Let Them

"But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever." 

❤ Psalm 146:5-6

Happy Wednesday, and happy 6-months-till-Christmas, friends and fam!!  I'm taking a very quick minute to blog before I leave for work.  This = my 5k walk yesterday afternoon... I covered at the juvenile court, and we were done before 2:30, which gave me some unexpected and very-much-valued free time! =)

Love this quote - CS Lewis for the win!!  I want to be someone who feels things deeply and takes bold action whenever I feel convicted or challenged or prompted to act.

The Peach Truck did not disappoint... so fresh and good!!  But their smallest order was a 12-pound box of peaches, which is more than I could possibly eat before they go bad, even after sharing with Mom and Kristin.  So I made another peachy dessert last night, and I'm freezing most of it in individual containers for later.

This gem is currently available on Tubi, and I was so happy to watch it again! =)

Following up on my Thunder posts, they won - huzzah!!  I kept saying national champions, but apparently, this win made them "World Champions" according to several FB posts I saw.  Either way, go OKC!!

Emily and Chas cheering them on for 13 years!

A poignant picture from the Champions parade downtown yesterday... sadly, I was in a murder prelim at the time.

This made me happy!

Miss K with all the games on family dinner night - she's so fun and creative and colorful!

Jace Michael relaxing while the girls planned Kyndal's bday party! =)

Proud of Jace as he's working out more and trying healthier foods this summer... he didn't love the peaches and refused to try cherries, but he's a fan of watermelon (not pictured) and pineapple, and that's a new and positive development!

Goals!

Speaking of, I had my first Zoom meeting in the Leadership class with Dr. Burkhart last night... it was great, and I think those weekly discussions will be really helpful in viewing myself as a leader and acting accordingly!

Also, I had my first supervision meeting with Krystal yesterday.  Things are really ramping up, so I'm reminding myself to have GRACE!!

The "let them" phrase caught my attention in this verse, thanks to Mel Robbins and that being my theme for this year... I love that God gives us the power to choose, and gracious, I want to listen to Him and surrender to His will and choose life at every turn!!!

"But no, My people wouldn't listen.

Israel did not want Me around.

So I let them follow their blind and stubborn way,

living according to their own desires.

But oh, that My people would listen to Me!

Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths!

How quickly I would then subdue their enemies!

How soon My hands would be upon their foes!"

~Psalm 81:11-14

That's all for this morning... make it a great day ahead!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Peaches, Princesses, and a Pilgrimage

Hey, friends!  I'm about to head to Mom and Dad's to watch the last half of the NBA World Championship basketball game... GO THUNDER!!  At the moment, I'm eating a Pioneer Woman peach dumpling (YUM) and writing this lovely blog. =)

So without further ado, here's a recap of recent photos and events... starting with this throwback to hanging out with Sarah and Chettles (and Nancy and puppy Shiloh and other LG friends and cute kids and firemen) at the Eugene Field cookout SIXTEEN years ago!!  

The Walmart bakery did a rough job writing on this one, but yay for Rach being a Certified Professional Coder!  Here's hoping she can find a great remote job that starts in early fall!

Jeffrey Edward took a very hot walk from the Wynn to the Bellagio to send an awesomesauce Vegas fountains video last week... it was Celine singing My Heart Will Go On, so that's my favorite place, favorite singer, and favorite movie all at once!!  He's there for another work event this week, planning a Mon Ami trip, and it's all inspiring me to go to Vegas again (when it's a little cooler outside there).

Speaking of inspiring, this is Ali, one of my CCU classmates during last year's internship course...

She recently went on a 10-day, 110-mile oceanside backpacking pilgrimage/hike from Portugal to Spain... Google says "the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James, is a network of pilgrimage routes leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain."  She had read something about that being a pilgrimage to honor your ancestors, so she made a video every night talking about their day's journey and highlighting one of her parents/grandparents/great-grandparents with a few facts, memories, and stories about their lives.  She did this for her 50th birthday... they arrived today, and she dedicated the final video to her children and grandchildren.  I've been so inspired watching her videos - I absolutely love it - and now I wanna do this too, so who wants to join me!?   You have 8.75 years to decide. lolol  I'm adding it to my Life List, for real!

Happy 12th Anniversary to Chet Lee and Karli Marie today!!

From their fav third-wheely single fran! lol

I adore and admire them, and I'm grateful for their friendship and loads of fun memories together!

Shifting gears, I got a box of peaches from the Peach Truck on Friday!  Nom nom for us, David!

I spent Friday night washing all of my fake hair, which turned out to be a more intense and time-consuming project than I'd imagined. lolol It's a blond and dirty blond set of clip-in Cashmere extensions (as seen on Shark Tank) + the red Halo Couture extensions.  Now they're all fresh and ready to go! =)

Saturday morning was an 11am Princess Tea Birthday for Katherine Claire!! 

So much cuteness!

Kate wanted donuts instead of cake, and that was a hit and a little easier for serving!

Chet humming the song on Sarah's shirt made me laugh - an old school favorite of his for sure!

The Fulton fam... this turned out really cute!

Karli and Tate were at another birthday party that same morning.  I joined Teresa and Parker and Chet for ice cream at the Sand Springs Braums... literally all of us were planning on twist fro-yo, but their machine was broken.  #lamesauce

Group pic!

I randomly decided on the Tulsa outlet mall for my afternoon 5k walk... huzzah for ApplePay and pretzel nuggets and shade and air-conditioned stores I could pop in and out of!!

After that, Laura Allison and I had dinner at Cava and a 5-hour chat catching up on all of life!!

Today I met Kristin for lunch at Hideaway, then did a neighborhood walk 5k, then the Whitaker fam stopped by and Frankie got rid of the dirt dobber nest inside my garage!  "And then a hero comes along..." lol  I'd love for the family of bunnies to stick around, but I'm very happy the stinging insects are gone now!

The aforementioned peach dumplings... really good!  (Recipe HERE)

And now I'm ready to Thunder Up one last time this season... let's freaking go!! #maximumeffort

(Also, new AE jean shorts - yay!)

Okay, friends!  I love you and believe in you, and I hope the feeling is mutual! =)

❤ ❤ ❤

Thankful Thursday #226!

"Show us Your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation.  I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people.  But let them not return to their foolish ways.  Surely He is ready to save those who honor Him, and His saving presence will remain in our land."  ~Psalm 85:7-9

Today, I am thanking God for:

1.  Rach passing her CPC (Certified Professional Coder) exam yesterday morning!!  She took amazing notes and studied hard for this one, and I was super happy to hear that she passed it on the first try!  

2.  Kristin's friendship and life example, and that her parents know she is in Heaven with Jesus now (she died early this morning).  Praying for her family and close circle as they process all of this.

3.  This meme from Chettles that made me laugh out loud. lol  (Also, I'm genuinely thankful for the way my identity and life dreams have grown and changed over time.)

4.  This truth.

5.  Squirrels - they're adorable and mischievous and funny. lol  But being this close to so many of them would've freaked me out!  (Dad took this pic on his park walk this morning.)

6.  Alicia!!  A California girl turned proud Texan, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, and a fellow PhD student at CCU.  She celebrated her 29th birthday yesterday, so she'll have her PhD by the time she's 33!  I'm just beginning to get to know her, but I really love her vibrant energy and joy!  She has a list of 186 questions on her phone (she continually adds to it as she finds new ones), but during several of our dinners at Residency, each person would choose a number then we'd all go around answering that question - some deep, some funny, some incredibly random.  She had good book recommendations and solid Biblical wisdom during some of our group conversations, and my breakfast coffee convo with her on day one was also really encouraging - she asked me about my adoption hopes and dating history, and we had a good talk about Christian singleness and holding onto hope for marriage while moving forward with other dreams.  We lamented about how much the process of becoming an LPC varies from state to state, then she said, "What's cool is that with this degree we're getting, we'll be in a better position to lead and speak up and create change!"  And that was such an awesome reframe - to look at frustrating problems from the perspective of: How can I be a part of the solution?  Anyway, big fan of her already, and I hope she's having an awesome birth-week!

7.  Afternoon walks... sadly, I've been feeling a bit less safe and more aware of potential danger lately - hoping that subsides because I love being able to take a work-break and go for a walk around Main Street!  My last summer workday 5k included a cool-off stop midway for a small gelato at Apple Tree Chocolate! lol #yum  (My first time using ApplePay - glad to know how it works now.)

8.  Childhood videos... Rach had our old Beta and VHS videos converted to a digital format and played a few for us earlier this week... this was from our 1990 San Antonio trip with the Wallace fam!

9.  The Mini Miss K's creativity and love of games - after fam dinner on Tuesday, she made a "guess the celebrity" game for us on her phone, then screen-mirrored it to the TV! lol

10.  This reminder that life is big and wide and long, and God will open the right doors and close the wrong ones as we move forward!

Bonus:  Things that make me laugh while driving... like this pickup carrying Tiltawhirl cups on my drive to Colorado! lol

Happy Thursday, and Happy Juneteenth - (a Federal holiday, but not a State one, so we still had to work today - lame).  I love you and believe in you, and Jesus does too!!

❤❤❤

Christ-Regulated Attachment

 Three years ago, I read a fantastic book on Attachment theory (recap HERE).

For various reasons (some that I understand well and some that are likely subconscious), I developed an Anxious Attachment style... I can see it clearly in several relationships and past interactions, and I've worked hard over the past few years to become more Securely attached.  What helps me in that more than anything is being in healthy relationships with people who create a sense of safety and security.  Friends or family members who understand my story pretty well and intentionally reach out to reassure me if things feel off because I'm wrestling with insecurity/relational anxiety.  What triggers nearly-intolerable anxiety levels in me is relationships with people who are more avoidant/detached, who deliberately distance themselves when any relationship begins to feel too close, who lash out with vitriol and anger when I seek clarification or reassurance.  Knowing that about myself has been immensely helpful in choosing and prioritizing safe relationships.

In this week's session of Beth's summer Bible study, she talked about how our spiritual enemy tends to derail our relationships through detachment or entanglement.  And how the cure for that is to press into "Christ-regulated attachment," finding security and emotional stability in Jesus as we learn to have healthier relationships with others.

I loved that illustration!  It simplifies it all and aligns perfectly with Attachment Theory psychology - therapy and theology always align well at their core.  The closer we are to Jesus, the more likely we are to live from a place of secure attachment, knowing and trusting that we are loved and worthy of love.  And yes, the enemy will try to get us to pendulum swing from one extreme to the other, from feeling entangled in unhealthy dynamics - insecure and anxious and needy with low confidence... to detaching from people and being avoidant and overconfident in our ability to do life alone.

On the Detachment <--------> Entanglement spectrum, I typically lean toward Entanglement (over-striving to keep harmony; feeling emotionally wrung out and stressed over any disconnection or relational conflict).  That means I often naturally click with people who fall on the opposite side of that spectrum, and the clash of unmet needs was intense and catastrophic at times.  However, over time, I've moved closer and closer to the central mark of security in Christ, stepping away from entanglement toward deeper stability and loving others well... and part of that is due to having friends who are on the same page, stepping away from hyper-independence/detachment and into intentional love and care.

Every bit of progress we make matters.

And stepping closer to Jesus is key.

“So not only do people with a secure attachment style fare better in relationships, they also create a buffering effect, somehow managing to raise their insecure partner’s relationship satisfaction and functioning to their own high level. This is a very important finding. It means that if you're with someone secure, they nurture you into a more secure stance.”  ~Attached

The more mature and secure we become, the more we can help our friends/family members avoid the extreme ends of this spectrum.  It's a hopeful thought!  "Christ-regulated attachment" is really the perfect way to describe what every Christian should be seeking.  None of us will do things perfectly in any relationship, and we don't need to make other flawed people our standard.  Jesus is with us and for us to help regulate our messy emotions and attachment styles, case by case.  He knows the unique needs of each person and loves everyone perfectly, and growing closer to Him will naturally serve to make us more secure people with more genuine and balanced love for others!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Thunder Up, Part 2!!

Dad decided to spring for 4 tickets for last night's Thunder game (Jace and Mom were uninterested or they'd have been welcome to join us)!  Ticketmaster did their best to make it difficult, but eventually Rach succeeded in ordering four tickets at the edge of the row!  ...They had half white and half blue t-shirts for this game, and we were happy to be in a blue section!

We parked at Harkins again - not a bad walk from there!

This guy was playing Rockin' Robin, a song that makes me happy as it makes me think of You've Got Mail!

Miss K is a big fan of Jalen Williams (#8)... apparently there are two players with that same name - crazy!  Anyway, I told her to pose with him when I noticed the sign above her, and she went all out! lol

So fun!!  Congrats to the Thunder for being in the Finals for the first time (I think)... one more win and we're national champions - go Oklahoma!!

False - thank God. lol  The game was nearly 3 hours long in total, and while we did plenty of enthusiastic cheering, I'm grateful we did not stand up the entire time!

The blue light effect was kinda fun!

After me shrugging the first ten times Kyndal asked me to explain what just happened, she learned to ask Grandpa! lol  (She'd made fun of Rach for cheering so intensely, so Rach and Dad switched seats! lol)

Sitting by Kyndal Faith and hearing her commentary was super fun!  We enjoyed watching some of the crazier fans near us - and she was focused and kept me up to speed on what was happening in the game. lol

Yay for this pic, and yay for free refills on the popcorn!

Me and the Miss K (with her Dippin Dots)!

Rach being extra just to annoy Kyndal every so often. lol

It was a loud, passionate, perfectly-energized crowd, and so fun being there for their 3rd win against the Pacers!!  Thanks again, Dad!

This summer has been delightfully light where court reporting work is concerned... I took a 30-minute hearing at the juvenile center this morning, then got to hang out at home for a bit before heading to the courthouse (where we have nothing set, but I'll take a 5k walk and try to finish up my supervision paperwork).  For now, I'm blogging from home... my new Macbook cover arrived today, and I love it! ❤

I guess that's all for now.
Happy Tuesday!

❤ ❤ ❤