Hey, friends!! Happy Monday, and I hope this week is off to a good start for you! ❤
I've DoorDashed P.F. Chang's for dinner, so I'm attempting to finish writing this post before it gets here. Fun Fact: I had grabbed that for a late lunch after K's scrimmage the day of Mom's car wreck, then threw away most of my delicious chicken pad thai at a gas station on my way to OU Hospital, so this will kinda feel like a redemptive dinner for me! lol
I got in a lovely 88-degree afternoon walk today with a fantastic 2000s-era pop playlist - yes, please!
Choose. the. story. you'll tell yourself!!!
Split portrait ChatGPT trend... (This = Mom's Senior pic on the left and Rachael's on the right)
Rach left and Kyndal Faith right
Me left and Kyndal right! lol Pretty fun!
Currently listening to this book and loving it! So many fantastic books on my list right now!!
Including Annie's new one... didn't expect to cry while listening to it, but her ultrasound story (left) was so incredibly familiar that it hit me and gave me an unexpected healthy grief moment. Also, I love that her stated goal for this book is to help readers identify what is holding them back in their callings and then "do the work to get unstuck."
She writes with wisdom about the enemy's plot to steal, kill, and destroy... and Jesus' instructions for us to ask, seek, and knock. Finished the book yesterday and highly recommend it - my favorite of hers so far!
Love her, and her nails and book cover and shoes! lol
Also adore Eddie and their friendship and genuine conversations!!
Encouraging truth:
Mom's donor site and skin graft are looking better and better! (The grafted skin will continue to heal and gradually become lighter and blend with the rest of her knee, but this is a vast improvement from the first time we saw it on 8-28!!)
Miss Paige Evelyn ready to run! lol
So thankful for Chet Lee, a wonderful friend and encourager whose wholehearted belief in me helps me to believe in myself!
(Current context: In part two of a potentially three-part interview process, I had to do a mock counseling session on video with an AI simulated bot - an awkward process that shook my confidence a bit, but I did my best, and I am trusting God with the outcome!)
Mom and I ordered new phone covers - yay!
Solid reminders:
Praying for more of God's anointing and authority lately as I read these verses and lean into a leadership identity, seriously considering God's standards and His heart toward leaders: "I will be with you as I was with Moses... You are the one who will lead... Be strong and very courageous... Be careful to obey... Study this Book of Instruction continually." (Then you will be successful and no one will be able to stand against you. Challenging instructions with massive promises - integrity and obedience always matter, and the Lord is a faithful rewarder of those who sincerely seek Him!)
Okay, now I'm off to eat my chicken lo mein - right on time. =) "May the joy of Jesus be in you, that your joy may be complete!"
Please enjoy this slideshow with a few of my videos from the incredible whale watch excursion at Icy Strait Point!
Yes, I used MJ's song from Free Willy... and yes, I played that (along with several other songs) during the actual experience. lol Love it!!
We were parked out there for over an hour, and they put a hydrophone into the water to amplify the whale sounds - it really was a rare, awe-inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience all around for most everyone on board to see and hear these massive, powerful whales so close to us in the immense wild ocean - some of them swimming up a little too close for comfort. lol
It was the most sacred part of a God-centered week for me - an answer to prayer and an undeniably holy and meaningful moment with God that I want to be careful to honor as time moves forward. I am grateful that there is "fullness of joy in His presence," that He sees my heart and cares enough to"make known to me the path of life." (-Psalm 16) The race marked out for me feels a bit daunting, but I also feel renewed faith and hope, and I am choosing to trust Him deeply as I take the next steps forward in becoming Dr. Lindsey Muecke.
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...After seeing the orcas, I thought quietly to myself "the only thing that might've made that better is if there were seven of them." (I was incredibly grateful and reeling with the meaning of it all, but I'm a numbers girl, and that fleeting thought crossed my mind after we saw five of them.) While resting in my room two days later, lazily looking out the balcony window, I unmistakably saw two orcas jumping in the distant north Pacific Ocean! It was awesome, and once again, it felt personal - like divinely-ordained timing. *Again, not about the whales themselves, but about God knowing my heart and caring enough to come through in big and small ways -- He is kind and playful, and He is powerful and personally invested, and I needed those reminders on this trip! (I'm writing about this because I cannot verbalize it well yet, and most people aren't interested in this level of detail anyway.)
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John Eldredge writes about how God shows up through creation in ways that are both epic and intimate. I felt both of those on this trip. The ocean views were vast and powerful, a bit overwhelming, but calming and centering at the same time. I thought several times about the disciples saying, "Even the winds and waves obey Him." The mountains and glaciers were breathtaking, and waterfalls are among my favorite things in all of God's creation. Seeing the otters, sea lions, eagles, orcas, and humpback whales in their natural environments was amazing. Then there was the intimacy in the colorful detail and stunning variety of the gardens on my first and last shore excursion - I adore yellow roses, and this is one of my favorite pictures (taken after nightfall in Butchart Gardens) - the level of precision and layered detail in a single flower speaks something very comforting to me about God's heart and how He values small things and makes them uniquely beautiful. ❤
A verse that rings true and feels extra-significant to me right now:
In spite of the lovely photos, my first two days on the ship were a bit rough and lonely - day two was a full day "at sea" with no planned excursions... I knew no one but Sarah, and I didn't have her number yet - I didn't understand where to go for dinner, so I was on my own for every meal... no social media apps and no reception to make phone calls mid-ocean... I felt tired and more isolated than I had expected... and I was a bit disappointed to learn that Beth was teaching on Leviticus (historically one of my least favorite books - but obviously, God led her there for good reason). I reluctantly forced myself to turn off the movie and tune into Scripture - I grabbed my blanket and sat on my balcony and journaled and prayed - praying with some level of desperation through the discouragement for real connection with God and with others on the ship, for clarity about what is next for me, that my week on the ship would not be wasted time, far more importantly - that my life on earth would not be wasted, for a fruitful life and a story with greater Kingdom impact. ...And God heard me and took notice.
Looking back tonight, it feels really encouraging to see the first thing I wrote down from our first session on 7-25-26. Ironically, I had forgotten about this...
My paraphrase from Beth's first teaching on Leviticus:
When Scripture says "the LORD remembered" someone, it may be a distressing thought to us that He would ever have forgotten them in the first place... but that's not what it means in the Hebrew context. When we see "the LORD remembered," it means the LORD responded or acted on their behalf. God always hears us, so this is not God recalling someone He forgot or lost sight of; this is Him being moved to respond with "decisive, compassionate action" to fulfill His promises.
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*I'm aware that it often meant physical pregnancy when God "remembered" women in the Bible (Hannah, Sarah, etc.). At the heart level, it was God opening doors and answering their prayers for a fruitful life, bringing more hope for their future, new life, and a renewed sense of connected purpose and legacy for these women He loved. God is strengthening my faith to see what that pattern might look like in the context of my own story and personal walk with Him.
"...Anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." ~Hebrews 11:6
I believe it!
316-7-828
The details are clear in my heart, and I believe with humility, gratitude, and confident faith
that God "remembered me" this week.
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It was a quiet and compelling start to a long story with a profound and multifaceted ending - and God is always faithful to complete what He begins. Right now, I feel gratitude and responsibility here - that I cannot waste the profound grace of God or let it be in vain (1 Cor. 15:10). I believe His promise that we will find Him when we seek Him wholeheartedly, and I am determined to press into that more deeply from this day forward. That means repeatedly choosing courage over comfort, trusting God enough to allow Him to cut away any entangling sins, harmful soul ties, and/or worldly comforts that would hold me back. 1000 times easier for any of us to say than to live out. I do not want to get complacent and settle in the metaphorical wilderness; I want to push through the fierce opposition and take possession of God's promised reward for those who earnestly seek Him. Even with increasing clarity, the journey of spiritual formation and the work of stepping into Christian leadership feels daunting. It's as if I have a compass rather than a clear map of everything that lies ahead, so union with Jesus is and will remain vital! I'm reminding myself that I am not in this alone, and God will guide and strengthen me as I continue to seek Him and abide in Christ.
*I didn't know this until yesterday, but this week is "desk week" at the OCC - one of three weeks each year that is set aside with no court hearings so that we can catch up on transcripts (and sleep). ;-) Another well-timed gift, seriously!
On that note, I took this screenshot as I absorbed this song on our way back from the whale watch excursion: "You are the light and rest for my soul. You're God, and I will be still and know."
Song of the Week = Be Still and Know by CeCe Winans
I hosted LifeGroup this afternoon... it was me, Natalie, and Josie, and we had a pretty in-depth talk that lasted almost three hours! I also made these, a classic summer treat in my book. =)
Whilst I was enjoying Chet's party in Tulsa yesterday, my parents were being awesome and getting my porch and flower bed company-ready (unprompted and unexpected - but I'm very grateful)! Pics are thanks to the doorbell camera. =)
Just a meme that made me laugh!
I'm a fan of Matt Damon (forever Jason Bourne in my book), Anne Hathaway, and especially Tom Holland, but I still did *not* love The Odyssey. I'd write more on that, but it feels like a waste of energy.
Another meme I saved that caught my attention.
Okay, diving deeper. One year ago yesterday, I officially signed the contract as the adoptive mother to two frozen-embryo babies.
(I have a screenshot of the paperwork, but there are too many personal details there to share it publicly.)
I'll acknowledge that all of my emotions are heightened and a little extra-sensitive at this time of the month, but I am feeling real grief today and trying to be gentle with myself. It's hard for me to look back at the blog posts from July of 2025 - I had just started the PhD program, I had opened a website and I was counseling several new clients at ITS, I had an appointment with Dallas IVF where I was (mistakenly) cleared for the embryo transfer, and I was so full of hope and joy and nervous excitement for all the great things ahead. I feel deeply aware of all the potential imagined futures that I will not get to live out, and that feels hard right now.
It honestly makes it hard to set new goals and get my hopes up today... and I know this isn't the first time I've written about that here, but I'm still processing some of it (and that's okay). It's normal to feel fresh waves of grief at the one-year mark. And I'm working through that, doing my best to trust that God was working things out for my good and His glory back then and now, and I can keep moving forward with hope and confidence in His goodness, believing He is leading me toward a hope and a bright future with Him.
Ironically, that is much, much easier for me to believe in the overarching perfected Kingdom of Heaven sense than the messy-here-on-earth sense. It's a good and rare thing to have that ultimate hope so centered in my heart, but I need a bit more grounded hope for my life HERE and now - that is sketchy at the moment.
Between reading through Job recently, praying for Nancy's situation, hearing Josie's story today, and the recent news on Tina's husband, I've been thinking a lot about long roads to recovery, the will to live, and the sovereignty of God.
"You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail." ~Proverbs 19:21
I believe that is meant to be comforting, not threatening or ominous, but it is undoubtedly hard when our hopes, efforts, and plans come to nothing. Still, I am also working on remembering who I am, what I value most, and what I hope to be known for in the end. As well as praying about how to better align my heart with God's higher purpose for me and the world at large.
Also reminding myself that there are people I deeply respect who sincerely believe in me and see something real that God put inside me to help others... a PROFOUNDLY encouraging thought right now.
It is genuinely okay if motherhood and marriage are not a part of God's best plan for me.
(It would be okay if counseling and/or getting a doctorate and/or publishing a book are not either.)
But I desperately want to live a life that matters in an eternal sense, that is fruitful and God-honoring and relationally rich.
And I'm excited to have some quiet time to really connect with God and lean into seeking Him over the next couple weeks. I'm throwing out the mental to-do list and putting that front and center during the Alaska cruise ahead. It feels like such good timing. (Prayers appreciated).
Okay, friends. I love you and believe in you. I am cheering for you, and I'm thankful that our God is kind and gentle with us when we are hurting. I believe there is a great cloud of witnesses who are cheering us on -- some in Heaven and some on earth -- so take courage, and keep moving forward. Our emotions can distort the truth, so don't let them rule you. God is with us and for us day by day, with good plans in mind for each of us, both when we meet Him in Heaven and right here on earth!!
My Lake Hefner walk yesterday was good for the soul. It was a really windy day, which made the lake nice and wavy, and all of that made me feel more alive and in tune with nature. lol
Not gonna lie - this makes me wanna go back!
Flix Brewhouse was showing Twister for its 30th anniversary. I've seen the sequel multiple times... yay, Glen Thomas Powell!!
...but I had never seen the original! I always prefer to see things on the big screen for the first time if possible, so this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up! I even got a fun commemorative cup for attending. lol My guess is I was the only person in there who wasn't already a fan!
They had the 1984 Jeep truck from the 1996 movie (according to Twister Truck on Facebook), so I got a pic with that too - JEM is a big fan, so it was fun texting with him and Chet about this!
*Side note: I have no eyeliner because my eyes are still recovering from allergy issues after the puppy class. They need to calm down ASAP so I can look more awake! lol
I enjoyed the movie and hearing Shania in the soundtrack -- I told JEM and Chet I totally understood the therapist girlfriend who said she thought chasing tornadoes "was a metaphor!" lol
Throwback to me writing a metaphorical post (here) right after seeing the sequel in 2024! lol
Mess Grace!
In other news, we befriended a potentially-injured or vision-impaired butterfly tonight!!
Then K-Faith and Rach practiced volleyball while Jace practiced his dunking skills with the goal set at 9 feet!
"Intention Setting" Peloton walk at the Station after my final Solid Rock strength workout this morning with Coach Lexi! I was in a rough place at the New Year, so I'm treating this halftime thing with New-Year's-Eve-level reset vibes!!
I had an awe-inspired, calming "Be still and know that He is God" moment at the wavy lake yesterday.
"What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the waves obey Him!?" ~Mark 4:41
Trusting in God's power and protection. Okay, this is my third and final post for today. I wish you all a lovely second half of 2026 starting tomorrow!!
This = my Write the Word page for today, and it feels like a kind reminder from God!
After writing about being in a wilderness season, this feels encouraging and affirming.
Here's to moving forward and paying attention to the new things God is doing!
Pic at Saltgrass Steak House after our Father's Day dinner last night! ❤
Dad with his kids and grandkids!
Jace starting off with "Happy birthday" made me laugh!
Verse of the Day ❤
I really appreciate that "tender and compassionate" are the first qualities listed for fathers here. Not overreactive or quick to anger, not unkind or impatient, not indifferent or checked out. Looking back at my childhood as an adult, one of the things I most appreciate is the very normalized sense of physical and emotional safety, peace, and being cared for. I wasn't deeply aware back then that so many children did not have the same home life experience. I'm grateful for every facet of the fruit of the Spirit I see in my Dad. ❤
...Our family is in a strange season of a very gradual transition right now that made this Father's Day feel bittersweet. Dad has been dealing with some vision problems and some memory issues that are increasing with age. At long last, he is on a prescribed medication to help slow any cognitive decline. He is still working and driving and very physically active and present at all the grandkids' events, but he's become quieter at family dinners lately and typically doesn't participate in games that involve much reading. It's a slow and subtle erosion, but it's painful, and it's another solid reminder to keep our ultimate hope in the coming Kingdom where full restoration will be the reality, the enemy will have no authority, and God's children will all have "freedom from death and decay." As for his work life, State Farm is making serious changes to the contract for all of their agents in 2028, so Dad will be retiring toward the end of 2027 - which empowers him to plan well and go out on a high note with the appropriate celebration. In all of the above, I see God's grace in some of the small details, and it makes me feel more grateful for the regular time we all have together! Prayers for continued love, wisdom, and peace would be appreciated!
On Saturday, I got to hang out with Natalie and Walker at The Station/Central Park! They'd never been there before and really enjoyed it!
A duck with presh baby ducklings!
Turtle party!
A festive Farmer's Market!
We did a full lap around the park, then Natalie and I caught up on life while Walker played on the gated playground... then we did one final lap, as he wanted to walk by the lake again! Walker loves animals and he reminded me of Jace at that age, touring us through his imaginary zoo which also included lots of fish... so they would get along well for sure, and I may try to make that introduction!
Yessss to this - feel it to heal it!
Paige Evelyn getting her beauty sleep - I didn't wanna go the entire month of June without seeing them, so I came to Tulsa and met the Wilson and Weatherford crew for dinner - somehow failed to get photos of anyone but Paige, but she can represent their fam for that day! lol
*Happy 13th Anniversary to Chettles and Karli Marie today!!
In other news, I baked a peach cobbler yesterday, and Triston and Mom and I enjoyed it!! =) #YayPeachTruck
That's all for this post. Hope you have a lovely week ahead!
