another person there said, "I looked around, and there wasn't a single person there not worshiping." Even the people up doing the sound booth thing were worshiping with all their hearts. You could just tell that God was there. You could see it, and I could most definitely feel it. I've really been realizing over the weekend how incredible God is. It sounds so simple, yet it is so big, so deep and his incredibleness just keeps going and going. I've just realized how worth it He is. He is worth giving my life up for. He is worth sticking out, He is worth losing friends, He is worth EVERYTHING. He is worth it all. He is and always will be. He is worth it. 

"don't blend in, don't make sense, don't be normal, be different in the world."

If you are blending in, if people don't think differently about you, if your just normal, whatever, then something is wrong. You shouldn't blend in with the world. If you are giving and living your life for Christ, Your life should look different. 

Romans 3:28 // 5:1 // 10:1-10 

I have such a burning passion to share the amazing love of the Lord but I don't know who and how to reach people. I guess that is a partial reason I have this blog, it is just another way to reach others. I want to tell people! I just need ways! But I feel like this blog isn't doing much. Reaching 10 people isn't really what I wish for, but, I guess , well, actually, I'm sure that it is better than nothing. Even if it isn't reaching people to Christ for the first time, but even if it is encouraging people who are Christians already.. all I know is I just want to tell others and to serve God. He deserves it ALL. EVERYTHING. Every molecule in my body he has made, and that he deserves. 

"All that I have is Yours. My soul will praise forevermore. I come alive in you. My soul will shout, forever more. Forevermore, forever I am YOURS."

i'm sorry I have neglected this blog for a bit, but I think it was needed. 

xxx Laura

Freedom.

"We are free to struggle, but not struggling to be free. In Christ there is a freedom to fail and a freedom to change. Forgiveness for our sin, and liberty from our sin. When we fail and give up, we fall into an ocean of grace. But that grace is so good it doesn't only forgive us, it frees us from our struggles." 

Sorry I've been kind of lagging behind no posting. I haven't been on blogger much so I haven't written, or anything. I'll be back here pretty soon, I'm just kind of enjoying this break. You guys can still get to me through email if needed! 

xxxx Laura