Thursday Thoughts

Hello Thursday.  Wow it seems like each week goes faster and faster.  From September to now has just flown by.  From the twins birthday, to Halloween, Thanksgiving and now Christmas just weeks away my mind is a whirlwind.  

The Laurel Lane is primarily a place of beauty and inspiration.  It started as just a fashion blog and now has transformed to a lifestyle blog with home and beauty.  I've been thinking a lot lately about starting this series.  Many of you know that faith is a big part of my life (I often post inspirational quotes on Instagram).  I realized the other day that I have been a Christian for almost 40 years!  My faith and relationship with Christ has changed so much since the day I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was just 4 years old.  Because it's such a big part (the biggest part) of my life I've thought and prayed about making it a part of The Laurel Lane.  I don't know if this will be a weekly post, or when I just feel led to share what's on my heart.  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

This last year has had quite a few changes for our family.  Nothing drastic, just a lot.  All.  At.  Once!  We moved from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh (my hometown), my husband started a new job, the kids a new school.  There has been even more changes since then.  Our family has been waiting for some things to happen and I have been waiting for some things to happen.  There are days when I feel hopeless, afraid that the things I want to change, won't change, can't change.

I try to read a devotional every morning to start my day on the right foot.  My go-to place is the proverbs31ministries.org app.  It's called the First5 app.  On Monday the devotional really hit home to me.  We've been studying the book of Mark and the reading was Mark 5.  Specifically Mark 5:36b "Don't be afraid; just believe".  Mark 5 talks about 3 people dealing with what seems like a hopeless situation.  Enter Jesus.  These 3 individuals should be afraid, and I'm sure a part of them was.  But they also had great faith.  But the teaching said that "Fear is actually the antithesis of faith.  Fear places us in the center, but faith remains focused on Jesus.  Faith is trusting God in the midst of hopelessness".

"Faith is trusting God 

in the midst of hopelessness."

                 ~ Krista Williams

Harder than it sounds.  If there is something you've been praying about for a long time and it seems like God is not answering it can feel hopeless.  You pray every day.  Every day starts with the same prayer and you begin to not even know how to pray for it.  Then begins the fear.  What if God never answers my prayer.  What if God did answer my prayer and the answer is no.  The fear of the what if can be never ending.  DON'T let your mind go there.  As they say, "keep on keeping on."  When the fear sets in... Stop.  Pray.  Pray the simplest prayer - "Jesus, help me.  Help me trust you."  Friends I'm not saying that you will have setbacks, that the fear will come again, that you will tire and be blue.  We are human after all.  Those are the times to set your feet on the Rock.  The ultimate Rock of Jesus

will give you strength, help you in the hopeless, give you joy in the darkness.  

More Thoughts:

I've been praying a prayer for many years.  Some were some days I haven't prayed that prayer.  There are some days I pray the prayer all day long.  I've pray through tears, through laughter, through the still silence.  I am keeping on.  My hope for you is that whatever prayer your heart is praying, that you keep on keeping on.  Be lifted up and carried by God's grace and love.

If you need prayer I would love to hear from you - lulu@thelaurelane.com

With much love,

xo Lulu