Must Read This Book : Girl Perfect by Jennifer Strickland

I’ve always wanted to write a book…to tell my story that I hope would help encourage and lift up girls everywhere. I’ve been through a lot in my 25 years. I know, I know, I sound like an old lady telling you how much I’ve experienced in my life. But, I’m not ashamed, I do feel that way.

Never in my life have I heard a story so similar to mine. One that touched me so deeply it made me bawl my eyes out. I recently finished reading Jennifer Strickland’s book ” Girl Perfect”. It is a true story about her life as a model and how she found God, accepted Christ as her Savior and changed her path. While some thought she was living a luxurious, dreamy life of a model, she was dying. She was dying because of her lifestyle and the things she was choosing to fill her time with. After finding out the true perfect one, God, and trying to stop being perfect herself and live up to everyone else’s desires and wants she FREED herself and found happiness and fufillment. All she wanted was to be loved.

I think so many of us can relate to feeling like we are not good enough, we are not perfect enough, we’re always chasing the ideal IMAGE of beauty, but instead we should be looking to the one who is truly beautiful and who created us, GOD. He will fufill all of our needs, he will make our paths perfect, he will guide, protect, love, and care for us. We just need to CHOOSE HIM!

This book is a MUST READ. It is truly one of the best books I’ve read and so similar to all of the feelings and experiences I went through while I was modeling in New York. Her story has differences than mine, but her reasoning was the exact reasoning I left the industry as well. It was a destructive life; a life I would have never found happiness. I was sick of living up to other peoples expectations, being picked apart for each aspect of the way you look ALL the time, only being known for my pictures, the way I look. I was struggling from an eating disorder and knew I was dying in the process, knowing that if I stayed in New York and kept up all of the same habits, I would die. I was not living. I was trying to be perfect.

I had to completely turn away from it all and start new. I wanted something normal. I wanted to feel FREE TO BE ME and not constantly called on castings to be rejected and accepted, up and down; I was on a roller coaster.

Please read this book…it will really make you think, hopefully inspire you and also share with you SO MANY TRUTHS. You can find it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Perfect-imperfect-perfection-confessions/dp/1599793431/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344995803&sr=8-1&keywords=girl+perfect

Someday, hopefully soon… I will write a book. My story..a very true and honest story.

Love,

Lauren

Stephan Olang and family…

Jambo ..Hi!

Yesterday was Sunday and we spent the day with a Daystar graduate named Stephen Olang. He invited us to his church service in Karen, which is another part of Kenya. It is always interesting to go to a different church service let alone one that is in another part of the world with a different culture.

Stephan Olang has an absolutely incredible story of faith, and he shared his story with us back at his house. He now works for the International Justice Mission in Kenya because at one point IJM  had helped him out of an extremely horrible situation.

His family was so hospitable and invited us to their home for a huge meal after church. 

 

 

It has been absolutely amazing to learn more about Daystar and their mission, ” To educate servant leaders to transform Africa”. Because ,truly this trip for me has been an amazing way to witness how education and the power of Christ can take priority on people’s lives to help make the world they live a better place. There has been so many great stories and inspiring details about people and what they are doing with their lives here in Africa. We are lucky to have witnessed so much in the last week.

The power of Jesus, the power of the holy spirit is absolutely INCREDIBLE. I am so touched mostly by how many devoted Christians I’ve met here who want nothing more than to do the will of God here on earth and do amazing things for people and the world they live.

Hope you are all having a wonderful day.. God Bless.

And, we finally saw a monkey. And not just ONE monkey. Many, many monkeys. This is one with a baby attached to it’s belly!! CUTE!

 

Monkey and baby

 

Love, LO

 

 

Royce Writes …Kenya, A week in

Hey Everyone!

These are my husband Royce’s thoughts on Kenya so far. This is a Guest Post written by him…

 

It has been almost a week since Lauren and I landed in Nairobi.  I have been getting progressively more stuffed up every day until this morning; I am thinking this is due to the air pollution, dust and pollen I am not used to.  The air pollution has been noticeably greater than anywhere I have been before and so has the ground pollution.  All the pollution still can’t diminish the beauty that can be seen nearly anywhere you look in Kenya.  The tropical trees, amazing small critters and variety of people that are all crammed into Nairobi ensure each day I see/experience something new.

 

Today we will be viewing even more of the splendor Kenya has to offer, but what I am most looking forward too is visiting Nairobi’s biggest slum tomorrow.  I have been on a quest of sorts to understand differences between the average Christian in Kenya compared to one in America.  So far obvious cultural, economic and historical differences have been seen, but the substance and depth of the average Christian are strikingly similar.  After having visited with many lecturers, professors, educators and pastors it has become clear that many Kenyans (like Americans) are nominal Christians at best.  The tendency towards mere religious practices (showing up to church on Sunday and knowing “Christanese” for example) is rampant among Kenyans.  This has been a bit of a shock to me because African, Latin American, South East Asian and any other marginalized Christianity (as seen from western eyes) has been glorified by those around me and in my own life for its authenticity and ability to live out the most real form of Christianity.

 

But tomorrow when I go to the slum and visit with people there I hope to see how Christ’s kingdom is being ushered into one of the poorest areas on earth.  I know the Trinitarian God of creation is at work in the slum and I am excited to see his church following.

Royce

 

Merry Christmas to you! LOVE Lauren..

Hey Everyone!!

Merry Merry Christmas!!! I woke up early.. this is the first year that I did not wake up with my parents and brother on Christmas morning. But, this year I woke up with my husband and  cute kitty (Bear). I guess I’m growing up. But, it’s all good… last night the whole fam came over to our new apartment and spent a few hours eating, laughing and exchanging gifts.

Christmas has always been a magical time of year for me and my family and I think people across the world everywhere. It is the most celebrated holiday, the most commercialized holiday, and the one that has the most traditions and gifts. It’s honestly fabulous… and many of us wish that it could be Christmas every day of the year. For me, I’d wish that mostly so that I never had things I was obligated to do. Christmas is a day where you can really do whatever you want to do.

Anyway, I just wanted to with you all a very Happy Christmas Day and to be very blessed in all that you do, with family, friends and in the days activities. I appreciate all of you who pay attention to my blog. Writing is my passion, and I am so very blessed to have some of the supportive people in my life that I do.

With that I’d like to share a poem I found that truely expresses what I want to say to you all today:

Don’t Forget Jesus 

Christmas is a special time
To reflect on Jesus Christ
The wonder of His lowly birth
Brings meaning to our lives

There really is no other reason
We celebrate this day
The birth of God’s precious son
And the life He willingly gave

But so much seems to distract us
In the busy-ness of our lives
We lose our focus in all the happenings
Not knowing, we leave out Christ

We lose sight of the true meaning
As we endlessly rush about
Trying to find that perfect gift
Seems to cloud our Saviour out

We need to stop and reflect awhile
Remembering our precious Lord
His birth, His life and sacrifice
And all that He stands for

For though the world may celebrate
It seems though for other reasons
Let’s keep in mind that Jesus Christ
Is the true meaning of the season

© By M.S.Lowndes

Love you all…many blessings, LOVE  LO (Lauren)

Inspirational Poem for Women…

Hey Everyone!

I’ve been writing a lot about products lately and I wanted to take a quick break from that. Here is a poem I want to  that I love to read as a reminder. Here it is below:

  

Arise Woman Of God

 

Rise up O woman of God
In what He has given you
The things God has laid on your heart
Rise up, go forth, and doUnlock what God has placed within
The potential you have inside
The world is waiting for your release
To expand your wings and fly

Arise in your God-given gifts
For this is your finest hour
Arise in the Lord’s holy might
Ignited and empowered

For God is calling you to come forth
To impact this world for Him
Don’t hold back or limit yourself
Let His power arise within

And take His message to the world
To those that have lost their way
For you can surely make a difference
If you’d hear His voice and obey

You shall be strengthened in the Lord
As you begin to arise
Conquering those doubts that pull you down
And believe who you are in Christ

For you shall surely be transformed
As, in you, God increases more
And become a woman of true excellence
Bringing honour to her Lord

© By M.S.Lowndes

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Also, Claudia from Biopelle made an advertisement for me regarding our giveaway. Be sure you check this out and enter; Biopelle is letting me give away some of my favorite products.  It is open for another week and a half.  The contest is in the post below this!

Hope everyone’s having a wonderful week!!!

xo, LOVELO