2013

Well, 2013 has been my favorite year of life yet - by far! I am not where I want to be, but I am extremely happy at where I am now and what the future looks like at this point. I wanted to share some highlights from this year that made it my best year yet!

1. I began at American Airlines on December 3, 2012 and just celebrated my one year anniversary with the company recently! I stuck through probation, never called in sick, got two raises, and met some wonderful co-workers.

2. In January I flew to Tampa, Florida to hang out with my friend Sara for a weekend. We spent time catching up, tanning on the beach, and relaxing.

3. In February Nick came to visit in Dallas for 3 weeks. We got to know each other a lot better and traveled all over the DFW metroplex. Mavericks game, Dallas Stars game, Cowboy Stadium tour, dancing at Red River, out in Uptown in Dallas, walked around downtown Dallas in the day, Fort Worth Stockyards, walks at night, the movies, and etc. We also stayed in a suite at the Grand Hyatt in New York City and had an amazing time.

4. I became good friends with people I worked a cart business with and made excellent money there, unfortunately in July we had to stop, but we are still friends! I had great times going out to Rangers, Cowboys, and sports events and getting to see them all.

5. In June I flew to Australia for my second time to visit Nick! The first night we stayed at the Four Seasons in Sydney since we had an early flight to catch to Melbourne the following morning. In Melbourne we toured around, saw an AFL (aussie football) game, stayed in an awesome suite at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne, ate at cafes, went to the casino at night, and etc. We then did a road trip on Great Ocean Drive to see 12 Apostles and the beautiful sight down there. It was by far one of the most beautiful sights and we had so much fun singing in the car and going to beaches. After we flew back into Sydney I stayed with his parents and met his family! They were extremely kind and I loved talking to them and getting to know them.

6. In July my family and I took a vacation to Chicago! We watched fireworks from the Navy Pier, got deep dish pizza from Gino's, spent time on the beach, did tours, and took a river cruise one night.

7. In July I also flew to San Diego to hang out with 3 girls I did not really know. I had a blast with them and getting to know them! We snorkeled with seals in the bay, tanned on the beach, went out to eat, went out in downtown San Diego one night to have drinks, and rode bikes on Coronado Island.

8. In August I took my dad to London and Scotland for his birthday. We went to a church service at the Westminster Abbey (where royals get married and coronation takes place). It felt like one of the most holy places I had experienced, you really could feel God's presence in there. We also saw the London Eye, Tower of London - went in the castle as well to tour it, parliament, Buckingham Palace, British Museum, and got rained on in the cold. The service is very rude in London and people were not friendly, but still a nice time. Scotland was beautiful and I loved the accents. We saw Edinburgh Castle and did two ghost tours! There is a pub every other place, so witnessed some goofy drunks at night as well.

9. In October I took my mom to Seattle, Washington for her birthday! We stayed downtown and did a boat cruise around the area, saw Mount Rainier, Pike's place, went to the first Starbucks ever, the fish market, glass blown museum, and etc. We had a good time - on the flight there I also saw a meteor flying from the sky that was beautiful, blue and green!

10. In November I went back to Australia for the 3rd time for 3 weeks! I stayed with Nick in his new place just outside of Sydney and got to help decorate it! I just wanted to do normal every day things with him this time, so we went for walks, went to the beach, went shopping at the mall, watching tv and movies at home, went to see the hunger games, and to animal parks nearby. While he worked I cooked dinner for when he got home (which will be #11). His parents came up to visit one day and got me a very nice gift and took us out to lunch. I also visited Cairns and snorkeled on the great barrier reef,  went sky diving, hiked through the rainforest, and relaxed on the beach.

11. I learned to cook fairly well this year! Last year I burned things or they tasted absolutely terrible... haha. I have a list of dishes I can successful make and I hope that list continues!

11. I turned 23 - I didn't do anything for my birthday, but I was okay with that. I learned that being patient brings far better things. I always felt a birthday was a special time for each personal, and me personally, I like to spend that day with someone close to my heart. A week later I found Nick would visit in just a few weeks, which leads me to #12...

12. Nick had been really sick with a chest infection and still managed to come to Dallas to see me on his holiday from work for Christmas vacation. We did the normal things, but it was the perfect was to end 2013 for me! I am thankful that he is always there for me and always has been. We are like two peas in a pod even though we are complete opposites. He is a finance and math nerd that loves running, action movies, and Star Trek and well.... I am me! I am thankful God meant for us to meet because he truly has changed my life, and I couldn't imagine life without him now.

13. I am glad that God has answered so many of my prayers this year. I have learned that God's plans are so much better than my own. If I have to fight for something over and over then it is not in God's will - God's will gives me incredible peace. I no longer live in fear, anxiety, or worry. I feel love and can give love, I hope, I have faith, and I laugh. I can't believe I went so long turning away from God and trying my own thing as if I knew what was best. Living life in the dark with people who live for the darkness was the worst mistake of my life and brought me down to my lowest. I know 2013 was only a stepping stone at what God is doing in my life and I push on for Him. It is a lifelong battle, but I know which side to fight for now.

Thank you God for 2013.... for new friends, Nick, traveling, a job that gives me the ability to travel for next to nothing, for saving money, for setting goals, and for finding joy in Your Will.

I am more than ready for 2014!

Love,

   Lauren

Recent Photos! 

Christmas Time

I hope everyone has a blessed Christmas this year with their families. Remember that most of us live our lives for ourselves throughout the year, but this time of the year is here for us to sorely celebrate Jesus' birth and how it lead to saving our souls. How Mary was blessed with a baby and lived off pure faith until the messiah came. Sometimes it is hard to have faith in life, but as I think about how Mary must have felt it inspires me to always keep the faith. If an angel appeared and said she was having the son of God, then had to tell others she was a virgin and was to give birth to a baby named Jesus it must have been difficult. While pregnant a woman should also be taken good care of to ensure the health of the baby. Mary traveled around and on the night on her birth did not even have a place to lay down. She ended up giving birth in a manager surrounded by animals - the king of the world born in a barn.

If you have forgotten where Jesus was born and the life he lived, remember it this Christmas. Many of us think we need fancy cars, clothes, houses, and status. None of that matter. God does not care who all you know, what you drive, what house you live in, or what you look like. He wants your heart - not part of it, but all of it. He wants you to love him through faith and obeying Him. Words without actions are dead, and that is not something a Christian wants to hear on judgement day. No matter what you have done in your past, may you be a light to the darkness in the world - the one who lights up a place with Godliness instead of the one who makes the room dark from sin.

As for my personal life, I got an australian delivered to Irving, TX for Christmas this year! Nick had been working so hard and was really sick, but he still flew 17 hours so I wouldn't have to wait until February to see him again! The best gift ever is being around someone you love. He is so wonderful for sacrificing his time and money to visit. So bring on the cowboys this Sunday and all of the other activities we will be doing!

Merry Christmas & God Bless!

Love,

    Lauren

Duck Dynasty - Speaking Out in Truth!

It is very infuriating how Phil was suspended from A&E's television show Duck Dynasty for him voicing his beliefs in an interview. As someone from the conservative side which does not support the gay lifestyle, we have to hear about it on a daily basis. Work places, the news, parades, and groups formed to promote the lifestyle. It is not just myself that is speaking on behalf of this matter, but a vast majority of America that still does not and will not agree with this lifestyle. No - I do not want to see man on man in gay parades wearing speedos while the city decorates everything in rainbow. I don't want to hear about it at work or especially be criticized for what I believe in. If a community of people decide to believe otherwise then fine, so be that, but as for myself... I do not want it shoved down my throat. How does that make me or others who have the same views as I do hateful, non-christian, idiotic, or homophobic? Phil clearly stated he would never treat another person differently because we are all God's children, as the same would go for myself. People cannot pick and choose what they want from the Bible - it is not like ordering off a menu.

"And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book." [Revelations 22:19]

Phil refers to the following verse that says that not only homosexuality, but sleeping with anyone except your husband or wife is a sin and that those who continue this practice after knowing the truth will not even in heaven. This is a very heavy heavy topic, but it cannot be ignored. I myself made the decision at 19 to not wait until marriage with my boyfriend at the time, something I do regret very deeply now. Assuming that someone loves you and that you will marry them should never be enough to give yourself up for another person. Involving yourself in sexual acts out of emotional pain, loneliness, or anger should never be enough either. There is a reason God tells you to wait until marriage with your husband or wife. Some people will learn the difficult way after sinning - maybe not until years later even. Pregnancy, STD's, miscarriage, the pain of splitting up with a lover, and having to tell the person you marry who all you have been with. It is meant to be a very special bond that God gave husband and wife. The only mentions of men sleeping with another man in the bible is in reference to sin, just as adultery and pre-maritual sex is spoken of as well. God still loves these people just as much, but Jesus came to earth to speak the truth in love. 

There would have been no point in Jesus coming to earth to save us for our sins if he has simply said, "Do what makes you happy - sleep with who you want, get drunk whenever you want, sure do this and that." No - God's focus is not for you to be happy 24/7. God's focus is for you to love and obey God, love your neighbor as yourself, and honor Him in your ways of life! That can be a person's number one mistake when trying to have faith in God. I used to be so angry at God for making my lonely and put myself in situations that hurt myself more than loneliness for a period of time would have done. In doing God's will, only that will truly bring you an unexplainable joy. Sure - we are all bound to make mistakes and go astray from time to time. We may have those nights where we say, "Oh one time wont hurt", but in the end... it does. When we stand before God on judgement day and he holds us accountable for everything we did in our life... how then will be feel knowing heaven and hell are reality and we will be going to one of those places? We get into heaven by loving God, and through honoring Him in our lives. If we only live to please ourselves or try to make others happy by pushing God away or demeaning what His commandments were then what will he have to say to us at the end? 

Don't waste your life living for the devil in disguise. The devil comes as everything you ever wanted, not as a man in horns. When you are tempted with things of the world and choose things such as premarital sex, drugs, stealing, belittling others, lying, perversion, fits of anger, depression, drunkenness, and a love of money - you are dealing with the devil himself. We all deal with the devil in our own ways... but we have to recognize how he tries to steal us away from God. The devil tries to steal me through if I drink alcohol or lust. Those are my weaknesses and I am not afraid to admit them. I recognize how I am tried to be lured into think that those are okay with God. 

Back to Phil and Duck Dynasty - do not let the devil lure you away from God's truth even if the media tries to put the roles in reverse. The Bible does state that such acts as sin and that man and woman should be joined together in marriage. Don't let the devil think he can win - stand alongside Phil and the Robertson family in Duck Dynasty for their sound biblical views and standing up for God's word!

You are always enough. Nothing you have done in the past could ever keep you away from all that God wants you to be. You are loved by more than you know and God has such a plan for you that you cannot even fathom it. Nothing you give up on earth will ever compare to what God has in store for you... so leave it all behind. Don't worry about things in this world, they will come to pass quicker than the blink of an eye. 

Ice Day!

I turned around from going to San Francisco last night and stayed in Texas for the weekend. Got some good videos sledding around in laundry baskets with my brother and our animals. I've never been a big fan of cold weather (I put on 30 layers when it gets below 40 degrees) but it has been a good day. I had green tea with my Grandpa and played with Queen over there and am getting to snuggle with Weezy and my cats while watching movies tonight and playing with my stocks. I may make some home made white hot chocolate as well. I turn 23 in just a few days... it looks like I will have to postpone my birthday plans with all the ice though. I don't feel like crashing my car or getting out in the freezing weather. Hope everyone else in Texas is having a nice ice day with their families! I love December! God bless.

With love,

Lauren

Australia, round 3!

So thankful to spend time with the love of my life this month! I am unexplainably blessed. I thank God for remaining faithful to my prayers and allowing me to travel to Australia every two months from now on to visit him. I have never met someone before who I felt complete peace with and felt as if it was the missing piece to my soul - a part that God created in me specifically for him to fill. He is the most kind, gentle, intelligent, successful, pure, hard working, and handsome man in the world. The only man I would fly across the world to cook with and have movie cuddle nights :)

Rainy weekend.

Feeding kangaroos at the animal park.

The Great Barrier Reef.

A Cry to Men

What type of man are you becoming - or more so, what type of impact are you making in the lives of others? While on Facebook today I saw many people posting a YouTube video of rapper Lil Wayne's new song... only this song had a VERY bad message. I am not a fan of Lil Wayne in any way, and I refuse to listen to the majority of rappers now days because of the degrading, unChristian messages they send out. This specific one entitled "Love Me" not only talks about sex, drugs, and loose women that he has no respect for, but says "ho*s love me like satan". WHY would anyone want to listen to this man or support his music, especially if they call them self a Christian? Jay-Z has said "life starts when the church ends" in one of his songs, and several other artists have blasphemed the Bible in numerous ways through their songs. While the beat may be good - the message behind it leaks into the crevasses of the minds listening and influences us without us even realizing it. The more we listen the more we begin to push everything aside and become lukewarm - thinking nothing is wrong and he did not "mean to say that". 

He means every word in his lyrics, otherwise he would not put them out. If you did not believe in something, would you make it your entire reputation or identity? I am disgusted by men like him and pray that my generation will be courageous in standing up against these type of influences. Especially the men - men have such a great impact in this world and have the power to change so much. Men have the opportunity to either use women or respect them, share the gospel or live a life against what the Bible stands for, be a family man or a party animal, act as a disciple of Christ or work against what Jesus died for. 

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 

-Revelations 3:15-17

One of my favorite movies, Courageous, has a great ending speech that applies to men and their children. Please read the manuscript below from the movie regarding men's roles in their children (only please apply that to their family, friends, loved ones, and those they encounter in daily lives). We depend on the men of our generation to be the example for our children and those we will live with. A cry from every Christian woman - please be the courageous man that God made you to be. You are capable of so much, loved so much, and the women of the world look up to you. Please, be courageous for the Lord - we believe in you!

I now believe that God desires for EVERY father to courageously step up and do whatever it takes to be involved in the lives of his children. But more than just being there providing for them, he is to walk with them through their young lives and be a visual representation of the character of God, their father in heaven. A father should love his children, and seek to win their hearts. He should protect them, discipline them, and teach them about God. He should model how to walk with integrity and treat others with respect, and should call out his children to become responsible men and women, who live their lives for what matters in eternity. Some men will hear this, and mock it. Or ignore it. But I tell you that as a father, you are accountable to God for the position of influence he has given you. You can't fall asleep at the wheel, only to wake up one day and realize that your job or your hobbies have no eternal value, but the souls of your children do. Some men will hear this and agree with it, but have no resolve to live it out. Instead, they will live for themselves, and waste the opportunity to leave a godly legacy for the next generation. But there are some men, who regardless of the mistakes we've made in the past, regardless of what our fathers did NOT do for us, will give the strength of our arms and the rest of our days to loving God with all that we are and to teach our children to do the same. And whenever possible to love and mentor others who have no father in their lives, but who desperately need help and direction. And we are inviting any man whose heart is willing and courageous, to join us in this resolution. In my home, the decision has already been made. You don't have to ask who will guide my family, because by God's grace, I will. You don't have to ask who will teach my son to follow Christ, because I will. Who will accept the responsibility of providing and protecting my family? I will. Who will ask God to break the chain of destructive patterns in my family's history? I will. Who will pray for, and bless my children to boldly pursue whatever God calls them to do? I am their father. I will. I accept this responsibility and it is my privilege to embrace it. I want the favor of God and his blessing on my home. Any good man does. So where are you men of courage? Where are you, fathers who fear the Lord? It's time to rise up and answer the call that God has given to you and to say I will.

Truly, Nothing is Impossible.

   Some parts of life simply suck. We all have bad days, bad weeks, bad years, and bad seasons. When we are in these bad periods of time it makes it so difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel or how any of our pain could possibly be a good thing. A great deal of people often ask ourselves why bad things happen to good people, why good people have to hurt, and why God would allow those he loves to be in pain. One of the greatest explanations comes from a fantastic preacher, Francis Chan. Francis holds a long rope with one end of it dipped in a red wax of some sort that is just a few inches long on the rope. He explains how the small red sections is our time on earth and that the rest of the rope is our eternity. He then begins going into how God saw us before we were born, our short time on earth, and our eternity - what will happen after we leave earth. If we could all see the bigger picture and look at our own lives through God's eyes we could have a better understanding of why certain things happen. Sometimes we bring pain upon ourself or on those we love by not following God and going against His plan for us which causes bad things to happen while others may not be understood until we have the opportunity to ask Him. Have you ever been in a place where you felt as if something was impossible? A time where you ran away from a situation because you had no faith in what God could do if you had only asked?

   God can do anything - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams. He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us. That is the amazing thing about God - you can't find a job? God can provide one. You and your husband aren't happy? God can bring the two of you back together, and fall in love more than ever before. You are dealing with depression or anger? God can take those negative feelings away and replace them with joy. You have done too many bad things? God forgives all sins, and so do those who love God. You cannot have children? If God wants you to have one, by God you will - Sarah waited 80 years to have a son but God answered her prayer. If a person asks God with Godly intentions and lets Him know what they truly want - it will not only be heard but answered. There will be doors open, sins forgiven, pain taken away, and feelings of love and joy. If one continues on the wrong path or ignores the doors opened from God they can not expect certain prayers to be answered fully. God will reach out half way but we all must meet Him the other half. He is not going to give everything to us on a silver platter while we disobey Him and leads other away from Him. There will always be a struggle between obeying and disobeying God, living for the world or living for Him, choosing His plan for us or choosing our own. The mental battle is overwhelming at times - we want to be "normal" but we also have the Holy Spirit as a couscous giving us peace in our mind when something is correct and thinking twice if it is not. 

In the past 5 years the most important lessons I have learned are:

• Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” -1 Corinthians 15:33
• Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! -Matthew 18:21-22
• “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. -Matthew 7:12
• But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.' -Matthew 7:23

1) Yes, if you hang around bad company YOU will become bad company to others. While the people may not be "bad", unpleasant, or rude people if they take you further from God through words and actions then they are not encouraging and uplifting you in a Godly way.

2) People make mistakes, every single one of them. Every single person will make both small and large mistakes, but so will you. God forgave you for all of your sins before you were even born. If you cannot learn to forgive, you will continue being disappointed by every person you become close with. Always forgive.

3) If you would not want something to happen to you, don't do it to someone else. 

4) You may think you are going to live until your 80, die in bed, and have a happy life. The truth is, most people don't - even though that is hard to think about at a younger age. Cancer, illness, accidents, suicide, murder, overdoses, and tragedies are all more common than we think. The older we get the more we will begin to see this. If you were to die today, would you be ready to meet God? No one wants to hear those words, "I never knew you" after neglecting to love God and focus only on our own happiness.

   What is in the way of keeping you from believing that nothing is impossible with God? 

In order to begin going back to a Godly lifestyle (it will never be perfect, I will fail, but trying) I followed these steps that I would recommend:

1) Leave the bad influences behind you - they may be fun, but losing your soul just to hang on to those that do not bring you closer to God will not benefit yourself or them in the long run. No one needs those closest to them to be these kind of people - if you love them than bring them OUT of the ungodly situations, but do not put yourself in the same situations as them.

2) Believe in yourself and know your value. God created just as you are for a purpose and He wants you do come to Him to fulfill that purpose. You are amazing, cherished, smart, capable, and loved. There is always someone who thinks about you before they go to bed and would do anything for you.

3) Pray. Pray often. Pray when your happy. Pray when your sad. Pray when your angry. Pray when your heartbroken. Pray when your addicted. Pray when your tired. Pray when you are lost. Pray when you are unhappy with where you are. Pray when you fail. Pray when you make mistakes. Pray when you are hurting. Pray for others. Pray for your family. Pray for your country. Pray for the leaders. Pray for the church. Pray for wisdom. Pray for a pure heart. Pray to be the Godly man/woman that God created you to be. Prayer makes all the difference and is the only thing that will change your life.

4) Make the changes necessary to meet God half way so that he may bless you. As pastor TD Jakes says... "Do you have the mind to be blessed?". We all must have the mindset that we WILL be blessed. This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice in it!

I encourage you all to think about things you have thought were impossible. People you thought were impossible, goals you thought were impossible, changes to yourself you thought were impossible... and know that they ARE possible if you ask God with Godly intentions! No one should leave this earth without seeing what all God is capable of doing for them... all He wants is for you to let Him!

Much Love,

    Lauren

P.S. When I get back from England & Scotland I will share stories about "impossible" things God has made 100% possible for me! I will also give an update on who is coming to visit me here in Texas! :)

Lunch With a Homeless Man

Today as I was driving into a gas station while coming home from a trip, I saw a homeless man walking down the road approaching the store I was going into. The man was in his fifties with gray hair, a scruffy beard, a thin body, a torn red backpack, and an old water bottle that was approximately 1/4 of the way full. He was homeless and did not have much except for the raggedy clothes on his back and whatever he had in his slender lifeless backpack. The man also was walking his black and white dog with a leash that was only hanging by a few threads. The dog was very dirty, but I could tell that the mutt of a dog was very comfortable with this man. As I was inside of the store purchasing a water bottle, I saw the man outside of the store taking a small bowl out of his backpack and pouring the remainder of his only water bottle into the bowl for the dog to drink. After the dog had lapped up the small amount of water given, the man took the last slice of bread out of his back pack and shared it equally with his furry companion. The man sat on the bench across from the convenient store and ate his bread, smiling and petting his dog who was alongside of him. As I approached the cashier to pay for my water I proceeded back to get two more bottles as well as two cold sandwiches they had pre-made. As I paid for my purchases I walked to the bench and asked the homeless man what his dogs name was and what breed. He replied saying that his dogs name was Sampson and that he was a mutt. He had found Sampson a few years ago as a puppy thrown into a garbage can and had taken care of him since. When he found Sampson he was very emaciated, sickly, scared, and weak. The man dug through trash cans to find food, blankets, and and any water that was left over that the puppy could have to survive. As the weeks passed by Sampson grew stronger and even began to develop a personality of his own. He was eating, drinking water, and sleeping in a blanket at night to stay warm. Sampson began to depend on his owner to provide shelter, food, nurturing, protection, and love. He had developed a trust for this man after the man had saved him from his pain, loneliness, sickness, and potentially death. When Sampson had no one else and was thrown away as trash, the least likely person picked him up and saved him when everyone else had abandoned him. The man proceeded to tell me how much he loved Sampson and how he kept him company since he did not have any family left alive. His parents died in a car crash when he was fourteen and the only other family he had was his seven year old sister. Since there was no other family to take care of the two children, they were both split up and sent to separate orphanages. That was the last he ever saw of his sister and he spent the next four years of his life waiting to be adopted. After the orphanage released him he joined the military and was shipped to Vietnam to fight in the war for several years. When the war was over he returned home to be alone once more and made his home in South Carolina while he worked for an insurance company for some time. He met a woman named Martha whom he fell in love with and eventually married. They bought a small home in South Carolina and had a daughter shortly after named Jenny. Jenny was his whole world, for the short period of time that him and Martha had her on earth. His daughter died unexpectedly in the middle of the night, what we now call sudden infant death syndrome when she was five months old. After his daughters passing his wife was an emotional wreck and could not function properly. One day she left a note saying good-bye, with all of her belongings taken out of their home by the time he returned home from work. The man was alone once more and now more broken that ever. He began turning to alcohol, night life, and women for comfort. His party life style was fun at first but turned into a unhealthy addiction that led to health problems, losing his job, losing his home, and being on the streets. Instead of having a birthday party with his family in his home to celebrate his 40th birthday, he was underneath a bridge trying to fall asleep. He had been homeless for nearly thirteen years and the happiest part of his life turned out to be when he found Sampson.

Now when you look at a person the first thing you notice is their physical appearance. We observe the clothes they are wearing, their hairstyle, smile, shoes, and accessories. We began to develop a mindset of what this person is like, what they do, and where they have been in life. If a person appears homeless, we think they made dumb decisions their entire life to bring them there. When we see women half naked at clubs every night we think they sleep around and seek attention from men where ever they can get it. When we see people dressed in all designer clothes we think they are stuck up, have everything possible, and a perfect life. A lot of what we see with our outward eyes can be true, but one thing that each individual has in common is that there is a reason behind the way each of us live our lives. Perhaps the man on the street lost everything, the girl dancing at the club is heart broken, the wealthy person has everything material wise but their home life is a disaster. While each of us is so vastly different, we are all so alike being that we all have had pain. We have lost loved ones, been hurt, had our hearts broken, lost our jobs, barely made enough for bills, and felt as if we are all alone.

In reality, each of us are Sampson at one point or another in life. We are thrown away by those who are supposed to care, left alone, and broken in every way possible. We lay helpless and find it hard not to give up under certain circumstances life brings our way. We desperately seek a person to love us unconditionally, bring us back to life, and save us from our worries and pains. The person to come along to save us might not be what we expected, but blessings come in all forms. For a small abandoned puppy the savior was a homeless man, but for us our savior is God. We can never tell what a person has gone through just through outward appearance or what they may feel in their heart, but we can know that we all have that one person willing to save us even when no one else is around.

I did not have lunch with this homeless man that I saw feeding and giving water to his dog at the convenient store, but if I had then what would be the story of his life? As I continued my drive back home I began wondering why a man who had nothing would share his everything with an animal when he did not have to. I wondered why that dog was so important that he would give his life; his food, water, and shelter to someone who could offer nothing in return but to love him. What he showed was unconditional love. A love where you put someone above yourself and do so happily. The love this homeless man was displaying by simply being the care taker of a dog was similar to that of the love God has for his children in my eyes. God does not have to watch over us, make sure we are provided for, or save us... but he chose to love us unconditionally through all of our stages and simply asks for our love in return. He sees past the appearance and actions and looks into our heart. He knows our pains, sufferings, and hearts desires and tells us that if we trust and follow Him, that he will give us the desires of our heart.

The next time you seek someone that you would be quick to judge, imagine all of the stories that the person could tell you if you were to ask them the story of their life. What would you be judged for, and what would your story be?

"Keep on loving each other as Christian brothers. Do not forget to be kind to strangers and let them stay in your home. Some people have had angels in their homes without knowing it. Remember those in prison. Think of them as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering because of what others have done to them. You may suffer in the same way." -Hebrews 13:1-3

By: Lauren Robbins