Lauren C. White

  Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. - Ephesians 1:4 ESV

  Sometimes it's crazy to sit back and think about how each point of the believer's life has been ordered and predestined for greatness and purpose. As a believer you are positioned within divine destiny for the manifestation of God's Kingdom. This, hopefully, is an encouraging thought to those who may be in various circumstances without knowing why they are there. My life hasn't been perfect, nor has it been a cakewalk. I've made countless mistakes and have learned that my best rewards and life moments come as a result of following God's order, instruction and timing. I think about the fact that I came from having 2 years down at a great 4 year university, 2 hours away from my home and home church, but with lots of friends, family, extracurricular commitments, an academic program I was well adjusted to, to all of a sudden moving back home just because I felt God wanting me to. I didn't really have a good, humanly logical reason to move, I just felt like God wanted me to be closer to my home church. A lot of people didn't get it or were really sad, (and understandably so as I was leaving some of my best and closest family and friends behind) but I knew I had to follow God's leading...so I did. I did it so fast, I don't think my parents believed I was serious until I told them the application for a new school was already in lol. God blessed me to get into the nation's top 5 art foundation program followed by the #1 graphic design program in the country,  both while under qualified in my opinion. He and I had a deal that if I was going to leave all that I had grown to know and love behind, AND have to take on an extra year of school as a result, He was going to make sure I had the best at any cost. And that He has and is still doing. But, furthermore, I learned that this move wasn't so I could get into the best programs or be around some of the top people in my field/industry. I learned that we don't choose godly obedience in order that we might receive reward. Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says, " Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need." 

So, in other words, if you're living righteously before God, blessing, reward, favor whatever you need is already a given. We don't obey God to get blessed, we obey God in order to maintain righteousness and further manifest His Kingdom on earth. I've also come to find out that as Kingdom citizens, we are not instructed to act so that we alone are benefitted, but even in God promising nations to Abraham, Abraham was in turn able to bless those around him. In fact God told Abraham that because of his obedience, ALL the nations of the earth would be blessed. So, as we look at where God has positioned us and why...why certain things happened the way they did, why God told us to go this way when it was "clear" that we were supposed to go that way or why our life plans, as a result of obedience to God, have turned out the complete opposite of what we conjured up,  it's important to consider changing our question from "why?" to "for whom?" For whom, God, did You predestine that I be in the place I am now? Understand that the blessing you produce is far greater than the blessing you consume. For what goes into your mouth can produce sustenance but for one person, for so long, but that which you put into the ground can sustain the multitude for a lifetime. I sit here and think about all the many things God placed in my spirit both before I made the decision to move back home and during my transition, things like urban ministry and teen/young adult ministry, before our church even evolved into an urban ministry and before we had more than 5 consistent teens attending. I honestly thought I'd be coming back to continue to fulfill my duty as a minister of music and possibly do some administration stuff...important yet, just the tip of God's iceberg. Today, as my heart is overwhelmed at the thought, I think of some of the most beautiful young people I've ever met...young people who simply needed to be in the right place at the right time to hear an "older sibling" tell them how much God loved them, that He had a plan for them beyond anything they could ever imagine, that there were people, a whole new family, who cared for them deeply and wanted the best for them. These are young people who joined our newly formed teen ministry just months after I moved back and have hearts on fire for more of God like you wouldn't believe...hunger for days! It's something I've never really  experienced first-hand on a daily/weekly basis until now. And it makes me proud to say that being the director of a teen ministry beats even a number one program, friends, any other personal reward any day. The Kingdom feels soooo much better than physical gain. Obedience positioned an ordinary person like me who happened to feel God's push, for people like Makaylah, Jackie, Kristin, Keke, Jordan and so many others who just needed a new life, a new perspective and none of us knew it! So, as I sit here trying to conjure up and maintain patience in various other areas of my life (help me Holy Ghost lmho), those bright stars, my little sisters and brothers remind me that there is so much purpose beyond what I want at the moment, that the slightest distraction could be enough to kick me off course or stop me from feeling God's subtle push, or hearing His whispering voice. I hope my little testimony is encouraging to you. Whether you're waiting for marriage or even a godly relationship to come or the jumpstart of a career, ministry, whatever it may be...don't allow a short-sighted perspective keep you from realizing the immense hand of God on your life. It's more than you could every think or imagine at this point...and that which He will do  in your life is predestined for more than just you. Every test and act of patience, every detour will be worth it in the end. God is simply enlarging your harvest as a result of your obedience. The span of your reach will be greater than you ever expected so hang in there and trust His Word, His instruction, His guidance and His timing. Good things come to those who are aware of their season and His shift.

Love you lots! Stay Encouraged! 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) 

http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-09-05/art/the-whole-ball-of-wax/

 I am for an art that is freeing, vivacious and  unique 

I am for an art that is not intimidated by art snobs, that celebrates and is all-inclusive of the diversity of  the artistic mind. 

I am for an art that celebrates culture and the intricate threads of the human identity. 

I am for art that digs deep into the pain of the human soul, revealing raw and vulnerable insecurities 

I am for an art that can make one smile without reason or understanding 

I am for art that can make one weep as the piece they're viewing begins to openly reveal their deepest hidden secrets without warning

I am for an art that encourages the art of thinking, taking on perspectives other than what's originally possessed.

I am for an art that solves problems, providing answers to both life's deepest and most simple questions 

I am for the art that you pass while driving on a bridge to everyday destinations  

I am for the art found in the bricks of old buildings, telling stories of times passed and yet evolving  

I am for an art wrapped in city streets, flashing lights and skyscrapers 

I am for an art that is crumbled, torn, stained, illegible 

I am for an art that threads together pieces of beautiful fabric, providing life and meaning to the mundane 

I am for an art that dresses the body in furs, and gold, and prints, and leather, and high heels, making one feel on top of the world 

I am for an art that covers the wall, giving a story to something otherwise story less. 

I am for the art that flows and transforms into rivers, oceans and streams. 

I am for an art that provides structure, organization, a flow 

I am for an art that is created for the virtually non-artistic, that is not too lofty to present itself in a new way in order to be appreciated by someone who sees with a different set of eyes.  

I am for an art that is sporadic, spare of the moment, coming out of thin air. amazing! 

I am for an art that works hard, hustles, grinds in the midnight hours, almost bursting at the seams with passion, creativity and innovative ideas 

I am for innovative art

I am for an art that is empowering, that provides a sense of confidence, almost like a superpower. I am for Clark Kent art. 

I am for an art with beautiful lines, that is black and white 

I am for an art that speaks both literally and figuratively 

I am for an art that one can read but comprehend in a way that is completely different than what is being read 

I am for an art with melody, rhythm and vigor 

I am for an art that moves swiftly, like a bird who's wings have just caught the wind

I am for an art that is light & airy and sparkles when the light hits it. 

I am for an art that is soft, rose, and smell's of j'adore Dior