tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post7467883976709018181..comments2024-01-31T02:59:37.136-05:00Comments on laurennicolelove.com: A Letter To My 18 Year Old Self - And My Story.laurennicolelove.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16264637166517789918noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-83252687802410073692012-06-05T19:11:42.071-04:002012-06-05T19:11:42.071-04:00You wrote my story. I came from the same thing - ...You wrote my story. I came from the same thing - and I needed to hear it to know that the journey I am on is not in vain and I am not alone. And that the healing that is still in progress will come. <br /><br />Funny thing, I am also living out of my car. I am in month three.Tiffanyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07391411574972126925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-22313847815721893042012-06-05T14:48:20.434-04:002012-06-05T14:48:20.434-04:00hello lovely,
A friend of mine posted this to fac...hello lovely,<br /><br />A friend of mine posted this to facebook today and as I read, it was a gust of life into the parched and exhausted soul of mine. Our stories are so similar it is chilling. I am just now starting the journey to healing that you have embarked on, and am aching to come to the place that you have also come. Thank you for writing something so raw you and opening yourself up to the connection of other hearts who needed to hear the words you wrote. You are a kindred. You are beloved. And God has not wasted the struggles and heartbreak you have gone through on your life journey. If for nothing else, you have touched me so deeply and impacted me with the words I needed to hear...<br /><br />Blessings!Christinahttp://www.brideinspired.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-19462895566781029862012-01-17T17:14:53.946-05:002012-01-17T17:14:53.946-05:00I love your blog. I love your story. My soul gets ...I love your blog. I love your story. My soul gets pulled into stories that are filled with Jesus, grace, and adventure. And love. Yours has it all and I have enjoyed starting your blog with the most recent posts. I got to this one, and one of your points stuck out to me. In your letter to yourself you say, "Your heart is not evil, nor is it deceitful." <br /><br />I am not one to pick things like this apart. Really. But I enjoy theology and am constantly searching for truth in scripture and in that truth reflected by godly men and women who write about scripture. I love everything you say after that bold part. But I want to encourage you to dig into that statement. Is that what scripture tells us? Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" This, obviously, cannot stand alone as my argument, but if you read around this passage it talks about how man is cursed if he trusts in himself, in his heart apart from God. The heart will betray us because we are inherently sinful. You can see this also in Genesis 8:21, "And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma [of sacrifice], the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done." God says yes, man's heart is evil, BUT I am not going to punish mankind anymore for this because a sacrifice will be made. So though this may be what you meant to say all along, I encourage you to think about the sentence you wrote. Think about clarifying. We ARE sinful. We ARE evil at heart because of what our first parents, Adam and Eve, did in the garden. But God sent a great Savior to forgive us and sanctify us and create in us something new (that will remain inherently evil because we will not stop sinning until we are with Jesus) that will become slowly more like his until the day we have new bodies on a new earth with Jesus. <br /><br />Again, I know you're not running a tight-theology ship. But I know that many women read your blog and look up to you. They look for truth in your words and I am sure many read your words as truth without question. You have been given the gift of a voice and a space to point to Jesus and to his Word. And I love to see the Word delivered accurately! <br /><br />Thank you again for the encouragement your blog has been. If you have questions or follow up, I'd love to hear back. I know this is an old post and you are busy. Have a great day!Christine S.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-78532344842579826042011-11-01T11:25:05.369-04:002011-11-01T11:25:05.369-04:00With God's help I am finally easing my way out...With God's help I am finally easing my way out of my own sheltered bubble at age 22. It's not often that someone "gets it", and it helped me so much to read about how you went through similar circumstances and thrived afterward. Thank you for being willing to share your story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-89597653023550988502011-10-25T22:46:10.104-04:002011-10-25T22:46:10.104-04:00wow. i am in tears at your honesty. i read this as...wow. i am in tears at your honesty. i read this as a letter to me. THANK YOU.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-88698918965025102042011-10-24T14:45:55.709-04:002011-10-24T14:45:55.709-04:00Lauren,
Thanks so much for just being willing to ...Lauren,<br /><br />Thanks so much for just being willing to be vulnerable and sharing from your heart what God has brought you through! Am praying for daily strength and courage for you as you continue to speak the truth in love.<br /><br />GregGregory Donnerhttp://www.gregdonner.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-73662719683307707902011-10-12T21:56:14.426-04:002011-10-12T21:56:14.426-04:00Hey ya! This is an AMAZING post! Tanx for your hon...Hey ya! This is an AMAZING post! Tanx for your honesty...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-80315288264266363912011-10-10T18:14:34.363-04:002011-10-10T18:14:34.363-04:00@Mallory - I am so flattered and encouraged to hea...@Mallory - I am so flattered and encouraged to hear that. I just put up a list of books I read and recommend to pretty much everyone. :) <br /><br />http://laurennicolelove.blogspot.com/2011/10/resources-for-recovering-legalist-or.htmllaurennicolelove.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16264637166517789918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-73055395228457499832011-10-09T11:55:08.323-04:002011-10-09T11:55:08.323-04:00Lauren-
I'm a high school teacher and I often ...Lauren-<br />I'm a high school teacher and I often share your words with my students. God's wisdom is shining through you. A few people above asked this same question: what books did you read for healing?Mallory!https://www.blogger.com/profile/15569812209075186787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-82206690745297410862011-10-08T23:22:03.496-04:002011-10-08T23:22:03.496-04:00dang, lady. i love love love to hear stories of p...dang, lady. i love love love to hear stories of people who are able to walk through ache and legalism without walking away from faith. such a gracious testimony to God's mercy.suzannah | the smitten wordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15624828638731650677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-88070302487756235562011-09-28T09:25:20.961-04:002011-09-28T09:25:20.961-04:00Thank you. My growing-up life wasn't so extrem...Thank you. My growing-up life wasn't so extreme, and by God's grace my whole family is being brought out of it. This really spoke truth and hope to my heart. I am learning what freedom and grace are, and re-learning the Gospel, and working through the hurt I have. Thanks:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-5450066387437361512011-09-25T15:16:58.119-04:002011-09-25T15:16:58.119-04:00this is beautiful!! I was just praying this mornin...this is beautiful!! I was just praying this morning and the Lord led me to confront my teenage self and cast out lies I had allowed myself to believe for so long. I thought how much I wish I could have just sat down with myself at 18 and shown myself who I would become in the next 4 years. It really is unimaginable. I hope that this post encourages other young girls the same way it has me! <br /><br />Thank you so much for sharing this!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08319832847704138221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-1887725763674536822011-09-24T15:02:36.785-04:002011-09-24T15:02:36.785-04:00I totally relate! When you said that if someone ma...I totally relate! When you said that if someone makes a joke about someone or something between the years of 1987 and 2003 . . . you don't really get it, I was like "someone else is like me!" <br /><br />As I read "A Letter to My 18 Year Old Self" I burst in to tears. I have been struggling in my relationship with God. He has felt so far away during this time of struggle. I have been angry with him and didn't know how to even connect with him again. Reading "Be the little girl that you are . . . He just wants to be you Father, and sitting in his lap sobbing "I don't know, I don't know . . . " was when the tears began to roll down my cheeks and the walls fell down. These were the words I needed to say to God. I had never on an emotional level gotten that God is our Father because I have my dad. This picture of a crying little girl in her Father's lap-- I finally got it.@kristen_reahttp://dirtytreasures.tumblr.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-56819108637135887242011-09-23T16:15:21.813-04:002011-09-23T16:15:21.813-04:00"you won't have to fight to get his love ..."you won't have to fight to get his love or attention."<br /><br />Thank you for that line. I didn't know that I secretly believed that as a single woman until I read it. Thanks for breaking that chain.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08824109920401277074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-48939604577673791922011-09-23T15:07:30.524-04:002011-09-23T15:07:30.524-04:00I cannot say enough how I absolutely *love* this, ...I cannot say enough how I absolutely *love* this, Lauren! My story probably has very little (if any) in common with yours, but your letter speaks wonders to me, still. I might print it to keep it close to mind and heart :) Thank you!Amandanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-38795747421552108362011-09-23T11:54:03.858-04:002011-09-23T11:54:03.858-04:00Lauren I don't even know what to say. This had...Lauren I don't even know what to say. This had helped me more than you will ever know! Thank you. <3Kinsey Frenchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-81439114253685167472011-09-23T00:29:55.425-04:002011-09-23T00:29:55.425-04:00Hi Lauren! As always, beautiful, life and faith ...Hi Lauren! As always, beautiful, life and faith affirming. Thanks for sharing yourself with the world!<br /><br />All the best, <br />Mr. PGary Puckettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-34098138003717705142011-09-22T15:45:46.813-04:002011-09-22T15:45:46.813-04:00Absolutely loved this. We all get to a fork in the...Absolutely loved this. We all get to a fork in the road where we have to decide if we are going to follow the God someone told us about or if we are going to follow the God who we know and trust in our heart. It is a painful process when you have to leave so many friends and family behind to pursue to real love and truth of God but those growing pains are so worth it. I don't even know you but love your honesty and open heart.Franceshttp://thelivingletterchronicles.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-56602093172515717162011-09-22T15:04:54.866-04:002011-09-22T15:04:54.866-04:00Beautiful. Powerful. Inspiring. My 29-year-old sel...Beautiful. Powerful. Inspiring. My 29-year-old self is sitting here with tears streaming, telling God "I don't know, I don't know..." and daring to believe it's okay not to know.Julienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-30034460548692048562011-09-22T00:43:21.043-04:002011-09-22T00:43:21.043-04:00Gorgeous. True. Necessary. Thank you.
That last o...Gorgeous. True. Necessary. Thank you.<br /><br />That last one? That's the truest one of all, in some ways, because it's true for ALL OF US, even the ones who didn't grow up with psychologically inappropriate parenting and invasive control issues. Because even without that, most of us (well, at least many - too many!) try to live the life someone else wrote for us instead of listening to God - and to ourselves...after all, God made us, so it's really, REALLY important to know ourselves, to discover what makes our hearts sing, how we're wired. <br /><br />Thank you.dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11991172981000479793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-53018230940054271802011-09-21T13:18:45.644-04:002011-09-21T13:18:45.644-04:00i want to read more on your story! ah! so interest...i want to read more on your story! ah! so interesting. so powerful. so full of strength. you are an example to us all! :)julie, sweetie.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11412354135854433473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-1558731517502863252011-09-21T12:38:18.738-04:002011-09-21T12:38:18.738-04:00Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom. Right now,...Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom. Right now, I'm studying abroad in Oxford (philosophy & theology), and I'm finally taking the time to address the questions/uncertainties that I've had about God. I normally attend a small Christian school in the US, but whenever I realize I have an unsettling question about God, or the Bible, or faith in general, I let myself be swept away in the business of school assignments and extra-curriculars to avoid really getting to the bottom of it, because it makes me uncomfortable. I'm scared that if I question God, I'll have some kind of awful realization.<br /><br />It's a little unsettling, realizing that even though I've grown up in the church and attend a Christian college, I still have false assumptions about God, and don't really understand Him. (Not that I ever totally will, at least this side of eternity.) But it's nice to see that you let yourself question Him, and life didn't fall apart. He didn't let you down. He's faithful and will guide me along and reveal more of his truth.Emily Schuberthttp://emilyschubert.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-38978972482244360242011-09-21T10:36:57.344-04:002011-09-21T10:36:57.344-04:00Wow. Seems you always know just what to say. I fee...Wow. Seems you always know just what to say. I feel so similar to this except that I'm only 21...and I struggle with feeling like I'm not living...due to my parents. But, this is so encouraging to read. I'm def. inspired to start living and not caring! I don't want to live and have regretted. <br /><br /><br />Thanks Lauren.Natalíhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11419460018995228809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-14580204391124789972011-09-21T09:19:30.255-04:002011-09-21T09:19:30.255-04:00as always, i am completely blown away by your hone...as always, i am completely blown away by your honesty and the way that you communicate the truth God speaks into your life. thank you for sharing. i love your heart so much.kelly summershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785089965111855564.post-57072984011385196832011-09-21T08:19:28.878-04:002011-09-21T08:19:28.878-04:00I found your blog through Andrea Lucado and had to...I found your blog through Andrea Lucado and had to share that our families sound very similar. My parents didn't even come to my recent wedding. It was heartbreaking, but God is mending me back together--one stitch at a time. I recently wrote a post about Strength and Brokenness to put in writing that I would not allow brokenness to destroy me. I want to walk the road to healing and grow strong in the places that hurt the most. You have shown courage in writing and may you continue to press on in your journey towards healing. freedom. joy.Ruthie Deanhttp://www.ruthiedean.comnoreply@blogger.com