Your Choice.

Lately I've been on a bit of a kick to listen to different speakers on different topics, mainly motivational & faith based... but a few others in there as well :) Who knew YouTube could be such a positive thing? it's not just bloopers and homemade videos gone viral after all...

Anyways, my time at work has been helping this 'kick' as my schedule for the next 2 months is training time. Time to do online trainings, full day courses & other requirements, but along with this extremely flexible schedule, I've been able to see a few guest speakers that have come to Fort Sill or even some special events which is fantastic!

One of the speakers said something that really stuck with me, his name is Jon Gordon. Most of his talks are in the business sector so they're motivational leadership type of talks, but I definitely got a feel that his content is faith based. Especially with this thought. He said "research shows that you cannot be thankful and stressed in the same moment."

Wait what? Read it again.

"research shows that you cannot be thankful and stressed in the same moment."

That means, at any particular moment, you cannot be both stressed and thankful. That's pretty powerful. If you're stressed, you're not thankful. If you're thankful, you're not stressed. So the next time you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, stop and take a minute to count your blessings and remember all that you have to be thankful for. You can literally choose to be stressed or blessed! (the saying "too blessed to be stressed" comes to mind... and fits!)

This has definitely helped me with my move here and the transition to being by myself & such. If I catch myself feeling overwhelmed or stressed by one thing or another, I just take a step back, take a moment to think of at least 5 things I'm thankful for and I can just re-group with that. So simple yet so powerful.

And to go along with this, I was listening to another talk online the other night (sadly, I can't remember details to reference) and this talk mentioned a similar concept. But instead of talking about being blessed or stressed, they were talking about hope & doubt. You can not be hopeful for something and doubt that it will happen in the same moment. To take it a step further, you cannot be hopeful in the Lord and doubt Him in the same moment.

This is another thing I've been struggling with, admittedly more than the stressed vs. blessed idea. I've been struggling with doubt, wondering what I'm doing in Oklahoma, why did I leave Colorado, is this really where I should be, and so on. So hearing this thought shortly after the stressed vs. blessed thought really hit home... whenever I'm in a moment of despair and doubting God and His plans for me, I just need to stop. Rid myself of those thoughts and think of all the things I'm hopeful for... all the things God has promised me, all that He has done for me thus far that show me He won't lead me astray, and what I hope will come out of my time here in Oklahoma.

I know this wasn't much of an update on my life, but I thought it was something worth sharing. Hopefully you were able to follow my thought process somewhere in there & thought so too :)  So today's quote is my quick summary written on a post-it note that's stuck to my computer for my daily reminder.

Stressed or Blessed? Hope or Doubt? It's your choice today.

1 month & OKC

Well, as of today, I have officially been in Oklahoma for a month. Not sure how big of a "yay" that gets as I'm definitely still adjusting to life here. I think the major factor with that is that I'm still staying in a hotel. Not necessarily a bad thing, as it's part of my transition benefits but I'm ready to feel settled and be into my own apartment.... which will be soon! :)

Work has been really, really great. It's been a lot of trainings and meetings and although this week was really quiet (an awful lot of online courses) I'm learning so much that will definitely be applicable as a manager within the Family & MWR programs throughout my career. I'm just looking forward to get past the reading & quizzes to apply what I'm learning and really see it in context.

One day this week I was invited to an all day training about the "Warrior Adventure Quest" program (or WAQ, because the Army loves to give things long important sounding names, and then not use them). Anyway, the WAQ program is a newer program to support Army soldiers after deployment, with a focus on team building and outdoor recreation. Although I have little to no experience with outdoor recreation (ODR) it was great to learn more about that in general and this program. It's set up so that funding comes from headquarters for each unit (approx 12-20 soldiers) that returns back from deployment will participate ('mandatory fun' as they call it) in high adrenaline activities to help them re-channel their energy and adrenaline after a deployment. The statistics show that soldiers are struggling when re-integrated into civilian life and just have too much energy and aren't sure how to process it all. So activities like bungee jumping, ropes courses, paintball, etc. will help them get to know their unit on a different level, find new ways to de-stress and release that energy and even have some fun. I'm not sure how much I'll actually be working with this program in the future, but it's just amazing to see what MWR is doing for these soldiers.

Another great takeaway from this all day WAQ training was to meet the ODR director here at Ft Sill. She is a Management Trainee who spent her first 2 years here with sports & fitness division, and has just started her 3rd year in this position. I'm excited for this not because I'm looking to get really involved with ODR, but because she also oversees some other great programs like Special Events, BOSS (Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers), & LETRA (Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area). I'm definitely hoping to help out with Special Events as that's something I might be interested in working with in the future :) but who knows!

PS- here's the website to get a little bit of a better feel for all of the programs/services MWR offers. This site is specific to Fort Sill, but most of the programs are run very similarly at all Army posts -- www.sillmwr.com

Anyway, back to the title of this post... OKC! Last weekend (Labor Day weekend) I decided it was time to leave Lawton. Although there is a lot offered here, and I still have a lot of exploring to do, my travel bug was getting antsy so I took my first trip to OKC on Monday. The drive wasn't bad, just a little over an hour to get into the city. I decided to park by the National Memorial Park & Museum and make that my first stop. Hard to believe that happened in 1995, 17 years ago ! Visiting the Memorial on Labor Day wasn't my brightest idea, not because there were a lot of people, but because it was 106 degrees that day... I found myself looking for shade most of the time! haha but here are a few pictures from the Memorial Park -- the reflection pool is located where the street was, the truck with the bomb was parked in the street. The area with the trees and chairs is where the Murrah Federal Building stood, the building that was targeted. They do not believe specific people were the target, but that it was a target at the Federal Government in general. Each chair in this area represents 1 life lost from the bombing. The chairs are set up in rows, each row represents a different floor of the building, with the chairs showing which floor each person was on. So if you were to see an aerial view, you'd see almost a bar graph of where everyone was. The area opposite the reflection pool is where the parking lot was, and on the other side of that is the National Museum.

Across the street from the Memorial Park (which can be seen in this last picture above) is St Joseph's Cathedral. A few buildings that were part of the church grounds were damaged in the bombing, as I'm sure a few others in the area were. Below is a picture of the "And Jesus Wept" Memorial that is just across the street from the entrance to the Memorial Park. The second picture is St Joseph's Cathedral from the front.

After roaming around downtown a little while, I was looking for a place to eat lunch but most every place was closed and I was about the only soul dumb enough to walk around downtown in 106 degree weather... I've had better ideas !! haha but my next stop was to the outlets just west of the city, so I just found some lunch there and did a little damage getting some clothes for work :)

Overall it was a great week, I'm looking forward to moving into my own place this month & hopefully doing more exploring if the temps ever cool down some. I know it's a been a little warmer than normal everywhere, but I'm really missing the typical "fall football" weather... especially since I might not see that weather until the end of October & into November...

Anyway, thanks for reading! For today's quote, I found a good one that's all about your perspective. Make it a regular practice to find something good in your day, every day... even Mondays! ;)

"Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day." 

Just what I needed to hear...

Ever have that song, or quote, or even something a friend or coworker said that was exactly what you needed to hear? I mean exactly...

Well lately I've had this song that's definitely hit the nail on the head. It started playing during the Olympics for the USA Women's Gymnastics Team, which was right when I went to San Antonio for orientation and then moved from Colorado to Oklahoma. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, and it's still speaking to me.

Regardless of what you believe in, sometimes you just need to hear something and no matter how many people say it or keep telling you, it's eventually going to stick somehow. Well this song is what finally made it stick, even though I'd been saying it all along but I'm not sure I was really believing it. I'm 100% confident that this song is what God has been trying to tell me. I'm just finally listening :) 

Anyway, here's the song on YouTube followed by the lyrics.

Hold on to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this weight of it is stringing us along

Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm going to make this place your home

Settle down it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost you can always be found

Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm going to make this place your home

Settle down it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost you can always be found

Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm going to make this place your home

Oklahoma, the start of something new.

Well, it's official. I live in Oklahoma.

And that's a sentence I never could've guessed I'd ever say. But I guess before moving to Iowa for grad school I felt the same way. It's all an adventure and I'm excited to see what and where I may be next. But that's another 2 years down the road.

Anyway, I've been in Oklahoma for about a week now, and so far so good! Before coming, I spent 10 days in San Antonio, Texas for an overall orientation to the program at headquarters. For me, this was a really cool opportunity to get to meet the people that oversee the MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation) programs on all Army posts around the world... quite a big deal!  The orientation days were long, but very informative learning everything there is to know about the different divisions of MWR and how we'd work with them. I also got to meet 15 others that are participating in the same program as me, just at different Army posts & in different divisions. Out of the 16 of us, 4 are in CYSS (Child, Youth & School Services), 3 Chefs, 3 in Contracting, 4 in Sports & Fitness/Outdoor Recreation, 2 in Financial Management, most of us are placed CONUS (continental United States... I'm still getting used to all of these acronyms myself, so I'll do my best to explain them!) with just 1 going to Stuttgart, Germany for CYSS (lucky!) Overall it was a great group, I'm glad to have met them and hope to see them in some context throughout our careers. There is one trainee placed in Fort Sill with me, her name is Crystal and although we'll have different schedules starting in November, so far we get along great & have even had some fun :)

Here's a few pictures from my time in San Antonio. Our hotel was right on the river walk, which was so fun to explore!

 

This is the entire group of trainees at orientation (I'm in the 2nd row, to the right of the red suit)

Right after I got back from San Antonio, I spent a few days for a much needed vacation in Florida with family. We had a kick off to my dad's birthday month which was a lot of fun :) We also spent a day at the beach, took a river tour that reminded me of the bayou tour I took in New Orleans, we rented a boat for a morning and explored the area around Mt Dora. I even got to see my Grandpa for dinner one night, which is always a treat since I don't get to see him as often as I'd like. :) 

The day after I got back from Florida, the movers came to my apartment in Colorado to pack & move all of my stuff... it was pretty rushed, and I'll be honest, it seemed like a good plan when I put it all together in early July, but it sure was stressful. No time was wasted though :) The movers worked pretty fast, I was impressed, and I even started my road trip to Oklahoma a day early thanks to them finishing quickly.

Anyways, now on to the good stuff! I started my new position here at Fort Sill last Thursday (the 9th) and have really been enjoying it! So far it's been a lot of meeting people, online trainings, getting tours around post, setting up my own cubicle & all that fun :) Everyone I've met is so nice & welcoming, and the town of Lawton isn't as small as everyone made it out to be. Yes, there is no Target, but there's a Starbucks, Ross and 2 Wal-marts so I will manage (and can always shop online!). I have yet to explore too much as it's just been too hot (but a cold front came through yesterday, highs only in the 90s!!) but I've been checking out different churches, haven't found one that I love yet, but I have 2 more to visit :) I'm hoping to visit Oklahoma City soon (or "the city" as they call it here) and see what all there is to do there. I've also been doing a little apartment hunting (I'm living in a hotel for now) and I think I've found a place that I really like. I have a few more weeks in the hotel so I'm going to take my time with the decision, but so far everything is off to a good start! I'm enjoying the down time a little to relax and get myself organized. 

This is my cubicle, much bigger than I'd expected... now I just need to decorate!

Once I do more exploring and have my own place, I will gladly welcome visitors :) Not sure what we'll do yet, but I'll find something !!

Thanks for taking the time to update on my life :) Today's quote is from the movie "We Bought a Zoo" and I think it's just great advice for any situation you're in :)

"You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery and I promise you something great will come of it." 

Another new adventure

Yes, I am truly enjoying my time here in Colorado, but as the picture says, it is time for another adventure :)

So before I briefly summarize the last few months, I'll update you on what's next. I'm moving to Oklahoma, yes Oklahoma, for a new position :) This position is similar to what I'm doing now. I'll be a Management Trainee with the Army MWR Child Youth & School Services at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. This position is more of an internship for me to gain experience & learn everything there is to know about MWR CYSS programs. Oklahoma is the duty station I've been assigned for the next 2, maybe 3 years. I am very excited for this opportunity, especially as over 2,000 people apply each year and there are just 20 positions worldwide. Oklahoma wouldn't have been my first choice (not that I was given a choice) but I just have to trust that God has something great in store for me :)

And now back to the recap of the last few months. I thought I'd be better at updating this blog once I moved into my own place here in Colorado Springs, but as luck would have it, my trusty computer crashed (typical). But even though the posts may not reflect this, it's been an exciting few months. I've made some fantastic friends here in Colorado Springs that I met through the Catholic Young Adults group. We've had many fun adventures so I'll do my best to give you a feel for each month.

February - moved into my new apartment in the Springs, flew to San Antonio for a 1 day interview for the position I'm starting in Oklahoma, starting going to the Young Adult group meetings & met some amazing people.

March - was moved to a toddler room in a different center for a few weeks at work, was offered & accepted the position in Oklahoma, spent St Patrick's Day in Denver, was moved back to school-age in a different center for Spring Break & got to go on a few field trips with the kids.

April - family visited for Easter, saw Christopher West speak in Castle Rock, took a road trip to Fort Collins & Roosevelt National Park and even drove into Wyoming, saw the Broadway Musical Wicked in Denver, worked a 12 hour day/night for a lock-in with the kids, was moved back to my original school-age center at work.

May - spent a lot of extra hours at work prepping for accreditation (we passed!), flew to Ohio to be in a friend's wedding, went to a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater, started summer camp at work.

June - Celebrated a friend's confirmation into the Catholic Church, went to a Colorado Rockie's MLB game & Chalk Art Festival in Denver, spent a weekend in Santa Fe with a college friend that lives in New Mexico, went to the Renaissance Festival in Larkspur, CO, survived the scare of the Waldo Canyon wildfire that burned over 300 homes in Colorado Springs. (I didn't have to evacuate, but a few co-workers did & I had my bags packed for a few days).

And upcoming for this month, I will be celebrating the 4th of July today with a benefit concert for the victims of the Waldo Canyon Fire (due to extremely dry weather & fire danger, no fireworks were allowed this year). This coming weekend a few of us are heading to Pueblo Reservoir to spend a day boating on the lake, and my friends here are throwing a "Bon Voyage" party for me & another friend that are leaving on the same weekend. (She'll be spending a year as a missionary in Africa!)


That's the very quick summary of my time here in Colorado. I have just 2 weeks left before I spend 10 days in San Antonio, TX attending orientation for my new job & then head to Florida for a week of family vacation. The day after I get back from Florida the packers/movers will be at my apartment to take everything to Oklahoma, and the following day I'll start my drive to move there myself.

It'll be very busy, but I am excited to see what lies ahead. :)

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the decision of the Lord that endures." -Proverbs 19:21

The next chapter.

Hello from Colorado !

I have officially begun the next exciting chapter of my life and couldn't be more excited.

I arrived in Colorado last Friday after a 3-day "goodbye tour" across the country via route 80. I"m calling it a goodbye tour because I stopped to see a few friends I hadn't seen in a while along the way in Chicago & Iowa. It was definitely a long & exhausting 3 days but I'm so happy I was able to see friends along the way. This weekend was spent resting up & adjusting to the change in altitude & time zones. (and watching football, but we won't get into that...)

For the time being I'm staying with my step-brother & his family. I may have mentioned this before, it'll be about an hour commute to & from work, but I'm so glad this worked out as it gives me a little time to get on my own 2 feet.

On Monday I took my first drive down to Fort Carson. I'm typically not a fan of solely relying on the GPS, but when traveling somewhere I've never been before, it's a must. The drive was fairly simple, I think I'll be able to make it GPS free in no-time. The GPS actually didn't lead me astray until I was on base. Getting to Fort Carson quickly reminded me that military bases are not visitor friendly. Not in the sense of welcoming or friendly people, but they're not easy to navigate. Anyway, I eventually made it to the personnel office & got a few more paperwork items taken care of, then they sent me to the MP (military police) office to get my fingerprints done for my background checks. After that it was back to personnel to turn those in and get my instructions for what's next. Boy, the military sure does make everything a process! It's not too bad, just taking a lot of time. So now I'm just waiting to hear when I need to go to Oc Health for my physical & fill out more forms for the background checks (once I receive them)... hopefully I'll have my own ID to access base & will start orientation within the next 2 weeks, but that depends on how quickly everything moves along.

It's a long & tedious process, but so far everyone has been welcoming & very helpful. I picked up a map of the base (it's the biggest military base I've ever been to!) and am hoping to meet up with a friend of a friend soon for her to show me around Colorado Springs.

It's a slow start, but I'm enjoying every minute! I'm going to share a picture I took of the view in Colorado Springs while driving to base. You won't find me complaining about my commute ! (well, not the view at least...) ;)

Today's quote is one that seems fitting for me right now. :) Thanks for reading!!

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." -Anais Nin

2012.

New Year, new beginnings!

First things first...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I am happy to share that I have been offered a job, accepted the position and will be moving to Colorado... this week !! After a long 4 months of job searching, over 150 applications, endless emails, phone calls & interviews, I was offered a position with the Army Child & Youth Services in Ft Carson Colorado. This position is right up my alley, very similar to the work I did with Camp Adventure when I was out in the field each summer. It'll be a little bit of a transition to be somewhere completely new, back on an Army base & not knowing many people, but I am positive this is where I need to be. This is a big step for me but looking back at the "big steps" I've taken, they've always worked out perfectly with no regrets. I'm definitely nervous/anxious for this transition but am so excited to see what lies ahead of me. It seems fitting that I'm moving just after the start of the new year, starting 2012 off right!

Although the job search may have seemed hopeless & put me down in the dumps at times, I want to thank my friends & family for their support (& spare bedrooms). :) I'll continue to do my best to share this next adventure with all of you.

Many blessings to you & yours this year. I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes to start off the new year.

"Happy are those that dream dreams and are willing to pay the consequences to see them come true."