without any conviction of the heart

Where is the love? where is my HOPE?

I place it in circumstances. I hope that my life is easy, not challenging, happy and life-giving.

Hope in my Savior? Do I really believe with all my being that you have saved me from myself, from sin, from eternal damnation and separation from you? Do I place my hope in you? knowing that You are YOU, know what You're doing, who You're being, who You're loving, who You're with?

I confess that I've been hoping for good circumstances, and not for You to come, Lord, to be here and to live out in my life and into the lives of others, for your kingdom to come, to be here now, to spread throughout the world that it's not just for me but for everyone. for the kids in Peru, for the ones in Richmond, in Fredericksburg, my friends from home, family, people I've never met, broken people, tall people, hated people, sexually promiscuous people, Asian people, Buddhist people, lovers and haters of God of war or violence of love of patience of addictions of pleasure of all of it, and sometimes everything that isn't You.

more simply, they're all Your children. Do I see that?

the timothy project

"Lord... I confess that there's a part of me that wonders if I'm doing this because there's nothing else really set or available for me to do next year."

"Lauren, that's a lie. You could be doing a number of things next year and I will be right there with you. Arlington, Virginia Beach, Fredericksburg, back home, wherever... but you're choosing to go where I am calling you. It requires faith, trust, and believing that I love you to really move forward from here. You may not know what's going to come. There may be hard times, but it will be good because I will always be there. Don't be afraid, you have nothing to fear for I am near."