Fashionably Late

To say that this post is a little overdue is an understatement. I have been back in Oklahoma for a little over a month, and it has been a very hectic month to say the least. I got to road trip through Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas before getting back to Oklahoma for good. It was such a perfect way to end an awesome summer in Colorado. When I think back over the summer I can’t fathom how quickly those few months flew by. I learned about perseverance, dedication and not underestimating myself. I got to meet some amazing people that I will never forget and do some pretty sweet adventuring. I am thankful to be back home {even though I’ve been home for awhile} and I cannot wait to see what the rest of this year holds. So to sum it all up, here is a list of my top moments from this summer:

• hammocking in the Aspen trees by my dorm and having deer just casually stroll by
• frollicing in the freezing cold Colorado River
• road-tripping to Hanging Lake, CO
• shopping trips to Boulder
• watching fireworks on 4th of July from the Flatirons in Boulder
• quiet time and coffee at my favorite coffee shop in Estes Park, Kind Coffee
• working around 30 weddings/banquets/events
• going fly fishing and whitewater rafting with my family
• driving around trying to find a bear and then finally finding one!
• stargazing from the top of a mountain 12,000 ft. high on my last night in RMNP
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

"I've never been to heaven, but I've been to Oklahoma."

So this Friday I fly back to Oklahoma for a few days and I have compiled a list of the things I am most excited for!

Here we go:

10.) That southern hospitality. While I love Colorado and the people here, there is just something about Oklahomies that doesn’t even compare.

9.) Braum’s ice cream. I need some peanut butter cup ice cream in a waffle cone ASAP.

8.) The heat. I know as soon as I get back into Oklahoma I will probably regret this, but I don’t even care. As I write this it is 70 degrees outside and I am wearing a jacket. I feel like it just isn’t summer without walking outside and feeling like you are going to melt.

7.) My mom’s cooking. Enough said.

6.) Swimming. I can not wait to jump into our pool. I honestly may run into our house, run right out the backdoor and jump straight into the swimming pool with all of my clothes on because that’s how much I miss getting to swim and lounge in the pool.

5.) Laying out by the pool. I daydream about sipping on sweet tea, reading a good book and laying out by the pool. So pumped.

4.) Getting to sleep in my own bed, in my own room. While I love my Colorado roomies, I can not wait to sleep in my own room and own bed. And also be able to fully sit up in my bed without hitting my head on the bunk above me (this happens daily).

3.) Just being in a familiar place with familiar faces (I think that may be a lyric to a song, or at least it should be.) While I have made Estes my home for the summer, and even know the backroads to avoid tourist traffic, there is just something about being back in my hometown that is honestly the best.

2.) I am flying back for one of my best friend’s weddings and I could not be any happier to get to be a part of her special day. Emily has been in my life for about as long as I can remember and she means so much to me! She gets to marry an incredible man of God and I am so stinking excited!

1.) Getting to see my family and my friends. I mean c’mon, obviously this was going to be #1. I can’t wait to see my mom and dad and sister and all of my Claremore friends. I have missed each of them dearly and I can’t wait to get to have sleep overs and coffee talks about what has been happening these past couple of months.

So basically I am stoked to get to spend a few days back in Oklahoma!

the game of comparison

Okay so I debated posting this, but #yoloincolo amirite?

Something that I’ve been thinking about and struggling with recently is comparison. I feel like with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it is so so so so so easy to play the comparison game. I have friends who have started jobs all over the world. I have other friends who have just recently got engaged, married or are about to get married. I also have friends who are having babies! I then look at my life and think, I’m graduating a semester late, I’m not dating anyone and I’m for sure not having kids anytime soon. So what am I doing? I start comparing my now to theirs and it isn’t a pretty game. While I’m comparing my life to theirs, I’m missing what is right in front of me. I have had to learn about being content at where I am in life, and apparently over the past few months that lesson has slowly been slipping from my mind. And believe me when I say that learning to be content is one of the hardest lessons to learn.

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” is something I have had to hold close to my heart. It is so true. While I’m busy comparing every part of my life to others, I’m missing what is right in front of me! I am missing what God is trying to show me and I’m missing the incredible things that God is doing in my life. I get to spend my summer in COLORADO for goodness sakes. I get an extra semester in college which has turned out to be the biggest blessing because now I am graduating with a degree in something I love and can use that degree to pursue my passions. Since I’m not in a relationship I have begun to look for jobs all over the U.S., which is so incredibly exciting! There are so many awesome things happening that I have almost missed because I was too busy looking at other people’s Facebooks and Instas.

When I started college I honest to goodness thought I would graduate in 4 years, be in a serious relationship and starting my dream job. While that does sounds pretty awesome, that has yet to happen and I now realize why: God has something bigger and better than I could ever imagine or daydream about and that is so awesome. A verse that my parents both instilled in me at a young age was Jeremiah 29:11. Who knew that at 21 this verse would be something that means so much more than I could have imagined? “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

"Oh, we're halfway there!"

How in the world have I already been in Estes for 6 weeks?! My internship is already halfway over and I can not believe it. It has been a summer of some of the highest highs and some lows. God has blessed me immensely with incredible people that I get to work with. I prayed that I would have a Christian community here in Estes and he has gone above and beyond what I ever could have hoped. I have gotten to take road trips with my friends and have had the best times. We were going through west Colorado and we were all in absolute awe of God and his creations. One of the things that has been difficult is not being able to go to church since I have been here. My schedule is typically pretty crazy. In the past three days I have worked 37 hours {hellooo wedding season!}. I didn’t realize how much I would miss my Journey Church community that I have back in Norman. It has been hard not being able to go to church and worship freely and praise God through song. I find my heart yearning for that. Through this though, I have had to improvise. On my days off, I typically go to my favorite coffee shop in town and have my quiet time by the river, and then listen to some worship music. I have had to create my own Sunday, since I work on Sundays. It has been awesome learning about and worshipping God in different ways than I have before.

What has been so sweet is that different people from home have been in Estes Park vacationing, and I have been able to see them and have dinner and catch up. That has been one of the biggest blessings. It is nice to have a familiar face in my home for the summer. One of my best friends, Kailen, and her family drove up for a day in Estes and we got to go hiking and explore Trail Ridge Road. The Haskins, family friends, invited me over for tacos, a game night, and s’mores, and it was exactly what I need at that time. The next week, Mike and Renee, people who are like family to me, invited me over for ice cream and just some catching up. Tomorrow I get to have lunch with Kathy McCollough who is one of the funniest and sweetest people! Getting to see people from home has made this summer even better. I thought that I wouldn’t see anyone I knew until I flew home for my best friends wedding, but God had a different plan and of course it has been the best!

Also a quick shout out to Marvin and Kelly aka my parents for being an incredible support system. With working crazy hours and being a little sleep deprived they have been there every step of the way. My Dad is quite the wise guy {I say this in all seriousness} and has been able to help me see things through a different perspective. My mom has listened to me talk about all sorts of things and has been sending me different bible verses that correlate with what I am going through. Also a shout out to my sister for sending me pictures of goats and making me laugh. I am so pumped to see what the last half of my time here in Colorado holds!

Deuteronomy

When I got to Colorado I had just finished the book that I was reading, so I was thinking about what book I wanted to read next in the Bible. I thought and prayed about it, and the book that kept coming to mind was Deuteronomy. I was excited to start Deuteronomy because I have quite a few friends who have learned so much from this book and truly love it. I’m not going to lie, as I began the book I was a little skeptical. I wasn’t sure what Deuteronomy was about, {thank goodness for ESV study bibles}, or what I would learn from it. I haven’t read as much in the Old Testament as I have the New, and was honestly a little intimidated. The New Testament has so many incredible books and those “go-to bible verses” that I have learned so much from, and so many times people say that the Old Testament is dry or not as interesting {totally not true!}. When I started Deuteronomy, I prayed that the Lord would reveal himself to me through this book and that it would be relevant to what I was currently going through. Man oh man does God answer our prayers.

One of the first things I began to notice while reading Deuteronomy was Moses’s obedience to exactly what the Lord was telling him. The Lord commanded him to take possession of villages and new lands, and he did exactly that. He didn’t go meet with his mentor or pray about it or talk about it in his small group first. God gave Moses a command, and he followed it immediately. After I read this multiple times in the first few chapters of Deuteronomy my first thought was, “yikes!”. I am so guilty of taking my sweet time and making sure that I think it is the right thing to do before I act on something that I know God has commanded me to do. Something my Dad said multiple times while I was a kid {and may still say from time to time} is that, “delayed obedience is disobedience.” When I know that God has called me to do something, but I think it may not be the right timing or I need to think or pray about it, I am disobeying God. This is something that I had never really thought much about previously. I am now trying to make sure that my heart is tuned to God and his commands and that I follow what He has told me to do right when I am called to do it.

Another overwhelming theme so far in Deuteronomy is that God fulfills his promises. What sweet words those are. God promised that these many different lands and villages would be delivered to Moses and they all were. God fulfilled his promises to Moses and he does the same for us! God even fulfilled his promise that the Israelites would not see the promise land for 40 years because of their rebellion and doubt of the Lord. After reading about one fulfilled promise after another, I began to feel God’s immense and ever flowing love. He loves His children and will fulfill the promises that He has made. God also says not to be afraid because he will fight for you, and that is a promise. God will fight for me. That was so awesome to read and I read it at just the right time. I’m not sure what exactly is going to come out of this summer, but I know that I serve an incredible God who fights for me and fulfills his promises, and that alone is the most wonderful reassurance.

Week 1 in Estes Park!

Well, I have been in Estes Park for a week now and it has been incredible! I’m not going to lie, there have been a few rough points along the way, but I feel like that is to be expected. All of the emotions hit me at once {of course, typical girl}as I was walking back to my room one afternoon. I began to think about all of the things I would miss; my friends bridal shower, Father’s day, Fourth of July, my sister’s birthday and about a million other things that came flooding to my mind. But at that exact instance, I looked up to the mountains and God gently reminded me, “You are here for a reason and you are exactly where you are supposed to be.” Wow. God sure knows how to comfort his children. My parents have also been an incredible support system for me this first week as I am getting adjusted to my job and continue to settle in Estes Park. Who knew I had such wise parents? {seriously they are the best!}

This week has been one learning experience after another. The first one being about my friends. I always knew I had incredible friends, but this week has made me even more aware of that fact. I’ve had friends wish me good luck on my first day, text me about what I’ve been up to, and even call just to chat about life {the service is terrible here so don’t take it personal if I never get your call or call back!}. It is incredible to know what supportive friends God has blessed me with. I don’t think they will ever fully understand how much their texts and calls have truly meant to me. Having friends that can rejoice with you is the best! Another learning experience that I’ve had is having to eating alone. When I typed that it makes it sound way worse and way more sad than it actually is. It is kind of nice to be at that point where I can sit alone and be content and secure. With that being said, I have met some incredible people here and don’t have to eat alone anymore, thank goodness! {although it is nice to know I can sit by myself and be fine, I would rather talk and eat with other people!} I’ve also learned not to underestimate myself. So many times I think, “There is no way I can do that,” or “I can’t accomplish that,” but God has reminded me that I can. I’m the worst when it comes to doubting myself, and God has already been working on my heart about not believing the lies.

While here at the Y, I’ve gotten to make quite a few friends from basically any state you could name. I have yet to meet a single person from Oklahoma! The people here are absolutely incredible and as sweet as can be. At night after we all get off work, we will play cards or watch a game or a movie that is on TV. My roommate Emily and I went hiking around Bear Lake and up to Alberta Falls last Thursday. It was an absolute blast. A majority of the trails were still covered in snow, so that made it interesting since I was wearing tennis shoes with no traction whatsoever. At one point my leg fell into about 3 feet of snow, but it was pretty comical. The view from the top was incredible and the hike up there wasn’t as difficult as I suspected it may be. However, the hike down was much more difficult. The hike down from the falls was more uphill then downhill {which I’m not sure how that worked}, and the altitude made my breathing sound like I had just ran a marathon or something. But we made it to the bottom and were laughing and talking the whole time! If this week is any indication of what the summer holds, I know it will be a summer I will never forget.

"...your mountain is waiting so get on your way."

It is kind of crazy how God works. Three weeks ago I had absolutely no idea where I would be this summer or what I would be doing. One Wednesday morning I was going through my quiet time in Matthew 7 and finishing up The Sermon on the Mount. As I was sipping on my coffee and beginning to read, I started the passage about Ask, Seek, Knock. I immediately felt convicted. So many times I ask, but I leave it at that. I ask for wisdom or guidance, yet I do not seek it. It says that, “the one who seeks, will find.” Immediately I began praying that I would not just ask, but that I would actively seek; actively seek what God’s plan was for me during this time of limbo and actively seek Him and His heart for me as well. I remember saying, “This is what I ask, and now I am seeking it.”

After this, I went to my Spanish class, just like I did every morning. For some reason I decided to peek down at my phone during class and I noticed an e-mail. I did a double-take when I saw that it was from the YMCA of the Rockies. I immediately opened the e-mail and began reading. About two lines in I saw the words, ‘we are offering you the internship.’ I immediately grabbed my phone, hopped out of my chair, and ran out of class to call my mom {which is normally what I do when I get any exciting news!}. I could not believe that just a few hours earlier I had been praying about actively seeking what God had for me, and that I then knew what God had for me. I was completely overwhelmed with joy and gratitude and pretty much any happy emotion you could think of! However, most of all, I was in complete awe of what a wonderful King and Savior I serve. I was reminded of the song ‘No Longer Slaves.’ The chains of fear I had about my plans for the summer were broken and he drowned those fears in His perfect love. I am a child of God and He provides to those who ask and reveals His plans to those who seek.

So now you may be asking, “What is the blog for?” Well there are a couple of reasons, one of them being my sanity. Being able to just write out my thoughts and feelings and what I will learn during this time will be so helpful and lots of fun. Secondly, I know that my grandma and my mom {probably the only people who will actually read this} are going to want to keep up with me on the reg, even when I may not be able to talk as often or as much as they would like. Also, I love to write, so this is kind of a creative outlet for me to do that! So as the summer begins and my time in Colorado begins in just a few short days, I will post about things I’ve learned or fun adventures that I know I will get to go on! I can’t wait to see what this time holds and get to share it with y’all {especially you, mom and grandma.}!