Hi, I’m Laurie
It’s so nice to meet you here in this online space!
Through my experiences, I’m here to encourage you to begin or deepen your own unique relationship with God all to glorify Him and say “thank you” for all He has done and continues to do in my life.
I live in Southern California, Monrovia to be exact, a suburb of Los Angeles up against the foothills. I grew up here then moved out of town (not too far) for 25 years before I found myself back, and here I am.
I have been a believer of God as far back as I can remember, but until almost 10 years ago I had no idea what having a “relationship” with Him meant, until my life came crumbling down around me where I found myself broken and shattered standing on the steps of a small Calvary Chapel on a sunny Sunday morning in Naples (a section of Long Beach, California). It was here where I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ and became a born-again Christian; a decision I will always be grateful for. But that decision didn’t come at the highest point in my life; no, it came at the lowest. Ever since that infamous day I’ve come to know that God has and will always be in every nook and cranny of each day, no matter how it presents itself. It’s this truth that has taken me on a healing and self-discovery journey deeper than I ever thought possible. God’s truth of who we are is a ride like no other and though it may be scary at times, it’s His truth about us and who we are in Him that truly sets us free.
I Wanted Real Change!
Maybe you’re like me where you’re accepting your own beliefs as the truth of who you are without knowing there is a God who loves you unconditionally and your “truth” actually lies within Him. Yes, this was me. I accepted my beliefs as truth – developing over the years from circumstances, mistakes and what others said or may have done; i.e., I’m not enough, it’s for everyone else, etc. – you know those thoughts. But this my friend was no longer the ride I wanted to be on. I desperately needed to get off the Liars Train and jump on the Truth Train with God as the conductor – and so I did! I want this for you as well, but it does take the desire or even desperation to want to change.
I’ve learned that change starts with a decision, but then you need to accompany that decision with prayer, faith and action. Faith alone and sitting around waiting for that change to happen will NEVER make it happen, at least the change I wanted. It will produce something. But that something would be the same that has always been. The Bible tells us that faith without action is dead. James 1:17:
. . . faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
I’ve made lots of decisions in my life (some definitely NOT good), as we all do, but most of the solutions were coming from me and others – not of God. So it wasn’t until I asked God to come into my life where I learned I would never be able to make the changes I wanted on my own. I needed my creator, my counselor, my father, my redeemer for me to make the changes I longed for. I wanted to feel whole, without shame or guilt, worthy of all of God’s promises and not have my mistakes define who I am. As Joyce Meyer says, “though I may not be where I want to be, I’m so glad I’m not where I used to be.”
I’m not here to share that I know everything in the Bible from cover to cover – hardly. I’m also not a scholar in theology and haven’t studied the Bible for 30 years, but who I am is someone who has an amazing relationship with God who is with me for every step I take to becoming fully restored to the person I was born to be. This is what I want for You and my hope is that I can be one of those women who encourages you to make that first decision for change!
Sometimes You Just Have to Take a Leap!
There are those times where we just have to take a “leap and grow our wings on the way down.” Les Brown. I did just that in August 2018, on my nephew’s 18th birthday, when I jumped from 13,000 feet leaving all the crap that no longer serves me behind. This was one experience where I can honestly say it was one of the most exhilarating I’ve ever had.