It's official :)

My dear friends! 

I am so excited to be writing to you about an exciting journey that is ahead for me :) For months I have been wanting to run around hippy skippy and tell everyone, but I had to wait! Writing this makes it feel even more official than the phone call months ago! 

You have all known for some time now that I have felt led to GO but was told to WAIT. 4 years of waiting, growing, seeking, refining, learning, following, leading, listening and life has passed. I am confident more then ever that the time is now to pack up and go!

Come March I will be doing just that. Packing up my car with a few things and heading to Denver, CO to intern with the Denver Rescue Mission. It would take too long to explain how it all came about. Long story short- anything ordained and orchestrated by the Lord just works. I can't even explain how refreshing it feels to have a complete confidence and peace to pursue this opportunity!

I will be a part of this internship for 6 months // March-August! I am so excited to be set free from an on the clock perspective of ministry. 

Confession: I am looking forward to working in a ministry that doesn't cling to a cheesy little feel good saying of "come alongside" or "dive into"  they just DO IT. and by just doing ministry// that means building relationships, hard conversations, hard work, messy, not picture perfect strategic serving and consistent discipleship.

There is still a lot of details that I don't have answers about just yet. That kills the planner in me, but I am learning to just go with it an be patient. I will find out a lot more in February I am told :) haha! 

This is not a paid position, so I am working like crazy doing extra jobs to save up to pay all my bills while I am away. No need for me to stress, I know the Lord will provide a way! I am so excited to see the Lord meet my needs in a whole new way in this stage of my life! He is always faithful to provide and equip me with the needs in my life to pursue after Him and the calling and purpose to bring Him glory! 

Nothing about this adventure has anything to do with me, but everything to do with me getting out of the way in order for the Lord's name to receive all glory. The fact that I get to be a part of something like this is incredible. I am so thankful!!

This last questionnaire is for the worriers out there that think I am a crazy and who ask me these kinda of questions!

1) Are you scared? Nope, I'm sure there will be times that I will be worried but that's normal.

2) Do you know anyone there? Only my grandparents, they live about an hour away in Colorado Springs. 

3) So you will have no friends? Nope, but I will meet good ones..I'm sure of it!

4) What is Liv gonna do? She is going to crawl in a corner and whither away...bahaha, seriously people?? She will be doing her thing and I will be doing mine! We will just be a few states a part challenging and encouraging each other over the phone and laughing at the random happenings of life! She is my sister and that will never change!

5) Oh my goodness you will meet "someone" there?  Stupid expectation and furthest thing from my mind! It 's not a priority and has nothing to do with me getting out of Fort Myers. 

6) What are you going to do after 6 months? I don't know and that is exciting :)

7) What do your parents think? They are the most supportive and encouraging parents I could ever ask for! I think they are more excited than I am!! haha

There are a lot more questions I have been asked but those are just the most popular ones :)

Final note:: I am so thankful for the people in my life that have continued to point me to Jesus and have challenged me to not make comfortable decisions but right ones. Obedient and disciplined decisions. Decisions that cost me something and require understanding and strength that I alone have no strength to pursue.

Following Jesus isn't following the American dream. It's more exciting than that :)

so boots, banjos, city, hippies, and mountains...Ima comin atcha :)

December has been too busy to write! The best kind of busy that could possibly be! If you care to lend your ear :) ...

Dec 7
Packed up the gold digggaahh and hit the road with @livhelman. We have both been itchin' to get out of town, visit some friends and have an adventure! This was the only week that was available to take off, so we took full advantage of it!

:First Stop: Whitney Miller // Asheville, NC. Arrived late and was greeted with a 17 degree embrace. It has been so long since I have existed in a temperature like that, and I must say I have not missed it at all. Worst part is running to your car to then try and hold it together before the heat kicks on 20 minutes later. Are there any cars that have steering wheel heaters? If not, I will be sure to invent such a thing!

The three days we spent with Whit were much needed. Got to relax, laugh a lot, wear 15 layers of clothes, see a folk and bluegrass show, hang with the granolas, hang downtown and got to go to the Biltmore!

:Second Stop: Steven & Kristi Anderson // Newport News, VA.
Steven, Kristi and their boys, Jonathan & Tyler left us recently, and it worked out perfectly for us to stop by for a visit! Always a great time with them! One of the coolest families who has made a huge impact on my life! Wish we could of stayed longer! So thankful to see them and go to their new ministry @WEC!

:Third Stop: Savannah, GA- for fun :)
The biggest adventure of the trip and possibly the year was driving through the snow. 15 mins after we were on the road to Savannah from VA it started snowing. First 30 mins were exciting. We did the whole pull over and take a picture thing. 30 mins later and I was bear hugging the steering wheel, couldn't see 2 feet in front of me and cars were in the ditch and over the bridge. The town ahead had already been covered in snow and it was coming down thick. For a moment there I didn't see any way of making it to GA that night. Thankfully we only had about 40 minutes until we would make it out. All that to say, this beach bum drove in a blizzard...done!

We were so exhausted from driving over the course of those few days that that we literally fell asleep at 9PM each night! Hilarious! I absolutely love downtown Savannah! Everything has so much character and charm and is precious! Need to go back again and stay a little bit longer. Thankful for that time to relax before heading back to work and life.

It was a great trip! I am richly blessed to have a community of incredible friendships all across the states!

It has also been such a blessing to have a best friend like Liv. She is truly the sister I never had! Our travels together have been some of the most fun times of my life!

I hope to spend the rest of my life traveling, seeing new things, being a part of adventures, meeting new people, serving, and in pursuit of my Father.