Retreat.

WE are postponing the retreat until April, due to lots of other conflicts. WE made the decision on Monday, and it was confirmed as I got snowed in at the Thompson household.


Thanks for your faithful prayers, please don't forget these young women.

S.O.S.

I was having a meeting with one of the other leaders of Response (Women's Bible Study on campus) and we were talking about our annual retreat and we decided to have it at the end of this month....

January 30, 31st, and February 1st.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?

It's either that or not have one since I am working a flight, a walk, and a journey with partridge in a pear tree.

Our theme is "Marvelous Light" and it comes from I Peter 2:9. I will post the graphic as soon as it's done.



But I desperately need your help to make this happen.

1. by your prayers.
2. by your help--

----I need a location! Last year we had it at the Power House, but they closed on Friday night and I would hate to ask them to do that again (although it was an amazing location and worked perfectly...) If you know of a location, such as a cabin that is pretty local and cheaply rented, or a church hall with a kitchen and such, please email me at lauren.thatgirl@gmail.com
----I need donations of food/$$. We ask each girl to pay $20 to attend the retreat this year, but you and I know that even $20 can be a stretch for a college kid. So I am looking for a few of my local blog readers to help out. If you areinterested in donating a batch of cookies or a bag of chips and some soda (or whatever else your heart tells you---chocolate....) please email me at lauren.thatgirl@gmail.com


Thank you, Bloggerotsky....I knew I could count on you!!

Love you all--and thanks for being the hands and feet of Jesus!

Such a Good Blog...

I wish I would have written it myself. But alas, I did not.

Kelly Minter did. Here's the link.


Watch and Wait.



Johnny the B. Wrecked by the Gospel. So wrecked he is wearing Camel Hair Fashions circa first century A.D. and loving it. So wrecked it doesn't matter that the local frog has a more discerning pallet than he does. So wrecked that they served his head up on a platter and he didn't care. so wrecked that he could become "less and less" so The One could become "greater and greater."


Sign me up.



By the way, I am dying to do a Bible Study Kelly Minter wrote called "No Other Gods." Can't do it until after September is over, but I want to do it right if I do it. That means finding the right womenfolk to participate, so send me an email if you are interested and we'll see what we can do...

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies.

You single girls who read this blog (Holla!)

[did I just do that? Wow...]


Y'all are always looking for the next piece of advice when it comes to dating. We-he-he-elll, sit yourself down with a nice little Froot Loop Tea from Starbucks and read this.

it's ssoossoosooo worth your time and energy. Perry knows what he's talking about. And then call me and let me know when this approach changes your life.

love you.

xoxo.

P.S. that whole mentally balanced thing hit home with me, too. There's no judgment here.

Photos and Mind Dump.

There are Kristin and Hann in all their glory: matching t-shirts and eating subway.





the kid loves to eat. Must be genetic. And check out the purple headband. I have a good feeling she wanted the purple one not because it matched, but precisely because it was indeed purple. I already know she looks like me when she eats. You should see her at Mi Pueblo...

• Go to Judy's blog for the whole story on my little characters and their hilarious ways.

• It's official: I am the new Director of University Housing at OCU! Big girl job...YAY!
• I'm looking around this apartment, and it's not pretty, folks. I think about moving and I never want to buy anything again. I want to give the majority of my worldly goods to Goodwill (not so much because I am a giving person--I am, but not that giving...I just don't want to move all of this crap.) Wonder if they do pick-up...
• I really want to see a couple of movies coming out. Hello, Made of Honor!! Seth said he didn't want to see it (he said he already met his quota of chick flicks in our relationship. I say one [27 Dresses, which he enjoyed, btw] is not sufficient. I watched two Bourne movies in one night!! I do love the Bourne movies in all fairness). So I'm looking for someone to go with me. Any takers, blogerotsky?
• I want Starbucks so badly right now. My body is screaming for a Caramel Macchiato. Sweet baby those things are good!
• I have been reading this amazing book called The Passionate Church. If you guys are serious about discipleship in the Church Universal, you want this book. You really, really want it. LIFESHAPES--I soooo want to teach this concept!
• God has been doing some very significant things in my heart for church growth beginning about six months ago. Little did I know then that we would see God use it at my precious FBC Bicknell...God is moving, and I can't wait for the opportunity to share more about that with you...stay tuned!!
• One of my lifelong dreams is to be a radio Deejay. How fun would that be? Not sure where that came from...
• www.perrynoble.com had some fabulous blogs in the last couple of days. Single ladies (don't know how many of you read this blog) please check out the post directed to singles--and don't settle for anything less than that!
• please pray for me. It's going to be a busy week, and I need Jesus to do some big things...like finals-I would love to pass all my classes with flying colors this semester and maybe even make the dean's list again...Your prayer is appreciated.
• Pray for my friend that I tutor. His final is on Wednesday and he's pretty nervous. Can't give you his name, but God knows :)
• please pray also-tonight is our last meeting for Response this year--my heart is weeping for these women that I love more than anything!!

love you all! Thanks for your prayers!

I don't know...

...what to blog about tonight.

I have to go to the "evil empire" (aka Wal-Mart) for some things for our Response (Women's Bible Study) bonfire tomorrow night with my dear Tiffany. wish I lived in Bicknell so I could shop at Hartland tonight. Should've planned better. (Sorry Andi--soon enough!)

got to run.


love you all..

Formal Tea Photos. (a la Jami.)

My BFF for good and bad. She has walked through the darkest valleys and on top of the highest mountains with me. And I would go through fire for her.

My former roommates, best friends, and precious sisters in Christ.
L to R: Amber Mobley, "...That Girl", Nicole Ricketts, Jami Vaughan, Amy Peters.

I am so thankful for them and am sad to think that our time together at school is almost over. They have each changed my life in different ways.

He may not dance, but he looks pretty good sitting there.

My precious (and hilarious) roommate Rachel posing with all of the garnishes she stole off the top of the food they served. She looks like Martha Stewart (minus the prison stripes).

Some of the ladies who did the dance from the film "Superstar."

you can see part of the dance (we didn't have the granny panties) right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QbXJAGzd6Y

fun times. I will miss this.

Retreating.

We needed to get away. The ladies and I, that is. Let me tell you, being able to take a nap at a retreat was the most amazing experience for all of us. And it was so good for them to be able to get up and spend lots of unrestricted time with the Lord and have time to really build and nurture quality relationships with one another.

In honor of the Friday Five I missed, I have compiled my top five quotes from this weekend:

5.) Amy: "Does everyone like meat in their sauce
Jami: "I do. I grew up on a beast farm."

4.) Lauren: "That guy's been to Graceland, Rach."
Rachael: "We should ask him if he's been forever changed."

3.) Tiffany: "I need to quit speaking from my wounds!!"

2.) Laur: "Did you get me some ponys?" (hair ties; we like to spell it like this)
Jami: "No."
Laur: "Did you get you some ponys?"
Jami: "No, I got PONYS for ALL!!"


drumroll, please:

1.) "The washer is leaking!!"
--Jane Tiek.


Wonderful weekend. Thanks for your prayers!

Thursday Night Mind Dump.

Hey.

• I love my life. The joy, the sorrow, the beauty, the ugly. I love it all.




• My friends Jeremy and Katie are now parents (see the prayer request post somewhere below) and they have the sweetest, cutest, dimple-faced, dark haired little boy EVER.



• The retreat is this weekend. I won't be posting, but you can be praying:
  
  

• Didn't my love do a good job on the graphic?
• Speaking of "Setharooskie," as my nieces call him, he came to visit me tonight and it was the best part of my day. Gosh I love that guy.
• Plus, Jami came over to hang out with us. BONUS!
• A blog is coming on Transparency. look for it...
• Watching American Justice right now. LOVE IT.
• We came in waaay under budget for food for the retreat due to people's generosity. I love the Body of Christ!
• God is better to me than I deserve, even when I choose not to see it.
• I watched Izzy yesterday for the first time in, like, three weeks. I wish you all would have seen her face when I walked in! It was precious. I KNOW she was glad to see me. And she's sitting up by herself now. : D
• Jami and I were talking about being good moms tonight because of her sweet sister Stacey, who from what I've heard is an awesome mama to her three little boys (Jami and I have developed a plan for arranged marriage of her three nephews to my three nieces). I can only hope to be as good of a mom as some of the women I know. I pray that I can be like them.
• If I don't get a new Grey's episode soon, I may go into a serious funk.
• Pray for Michal and Rochelle as they travel to Florida (must be nice.) trying not to be jealous :)
• So glad David Archuleta is going to dominate American Idol.
• I need a vacay too! Looking forward to Adam and Claire's wedding up north. That's the closest I'll get to one in a while!
• INTERACTIVE: I think Seth and I are going to the OCU's spring formal in April, and I am gonna buy a new dress, dang it. So should it be black or red?
• God is going to move this weekend. I'm looking forward to watching Him.
• If you are reading this, I love you!

Thursday Morning Mind Dump.

• Dang. I am TIRED. The past couple of nights, my roommate Rachel and I have stayed up way too late solving all of the world's problems.
• If Romney really does drop out, I am gonna be mad. What happened to the days of not knowing the candidate until the convention?? yuck.
• I have a love/hate relationship with Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think I am spoiled rottem by the fact that I only have one class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• I can't wait for the SCA Women's Bible Study RETREAT.
• VALENTINE'S DAY=7 days to go!!! (My favorite holiday...weird, but I will fill you in on that in a later post...)
• I have finally made some decisions (cringe, I hate doing that) and some of them are going to require a whole lot of faith. (more on this later...) oy vey. God spoke to me the spring of my freshman year and told me we were going to have an adventure together....We are still on that adventure, but my youthful trust is slowly becoming more of an adult practicality (which I despise...) so I am less inclined to think "adventure=fun!!" oy vey again.
• If anyone knows of a fantastic local employment opportunity, please let me know. For summer, needs to be flexible because I am going to Haiti for a week in June.
• Selena made me the best cd EVER this week. I will post the playlist later but trust me--it's life-changing. and she is a great sister.
• This is the column for my add friends that want to know what's up for me. Not that they read this far...
• I need to do grocery shopping.
• Terri T. is really cool.
• Shout out to Jami for shaping young minds today.
• Ann Romney has serious hair volume. (watching CNN)
• that's all, folks.

Friday Five: Fruity Edition.

I have decided to do a Friday feature where I will pick something and make a list about it. In honor of the teaching series on Fruit of the Spirit the girls and I just wrapped up (I know they have to be glad not to discuss the "tug o' war" and 2+2+1 analogies) I decided to list my top five fruits.

5. Cherries. Hello, such an analogy for life as well as being a tasty treat. Jazzy flavor+ the occasional pit=life. ( I know that analogy sucked.)

4. Blueberries. love anything blueberry flavor and that sweet scene in Willy Wonka--"Violet, you're turning violet, Violet!!"

3. Tomato. Good Blog Reader says, "Laur, that doesn't count!!" But I say, "What's Tom-Ah-To with you?! It IS a fruit, you know.

2. Apple. Thank Jami for this one. She taught me to love and respect the apple, especially the FUJI apples in particular. Plus, eating one is like brushing your teeth, or so they say. Could just be a ply by the conspiracy of apple farmers everywhere.

1. Banana. "Quite possibly the world's most perfect fruit." Plus, what other fruit can you cover in peanut butter and still feel good about eating? The banana is a delightful snack that also keeps me from writhing in pain from a two-in-the-morning Charley Horse. I hate Charley, and Ba-Nay-Nay's potassium kills those cramps. Looo-ve it!

Honorable Mention: orange, kiwi, and strawberry*

*only counts if covered in chocolate.

Have a delightful weekend.