Live on University

Last Saturday I graduated from the University of Oklahoma. I am officially an alumna of OU. Since Saturday, I feel I have been transformed. The amount of joy and relief I am experiencing, I never expected to feel this way.

It is a little strange to think about a university having such an impact on your life, but for me, the University of Oklahoma has changed my life. There is something special about going to school here these past four and a half years. The people I have encountered are truly extraordinary and the friends I have made have impacted my faith and my overall outlook on life.

There are so many elements of OU that make the university so great. One of my favorite aspects of OU is the clock tower playing OU’s fight song while walking to class. It’s a simple reminder of why you are going to school and what you are working towards. Another part I love about OU is leaving my job on Asp Avenue during the fall and hearing the band practicing for the upcoming football game. Walking into Gaylord in the morning and sitting in the lobby in silence before class, taking in the morning and the atmosphere of a new day was a part of my routine that I loved. Watching the orange, red and yellow leaves fall from the trees on campus during September and October reminded me of how the simple aspects of life can be the greatest. Being inside the Gaylord Memorial Stadium before a football game and getting to hear one side of the stadium yell “Boomer” and the opposite side yell “Sooner” in return is a tradition that reminds me how great a family OU is. After the Moore tornado, seeing hundreds of students rush to the dorms to bring in clothes, food and other donations for the families who had lost their homes the day before, showed me the selflessness of Oklahomans and of OU students.

There are so many great elements of the University of Oklahoma that you cannot see from the outside. After my boss retired in October, he mentioned that before he started working for OU, the person hiring him mentioned, “You’ll be apart of something you’ve never expected.” And attending OU these past years, I can honestly tell you coming to OU was unexpected. However through my uncertainty and fearful nature, I became apart of this family and this tradition I never expected to encounter.

The University of Oklahoma has given me an inconceivable education and an inconceivable college experience that has reconstructed and altered my life in ways I never thought were possible.

The other day I was thinking back on what if I had not chosen OU, what if I had gone somewhere else, how different would my life be? However, because of the role OU has played in my life, I think I was always destined to be a sooner. I was always suppose to end up in Norman, Oklahoma and fall completely in love with this University and the people who attend it. I do believe in destiny, and I believe OU was apart of my destiny.

Sooner Born. Sooner Bred.

Today is the Day to Praise God for the Things You Have

The past three months have been a difficult time for my family and I. A lot of trials and tribulations have come our way. Several deaths and multiple health scares have been affecting my family, bringing with them fearful emotions we have not felt in years.

As the smell of turkey was in the air yesterday, the atmosphere of Thanksgiving was different. I am not talking about how we had a tasty maple bourbon pecan pie or how 13 family members joined as one for dinner for the first time in years. The air was different; unforeseen comfort seemed to be floating throughout my childhood home.

After Thanksgiving dinner, we went outside to throw the football. The laughs of my two cousins echoed throughout the backyard. My dad decided to start a bonfire. The fire encompassed the backyard; a single flame was illuminated. The wood began to crackle beneath the fire. In an unexplainable moment, silence fell throughout the backyard. The giggles and jokes ceased. Family was equally and perfectly spaced around the fire. For the first time in months, I felt peace. Maybe it was the comfort of a warm fire or being full from a home cooked meal, but I think it was the comfort of our heavenly Father and being surrounded by family.

Every now and then I physically feel God’s presence in my life. And Thursday night around that fire with my family, God was there. As we wrapped around the fire, I think the arms of God were wrapped around us as well. At the end of the day, three things matter the most: health, faith and family. Yesterday was filled with lots of things to be thankful for. This year however, I thought maybe instead of being thankful we should give praise to the one who has given us this abundant and incredible life. So why do we get down when things do not go our way? Why are we fearful and full of resentment when bad and unexpected things happen? God has never failed my family or myself, so why did I think He would not give me peace yesterday?

Someone once told me, “Every life is long enough.” So shouldn’t we spend every day glorifying and praising God for the life He has given us right now?

“Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.” – 1 John 2: 8

Thoughts On A Funeral

Death is a word that encompasses so many emotions. We are all going to one day experience death, so why is death so difficult when it happens? Saying goodbye to a loved one is one of the hardest tasks God places before us. We have two ways to respond to death. Our first choice is to be angry about death and throw questions at God wondering why death has occurred. Our second choice is to see death as an opportunity to live life more fully, with more joy, and participate in acts that glorify our Father. Which would you chose?

September 18, 2013, my uncle Don passed away and October 6, 2013 Cindy James, my friend’s mom, lost her battle to breast cancer. Two deaths within three weeks of each other. I went to two funerals in 20 days. Funerals and memorial services are not easy to attend because you see how much the family is hurting. How much pain they are in is just so present on their faces.

So how do we cope with death? In High School, I think I would have been angry and mad at God. But college has opened and exposed me to a more fulfilling relationship with Him. I’ve learned that God is faithful. It is that simple. He is faithful and He has promised us that we will be reunited in Heaven with those we have lost. What greater promise is there? The promise of being reunited with those who have passed, gives me so much peace even though the pain is still present. The Lord has given us the ability to cry as a way of grieving. The Lord has given us friends and family as a way to support us when we do lose someone we love. What a beautiful gift we have been given. Even when a tragedy like death has happened, God has given us the mechanisms to cope.

Death is hard and life altering. However, death is an opportunity to remember and see those we’ve lost in the things they loved when they were still with us. I see my grandmother in sunflowers.  And I think sunrises and sunsets are glimpses of Heaven. So while death leaves us missing that person, in return our Father has given us opportunities right now to see what eternity in Heaven with Him is going to be like.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old older of things has passed away.” –Revelation 21:4

Frontier Ranch 2013

A couple weeks ago, I once again had the incredible opportunity to return to Frontier Ranch as a Young Life leader. As many of you know, Frontier Ranch is by far one of my favorite places on the planet. Frontier Ranch is located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains surround by 360 degrees of nature’s beauty. The most incredible aspect of Frontier Ranch is the ability to see and feel the Lord’s presence everywhere you look. I was a leader alongside my good friend Caroline Mace. We got to lead and show 11 amazing girls just how much Jesus loves them.

All 13 of us were in a small cabin named Massasoit. Massasoit is hard to pronounce and it literally took half the week to remember our cabin name. Frontier Ranch is designed in a special way that starts out with lots of activity at the beginning of the week and eventually slows down by the end of the week. Each night, the 13 of us would sit down for cabin time. During cabin time, we discussed our struggles, trials and feelings. Each night ended with a discussion about how the God of the universe can transform our sufferings into a strong and faithful relationship with Him.

Every girl in the cabin inspired me over the week. From their humor to their struggles, each girl opened up and showed me what they have been through in their short time here on Earth. So this blog post is dedicated to the 11 of you. Below contains a short description of what I saw in every girl during the week at Frontier Ranch.

Rachel – Rachel immediately stood out to me as a go getter. The kind of girl who fears nothing and goes after everything. She showed vulnerability on the ropes course. The same vulnerability appeared on top of the repel tower.  Instead of giving in to her fear of heights Rachel conquered the ropes course, repelling, and eventually went on to ride the screamer all on her own. Rachel was full of excitement the entire week and really showed me how to be on fire for Jesus.

Lauren B. – Wow this girl is probably one of the sweetest girls to walk the planet. Lauren has the type of smile that lights up the room. She is quiet but fierce. I really loved getting to know Lauren this week. She is quite the competitor when it came to Octoball and kicked my butt when walking up Mt. Crystallite.  

Sarah – What a blessing this girl was to me during our week at camp. Each day Sarah and I would get to know each other better and better. She was my buddy while climbing Mt. Crystallite and was a source of inspiration for us to get to the top of that mountain together. I will always cherish the conversation and memories we made during that hike.

Jasmyne –Jasmyne literally made me smile the whole entire week. She would raise her hand like she was in class during cabin time. Jasmyne is strong and smart. Her comments and articulate contributions during cabin time were insightful. Jasmyne is very mature for her age and her ability to comprehend God’s love was inspiring. 

Shea – Shea is strong and powerful despite being incredibly tiny! Her smile and laughter echoed throughout our cabin. Shea is a fighter and this was apparent to me day one of camp on the ropes course. She was absolutely terrified to jump off the edge, but did it anyway.

Casie – Casie is the definition of how we should all overcome our struggles with such joy and an infinite amount of enthusiasm for life. Casie is so kind and so sweet. Getting to know her during camp was such a honor to me. Her willingness to share during cabin time about the amount of loss she has experienced really gave me a new outlook on how to handle life when our loved ones are no longer with us.

Alex – Alex is a sassy red head on fire for life. Her humor and ability to make everyone laugh was such a blessing during the week. Alex is young, smart and ambitious. Her quirky and sassy personality really make her one of a kind.

Jamie – I have known Jamie for over a year now and really did not know what we were missing out on regarding our friendship. Jamie is such a light when this world can seem very dark. She is probably one of the funniest people on the planet. She taught me a lot during our week at camp. From teaching me how to twerk, to not be afraid of looking goofy, to appreciating the friendships we’ve been given. Jamie is fearless and her fearlessness helps me be less fearful.

Lupita -  Just like Jamie I have known Lupita for over a year and at camp I realized how much I had been missing out on not having Lupita be more present in my life. Gosh, Lupita is so genuine and down to Earth. She is just easy to love. And the love she has for others is what inspires me. Lupita is just a class act, but can still have you laughing so hard where you feel like you are about to pee your pants.

Katie – This girl is absolutely beautiful on the inside and out. Katie has such a positive out look on life despite being in a word that seems to be negative 95% of the time. Katie is caring and kind. Her smile and sweet soul really make you want to get to know her better. Katie is also courageous. During our week at camp, Katie really showed me how to be courageous in every aspect of your life.

Lauren G. – I have also known Lauren for quite a while, but once again I was missing out on an incredible friendship. Lauren is tough. She does not back down from a fight. Seriously, she has a tough exterior, but is still so sweet. Lauren is just one of those people you want to be around. Her personality is contagious. You just want to laugh and smile when you are around Lauren. During our week at camp, Lauren really showed me how to not let the bad aspects or relationships in life get you down.

I am so thankful for my week at Frontier Ranch with each of these girls and Caroline. The memories we made will never be forgotten. I am looking forward to spending as much time with them during this next semester. Because of our time together at Frontier Ranch, every girl has changed or altered my life in some way. Every girl has showed me how to love life and love Jesus in different ways. Each girl is an inspiration to me to live life fuller and laugh more.

To the ladies of Massasoit who end up reading this, I want you all to know how much I love each and every one of you. I encourage each of y’all to keep exploring and growing in your relationship with Jesus. Because man oh man, living life with Him will fulfill and alter your life forever. Love Life. Love Y’all.

I will leave you with this passage from Cold Tangerines:

“What writing teaches me, over and over, is that God is waiting to be found everywhere, in the darkest corners of our lives, the dead ends and bad neighborhoods we wake up in, and in the simplest, lightest, most singular and luminous moments. He’s hiding like a child, in quite obvious and visible places, because he wants to be found. The miracle is that he dwells in both. I knew he dwelt in the latter, the bright and beautiful, because I had been finding him there for years, in the small moments of beauty and hope that poke through the darkness of our days.” 

1,460

Monday, June 8th marks four years since I have graduated from high school. One thousand, four hundred and sixty days ago I walked across the stage in my cap and gown and received my high school diploma.

When I look back on the past four years, I am reminded of how much not only my life has changed, but how much the world around me has. In the past four years; technology has evolved, unfathomable tragedy has occurred, and the paths for my life have altered.

Four years ago, MySpace was the social media outlet everyone was using. Facebook had just been altered to allow people other than college students to become its newest users. Now I have a folder on my iPhone dedicated to social media. The folder contains seven social media outlets: Foursquare, Snapchat, Vine, Path, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. In four years, our ability to connect with one another has altered the way we communicate. No wonder people are always on their phones while at the movies or dinner.  

Being away from home over the past four years has exposed me to a lot of tragedy. Our world is not perfect and I’ve learned over the past 1,460 days that tomorrow is not promised. Tragedy can occur at anytime and no one is immune to being exposed to the bad things that transpire.

I cannot talk about tragedy without bringing up the number of shootings our country has seen over the past four years. From Fort Hood to Tucson, to the most recent shootings in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut. Watching the aftermath of these shootings unfold, especially Newtown, exposed me to the evil that is still very present in our world. Watching the news coverage on Newtown was especially hard with the shooting taking place 11 days before Christmas. Twenty children did not come home from school on December 14, 2012. Twenty children never got to open the presents under the Christmas tree.

During April and May of this year, two tragedies occurred, the Boston Marathon bombings and the Moore tornado. I remember September 11th vividly and hoped to never see an act of evil like that ever again. But on April 15, 2013 two bombs went off at the Boston marathon killing three and injuring over 200. Americans grieved the attack on one of its most beloved cities, while compassionately coming together as a nation once again. Tragedy hit close to home on May 20, 2013 when an F-5 tornado ripped through the city of Moore. Oklahomans lost everything and still maintained a humble spirit. Oklahomans showed the world that materialistic possessions do not define the love we have for one another. While tragedy may be gone for now, it will soon return, however I think Kid President said it best, “There will always be more awesome than awful. Always.”

Walking across that stage four years ago, I never would have thought I would be majoring in Public Relations. I discovered my strengths are not math or science, but in the field of writing and communication. I never thought I would not want to move back to Texas after college graduation, but now I’m looking for careers in Oklahoma City, Denver, Nashville, and Chicago. Friendships back home have altered and faded away, while the friendships I’ve made in college have been life changing. Two of my family members have beat cancer and I’ve lost the dog I grew up with. Materialistic things are no longer a priority. And I have completely fallen in love with the people from Oklahoma. Just about every aspect of my life has changed since 2009. The only consistent elements have been OU not winning a national championship and Grey’s Anatomy still providing me inspiration on how to go about life. So while the past four years have been full of ups and downs, I sure am thankful for both. The bad and the good have helped shaped me into the woman I think I secretly wanted to be four years ago.