[retirees & the Rhine]

Here I am..

Sailing aboard the MS River Melody with 139 of my closest retired friends (I really should look into the details a bit more when my parents ask if I want to accompany them on a European river cruise.. four letters: A-A-R-P). Just finished editing my list of belongings that were in my 50.5 pound suitcase before it was lost. I will then send it to Lufthansa airlines in hopes of obtaining full reimbursement (crossing my fingers). We're on to Day 6 of the trip, and the suitcase has yet to be located. It has to be somewhere between Tulsa, DC, Munich, Frankfurt, and Basel - I'm sure of it. Yesterday I learned how to wash clothes in my sink with the detergent the airline provided me with in my overnight amenity kit - a skill any 24 year old should be proud to flaunt.

 

From my point of view, there are 2 ways to approach the matter at hand:

 

1. Get upset and let the fact that I have two outfits ruin my trip. I'm smelly, a bit irritable, and SMELLY.

2. Get over it and embrace the fact that life happens, and right now I'm on a European adventure!

 

I'll take the latter.

 

But really. I was feeling a little upset when I realized there was a large possibility that I might not ever get those clothes back due to the fact that my luggage hasn't even been located. There go my new jeans and sweaters.. WAIT. Am I REALLY getting upset over clothing?!

 

I have other clothes.

 

Things could be MUCH worse. These are a few outfits we're talking about here (okay, more like 12, but that's alright). I didn't lose my house, my car, my friends, my family, my health.. my life.

 

Suddenly.. things got a little bit brighter.

 

All I'm trying to say here is life happens. We get laid off, we have a bad breakup, we have to buy underwear from the local super market (truth).. so clearly my case is the least dramatic when compared to the first two. Regardless.. are we going to let it ruin our day, our week, our year.. our life?!

 

And that's where you have to put your foot down. I'm choosing to roll with it - will you?

 

So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

--Matthew 6:31-34

 

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

--Matthew 6:19-21

[for this I am thankful]

Thanksgiving.

Thankful hearts; turkey that makes you sleepy; family; friends; joy; afternoon naps; overfilled plates; full stomachs; PUMPKIN MUFFINS WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING; laughter; memories; walks on the golf course; FOOTBALL; time off from work; over competitive family members during Catch Phrase; mimosas; packed movie theaters. These are just a few of my favorite things about Thanksgiving.

However, one of the most important yet overlooked characteristics of Thanksgiving - not to mention everyday life - includes thankfulness towards the LORD for small, yet life changing blessings.

The other day (here I go with my deepness.. approaching 5.. 6.. 7 ft) I ate the most excellent pumpkin muffie (yes, you heard me) from Panera. It was strangely tasty. Please, go get one. Now. Anyway, I began thinking about taste. And how God created humankind to even have the ability to taste. Which leads me to believe that God cares about the joy of humankind enough to bless us not only with good food, but taste buds to let us fully experience it. He could have created the world with subpar food & drink to nourish us, but instead graces us with cabernet and racks of ribs.

Right on.

So this Thanksgiving I am choosing to be thankful for the ‘little’ blessings in life.

I’m thankful for cold showers when the hot water runs out because it means that I have the ability to bathe in clean water.

I’m thankful for a huge dent in my new car because it takes my focus off of material things. Not to mention that I no longer have to worry about the first scratch.. I’ve got a passenger door’s worth of damage.

I’m thankful for disagreements with close friends because it allows me to be honest and open about my feelings, leading to a stronger relationship.

I’m thankful for the paper cut I get from my book because that means I have an advantage over massive portions of the world’s population in that literacy and knowledge are items to be prized in the United States.

I’m thankful for the nonstop construction noises I can’t seem to cancel out with my headphones at work because that means I have the ability to hear.

Really though. There are innumerable ways to give thanks this Thanksgiving.. this week.. in this life. Open your eyes.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

--1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Notice that joyfulness is grouped in with prayers and thankfulness; I don’t believe it to be a coincidence. Only when we begin opening our eyes to the blessings around us will we be joyful. Only when we pray to the LORD and see Him for who He is and what He desires for our life will we give thanks for his graciousness.

This Thanksgiving, I dare you to try looking for the simple blessings in life and giving thanks.

Prayers + Thankfulness = Pure Joy.

^^a heck of an equation if you ask me

And now for your enjoyment.. a Christmas background for your desktop. Here's to the holiday season.

 

[you be you]

It's 9:30 A.M. on Saturday morning.. okay maybe 10:30 if you had a late night. Sadly, since technology has taken over the face of the earth, you immediately take your iPhone 5 off its charger to check your Instagram feed when suddenly up pops that Christian girl's picture of her Bible, coffee, and scrambled eggs strategically arranged on her kitchen table (oops.. sorry, this was me last Saturday).

Ever catch yourself wondering if you measure up as a Christian? Do you find yourself discouraged by that girl's Instagram of her morning spent praying and reading? Wondering if your 'efforts' at loving Jesus are as effective as the next person?

You're straight trippin.

..but don't worry. Myself, along with many others, are caught doing the same thing. So last Saturday.. you know, post uploading my Instagram pic of my Bible, eggs, and coffee, I was praying that the Lord would show me how to love Him more. I began searching through the Bible - surely there's something in there that can tell me how to follow the Lord more closely, right? Then I came upon this gem..

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind..' "

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

Luke 10:25-28

 

Wait.. so like.. that didn't really answer my question.

 

Exactly.

 

Love how Jesus doesn't lay down the Ten Commandments.

 

Love how this was not at all what the 'expert in the law' was expecting.

 

Love how love is the answer.

 

Time and time again we are caught up in assessing how we are to go about worshipping Jesus. Is Jesus most glorified when I am singing hymns? Does He like it when I write out my prayers in my journal? What if I prefer evening quiet times as opposed to morning quiet times? What if I can't get enough time in the day to read the Bible - is it okay if I just pray on my way to work?

 

And this is where Jesus says..

 

love me.

 

You be you.

 

If coffee makes you gag and mornings aren't quite your thing.. well then I certainly wouldn't recommend my Saturday morning routine.

 

If you feel the Lord's presence the most in worship, you go love the Lord through your car's speakers on the way to work! Why not go full out and roll your car windows down while the music is blaring? But then again, that's my preference.. you be you.

 

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

John 10:10

 

Jesus is working on your behalf. He doesn't want to give you a list of "dos and don'ts." God already proved that we suck at this (hint: Adam & Eve, 10 Commandments, etc.). All he asks is that you love him. And soon you will see..

 

Jesus will renew you. Slowly, all of those 'morally sound' things that Christians do (drink in moderation, refrain from gossip, love their neighbors as themselves.. you get the picture), you will suddenly find yourself doing. And not because you merely decide you want to follow the rules.. but because you are falling in love with the Creator of your soul.

 

Woah. Things just got real.

 

So whatever it is that you do to glorify the Lord - whether it be reading your Bible in the morning, praying while gardening, running down the road spurting out Bible verses (though I wouldn't quite recommend this last one) - do it with hopes of falling more in love with the Lord.





[pressing onward]

You know what I used to think? I used to be so transfixed on the idea that Christianity was about that one time moment, that illicit, single life changing event. You know what I'm talking about - the story you tell whenever people ask you how you became a Christian. "I realized I was making my boyfriend my idol when suddenly I realized a human is never one to be idolized" or "I was searching for meaning and purpose when I came across Jesus Christ and his calling for my life." Don't get me wrong - these events are extremely important.. after all, they did change your life.

Flash forward to Sunday, October 13th, 2013.

I believe I have been a Christian - a Jesus following, mistake maker, Holy Spirit filled human being for the last 4 years of my life. What I have learned during this roller coaster of a time period is that God is not willing to leave you where you're at after that first life changing event. He's got bigger plans than you could EVER imagine for your life - talk about cool. If your testimony involves God breaking you so that you may see Him more clearly - get ready, there's a lot more of you to be broken. If your testimony involves God giving you joy and meaning through Him - there is a deeper sense of joy that comes from knowing the Lord more intimately and you better believe He's going to continue revealing Himself to you.. if you ask.

One of my most favorite quotes comes from C.S. Lewis:

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage; but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

These 4 years have been slightly intense for me - no where near the intensity of others' lives, I am sure; however, I am somewhat of a pansy, so it's been intense for me. I'm not going into details, but let's just say that God certainly isn't leaving me where I was when I first met Him. I have experienced joy, no joy, questions, confidence, purpose, indifference.. you name it. What I have learned along the way is that all of this is vital to becoming a deeper Christ devoted follower.

Does it hurt? At times.
Does God have your best interests in mind? Thankfully, yes.
Is it an adventure worth living? You betta Belize it!

If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

-John 8:31-32

 

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

-Colossians 2:6

It isn't that you're ever going to be perfect in this life - you're going to learn to struggle well.

In other news, life is good. Yesterday was OU vs. TX.. and OU lost. Personally, I think we owed Texas a win after a good 4 years. It keeps things more interesting, right? If you're a Sooner fan, you are probably hating me right now. Regardless, it was a good day filled of beautiful friends, cinnamon rolls and banana espresso chocolate chip muffins, and football.

[#repost]

In a world where it is normal to hear of an event such as a sex scandal taking place with government officials or details on the most recent local homicide, how is one supposed to see the good things in life?

I refuse to conform to the ways of this world.

The author of this blog post is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within this post. While the information contained within this post is accurate for the author, it is in no way deemed as the right way for all readers to experience life's goodness.

a recipe for happiness.
PURPOSE: to taste and see that life is good.

- 1 thirty minute work out (jogs with your favorite jams are recommended.. yoga, pilates, dancing, soccer, hiking, rollerblading are also advised) Don't stop until you sweat.

- a quiet morning engaged in journaling/reading/praying outside near your garden with your Nonfat Chai Tea Latte in hand.

- 2 (or whatever number you see fit) random acts of kindness for a stranger or friend. Examples include, but are not limited to: paying for the car behind you in the fast food lane, burning a "because I love you" CD for a friend or lover, etc.

- Hard work. Whether it is studying if you are a student or working if you are in the workforce, do it to the fullest. Know that your work is making an impact on those around you. Let your work be meaningful and significant. Encourage those around you.

- Engage in a deep conversation with a friend. Find out what is on their heart. Discuss struggles you need prayer for. Laugh at your imperfections. Plan weekend get-aways.

- Cook dinner for others. Personally, I would recommend getting a recipe off Pinterest. It's all the rage.. or haven't you heard?

- Constantly remind yourself that you.are.not.made.for.this.world. When life gets you down, pray. Remember that Jesus also suffered, so it's pretty obvs that you're gonna suffer too. After praying, leave it in God's hands and be done with it.

- When the day is done, rest underneath the stars before heading to your high powered fan, memory foam mattress, down comforter, and feather pillows.

- Thank God for this beautiful day. If it wasn't as great as you wanted, remember you have a fresh start tomorrow. If it was freakin awesome, smile.

- Take a deep breath and realize how completely insane it is that you are alive before dozing off.

Rinse and repeat.

[you're okay]

Christian (n): professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus; commonly known for their too-good-to-be-true, upbeat attitude, perfect life, and outrageously high moral standards.
^^(my own comments included)

S.O.S!!!!!!!! I'm not feeling so "Christian."

It's easy to put on a façade, to take after the "stereotypical Christian" and pretend I don't have problems. It's easy to cover up these problems when people ask. What's not so easy.. being real.

NEWSFLASH:

Jacob was a cheater.

David had an affair.

Noah got drunk.

Paul was a murderer.

Gideon was insecure.

Jonah ran from God.

Thomas was a doubter.

All of these men were followers of God and yet all of these men had issues. Deep, sticky, scary issues. And the surprising part.. wait for it.. ALL of these men were loved and passionately pursued by God. Even when they messed up. That's the God I want to worship - how about you?

Why do we (myself most definitely included) as Christians try so hard to be perfect when we know we're not? I'm pretty sure that this was the reason I became a follower of Jesus Christ.. simply because I realized I was never going to be perfect. As hard as I tried and no matter how "good" I wanted to be, I came to the daunting yet freeing realization that I am never going to be holy enough, faithful enough, wise enough, strong enough, loving enough.. you name it.. for God. This is where Jesus comes in. Jesus is that for me.

You see that quote below my picture over there? "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." I wish I could say that this was always true of me. But it's not. Sorry if you're disappointed. Don't get me wrong - this is what I strive to be BUT unfortunately, I'm not perfect and it doesn't quite always work out that way.

So what does all of this mean?

 

You're flawed, and that's o-k-a-y. Join the crowd.

 

Jesus doesn't ask you to be perfect; rather, he prefers that you recognize your imperfection.

You are never too far gone.

 

Jesus loves you REGARDLESS of your sin.. big or small.

 

 

&

 

He wants to change your life!

[weakness & change]

I am officially a sophomore in "the real world," meaning that I am near the cusp of beginning to understand many new cultural norms - emphasis on the beginning part:

- Skipping work is not quite socially acceptable. While you can get away with spontaneously skipping classes in college, the term has a whole new meaning in the workforce. It is not so unplanned and involves something known as PTO (Paid Time Off). Delightful.

 

- Your body is accustomed to waking up at 6:15am Monday - Friday, so there goes your ability to sleep in. Even if you do still possess that special talent, you better hurry up and get your butt out of bed on the weekend so you can live it up.

 

- Your wardrobe has taken on a new transformation; what was once Nike shorts and over sized t-shirts has blossomed into pencil skirts and blouses.

 

- Although you may still think of life in semesters, try not to refer to them that way - people may look at you strangely.

So this may sound like I am bitter about post college life, but I can assure you that I am not. These are merely changes (not good, not bad.. just different). However, as certain things in life change, there are those that stay constant, as well:

- You will still make excuses not to go to the gym, and now they are even more legitimate. While you were once too lazy to visit the campus gym (4 minutes away from your house, mind you), of course you're going to be too lazy to hit up the gym 4 miles from your house. It just happens.

- Your college friendships will persevere. Even if you move to different places, you will still keep in touch. The frequency will change but not the friendships themselves. You may have to meet up with your friends at your sorority sister's wedding, but you will make the most of it.

and here comes the fun one..

-  Even though you now have a degree and a full time job, you are still weak.. and quite frankly, I mean that in the best way possible.

This is one of the things I learned about myself in college and continue to see in my post grad life.. ouch. As Americans, we are all about self sufficiency. To have limitations and needs is to be lowly, right? How could fragility ever be a good thing? I encourage you to view weakness in a different manner. Weakness forces us to search for something..someone greater to sustain us. Do you see where I am going with this? How am I ever going to find this something or someone if I am self sufficient? It's not possible.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still [weak], Christ died for the ungodly (..that's us). Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:6-8

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses.. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

weakness = good