Whatever is Lovely - Vol. 1
the monthly newsletter
Welcome to my monthly newsletter available to all subscribers where I invite you into my HOME and share with you current Happenings, Obsessions, Musings, and Encouragement.
(I love a good acronym! or is it an acrostic?)
Happenings | What’s going on…
I love the idea of traveling until I have to actually do it. I don’t love long flights and connections and the general hustle and bustle of travel. It stresses me out! What I love about travel is the destination—spending time exploring and learning a new place, or revisiting familiar ones.
Matt was invited to speak in Australia at the end of May and the whole family tagged along. We spent half our time in Melbourne and the other half on the Gold Coast. Both were lovely in their own way. The kids loved venturing out on their own in Melbourne—taking the free tram to various stops and visiting all the best bubble tea and vintage clothing shops. (I am more and more offended by what is considered “vintage”…let’s just say that I would be categorized as such.)
As much as I love a jaunt in the city, I am more of a slower-paced, countryside kind of girl. I need to see a lot of the sky, some natural landscape, and the sun (which Melbourne was a little stingy with the clouds and nearness to the south pole). Gold Coast was my jam. The beach was stunning. I could have spent hours just watching the waves wash back and forth over the golden sand.
Better than the scenery were the people. Most of our time was spent with the Masons, a ministry family that my family fell in love with. They are lovely and do a wonderful job loving the people of their church, City on a Hill, the people of Melbourne, and bringing glory to Jesus. We also briefly met with the Ramseys who lead an Acts 29 church in Gold Coast. (They may or may not have had a standoff with a huge python in their stable earlier that week!) Besides their bravery with large snakes, I was personally encouraged by their faithfulness to cling to Jesus through a particularly challenging season.
Obsessions | What I’m loving…
This podcast episode on parenting teens/young adult children from Wild at Heart.
My husband’s new podcast called Overcomers that features stories from people who are “overcoming” different struggles, suffering, and difficult seasons while still very much in the throes of it. No blue checks. No tidy bows. All clinging to the goodness of God.
Fresh-cut flowers from my neighbor’s garden.
Musings | What I’m writing about…
For all subscribers, I’ll release a monthly newsletter (of which this is the first!).
For those who opt to pay for a subscription, I publish at least one post per week. With that option, we can interact in the comments section and use the chat feature. I have loved getting to hear your feedback and insight!
This month, I wrote about the storms of life being an invitation to intimacy with God; I gave a mid-Australia-trip update from Melbourne; I vulnerably shared how I’ve been personally challenged to resist the siren call of comfort; I nerded out a bit about birds and how they’ve taught me to hear God’s voice; and, I pondered the parallel between home improvement and the slow (but good) work of sanctification.
Encouragement | What I want you to know…
I’ve been reading through the books of John and Joshua for the past couple of months. But since summer is a pause from regularly scheduled “life” for many of us, I decided to pause my regular reading program and turn to my favorite book of the Bible—the Book of Psalms. Psalm 73 has ministered to me in various seasons of my walk with Christ. It has given me words where mine failed and gently rebuked me when I sorely needed it. Even after reading it countless times, one phrase jumped from the page:
Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
Psalm 73:23
This “I am continually with you” is not “God is continually with me” (although it’s true). It is “I am continually with God.” Asaph, the writer of the psalm, is declaring his loyalty to the Lord. He’s saying, no matter what, God, I’m with you.
I am always comforted by the fact that God is with us. He makes a big deal of it throughout the scriptures. He’s with Adam and Eve in the garden. He’s with Noah through the flood. He’s with Abraham in his sojourning. He’s with Moses and the people of Israel in the Tabernacle. He’s with David. With the prophets. With humanity by the Son of God, Jesus, Emmanuel. With believers by the Holy Spirit. And with us forever in the new heavens and new earth. I’ve written a whole Bible study on how He was with His people in the wilderness and is with His people today through their own wilderness seasons. I am personally comforted by His “with-ness.”
But in verse 23? I am continually with you. I like that. What a declaration—one that can’t be sustained by us alone, but is a worthy pursuit by the grace and power of God. I pray that I will faithfully pursue that and will be able to say with Asaph, in the day of trouble or the day of plenty, God, I am continually with YOU.
Friend, I pray this encourages you to cling to Him knowing that He is holding you up. He has a better grip on your “right hand” than you have on His. He is with you. May you continually be with Him.
Until next month…
Gratefully,
Lauren
Love the HOME acronym/acrostic format. Good work, Lauren