Goodbye Colorado.........

My last view of the mountains...if you can even see it. ;-)

  I'm done. DLA is over. I am back in Kansas. I stayed in Colorado for an extra week to spend more time with my friends and family there so it didn't quite sink in until Sunday morning when I got up and went to church in Topeka. This was SUCH a hard transition. I felt like I was being a brat about moving back to KS. I told God SO many times that I wanted to stay in CO but He chose to call me back to KS. SO I tried to play tug-o-war with Him. However, He knows best. I knew it too and that is why I followed Him back here. The last 2 weeks have been some of the hardest weeks of my life, but also the most rewarding. The last Friday I spent in Colorado I went to the Mill, the college service at New Life Church. The sermon was about......contentment. I had to laugh when the preacher started. Oh, God sure has some funny timing skills.

 "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

I know what it is to be in need,

and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,

whether well fed or hungry,

whether living in plenty or in need. 

I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:11-13

  No matter where God has us in life, we can choose to be content. Content: to be happy with one's lot; satisfied. Yes, sometimes it takes work to be content. Life doesn't always pan out the way we want it to. However, God is there with us always. So what can we have to complain about? This is what I've been learning lately. To fight for contentment. Ask God to give me the strength to find joy where I am at. Maybe you are pretty content with where you are in life, or maybe you need to ask God to give you the strength to do what He is calling you to, to live where He is calling you. Ask Him. He'll help you. :)

  These past few weeks have also been so great because God is continuing to romance me. He's really opened my eyes to how much He loves me. It's crazy! And the crazier thing is that He loves you just as much as He loves me, but it doesn't interfere with His love for me. He gives His devoted attention and love to each of us separately and individually. Ahh...Jesus! He's just so Wonderful!! :) How is He romancing you today?

I took a trip back to 7 Falls with my mom & Ariel when they came to visit for my graduation.

America the Beautiful Park. Appropriately named.

This is from my graduation night. These are a few of my girls that I got the incredible chance to minister to over the past year! Love them!!

Graduation party at my house = SO much fun!

  So....this is the part where I show how God romances me. I've been wanting to visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs before I left. I tried to find some people to go with but it just wasn't working out. I randomly brought it up again with some friends spur of the moment & we ended up getting to go. God is so great...and perfect in His timing! :) I went with some of my favorite Colorado friends. :)

Rachelle, Marisela, and Lindy-Joy

Giraffe's might be my new favorite animal. So beautiful!

We picked a rainy day to go to the zoo. It rains seriously every Wednesday. Ha!

There is a really cool castle looking building up at the top of the zoo.

View from the top of the castle. On the mountain.

All of at the zoo on a rainy day. ;-)

Mini-golf with Amanda & Maya - a couple of my jr. high girls.

 Another example of God romancing me: I wanted to visit Denver one last time because I just really like that city. A friend asked me to take her to the airport so gladly I said yes! Well, we had ourselves an adventure. Marisela & I walked around Denver, got lost and were offered drugs, then proceeded to wait on the steps of the capitol building until our friend Austin could come rescue us. Quite a scary night!

Mari & I on 16th Street in Denver!

Denver's capitol building

 One of my most favorite ways that God romanced me spurred on this picture. If you have paid attention to past posts I climbed up Pulpit Rock one day. Well I wanted to visit one last time before I left but I totally forgot to ask anyone to come with me. I was going to climb up right before I left the city Saturday. The night before one of my friends suggested we go on a late night hike up Pulpit Rock. I hadn't asked anyone, except for God, and He gave me a great group of friends to go with. Ohhh...I just love Jesus SOOOOOO much!! :)

Me, Lindy-Joy, Sean, Marisela, Shilo, Rachelle, and Austin up front.

  I love Colorado SOOOOO much and I am forever grateful to God for allowing me to live there for a year. It was probably the best experience of my life. I made incredible friends and I received incredible amounts of healing and growth from God. Jesus took me on the adventure of my life. And it's just beginning!! :)