My kind of beautiful.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I've already been blessed by 3 Thanksgiving dinners + the actual "day" isn't until Thursday!

I have this thing. This thing that sometimes people don't believe or don't understand - which is super okay. I don't like nature. I mean, I'll go camping or hiking or play football outside, but nature ... just not my thing.

People are my thing.

You know how some people experience God in nature? I think that’s cool. If you are one of those people, props to you. If you and I saw the most beautiful sunrise in the history of time while sitting on a cliff on the most gorgeous mountain in the world overlooking the most majestic ocean, we would have very different reactions. You would be in awe of the creation. I would say, “That’s cool,” and watch you.

What?

Well… I “see God” in people. I get my fill from people. As awesome as creation such as sunrises and mountains and oceans are, I prefer creation such as people.

When I see a child, I thank God for this beauty. When I see an elderly woman, my heart races and I praise God for His creation. When I look at you, I see God’s fingerprints everywhere. Ahh. That’s where I get my fill. Definitely. Especially when Papa gives me a group of people gathered together. Wow. Cue the tears.

I had one of those teary-eyed "My God is so beautiful" moments last night. As I sat at the end of a long table in the McClain lobby, I was surrounded by RAs. The Nesbitt guys + Shelbi - along with Lincoln + Kristen - came over to McClain for a Thanksgiving dinner. My RAs were there. Everyone brought something for the meal - we had waaaaaay too much food. It was beautiful.

Pumpkins + tea lights decorated the center of the table. Conversations were everywhere. As I looked up from taking a bite of [delicious] pumpkin pie, I saw God. I saw His beauty. I saw His creativity.

The world was right. 

Everything about that moment was good. 

Papa reminded me that HE is good. 

HE loves me so very much. 

My beautiful RAs with Lincoln +  James in the back :)

HE has placed these amazing young men + women in my life for this season. 

I am beyond thankful for them.

I am beyond thankful for the honor of serving alongside of these individuals to do Kingdom work.

I am beyond humbled knowing that Papa loves me so much that HE gave me His favorites to do life with.

This morning as the RD team gathered together for our weekly meeting, we threw the agenda out the window. This morning was a time of thanksgiving. We went around the table and expressed our thankfulness to Papa for His provision, His faithfulness, and His blessings. We are a blessed people. Do we deserve what He gives us? Nope. Does He still do it anyway? Yep.

He's such a good Dad.

Oh. + I made these awesome brownie teepees I found on Pinterest. :)

Get up + Walk.

Wallowing.

I am SUCH a good wallower. It's so easy for me to tell others to get up + walk. Seriously. Stop wallowing. Get up + walk. You are healed. You are set free. Done.

I need someone to tell me that today. I need someone to tell me to get up + walk.

I love my job. I do. I love hanging out with college kids. I love going to weekly RD meetings. I love walking through the quad and watching people throw a frisbee, sit on the benches, or just pass through on their way to class or dinner. I love playing the globe game in the missions office. I'm an expert, ya know. 10 out of 10 every time. Now I'm working on cities...

I was sick this week. Unexpectedly. Severely. And by severely, I mean sicker than I remember being in a verrrry long time. Possibly even sicker than when I was confined to my bed on Easter. I called my mom to tell her I was dying. In not so many words, she told me to get up + walk.

Life post-college is rough. For as long as I can remember, I have had cookie-cutter friends. I don't mean that my friends are cookie-cutter, but they were always there. I never had to make friends. From kindergarten until high school graduation, I had built-in friends in my classmates and sports teammates. College, the girls on my floor, my RA teams, and a few oddballs I met along the way = instafriends. I would say that some of these friends will be my friends for life. Easy.

World Race = more instafriends. You have to live with each other, might as well love each other. Yes, that sounds SUPER cynical. I'm over it. I did love my teammates + the rest of the Q. I still do.

Now...my college friends are all over the country. World Race friends? Forget all over the country - try all over the WORLD.

It's not bad. It's just different. And new. I'm at a different point of life than the people surrounding me. + that's really okay. As I said in an earlier post, I have big dreams. + I know I have to wait for those to be fulfilled.

I'm really good at running. Not in the "I'm training for a 1/2 marathon that I have to run in 2 weeks" way. I'm good at running away. I run away when things get tough. I run away when things are really good - it's in those moments I believe that I will mess it up. Instead of messing up, I decide to run.

A family who, over the past 4 years, has become my family recently announced they are moving at the end of the school year. After their announcement, I asked for permission to run away now. Permission not granted. Oh well. I'm tired of running anyway. I'm still learning how to stay. How to be content in the now.

In other news, my beautiful RA, Shelbi, was crowned Homecoming Queen this week. We all knew she had it in the bag. She's seriously an amazing woman of God. Super blessed to have her in my life. This is a picture of some of the lovely ladies who live on her floor.

This blog is a fun-sucking blog. I'm okay with that. Tomorrow will be better. Tonight = a night with Fran + coming home to ice cream + Mrs. Doubtfire.

Dating a Cool Kid + Other Ramblings.

I’ve always wanted to date a cool kid. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to date a cool kid. 

My idea of a cool kid? Those people who hang out/work at coffee shops. Similar to Taylor the Latte Boy [click here to listen]. The facial hair, tight [but not too tight] jeans, plaid, scarves, Toms, etc....

Even more than wanting to date one, I wanted to be one. I wanted to be that girl who hangs out in coffee shops with friends who are dressed way too cool for me. You know, the dresses, the sweaters, the layers, the leggings, the boots, the Toms, the hair … the stereotypical coffee shop baristas + dwellers.

I have a friend who I put into this stereotype. It’s really not a bad thing. In fact, she may hate me for placing her in this category. She knows how much I love her. I once told her that without the World Race, I would have never talked to her. She was way too cool for me. She looked like one of those girls who I wanted to hang out with but would never actually talk to. PTL for the World Race. She is now such a dear friend.

This time last year, I was in Thailand – my absolute favorite country on the World Race. In fact, I often ask God why I am in America right now when I could easily be in Thailand. Many people who knew my life in Thailand last year are surprised I am not there today…

I have big dreams about the cities of America. Papa has placed HUGE desires in my heart. He has promised me so much. It’s hard. It hurts. I want to GO now. BUT I know that He’s not ready for me to go now.

This weekend it hit me… I am YOUNG. I guess with the responsibility I have in my current job, the fact that I had a lifetime’s worth of experience in just 11 short months, and my inability to comprehend age + what that even means, I have forgotten that I am young.

The things the Lord has promised me, coupled with my deepest desire to serve Him, I am just not prepared for. I am just a baby. He wants me to see things first. He wants me to learn more first. THEN I will get what has been promised to me.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know I am God.”

I’ve heard/read it a few trillion times. Each time, the Lord teaches me something new. This time around?

Be still – stay where you are. Do not be anxious about leaving so soon. I have you right where I want you.

Know I am God – I do not break my promises. Have I promised you good things? You will receive good things. Have I promised to fulfill your big dreams? You will see the fulfillment of those when I want you to see it.

Long term plans:

1)      Make my way back to Thailand.

2)      Win back the cities of America.

3)      Marry a cool kid.

Oh. + I get to spend next summer in Australia leading a team of 5 phenom college students. More about that to come…