You Can't Stop the Beat...

and apparently you can't stop life either!  I've been so busy lately, and I can't say that I've minded.  When life is busy, there's less time to be bored!

For those of you who read my blog for the insightful, pleasant, and thought-provoking posts... well, this isn't going to be one of those.  For everyone else...

Family Life:

My sisters are keeping me busy… busy, busy, busy!  Lindsey’s life is always exciting; that’s what happens when you have a six-year-old and a military family.  I’m thankful that she chooses me to be her confidant when life gets hard, interesting, or otherwise.  Laura, my bestest friend in the whole world, is a senior this year, so I’m busy working on graduation gifts and other various graduation party projects.  She also recently competed in the area Physics Olympics… so for a few weeks, we had a soundtrack of mousetrap springing to live by.  That was… fun. My youngest sister, Leah, is our sports star… the only athlete to grace the Vance family.  She’s busy with practices, games, and more practices.  She also recently took first place in her category at the area History Day, and will soon be competing at the state level.  My sisters are so talented, smart, and generally awesome!

Personal Life:

Since the name of this blog is Laughs with LACY, you probably want (or at least expect) to know what’s going on in my life. Well, I’m not quite as busy as my sisters: I’m single, not in High School, and not an athlete.  However, I AM single, I have a fabulous full-time job, and I play piano.  These things keep me surprisingly busy!  Ok, being single doesn’t keep me overly busy, but being single does allow me to do with my time whatever I choose.  I’ve gotten lots of reading done lately, as well as ample shopping, visiting, and scrapbooking.  As far as work, our church is hosting the State Meetings next week, so that’s keeping me busy for now.  After that’s done, we have Easter,  then graduations, weddings, and summer!  Pretty sure that equals busy!  I was recently asked to play piano at my friends' wedding in a few weeks, so I've been preparing for that in my "down time," which isn't much.  When I go so long without having time to play piano for fun, I tend to forget just how much I enjoy it.  Oh! Also, I recently was given the spring soccer schedule of a good friend of mine, so game attendance will keep me busy too!  Good thing I enjoy watching soccer!


Spiritual Life:
God has been teaching me a lot in the last few weeks, and unfortunately, I'm ashamed to admit, it's mostly been the same lessons over and over again.  Apparently, I'm sinful AND stubborn.  Not a good combination.  I'm reading through the Psalms (my goal is to read through Psalms/Proverbs twice this year, one chapter a day), and the same thing keeps sticking out to me: the steadfast love of the Lord.  I'm so thankful that no matter how much I may waver, the Lord's love for me is steadfast.  It ain't goin' nowhere!  I would be a sad soul, indeed, if the Lord's love was conditional. How thankful and humbled I am that God loves me no matter what, that His forgiveness, grace, and mercy know no end! 


Well, if you made it this far, kudos to you!  Congratulations for reading the world's most random, boring blog post I've ever written.  I feel the need to share the fact that it's taken me three days of sporadic work to actually get this finished. Guess I really am busy! 

Calling All Failures

Hi, my name is Lacy, and I’m a failure.  I fail every single day.  I stumble and fall into sin, sometimes even willingly and/or on purpose.  I know God loves me, and that He even went so far as to die for the very sins I commit on a daily basis, but sometimes I live like I’ve forgotten this incredible, indescribable love. I’m sure I’m not alone on this, but I really hate feeling like a failure.  I’m so thankful God never gives up on me!  I’m also thankful that, as Romans 6 tells us, I’m no longer a slave to my sin.  I CAN say no! With God’s help I CAN triumph over my sin!

Since we’re already on the subject of failure, I want to address all my beautiful, fabulous, wonderful, amazing, fantastic girl friends.  I get so tired of hearing from all of you about how the guys in your life always make you feel so unworthy, un “worth it!”  Don't get me wrong, I love you all, and I always enjoy hearing about your lives, I just dislike hearing about all the lame guys out there. But the reason I get so tired of hearing about it from you is because I’ve heard it from myself for so long.  When did others’ opinions of us become SO important?  At what point did we stop seeing ourselves through the eyes of our parents, family, and others who love us, and start measuring our worth on what guys think?!  But the ultimate question is this:  WHY did we stop seeing ourselves through the eyes of the only One who’s opinion truly matters?  I love you all very, very much, but I feel the need to have this serious discussion with you.  God loves you, I love you, your parents love you, and believe me, we ALL think you’re “worth it!”  God proved how “worth it” you are when he died on the cross.  Your parents proved how “worth it” you are when they chose to give birth to you.  I proved how “worth it” you are by reminding you of these things.  With that being said, please remember, and I mean this, that I am always around for you to talk to or to cry with or (when things are going well) to giggle with! God loves you, I love you, and you are NOT a failure.

Walkin' on Sunshine!

Happy first day of March!  I have been so thankful for the sunshine this week!  I don't know about you, but I never realized just how much the weather affects me: my attitude, my perspective, and even how awake I feel!  Something about the bright, warm sunshine makes me so incredibly, immensely, and insanely happy inside.  As I was driving to work this morning contemplating the affect of the beautiful rays, this verse came to my mind:

"In the same way, 

let your light shine before others, 

so that they may see your good works 

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." 

Matthew 5:16

The sunshine makes my day so much better!  In the same way, is the Sonshine of my life making anyone else's day better? Just something to think about while I (we) enjoy the sunshine today...

Greater than MY sin!!

I recently came by this song by Building 429.  I chose to add it to my playlist because it's a rendition of one of my favorite hymns.  The words & music are SO encouraging!  Enjoy!

Click to Listen

Search me O God

And know my every thought

Discern my every way

And speak into my soul

Point out to me my wrongs

Convict me until

I follow down the path

That leads me to your will

Because my heart

Sometimes can wander

And my faith 

at times can stray

But I know

That when I fix my eyes on You

That I will always remain

Safe in the shadows of Your 

Grace, grace

God’s grace

Grace that will pardon

And cleanse within

Grace, grace

God’s grace

Grace that is greater

Than all my sin

I praise You because

I am fearfully made

You formed my frame

In a secret place

All of my days

Ordained before I breathed

Written in Your book

Before I came to be

Because Your love

I stand and wonder

You know I come to Thee

And knowing that

When I fix my eyes on You

That I will always remain

Safe in the shadow of Your 

Grace, grace

God’s grace

Grace that will pardon

And cleanse within

Grace, grace

God’s grace

Grace that is greater

Than all my sin

Falling in Love (or at least TRYING to!)

I love Valentine's Day!  I don't know any other family that celebrates the way we do.  Every year we put up lots of festive decorations in early February, and we bake special sugar cookies and have heart shaped cake (or some other yummy dessert).  One thing I really enjoy is watching a plethora of chick flicks, which I can assure you, I definitely have a good head start on that activity!

God's timing is never coincidence.  This week's chapter in GGW is about who directs the love story of the Wise Girl and the Wild Girl.  The Wild Girl writes her own story; the Wise Girl surrenders to God's pen!

When I was in High School, I tended toward the Wild girl's approach.  I always had my eye on a guy, and I had pretty much perfected the art of the accidental "Hey! Fancy running in to you here!" meetings. I am so SO very thankful that God protected my heart despite my constant attempts to give it away!  The good news is that most of my failed attempts at getting these guys attention ended in great friendships, some of which I am still thankful for and enjoying today.

I can tell you exactly when I surrendered to God's pen.  Sadly, the reason I can tell you is that it wasn't very long ago: November 2010.  When I found out last April that God was moving me back home, I immediately began praying more earnestly about a specific relationship I knew would be a possible reality in the months ahead; however, it wasn't until November (seven months later) that I finally quit trying to make the relationship happen.  I quit. I gave it all to God and asked Him to just "do His thing."  And let me tell you, it has been one exciting adventure! I have always loved Isaiah 55:8-9, and I think it's because the truth found there is so relevant: God's ways/thoughts are so much higher than ours! In the short time since I surrendered to God's plan, I have seen him orchestrate things in a way that I could never have even imagined.  Things are still processing, and I'm far from being in love, but I'm really excited to see where God leads!  For now, please join me in praying for patience!

What about you?  Are you still trying to orchestrate just the right circumstances to create a relationship?  Do you try to manipulate that guy (or if your a guy who's reading this that girl) to do what you want?  Or, are you sitting back letting God "do His thing?"  If you fall in to the first category, please take the time to read the story of Samson and Delilah in Judges 16(ish).  Even though the story ends with Delilah appearing to have gotten exactly what she wanted, I submit that the story really ends with Samson dead, and Delilah standing single, wounded of heart, and alone. When you orchestrate your own love story, it doesn't end well for anybody. When you let God orchestrate your love story, the results can last for generations (see the story of Isaac & Rebekah in Genesis 24- Rebekah let God write her love story, and she was given the privilege of being part of the line of Christ!)! 

Happy Valentine's Day!