every day is a new adventure. there are two things i have learned to master during this time in my life: change and flexibility. i try to handle it with grace, but let's be real, that doesn't happen very often. after all, life is a little chaotic.
in may, i graduated from baylor. moved home and became an only child for the first time. i quickly learned that the only child thing doesn't really work for me and wished my little brother was home. i wrecked my car within the first week (i know i said this in my last post but people really do need to learn how to drive - fast and furious) and living twenty minutes from civilization does not work well with a girl who loves her independence. ok, that's a little bit of an exaggeration. i'm more like fifteen minutes from any coffee shop. i know, i have my priorities straight. with the few friends that haven't moved away, 99.9% are only here for the summer. i have spent my entire summer studying for the dental admission test, which i take july 22nd. the next day after my test, i will be helping lead a group of middle and high schoolers in the rocky mountain national park for six days. i was promised tents, beautiful views, and some not so pleasant smells. did i mention elevation is not my friend? don't worry, i'm bringing some medication and a lot of febreeze. in august, i'll be starting morningside college and taking classes i avoided like the plague during my undergrad - microbiology, biochemistry, anatomy, and human physiology. gross, i know. i also have to relearn how to survive the winters up here. lol. last winter i learned that mallory, my car, likes to pretend she is a sled so i am sure we will have a lot of #adventureswithmal coming at ya live on snapchat. feel free to add me - sarah_cork (i keep it original). in conclusion, i've had change, change, and more change.
my parents and i went to visit my little brother in california this week. he is interning at ebay for the summer in san jose. sic'(em). it's been three years since i've been to this beautiful state. and it never disappoints.
sometimes there are times when you just need to do something fun - or crazy. like yesterday. i had a twenty-two-year-old young-life crisis. i jumped out of a plane at ten thousand feet. crazy, but totally worth it.
it was the first time in quite a while that i felt like i had no control over a situation. i just listened to eric miller, my tandem instructor, and let him figure everything out while i sat back and relaxed... or screamed. i'm kind of surprised i still had my voice today. when he told me to do something, i listened. why? because i was not about to die. and because he was an expert (he has jumped over five thousand jumps) and knew exactly what he was doing.
honest hour: i like being in control. i also like knowing what's going on. i love taking charge and figuring out the most practical way to do something. i'm still not positive what made me have the desire to skydive, but it was a freeing feeling leaping from a sketchy little airplane and not being in control. the minute long free fall accelerating at 9.8 m/s^2 looking over the ocean was indescribable.
this whole change thing definitely relates to my walk with the Lord. i need to step back and allow God to be my skydiving instructor. He's been there before. this thing called life is definitely not new territory and He'll direct me where He wants me to go. He gives me the parachute strings to steer, but ultimately He will make sure i make it to the landing pad. in the meantime, i need to learn a little patience.
life is a little blurry. kinda messy. but i'm learning that i wouldn't want to be in any other place right now. if i can trust eric with my life jumping from ten thousand feet, i can definitely trust the instructor/creator of all things. all i can say is that i am very thankful that God is trustworthy, even throughout all this change. in His time and in His plan, i will figure out the next step. until then, i may as well sit back, enjoy the ride and live life a little.
side note: if you ever have the chance to skydive, i would highly recommend it. my only suggestion would be to do it somewhere with a nice view. :) totally worth it. my little brother and i went to a place in santa cruz, california. their website is http://www.santacruz-skydiving.com.
live, love & lead <3
everything starts with a beginning.
we choose, as humans, to make the best out of every situation - or not. the decisions i make today will affect me. maybe tomorrow or maybe a few months from now. my attitude affects the outcome of my day. it also plays a vital role in the decisions i make.
my guilty pleasure is HGTV. the property brothers are my jam. i love seeing what it used to look like and what it turned into with a little creativity and hard work. i like to think of God as our builder. He created the world and individually crafted each one of us. in general, i am a big fan of uniqueness. nothing grinds my gears more (well besides people driving under the speed limit) than pinterest lovers. why? because people who are not creative all the sudden can copy & paste to make an "original" art piece. they somehow get labeled as creative and "superrrr artsy" (lol just kidding, don't ever say that). don't get me wrong, there have been a handful of times where i cheated and looked up a few ideas. it kind of hurt my heart a little because pinterest is #basic. what actually happens is that creativity is lost. ok, it's really not that bad. but i am thankful that God does not use pinterest. God is the founder of creativity. the definition of original. He keeps it fresh (yes, i just said that). i admire Him and want to be like Him. to use the tools that He gave me to be who He created me to be. He is my inspiration and i get to be the artist of my own life.
before i explain the three l's, you should know that my relationship with God is something that i can not explain in words, because it is my own and english is hard. there was a defining moment in my life when i realized that i was broken and that no human power or earthly object was able to change me. leaving my sinful life behind and only looking toward God, who seriously paid the ultimate sacrifice for me, got me reevaluating my life real fast. God asks for obedience, which is exactly what i plan to give Him.
the three l's are three short, powerful words. the following definitions can be found at www.dictionary.com.
live [liv] verb, to have life; be alive; be capable of vital functions
love [luhv] noun, a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person
lead [leed] verb, to go before or with to show the way; to conduct by holding and guiding
www.sarahsdictionary.com definitions.
to live: to be free, able to enjoy the life God has given
if you know me at all, adventure is my middle name. it's actually not, it's jean, but go with me on this. if someone wants to do something extremely rash or something your mother would probably strangle you if she knew beforehand, my number is... (just teasing, mom). but really, i am game. i love traveling (anywhere and everywhere), camping, extreme caving, atving in the jungle, kayaking, paddle boarding, parasailing, wake surfing, you name it - i am in. seeing the world from God's perspective is something i am learning. experiencing new things/exploring the land God created is life, to me.
to love: to show Christ through one's actions
love is a familiar word, yet i am not sure if i understand it completely. there are so many different kinds of love. i love God. i love my family. i love my spoiled (is an understatement) yorkies and turtle. i love coffee. it is a beautiful thing at 6:00 a.m. when i am about to study. i love technology when it doesn't turn ghetto on me. i love exercising. i love my friends. i love my church. i will admit my love for coffee is probably a little excessive but i really do think it can complement anything i do at any hour of the day. rain or shine, coffee is always there for me (kinda kidding). all of those things i truly do love, but not on the same scale. www.sarahsdictionary.com (sorry, i think i'm funny) defines love as demonstrating Christ through everything that one does. this includes actively seeking out relationships with friends and strangers. striving to be like Christ. being patient and encouraging. always gracious and never salty. way easier said than done. it means not judging others for the choices that they make because you got your issues too. helping the people around you with a happy heart. being proactive about calling, texting, meeting up, or sending a note via pigeon carrier to someone you know that needs a friend. all done with compassion and a servants' heart. that is when, i believe, love is used correctly.
lead
to lead: guide and walk side-by-side with other followers of Christ
since God is our shepherd and we are the dumb sheep (kidding, but not at all), we have a great example to follow. fun fact - when sheep would wander off, the shepherd would leave all his other sheep to find the lost one. once the sheep was found, the shepherd would break its legs so it would a) learn a lesson and b) not leave His side. that is exactly what God does to us. He carefully watches over all His sheep and when we do something wrong, He directs us toward righteousness. if we are still being dumb, He may "break" our legs til we figure out what His will is for our lives. thankfully He seeks us out when we are wandering. as a follower of Christ, it is important to lead. to encourage and walk alongside other believers. it takes a lot of patience to be a good leader. it takes a lot of love, as well as a whole latte (lotta - get it? i made a coffee joke) prayer. Blended all together, it makes the perfect recipe to shape you into the person God wants you to become.
the three l's is the beginning of my journey into becoming an actual adult. i have absolutely no idea what that means or where i will end up. but, i am trusting on the Lord to lead me in the right direction so i can live a full life, which is only through His love, mercy and grace.
just as everything starts with a beginning, there is always a period to the end.
live, love & lead <3
