Laurel Luehmann

Poetry

priceless love – a poem

February 10, 2024by Laurel Luehmann8 Comments

Hello, friends! I unearthed an old poem to share today…happy reading! ❤

I asked to learn love, and so

affection flew away on silver wings,

desire at its heels.

the rose-colored glasses slipped from

the bridge of my nose, and

I was left silent,

words stolen by

shock.

indignation burned

hot in my ribcage, and words I hate

bubbled to my lips.

this, God? You expect me to love

this???

as I fumed, I felt quiet eyes on

my clenched fists.

I turned and saw confusion glinting

in the eyes I met through His Word.

“but I love you.

I died for you.”

shame burned a mottled mask

across my face.

I remembered the ugliness

He sees each day.

I glanced at scarred wrists and saw

the receipt of redemption.

how could I ever refuse to give

a shred of the love

He’s lavished on me?

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

January memories – 2024

February 5, 2024February 5, 2024by Laurel Luehmann5 Comments

The first review post of 2024!!

when you understand that God is never late, you wait differently.
unknown

Things worth remembering…

kicking off the new year with a stomach bug…hurrah! It could only get better from there. XD
practicing bass runs with my brother
road-tripping with siblings and some of our favorite songs
coming up with a tentative title for Project Redemption👀
tea and chats with friends
hitting 50k words on Project Redemption
people watching at Culvers
frigid temps followed by a glorious (albeit slushy) heat wave
music practice that felt like the best worship jam session ever
toting a baby doll and stroller around the mall in disguise

No matter how far from ease, a wise woman’s heart is betrothed to gratitude.
from “The divine proverb of streusel” by Sara Brunsvold

What I’ve been reading…

The School Story – Andrew Clements

…in that instant Natalie saw what mattered. It wasn’t whether the book got published or not. It wasn’t whether Zoe was absolutely crazy – which she was. The important thing was Zoe herself, her friend.

This is such a fun MG read! While I’m not a fan of all of his books, I so enjoy how Andrew Clements’ style shines in this one. He really writes some powerful kid characters, and the mother-daughter relationship almost made me cry. I loved reading this to my sisters. (FYI, it does contain a good amount of name calling. I just skip over those words when reading it to sisters!)

Wonderstruck – Brian Selznick

Maybe, thought Ben, we are all cabinets of wonders.

I absolutely LOVED the experience of reading this book. It kept me turning pages so fast…especially because of the brilliance of using only drawings to tell one side of the story. The author used so many little details to draw the reader in and imply things in such a powerful way.
I did feel a little let down by the ending, though…there were some minor questions I’d asked that didn’t feel answered, and I just generally wanted more. Also, with it being MG fiction I struggled with the addition of a few mature elements being mentioned/handled casually. Just throwing that out there as a heads up if you want to hand it off to younger ones. Overall, though, I’d probably reread it for fun, as it is such an enjoyable experience!

In My Father’s House – Corrie ten Boom

She began to make plans – we had no money, no experience – but we started.

I’m savoring every moment of this book. I especially love hearing about how two single women and their father opened their home and hearts to so many in the name of Jesus. (It’s also sprinkled with a healthy dose of Corrie’s humor. :))

The Divine Proverb of Streusel – Sara Brunsvold

Ask Nikki questions, she’d told him. Memorize her answers. Lover her accordingly.

This book feels like coming home. I absolutely love Sara Brunsvold’s poetic prose and the quotable qualities of her writing, but wrap it around a rural setting full of German food and history, characters who are solid and real, and a middle-aged bachelor who is painfully awkward around the woman who adores him? I’m sold.❤️❤️

(While handled so tactfully, dealing with the aftermath of a divorce following unfaithfulness is a premise of the story, so be aware of that if it’s something that’s too painful for you.)

I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.
charles spurgeon

From the journal…

Sinning is basically telling God that His ways aren’t good enough for us…telling God that we know better than He does.

I don’t have to slink into Your presence with the faint remains of stains on my skin. You have purified me completely, and You cause these bones You have broken to rejoice.

In the way I respond to trials and disruptions – help me to see Your image in the souls that trouble my own. May I deal graciously and uprightly with any who cross my path. You must increase, I must decrease. Be Lord over my life, not simply my words!

Waiting is just a gift of time in disguise – a time to pray wrapped in a ribbon of patience – because is the Lord ever late?
Ann voskamp

What made your January memorable?

❤ Laurel

Uncategorized

Carving legacies in souls

January 29, 2024January 27, 2024by Laurel Luehmann4 Comments

Hello, friends!

Today’s post is a repost from a couple of years ago that echoes what’s been on my mind lately. I hope you enjoy! ❤

What will I leave behind?

It’s a question that’s tugged at my attention for years. As I read the stories of eternal heroes with short lives and stared at the caskets of people I held dear, the question haunted my mind.

so small and

insignificant

one breath will

blow this life away, and

what

will be the proof that

it was here?

mangled lives

and broken hearts?

friendships

that were torn apart by

hands that now lie still and cold?

oh, no!

forbid it, Lord!

A month or so ago a friend and I were wandering through a beautiful cemetery that sprawls over several acres of hills. (You know you have loyal friends when they smilingly join you on strange expeditions.) There were so many old gravestones – some tipped and sinking deep into the soil. Several were ridiculously tall and ornate, but they were so old that wind and water and time had wiped the sentimental words right off of the marker. Their attempts to leave an echo of their greatness were in vain.

Of course I hope that I leave behind me a trail of words that can point others to Christ and to truth decades after I’m gone, but paper burns. Ink fades. Files become corrupted.

If words are all I leave, I’ve failed.

For even if my words could surpass the masterpieces of Dickens and Shakespeare,

If I sang with the voice of an angel,

If the world remembers my name until the world stops turning,

But I have not love…

I am nothing.

oh, Father, keep me

on the sidelines with a loving heart

if I can’t champion the world

with outstretched hands.

Words fade. People don’t.

Let’s live our lives accordingly.

Poetry

topsy-turvy year – a poem

January 8, 2024by Laurel Luehmann5 Comments

Hello, friends!

I shared this poem on Instagram last month and still really appreciate it…so I thought I’d share it here, too.:) I hope you enjoy!

at the end of this topsy-turvy year, I find myself

crumpled, wrapping the pages of truth around my shaking body as

I brace myself for

one more disappointment,

one more slaughtered dream,

one more “no, not yet…”

and I’m afraid.

I’m afraid of crumbling

beneath the weight of all that’s missing.

why, God?

I know the words are foolish, but

I voice them with Habbakkuk,

sobbing at the feet of Christ as

I wait for His answer,

for I know that He is

good,

never late,

ever-seeing.

He has not forgotten me and my bruised heart.

I am only blinded…

blinded to the mercy of this day,

blinded to the wisdom of this way.

oh, my Lover, open my eyes so that I may see

the beauty You’ve unfurled before me!

bandage this heart and carry it along,

filling it with the strength to

love the unloved,

bind up the wounded,

carry the weary

just as You have done for me, for

even when this heart is broken, it is still

the hands and feet of Christ.

even if I’m limping, You still want my all.

oh, give me strength for today

just as You hold out bright hope for tomorrow.

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

December Memories – 2023

January 1, 2024by Laurel Luehmann5 Comments

Happy new year, friends!

Goodness. In some ways I feel as though 2023 never existed, and in others I feel as though it lasted a lifetime. XD Maybe I’ll do a year wrap-up post in a week or so, but here’s December’s recap for now! Here’s a coffee for the ride.☕ 🙂

And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.
Psalm 39:7

Things worth remembering…

my dear aunt’s homegoing…only happy tears for her from now on. ❤
lots of cousin time
learning that thou shalt trust thy grandmother’s navigational advice and not thine own misgivings (I’m sorry I doubted you, Grandma.🙈)
minute-to-win-it games with friends (bonus points for not burning the house down)
crocheting a beanie that no one wants to wear
all of the Sunday School Christmas program practices
the Christmas program itself…everyone brought their best to the table and made it so special!
a very brown and green Christmas
surviving weeks of cold and flu bugs viciously crawling through the household

When we have an agenda for God, we can’t see the gifts from God.
ann voskamp

What I’ve been reading…

Hickory Dickory Dock – Agatha Christie

“I congratulate you on having such a unique and beautiful problem.”

The plot here was excellent, but the side content was a little more mature than I was hoping for. Sadness.

Fawkes – Nadine Brandes

How many of us acted and spoke out and fought for beliefs that we held because our environment told us to? As much as I wanted to blame my England, I knew the blame sat with me. I hadn’t trained myself to discern. To examine. To seek the source. That was about to change.

I wasn’t expecting the allegorical elements of this book, and I absolutely loved them. With its nods to history and the complex plot, I enjoyed it immensely! It’s a little on the bloody side, but such a good read if you don’t mind that.

4:50 from Paddington – Agatha Christie

The truth is people are an extraordinary mixture of heroism and cowardice.

I thought this mystery was absolutely brilliant, and I had the satisfaction of having called the culprit…but not completely accurately.

The Greatest Gift – Ann Voskamp

The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.

Oh, goodness. This book was exactly what I needed this year. I loved the action items and journaling prompts at the end of each day’s reading!

Ishtar’s Odyssey – Arnold Ytreeide

“Just this morning the tastiest redfish in the lake swam up to me and said he was there to give himself up for the most honorable and noble Persian man of an approaching caravan. And here you are!”

Salamar laughed a loud laugh. “And for how much did this redfish say he would sell himself before being smoked and salted?”

The boy shrugged. “Oh, only a small token of, say, five measures of fine Persian tea.”

Listening to my dad read this in the evenings this month was definitely a highlight!

I am more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe,
more loved and welcomed than I ever dared hope.
elyse m. Fitzpatrick

From the journal…

Fill me with more of You and a blessed self-forgetfulness.

Lord, thank You for the gift of laughter…for the ability to hold things loosely and lightly because You are the one who truly holds it all.

*Remembering the character of our God will lead to a complete trust of Him with the future.*

The sinner must come to Jesus, not to works, ordinances, or doctrines, but to a personal Redeemer, who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.
charles spurgeon

What are some of the memories/thoughts you’re carrying away from this past December?

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

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.:)

Uncategorized

God with us – a repost

December 18, 2023by Laurel Luehmann5 Comments

Hello, friends!

I wrote this two years ago and decided to reshare it because 1.) it was Christmas program weekend (!!!) and that absorbed my thoughts and enthusiasm more than blog posts did, and 2.) it says so much of what’s on my heart again this year. Why try to be original when something old will do? 🙂

Regardless of whether your joy is full or if it’s something you’re looking hard for this year, this post is for you. ❤

Every year we talk about how the Christmas season is so hard for many people.

It’s always acknowledged, but all the acknowledgements in the world won’t change the fact that many of us will be crying inside at times this Christmas, even as we’re surrounded by family and friends who love us more than we know.

But don’t you know that this ache, this emptiness, this longing loneliness is the very reason Christmas even exists?

This world is broken. People fail. Hearts shatter. People hurt. People die.

So God wrapped himself in trembling flesh to heal that brokenness for eternity.

God with us.

Not God peering down on us from the heights of His holiness. Not God ruling over us. Not God commanding us from a distant galaxy.

No.

God with us.

God wailing with hunger and cold.

God being carried from His home country to safety.

God playing in the very dirt His fingers once molded to form the first of his people.

God trying to escape the exhausting press of a crowd.

God sleeping in a boat in the middle of a churning sea.

God weeping.

God making a meal for his best friends.

God sweating our blood, pleading with His Father for an easier path.

God dying.

God hurling away our sin and drawing us near to Himself.

God with us.

In our pain, in our sorrow, in our heartbreak, in our loneliness, in our brokenness, in our despair…

God with us.

God promising that the brokenness of this world is not the end. The end of the brokenness will come and seep into eternity…

Us with God.

Poetry

walk with me – a poem

December 11, 2023by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Hello, friends!

I wrote this poem after reading Psalm 103, specifically verse 14. I guess this is my shoutout across the centuries to David.:)

walk with me, Father, for

I don’t know well this road I’m on.

You alone know how many times I’ve begged

for deportation,

for transplant,

for rescue…from what?

a rescue from Your will?

You know my frame, my Builder.

You know that this atmosphere

should have crushed me long ago…and yet…

Your breath in my gasping lungs is

the only oxygen I need to survive

in this world that’s so foreign to

this blood-washed soul…

so I plead,

not for rescue,

nor for transplant,

nor for deportation, but for

more of You within me.

melt my inward dross with Your holy flame,

and weld this identity to Your name until

I know

I am nothing without You,

and all that I need is within You.

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal

November memories – 2023

December 4, 2023December 1, 2023by Laurel Luehmann4 Comments

Hello, friends!

There’s not much to say to introduce this post, so I’ll stop trying to make an introduction and just get started.:)

God has no problems – just plans!
corrie ten boom

Things worth remembering…

my car’s first flat tire
demolition and cleanup adventures with the parents and sisters
spending a weekend with a friend
discovering the most amusing inscription I’ve ever seen inside an old book
spending time on the road with my brothers
picking up crocheting again
drinking coffee at 11 pm for a good cause and only half regretting it
seeing Annie for the first time on stage
raking cornstalks
trying my hand at more creative photo editing
attempting to shop on Thanksgiving day and finding that it couldn’t be done
a Walmart run with cousins
turning our uncle into a meme (several memes, actually) with aforementioned cousins
feeling like a new woman after the shop crew spiffed up the tractor I use

“In dark and loneliness they are strongest; they will not openly attack a house where there are lights and many people – not until they are desperate…”
aragorn in “THe fellowship of the ring” by J.R.R. Tolkien

What I’ve been reading…

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson

“There comes an end to all things; the most capacious measure is filled at last; and this brief condescension to evil finally destroyed the balance of my soul.”

I think I need to stop ingesting the more intellectually/morally difficult books in audiobook form because I can’t process them as thoroughly as I can when I’m actually reading. It’s definitely a dark book, but I came away from it with a good and sobering reminder of the pervasive nature of sin…moral compromise isn’t a good idea, folks!

Winnie-the-Pooh – A.A. Milne

Pooh, who now knew what an Ambush was, said that a gorse-bush had sprung at him suddenly one day when he fell off a tree, and he had taken six days to get all the prickles out of himself.

“We are not talking about gorse-bushes,” said Owl a little crossly.

“I am,” said Pooh.

Sometimes you just need an easy yet quality read that will make you laugh. This book does so nicely.

In My Father’s House: The Years Before The Hiding Place – Corrie ten Boom

Many lonesome people found a place with us, where there was music, humor, interesting conversations, and always room for one more at the oval dinner table. Oh, it’s true, the soup may have been a bit watery when too many unexpected guests came, but it didn’t really matter.

This is a reread! The manner in which this book is written is such a blessing: Corrie shares some of her family’s history, and often shares immediately afterwards about how that event or habit prepared them for the future that only God could see.

And I said, “This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
Psalm 77:10

From the journal…

Life is far too fragile and precious to be lived haphazardly.

Lord, You satisfy me. You are enough even when my flesh begs for more…in my weakness You truly are strong.

May you know that you are small and fit well in the hands of God.
sarah Sparks

And that’s a wrap! What memories/lessons are you taking away from this November?

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

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.:)

Poetry

counting stars – a poem

November 27, 2023by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Hello, friends!

I wrote this poem several months ago as my brother and I were teaching through Genesis in Sunday School. The account of Abraham’s complete trust in God’s ability and commitment to keep His promises struck me so much that I wrote a poem about it.:) This one is based in Genesis 15.

my Shield and

my exceedingly great Reward…

I see no way from here to

what You have promised.

I ask for answers, and

You hold out the impossible,

asking only that

I count stars like a child…

that I wait in quiet trust,

believing the impossible as easily as

a child counting stars.

Book Reviews

7 indie books to give your friends this Christmas

November 13, 2023December 11, 2024by Laurel Luehmann1 Comment

Hello, friends!

I know…it’s only mid-November. BUT. Some of my extended family exchanges gifts on Thanksgiving weekend, and in case anyone else is out there looking for last-minute Christmas/Thanksgiving gifts for a family member (or is actually being proactive about seeking Christmas gifts a whole month ahead of time!), I thought I’d put this post out there right away.:)

Let me know at the end if you’ve already enjoyed any of these books!

Also, disclaimer…I’m a very picky reader when it comes to editing. I don’t haphazardly recommend indie books that simply have potential but are a dumpster fire when it comes to that area. If you’re concerned about that, I just wanted to throw it out there that these are books that I (or one of my little sisters:)) have thoroughly enjoyed, with zero to minimal editing road bumps.:)

Southpaw by Tabby RH

clean thriller // memorable characters // tea // banter // clean murder mystery // new adult // lovely portrayal of light vs. darkness

Oh my goodness…I had been eyeing this book ever since it came out, and it did not disappoint. My favorite aspect of this book was the characters…they were so vivid and different from one another, and yet each one was relatable in their own way. This would be a wonderful book for the friend who enjoys reading realistic contemporary fiction written with a classical influence.

By My Own Betrayal by Cydnie Trenholm

former assassin // the best banter // FBI // fast-paced adventure novel // fun family dynamics // sequel on the way (!!!)

Whenever I read the book of someone I’ve already befriended, I always go in with a certain amount of fear that I won’t love the book as much as I love the person. I was delighted that I could find no flaws in this novel! XD It made me laugh, it made me think, and it held my interest from the moment I read the epic tagline: To live is Christ. To die is much more likely. This would be a great gift for the teenage friend who wants to enjoy a fast-paced adventure without the gore.

This Life of Mine by Victoria Lynn

// non-magical fantasy // mountains // disability representation // prolife themes // the sweetest subtle romance

This is the second book in the Chronicles of Elira series, and I love it even more than the first one. The themes of healing and redemption just blessed my heart so much, and God used this book to grow my prayer life, as well. This would be a lovely gift for the friend who enjoys non-magical fantasy and a deeply emotional read.

Content warning: While it’s handled discreetly, it’s implied that one of the main characters has been a victim of SA and human trafficking, and the healing from that is a major theme in the storyline. Because of the nature of that theme, I personally don’t recommend this novel to anyone under 16.

Dawn Chandler Series by Eliza Noel

// contemporary middle-grade fiction // large family dynamics // fashion show // small town feels //

My little sisters fell in love with this series last year, and they were over the MOON when they recently got to meet the author (a friend I met on a writing retreat!). I haven’t personally read it, but I have been unofficially hired by my sister to draw fan art for the series, so…that’s got to count for something. XD This would be a perfect gift for the little ladies in your life who want contemporary fiction about girls their age!

Wildflower Pages by Brittney Litster

// Christ-centered poetry // lovely illustrations // garden/flower themes // extremely quote-worthy //

This is the first book I annotated (see pictures here), and it’s one I keep coming back to for a breath of fresh encouragement. This would be a lovely gift for someone who loves both poetry and gardening! (But, hey, this is coming from the blackest thumb alive, so I think that anyone could enjoy this collection, whether they’re botanically gifted or not.)

Cathedral by Maya Joelle

// reflective poetry // nature imagery // raw and realistic // shot with hope //

This is such a cathartic poetry collection that has been written and compiled so masterfully. (It even has a playlist and list of further reading recommendations in the back!) Cathedral would be a wonderful gift for the deep-thinking friend who’s a fan of the classics.

Clarion Hope by Laurel Luehmann

// battle imagery // freestyle poetry with a bit of a lilt // regret and brokenness // eternal hope //

Hehe…of course I couldn’t do a post on indie books without plugging my own! XD This little poetry collection would be the perfect gift for a friend who doesn’t like poetry. One of the most common pieces of feedback I receive is “I never liked poetry until I started reading yours!” So grab a copy for the friend who turns up her nose at poetry and see what she does. Worst case scenario: she despises it and gives the copy back to you! “Free” poetry!!

I hope this post was helpful (or at least enjoyable) to you! Which books do you want to add to your wish list?

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 Mel Poole on Unsplash