No Going Back

Happy Monday, friends and fam!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  I joined Jace and Kyndal for my first swim day of 2025 on Saturday... yay for Mom and Dad having a heated pool!!  I'm a little sore from the extra hills and speed training, so it felt really great to be in the water.  We had fun playing Marco Polo and Sharks and Minnows and watching J do backflips and cannonballs, then Mom and Dad and Rach and Tman joined us for a family dinner at Ted's - all fun!

The Wilsons and Mosses got together for dinner at the Moss manor that night, and getting this pic from Chet Lee made me happy!

Saturday morning was a 6-mile jog at the Station.  I didn't sleep well, so I was out there earlier than usual, and I was surprised and slightly concerned to see several Moore Police vehicles and policemen standing outside.  I hesitantly approached and asked one of them what was going on, and I learned that it was testing day for the Police Academy... so that was pretty fun!  They were running hard drills and various training exercises and had a drone filming it overhead, and it all made the run far more interesting/fun!  I cheered them on, partly in my head and partly whilst they were running circles around me... and of course, I still stopped to enjoy the flowering trees, as well! =)

Thus far (in all of life and particularly in the 75-Soft challenge), my adventures in dating have been a lot of effort with very little to show for it.  Over the years, I've sincerely tried friend setups, eHarmony, Match, Christian Mingle, Facebook dating, Bumble, Tawkify, and I'm currently trying Hinge.  At this age, I'm mostly finding panicked divorcees (or separated men pretending to be divorced) who are in a rush to find a replacement wife but aren't emotionally healed or ready to be dating again... or incredibly passive singles who are content to play video games in their spare time while messaging endlessly without taking action or asking anyone out and are "still figuring out their relationship type" in their mid-40s. #massiveeyeroll  There are a plethora of men who are too aggressive or too passive, but it only takes one normal, driven, mature man of God, so I'm holding onto hope for that!  And enlisting friends in this endeavor.  (So if you know me well and read this blog, consider this permission to play matchmaker if any good single men come to mind!)

I know precious little about it, but the Jaceman follows Paul Cuffaro on YouTube and was excited to get to talk to him on the phone this weekend, so I'm excited that he's excited!  He also had his friend TJ over to spend the night during Spring Break, and this = them checking out the new fish tank! =)

Me and my best couple franz! lol  (In my head, that's to the tune of Marshall's "Now that we're best couple friends" song on HIMYM)  I made a Tulsa trip on Sunday and joined the Wilsons and Shoemakers for Los Cabos lunch + the kids playing at the new Riverwalk playground + Marble Slab! =)  PS These sunglasses are incredibly reflective.  I meant to do a fun pic with the NYC skyline showing in them... maybe I'll find something like that in Colorado!

The kids all hopped into this canoe together... cuteness!

I got to sit by Miss Parker Elizabeth herself - one month before her 4th birthday and the much-anticipated Belle party!  It was good to chat with everyone and catch up on all that's new and changing in the Shoemakers lives!  *Happy 32nd Birthday to Mark Anthony today!!!

Then I went for a walk at the Addison Creek trail, my potential future neighborhood with a delightful tree-named street. =)

And on my way home, I stopped by Rachael's house... check out her cute front door hanger for Spring!  And her massive textbooks for the medical coding classes - yikes!!

I was there to bring her my graduation cap, as she's going to decorate it up for me!  Jaceman had to try it on first, of course! lol

In case you missed it, I'm going for my PhD at CCU starting this summer... Chettles talked about my decision to go back to school in 2022 being the first domino that started a line of things falling into place as I moved forward, and how this path would likely mirror that.  I think it's true - that God will open the right doors as I continue to step forward, and that the path will become clear one small step at a time.  Ever since I read Hero on a Mission and decided to set and pursue meaningful life goals, something inside me has gradually changed and transformed.  I'm realizing lately that there's no going back to a life of glorifying comfort and following the crowd and passively waiting on doors to open for me.  I'm taking action and my desire to lead and build and empower others is growing.  This path is decidedly harder and requires more courage and strength from me, but it's infinitely better in both the process and the outcomes!  In every area where I have made progress or gained momentum, I don't want to go back.  I want to hold on to what I've learned and keep growing and moving forward!  So cheers to living with purpose, passion, and perseverance - to believing my life can make a difference and "impact the world with grace and truth!!" #maximumeffort 

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3-2-1 Let's Go!

Happy Photo Friday, friends and fam!!!  I'm covering the office phones, but it's been nice and quiet on this last day of Spring Break.  After filing four this afternoon, I'm caught up on transcripts for this brief moment.  It's a lovely Spring weekend ahead, and I just officially accepted CCU's offer of admission and registered for the summer residency course (hence my 3-21 post title to commemorate that).

I joined the Whitakers for an early lunch at the Moore Chick-fil-A... always fun to see the boys and hear about what's new in their world!  They told me about the candy barrel store and other fun places they visited in Fort Worth, about Wesson losing a tooth, and Kristin and I caught up on life a bit!  Here's our happy group pic after lunch! ❤

I tried the Pineapple Dragonfruit lemonade... probably won't get it again, but I had to snap a pic with the delightful pink color!  On the right is the CFA wall art and Nash contemplating destroying his cup and lid... "I wanna break this cup so bad!" lolol #thingsiveneverthought #boysarefunny

The Bible App's verse for today... I'm grateful for a solid friend group that sharpens and strengthens me!! ❤

I feel hopeful and excited right now... with a sense of peace that God has everything under control, and He will continue to work things out for me.  I've looked into the class schedule for the next three years, and the internships don't begin until 2027.  I'm likely to move back to Tulsa at that point so that I'll be there for whatever internship opportunities I find.  In the meantime, I may do a combination of court reporting and counseling work with Oak Haven, where I can see clients virtually and book nights and weekend sessions as needed.  I'm grateful for the social media break for Lent - it's good timing and the reduced screen time has been good for my soul!

As a single woman, I sometimes feel like I'm winning the bronze medal in life no matter what I accomplish.  But I'm reframing that.  In the Olympics, certain sports are more popular than others - like figure skating vs. curling.  In life as a Christian woman in Oklahoma, the most popular path would certainly be marriage and family - many of my friends have gold medals there, and I applaud their success and love seeing it!  That particular event is off to a delayed start for me, but I'm doing my part, and I believe God has good things in store.  And in the meantime, I'm training in some areas and winning gold in other areas, and I'm going to celebrate all of that!

Okay, I could've gone much longer on that, but lucky for you, my groceries are being delivered, so I'm off to bring them inside! lol  Happy Friday, and hope you have a fantastic weekend ahead!!

#hashbrown influencer

#CobraKaineverdies #JohnnyLawrence

I freaking love him - so funny!

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Happy Spring!

Today is the official first day of Spring, so huzzah for that!! ❤

This week is Spring Break week for most schools, so I'm hoping it's been a fun one for my sister's fam and all my friends who have kids!  The Foster fam came down to the new Okana indoor waterpark and resort for Spring Break (they're loving it and said it's better than Great Wolf Lodge), and the Wilsons made a day trip to OKC yesterday, so it was fun to see my fav Tulsa friends in my hometown.  Here's our group pic after dinner... I adore them all!!!

I covered a murder prelim in Purcell on Tuesday - the court reporter shortage is real, so we're all covering wherever we can.  This afternoon, I'll be at the Couch Center, then tomorrow I'm covering the office and catching up on transcripts.  Anyway, that prelim ended by noon, so I had Tuesday afternoon off and did speed and hills intervals at Planet Fitness, followed by a lovely neighborhood walk!

In a fantastic surprise, I learned that Judge was taking Wednesday through Friday off, so I took off yesterday to join the Wilsons at the Science Museum in OKC... formerly the Omniplex.  I hadn't been there in years, and it has loads of new stuff, as well as a few familiar things!  This = the Wilson fam getting blown away in a simulated tornado! #oklahoma

Parker E on the carousel - she was in a fun mood ready to explore all the things!

Tate and Karli learning about... some sort of spacecraft!?

I chatted with Mom whilst the Wilsons grabbed the last two seats available for the Planetarium show!  Then we explored the sand spinner, the spirograph art pendulum, the toy photography exhibit, the shadow wall, and several other exhibits and kids play areas!

Spirograph pendulum art by Parker and her Dad. ❤  Her first color choices were purple and brown, which made me laugh!

Mirror maze selfie! =)

So much randomness, but most of it is fun for adults and kids!

They had a Segway park where you could try it out on various surfaces... Tate surprised us by going first and having fun with it!

Next up was Chettles, who had done it once before on their last trip to this museum!

And round 3 was me - yay, trying new things!!  It was fun and made me wonder if I could do the hoverboards... but I'm pretty sure the lack of handles would throw me right off balance!

Random cloud ring fun... I feel like all these play-based exhibits have posters trying to teach you things, and I'm guessing about 2% of the museum visitors actually read them and learn a lot. lol

Wilson fam + "Auntie Lindsey" random group pic at the giant table and chairs!! lol

We were at the Science Museum from 11-ish to 5, then met the Fosters for dinner downtown.  We were planning on Old Spaghetti Factory and Chet was psyched about their spumoni dessert... but alas, I forgot to factor in that we were a party of 9 on Spring Break week on a Thunder game night!  We opted out of the 2.5-hour wait for OSF and the hour+ wait at a few other restaurants, and we ended up at Dave's Hot Chicken near Harkins Theater... another new thing for me, and it was pretty good!

I told the Fosters about being accepted into the doctoral program, and Kristin cracked me up saying, "Congrats, that's awesome... and here we all are at Dave's Hot Chicken to celebrate!" lol  I said, "It's just what I always dreamed!"  But for reals, I'm happy to be with this group any day, any place!

Happy first day of Spring, friends!
May this be a season of fresh hope and vibrant growth for all of us!!

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Doctor of Philosophy

Okay, one more post for today.  I've mentioned that on March 7th, I interviewed for the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) program in Counselor Education and Supervision at Colorado Christian.  And today, March 17th, I received my acceptance email!  (I have until the 31st to officially accept or decline their offer of admission, so I'm going to take at least a week to pray about that and seriously consider my options moving forward.)

But for today, I want to celebrate that I did the hard work of applying, preparing, praying, interviewing, and waaaiting... that I felt poised and represented myself as well as I could've hoped for in the virtual interviews, and that I got into the highest counseling degree offered by what I sincerely consider the best Christian university program available!  The CCU faculty is so solid, and I may get to join them someday... which is truly exciting!!

I feel honored and grateful, and in spite of my impatience at having to wait through an extra weekend to hear this news, I feel confident that God was at work in that timing (like the 21-mile jog that reminded my heart to find hope in Spring, and the rubber band video that led me not to give up or let go of other dreams, and the fact that my interview and acceptance date both have 7s in them).  Little things matter to me, and I believe God's hand is often seen in the details!

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I was watching my email all day, and this arrived at 3:56 PM.  I felt immediate relief and joy, and it helps me understand how God was shifting my focus here as several jobs I've applied for have not worked out lately.

12 years ago, Laura Allison threw a surprise graduation party for me after I finished my bachelor's degree program at SNU.  She even relabeled the Dr. Pepper with "Dr. Muecke" ...at the time, my plan was to move right into a combined Masters/Doctorate program.  In early 2014, I applied for competitive programs at OSU (ignored because a recommendation letter arrived late), Rosemead (rejected), and eventually SNU (also rejected, in spite of high grades and recommendations from their best professors).  I wasn't particularly confident or ready, I was grieving a major loss, and the doors I stepped toward in that season did not open.  I can see now that the timing would not have been right in any number of ways, and the schools themselves were not where God intended for me to be...

I say all that mostly to emphasize that this has been a long-held dream for me, and God has finally opened the door now.... the right door in the right time.

And I feel very hopeful that it's the first of many, like a series of automatic doors, desired opportunities that God will open as I step toward them. ❤

God is always good and kind, but I'll be the first to acknowledge that hope is much easier to feel and believe after the acceptance email than before - the "renewed strength" part is awesome; the "waiting on the Lord" part is rough!

Gracious, I'm processing this news and praying for wisdom and peace, but I wanted to document this while it's all fresh.  I know it would be a 3-year commitment and a very challenging path ahead, but I also know I am not in this alone.  God is with me and for me, helping me grow in wisdom and maturity and favor with God and man.  I am complete through my union with Christ, and He has the power to shape and transform my heart and open the right doors at the right time that will lead to the greatest Kingdom impact...

And every bit of that deserves to be celebrated!! =)

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Marathon Monday #14!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, and Happy Marathon Monday!! ❤

Spring is springing, and I'm so enjoying it (minus the intense sunburn on my neck from my 5.5 hours outside yesterday -- I'll remember sunscreen next time)!!  Of all the leaves and blooms and fruit on all the various trees, the Bradford Pear trees always capture my attention.  Something about the extravagance of so many perfect little temporary blooms - both the quantity and the quality of God's work there speaks to me about His creativity and generosity and love of detail, and the idea that there is beauty and value in things that have a short life span.  (Pink flowers would make it extra special... someday, I wanna visit the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC... I thought about all of that during my walk yesterday.) ❤

Anyway, on the Board of Empowerment & Inspiration for today is Linda, Chettles, and Rachael LaJo.  Linda is my friend from yesteryear in Lindsay's Lifegroup... she's been living in Colorado for several years now and she lives a really active, vibrant life including lots of hiking and 5k/10k/trail races!  Chet Lee recently signed up for the Disney Marathon this coming January... 26.2 in 2026!  He has a plan in place to train hard for that after completing the Tulsa Tough bike race this summer - go Chet!!  We're gonna plan our family Disney/Universal trip for that same week, so I'm super excited to cheer him on at the Finish Line!  And Rach is feeling verrry ready for a job transition... she's been working hard and has already taken a full book of handwritten notes in her medical coding classes - I'm guessing she'll finish the online classes and be certified by the end of April! (PS the nutcracker pic still makes me laugh!)

Y'all know I love the number 7, and yesterday was a series of 7s for me.  I did 6:1 intervals (jog six minutes, walk one) for 20 miles then one cool-down mile.  I did 3 sets of 7 miles on my RunInterval app (highly recommend).  I took a bathroom break at mile 7, then I fully changed clothes + socks and shoes at mile 14 - I think it helped my feet stay less blistered, so yay for that!!  I listened to podcasts, music, and the last 2 hours of my audiobook.  I focused on "strong and healthy" as my mantra - listing as many things as I could think of (strong and healthy mind, strong and healthy body, strong and healthy soul, strong and healthy spirit, strong and healthy decisions, strong and healthy connections, strong and healthy sphere of influence, etc. Then I went through a body scan with that mantra too.)  All of the above helped keep me going and keep my brain focused on good things!

My pink Brooks Hyperion shoes are likely what will carry me across the finish line next month.  Although I'm pondering changing shoes halfway through like I did yesterday.   It's a distinct possibility.  Also, the turtle family (above) congregating on the fake alligator head at The Station always brings me joy!

I'm in the final stretch, so I revamped my original training plan a bit!  I felt pretty great yesterday, and I'm planning to stick with the Galloway 6:1 intervals for the actual marathon, but continue to build speed and strength and endurance in the meantime!  (The Thursday runs are being exchanged for my Wednesday walking miles with Kristin, and I'm being super flexible on the dates all around, so long as I get all the workouts in at some point.)

Start line & finish line pics - (I changed into fresh clothes at mile 14).  Completing 21 consecutive miles is huge for me, and these endurance runs are reeeally boosting my confidence and resilience in an emotionally draining season!  Also boosting my sense of joy and hope is the arrival of Spring and the physical reality of seasons changing from dark and dreary and cold and dormant to brighter and more colorful and warm and full of life.  I just feel like I am craving spring and new growth in all aspects of my life, and it's hopeful to see the first hints of it popping up!! ❤

Another before and after pic.. my bag of extra clothes and shoes and body glide for my feet + bottled waters, Cliff Bloks black cherry energy chews, and a banana for during the run (yum - it all worked well)... then a protein shake with spinach, banana, and berries when I got home - yay!!

40 days to the race, and 7 more Marathon Monday posts to go!!

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Steadfast Sunday

Happy Sunday, friends and fam!!  I jogged 21 freaking miles today, so I had to start off with that, but I'll cover it in more detail tomorrow. =)

Here's me and Kristin on our Wednesday walk (on my 15,000th day).  We had a good talk, and I hope they're having a fun family trip to Fort Worth this weekend!

Get excited - the cap and gown arrived this week!! ❤

'Twas another victorious volleyball weekend, with Kyndal Faith and her team actually winning gold in the entire tournament!!  This = them celebrating after Kyndal's final serve that got them to 25!

They beat 5 teams (some took 3 games, as it's always best 2 out of 3, but they won them all in the end, and I'm proud of them for fighting so hard!!)

K-Faith and her friends from the 17s Charge team... and a family pic with the medal winner!  (Side note: the 17s team was sitting behind our fam, and several of those girls are big fans of Grey's Anatomy, and I was tempted to jump into their intense discussion about it! lol)

We stopped by JoBug's to meet Miss Karsten Blaire and see Asher Kenneth for a bit!  JoBug's grandma name is "Sassy," and that makes me happy!

Dabbing to match their volleyball leprechaun shirts for St. Patrick's Day! lol

The Peak gym had an entire side for beach volleyball.  Did I roll up my jeans and hop in the sand for a while?  Yes, definitely!  Did the grains of sand stay with me longer than I'd hoped?  Also yes. lol But #noragrets.

Yay, Mini Miss K and the Charge 11s team... Silver medals last weekend, and gold this weekend!!

I listened to Margaret Beck's The Way of Integrity this weekend (finished it during today's long run).  She mentioned the Drama Triangle, so I looked it up to learn more... which led to learning about the Empowerment Dynamic, which is the better side of the Drama Triangle.  ❤

There is a great deal of unresolved tension in my life lately, and it's become harder to tolerate, and I was quite literally planning to write a post tomorrow about letting go of the motherhood dream and walking away from online dating for now... and then I watched this short video while randomly researching the above triangles this morning.  Her rubber band illustration is simple but profound... or perhaps it's just that the timing was perfectly aligned for me in this moment.  I am beyond tired of the "dynamic tension" and anxiety of unmet dreams and deferred hopes, BUT I don't want to be in victim mode and shrink/lower my own dreams in order to resolve it.  So my only other choice is to be prayerful and get brutally honest about what I really want most, and stay intentional about taking action to move my current reality closer to my dreams and vision for my future.  In whatever unmet goals you may be facing, I hope this encourages you today too!  (I set it to start at the part that helped me, but feel free to start from the beginning.)

Okay, that's all for today.  God is with us and for us, and He is at work behind the scenes, even and maybe especially when we feel very tempted to give up.  His power is real; His love is steadfast; I'm praying that my resolve will be stronger and more steadfast, as well.

Song of the Week = "Precious Love" by James Morrison, courtesy of Schitt's Creek ❤

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