Fun Facts....

I have been tagged by my lovely friend Chelsie to share six random things about me. I did this a couple of months ago and had so much fun trying to figure out silly things about my personality. Here goes round two.

1. I love being surrounded by pictures of close friends and family. Seriously, my refrigerator is full of precious pictures of precious friends and family members that I have shared memories with. Each time I glance around my little home, a broad smile creeps across my face and across my soul. God is so good and my life is so full. I use these pictures scattered around my home to remind myself to pray for my friends and the ones who are closest to my heart.

2. My favorite patterns are toille, paisley, damask, harlequin, and small plaids. Any object with these patterns causes me to swoon and turn my head. I think patterns add so much zest and fun to life. Let's face it-a world without pattern would be very sad and very dull :)

3. One of my deepest passions is intercessory prayer. I feel like one of the reasons God created me is to enter the courts of Heaven in order to intercede on behalf of the needs and desires of others. I find such a deep joy in intercession. I find myself praying all the time, through whatever I'm doing. I'm so glad God dosen't get tired of hearing from his children because I talk to him a lot :) Prayer is my lifeline. Prayer teaches me surrender. Prayer teaches me authenticity. I absolutely love that in prayer I cannot wear any masks because God already knows everything about any part of my life and my journey with Him. I LOVE to pray about all things at all times. I yearn to become a better intercessor. I want to constantly grow in this area.

4. Another passion of my heart is ministering to elderly men and women. In the fall of 2007, as part of my coursework in the Social Work program, I was given the opportunity to be an intern at Coronado Nursing Center in Abilene. It was in this place that God confirmed my love for this very special population. I was totally honored to sit and talk to men and women who were lonely, people who were sick, people who were starving for interaction, and people who silently pleaded for prayer. Every day when I entered the holy ground of that nursing home, my soul was filled and my heart was stirred. It was as if God was filling me every day with everything I needed to bless those precious people and I was given the task of being His light in the halls of the nursing home. I am so thankful for that season in life.

5. Any time I get really excited about something, I gasp really loudly. I have no idea why this happens. For example, in the fall of 2007, two of my closest, most precious friends were preparing to get engaged. One of the guys who is also part of this precious group of friends was preparing to tell me that I was invited to a celebration that night honoring these two people. I was getting really excited, because I knew it was close and I was excited about this new marriage covenant. He said, "Lauren, you have to remain calm. You cannot freak. You have to keep a straight face." I think he said these things because he knew I could not hold in my excitement. And yes, in spite of his little pep talk, a huge gasp escaped from my mouth. My family laughs so hard when the "sucking air" begins.

6. I love to play any type of board game, but one of my favorite games to play is Chickenfoot. I do realize that Chickenfoot is a game played with dominoes. My parents and I along with two other families who we are very close to gather in a home on Friday nights during the summer to play Chickenfoot after a good meal. I love the community and the sharing that happens while playing this fun game. One of my favorite board games is Monopoly.

Chelsie, just in case you were wondering, you and Steve are on my refrigerator and every time I see your faces my spirit and my face smiles.