The Start of an Adventure

First off, I want to introduce myself.  My name is Lauren and I am a born and bred Okie and love everything about the great state of Oklahoma.  I love the Lord and am blessed to be married to an awesome, handsome, godly man named Randy.  We have been married for about a year and a half and have loved every second of it!  My husband and I are super involved with the student ministry at our church and lead worship for the contemporary service.  We have a band that consists of Randy and me, plus five college guys.  We are a rag-tag group, but we love the Lord and love leading worship.  I am in the process of writing a devotional book for teen girls with one of my best friends, Robin.  God has been so faithful to continue to open doors, but one thing I have learned is that God does not need our abilities.  He needs our availability. 

I am so blessed to have grown up in a Christian home with Christian parents.  My brother, sister, and I were in church every Wednesday and Sunday and sang in the church choir.  I knew a lot about God, but I didn't have a real relationship with Him.  When I met my friend Robin, I was hungering for something, but I couldn't find anything to satisfy that need in my life.  As I became closer to Robin, I saw how she lived out her relationship with the Lord.  I saw what she had and knew that it was what I needed.  On July 4th, I gave my life to Christ at a 4th of July celebration and my life hasn't been the same since.   

This brings me to the reason I am writing this blog.  In Luke chapter 8, Jesus tells His disciples the Parable of the Sower.  Jesus talked about a sower sowing seed and how some fell on the path and was trampled on or eaten by birds, other seed that fell on rocks and sprang up, but withered quickly because of a lack of moisture, and seed that fell among thorns and was choked out by them.  Then Jesus tells His disciples about the good seed that sprang up and produced a crop 100 times what was sown.  As you read on, Jesus explains the parable and what each seed means. The seed represents God's Word and each seed and where it fell represents a different way our focus can be taken off of God.  The one that got to me was the seed that fell among the thorns.  In Luke 8:14, it says, "As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with the worries, riches, and pleasures of life and produce no mature fruit."  My first thought after reading that passage was, "God, is that me?" 

In the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan, he writes, "Don't assume you're the good soil."  More than anything, I don't want God's Word to be choked out of my life because I am too consumed with my schedule or to-do list.  I pray and ask God everyday to make me good soil.  As I began praying that prayer diligently, God showed me a way to not only remember His Word and make it a part of my everyday life, but to also share it with others.  I have never written a blog in my life, but when God laid this on my heart, I began to get excited about the thought of writing about what I'm learning through worshipping Him through His Word and through song. 

My prayer is that through this blog, not only will I become closer to the Lord and fall deeper in love with Him, but that you will too!  There's no better decision you can make than saying yes to God.  It isn't about being perfect.  It's about being willing to be used by Him and for his glory.  Thanks for joining me on this adventure!  God bless you!

Lauren