Laurel Luehmann

5 Dream Coffee Dates – Fictitious Literature Edition

September 24, 2020by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Hello, folks! (or floks… silly typing fingers.)

I thought that it might be fun to start a little series here on the blog, in which I share some of the famous people/historical figures/fictional characters I’d like to chat with over coffee. Of course, coffee dates with these people aren’t really possible, but it’s fun to think about! 🙂

For today… here are my five top picks from fictional books!

Jo March (Little Women)

I would so love to chat with this lady! I’ve enjoyed her story ever since I was little. She just has such a fun personality, and the lessons she learned in Little Women are so, so good. I love the dialogue in Louisa May Alcott’s books, and so hearing Jo tell stories would be priceless.

Daniel bar Jamin (The Bronze Bow)

Another character from another favorite book… I really appreciate the character development Daniel experiences in The Bronze Bow, and it would be fascinating to talk with him about his spiritual journey. I would also love to ask him more about his conversation with Jesus… and learn more about what Jesus is like from the perspective of someone who talked with Him face-to-face.

Demetrius (The Robe)

The book really left you cliff-hanging as to what happened to Demetrius, so I would appreciate learning about what happened to him… especially since he was one of my favorite characters. I would love to learn more of the details as to what happened before, during, and after the Crucifixion.

Dobro Turtlebane (The Bark of the Bog Owl)

This guy just cracks me up. Hearing him talk about his crazy adventures would be hilarious. Not sure I would want to be seen with him in public, though…

Screwtape (The Screwtape Letters)

This probably sounds really weird and creepy, but it would be fascinating to talk with him. I learned so much from “his” letters about how Satan can work against me… understanding more of his strategies so I can better combat him would be really awesome.

Who are your top picks from fiction for a coffee date?

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission… at no extra cost to you. 🙂

Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

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Happily Ever After… Really?

September 21, 2020September 21, 2020by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Why is it that the fairy tale always ends immediately after the picture-perfect wedding?

Why does the curtain close on the adventure right after the bad guys are defeated… before they can recuperate and strike again?

How come the narrative ends after the race is won?

What is the truth about happily ever after?

One of the “happily ever after” dreams I cherished from grade-school days until earlier this year was graduating from high school. I could hardly wait until the day I was freed from the not-altogether-unpleasant-but-still-incredibly-binding chains of schoolwork to do whatever it was I felt called to do. Freedom. Aaahhhh…

Ha.

The challenges that came with my schoolwork were suddenly removed… and twice as suddenly replaced with the challenges that come with… this season. What is it called? There must be some fun and creative term for it. Hmm…

Why is it that our “happily ever after” dreams rarely meet the standards we set for them?

We live in a world warped by sin.

God designed this world to be one great “happily every after”. He wanted to live in fellowship with us, the people He created in His image. He wanted us to live beautiful lives in perfect fellowship with one another. But we chose to ignore Him and go our own direction.

Our foolish choice resulted in twisted, sinful lives… with precious few “happily ever afters”. The truth is, sin destroys our dreams of a perfect life on this earth.

If we seek to find our joy in anything in this world, we will, inevitably, be disappointed.

We could let this fact make us gloomy pessimists. But really, we need to let it point us to the even greater fact that this mangled world is not all there is. God loved us so much that He took action to give us the greatest “happily ever after” there could possibly be.

He became a perfect man, and took the entire disgusting weight of our sin on His shoulders.

He gave everything for us.

He crushed death and removed its power.

Look at the beautiful sneak peek He’s given us of what is soon to take place.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.

God Himself will be with them and be their God.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:2-4 (emphasis mine)

This, friends, is the ultimate happily ever after. All of our other hopes of perfection will be dashed; this one will not.

Let’s live our lives in anticipation of this incredible event… it’s coming soon!

Photo by Foto Pettine on Unsplash

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10 Blessings God Has Given Me

September 17, 2020by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Why do we have to wait until November to start thinking and sharing about being thankful?

Ooh… we actually don’t. So let’s do it!!!

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I tend to get caught up in trying to discern God’s will in the “big” things in my life… rather than obeying His clearly stated will in this small thing – giving thanks.

I’d like to share with you 10 things for which I’m thanking the Lord today. Some of them are huge things, and some of them are just those little blessings that He crams into my life, just because He wants to make me smile.

HIM!!! Truly the greatest blessing ever.
My incredible family
The gift of hearing
Words
Coffee 🙂
A wonderful church family
A job for which I don’t have to wear a mask 🙂
Clean water
The purpose He infuses in my life
The opportunity to throw my words all over the world

Whoa… I serve an incredible God. He doesn’t have to give me any of these things – I certainly don’t deserve them – and yet He pours them out freely. He is truly worthy of all the praise I can give!

It’s your turn now! What are 10 things for which you can thank God today?

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

life

First Things First… And Writing Isn’t One of Them

September 14, 2020by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

And you thought you knew me. 🙂

Don’t get me wrong; I love writing. As a kid, I liked nothing better than curling up with a notebook and pen, crafting stories and poetry. My addiction to scribbling words and trying to encapsulate my crazy thoughts in semi-understandable sentences has only grown over time. My obsession with words was always just one of my weird little quirks. End of story.

But recently it came to a horrifying climax. It seemed like so much of my mental energy was going into writing and my future as an author… trying to figure out what it would look like, and how I would get to where I wanted to be in the writing world. I was so enjoying what writing involved that I was letting it become my life.

I was pouring into my stories instead of my siblings. I was investing in my writing courses instead of my friends. I was focusing on myself and my dreams instead of on my Savior and His dreams for me.

What started as a harmless little hobby began to devour every aspect my life.

The thing is, I’m not just a writer. I’m also a daughter, a sister, and a friend. Most importantly, I’m a child of God, a member of the body of Christ, and a representative of Him.

These other roles and responsibilities are even more important than writing. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to pursue a career in something I so enjoy, but I need to remember that there are so many other aspects to my life than writing.

I need to remember my identity in Christ, and let my priorities flow from that.

My relationship with God comes first. Next, my family relationships. Next, all other relationships.

Last, writing.

I’m not saying that it’s evil to work diligently at your job and seek to be good at it. Not at all. Actually, I’m really focusing in on that this week. But note the key word, job.

My job should not become a synonym for my life.

Balance, folks. Balance is key.

Let’s set our priorities in the right place and live them out.

Book Reviews

10 Books Your Family Will Love

September 10, 2020by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission… at no extra cost to you. 🙂

My family has spent countless hours reading aloud together. Here are some of our very favorite read-alouds!

10 P’s in a Pod

Who doesn’t want to read about a large family who sang and prayed their way around the country? The writing style and content will have you roaring with laughter at times, but this book is also very convicting and thought-provoking. I can’t recommend it enough.

The Boxcar Children

I always enjoyed reading about the adventures the Aldens had… I ~~envied~~ admired their creativity and independence! One really nice thing about this book is that the siblings treat each other with love and respect – something that’s sadly missing in our culture and a lot of books now.

Once Upon a Summer

My siblings and I love this book! It stands out from many of the other books written by Janette Oke in that its focus isn’t on the romance. (Do I hear cheers from the guys??? :D) Follow along as Josh – a twelve-year-old farm boy – tries to scare off his aunt’s suitors, gets a puppy, and learns some valuable life lessons.

Winnie-the-Pooh

Don’t laugh… I absolutely love the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories. They’re so sweet and hilarious. Even though they’re written for children, I think adults will enjoy them, as well!

The Hidden Staircase

This Nancy Drew mystery is a fun family read, and even comes recommended by one of my brothers. 🙂

Eight Cousins

This is another family favorite. Written in the 1800s by Louisa May Alcott – the author of Little Women – it’s incredibly enjoyable, and the timeless lessons woven into it are wonderful.

Bedtime for Frances

This sweet and humorous picture book is written for younger children… but I still love it. 🙂

Five Children & It

Five siblings find out what it’s really like to have their dreams come true… we enjoyed this one immensely!

In Grandma’s Attic

Arleta Richardson based this book on stories her grandmother told about her childhood in the 1800s. It’s hilarious and packed with valuable life lessons. This is a favorite with my younger sisters!

The Little House Series

These classics make wonderful read-alouds… they’re so much better than the TV series! I appreciate the incredible detail and historical accuracy of the descriptions.

And there you have it! What are some of your favorite read-alouds?

Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash

life

On Seasons

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Don’t you just love this time of year? The weather is cooling down, the flies’ days are numbered (hooray!!!) and I’m loving my sweatshirts, hot coffee, and afghans.

The seasons are changing, and I’m so looking forward to fall.

Spend enough time around me and you’ll learn that it’s my tendency to look forward to things – always planning and dreaming and scheming, picturing where I’ll be next year, in two years, in five years, in ten years…

But that means I can get so caught up in my dreams that I’m tripping over the important things I dreamed about yesterday. That’s a problem.

However, in my mid-teens I was encouraged by several sources – books, a blog, friends – to embrace the season of life I was in at that moment, rather than always dreaming, always planning, always waiting for what was around the corner.

And so I did. While still making my lists and dreaming my dreams, I wholeheartedly embraced a season that brimmed with family, schoolwork, cooking, music, writing, and spunky calves. I threw myself into the thick of it and loved it.

And then I looked up. I was turning eighteen and graduating. The season in which I had learned to delight was deteriorating before my eyes.

My first response? “NOOOOO!!!!!!!”

Seriously. I went into mourning for about a week.

My beautiful life was about to be changed… forever. I would never get back those days of being a crazy little farm kid, of doing school around the dining room table with my mom and siblings, of having the relatively simple and easy life of a child. Never.

(Whaaaaaaahhhhhh…)

What was happening to my life? I liked it just the way it was… why did I have to grow up and graduate, ruining and complicating everything? Couldn’t life just stay the same? Nice and normal and… safe?

I knew that if I was kicking and screaming (figuratively!) on my way to high school graduation, something was seriously wrong with me.

My mindset had become flawed.

Gradually, unwittingly, I had allowed my season of life to occupy a place in my heart that was never meant for anyone or anything but God. I had let it become my delight, my satisfaction and my identity, when only God can truly be those things for me.

This summer God’s been teaching me to embrace, not my seasons, but Him, the never-changing Creator of my seasons.

He’s been instructing me to work heartily at the projects the day lays before me, but to shift gears quickly if need be.

He’s been reminding me to appreciate the abundance of blessings He daily showers on me, but to allow them to turn my eyes to Him, not away from Him.

He’s been revealing to me the glorious truth that with Him, each and every day is brimming with opportunities for growth, productivity, and joy… lots of incredible joy.

He’s been encouraging me to to make Him the very center of my life – in the midst of every crazy, beautiful season and all it contains.

I want to encourage you to center your life around this incredible God.

You will not regret it.

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When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

September 3, 2020by Laurel Luehmann8 Comments

If you’re a human, you go through seasons in which you simply can’t understand why your life looks the way it does… why so-and-so said such-and-such… why such-and-such had to happen/not happen… why your life is so obviously falling apart, and will absolutely never be whole again. *sighs and sniffs dramatically*

These seasons may be a nearly everyday occurrence for some. They’re few and far between for the rest, but they’re still there. And hard. Really hard.

I think God wisely planted inside of us something that tells us that life is supposed to make sense… and so we get frustrated when life doesn’t make sense. We cry when life takes an unexpected – and completely undesired – turn. We weep as our most beautiful dreams rot and crumble before our eyes.

Because we can’t see what the Author sees.

I’ve not yet read the book, but I do enjoy the movie based on Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. It’s rather gloomy and sad, but the writer’s heart in me rejoices at the incredible intricacies of the plot.

At the beginning, it seems like there are just a lot of loose ends – several stories that don’t relate to each other very well. There are times when what’s happening is so confusing and incoherent. But as the story progresses, you see how every single person, place, and event is linked together in one massive, fascinating plot. In the end, you are left in awe of the creator of such an incredible story.

See, the thing about stories is that they don’t make complete sense – they aren’t supposed to make complete sense – to anyone but the author until the end.

We’re in the middle of our stories right now, and so naturally there are a few aspects of them that leave us scratching our heads in confusion… or, if I may be frank and a bit more honest, bawling on the floor in complete emotional disarray.

But God’s perfect plot is still there. When it seems like everything is falling apart, it’s really falling into place. Truly.

I haven’t lived that long, but already I’ve seen God weaving my story together, and believe me, He beats Charles Dickens hands down.

I have seen Him take circumstances that I despised and use them to draw me to Himself.

I have rejoiced at the way He laid the groundwork for my prayers to be answered before I even thought to pray them.

I have cried as He allowed my dreams to be smashed, and tearfully trusted Him to build and fulfil better ones.

I have seen that, through it all, He has been faithful, and that He will be faithful for the rest of my days. Oh, it will be a glorious day when He reveals to me the entire script of my life, with all the “loose” ends tied together.

If you are His child, He will do the same for you.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28 (emphases mine)

Be comforted… it will be worth it all when we see the end. ❤

Poetry

Once Again – A Poem

September 1, 2020by Laurel Luehmann6 Comments

Two natures fight within me

Clawing for complete control

And the evil one is winning –

Its dark reign I can’t o’erthrow.

For its grasp about my mind

Has left an imprint stiff as stone

And its chains about my heart

Into my flesh o’er time have grown.

And I can’t break from these shackles

That hold all my habits tight

For the rust of time has locked them

And I cry into the night

As I see the one You crafted

To be swift and strong for You

Melted to the mess I am –

How could my heart be so untrue?

Yet the dawn is breaking now

And in the early morning rays

I see the promise of the future

And new mercies with new days

And I see the power of Calvary

Making chains and shackles null

As Your faithfulness transforms me

And my shell falls, dead and dull

As new life is pulsing through me –

Though I’ve stumbled and I’ve failed,

Still You tell me that renewal

Is one humble step away.

Photo by Federico Respini on Unsplash

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Why I’m Glad to be a Farm Girl

August 27, 2020August 27, 2020by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Let me start out by saying that life in a dairy farming family is not a piece of cake. We have struggles and hard days… just like everyone else. But here are some random thoughts on why I love this life.

I get to live and work with my family – my best friends. To me, it doesn’t get much better than that! We have shared so many experiences together – fun and not so fun – and those are bonding. Working as a family draws us together, and I so love that.

I have always loved exploring and wandering through the pasture and woods. I know that many people don’t have the space to roam and spend time alone in nature, and I am so grateful to have that.

Farming builds character. Throwing haybales? Builds character. Picking rock? Builds character. Getting your hands covered in nastiness? Builds character. Have I made my point?

I think there’s something so wonderful about taking care of baby calves… then seeing them calve and join the herd in a couple of years.

I’m so thankful for the emphasis my parents and grandparents put on people. Running a farm takes much of their time and energy, but they are good at making sure that people aren’t lost in the shuffle. They make the time to be with family and friends, even when it’s difficult. This is an example I want to follow for the rest of my life.

I’ve learned that in this life there will be hard times, no matter what… it’s how you deal with them that matters.

This was originally published on my other blog, The Farmer’s Daughter.

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You May Be a Writer If…

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020by Laurel Luehmann12 Comments

…your brain is always churning with story ideas, song lyrics, or rhyming phrases.

…a favorite pastime is reading obituaries and wandering through graveyards. (You’d be surprised at how many writing prompts they hold.)

…you scribble random notes all over the place – on church bulletins, note cards, scrap paper, journal covers, napkins – so you won’t forget a brilliant idea that just *might* make a bestseller someday.

…your little sister sits on your lap at work. (happening right now, folks.)

…immediately after getting home from a family get-together you make a run for your journal, not wanting to forget any of the bizarre family stories that would be perfect in a book someday.

…you work two jobs at once – your brain is plugging away at your current story/poem while you’re feeding the cows.

…when you’re alone, you start a conversation between two imaginary people. Out loud. No idea who they are… their identities emerge as the conversation progresses. Oh, and it always helps if they have British accents and are in extreme emotional turmoil.

…it’s hard for you to throw any papers away. (Maybe someday I’ll come back to that story…)

…you sit bolt upright and grab for your phone when you wake up in the middle of the night so you can record a phrase that you heard in your dream and don’t want to forget.

Okay… writers are just weird. At least this one is. Can anyone else sympathize???