Hello Again - Living in a Foreign Country

I'm back! 

Ha, sorry for the huge delay in posts; I guess I've been busy. :) As most of you know, I'm currently in Sweden studying abroad for the semester. I'm keeping a travel blog here, but I'd like to keep this separate and as a blog where I can write down my thoughts on life, God, etc. 

Today, Jonathon and I visited the migration board so we could finalize our residence permits. We walked into this building and up several flights of stairs, coming to a door that I was a bit apprehensive to open.

As we walked inside we were met with a strong smell of body odor and many, many people gathered into this room - all there to receive some kind of help in this unfamiliar country. There were whole families: parents and their children, single moms, individuals, all stuffed into this room. 

We realized that some of these people had been waiting there for hours already. We had made appointments and did not have to wait long. They must have truly needed help if they were willing to wait in this smelly room for hours. 

One cute little boy in particular caught my attention. As I was getting my photograph taken for my permit he kept running under my curtain and running back out, like a game. 

In this moment, I felt my heart break a little for these people. I don't know their stories or why they came to Sweden, as you could tell from the colors of their skin, languages being spoken and their attire that they were not the typical Swede. I don't know whether these people were coming to this new country for opportunity or because they were running away from something. It takes quite a bit for one to want to leave the comfort of their own home. 

As my first thoughts when I walked into that room contained disgust at the interesting smells, they changed to thoughts of compassion and love when I saw these people and looked into their eyes. It's crazy how God can change your heart in one look, in one moment. And in that moment, I was also the foreigner. I was the one in a new country and away from home. I have God though, and I couldn't help but think of whether or not these people knew Jesus. Jesus who could comfort them and bring them joy.

I feel kind of silly writing this, as I'm sure many of the people in this office were in Sweden happily and just exploring a new country. My mind just keeps wandering to the what-ifs. I keep thinking about all of those faces, and I have been challenged to pray for those beautiful people. I'd like to ask that you would join me in that! I would also love your prayers for me while I am here, that God may use me in a way that I could not do by myself. 

Sincerely,

Laura. 

Right When You Need Him

God never fails to show his love to us. It doesn't matter what we do, if we're seeking him or not; he constantly shows himself to us and asks to be a part of our lives. 

Brace yourself, because this post is going to be quite long, but hopefully it will make quite an impact as well. 

I've been struggling lately to praise God for all things in my everyday life. It's something you have to try to do. You have to make an effort and discipline yourself to dwell on him ceaselessly. I knew that I had been kind of failing at that lately, so I was trying harder and harder, but I kept being distracted by silly things. 

On top of being distracted, I kept complaining. I didn't like the position I was in. I knew that complaining doesn't do good; it's probably one of the worst things I could do, but I continued to do so.

So, after way too long, I was finally able to go visit my wonderful friends at Oral Roberts University. It had been TOO long! 

The roadwork and construction caused a delay in my travels, and I was already stressing to just get there already! But, like I said, God never fails to meet us and show his love to us. So, this car gets in front of me, and guess what the license plate says? Blessed. It really hit me like, "Wow, God, I can complain all that I want, but you really have blessed me." He's given me so much. Great friends, somewhere to get an education, his love, a fantastic family, and so on. Sometimes it's easier to think on the stress in your life though, and my mind continued to drift towards the things that weren't going the way I wanted them to in my life. 

I kept driving and about thirty minutes later, guess what happened? Yup. Another license plate. The plate of the car in front of me said 'joy'. Wow. You got me again God. He reminded me that I cannot gain joy from thinking on things that disappoint me, but only from listening and obeying him.

I finally arrived at the wonderful world of ORU and met my lovely friend Cheyenne. She's pretty much my crazy other half. We had a weekend of Pinterest crafting planned, so of course we had to visit a few stores. 

Also, when I first arrived, they always check cars at a gate for permits and those without a permit are not allowed into the lot. I did not have a permit, however I was never stopped from going into the lot near her dorm. I got 'princess parking'. It was literally the closest spot to Cheyenne's dorm. The rest of the lot was practically full. Anyways...

First off we went to a thrift store. I didn't find anything, but she found two glass jars, two picture frames, and a cute vest. The lady on the register asked her if the jars were $.99, because most of their glass was. She said no, that it wasn't, but she still wanted it. The jars alone were going to be more than $10 total, plus a $9 vest, and the frames equaling around $30. Her total came out to about $7. What?? The cashier rang up her items for super cheap and told us to have a good day. 

Then we went to Hobby Lobby, where she bought spray paint and one of those wonderful, square, cinnamon suckers for me. Cause she's nice like that. :D The total should have been around $6, but came out cheaper. Again.

Then we picked up our friend Jacob and went to Sonic. Cheyenne ordered a slushee, and when she asked the carhop if her card went through he said no, and that he would run it inside. Then he told her, never mind, just to enjoy the drink. What! 

It was amazing to see how God blessed Cheyenne in such random ways, even just on our first day together. God gave us great favor! He loves to bless his children!

So then the next day came along, and she had to work. I had quite a few hours to spend with some other friends. I got to talk with Jay-Cee, a wonderful friend and great man of God. We talked about how things were going, and he felt that God wanted us to go pray together. He said he could feel the weight on me, and that God wanted to lift that from me. So we went outside and prayed, and the weight was gone. 

One of the things that was so different for me as I changed schools was the change in community atmosphere. I felt like ORU was so on fire and each of the people had some way to invest in one another. Spiritual discussion was constant. My new school didn't seem to have that at all... I missed it. I felt deprived. God gave me a new perspective through Jay-Cee though. I'm supposed to bring that atmosphere to SNU! Why should I groan and complain about issues when I can do something about it? 

I also learned that I needed to connect with some good Christian people my age. I had so many people pouring into me at ORU, and now I felt empty. I realized that I can't keep giving if I'm empty myself! It drains you!

Then my friend Brad came to hang out with me. We talked some, and he decided that we should make a positive list. Pros of where I'm at right now. We made a list and it just confirmed my new desire to bring a new fire to the people around me. It was so encouraging and uplifting to have wonderful friends like these!

I got to spend more time with Cheyenne and Samuel, another amazing friend, at a coffee shop. My weekend was fantastic. 

I came away with so many new outlooks. It was so exciting to see how God wants to bless each of us daily! He wants to be such a large part of our lives! And if you're going through a hard time, find truth in this: God doesn't want you to live an easy peesy life. There is no growth if you're comfortable where you're at! Take life's challenges with him at your side and you are guaranteed to be victorious. He reminds us to take heart, because he has already overcome the world. 

Thanks for staying with me throughout this super long post! I was just so excited to tell you all about what God has shared with me. Keep your chin up and make the most out of any situation that life throws at you. Chances are God is using it to make you stronger and make his name known. 

:) Laura. 

Be happier :D

Sometimes we forget to calm down and smell the flowers. Life gets crazy and not-so-fun. We get so caught up in what we have to do that we don’t do the extra little things that make life so much better.

Lately I’ve been kind of a downer. I don’t know why, I don’t really have a reason to be, I just have been. It was awful to think about the way I’ve been acting, because just a month ago it was the smallest things that made me happy. So, I’ve kind of put together a list of how I’ve decided to be happier. I 

hope you enjoy it!

Be grateful!

Too often we take advantage of the things that are given to us daily. 

1 Chronicles 16:34 says “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever”. So why don’t we? Just taking the time to truly appreciate the things that we are given can improve the way you look at life.

Delight in the small things.

A few months ago I asked God to let me notice and take joy in the small things of life. It opened my eyes to how beautiful the earth really is! I found myself smiling at a butterfly flying in front of me. Sounds pathetic right? Nope. It was wonderful. There is beauty all around us, we just need to have the eyes to take it in and not be so consumed by Facebook and texting that we miss it.

    Compliment someone.

Seriously. This one is simple. By cheering someone else up, you make yourself feel better too. Being a nicer person makes life so much easier.

Dream on.

When you’re stuck in a rut of doing the same things over and over, take some time to recall the dreams and passions that God has put in your heart! They are there for a reason; do not let them get out of sight! So you love kids? Then volunteer at an after-school program and go play with some kids! Whatever may be in your heart, use it. Don’t let it fade away.

Realize how amazing you really are.

Look at yourself. We all have eyes, noses, hair, etc. but none of us look exactly alike. You are unique! God created you to fill the one position that only you can. You were created with a purpose. You were created intentionally. Don’t forget to use your individuality to its best!

And lastly,

Choose happiness

You have to actively choose to be happy! You are the only person that can control how you feel about things or how you react to them. No big deal? Then brush it off. Choose to smile more.

Here’s to more smiles!

-Laura.

Picture Frame Earring Holder!

Are you an earring hoarder? Do you love Pinteresty projects? Well get in your car and head to your local thrift shop! I've got a super cute DIY earring holder just waiting to be made!


What you'll need:
Picture Frame
Lace
Super Glue
Hooks (optional)

First, you'll want to go find a picture frame that you like. Big, small, whatever size and style you find pleasing. I found mine at a thrift store for about $2.  

Now comes the fun part. Rip/tear/cut the back of the picture frame off. You won't need it, so it doesn't matter if it gets ruined in the process of hacking it off. 

Then, you'll cut the lace to the width of the inside of the picture frame, leaving a little room to spare on each side. You can cut as many as you'd like and will fit, depending on the size of your frame. 

Use your super glue to attach the lace to the back of the frame. 

If you'd like, you can also add hooks to the bottom. I did this so that I could hang necklaces as well. You will need to use a drill to make small holes at the bottom of the frame, and then you can screw in the hooks. 

Ta-da!!! You're all done! Now you can add your jewelry and hang it on your wall using command strips. Perfect for any dorm room!

Hope you enjoy making this project! Follow me on Pinterest and subscribe to see more crafts like this one. :)

Laura. 

My Wonderful Family!

Going away to college has its ups and downs. You get to explore new places and have new adventures, but you leave behind some amazing people. My family is pretty much the most amazing family ever. 

My sister is the best. She's gorgeous, a straight out jock, and hilarious too. I'm pretty sure one day I'll see her face on a box of Wheaties. I wish I could be home to see more of her basketball and softball games, because she's a beast. Nuff said. Keep kickin' booty Cora. 

My mom is wonderful as well. She's beautiful, sweet, and fantastic at being a mom! My dad is super funny, crazy, and the best, too. I just love my parents. They're always there to help me through any struggles I may be having, whether they be emotionally, financially, or otherwise. I couldn't have asked for better, more loving parents!

I just wanted you all to know that I miss you dearly! Family is such a precious thing, and unfortunately, you learn that more when you don't get to be around them daily. I hope that all is going well at home, and I love you all!

Best family ever^^^

-Laura. 

The Value of Friendship

Sometimes God brings things into our lives for a season. We may not get to have the things that we love forever, so it's so important to make sure that we love the people that He places into our lives! 

I just recently experienced one of the changing of seasons in my life, and I have transferred schools. I'm now able to be with someone that I love dearly, but I also had to leave some of the best friends that a girl could have. Starting college is crazy at first. There are so many new faces, but to find the few that will end up making life's crazy adventures even more fun is the hard part. 

Cheyenne, Jacob, and Samuel were the three people that made my fall semester a great experience. They're super stellar people :) they love the Lord with all of their hearts, and there was definitely never a dull moment in our hangouts! Leaving them was one of the hardest things that I've had to do, but I know that friendships like that don't just die. I'm already excited for my road-trips back to good ol' Tulsa! 

I hope you guys have a fantastic Spring semester without me, and you better be ready for when I'm back! I'm gearing up to see what life has in store for my future, and I know you each will be in it. (: 

<3 

Laura. 

The Little Things

God works in the craziest ways. No matter if we're looking or not, He's still sending little miracles our way throughout the day. A couple months ago I started to ask God to show me the little things in life that I should be more aware of and to remind me to be thankful for everything that He does for me. It's been amazing to have this coming to pass; it seems like something crazy is always happening! It doesn't have to be a huge miracle, I know God is watching out for me. Here are just a few of the stories of experiences that I've had the past couple weeks:

Wooo, laundry time! How exciting. As you can see, I'm not particularly fond of doing my laundry here on campus. The machines are always stopping midway through the cycle, stealing your quarters, or making your clothes smell weird. Anyways, I went to go do laundry, because I needed some clothes. So, I take all of my clothes, detergent, and $2.50 in quarters down to the washroom to get started. Crazily enough, the washer works and finishes my clothes. Then, I go to put my clothes in the dryer, and it eats one of my quarters! Ugh! I was so frustrated, because I KNEW that I did not have any more, and the change machine downstairs was not working. I went up to my room to desperately search, knowing I wouldn't find anything--because I had no more quarters. My friend Cheyenne is there, and sees how frustrated I am, and I kind of halfheartedly say "God, please give me a quarter!" I look in my purse, and guess what? Yup. There was a single quarter in it. That's it. 

The second thing happened on my way to work. I work in the Mabee Center, which is literally all the way across campus from my dorm. Your ID card is everything; it's your key to your room, your money to eat, the only way to clock-in to work, and even get in the door to work. That card is very important! It's always a rush to get to work, because I'm on a time crunch. I speed walk. Not kidding. So after speed-walking practically the whole way to work, I reach for my ID in my back pocket, and it's not there... Uhoh... As I'm getting ready to walk all the way back across campus, I see it just a few feet from where I'm standing. Ridiculous. Of all the distance that I walked it was right next to me? 

So, once again I had an ID mishap. My friends and I had just eaten at saga (the cafeteria) and were going to the Hammer (our amazing student center). We hang out there for a while, be crazy, have fun, and then go to walk back to our rooms. Again, I had lost my ID. Not in my pocket, not in my backpack, not anywhere. My friend Jacob suggested that we see if anyone turned it back into saga, so we back-tracked and checked. Guess where it was? Yup. The lady at the register gave me my ID. 

So, as you can see, these aren't crazy huge miracles like the blind seeing or the deaf hearing, but they definitely are real miracles. No matter if you notice it or not, God is watching out for you and sending miracles to you all of the time! Try opening your eyes and ears, and you might just catch them. :)

Laura Loftin.