Marathon Wednesday (Week #15)

*Writing this two days late... I forgot on Monday!

Saturday was a lighter "long run" of 6 miles, which was delightful and allowed me to get some rest and have a fun Tulsa trip on Sunday.  Training is going well, and tomorrow will be 30 days to the Marathon!  At this point, I am already thinking about what my routine will look like when it's over... how to hold on to the best parts of what I've gained through training while letting go of the long runs that take over my weekends!  I'm looking forward to the race and feeling pretty confident and ready for it, while also feeling ready to move into a new season with more balanced and sustainable exercise and eating routines!

Shifting gears -- I got sad and sobering news last night (3/25/25) about a former CHA coach and current headmaster at another Christian school who was arrested for possession of child pornography.  I've been working this week on building a website for my future counseling practice, and that news made me pause and think about the value of personal integrity and excellence... about how God looks at the heart while people focus on the outward appearance, about substance vs. style, growth mindset vs. fixed, Godly wisdom vs. worldly wisdom, and true/earned intelligence vs. artificial intelligence.  We cannot fake our way to greatness, and we have to be careful about how we define and pursue success.

Character matters, especially in Christian leadership.  We would do well to remember that the name of Christ is tied to us, and some people will judge Him based on our behavior.  I'm in the small beginnings phase, but I'm stepping into the Christian leadership arena, and I need to seek and follow God with fierce loyalty, paying attention and cutting out pride and other sins that entangle my heart, and pressing forward with a confidence that is grounded in Christ!

That concludes my deep thoughts for today...

And here's a very random meme that made me laugh!

Hope you're having a great week!
Less than five weeks to the Finish Line... just keep running!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Confidence and Adverbs

I mentioned this book in my previous post.  It's full of practical communication advice, and I want to dive deeper on two points that stood out for me!

Jefferson suggests avoiding adverbs to communicate with more strength and clarity.

So, Honestly, Well, Actually, Rarely, Definitely, Clearly, Unfortunately, Sadly, Genuinely, Literally, Hopefully, Usually, Always, Eventually, Finally, Never, Very, Really, Entirely, Obviously, Exactly, Generally, Typically, etc.

I use adverbs ALL THE TIME in speech and in writing... I've definitely caught myself and corrected it multiple times this morning, and it tends to improve my point!  That's something I will continue working on moving forward.

* * * * * * *

He also suggests changing "I believe..." or "I feel..." statements to "I'm confident..."  A simple shift with a big impact.  He says the more you hear yourself say that and the more others hear you say it, the more confident you will feel, and the more others will view you as a confident and competent person.

"I'm confident I can help you with that."  

"Thanks - if I need any help, I'm confident I can come to you."

"I'm confident God is at work here."

Okay, friends... I love you and believe in you,
and I'm confident in your ability to seek and follow God! ❤

Book Bag!

My last book post was February 6th.  I've completed 11 audiobooks since then! lol  Lots of long drives and very long jogs and fun cooking days, etc. (where I prefer listening to podcasts and audiobooks).  The HP book in this photo represents books 1-6:

1.  Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma by Melanie Shankle

Melanie and Sophie are my Enneagram 9 podcast besties.  They're funny and they love Jesus, and they've inspired about 500 random little purchases with their weekly "Five Favorites."  This book is my favorite of Melanie's books I've read so far.  It tells the vulnerable story of her complicated relationship with her Mom, a narcissist with a pattern of emotional abuse.  She eventually set a hard boundary there, and it helped her in parenting her daughter while she was being bullied by a clique of mean girls at school.  It has good advice for people with my conflict-avoidant personality on how to stand your ground and endure the backlash that comes with angering strong personalities, and she points to God as the source of our strength.

Quote:  "Sometimes, the way to get through something difficult is to keep your head up, keep your eyes on God, and walk through it even when you feel as though all you're doing is barely limping along. There are things He wants to forge in us that can be found ONLY along the hardest paths we walk."

2.  The Sacred Romance: Coming Home to the God Who Pursues Your Heart by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis

Finally reading this for the first time - it's Eldredge's first book, written with his best friend at the time who died shortly after it published.  It was a good reminder of the major themes and the minor themes and all the other things I love and respect about John Eldredge's world view.  His books have been a guide on my journey many times, pointing me closer to Jesus!

Quote:  “One of the most poisonous of all Satan’s whispers is simply, “Things will never change.” That lie kills expectation, trapping our heart forever in the present. To keep desire alive and flourishing, we must renew our vision for what lies ahead. Things will not always be like this. Jesus has promised to “make all things new.” Eye has not seen, ear has not heard all that God has in store for his lovers, which does not mean “we have no clue so don’t even try to imagine,” but rather, you cannot outdream God. Desire is kept alive by imagination, the antidote to resignation. We will need imagination, which is to say, we will need hope.”

3.  The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self by Martha Beck

Ironically, my biggest takeaway from this book was the rubber band video, which was indirectly related to The Empowerment Dynamic and Drama Triangle she briefly mentions.  I am not aligned with Beck's theology and worldview and personal values, but I understand and respect how she arrived there.  She's not wrong about how easily we bend and blend to match the culture around us, and her idea of taking an Integrity Cleanse challenge (where you vow not to lie to anyone for a full month, including yourself) is a good one.  I also appreciate her story and her courage in standing against the abuse of power in her former church.

Quote:  “To be in integrity is to be one thing, whole and undivided... The extent to which people will defy nature to serve culture can be truly horrifying... If you don't walk your true path, you don't find your true people.  You end up in places you don't like, learning skills that don't fulfill you, adopting values and customs that feel wrong."

4.  The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More by Jefferson Fisher

Jefferson's first book - I enjoyed it, and I will definitely listen through it again!  And probably seek out specific chapters when I need them.  He has great practical advice on navigating difficult conversations with grace, emotional regulation, and clear communication.  He emphasizes the importance of humility and that our goal should be connection rather than "winning" the argument, and I love that!

Jefferson's rules for better conversations:  "Say it with control.  Say it with confidence.  Say it to connect."

5.  Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sanderg

A story of grief and loss and resilience and recovery, recommended by Emily when I told her I'm interested in grief counseling.  I loved and related to Sheryl's grief-induced anger and sharp wit, often toward people who were particularly insensitive or apathetic.  She's a Facebook employee, and parts of her story gave me hope that Mark Zuckerberg has grown in kindness and compassion, which I hope is true.  She goes into a lot of statistics that I believe helped her but didn't feel particularly helpful to me, but I very much appreciated her story and how she and her children moved forward with their grief, and I liked what she said about our ability to build and cultivate resilience!

Quotes:  "I couldn't understand when friends didn't ask me how I was.  I felt invisible, as if I were standing in front of them but they couldn't see me.  When someone shows up with a cast, we immediately inquire, 'What happened?' If your ankle gets shattered, people ask to hear the story.  If your life gets shattered, they don't." 

“We plant the seeds of resilience in the ways we process negative events.  After spending decades studying how people deal with setbacks, psychologist Martin Seligman found that three P's can stunt recovery: (1) personalization - the belief that we are at fault; (2) pervasiveness - the belief that an event will affect all areas of our life; and (3) permanence - the belief that the aftershocks of the event will last forever... Resilience is the strength and speed of our response to adversity - and we can build it.  It isn't about having a backbone. It's about strengthening the muscles around our backbone."

6-11.  Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (only book 7 remaining - I'm so ready for it!)

Round #7 or 8 for these audiobooks, I would assume... I really dive into the story and adore the characters, and I'm so happy to have these books on the Audible app to accompany me through long drives or walks!  The characters are richly detailed and relatable, and the overarching story itself is epic and full of metaphors that inspire me!!

Best Quote in the Half-Blood Prince:  “He understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him.  It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high.  Some people perhaps would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew -- and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents -- that there was all the difference in the world!” 

YES, J.K. Rowling!!!  Let's freaking go!  That's from the very end of Chapter 23 in book 6.  (Fun fact - my favorite chapter in book 6 is The White Tomb - I can't get through that one or Christmas on the Closed Ward or Beyond the Veil in book 5 without crying.)  Kristin finished the HP books last year and didn't mention it until one of our dinners this year - possibly bc she knew my excitement level would be extra! lolol  I was super thrilled to hear that and asked which book was her favorite.  She said she enjoyed them all, but she didn't really have a favorite...

Me, unironically:  "Yeah, I get that... they're all really good, and J.K. Rowling is just brilliant!  ...My favorites in order of preference are 573-1642!!  It used to be 1462, but book 6 has grown on me."  Lol true story.

That's all for today, gang!

❤ ❤ ❤

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 

❤ ❤ ❤

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!

❤ ❤ ❤

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!!

❤ ❤ ❤

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!

❤

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!! =)

❤ ❤ ❤