Best way to describe the way my life and brain feel after this month would be Christmas day, but immediately after tearing open all of the presents. The wrapping paper is everywhere, there’s empty coffee mugs where everyone was sitting, and the front door is open while the parents are watching their kids have the time of their lives with their new toys. The past month feels lived in, joyful and a mess. The Lord has just been showing me reminders of him left, right, up, down and every other direction you can possibly think of and it’s the most pleasant thing to be a receiver of those reminders. I’ll bold those along the way!!
The month started off with Ashley’s birthday party! Gatherings like that don’t just happen for birthdays. So many people who have impacted Ashley and been impacted by her flowed in and out of her driveway just to share the common adoration of who she has been made to be! I hope to have a wedding celebration type 50th birthday party just like her. Also made her a birthday cake, it looked ratchet and was asked “why is it melting?” by Will Brown.
One of my college friends is going to grad school and working for a congressman in D.C., so when the fellows went to D.C. for the National Conference, I got to see her. She is one on the 8 good friends of mine, not connected to fellows and that don’t live in North Carolina (well one does), that the Lord gave me good time with just in November. IN AWE of how many people that is after I was just craving those relationships since being here. Avery, Bekah, Madison, Walker, Bailey, Emmi, Jacob, and Alison. Good stuff.
Went to my first Canes game, explored new parts of Raleigh, had a dayyy in Chaple Hill it was so dreamy, lots of walks, lots of coffee, got Christmas sheets and had sleepovers. Life here is so full. The thrill of being somewhere new has settled and contentment has come in and I am a huge fan of that.
I got a summer job! After fellows I’ll be going back to Wilderness Ranch, the Younglife camp I’ve been a backpacking guide at the past few summers, and I’ll be stepping into a new role of Guide Team Leader. Ask me more about this if you want but in the coming months, I’ll be figuring out how to manage my time and give some of it to Wilderness as we prep for the summer! I’m feeling very hugged and surrounded by the Lord in this area of my life right now.
Got to go home for Thanksgiving and be with my family! I love my family, their hugs and seeing my cat, Betty. I’m super thankful I have people who love me so much and who love watching me and supporting me in all of the things.
Kevin Jonas came out with his first very own single. And A Very Jonas Christmas Movie came out. Soooo important to me.
If you’re thinking, wow she had the best month ever she has not complained once! Life here is just like life anywhere else. I’m struggling with comparison, overly exerting myself as an introvert, overbooking and having to cancel and reschedule with people, the gym doesn’t easily fit into my schedule and it bothers me, I’m waking up later than I’d like to, I’m feeling like I am not doing too well on getting to know every single person in our group intentionally, I get bothered by things easier than I’d like to, and now this is a run on sentence. But all of this to say that if I don’t sit back and be with the Lord every single day and intentionally remember, I’ll think I can do all of this on my own . If I was able to do this all on my own the only thing highlighted above would’ve been Kevin Jonas’ single. The Lord deals with me sweetly.
Top 5 songs of November (screaming along to these in my car was the reality of these songs)
1. Made You Look- Meghan Trainor (super important)
2. Boys Like You- Who Is Fancy, Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande (forgot how good)
3. Buy Me Presents- Sabrina Carpenter (way too good)
4. Saddle Again- Role Model (yeah)
5. Blood On The Page- Mumford & Sons (nothing on this list is original but I’m ok with it)
See ya in January, blog!- Hailey Cook