Desire

My best friend Jennifer loaned me a book called, The Journey of Desire.

Here are my thoughts on Chapter 1:

What a way to live life:  Eldredge says, “We must return to the journey.  Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we must pick up the trail and follow the map that we have at hand.  Desire, both the whispers and the shouts, is the map we have been given to find the only life worth living.  You may think you are following the map of desire when all you are doing is serving it slavishly, unthinkingly. It is not the same.  We must listen to desire, look at it carefully, let it guide us through the false routes and dead ends.”

What are our hearts desires?  What are yours?  What are mine?  How do we listen to them and let them guide us in this world?  How do you go about living life without walls put up for protection around our hearts? (If anyone knows the answer to this one, let me know)

Later he says, “Bringing our heart along in our life’s journey is the most important mission of our lives- and yet the hardest.”  I think I will agree…we live in a world were it is hard to love but yet we are called to love because He first loved us.

“To desire something and not to have it- is this not the source of nearly all our pain and sorrow?”  YIKES!!!

Most people have lost heart and stopped the journey.  I don’t want this kind of life… I want the journey to continue always!  I pray that the Lord will show me my desires and show you yours.  That our map to life will awaken if we let it and may we stop being imprisoned with the same ole things but embrace the journey and set out for adventure!  I think I would rather fall face down and have tried than to never try.

More to come as I read!

Its been forever….

I haven’t “blogged” in a while.   I go through these spurts of writing and not writing….I hope that when I move in August that I will blog  a lot more.  I hope to keep you updated on my life and pictures of the new city I will be conquering. 

I have also been really involved in photography lately.  I have falling in love all over again.  When I see the images come to life on my amazing mac book pro, my eyes just light up! Keep looking for my website I am in the process of creating, Lauraashbyphotography.com 🙂  Hopefully it will be up soon.

Love

Sneek Peak: Diamone and Muche

That’s right!  I’m getting back into photography!  Here is a few images from and engagement shoot I did.

 

 

Charlotte Street Happenings

 Stephanie had her baby on Nov. 12th!  Today is Dana’s 1 week birthday!

 

 Momma Stephanie

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                 Baby Dana

 

 

 

 

 

       And here are Dana’s uncles!  Carlos and Roberto.

 

Ale and I getting to play with her!

Atlanta

I was able to go on a road trip to end out the year to Atlanta… aka HOTlanta!  

 It was a great time.  My old pastor, Dahati, is planting a church in Atlanta next fall.  My friend Laurie is part of the team that is helping plant Issachar Fellowship.  So we took a little trip to the city to find her an apartment and just to relax!  It was an amazing time. 

  I love city life and I love the thought of moving to a city…I love to work with inner city youth.  It is a passion the Lord has given me and I pray that I can develop it further.  I can’t stop thinking about how fun, yet hard it would be to move to a new city, knowing few people, and helping start a church.  How dependent you would have to become on the Lord.  What a step of faith!! 

Speaking about “stepping”, I’m trying to figure out what my next step is going to be.  I pray that I would completely surrender to the Lord and what He has planned for my life.  Its so exciting to know that He is working in my life.  Wonder what He is up to???

Things to Ponder

Oh life can be so interesting sometimes!  I have not a clue what I want to be doing with life and where I want to be.  Every week I have a new idea in my head.  Move here, go to school there, buy a house, don’t buy a house, stay put, go far away….the list can keep going on and on.

It is so interesting to hear someone tell you that you inspire them.  It was in the context of moving away and doing my own thing and living life but I must say…I feel like I am taking the easy route lately.  Not wanting to get to far out of my comfort zone or to far away from my heart friends!  Why am I being reserved about doing what is getting me fired up?  I guess it is the thought of picking up and starting a new thing… it just seems crazy!  My blood is pumping and thoughts are going through my head like crazy…the possibilities of a new place. 

 New begingings are in store but what will they be?

My Life

Life is GREAT only because God is so AMAZING!!!

This is my hood

God is so amazing!! Words can not describe it so let me just share pictures!!

First Time for Everything

Well, Well….I created a new blog.  I have been holding out for a while now, but gave in!  I remember all those great Xanga days- hahaha.   But the cement city crew has a blog together and I figured, might as well make my own personal page as well! 

Speaking of the Cement City Crew, let me tell you about us.  We are just a group of people, who love God and love others.  We decided to move into an area of town that is….lets say “not the fanciest place”, to share the gospel and the love of Christ with others. 

I just wanted to invite everyone to an outreach on Saturday, Aug. 9 on Charlotte Street.  It will be a Back to School Bash starting around 5pm.  We will have food, games, a bounce house, and back to school giveaways.  Come out and help if your around.  We would love to have others serve along side of us!

 Here is the flyer for it!