Time for a change...

Well folks, if you haven't guessed by the title, something is about to around here.

I'm honestly not sure if this will be temporary or not, but as of right now, I will not be on blogger anymore.
Don't look so dismayed! I know this crushes your heart, but be of good cheer. While I won't be on blogger...I will be on Wordpress! I've imported all of my blog posts etc, from this webpage to another, so you won't even need to switch back and forth to look at older posts.

My new website can be found here, or you can go to misslaurennicole.wordpress.com.

I'm also working on a new blog idea/start up, so stay tuned for that!
Cheerio!

I'd Rather Be An Old Time Christian

I'd Rather Be An Old Time Christian
Written by Albert E. Brumley

C
In this world I've tried most everything

I'm happy now to say there's nothing like religion
D7 G7
In the good old fashioned way
C
I'm walking in the old time way and I want the world to know

That I'd rather be an old time Christian Lord
G7 C
Than anything I know


I'd rather be an old time Christian than anything I know

There's nothing like an old time Christian
D7 G7
With a Christian love to show
C
I'm walking in the grand old highway and I'm telling everywhere I go

That I'd rather be an old time Christian Lord
G7 C
Than anything I know


All the world is bright since I got right

Now I sing and pray and shout all my burdens have been lifted
D7 G7
Since the Savior brought me out
C
I will tell the world both far and near as I travel here below

That I'd rather be an old time Christian Lord
G7 C
Than anything I know

Excuses

            So around our church we always hear good, bible-based, anointed preaching. The past several weeks have definitely been no different. I've been amazed on several occasions lately. You know those instances when you are dealing with something and you mention it to the Lord and then that night someone says exactly what you need to hear? Yeah, that is how it has been. I'm like 'how do you do that?!' and then it all makes sense because He is God, you know?
           Pastor has been teaching the adult class a series called "I want to be a Christian" and it has been so challenging and thought provoking! I've enjoyed it immensely!
          On Sunday, Pastor preached a message that was on our level both individually and collectively. I definitely found some more areas that I need to work on! Let me share a bit of his message with you...





Luke 14:16-24

Our pride often keeps us from being honest with ourselves and with others.-especially in areas that we need to change and work on.
We tend to make excuses for ourselves in an attempt to justify our sin. This may make us feel better about our sin, but in reality, it should make us feel worse. Why? God hates excuses.
The best thing to do for your sin is to acknowledge it before the Lord, and repent. Excuses not only drive you further from God, but it results in self-deception. There is a point when your pastor or another man of God can't reach you because you are so entangled in the excuses that you made for yourself. Making excuses is dangerous and can only end in destruction.

Furthermore, the Bible says that no man knows the day nor the hour in which the Lord will return. I definitely don't want to be making excuses for my sin when the sky is rolled back like a scroll to signal the return of Christ! I want to be ready to meet Him at any time and have peace in my heart, knowing that I'm right with Him.

This service ended on a bit of a different note. It was more joyous and worshipful and we had several visitors seeking God and making things right.-One even got baptized!
I was personally challenged by this message. I thought of all the things that I make excuses for. A bad attitude, 'because' someone treated me wrongly, an unkind remark 'because' someone said something that I didn't like or found rude. In reality, they aren't responsible for my actions. I must make the decision to say something in manner that is not pleasing to God. They are responsible for their actions and I am responsible for mine. I shouldn't make excuses for my failure to act as a true Christian. I'm working on it...sometimes I think it would help if I had a string on my steering wheel. (For all the home folks. Ha!)

Or So They Say

Society is messed up. It has a way of twisting the truth and deceiving people. It drills principles and ideas into us at an early age, causing us to live the rest of our lives maintaining ourselves with those standards guiding us.-whether they are accurate or not.

I happen to have an issue with this.

Sure, not every single standard that society imposes is bad.  BUT:

1) Society no longer looks out for our children. It has no respect for future generations or (more importantly) the Lord. Since we want to raise our children to be like Jesus and to love and serve Him, wouldn't we want to try to protect them from a world that teaches them to do the opposite? 

2) Society shouldn't be teaching our children. Yes, they will learn from it.-its inevitable. However, God didn't give them to society. He gave them to a mom and a dad that should teach them what is right and what is wrong. That is a parental obligation. Teach them about the Lord and the things that are pleasing to Him.

Anyway, there is one phrase thrown around a lot in today's world that I definitely have an issue with.

I was in the office of a coworker (John) along with another young coworker (Polly). They were talking and John was trying to play matchmaker for Polly because she wants to get married. They began talking about 'qualifications' which pretty much consisted of: 1) Under 50 years old 2) No more than 2 children 3) Currently Unmarried. I added to the conversation by stating that those qualifications are pretty low standards and they may want to rethink that. John responded with the phrase "Love is Blind".

This is something that I do not like at all. Love is, by no means, blind. In fact, true love has the clearest vision of all. Why do I say that?

When you love someone, you should make them better. You don't act like they are perfect. Let's be honest. We are human flesh; we have problems. That isn't to say that we should constantly hound one another over everything and demand perfection. Nor should you try to change who they are.

You work on things together and grow.

Love is not blind.

Jesus died on the cross for us because he loves us and we needed an escape from sin. If love was truly blind, we wouldn't have a God of justice. If love was blind, God would sit back and watch us destroy ourselves and do nothing to try to help us. He would overlook our sin and defy who He really is in doing so. Yes God will look past our faults, but He also demands change. He doesn't allow us to live in sin and cater to our issues because He 'loves' us. He makes us better and helps us because He loves us.
Perhaps the world's false sense of love is blind, but thank God true love is not blind! His love reaches out and saves us from the miry clay.

They say love is blind, but I know the truth. Love has 20/20.

A Super Rambling-y Catch Up; You've been warned.

It's been a while since I've posted!-Things have been so busy! I've got to say, getting off work at five is for the birds. Its generally 5:30-6:00 before I get home and then I am back out the door again. Whew!
We recently drew our revival services to a conclusion. I'm a bit sad because I miss being in church every night and also because our good evangelist and his wife (Evangelist Andrew Howard and Sis. Jessica Howard) are no longer with us, but at the same time, it's a bit of a break. After nearly 8 weeks of working by day and 'churching' by night, we were pretty worn out and my housework was getting out of hand...I'm still trying to catch up, actually. Revival has been amazing and God has done so much for us! It is wonderful to look around and see all the new faces and hear the unfamiliar voices lifted up in prayer. I love it! I'm so thankful that even though we have ended the revival services, revival continues. Hungry hearts are everywhere, even in Tulsa with 10 churches on every corner. (We really do have a lot of churches if you haven't ever visited. -Definitely the buckle of the 'Bible Belt'!) The preaching around here has been incredible and anointed (as per usual), I must admit however that I have missed hearing Pastor Howard preach. We heard an amazing message last night that challenged us to change (I'll have more on that in a bit!).
On Monday nights, I have Bible College at the Apostolic College of Biblical Studies. It is a college founded and ran by The Lighthouse Church. I am taking Christian Ethics and Old Testament Overview right now. I have so enjoyed both of these classes! I've found so many interesting things in the Old Testament that I've never noticed before. Whoever said that the Old Testament was boring has never really dug into it before.-It isn't! As for Christian Ethics...that class has resulted in long discussions, much prayer and meditating, and some studying. Every single class has challenged me to look at God's word a little closer and know what I believe on so many different controversial topics.-Things like Capital Punishment, Self Defense, War, Abortion, Euthanasia, etc. I've learned that some things may seem to be a little less black and white, when they may or may not be. For instance, is it okay to lie when it you are lying to save the life of someone, even someone that is not saved? How do you 'rate' the evils? It's been thought provoking for sure!
Life has definitely been busy around here and to add to the little pile, for the first time in eleven years, I had an asthma attack. It was completely random and I was very unprepared for it. I threw away all my inhalers long ago, thinking that I would never need them again. *cue the sad trombone* So we called the doctor and made an appointment so that I could go get an emergency inhaler in case it happened again. Of course, they made me take the breathing tests again (you breath through a little tube for as hard and as long as you can and it calculates your airflow). Those things are killer! I think I took the test about 8 times on my first visit and failed every single one. All of them. I should be around an 8.5 on the graph and I was almost a 2 (no wonder I tire so easily!-No oxygen.). So of course they gave me a breathing treatment and had me take some more tests. The results were worse. This resulted in a trip over to Saint Francis South (a nearby hospital) to get x-rays to make sure I didn't have something on my lungs. I figured that I would go over there and get the x-rays done and then hurry myself on home so that I could get to church. Not quite what happened. Apparently they had strict orders to not release me until they had all looked over the x-rays and made sure that I wasn't in any eminent danger. After waiting for a while they came back and said that I could leave because they couldn't see anything on my lungs that looked too serious. So we booked it to the house to change and we finally made it to the church...in the middle of song service. We had great church! I was exhausted from all the nonsense of the evening (the doctor's office and the hospital combined took about 4 hours!) and then a church service so by the time we left, I was ready to curl up in a ball and sleep for a long time! Ha!
Three weeks later I was at the doctor's again to monitor my progress. My test results were pretty much the same and I had used my emergency inhaler about 6 times in a three week period.-not good! The doctor put me on a steroid and told me to use it twice a day. I didn't, to be perfectly honest. I didn't want to be on a medicine twice a day and especially a steroid. So during the next two weeks, I think I used it 2-4 times. It made me feel horrible. Then we realized why. For the first time in my life, I found something that I am allergic to. Fail. So I stopped using it altogether. In the meantime, we were hearing some powerful preaching at church. We had several services where it was evident that God wanted to perform signs and wonders in our midst and we were told that it may not happen immediately, but if we worship Him like He has already done it, we would see the miracles begin to take place. Pastor and Evangelist Howard admonished us to quite worrying about how God was going to do it and to start looking for signs. Pastor told us several different times to start preparing for a miracle.-to make plans about what we were going to do when we received our answer. So I did. I went to a lady in our church and said 'When I get my healing, I am going to do thus and so. Would you join me in preparing for my miracle?' and she said that she absolutely would.
Well, I went to the doctor on Tuesday. My test results went from a 2 to a 5.5 and my doctor said that my lungs sounded good. He went ahead and put me on another steroid (that I haven't taken yet) but he didn't want to see me again for two months. I know I still have a ways to go, but I am so encouraged by this report. I know God is doing the work! I can't wait to see the look on the doctor's face when my breathing is at a 9 or a 10 and is above my goal. I'm preparing for my miracle!

All in all, it has been a great couple of months and I honestly am so excited to see what all God is going to do!-Not just for me but in our church as a whole!

And I am soooo happy that my friend Liz got the Holy Ghost! I met her one day at camp when I was 12. She literally just came by with her sister and they chatted for a little bit during the day and then they left. Several years later I met two sisters at church. I introduced myself and tried to talk to them and get them involved. They didn't act like they wanted to talk and while we exchanged phone numbers, they never responded. They slowly got a little more talkative and then one day during altar service, Pastor announced that Liz wanted to get baptized. I was shocked and utterly thrilled! Ever so slowly she cam around and then randomly started doing things with the college and career. We continued to talk and our friendship has grown. Then one day I was hostessing at church and she came in late. I told her that she should sit with me because I was about to be going into the service. She agreed (though I may have agreed for her with the whole 'Oh I could tell you were excited and wanted to. I knew you'd say yes!' line.-I didn't force her.-You'd just have to know her to know that she is hilarious but won't be forced or obligated to do anything.) and we went into the service. That night she really started seeking God and both that service and the next service she spent a long time standing in front of the pulpit praying. The next service, however, she got the gift of the Holy Ghost! She later commented to me "You know, I've never liked skirts. Ever. But lately, I've really been buying a lot of them. Like I randomly think that they are pretty and I want to wear them. Its so weird!" I may or may not have lit up like a candle and explained that the Holy Ghost changes you! Another instance she told me and another girl in our church that she didn't know why but she heard a song by Kanye that she, at one point, like to listen to, and got upset because she didn't like the way that it made her feel. She said it felt 'demonic like devil music'. I've loved seeing her come alive in church (after a year of coming!) and we always have a lot of fun together. Getting to experience the work of God through the eyes of a newly saved soul is always so refreshing!

This was an incredibly long and rambling post but I think I've caught up on some of the major events. Woohoo! I'll be posting again hopefully today or tomorrow so stay tuned. :)

Labor Day Weekend; A series. Soon to come to blogs near you!

UPDATE: For those of you that are wondering, The Chase is an amazing book. It is SO real and down to earth that it almost feels like you are having a conversation with a friend, rather than reading a book. It is definitely something that I would recommend!-In fact, I already have and am about to pass it on to some of the other young ladies in our church. They are excited to read it. I am excited for them. Seriously. Its good!

Labor Day was great fun.-Rather, Labor Day weekend was great fun! The Popsicle and I went camping in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It was hot, full of bugs and wildlife, exhausting, and a blast! I must admit that I was a little nervous going into this situation. Most, if not all of you, know that I've dealt with a lot of infirmity this year. (My parents are probably about ready to send me to a nursing home.) I wasn't sure if I was physically well enough to handle such a draining adventure. Add that to the fact that I haven't been camping in about 12 years...I wasn't quite sure what to expect because I wasn't quite sure how accurate my memory was, you know? Well, it was very similar to what I recalled so I was a little prepared. Thankfully.
Anyway, we had several memorable moments and I thought about doing a normal blog post about it...
But then I got inspired.

Why not make it more fun and tell it in story format?!

So I will write our adventure out, day by day, and share it with you. I may exaggerate a few things, simply for the sake of showing just how hilarious some of the so called 'memorable' moments were. But it will be true, and I'll not exaggerate too much.-if I do, I'll add a disclaimer or something. ;) At any rate, be prepared for these posts.-They will be covering three days of living terrified near a creek fearlessly in the wilderness.

**By reading these posts, you are agreeing that Lauren Nicole; the blog, Lauren Nicole; the person, and the staff working with and for Lauren Nicole, nor any other affiliated parties will be held responsible for any and all injuries that occur from laughing too hard. You understand that you will be reading at your own risk and the decision to read could result in difficulty breathing, sore, cracked, and/or broken ribs, various knee and back injuries, and any amount of cuts, scratches, and bruises that may or may not be a result of rolling around in the floor, along with others not mentioned in the above. Lauren Nicole; the blog, Lauren Nicole; the person, the staff working with and for Lauren Nicole, and any other affiliated parties will also not be held responsible for any and all damage to property or properties of the consented individual or otherwise. These stories are not tested on animals, grandparents, or regular household objects. Paid for by Lauren Nicole.

"Hi, I'm Lauren Nicole, and I approve this message."

(It's late ya'll. Don't be haters.😜)

The Chase

So I have more exciting news to share with you!
This:
I am so excited about it! But for those of you that have no clue what this is, let me start from the beginning.

Most of you have probably either read or heard of Karen Kingsbury. She is an awesome christian writer that you can't help but love. Seriously. Her books are real life, down-on-our-level scenarios with insight and Christianity woven intricately throughout. In short, she is a talented writer and I love reading her work. :)

If you've read her books, you may know that she has a daughter named Kelsey. You may not know that Kelsey has gotten married to Kyle Kupecky, a christian recording artist, and they are expecting their first child. (Yayy!) Kyle and Kelsey work together to encourage young people to wait for 'THE one' and not rush into things. They help the younger generation to trust God and let Him take care of them. They give advice on how to handle a godly relationship and help you realize that God has a work for you to do, even if you can't quite see it now. And if any of ya'll know me, you know how much I believe that!
Well, Kyle and Kelsey have written a book about trusting God with your future and it will be released on September 1st of this year!

You know what is even cooler? If you pre-order a book, you can get Kyle's brand new song for FREE! But they have an even better deal going on! Pre-order 10 copies (or the e-books!), and you'll receive an autographed copy of The Chase, autographed copies of Kyle's two albums, two "Possibilities" cards designed by Kelsey, and Kyle's brand new song, "And It's You." Email your receipt to thechasekk@gmail.com! Now I know you're thinking 'oh, that would be cool...but what can I do with 10 copies?!'. Let me tell you what you can do!
1) Team up with some of your friends and go in together. Then everyone can get the book, and you can divvy up the extra treats between you!
2) Buy the books and add a few to your church/school library! (Just be sure to get permission from whoever is over the library.)
3) Get them, read them, highlight parts that stand out to you or are important in yellow [for instance], then give them to a young girl or friend along with a pink highlighter. Then you can share what you learned or how you grew with each other.
4) Books make awesome gifts for young readers. Its true. Especially books like this where you can learn and be encouraged in such a great way. Then again, books make awesome gifts period.
TIP: Pre-order and get all the extra goodies, then give the extra books for birthday gifts, graduation presents, Christmas, even Easter. (Because who wants to wait until it is out in stores and try to hunt down a copy...and then not get the awesome bonuses?)

Aaaaaand:
Yours truly was chosen to promote the book and tell everyone the awesome news so that they can go read it! So I'll actually be getting my copy of it next week (eeeeek!!) and I'll read it and then write a review on here with my thoughts. I'm super excited about it and can hardly wait to share with you all! Stay tuned and don't forget to pre-order before September 1st!

The Wars of the Worlds

(Yes, this is different than Orsen Wells' "War of the Worlds". Promise.)

World War 2 was brutal and exhausting. It unofficially began on July 7th of 1937 and officially began on September 1st, 1939.-That is over 3 years of growing tension and controversy, but with no 'official' strikes or attacks. World War 2 raged long and furiously for years, the Allies and Axis Powers constantly in battle, in an effort to end the tyranny and dictatorship that suppressed the voices and lives of millions. Life was hard.
Then on December 7th, 1941, even more tragedy struck. Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, resulting in horrible collateral damage and the loss of many great lives. The U.S. declared war on Japan and began secretly building the atomic bomb. On August 6th, 1945, the U.S. successfully launched a surprise attack on Japan, dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima (killing 90,000-146,000 people) and Nagasaki (killing 39,000-80,000 people).
As much of a toll had taken place on both Japan and the U.S., neither would surrender. The Japanese culture instilled a loyalty in their people.-They would either win or they would die trying. Literally. They also treated Hirohito as a god, and were afraid that the U.S. would treat him badly if they surrendered. Between fear for their 'god' and their pride, they refused to give up, regardless of how many lives it would cost. The U.S. had simply had enough and insisted on victory.
Then on August 14th, 1945, Hirohito changed history in a mighty way. He, for the first time ever, came before his people with an announcement. 70 years ago, on this very day, Japanese Emperor Hirohito declared an unconditional surrender of Japan to the United States. This signaled the end of the war between Japan and the U.S., even though the two remained hostile toward one another for years.

What does this have to do with anything?

Well, on August 12th, 2015 Pastor Howard declared a war at the Lighthouse Church. Not a war on any country or group of people. No, rather it was a different kind of war.-a spiritual one. On Wednesday, we officially went to war against carnality.
Let's act like the church is the U.S. and carnality is Japan, shall we? (Not mean to imply anything about either of these countries.

Over the years, God has done great things for His people. We have had revival, signs and wonders, and great moves of God. Then, seemingly with no warning, we lose a few young people here, a young family over there. A minister strays here and a a church compromises there. Its our Pearl Harbor attack.-it comes unexpectedly and results in a great loss of life and collateral damage. The fight becomes unbearably hard and we begin to wonder if it will ever end.

Good news. It does.

You see, now that we have officially declared war, some atomic bombs are about to be dropped on the enemy. Sure, the carnal may not surrender.-maybe it is fear of how their 'god' will be treated once they do, or maybe it is just their pride. Whatever it is, we know that we aren't giving up. We aren't backing away. When this war ends, it won't be because we just got tired and decided to stop. It'll end because carnality just can't continue anymore. After all, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" and honestly, we know how the story ends. We win. If we are in God's will and we are in sincere, we win. No question.

So even when the battle gets rough and you can't see that it will ever end, hold onto the hope that we have in glory and know that you will be victorious.

Lauren Bundy

The Crazy Has Begun

As many of you know, this is a very busy week at the Lighthouse Church because of the A.D.M.I.T. conference that is going on. Unfortunately I have to work today, so I don't get to help out, but I got off tomorrow so that is where I'll be.

I know that this conference is going to be even more amazing then ever. I mean, if last night's service was any indication, its going to be quite amazing! Eld. D.C. Moody preached and God moved last night! It actually reminded several of us of heritage.-And not just because there weren't any seats! The Lord spoke to us last night and I can't wait to see the results that come from this conference! God is good to us isn't he?

Anyway, I am MIA for good reason this week. I haven't forgotten you! ;)

अलविदा! (Alvidā)
Lauren Bundy

Exciting News Announcement

So I'm still not feeling too inspired to write but I'm going to try. I gotta say though, that whenever I feel uninspired, I write terribly. This is a public service announcement.

My first bit of exciting news is: *insert incredibly long drum roll here*
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
(I said the drum roll was long)
...
...
I am taking over the youth blog. So pretty soon the youth blog will be up and running, with frequent updates and exciting content. I'm excited about it! I have several people writing articles right now so as soon as I get them edited, approved, and posted, I'll let ya'll know! :)

My second bit of exciting news? (ohmyheavensyouguysIamsoexcitedIcanbarelystandtosithereandtype) *resists urge to run around office like chicken with cranial counterpart disengaged* (That was a very diplomatic way to say that. I am proud of myself.)
Let me start from the beginning.
For a very long time, I have been pushing Bro. Rodgers to try to get the youth group to get involved in a certain...area. I've had a burden for it and I've been praying about it and pushing it every chance that I get. To the point where I would ask to talk to Bro. Rodgers and he would automatically think that it was about that.-sometimes it was, but not every time. Then, last Sunday (I believe) Bro. Rodgers gave me good news...Pastor approved and we were waiting to announce it.
I figured that it would be a while before anything was said so I did no prepare myself at all on Wednesday night when Pastor Howard announced that the young people are....GOING TO BELIZE!!! Yes! In the Spring, YFT is taking a mission's trip to Belize! I'm so thrilled, I can't even begin to describe it to you. No lie. I just about shot out of my seat and took a few laps around the church at the speed of light. Okay, yeah, so it wouldn't've been that fast, but my heart was going around the church faster than that. I'm too out of shape to literally do that.
So for the next several months, I will be saving money, getting a passport, planning, saving some more, and getting even more excited about this trip. Prepare yourself for the post(s) that will be coming concerning this trip!

So those are the only two things going on right now that I can share with you all. As soon as I can give more announcements, I will be. ;)

Now that you've had all kinds of cardio as a result of the excitement from this post, I'm done. YOu can thank me later.
May your feet never fall off and grow back as cactuses.
Peace be with you!
Lauren Bundy

And Now: A Word From Melissa

Well hey there, it's Melissa :) Lauren asked me to be a guest speaker... or blogger whatever you wish to call it. lol When I asked her what she wanted me to write about she gave a few suggestions and said it didn't matter soooooooo I am going to tell you how I met this crazy, yet fabulous girl (she's not really crazy guys, you're safe)
Any-hoo, I've actually known Lauren for a while, I stumbled upon her blog and enjoyed reading all the poems she wrote. (She is a fantastic writer if you haven't already noticed) Fast forward to Heritage 2013, I noticed a girl wearing a beautiful lace dress and I realized it was THE Lauren I followed on blogger! I complimented her and that was that, no other contact or conversation, it wasn't until last year that we started talking. We were down in the lobby and I noticed she kept looking at me and she suddenly came up and asked "how am I supposed to know you?" I reminded her about the past year and we just hit it off! We hung out the entire time after that and created an instant bond; we felt comfortable with each other. Several people thought we were childhood best friends and wouldn't believe us when we told them we had just officially met the day before. lol Since that time Lauren has grown very near and dear to my heart. I know I can call or text her when I need her and she'll be there with a kind word, advice, or something to make me laugh. She is vibrant, caring, loving, funny, and the list can go on forever. My parents got to meet her at heritage this year and they claimed her as their new daughter lol Which is a good thing since she really is like a sister to me :)

Lauren, I can honestly say you're one of the best friends God has ever blessed me with and I'm so thankful He let you be a part of my life. I cherish all of our silly conversations that have me laughing until my stomach hurts along with our deep heartfelt ones. You're beautiful both inside and out, I love you to bits and pieces!!!


***Lauren here! ('Awwwww!!' was totally my first response.)  I told Melissa that she could write about whatever, which is why I am going to go ahead and post this but with this disclaimer; Don't believe a word of it! haha
Melissa is an amazing friend and I'm definitely getting the better end of the deal with our relationship! I know that whenever I'm feeling blue or I start complaining (which is ironic because I hate it (and she knows that!)...but I'm definitely guilty of it, much to my shame) she is always there to get my attention and remind me of all the things that I have to be thankful of. And of course we can be goofy together. (Think SH 2015 in the hotel lobby with Genesis) Anyway, Melissa is way awesome-er than me on any given day and I love her more than I love bacon. And that is a lot.


Brought to you by Lauren Bundy and Melissa Garcia
Co-Owners of Lauren's Gazette

Excitement is right around the corner...

And I mean riiiiight around the corner. You'll see it posted in about 5 minutes. That is how right around the corner it is.
Why?
Melissa's post is here and I'm about to post it! I'm excited to read it and I'm sure you are too so I won't dawdle...off to bring you the amazing Melissa Garcia! *said in best announcer's voice*
Cheerio!
Lauren Bundy

Its A New Day

I'm feeling incredibly uninspired to write today, so I am just going to give you the second hint concerning the 1st announcement coming up...(I said first because I can tell you about another awesome announcement! Yay!)
Anyway, today's hint is:
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It has something to do with The Lighthouse Church.
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*ba dum tsss*
...

I'm getting more and more excited about it, but I am even more excited about the news that I am now cleared to share...aaaand I'll probably share it tomorrow because, to be honest, I don't feel like writing the whole story right now and we have already decided that suspense is good. So, that being said, stay tuned for another update soon! :)


Ciao!
Lauren Bundy

P.S.
Melissa hasn't forgotten about us, I promise. They've had a bit of an emergency and she has been busy working with that. She is still writing a post for us, it is just going to take her a little bit longer than originally planned. Stay tuned, because you may miss the post if you don't! :)

Stating the Obvious

Doesn't it both annoy you and entertain you (to an extent) when someone states the obvious? You drive past a tree and someone says something like "Oh look! Its a tree!". You just want to commend them for recognizing general foliage, right?
How about when you're doing something and someone asks what you are doing?-when it is incredibly obvious. For instance, you are bent over your sink in the bathroom brushing your teeth and a sibling strolls past questioning what you are doing. Uhhmmm, what does it look like I am doing? I'm making spaghetti, duh.
I think that annoys most of us after a while.
I'm about to get a little annoying here in a minute, because I am about to state the obvious (and some not-so-obvious things).

I think it is pretty obvious, especially those of you that I am often in contact with, that things have been pretty awesome around here of late (but then again, when aren't they?). ADMIT prep is in full swing, we are on fire for God from Summer Heritage, and the Lord has really been moving and working in our church and community. I can't help but state the obvious here, but God is so good to us! I am so thankful for what He is doing in our midst and I can't wait to see what all He is going to do at ADMIT this year. I know it is going to be incredible and more than worth all of the effort that has been put into it.
So, while we've had quite a bit of excitement around here these past few weeks, we are about to get even exciteder  more excited. School is about to start (which is crazy), ADMIT will soon be upon us and gone before we can even take a nap, and Lauren has even more exciting things coming up in the very near future. You may not get nearly as excited about it as I am, but oh well. I'm excited and you don't have to be involved if you don't want to. :) I will be posting about what is coming up here in a few days but I will give you a hint...
I'm trying to decide if I want to give you one hint every day or all at once...
Ahh, suspense is good. I'll give you one a day until I can announce it. *insert evil laughter similar to Jay's laugh on Unbecoming Jay*
Today's hit is:
...
*ba dum tsss*
...
It has to do with writing.
...

Now that you are smothered in suspense and an overwhelming desire to know what is taking place, I will be leaving you to your wondering. *insert same evil laugh used above*

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and doesn't die of curiosity before tomorrow.
Au revoir! :)
Lauren Bundy

Gas Station Revival; an awesome & humbling experience

Yesterday I had the coolest experience. It was a first for me and hopefully not a last. I'm thankful that God is working and opening doors in our community for us to walk through.

On with the story...

As many of you know, I had a wreck on June 20th. A lady backed into me and though the damage to the truck was very minor, I suffered from whip lash, subluxation of the spine, and some other things that I don't know the names of...(like my neck curves the wrong way now?...its weird). As a result of this accident, I get to see my wonderful chiropractor 3 times a week. Its great. Actually I would rather not need to go, but you know.

So yesterday I left work and headed out for the chiropractor. I got on the highway and realized that gas tank was nearly empty (I'm not comfortable driving around Tulsa like that in case something happens. I try to keep at least a quarter of a tank or so). I'm going to be honest with you all; I was complaining to myself about it. I was already running 5 minutes later than I really wanted to be and I was kinda frustrated with the whole situation. I mumbled something like 'Ugh, really? I have to get gas and get to the chiropractor on time. But since I have to get gas, I may not be able to go clean for a few minutes at the church before I go over to dinner (at a friend's house for a birthday party). This is so annoying.' You know, the usual complaining that shouldn't be happening at all. Yeah, that.

Well obviously, I don't have much of a choice but to get gas, so I decide which QT to go to and make a beeline for it. I got there and started pumping gas into my truck. I was standing there waiting for it when a lady walked around the pump. She said "Hi" so I greeted her and asked if she was well. She came over to talk to me.

 She said, "Honey, I need to talk to you. I don't mean you no harm, but my daughter, she is in Muskogee. She was in a horrible accident.-a truck hit her and they said she broke her leg but they have to take her baby. I don't have a dollar to my name and I'm just trying to get there before they take her baby."
I told her that I was sorry, I didn't have any cash and the like.
She said, "Oh honey, I don't want any money. I was just wondering if you could buy me a little bit of gas to help me get there. I don't have a dollar to my name so I'm out her begging people for help."
I told her that I could buy her a little bit but I couldn't fill her tank all the way up. But I would only buy her gas on one condition; She had to promise to come to church. I told her about the church, where it was located, and I promised that we would pray for her and her daughter because I know a healer, then I gave her a church card.

As I was getting my card out, I had a trillion thoughts running through my head. I remember asking the Lord if I was being foolish and putting myself in danger or if He had lead me to this person. The only thought that I could make sense of at the moment kept coming to my mind.

Hebrews 13:2-Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

I bought her gas and she was getting ready to leave but she stopped and asked me to pray with her. Right there in the parking lot of QuikTrip at 51st and Union (which isn't the most elite part of town in case you aren't familiar with the area). I was blown away. So I grabbed her hands and prayed for her and her daughter. When I got done I told her that the only thing she could do, the only way that I wanted her to 'pay me back' was to be at church. I told her to come and look me up, tell me about her daughter, and have church. She promised that she would and gave me a hug. Then she got in her truck and they drove away.

I prayed for her the rest of the evening and woke up this morning with her on my mind. I am so excited about that entire experience and now I'm really apologizing for complaining about having to stop and get gas. The Lord knows exactly what we need and has things in mind for us-even little things like having to stop and get gas- to put us in a position to help others or even be helped.

I didn't tell this story to boast or act like I am anything special. I just am amazed by the entire experience and want to encourage anyone who reads this to take advantage of every opportunity that you have to be a blessing.-you never know how God is going to work.

If you don't already reach out into your community, if you aren't involved with outreach or bus ministry or something of the sort...do it! Even if you can't go with the rest of the outreach team. Hand out fliers during your lunch break. Skip a day of shopping at the mall and go teach Bible studies to homeless people (though I would advise you take someone with you.-especially if you are a lady.). Make cookies and walk around downtown giving them away with a church card attached. Go to the local zoo and ask them to pass out fliers at the check in booth or if you can hand them out to those that are interested (our zoo has done this before!). Find something to do for the work of God. Couple it with fasting and prayer. You'll be amazed at how God starts working in your community.-even if it takes time and seems to be fruitless at first...it isn't. You've just planted the seed and it'll come up in due season.
John 4:35

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Leave a comment if you have any ideas, questions, or just want to comment. I love hearing from each one of you and it lets me know if you're enjoying what you see!

Happy Soul-Winning! :)

Lauren Bundy