Posted in pre- world race by Lauren Lamb on 4/15/2012
My small group at church has been going through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. If you have not read it yet, run down to the nearest bookstore and buy it. This book has taken my Christian walk to a whole new level. This book is all about our love for Christ and how shallow it really is. This book has opened my eyes to how little i truely love Christ. It has made me want to cry my eyes out, and beg for God's forgiveness! I know I sound crazy but if you read the book you will understand. There is one chapter that specifically grabbed my heart. It talks about lukewarm Christianity. Many of us have heard the verse about how if we are lukewarm Christ will spit us out. Well this chapter began to convict the mess out of me. I began to evaluate the places where I am lukewarm. I began to look at my list and see lukewarm I really was. Here I was before thinking i was a pretty good Christian. I mean i read my bible, have a quiet time, go to Church and come on Im going on THE WORLD RACE!!! That should make me some super Christian right??? Man oh man how wrong I am. I began to ask God to help me break those lukewarm habits and man did he do his part. I began to rememeber the joy of my salvation, I began to see how God saw people, my prayer life took off, I began to be bold about talking about Christ to my co-workers. God opened my eyes to how I could be living vs. how I had been living. Man was it a difference. I love living life to the fullest! I always have, I love adventures and being spontaneous! Thats who I am and I love it!!
Ever since my little "awakening" moment a couple weeks ago, I have been in awe of Jesus and his love for me. It was Easter last week as many of you rememeber. I love Easter so much. I love thinking the enemy thought they had won, that they had finally beaten God and were victorious, then BAM here comes Jesus coming out of that tomb!! I wish I could have been there when the enemy realized they did not win after all. Or to have been at that tomb when the angel told the women He is not here, He has risen!!! The look on their faces would have been priceless. It just reminds me of the kind of God that I serve. He is not some dead guy in a tomb, HE IS ALIVE!! Sorry if im getting a little preachy here, but I cant help it. I love knowing the God I in! Then I begin to think about how he called me? and loves little ole me? My little brain cant begin to see the reason in all of that!! Anyways....before I go on a rabbit trail know that God is good.
My fundraising is going well! No Im not fully funded but I am being blessed by so many people who have given so generously! I love you all so much! Without yall I would be as far as I am!! Love you all!
Lauren
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Posted in pre- world race by Lauren Lamb on 3/13/2012
I am so sorry its been so long since my last post!!! I am usually so good about these things but these past weeks have been such a whirlwind. I moved home a little over 2 weeks ago, it was a very hard move to make. I love the city of New Orleans with my heart but I felt like I needed to move home to make and save money for the race. So I packed up my little mazda and moved into my parents basement. Before I left, I was blown away by the generosity of Saints Community Church. The members of that church gave me over 500 dollars in donations. It set me up to really get my fundraising off the ground. I can not imagine the sacrifices some of them made to give me donations and I am so grateful to them for that.
Steven Curtis Chapman has a song where he talks about saddleing up his horses and going on a gread adventure. All of my life I have wanted to be on a adventure. I have wanted to be a part of something great.I wanted to be someone. I wanted to leave a legacy of love for people and love for my God. I love reading about people who people underestimated and they blew people away.That person no one ever thought had it in them, but they overcame the odds and won. I am easily underestimated, but I am 4'11 and 95 pounds soaking wet. I have noodle arms and teeny tiny feet. The only muscle I have is my mouth. I stutter sometimes and usually say whatever is in my mind, which is not always nice. But I am going to do something great. I am going to stand before God and hear him say, " Well done". I am no Mother Theresa, Kari Jobe, or Katniss Everdeen. I am Lauren Lamb and Im going to change the world. I love knowing that the God who empowered the apostles in the gospel will empower me as well. I love reading Acts and seeing all that God did through them. I love reading about the Day of Pentecost or how when their shadows touched people, they were healed. I want that kind of annointing and power in my life. I want to be some immersed in the Holy Spirit, that when I lay hands on the sick, they become well. I want to be so in tune with God that when he says, Lauren go pray for that person, I would go! Not ask questions or doubt myself, but that I would be bold. That has been my prayer these past months and will continue to be, Lord cover me, fill me, change me. Thankfully He helps me daily. All He asks me to do is go. So i am going. I am not looking back or thinking twice. I am stepping into my calling and am going to live it out. For the first time in a long time, I feel alive.I wake up in the morning ready to do war in my prayer life and fight for souls. I have a purpose to fufill. I am ready to put on my 50 pound backpack and go save the world, one life at a time.
love you all,
Lauren
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Posted in pre- world race by Lauren Lamb on 2/14/2012
Switchfoot sings a song called " This is home", every single time I hear this song I think of one place. Africa. Africa. Africa. For those of you who know me, know how I feel about Africa. I am literally obssessed with it. Not just one country, the whole continent. I see one of those commericals about the orphans and I become a basketcase. I do not just cry, I weep over the people there. I dream about Africa. My biggest dream in life is to open up an orphange for girls who have lost their parents to HIV/ AIDS. I hear the stories about these girls and my heart breaks. I am broken for Africa. ( I am actually crying now as i write this). I love all of the African countries the same. I want to eventually go to all of them.
When God called me into Missions my first reaction was umm no thanks God. I like America, I like the yummy food, I like air conditioning, I like being comfortable, and I want to stay here. God was not forceful at all about calling me into Missions. He slowly did it, I almost did not realize it until I was completly consumed by my love for it. I rememeber the day I had my first dream about Africa. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling so overwhelmed by God's prescence, I could only cry. I have had that same dream 3 more times. Every single time I wake up with a heart broken for Africa. I knew ever since that first dream, I was going to Africa.
I have tried to go on a trip to Africa 3 different times. Every time it has fallen through, and I have been unable to go. It has ticked me off every single time. But now is my time. When I looked at my route and saw 3 countries in Africa. My heart started beating so fast and I started crying. This time is right. God has been providing like crazy for my trip. When I first looked at the cost, it scared me to death. But almost EVERY day someone contacts me about supporting me. People who I have not talked to for years, but thanks to facebook know about my trip. I am seeing money come in, and I am in awe of God. Every single person I talk to is a divine appointment. my silly little oreo truffles is probably going to bring in 1,000 dollars. God is so good.
The first time I step on African soil, I dont know how I will react. I will take a moment to rememeber what all God has done to bring me to that moment. How he has orchestrated every single action it took to get me there. I know that for sure that a few lines from that Switchfoot song will be in my head
" Created for a place I have never known, This is home, I am finally where I belong"
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Posted in pre- world race by Lauren Lamb on 2/6/2012
Come away with me, come away.
It's never too late, it's never too late,
it's not too late for you.
I have a plan for you,
It's going to be wild,
it's going to be great,
it's going to be full of Me.
From the first time I heard this song, I knew I loved it. I love knowing that it is never too late for God's plan for me. As people like to remind me I am no longer 18. Some people like to say I am way behind everyone else my age. I have not graduated college, I am not even in college currently. Not because I am lazy, but because I have not figured out what I want to do. I do not want to spend time and money on something I do not even want to do. I do not have a husband, fiancee, boyfriend, or even potiental male friend. Sad but true. I had a woman tell me last month that I must an embarassment to my mother because I do not have a family of my own. Man, talk about hitting you where it hurts. Embarassment??? I promptly called my mother who informed me she is not embrassed but so proud of me for following God's plan when it is the hardest. It is hard! All of my friends have started their careers and most are engaged (or heading that way) then here I am. That is when I ask God, why not me? Why can I not have a comfortable life with a career, a husband and 3.5 kids? Then he reminds me that when I accepted his calling in 2007, I gave up my comfortable life. I gave it up for his wild and crazy plans. When God gives you his heart for people, you are different. I can not tell you how many times I have heard peoples stories and just wept with them. I am not normal anymore. I asked God to see people through his eyes and that is a dangerous prayer to pray. When you begin to see people the way he does, you see more than the surface. You see the hurts and pain they deal with. You hurt with them, you fight with them, you rejoice with them! It is a great feeling to have but it can also be so hard!
I love the lines that talk about God's plans being wild. I love being adventurous!! When I was little my younger brother and I used to always act like we were explorers. Our back yard would become a African safari, or a jungle with bad guys in it! So the fact that God's plan for is WILD is just pretty sweet! Also his plan is for me. No matter how flawed and jacked up I am his plan is for me. I love knowing God has something for me. Just for me. I feel epowered and the need to protect that. Like a precious jewel, God's plan is worth everything time. I love knowing he made it for me. God is just so good even when I least deserve it. This song is just another reminder of that for me. :)
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Posted in General Posts by Lauren Lamb on 2/1/2012
" Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths" Proverbs 3: 5-6
Trust. I do not know about you but that word terrifies me. We live in a world where trust is a dangerous thing. In New Orleans, where I live, everyone says do not trust anyone or anything. We have all had those times where we trusted some one and they decieved us and took advantage of our trust. Trust is not a natural thing anymore. It is hard.
The part of this verse that gets me is " with all your heart". For me it is so easy to trust God in the easy things, the small insignicant things, but when it comes to big things that is when things get messy and rough! That is when my mind goes on overdrive to all the bad things that could happen if God does not come through. Though he always does, sometimes not in the way I want though. Next comes the whole do not lean on your understanding thing. I am a "fixer". I am not someone who just waits around. I want to get it done and move on to the next thing. Most times God is just waiting for me to stop trying to fix my circumstances and let him take over. When I try to fix it, it normally becomes much worse than if I had just waited on God's will for it. These verses are just always such a conviction point for me.
My biggest trust moment was (and still is) the race as a whole. I have moved to different cities before without my family but there has always been people I already know. In the race, I know 1 person. (hi ali!) It is like being in high school all over again! All of those dumb insecurities come back. What if I dont fit in with everyone else? What if everyone hates me? What if I have no friends? I know those are silly, immature thoughts but they are still there. The enemy knows right what to say to fuel those old insecurities! I really hate him! I take a deep breath remind myself that I am being ridiculous and know at least someone will be friend. haha. Next comes the hardest part of this process. The money. $15,500 is a butt load of money. It is such a large sum of money that it scares the fire out of me! I was talking to a girl from my team Katie yesterday and she reminded me of how big my God is. ( thanks Katie) That tore me up! How silly of me to focus so much on the size of the money that i forget who called me to the trip and who I serve!! I serve a God where 15,500 dollars is not a big deal! I know he told me to go on this trip therefore he will provide for me! Whenever I have a weak moment, I remind myself 1. I trust God with all my heart and 2. I serve a big God who has this whole thing taken care of!!
Finally, please keep praying for my hometown Birmingham, Al. There are so many people hurting and homeless right now due to the tornados last week! There is just so much damage that it is overwhelming! Pray for peace for these peoples lives who lost everything and for the resources to find another place to live. I love you all. God bless.
Lauren
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Posted in General Posts by Lauren Lamb on 1/24/2012
Early Monday morning, many lives were changed, altered ,and turned upside down. It is so crazy how in one split second your whole world and perspective can change. As many of you know, I am from Pinson, Al. I lived there for 10 years before I moved to New Orleans. I graduated high school from there, learned some hard lessons from there, and have countless memories from there. But that has all changed. For those of you who dont know on Monday tornadoes ripped through Clay/ Pinson, Al and destroyed whole neighborhoods, and killed people in its path. I remember last April watching the new as those tornados ripped through Tuscaloosa. I was sad, I felt bad for those people, and my heart hurt. This time it is so much more different. I am broken, I can not think about it and not cry. I want to drop everything here in NOLA and rush back to Al to help. So many people are hurt and I am here, when I should be there. I saw a picture of where I used to live a couple years ago. We moved out of that house about 3 years ago. But my old neighboorhood is gone. I am not quite sure if our old house is still there, but with so few houses still standing, I doubt it. I have read story after story of people who have lost everything and my heart breaks now. But there is hope. Throughout all of this God is reminding me that he is still in control. He is still unshakable, ummovable God. When these people have nothing to cling to, He remains. Even though,these people lost everything, they are still alive. Most of them have few if any injuries. A house can be rebuilt, new cars can be bough, but a life can not be replaced. It brings things into perspective. Nothing is more valuable than a life. A life is irreplacable.
God has used this to remind me why I signed up for the World Race. I have always said " I want to love the unloveable, reach the unreachable and touch the untouchable". I want to be Jesus with skin on as my Dad always says. God has given me a heart, a burden for these people and I want to help them however I can! He is reigniting that burden inside of me for others. I have let that burden die, instead of letting it consume me. Day to Day living is hard, real life is tough!! I have been so focused on myself that I forgot to care about others. But thank you God for a kick in the butt sometimes. I needed to be reminded what my purpose as Lauren Lamb is. Thank you Jesus it is not to work in a Vet Clinic my whole life!! ugh. :( I love people for a reason.
Anyways, thats it for today. My friends please pray for Alabama as it goes through this hard time of rebuilding. thanks.
Lauren
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Posted in General Posts by Lauren Lamb on 1/17/2012
CHANGE. Why is it that the word change seems so scary? Most of the time change is good! Change can be exciting, fun, and diffrent. But so many people shy away from change. They would rather stay in the same job, wear the same clothes, and have the same friends. Blah. Blah. Blah. Change is good. I have never been scared of change. In fact, I embrace change. I love moving to different places, meeting new friends, or having my schedule shaken up. I find change fun, i am not very fond of a boring life. I like adventure, it gives me a purpose for living. But right now I am scared. Scratch that. I am TERRIFIED. The world race is a whole diffrent type of change. I will not have my comfortable solid life. I will be in the unfamiliar constantly. I will have to depend on my team, I can not be independent Lauren Lamb anymore. I will be thrown into situations that are uncomfortable and strange. I am just thinking about these situations now and my heart is beating fast. Do not worry supporters! These will not be dangerous situations. I will not be catching wild animals for dinner or anything like that. I will be perfectly safe.
At the beginning of every year, I look back in my journals from the year before. For instance, I read my entry from January 2011 this year. It is crazy how much can change in a year. In January 2011 I was living at home, working at CVS Pharmacy, and nursing a very broken heart. Now I am living in New Orleans, working at a vet clinic and I have a happy healed heart. 2011 was a very big year for me. It was a year of faith and learning to fully trust God in all aspects of my life. As I read my journal entry, I was taken back to the exact moment last year. I rememeber lying on my bed, asking God to teach me to be more like him and to mold me into what he wanted. I had no real idea what I was asking back then. I had a lot of " teachable" moments last year and I learned some hard lessons as well. But now, I would not trade them for anything. I am a different Lauren now, than I was then.
2012 will be a year of new experiences. I was talking to my pastor and his wife last week and they said Lauren this trip is going to change your life. I hope it does. I want my life to be radically changed. I want to look back in January 2013 and be amazed at what God has done. I want to be so far out of my comfort zone that I would want to live my life that way. I want to walk up the sick and pray for them, without thinking twice. I want to be able to trust God fully and not think twice about it. I want to be changed.
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Posted in General Posts by Lauren Lamb on 1/11/2012
" Take my dreams, come and give them wings"
I rememeber that night so clearly. It was April 2007, I was in a youth service in Atlanta, Ga and it was wayyy past my bedtime. I felt God call me to the ministry, it was on of the few times I heard God's voice out loud. It was not a loud yell it was a gentle soft whisper, almost calming. I remember crying because I was so mad. I dont want to be in ministry God! This not my dream, you can not call me to this! God, are you sure? All of these things went through my head at once. I was begging God to ask someone else. There was no way I could ever preach! People dont really even like me. All these were of course were lame excuses and that were no where near truthful! After that night, I began the long process of ok God where do you want me? Finally after countless hours of praying and worrying I knew. Missions. Orphans. Africa. After the first time I prayed and weeped over Africa, I was forever changed, my heart was broken for people who were hopless..
Now almost 5 years later, i will finally meet them. I have prayed and cried for these people countless times and now I get to go. I dont have to listen to other peoples stories about their experiences, I can finally experience them myself. I will get hold those children and tell them about a Father who loves them. And I cant wait. I have waited so many years and doubted God a couple times but as always HIs timing was way better than mine. Starting in July 2012 (with your help of course) I will begin my journey. The World Race. and i cant WAIT! GOD IS SO GOOD!!!
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