Lauren Gaskill Inspires

When Loving Well Means Taking a Huge Leap of Faith {+ Finding Joy Episode #34 with Hands Free Mama}

May 24, 2017 • 34 Comments

I didn’t know if I would have the courage write this blog post to you. But thanks to a lot of nudging from the Holy Spirit, and by God’s grace and strength, I know this is what I must do.

Before I let you in on some pretty big, exciting news, let me start by saying thank you. Thank you for being a part of this community. Thank you for sharing your heart with me week after week here on the blog and in the email newsletters. Thank you for supporting this ministry. Thank you for coming alongside me in prayer.

I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again: Writing may be something God has called me to, but you guys are one of the main reasons why I write. You are the reason why I stay up editing podcasts when I get home from working my full-time job. You are the reason why I pour my soul out week after week, in the hopes that my story might inspire and encourage you in your own faith journey.

So thank you. Thank you for being here and thank you in advance for supporting me in what I’m about to share with you.

When I first met my husband eight years ago, I had no idea how our story would unfold. But I did know two things: one, he loved me; and two, he wanted to be a business owner someday. After moving from Indiana to the great state of Minnesota and then to Iowa, I knew three things: one, he loved me; two, he still wanted to be a business owner; and three, we wanted to settle somewhere warm — a place with plenty of beach and mountain scenery to go around.

From the day our moving truck unloaded our belongings here in Des Moines, we knew this city was only a chapter in our journey. We just didn’t know how long we’d be here.

Lord, please speak to my husband when the time is right to move. You know our hearts and what we desire, but we also want Your will to be done, so we will stay here until you say go.

In January, a year and a few months after we’d moved, my husband came to me and said, “I think it’s time.”

He’d already been looking at businesses to acquire for more than a year, and this time, the Lord brought a venture to him that was too good to ignore.

Five months later, I am thrilled to let you in on our little secret:Read More

Spread the Light, Be the Light

May 15, 2017 • 14 Comments

I might come across as being adventurous and completely independent, but there are some things I don’t like to do alone — particularly doctor’s appointments. So, you can imagine my horror when I found out I needed to go to Mayo Clinic for a two-week physical therapy program. Alone. Without family, friends or any of the comforts of home.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I told my husband.

He reassured me that I could and I would, and that everything was going to be just fine. Easy for you to say, I thought to myself.

Last Monday marked the start of that two-week program, and I’ll be honest with you — it’s been rough. But it’s also been full of some pretty wonderful God moments, and I’d like to share one of those moments with you this morning …

Exhaustion hit me by the end of day two. I desperately missed my husband. I missed my dog. I missed home. As I left the waiting room of the Mayo Building’s 14th floor, I knew I had two options:

1) Go back to the guesthouse and cry into a pillow until my lungs gave out.
2) Sit in the Mayo lobby, breathe, read God’s Word and pray.

My flesh wanted to go with option one, but I could feel the Holy Spirit guiding me toward option two. So, that’s exactly what I did. I took the elevator down to the lobby, plopped myself into a chair, closed my eyes and just breathed.

Open your eyes. I heard the Spirit say.

And when I did, I was amazed at what I saw. Before I sat down, my focus was only on myself and my problems. Now I saw the lobby with fresh eyes. I didn’t just see and feel my pain, I saw hundreds of hurting people. Hundreds of people looking for HOPE. Hundreds of people looking for JOY. Hundreds of people needing PEACE. Hundreds of people just wanting to be LOVED and HEALED.Read More

Reminders to Find Sacred Rest in God {+ Seven Free Printables!}

May 8, 2017 • 6 Comments

I can make chocolate chip cookies in my sleep. I’m a seasoned chef who knows how to make almost any kind of ethnic cuisine. I could swim five miles right here and now if you asked me to. But rest? I’ve never been good at rest.

I can count on one hand how many successful naps I’ve taken in my life, and I rarely clock more than seven hours of shut eye a night.

As I write this post to you on a sunny Saturday morning, my husband is still asleep. I, on the other hand, woke up four hours ago. I’ve already exercised, driven to the store, made breakfast for both of us (his smoothie is in the freezer), and sent out an email newsletter.

I love the rush I feel when I check something off my to-do list (fellow checklist lovers, can I get an amen?!). I aim for efficiency in everything I do. I relish in productivity.

But at what cost?

This is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately, and I’d love to challenge you to ask yourself the same question today.

Not making time to rest in God comes with a cost.

When we don’t make rest a priority, we don’t just put our spiritual health at risk. Our physical health, relationships and work life are all affected by rest. And when we don’t get enough of it — whether that be physical, spiritual or both — eventually, we will burn out. I’ve seen this play out in my life, and the lives of many I love.

God calls us to more rest and less stress. More being and less doing.

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So, today I’m saying enough is enough. I want more rest and less stress. More being and less doing. More freedom and less obligation.

We cannot be everything to everyone and do everything that needs to be done under the sun.

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When we run to God and seek His rest, Psalm 91:4 promises us: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

So will we make time for rest? Will we stop making excuses and finally give ourselves permission to take a step back so we can recharge and find refuge in the shadows of our King’s wings?

In the shadow of His wings, our souls can find refuge.

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I’ve created seven quote graphics (scroll up for the first!) to encourage you to rest in God throughout the week. You can even print them off by simply clicking on the photo for a downloadable version. My hope is for all of us to start making rest a daily habit. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, a little goes a long way. Set aside your computer and phone, turn off all distractions and lean in to hear what God might have to say to you in that moment. Pray with me:

We commit our rest to you, dear Father. Do with it what you will, and give us the peace we need to put our agendas down and simply rest in you. Speak to us, Lord. We are yours, and we are listening.

Treasures in the Darkness {+ Finding Joy Episode #33 with Kay Warren}

May 1, 2017 • 12 Comments

I held my breath as I waited for the six words that would signal the game had truly begun.

Ready or not, here I come!

My cousin’s shouts came from the downstairs kitchen, but I could hear her loud and clear from my hiding place in the finished part of my grandparent’s attic. Of all the places and things I could’ve hidden in, I’m not sure why I chose an old moving box, but that was where I found myself. Cold. Alone. Silenced. And in the darkness.

Time passed, but with no watch to gauge time there was no way for me to know how long I’d been sitting in the box waiting to be found. After what felt like hours, I started to wonder if anyone was even going to find me.

I looked around inside the box, which had grown stuffy and uncomfortable, and furrowed my brows as my stomach growled. We had started playing hide and go seek while gramma was preparing grilled cheeses for lunch, and I needed food. Fast. I had two options: Give up the game or wait it out and pray that someone would find me before I started eating the cardboard box out of desperation.

I stuck my hands in my coat pockets and let out a deep sigh, surprised when my long, winded breath was met with the sound of something crinkling. I felt around in my coat pocket to discover the source of the cellophane-like noise: a sleeve of mini doughnuts.

JACKPOT!

Even though I was cold, alone and uncomfortable, this simple delight was all the treasure I needed to make it through my time of waiting in the darkness.

Have you ever been stuck in the darkness?

Not the hide-and-go-seek kind of darkness, but the real, earth-shattering kind of darkness?

Hold on, sister. I’ve been in that darkness too, but I can tell you light is coming — a glorious light that the darkness can never overcome (see John 1:5).

Most of us would never choose to be in the darkness, but for the days, weeks, months or years we find ourselves there, God promises to do something marvelous for us. In Isaiah 45:3, God promises to give us treasures hidden in the darkness — secret riches. “I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name,” He says.

What a gift. What amazing grace.

We are not alone in our darkness, and we are never without hope.

We are not alone in our darkness, and we are never without hope. {See Isaiah 45:3}

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While I wouldn’t wish darkness on any one of you, I am thankful for the deep darkness I have already faced in my 25 years of life. Because of the darkness, I have learned to rely on God to be my source of strength. Because of the darkness, I understand that the only thing good in me is Christ. Because of the darkness, I have learned to live a fully surrendered life.

Don’t fear the darkness, sweet friend. And remember: the Jesus inside of you is stronger than the darkness that tries to overtake you.

Want to go deeper and learn more about how God brings us treasures in the darkness? Don’t miss the latest Finding Joy Podcast episode!

20+ Resources to Develop a Stronger Faith

April 24, 2017 • 19 Comments

One of the things I love about being a part of God’s creation is seeing all of the ways in which He has made us unique.

Take passion, for example. Have you ever noticed that what sets the soul on fire is different for everyone?

My husband’s face lights up over hockey, Nascar, monster trucks, documentaries, long sleeps and anything business related. But God created me to marvel over a completely different set of things.

Nature, music, books, sunshine, writing, cooking and baking — these are the things that speak deeply to my soul. These are the things that help renew my faith when the troubled waters of life’s trials rise over my head; and I’m so thankful to God for allowing me to experience such beauty, joy and peace through it all.

Regardless of our unique list of passions, there’s one thing we have in common: God has set a longing and fire for eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and that longing leads to a deep need for His Word.

Making time to be in God’s Word is the surest way to renew and develop a stronger faith.

There was a time in my faith journey when I didn’t open my Bible, save for church on Sundays. It’s not that I didn’t want to read the Bible; I just didn’t understand why reading it was so important.

Now that I’ve been walking this road a little longer, I know that the words of Hebrews 4:12 are true. God’s Word IS living an active. It IS sharper than any double-edged sword. It DOES speak to our hearts and like a fire within that burns with a deep passion for the Lord.

When we open the door to our hearts and give God a chance to speak to us, He will.

If you’re in a place where your faith feels stagnant, dead or wavering, I cannot express to you enough how important it is to arm yourself with the truth and make time to be in God’s Word — even if you can’t fully believe what you are reading.

That’s why I’ve compiled a list of more than 20 resources that will draw you into God’s Word and help nourish your faith.

There is nothing more valuable than making time to be in God’s Word.

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We all have a list of passions that speak to our soul, but none of them can be a substitute for God’s Word. Spend some time with one or two of the following spiritual resources to strengthen the foundation of your faith today.

1. 5 Apps to Help You Get in the Word by Kaitlin Garrison

In this post, Kaitlin shares which apps have been monumental in helping her know how to study the Bible on her own. If you want to learn how to be consistent and excited about waking up to read God’s word, this post is for you.

2. Prayer 101 by Keela Hope

Everyone prays differently. Develop a strategy that works for you and get ideas for who and what to pray for with this helpful list of prayer prompts from Keela.

3. How to Move Mountains: 7 Days of Scary Prayer by Lauren Bissell Tonge

Jesus says if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Join Lauren as she writes about how prayer has increased her faith and how it can deepen your relationship with Jesus today.

4. Unwavering Habits of Trust by Jill Hoven

God is in our past, our future and is here right now. But how can we learn to trust Him day in and day out? Jill unpacks how to build your trust in God with a few, simple daily habits.

Invisible Wounds and the God Who Heals Us {+ Finding Joy Episode #32 with Melinda Means}

April 17, 2017 • 10 Comments

I used to be a runner.

Not a very fast one, and never in a competitive way, but there was a time I enjoyed a good jog several days a week.

One summer during college, I worked at a bakery while interning for a Minneapolis magazine company. The house I rented space in was about two miles from Lake Calhoun, one of the metro’s most coveted hang out spots.

It wasn’t a very nice house. In fact, it was pretty old and dirty … but its location filled my heart with joy because the distance to and from Lake Calhoun created a perfect four-mile jogging route. That meant every other morning I could jump out of bed, jog to the lake, stop and stare at the water for a few minutes and jog back.

This morning run wasn’t just about exercise. It was about a chance to have total peace of mind.

No matter what was going on in life, all of my fears and problems melted away the second I laced up my tennis shoes and started running. My spirit grew lighter with every foot that pounded the pavement.

Sadly, that summer was the last time I ran regularly … before my Ehlers-Danlos Hypermobility diagnosis made routine running impossible. Against my doctor’s wishes however, every now and then I still pound the pavement when I’m craving some peace of mind.

I love running because it allows me to process and express my raw emotions to God on an incredibly deep level. To me, every step is a chance to engage in honest prayer, and every breath is a moment of sweet release. Maybe you have an activity that makes you feel the same way.

Last week, during our annual beach vacation, I felt the urge to run. I knew I probably shouldn’t, but my battered spirit needed some relief from the anxiety and panic that had crept its way back into my life.

Before my husband got out of bed one morning, I took off as fast as I could and started praying. God, speak to me. I need to hear from you. Please, speak to me. Let me know that you are here. Above all of the distractions and noise in my mind. Speak to me. Help me trust you with this. Help me trust that you have a plan and this is all going to be OK.

To the outside world, I probably just looked like a young adult getting in some morning exercise. But the outside world couldn’t see the invisible wounds I was running from. The invisible cuts, bruises and fractures I was trusting God to redeem but that had not fully healed yet.

Psalm 147:3 tells us that the Lord heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. I know and I believe this to be true. But sometimes the healing process can feel really messy and hard, amen?

We long for healing to be instantaneous, like many of the stories we see in the New Testament … but oftentimes, it’s a long and drawn out process. There’s no map to get us from point A to point B. From broken to restored. All we can do is trust that God means what He says in His word. That He will restore us. That He will make beauty rise from the ashes of our broken lives. That hope prevails over all.

Does your heart need some healing today? Take heart, sweet friend. And borrow the counsel of my dear sister Melinda Means, who joins us on the Finding Joy Podcast today.

Melinda carries around her own batch of invisible wounds, but she has learned how to find God in the middle of it all — in the pain, suffering, waiting AND the healing.

When trusting God felt like too great of an undertaking, nine words from the Holy Spirit got her through, and I want to share those nine words with you here in this blog post as an encouragement to you today:

You can trust the One who died for you.

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With Easter still fresh in my mind, I want to add on to that and say: You can trust the one who defeated the grave and rose to life once again!

We all carry around our own batch of invisible wounds. In the aftermath of a battle, some run away from God. The pain is too great — they don’t want to deal with the wreckage. If that’s you today and the pain feels too great … may I encourage you to step out in faith and run TO God? Run into His arms. Fix your eyes on Him. Let Him be your hope and strength and give trust a try, even when it’s hard.

God offers healing for fractured hearts. He is our #hope.

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