Well, I’ve definitely been MIA when it comes to the blog recently.

Even though my goal is to get a post out once a week, the reality is that it just doesn’t always happen.

And this past month was a prime example of that!

Three different weeks I was sick. We travelled to KY twice. And we had various ministry commitments & activities.

And in the midst of all it I needed a time of refreshing. More than I even realized. And the Lord granted me exactly that! ❤️

So here’s a little recap of what I’ve been up to recently!

Visiting Our Capitol (and a New Ministry)

Stay tuned for a future article about our visit, 4 Ways a Homemaker can Impact the Government.

I’ll share more of our experience, a new ministry we’re involved in, and of course, 4 ways a homemaker can impact the government—without neglecting her first ministry (the home).

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NKJV)

Exploring with My Hubby!

It was an unusually sunny winter day here in Indiana the other week. And Jonathan and I decided it was high time for some fresh air & vitamin D after so many grey skies…

So we grabbed our coats & went to explore the nearby park.

We strolled hand in hand admiring God’s creation, and just had fun together.

Ladies, making memories with your husband doesn’t require spending a lot of money.

Some of the best dates are free!

What’s 1 simple way you can make memories with your husband today?

Need a little inspo? Here’s 25 Free Date Ideas for You and Your Husband.

Women’s Ministry

My little children, let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and truth.

1 John 3:18 (NKJV)

The Lord gave the women at our church the opportunity to share His love in a small way recently.

Hope Center Indy provides a Christ-centered refuge for women rescued from sex trafficking.

A few of us visited their campus recently and God put on Jonathan and my hearts to be involved—both as a family and as a church.

A partner ministry of theirs, Light in the Darkness, seeks to share God’s love and truth specifically with women who work at strip clubs.

Dr. Carolyn Knight, the director of this ministry shared various statistics with me.

One is that 90% of women employed at these clubs don’t want to be there.

But they feel trapped by life circumstances, drug addictions or are enslaved by another person.

So Light in the Darkness ministry offers friendship, kindness and the freedom found in Christ to women in this industry.

Each holiday they like to give gifts to the women. But over 150 gift bags is not in their budget. So they rely on the generosity of others.

We had the privilege of partnering with them in a small way for the upcoming holiday.

This ministry is in various states in the USA, so if you’re interested in participating, check to see if there’s one near you.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

Find the devo and the prayer guide that we used here.

My Hunt for New Gluten-Free Makeup

For all you ladies who have sensitive eyes, I have a makeup recommendation for you!

Due to gluten and other sensitivities, drug store makeup is pretty much a no-no for me.

So when Jane Iredale discontinued the gluten-free mascara I used, I was left bare-eyed and on a hunt for another option.

Then I discovered Honest Makeup Line.

I spoke with one of their reps who assured me that Honest makeup has no ingredients that contain gluten.

So I decided to give it a try.

After about a month of use, I’m super happy with Honestly Healthy Lash Serum in brown. It provides a more natural look, which is what I personally prefer, but they have other options as well.

So if you’re on a quest for a more natural mascara-I encourage you to be give it a try!

Decluttering the Office!

Oh my, how I don’t like paperwork…

…But this was YEARS overdue!

Clear the Paperwork Tip: check online to see when your town will hold a community shredding day. Just gather up all those papers with sensitive info, and take them to be shredded for free! Ours is coming up in a couple weeks. 😃

Visiting my Childhood Church ❤️

We went back to my hometown to get our taxes done but God also blessed us with some great moments with family.

As well as sanctified us!

Always a delight and joy to be in the place where I came to know my Lord Jesus. And because of that, it will always be my “home” church. ❤️

Sharing the Gospel in love was the topic of the evening. Below is a photo of the gospel tracts by NAMB that they handed out to everyone.

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…

Acts 3:19, NKJV

What I’ve Been Reading

To be honest, one of the reasons I’ve been offline is because I’ve been focusing on connecting more with God through prayer and His Word.

I’ve needed times of refreshing that come from being in Jesus’ presence.

As happens from time to time, I had a season of discouragement—which is always characterized by less time spent with my Heavenly Father.

And I thought to myself, how can I encourage other women on the blog when I need encouraging myself?

How can I cheer them on to persevere in prayer when I was struggling with that exact thing?

Praise God that He is faithful to continue the good work that He began in us (Philippians 1:6).

I continually see evidence of His grace in drawing me closer to Himself every day.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, ESV

The above book was gifted to me and not on my reading list. But I felt God tugging on my heart, leading me to read it.

Through it, I have been encouraged, convicted and equipped with wisdom needed by another woman on the same journey as myself.

(If you’re reading this post, thank you Becky for the gift!)

A Guide to Prayer by Isaac Watts is one of the books I put on my Recommended reads List. It has been such a blessing in helping me be still and spend time in prayer with my Heavenly Father.

Currently I’m reading the New Testament. It’s been amazing to feel like I’m walking alongside the disciples as they hear the words of the Master, see His compassion, and stand in awe of His miracles.

Nothing—absolutely nothing compares to being in His presence!

Thank you Jesus for who You are!

• 3 Minute Devotional: What Does it Mean to Abide in Christ?
• How to Read Your Bible in 1 year….+ Tips!
• Tips for Studying Your Bible Better

Visiting Possible Church Plant in Bloomington, IN

The other weekend we had a wonderful time with other brothers and sisters-in-Christ. Around 25 people, Hispanic and American were present.

It was a simple, beautiful time of sharing a meal, sharing the Word and singing to our Lord together.

We are excited to see what God has planned for the Spanish-speaking population of Bloomington.

Latest DIY Project

Ok, for those of y’all who don’t know, I love me a good DIY project!

Creating something with my hands or giving new life to a tired, worn out piece excites me and relaxes me at the same time.

Our niece had her 3rd birthday this past weekend, so when I found a wooden doll cradle at the Goodwill for $2.99, I knew it was the perfect piece to refresh for her.

This was my first time making a mattress for a doll bed, but this tutorial along with this video on how to sew boxed corners made it easy!

Everything I used for this project were things we already had on hand.

The paint was leftover from when they painted the house. The fabric, alligator clips, stuffing, etc. needed to make the mattress and bows had all been boxed up for years from other projects.

And my mom loaned me the sweet bear that my niece plays with at her house to hold the bows. (Thanks Momma!)

Final cost = $2.99 + tax!

If you enjoy crafts, I encourage you to gather your leftover materials, pray and ask God how you can use them.

And have fun!

As women, the world tells us we’re only as good as how productive we are. That our worth is based on our busyness.

But it’s good to take moments to do something we enjoy. The Lord uses that as well!

Prayerfully Pursuing Fostering to Adopt

After almost twelve years of marriage, we feel God is calling us to foster to adopt.

Well, we actually began to pursue adoption while in KY. But when my husband received the invitation to pastor here in Indy, everything got put on hold.

Now, we are finally feeling settled in our new city. But we had no plans to pursue adoption anymore.

Until a few weeks ago.

Jonathan met with another pastor to talk about ministry and out of nowhere the conversation of adopting came up. My husband told me that he felt like God was telling him in that moment to not forget.

So here we are…

Desiring God’s leading and will in our lives and possibly in the lives of children.

We have plans to meet with another pastor and his wife who have gone through this process and have 2 sweet girls of their own.

So we would love your prayers about this new journey. Thank you!

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Are you in need of some refreshing moments?

Life often gets overwhelming—we never know what’s around the corner—good or difficult.

But in the midst of it all, we can rejoice that God remains God.

He is still good. He remains faithful. His grace is still enough. He is still near to all who call on Him.

And times of refreshing still come from turning to Him and spending time in His presence.

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasure forevermore.

Psalm 16:11 NKJV

Love, Lauri

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And as always,

Be Kind. Be Encouraging. Be a Multiplier!