Created by you

There are people who created you. Not physically...but spiritually, emotionally, intellectually created you. You wouldn't be who you are without them...

I find myself speaking of these people so often: repeating something they taught me, sharing memories with a new friend, talking about how the exchange that we had stirred and changed my very being....its an amazing and sometimes haunting realization. Particularly when I think that many of those people are no longer in my life daily...instead, new people are shaping who I will be 5, 10, 15 years from now.

For example, Amy Hofschroer (then Dutcher) changed my life forever when she started meeting with me when I was a freshman. There isn't a chance on earth I would be where I am spiritually if she hadn't invested her time & energy and truly shared her life with me. Going through Passion & Purity and "Becoming a Woman of Freedom" every week was so great...I recommend these to every freshman I know. She taught me how to choose good friends as well as become a good friend. Amy, I make my freshman write out lists of what a good friend is to this day! She encouraged me to be part of a summer training program after freshman year that challenged my socks off. I remember watching her get married and what a testimony of God's goodness it was. I vividly remember thinking, "I will wait forever to have a relationship like theirs...there's no point in settling for less." With Amy, I always felt invited in to her life....and I want to be that for the girls God has given me now. This past weekend Amy, had a little buy...I know she & Chris will be parents that model the incredible love and grace of our Lord Jesus! Congrats friends!

And then theres Roxanna, who opened her home to me, who taught me about parenting and love and being passionate for the Lost. She would share the deep things on her heart and let me be honest about all I was experiencing. She trusted me to teach spiritual things to her beloved daughter and helped me navigate the scary waters of helping someone else grow. She made time for me and took me WITH her on her journey. Her children are college students now...it makes me feel old...and I am so excited to see how God continues to use her in the lives of women to help them see who they are in Christ. This summer she spent some time with me which blessed me so richly. With Rox there's always wisdom and depth and you walk away knowing the Lord lives and is irresistibly beautiful....Thanks for loving me the way you did, Rox. I pass on so many of the wonderful things I learned from you...

Keri Sheckler- who sent me overseas when I wasn't sure I wanted to go and then sent me again and again....9 countries later my heart for the lost was shaped by your passion for the nations.

Morgan Jane- who taught me to worship in Spirit & Truth. I love the freedom, beauty, truth & love that God has shown me through your generous lifestyle and heart for people.

Jessica Dutcher (Green)- who taught me about purity & modesty and how to honor God with my body

Randy & Robin- who made me teach bible study on short notice, taught me to ask questions and seek answers, loved me like their own daughter and gave me the tools I needed to grow spiritually.

And others...the list is too long to name you all...I just know that I am so enormously grateful for the people who have created me: this free-spirited girl, who LOVES to invest her life in college students, has a deep-seated passion for the lost and LONGS to invest deeply in the lives of others....thats who you created. Oh Jesus...bless my friends. I may not see them daily or talk to them often, but You used each one to shape my heart. Would you grant them your favor for the investment they made? And thank you for those investing in my life today...they have their work cut out for them...but I am eager to be shaped into Christ-likeness....give them tenacity & strength....For Your Glory!

If you've got it, flaunt it!!!

I've got it: the best friends EVER!

I have known for sometime now, that I have been given amazing friends. I tell people that all the time. And its a well known fact that you meet your lifelong besties in college...its just the way it is. But every once in a while God reminds me that in the midst of all the things I don't have I have something thats priceless and a complete treasure. So everyone can't make this list...but I want you to meet a few of my besties:

Meet Emily & Rachel:

If you've met me for 5 seconds you know I'm hyper, ridiculous, LOUD, (fun?), overly energetic and say stupid things....alot. Ha! In college it was worse, and even more so when I was with these two ladies because I somehow didn't seem to drive them crazy. They did random things with me, humored my silliness and let me be loud! Over time and throughout all the adventure I found that I could also just chill with them...we could watch dumb movies, or sit around in dorm lobbies, and just do nothing. I would run around with a million people, doing a thousand things, but at the end of the day I knew I could come home to these girls and they loved me and let me be myself...completely. If you're even slightly sanguine you need a Rach & Em in your life. The loyalty and overwhelming love and acceptance after spending all your energy putting yourself "out there" all day is incredible.

Rachel and I share a love for HP and Germany, she fits in exceptionally well with my family and is the first person to call if a dance party is in order. The summer Em got married we road tripped to NorCal and it was SO fun! She is hospitable and always ready to help. I love her stories...they are always entertaining!! Rach is the one that "found me" in Old Testament class 8 years ago...I'm glad she brought me home. I love her laugh and her honesty but more than anything I love her absolute loyalty! Rachel always has my back.

Emily and I share a deep obsession with coffee. We are also what you call polar opposites and I LOVE IT!!! I'm not sure anyone knows how to calm me down the way this lady does. I will call her yelling "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" and she lovingly points out that its just an acorn (random reference to the story "Chicken Little"). With Em, I can just sit and DO NOTHING...for hours...I love it. She brings out the introspective, nerdy, music & book loving side of me (which is actually my fav. thing about myself...) and its just a lot of fun. Shes straightforward and always helpful!

They sent me a bday present...so amazing: an ANTM tshirt. I love how well they know me down to the details....

Life doesn't get any better...I love that I have these ladies in my life. Proof of the goodness of God Almighty. I can't wait to see them in December...only 2 more months!!! Its just fun to know that God knows exactly what you need and gives it freely. Praise be to Jesus the Messiah for Em & Rach!

Stay tuned for a few more shout outs....

its gonna be LEGEN....wait for it...DARY!!!!

There a million and one things I miss about California...I mean, lets just face it I'm a SoCal girl through & through...HOWEVER there is one thing that living in Norman, Oklahoma has provided me that SoCal failed to do for me.....

Epic Concerts.

I heart music....good music. And while there are plenty of concerts in Cali....they were barely within my reach and never within my budget. I am a fan of the indy scene of course, but you can't beat an epic show and EPIC is what I've received!! In the last four years I have seen the following legendary shows: NickelCreek (right before they were no more), Coldplay, John Mayer (twice), Colbie Callait (she opened for JM in Cali, but still...), Skillet, Rocket Summer, Black Eye Peas, and U2!!!! And I'm about to see Owl City next weekend!! what up!?! I just think its pretty hilarious..maybe a little ironic....

Okay, thats it...I'm just still pumped that I saw U2 on Sunday....so epic....Bono is Legend.

on the road to 26

I have had several moments in the past month that I have wanted to hit up the blog, but there always seemed to be something more important at hand so here I am now....with a free moment finally to catch you up on my random thoughts.

Today marks the beginning of my last week of being 25 and its strange. I was so excited about turning 25....but 26 is well...scary. Why? Because somewhere in the back of my mind I thought 25 was my last chance at getting where I thought I should, would or even could be. I mean, we all have that little idea of where we thought we'd be by the time we are (fill in the blank) years old. Up until 25 it was no big deal, but all of a sudden I have had several freak out moments. Now, I still know and acknowledge that God is both good and in control...its just a little weird to think about life and where I wanted to be compared to where I actually am and then where I'm going...somewhere in the recesses of my soul I truly believed I would no longer be in "limbo". I honestly thought I would know the answer to the ever-impending question, "What's next?".

I don't need to know. I love my life. More than that, I love the God who created and defines me. He has declared and proven that I am indeed worth dying for, so I can trust that He will take care of me. In the midst of that, there is a desperate need to be completely honest about feeling like I'm watching other people lead my life....the one I've wanted so much...that I may in fact still get (and will then find is harder than ever!). Its hard some days, and other days I wouldn't trade staying up til 2am to make silly videos, midnight Sonic runs or letting my schedule be ruled by college football, because these are the tools my Heavenly Father has given me to make His Glory known here and now. Its interesting and occasionally confusing...but I am excited to see what God has "next", whatever that means.....

Men of God...this is for you

My friend Meesa wrote a blog that I really liked. You can read the whole thing, but I esp. liked the following:

• "Most women ... desire, sigh, no, long for men to be intentional with their words and actions. Why else would we sit with our friends and analyze everything the guy said and/or did. LOL A guy that can humble himself to make his intentions known NO MATTER THE OUTCOME certainly is issued a man-card in my book. If he is able to maintain membership is another story. HA! But, that first step does so much and foremost, it shows how the man respects women… by guarding their hearts. When intentions are laid out on the table women are able to calm their hearts, prepare their hearts and/or guard their hearts...

• "So, what do women do when guys play the “friend” role? Nothing, if you like him…STOP FEEDING YOUR ANALYTICAL MACHINE. Take everything for face value. Don’t read into anything because if he doesn’t like you enough, NO, if he doesn’t respect you enough, to guard your heart… THEN DON’T HAND IT TO HIM ON A SILVER PLATTER! If he is not making it obvious enough for you to know he is interested then he needs to be more intentional and/or he is just not that into you.

• "Guys think they are guarding our hearts by testing the waters and not committing to us because they equate guarding hearts with no pain. When in reality what they do by creating an influx of grey area is far more painful to women. Guys…just be intentional with your words and actions."

I think she's right. And the only thing I would add is regardless of what you say, men, a girl is going to respond to your ACTIONS not just your words. If you don't like her: stop texting/facebooking/hanging out alone with/calling her and LET HER MOVE ON. There is some guy that probably DOES like this fantastic girl, but isn't asking her out b/c you're always with her. And she thinks this is going somewhere. And if you do like her: Ask her out.

What do you think?

Life long friends starts tomorrow...

Tomorrow is the DAY!! Move-in day 2009!! Tomorrow there will be 4,000 freshman who move in to the dorms at OU who by the end of next week some will have met their new best friends, their bridesmaids, the people their kids will call "Auntie" and the people who will be a part of every major decision they make for the rest of their lives. And they have no idea....

I am honored to say that I have such amazing relationships as these and that God blessed me by giving me Christ centered relationships. Tomorrow my job is to LOVE and SERVE these college "freshies" so they know that God is real and He loves them with an everlasting love. I want them to know that following Jesus will be worth it and that real JOY comes from OBEDIENCE. I am blessed that I get to give my life away to these girls this year...what joy and excitement fills my soul! To think that tomorrow I will meet ladies that I get to encourage to walk with Jesus and hopefully at the end of the four years I will be REALLY LIVING because they stand firm in the Lord!

Pray that our ministry teams will be diligent and that they will work hard and labor in LOVE for these students they don't even know yet. Pray that move in day and the pizza bash (Friday at 7pm) will be stepping stones towards the Good News of Jesus. And pray that it will all be for the Glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. Thanks for joining me!!!

¹To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ²Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; ³not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 1:4

the rumors WERE true....

...but not anymore! It's official: I am still on staff at the BSU this year. Some of you are like "what? you weren't going to be on staff?" Others of you are thinking "what? you changed your mind?" Well its a long story...okay not really...it just feels like it. To make a long story short I am going to be PT staff again and have a 2nd job as well. If you want details you can ask me....its not really blog worthy.

Really this all comes down to me learning to trust God and letting Him bring up some issues that I needed to recognize in my own life, while at the very same time being reminded that I LOVE COLLEGE MINISTRY and really I am in Norman, OK for a reason. I am so excited to see what God wants to do in my life this year. I have learned SO much about myself and the amazing God I serve in the past 3 weeks. One of those lessons has been to maintain surrender to the Lord and HIS purposes and plans for my life. I love that He lets us choose within His boundaries and leads us and allows us to walk forward in faith.

My guess is that I'm going to be tired this year...but I am anticipating a GOOD tired...the kind that shows up because I am giving my life away to college students so they can learn to know and love Jesus Christ as FULLY as possible.

Join me in praying that God would lead me to the job He has for me....hopefully something that allows me to be around college students (and pays well)!! Gods grace is truely transforming...its transforming me for sure...my heart, my dreams, my life...its all for Him.

Give your life to Him. Things may seem like they are changing from day to day, but you can KNOW that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and FOREVER!! Let Him change your plans. Let Him ruin your life. Let Jesus change things up for you. I can promise it will always be worth it, even if its hard. Keep on keepin on....For His Glory Forever!