adieu.

Well, I was told that I owe it to you, my loyal fans, one last blog post before I head out for 1.5 years and my mom takes over with the posting. But I don't have many organized thoughts in my head right now. But I know some people who are smart:

First of all, I know you're going to miss my near daily updates with my thoughts on love, so here's something for that:

“True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life. He did not remove Himself from the crowd. Being amidst the people, Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn’t just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.

Christ knows how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result.”

-President Dieter F. Utchdorf

Second of all, you might miss my optimism, so here's something for that:

“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." (D&C 122:7–8)

“Challenges, difficulties, questions, doubts—these are part of our mortality. But we are not alone. As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have enormous spiritual reservoirs of light and truth available to us. Fear and faith cannot coexist in our hearts at the same time. In our days of difficulty, we choose the road of faith. Jesus said, “Be not afraid, only believe.” –Neal L. Andersen

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

Added to that, I'd like to tell you that there is a reason I always have the spirit of love and hope in my life. It is because I believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and it teaches of love, the love our Savior has for us and the love we should have for one another. I cannot imagine not being religious, because I take so much comfort in knowing there is someone out there who is thinking about us and who has a plan for our eternal happiness. Isn't that fantastic and comforting?

I am excited for this next adventure, not just because I get a break from school and get to go to Italy, but because I get to teach and love a whole new set of people. And because I know I'll love them just as much as I love you.

And then I get to come back to all of you! Once again, I am the luckiest person in the world.

Please continue to read, as there will be weekly updates and they're bound to be more interesting than my normal stuff. And listen to the rad music on the side and think of me listening only to hymns.

All my loving,

Lauren M. Laws