Merry Christmas 2016!!

Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends. 2016 has been an incredible year, full of fun and challenges. I started the year in St. Louis, MO and ended it in Seattle, WA- with many trips and adventures in between.

The biggest story from this year was my decision to leave St. Louis and start a new adventure in the Pacific Northwest. Late last year, after much prayer, I felt God was calling me to a new home and to new opportunities to share the message of Life. I have always loved Washington and always hoped for a chance to live there- this seemed like the perfect chance to make that dream a reality. My Grandma Davis graciously agreed to let me rent her spare bedroom and I made the move in early August. It has been both a challenge and a blessing in my new home. Leaving St. Louis, all of my incredible friends, and my church family at St. John's was harder than I had imagined. But I have started to make new friends through my church in Seattle and through BSF Young Adults. I am looking forward to the next few years and all the Northwest has to offer!

I'm going to miss my "church kids"!

Ginny loves Seattle and all the outdoor activities around us- she has become quite the hiking partner! She also loves when she gets to hang out with my aunt and uncle's family- especially their dog, Hank. She's looking forward to spending some time in the snow later this winter when we take a trip to the mountains.

We love the view from the water in our town!

The Davis family was also blessed with a new member this year- Sarah and Shawn welcomed Timothy James in April and I am so in love with my little nephew- I love being an auntie to him and Christina!

I am still working with youth through Lutherans For Life and the Y4Life ministry is growing to reach more and more students each year.  I survived the Washington D.C. Snowpocalype of 2016 with over 30 high school students in January and even had the unique opportunity to teach students from multiple Lutheran high schools who were all stuck in D.C. Lutherans For Life was also honored with a huge space to have fun teaching students about life issues at the LCMS National Youth Gathering- I got to work with some great volunteers, including my brother! The best part about work this year was getting to work with my first ever intern- who happens to also be my brother's amazing girlfriend! Sarah was so incredible and I am looking forward to our next intern in 2017!

Washington D.C. Snowpocalypse 2016!

The best NYG team EVER!

I loved working with Sarah this summer!

After the business of another Y4Life summer, I began the long trek to Seattle to start my new life. I decided to really "start fresh" by selling and donating most of my things and moving just with my car. My best friend, Caitlin, agreed to drive with me to Seattle and we had a blast exploring the Western United States, with great road trip stops along the way- including the Badlands National Park, Devil's Tower, and Shoshone Mountain Retreat- my camp in Idaho!

Badlands National Park

Devil's Tower in Wyoming

Ginny wasn't a fan of the Coeur d'Alene River

So happy to be back at camp!

Made it to Washington- the Columbia River!

After getting to Seattle, my brother John and his girlfriend, Sarah, joined Caitlin and I for a camping and hiking trip. While we were there, I accomplished another life-long dream- climbing a mountain! We hiked to the top of Hannegan Peak- a 10.5 mile hike with over 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. It was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done- but the view was so worth it and John was a great motivator at the end!

View from our campsite in the Mt. Baker National Forest

The entire hiking crew! 

Made it to the top of Hannegan Peak!

This picture doesn't show how tired we are :)

Couldn't have made it to the top without him!

I hope 2016 was a great year for all of you. I am so excited about all that God will do in 2017 and I pray that God will bless you today and everyday! Merry Christmas!

Love, Laura

Merry Christmas 2015!

I am so excited to share my first ever Christmas letter with all of my closest family and friends! God blessed me with so many exciting adventures this year that I couldn't help but want to share them with all of you.

The first (and most significant) adventure of 2015 was a new addition to start my own little family- Ginny, the whippet-labrador mix!

Ginny came home with me in February after spending six months in a shelter. She is now two years old and is adjusting very well to life with Laura! We've had a few bumps in the road, but every day I see a little more of her personality. She loves to run (she is a whippet, after all), hike, cuddle, give kisses, and play with her toy fox. Her affection and playfulness have already made a huge difference in my life, and I can barely remember what it was like without her.

A typical Ginny picture- she loves to smile!

My work with Lutherans For Life continues to be a joy and a challenge everyday. Y4Life is growing, and I am blessed to meet and mentor so many students who are excited about spreading the love of Christ through life issues. LFL also continues to allow me to travel all across the country- meeting students where they are at and providing an opportunity to share my passion for Life with them.

Some awesome students at the
March For Life in Washington, D.C.

In 2015, Lutherans For Life took me to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Phoenix, Estes Park, New Orleans, Orlando, New York City, Yale University, and all across the Midwest. God always amazes me with the ministry opportunities he provides on these trips, as well as the opportunity to explore and have a little fun along the way. Check out some of the pictures from my LFL  travels this year:

Visiting with Dan while in Florida

Hanging out backstage with Sanctus Real at the
Nexus Student Pro-life Conference in St. Louis

Exploring Rocky Mountain National Park with students at FLY-
the bi-annual Association Free Lutheran Youth Conference

Visiting Central Park
during my trip to New York

In addition to all of my travels with Lutherans For Life, I also found some time to explore a little bit on my own. While I was in Colorado, I got a chance to visit with my godparents in Colorado Springs for the first time in over a decade. It was so wonderful catching up with them. I am blessed to have their encouragement and prayers!

Ron and Debbie, my wonderful godparents!

Enjoying fresh spring water in Manitou Springs, CO

I ventured away from the continental United States in July to serve as a chaperone for my church's high school mission trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico. I had a great time serving with our DCE and some incredible youth- they witnessed to me at the same time as they served the people of San Juan.

Fort Cristobal in Old San Juan

VBS at our host church

Northgate Peaks in the Kolob Terrace section of the park

I continued my annual National Park trip by visiting Zion National Park in Utah with my best friend, Caitlin. Zion was such an amazingly beautiful place- it was incredible to see God's hand in forming the magnificent canyons and cliffs. Caitlin and I had a great time together and made the most of our three-day journey by hiking over 25 miles!

Celebrating after successfully navigating the Zion Narrows

Hiking in 108° heat at Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas

Canyon Overlook at sunrise

We drove about 100 yards into Vermont,
just so I could add the state.

I visited New York and Connecticut in October for work and, while I was there, I took the time to explore New England and do a mini- Davis Family history tour with my Dad. I got to see where my grandfather and great-grandparents grew up and meet my great-aunt and uncle. I also added six new states to my list- as of the end of this year I have now visited 45 U.S. states and one territory!

Wickford, RI- my Grandpa Davis's hometown

I am still enjoying life in St. Louis, where I am blessed to have friends who are like family and a church where I can share my gifts through music and through Lutherans For Life. So many incredible things have happened in 2015- God is so good to me, and I am looking forward to where he will take me in 2016!

God's Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Love, Laura and Ginny

Y4Life Blog: What is our Responsibility?

I am now writing a regular blog for Lutherans For Life's youth and young adult program, Y4Life. Here is my first post, reprinted here. Check out the link for more information!

www.lutheransforlife.org/about/y4life













What is our Responsibility?


The other night, before getting ready for bed, I did what I usually do and made one final check of what was going on in the land of social networks. While I was quickly looking over my Twitter feed, I noticed that one of my favorite actresses had finally given in and gotten a Twitter account. Excited, I immediately "followed" her and clicked on her profile to see what she had tweeted. My excitement quickly turned to shock and sadness when I saw that her first official tweet was a strong statement in favor of abortion rights for women. What a disappointment!

After going to bed, I at first had a hard time falling asleep. I was still upset about what I had seen on twitter that evening. It frustrated me that someone as educated and talented as this actress could have such an opinion and make such a strong statement to the public. I let me emotions get the better of me and began contemplating my response. I considered never watching any film or television show associated with her again. "That'll show her," I thought. I also spent many minutes drafting in my mind several tweets that I could send her in response to her statement. If only she knew the truth, there would be no way that she could still feel the same way!

At some point in my mental rant to this actress, I realized I was being a bit ridiculous. I didn't even know this woman! Why was I so affected by her opinion? Why did it bother me so much? Why was I so convinced that I had to be the one to change her mind? I then began to think about all those in my life that I have been unable to convince that unborn human life is worth protecting. I thought about people I had debated with in school, conversations I had on Facebook, and even discussions with people close to my heart. I hadn't been able to change their minds, so what made me think I could convince this random actress through a 140 character tweet? I began to feel a heavy sense of personal responsibility for where I had seemingly failed in my defense of Life.

For those of us who are active in the For Life movement, these are probably common thoughts. This was definitely not the first time I had despaired over that fact that I couldn't save someone or convince someone of the value of human life. But before I could completely depress myself, I remembered some encouraging words that someone had shared with me before: God does not call us to be successful, but simply to be faithful. In fact, success is being faithful to what God has called us to do. It is not my responsibility to save everyone or convince the entire world that abortion is wrong, but it is my responsibility to speak the truth, in love, whenever the opportunity presents itself. It is my responsibility to continue to speak for Life, to educate those around me, and to encourage and equip others to do the same. The rest is up to God.

It is a sad fact that no, we will not be able to convince everyone. We will encounter persecution and hardened hearts. Sometimes, we will simply be too late. But as sad as that is, and as much as my heart breaks for the lives that will be lost, God has promised that He will complete the work that He has called us to do. In Philippians 1:6, Paul encouraged the Philippians with these words: "I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." All we need to do is to continue to answer God's call and to speak the Truth with our words and actions.

Original Post:  http://www.lutheransforlife.org/y4life-blog/what-is-our-responsibility/

Some reflections on recent events.... Part 2 [Guest Post]

Here is Part 2 of our special guest post:

From Pastor John Davis:

How do we overcome evil? It is the question many are asking, but the answer might surprise many more. We do not overcome evil, at least in and of ourselves. Obviously, evil is not something that can just be eliminated and dismissed in the world in which we live, for throughout recorded history there has been evil in the world. Even when we remove someone, from whom great evil is perpetrated, someone else comes along and does likewise. Furthermore, if we are honest with ourselves, we all understand the potential for evil within our own hearts and lives. “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. … For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:15-19) So, while our country is currently struggling on how to eliminate or at least curb the evil of school/gun violence, we are trying to do so, as people who struggle with our own evil. Can we really address the social issue without first addressing the personal issue?

Some attempt to resolve this inner conflict (with which we all struggle) by redefining that, which is evil. Once again, this subjects evil to our own views and opinions, and perpetuates the problem of not recognizing and confronting what truly is evil. This redefinition “removes” the evil, hence “removing” the conflict, at least until something “really evil” comes along and forces us to confront what we have tried to disregard and are now ill-prepared to handle. As I talked about this previously, the one thing I failed to mention is that the importance of objectively defining evil is that it also objectively clarifies for us what is good, the importance of which will be understood in just a moment.

Others attempt to overcome such evil by self-help, self-determination, personal will power, and the like. While such efforts are noble and might provide temporary resolution of the personal battle we fight within between good and evil, a long-time resolution and a lasting peace escape us. Where both of these approaches fail is that they both rely on someone who has a penchant for evil—our selves. If we cannot trust in our own ability to overcome evil within us, then how can we trust others, including politicians, legislators, advocacy groups, and the like of any persuasion to overcome it in others for us?

So, as disciples of Jesus, how do we overcome evil? We first, trust the one who has overcome it him self, and second; we live life as he has called us to and as he has empowered us to. Look at some of the verses that speak of what Jesus has done that we cannot do: John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”; John 16:33 – “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” As followers of Jesus, we believe that Jesus has overcome the evil of sin, of Satan, and of the world. That doesn’t mean that evil still is not present, but evil no longer defines us, binds us, or rules us. Because we received credit for Jesus’ good (while he received the punishment for our evil) on the cross, we have forgiveness, a new life, and a new identity in Jesus! “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Please take a moment to consider what it means to no longer be ‘I’ but to be “Christ who lives in me”.

Because we are now “Christ living in me”, the implications of this for our struggle both internally and externally against evil are immense and life altering. Consider these verses that speak of how “Christ in me” affects us and our lives: 1 John 5:4-5 – “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”; 1 John 2:14 – “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”; 1 John 4:4 – “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Such a life with “Christ in me” is not some weak, helpless life, but one that is able to overcome—make that has already overcome—that, which our world and society are struggling to figure out as we speak. More than that, it gives us the tools we need to practically overcome the daily evils we face: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21). That good, which overcomes evil, is not what we think or define it to be, but it is what God has defined it to be—it is what God has defined us to be, it is “Christ in me”!

And so, how does our own victory over evil translate into a safer and less evil world? That answer, and the real challenge for Jesus’ followers, both individually and corporately will be in part 3. (I can’t promise tomorrow).

Some reflections on recent events.... Part 1 [Guest Post]

I am doing something a little different here and posting a guest post. My father, who many of you know is a Lutheran pastor, posted his reflections on the recent events in Connecticut and our response to it on his Facebook page. I thought more people might like to read it, so I asked him if I could repost it here. Enjoy! 
-Laura

From Pastor John Davis:
 
The following is the first in a three-part series of thoughts as I reflect on the current events in Connecticut and our collective societal response to them:

Today, at our staff devotion, we prayed earnestly for the people of Connecticut, for families affected, for the community, for pastor

s and counselors, and the like. We also prayed for our own local schools and our nation. And in praying for our nation, we prayed that people would turn to (or turn back to) our God and Father and His Son, Jesus. As people are so severely confronted with evil, the questions of morals and goodness become a point of discussion, and the search to find/go back to strong values seems to be at the forefront. In this void and in this hurt is where we as disciples of Jesus can make such a difference, so long as we are not weakly resigned to the values and morals of an increasingly secular society.

At the conclusion of our devotion time, we sang the hymn, "God of Grace and God of Glory" I share the words of verses 2-4 of this hymn (public domain) with you:

Lo, the hosts of evil round us scorn the Christ, assail His Ways!
From the fears that long have bound us free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us Wisdom, grant us courage for the living of these days.

Cure your children's warring madness; bend our pride to your control;
Shame our wanton selfish gladness, rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us Wisdom, grant us courage lest we miss your Kingdom's goal.

Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of Your salvation be our glory evermore.
Grant us Wisdom, grant us courage, serving you whom we adore.

I believe these words are a strong challenge for us to rethink the moral foundations upon which our society (or any society) and our lives are built. Individualism, individual rights, self-determination, and the like can be wonderful gifts and in many ways have played a significant role in the growth of our nation. However, there is another side to such a worldview, one which makes no distinction between values and choices, with all being relative and all being of equal worth. (Similarly there are blessings in there being a collective, societal, and group dynamic world view, which also comes with another side to include the suppressing of individual freedoms and rights for the sake of the whole.) This dichotomy seems to generally work until we have a tragedy such as the one in Connecticut. Then, we start to ask questions, and we focus on immediate solutions, whether those solutions be gun control, bringing back school prayer, or any similar kinds of ideas. But such discussions miss the mark.
 

If the observation (as I have heard) is that evil paid a visit in Newtown, then the real question is how do we overcome the evil? Getting rid of guns does not get rid of the evil. Nor does the institutional practice of prayer automatically change the hearts and minds of people. To answer this question, there has to be an objective understanding of evil, and that is the challenge for the new and current worldview we collectively have. When we rationalize, minimize, or politicize away that which we know to be evil, then we eliminate any objective understanding of evil. We effectively say: “what is evil to one is not necessarily evil to another, and who am I to decide.” The result of such thinking is that evil is subjectively defined by the many instead of objectively defined by something (someone) greater than ourselves. While there are many who prefer it this way, the problem is: what if the many have a view different than the few? Does their view automatically make something good or evil? And what if the views change; does that make something suddenly more or less evil?
To a people without God, there is no easy remedy for this dilemma—in fact it actually perpetuates the dilemma. The solution that is often found is limited to the current of the day, but such a solution lacks permanency, conviction, and universality.
 

On the other hand, to a people with God, there is an inherent recognition of that which is objectively good and that which is objectively evil. This recognition is a starting point, but it is not the cure-all we desire. Instead, living this objective truth is a life long journey, which continually refines us and builds upon and nurtures this truth within us. Simply put, we have to live out these truths in a clear and consistent manner for them to be relevant and to be recognized. In fact, when people who believe in God follow the world view of subjective evil, they exacerbate the problem by sending conflicting messages about good and evil/right and wrong to those who don’t know God, which only reinforces their (and the current) world view; all of which leads us to keep asking the very question that we seem to want to avoid: how do we overcome this evil?

Tomorrow, I will share what I firmly believe to be the answer to the above question.

Lutherans For Life- March for Life Scholarships!

Online fundraising for March for Life Scholarships at Razoo

Focusing on blessings, instead of frustrations...

This post won't be super long, but I felt compelled to write this morning for some reason. I woke up and did my daily morning facebook sweep. First thing I saw, it was Friday the 13th. I am not a superstitious person at all, so the date only mildly amused me. Then I remembered that it was National Cow Appreciation Day, where you get free Chick-fil-a when you dress like a cow. That made me very excited. Then I thought a little bit about my day. Even though it is the "unluckiest" day of the year, I felt incredibly blessed. I am at a conference for Lutheran For Life this weekend, so I get to spend my entire day telling people about the incredible gift of Life and about the best way to share this message with youth. That is awesome. Then, I get to see my best friends and dress up like cow in order to get free food. That is less awesome but still pretty cool.

The next thing I saw almost made me forget these blessings for a second. I do not normally post about political things, but I have to say, it was a political ad posted by a college friend that attempted to derail my happy mood this morning. This ad was bashing a candidate by saying he didn't care about the people who couldn't sleep because they were worried about their healthcare. Immediately my mind jumped to "Do you know who else can't sleep? The millions of unborn babies who were murdered because of your candidate's policies!" I was almost tempted to write this on the post. I wanted to ask this person why people ignore the big picture. Why do they forget that while things such as healthcare and the economy are greatly important and need to be discussed, they are only a symptom of a greater problem: a society (and a government) that completely disregards human life unless they deem it valuable enough to care. I wanted to open my hotel window and scream it to the masses. Then I wanted to crawl back into bed and cry a bit.

I was about to start this depressing chain of events when I saw my own previous post on facebook, the one that talked about how blessed I was to talk about Life and dress like a cow and have awesome, amazing friends. I saw that post and I realized that screaming about injustice doesn't solve any problems. Starting pointless political debates on facebook that go absolutely nowhere doesn't solve anything. Focusing on all the people who are clueless and misguided about Life and national priorities really doesn't solve anything either. The only thing that will solve this problem is God and the loving message of His Gospel. I AM blessed that I get to share that message everyday. I am blessed that I get to live out that message with my friends and family and all the people I love. I am blessed to know that no matter what the world might say or do, I have the TRUTH of Jesus Christ and His love for me on my side. So, instead of ranting about what people are wrong about, I am going to go stand at my booth today and tell people how much Jesus loves them and how much Jesus loves Life. Then, I am going to watch them tell their youth this same message. Finally, I am going to watch these youth change the world by loving the world. I think that's a much better plan, don't you? :)