inspirational – Laurel Luehmann

What is that to you? – a hard look at comparison

July 25, 2022by Laurel Luehmann8 Comments

Whether we like it or not, comparison seems to be ingrained into our very souls…or at least, the very soul of our culture. I never thought I had a significant problem with comparison because I truly love my life and don’t obsess over what people think of me…

But the whispers still come…

I’m not doing what she’s doing. Does that mean I’m not doing enough? She’s writing so many more words than I am…and is doing it better than I am? What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I seem to keep up?

There are so many people in the Bible that fascinate me, but Simon Peter takes the cake. My soul has a good laugh (or sometimes a good cry) whenever I read about him because he’s just. so. relatable. I’m glad I’m not the only Jesus-adoring soul who talks too soon, too much, and too thoughtlessly. I’m glad I’m not the only one who has had to work through my own unfaithfulness to realize Christ’s faithfulness is unfathomable.

And I’m glad I’m not the only disciple Jesus had to call out of the comparison game.

In the last chapter of John’s account of the gospel, Jesus has just told Peter, “Follow me.” And what does Peter do?

What most of us do, honestly.

He turns around and looks at someone else.

John. The beloved disciple. The favorite. The one who didn’t deny his Lord three times after vowing to die for Him. The one whose seeming perfection likely made Peter feel more ashamed than he already was.

“But what about him, Jesus?”

I can just see Jesus turning to Peter, looking him straight in the eyes, and replying,

“What is that to you? You follow Me.”

Jesus doesn’t ask us to look to those around us for condemnation or validation. He simply calls, simply and clearly, for us to walk after Him.

What is it to me if my journey looks vastly different than the lives of those around me?

I’m to follow Him, and that is all that matters.

Let’s jump out of the comparison game, friends. Let’s take a hard look at ourselves in the light of God’s word and leave the clamor of the world behind. There’s only one Voice whose approval truly counts.

❤ Laurel

Uncategorized

What an Apple-Murderer Taught Me About God

November 19, 2020by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

Sometime this past summer, my youngest sister brought me an apple she had pulled from one of our trees. A tiny, misshapen, worm-eaten thing. She held it like a treasure.

“Can you get me some water so I can put this in it, so it can grow?”

Oh, girl.

In trying to help the apple, the well-meaning squirt had killed it. She didn’t realize that removing it from the tree would destroy all its hopes of further growth. Now it was destined to be nothing more than what it was – a less-than-appetizing apple.

This made me think…

Am I tearing myself from my source of life?

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

I look in the mirror and see a mess. And I’m not talking about the chronically crazy hair or the breakouts on my face. It’s a mess that’s deep inside, rooted, and complicated. I look in the mirror and see a weary, misshapen, sin-eaten soul.

But God sees me as a treasure.

If I abide in Him, He will give me the grace to keep growing in Him. If I stay close to Him, He will nourish me, develop me, make me more like Him, and give me the ability to bear fruit for Him.

But that won’t happen unless I’m connected to Him.

Unlike my sister’s poor little victim, I can choose to stay connected to my source of life… but it won’t be easy. The world is against me, trying to pull me away from Christ, because it knows that my life and strength come only through Him.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” – Ephesians 6:10

We can fight – and win – this battle against sin only if we abide in Christ.

Are we doing that?

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

life, Personal

Singin’ in the Rain

October 22, 2020by Laurel Luehmann4 Comments

Happy Thursday, friends!

I have to admit… this morning didn’t feel so happy.

In case you don’t know, I get to feed the cows on my family’s farm. Sometimes I just show up and plow through the feeding routine as planned… but today there was a little hiccup.

The tractor I use for feeding had a flat tire.

I didn’t have to change it – my awesome brothers took care of that – but that incident set the feeding schedule back a bit.

Oh, and it was raining.

And cold.

And I was getting soggy and chilled and frustrated and “oh, poor me”ish.

Wimp.

As I roared around in the skid loader and a dampened mood, I asked meself – whoa, okay, fingers, I guess we’re going with an accent today, – really, what do I have to complain about? Sure, the morning didn’t go as planned, but what do I have to smile about?

Umm… basically everything.

I’ve got an amazing job… even if it is a bit damp and dirty at times. The damp and dirty days make me appreciate the nice days all the more!

I have warm clothes that help ward off the cold and the rain.

I have a lot of thinking time while I’m feeding.:)

See, the way we look at our lives makes all the difference. If we’re hunting down things to be angry/frustrated/sad about, trust me, we’ll find them.

But if we’re hunting down things to be joyful/contented/happy about, trust me, we’ll find them.

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

God has so richly blessed us… on our best days, and on our worst days. He always, always, always gives us something for which we can thank Him.

What’s that “something” for you today?

Book Reviews, Personal

What I’ve Been Reading – September 2020 Edition

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020by Laurel Luehmann7 Comments

Hey, guys!

I just wanted to pop in today to share with you a taste of what I got to read this September.

Please note: I did NOT read all of these books cover to cover… I’m just saying I got to spend some glorious time in them last month. 🙂

Enjoy!

Books

The Bible

Absolutely… it’s my favorite. Specifically I enjoyed spending time in Proverbs and Habakkuk this September. I’m so grateful for God’s Word. It truly is a light to my path!

Animal Farm

I haven’t gotten very far in this yet, but it’s okay so far. Quite honestly, it didn’t grab me and pull me in right away, but I’ll keep reading to see how it turns out. 🙂

The Door Within

I ~~sped-~~read this when I was thirteen and loved it. Since I’m writing my own allegorical fantasy right now, I thought it would be a good idea to go back and reread this book. It’s been fun! I love all the parallels it draws to the the life and mission of the Christian.

Beholding and Becoming

This one is so, so good. It’s been such a beautiful reminder to me to stay focused on the Lord in the middle of an exciting life.

Also, the pages are bursting with beautiful word art and paintings… ahhh! So lovely.

Winnie-the-Pooh

This is one of my favorites. I so enjoy the way A.A. Milne captures the beautiful nonsense that is so logical to a child’s mind.

In the Presence of Mine Enemies

I picked this up the other night and stayed up ~~too~~ late, reading in fascination. I didn’t start at the beginning or read completely through every word (welcome to my reading life), but this was incredible. It’s the true story of an American soldier who was a POW for seven years in Vietnam.

This book is heartbreaking and inspiring. I am so grateful for the men and women who gave – and still give – so much so we can live in freedom and safety. We spoiled Americans need to be reminded of how much freedom costs, and this book will do just that.

Radical

I’d been hearing about this book for years… and wanting to read it but never getting around to it. Finally I grabbed a copy at my nearest and dearest bookstore – Goodwill 🙂 – and started reading. Wow. Talk about a wake-up call. I’m hoping to finish it this month.

Blog Posts

The Life of William Wilberforce

A few years ago I got hooked on the story of William Wilberforce via an incredible audio drama… so of course I jumped at this article! I really appreciate how some lessons to be learned from his life are pointed out at the end.

Things Christians Don’t Talk About: Money

This one is a quick read – and a powerful one. Please read it if you can spare a minute or two.

What have you been reading lately?

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 hannah grace on Unsplash