Nebraskan Nostalgia

Snow falls outside under the street light as live music from Nebraska plays sweetly in the cozy air of this Cafe. It's nights like this that I am so thankful for the simple easy things God brings us like music, warmth and nostalgia.

What is it about coffee shops that bring such calmness to the soul? It's sometimes like sitting in the thick of Jesus. Though I'm most positive that sitting with-in Jesus will be nothing that can be topped.

There are times in your life, I feel like we think we've seen it all. And then you move somewhere and again life is revealed to you in surprising, unpredictable ways with amazing people in amazing company in a location God planned for all along.

What if I had held back? What if I said no to Gods asking and leading and pushing? His spurring. These things and many others would not have been revealed. It is within this atmosphere we can feel most content with whatever we are experiencing. Whatever we currently encounter. Indie folk mixing with aroma of coffee and espresso in dim soft light as guitars are strummed and words flow through cords.

I have come to understand and praise God for doing the same things with His words and how He can and does do the same kinds of inspiring. It's amazing how lyrics of songs can spark so much in us as if the singer had insight into our lives. Though it is by chance and similar occurrence in life paths and chapters that God writes for reasons unknown. But God speaks to us and holds us more closely and tenderly than a song that tugs heart strings and lyrics that seemingly speak our souls. And though these songs often inspire, when they end we can't help but yearn for more. Hence why repeat buttons were invented.

The songs that God creates in us just like David and his harp, the finished product plays for all of eternity, never ending.

"joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air"- Isaiah 51:3

"It was the sinful persecution he endured at the hands of the wicked that brought forth his cries for God's help. The Davids faint hope in God's goodness blossomed into full songs of rejoicing, declaring the Lord's mighty deliverance's and multiplied mercies. Every sorrow was yet another note from his harp, and every deliverance another theme of praise. One stinging sorrow spared would have been one blessing missed and unclaimed. One difficulty or danger escaped-how great would have been our loss! The thrilling psalms where God's people today find expression for their grief or praise might never have been known."-Anna Shipton

Like a song.

Happenings this week:

Had the opportunity and pleasure to see Josh Garrels live again. This time in Denver, CO. Inspiring as ever and a warrior with his broken elbow and wrist to shed light continually on his audiences. Really stoked for his new album "Arrow" to drop next week. Keep your ears peeled friends!

Recently I have been missing my tour friends. In brief moments we have had opportunities to connect and I appreciate that. On days of head winds physically or figuratively I am always grateful for those who I have been able to ride along side with. The ride continues... I love each of you and am super thankful for the words that God continues to speak through you.

Another Eleanor Bean photo with her beautiful Mom and Pops just because she's amazing and I can't wait to meet her!











-Keep Adventuring.




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Love That'll Never Die.

I'm having a bit of writers block this morning. I feel like there are a lot of things I could mention but nothing to really dive into. Since we last met I had mentioned the pursuit of God. The relentless pursuit. Friends this week I feel it deep in my bones.

This morning as I was driving to work I was listening to Josh Garrels' Ulysses. I thought of impact. People impact, creation impact and the ways that Gods pursuit in us comes in so many different ways. A talk in a coffee shop, A friend jogging beside you breathing heavy with you while taking in the thanksgiving of a body in motion in His creation. The impact of someone He has planted in your life while on a bike battling relentless headwind yet smiling and laughing regardless. Encouraging through words of thanksgiving and candid observations reminding you continually of where He's bringing us even though we don't know what that destination is.

Praise God.

Love Languages: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, Physical Touch.

If you know me at all you would know that I am fluent in Quality time and physical touch. There are times when all I need is tight hugs and perhaps a brain squeeze. The same goes with Quality time. I like hearing people. I like being able to see different perspectives within them and learn more about what makes people tick.

I am a firm believer that God has every single one of these languages at #1. He's amazing at all of them. And I have witnessed Him speaking each one to me often in my recent time in Laradise. His words of affirmation piercing truth into my heart through His word and the words of many that I have had an opportunity to sit with for a delicate few. And the ways that His words weave through others stories as they speak them. Speaking of family, friends, work, life. Within the speaking there is also learning. Discoveries are often made when we bring the words outside of our brains and verbalize perspectives. Thankful for that ability and opportunity.

God serves us relentlessly. He blesses us tremendously and these are somethings that He has served me with this week that I am really thankful for:
-A relaxed few nights at home to read His word while my body and mind rested on His truths.
-Putting it on family's hearts to reach out and check in on me.
-My support team, He serves me everyday with these people and man am I thankful for all that they are.
-Laughter. I've laughed pretty hard this week, especially at some crazy head wind while riding a bike.
-Strength. Mentally this week has been pretty intensive at work and so I have been rather exhausted. But in a good way. He continues to strengthen me through it all and He Speaks tender words of encouragement continually.

Because we speak in the same kinds of love language, it pleases God tremendously when we serve Him.
"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service"-1 Timothy 1:12

God pursues quality time with us like fire takes to dry brush. It ignites and spreads wildly, creating emotion with in us that can't always be articulated with words. I know that often times I will busy myself to serve others instead of serving Him in the quality time realm. This week I have had the opportunity to really sit down and just spend time with Him and work continually on this incredible relationship. Thank you Jesus.

I felt Gods physical touch through the grass that I got to lay in on Sunday afternoon. I felt His kiss from the sun bringing this tent life again as I listened to the birds sing and spring begin to awake here in Wyoming. I think back upon the mountains that God has painted for each of us individually and how each part of creation is planted deep with in each of us and He has known this forever. He delights in the discovery process that we go through upon seeing these things hidden deep with in come to the surface while those things equally soak deep into the very depths of our souls. It is the coolest.

If you know what your love language is, Share the love!
If you don't know your love language, find out and share the love.
We've been created to do so.

Shinnans this week:

We got some sweet gifts from our Board of directors last week! Look at how matchy-matchy we are! New swag with the SROM logo embroidered. Thank you Board! You guys rock! Super thankful!








I went on a very windy bike ride with Emily. So windy that my hands were frozen in the position you can observe in this photo. So frozen that I physically couldn't button my jeans for 5 straight minutes... If I were me I would have laughed hysterically at myself too. Laughing makes things bearable.



I've been eating up the last of my Gertrude Hawks chocolate. Good thing Easter is next weekend!






Speaking of Josh Garrels! I'm headed down to Denver Friday night with friends to see Him perform and praise God. He recently broke his wrist but can still play guitar! Pray for Josh! His songs are his testimony! And His shows allow God to speak into many lives. If you ever get a chance to see him, don't pass it up friends!

-Keep Adventuring

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Love is War

Relentless love. I have experienced it but never realized it until current times in reflection upon lifes story telling and looking back upon where Gods pursuit for me has been completely and utterly relentless.

We often think of things that we pursue. I tend to think of material things in a sense of wanting. Like this. I am in pursuit of this :Preferably size Small, thanks! A lot of times we pursue with a fire of things we see or hear about and we are indeed on the trail for a hot while but then maybe something happens. Something else comes up or we become distracted by life, people, work, or other passions.

Looking back on my testimony and listening to others testimonies, I get really tripped up on perspective in a good way. It's almost as though I'm on a standing roller coaster where I can see things coming but never expected the thrill to be that intense.

That's how I see Gods pursuit in lives of many including mine. To save, to grow, to teach, to humble and to continue to colonize a world in which craves the Glory, the culture, the imprint of God. [Please take a moment to check out this link. You wont regret it! Brilliant speaker, Myles Monroe, speaking about incredible truth.]

For the last couple of weeks I have felt this heaviness on my heart. it has impacted my soul in non positive ways and has in fact inflicted projections that were lies and harsh against me.
Truth- I was allowing it to cover me and soak me in false truth while creeping up my spine as it continued to hinder my brain and my eyes. the war of feeling inadequacy.

God wants us to be continually stripped of that. We already have been upon surrendering and laying our lives at the cross fully  to Him in whatever form that comes in each of our lives. Perhaps and most likely we are still surrendering these things on a moment to moment basis. And maybe at times we think we have surrendered these things but really our hands are palm down with strain clutching to it with our own failing strength.

He stripped me Monday night. I'd like to preference this all on the fact that I hate, hate, HATE throwing up. It is by far one of my worst fears. Granted I'm sure no one enjoys it but still, there are suspicions that come into my brain like choking to death on my own esophagus or hemorrhaging from force. After the designed protection of my body has ejected this stuff from me I gain my mind set back that I'm OK and that eventually I will feel better (even though I have NEVER felt better directly after)

Upon getting the plague  this week (not really) I realized the following things:

1. It is awesome to live alone when violently ill because you can be as loud as you want and move around as much as you want and you don't need to worry about waking anyone up.

2. It really sucks to live alone because it seems as though no one is there to rub your back and comfort you in those times. To tangibly tell you that you're OK and that things will be OK.

3. It's a very long walk to the dumpster at 4:30am but man are the stars stunning and the cold Laramie air feels so good.

4. with in those fleeting thoughts of fear and seemingly overwhelming danger, God can rip and deliver some of the worst things out of you in those moments of utter weakness.

Most of those I will not elaborate on but I will elaborate on number 4. So here we go. It amazes me how desperate we feel in helpless situations because we have no control over them. As I'm sitting there with a trashcan on my knees I can't help but just cry in desperation with in that same mindset of David goes to the dentist "Is this going to last forever?"

I'll be honest, I puked twice. Each time lasted a good half hour. The last several minutes of the second time though felt so violent and so forceful there was nothing, absolutely nothing I could do but hold on and pray, worship and trust solely in God. Also in the midst of that violent period I could literally feel His arm go down deep within and grab hold of something. In that final force he ejected and expelled it completely from my body. I don't know what IT was but instantly I felt a weight lifted from my soul. I gasped in air and thanked God for whatever he just took out of me.
Love is War.

He is relentless. His pursuit is absolutely relentless. He sits us down in whatever way we can in our forgetfulness and our rebellion and works with what is present. Whether injury, illness or denial. He has the power and uses it to resurrect us from some of the most insane things that I can't even imagine. We are his beloved children. He is our Inheritance.

Thank you Jesus.

5. Fever dreams can be rather amusing and inspiring when you dream about becoming a Professional Pencil Sharpener in a very strict workshop. #feverdreams

Other happenings of the week:

My dear friend Jenna bean after a long awaited arrival, God has graced our presence with a little bean of Jennas own!  Eleanor Lila! aka Ele bean! Was born on March 10th! Very excited for Jenna and Even as they rejoice in the celebrations! Not only was she born healthy and vibrant (praise God) but she was also born a very special day!
My friend Jen's Birthday! WHAT?! It's mind blowing because we all worked together years ago in the Redwood forest and never in a million years would I have thought 4 years later Jenna would have her daughter on Jens Birthday! Whoa-whoa-wee-whoa!

Happy, Joyful Birthdays Beloveds!

Jennifer, You're Puhfect!

Also... It's getting warmer!

Let ridin' dirty commence.












-Keep Adventuring





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Learning Curves

But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him."

-Lamentations 3:21-24 ESV

I have been reading and studying the book of Lamentations this week. It has been hard yet hearty to read in knowing that as a follower of Jesus we do walk a narrow path. and though lamenting can be a rather heavy feeling and temporary destination, 

"Somewhere in the thick of this ongoing heart surgery we begin to understand: only in seeing the depth of our sin can we see the unmatched grace and glory of the cross."

Settling in a bit more here in Laradise this week and my old habits have started to arise. Human failure of myself can often times create judgement within my own heart and mind which I have been reminded this week especially that putting myself into the seat of Judge takes Jesus out of that seat. Thinking I've been here for a month now and I've been feeling not qualified or not up to speed with where perhaps I think I should be currently. I am not a judge. Jesus is the judge. There is no reason why I should be judging myself for the sins that He has already died on the cross for. It is a continual process of peel and nail, peel and nail. Peeling these things from the holdings of my heart and hands and nailing it to the cross. 

Sometimes it feels like this: Sappy Hands.

All this to say friends, it's been a really awesome week. Here are some main reasons why.

For the last 3 weeks I have been pretty intently working on SROM's website to get a couple of things moved around, updated and looking fly. My main project is creating an updated more interactive testimonies page for people to read about how our students have been impacted by God and His creation while on Expedition. 

For the last 2 weeks I have been reading and pulling together YEARS of testimonies and quotes from past students dating all the way back to 2003. To say that I have been greatly inspired and given fuel for the burning flame of Jesus with in me from this project is an understatement. There were times when I felt like I was sitting right next to these students listening to their story unfold as the elements of the back country and their surroundings continued to strip, bend, break and mend so much. It was extremely powerful.

Check out the new Testimonies page on SROM's website: SROM Testimonies

If you hadn't seen yet, SROM has picked a winner from a huge pool of over 800 people you can see the outcome: Here! Seriously though, thank you for entering! Because people entered, we were able to get SROM's name out and circulated more than we ever could have imagined and through it we were able sign more students up!! RAD!

Other happenings this week:

-Trampled By Turtles was an awesome show that blew many of us away with the talent and energy of the band and atmosphere of the concert. 

- I live in Wyoming. Just because we live in Wyoming doesn't mean that we can't hang out on a Saturday night outside by a fire with good conversation while it's snowing. I've got to tell you, this was a huge highlight. There is something about conversation around fire that ignites so much more than just thoughts. It has the ability to burn through the cold. Burn through the thick of distractions that can and often do bring enlightenment and perspective. One of my prayers is that more conversation like this happens often.

The Firewatcher's Daughter came out this week: Get it!

-Keep Adventuring.

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