23rd birthday!

I seriously feel so blessed. The day started off with early phone calls from my parents. Christa and Kristin had sweet homemade cards for me as well as a new OSU mug! (Thanks Christa!) The first child I saw when I walked into school was totally one of my favorites (I know, I'm terrible), and she said in the most precious voice, "Good morning! Happy Birthday Ms. Andree!" SO adorable. Throughout the day, there were more phone calls and of course many facebook posts. Several text messages and a heytell message that melted my heart (you know who you are, and thank you :). Of course, I got the usual opera happy birthday song from Mamalu, which after 23 years, is still something I look forward to! And to jump ahead a little, I got to spend Saturday in Oklahoma City with my mom doing some shopping, talking, and getting a fantastic dinner at Cheesecake Factory!

As soon as school was over on Friday, I headed home to get packed up and head to Stillwater for a birthday evening planned by others. I knew that we were doing something for my birthday, but nobody would tell me exactly what. I only knew who would be there- Beth, Tommie Lee, Christa, Kristin, Amy, Dani, and myself. When we got to Stillwater, we went straight to Beth's, where I found out we were having a progressive dinner. The appetizers at Beth's were superb! I opened a gift (a great cardigan/sweater from Beth!) and we ate and talked before heading to Tommie Lee's for the entree. TL had prepared a delicious dinner for all of us, I opened another gift (a beautiful scarf from TL!) and we played a 20 questions game. Everyone had to answer questions about me and it was so hilarious to hear their answers! After dinner, we headed to Zannottis for desert and drinks. Such a fantastic night :)

So, let's get down to it...why am I raving about this evening and even taking the time to write about it? Well, it really is simple. It was the PERFECT party for me. I am a quality time type person. I love small groups of close friends and one-on-one time. My friends know that. I also notice details and delight in the little things in life. Examples: Beth had made little party favor bags for everyone to take. She planned the game and had the papers printed out on purple paper (my favorite). TL had the table set up and decorated so beautifully. There were even little name cards at our seats. The food was Italian (I love Italian food). So thoughtful, so precious. I felt like they planned it with me in mind, and as dumb as it may sound, it really made me feel special. Everyone there was such a delight! To have those women all together for a night- especially to celebrate my birthday- blesses my heart to an extent words cannot convey.

Needless to say, I have the best friends in the world.

To my dear friends, you are all amazing. I am so thankful for each of you and the friendship we share. Thank you for the most meaningful birthday I've ever had; it couldn't have been better. Thank you for loving me. I love you all immensely.

snow day!!

Sooo, it snowed. Not enough for it to really be a big deal, but we got out of school for a day nonetheless. The day was fantastic, and included the following delights:

1) reading a book
2) crafting
3) Chilis for lunch
4) sledding down a hill on a pizza pan
5) pushing Elizabeth's car up a hill
6) taking a running leap into a speeding car
7) playing at a park
8) snow football
9) dinner at Tia's
10) NOT going to work

win. win. win. Thank you weather!!! :)

when all is NOT right with the world

I have really been challenged lately. Like REALLY challenged. I feel like there is so much going on in my life that I have absolutely no control over. So many things happening that I cant change. So many things to learn from. So much opportunity for trust. I know that I don’t need to have control, and really, it isn’t that part that I am struggling with. It is more that my heart is just so overwhelmed by all that is going on around me.

My tendency when life throws me curve balls, is to go straight to friends…to vent, to cry, to ask for prayer. But lately in conversation, it has occurred to me that this is not always the best approach. Yes. I understand that asking for prayer within the body of Christ and being there for one another are great things. But all too often I find myself running straight there instead of straight to the Lord. So I’m trying this thing… where I don’t run to tell someone when something is wrong. As I write today, I realize that none of you knows what I am speaking of. And that is okay for now. I believe that Christ is sufficient. I believe He is more than I need. I believe He can heal me and comfort me more than any human ever could. I believe those things, so now it is time that I live like it. I have to let Him be my everything.

That being said, I don’t want to write what is currently going on. But I can say that I am once again learning to trust. I do want to leave you with the lyrics of a song that is my cry right now…it speaks simple truth that moves me.

Healer by Hillsong…

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You
I trust in You

I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Prayer

So I've been thinking a lot lately about prayer. Sometimes it really is all we have. And it's about trust. I feel like I am constantly learning how to trust the Lord in my personal life with specific situations that arise. But I'm seeing now that prayer is also about learning to trust God with others.

I am the type of person who loves largely by doing things for others. I love getting to serve and help out. When someone I love has a lot on their plate, I want to make life a little easier. It is something that I say not to pat myself of the back, but because it is something that I have struggled with lately. In moving to Tulsa, I have had to realize that I am not always going to be around those people that I am used to helping. Now, there is always service. There is always an opportunity to show the love of Christ to those around us. I am talking more about love in personal relationships. I am a fixer in many ways. When people dear to me are going through struggles, I always want to fix them, and I usually end up just helping in any way that I can. I delight in doing it. However, now, that is something that in many circumstances, I just cannot do.

Writing about it seems almost silly, but I think that the Lord is really showing me that although my heart desires to be with people that I love and be able to help, that sometimes I really can't be the fixer. I need to realize that God is bigger than me or the little things that I can do to temporarily help others. Yes, it is a way that I love, and I still think it's ok, but I also know that I can't do it all. I have to trust God to take care of loved ones. They are His children. And from the distance, all I really can do is pray. That He would work in their lives. That He would reveal Himself to them. That He would protect them. So I'm clinging to it. Praying... because it really is all I can do.

Pray.
Constantly.
Relentlessly.