Seeing The Vision Become Reality In 2017

Remember a year ago when everyone was all, 'I hate 2016' and I was like the one person on earth who had a decent year? Here we go with round two. Hot take: 2017 wasn't that bad.

At least for me. 

Pastor Steve said it would be the year of opportunity. Time and time again, I saw opportunities to make dreams come true, and not just the little ones.

About two years ago, I set up a vision board in my room. I drew five things in the short term goals row. They represented getting back into WRSM, graduate, read 50 books in a year, travel to Europe, and write a book. The first four are now complete, and the fifth is in progress. That alone is wild enough to think about, but the way everything went down was more than I could ever imagine with other small goals getting check marks too.

I started a book club with my dear friend Rachelle, and it has grown from six women to about 50 members in our Facebook group. There's also a writing group now that I started with my nerdy friend, Rachel.

I got to work on two shows with WRC that broadcast internationally.

I met Felicia Day and Jim Beaver at Planet Comic Con, resulting in major geek outs.

I got baptized again.

I got to go San Diego Comic Con to interview several celebrities and sit second row for the Outlander panel.

I sat on the Iron Throne and Dragonstone.

I graduated with my second year certificate and Bachelor's degree.

I won my second Emmy.

I was selected for an international fellowship in Germany, where I met so many cool people.

I spent 35 days traveling Europe, knocking a big chunk off my bucket list (i.e. see the beaches of Normandy, filming locations for Game of Thrones, the Berlin Wall, eating donuts under Brandenburg Gate, the Olympic Stadiums in Berlin and London, the Tower of London, Churchill's War Rooms, Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Castle Church, Trinity Library, the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower, NATO, the EU.. the list goes on and on.)

I went to German Comic Con Berlin and was in a selfie taken by Finn Jones from Iron Fist and Game of Thrones. (Yes, I'm a huge nerd. Sue me.)

I saw bands including 30 Seconds to Mars, Skillet, Sick Puppies, Muse, PVRIS, X Ambassadors, Borns, Parachute, Switchfoot and probably others I forgot at this point.... plus ballets, plays, and sporting events.

I met amazing new friends and caused many a shenanigan with those already in my life.

I walked through fields of sunflowers, danced in the rain and played in the hail, both literally and figuratively.

It wasn't all easy. 

School was an absolute grind to finish, especially in the summer when two of my six classes alone packed in 32 papers. Not fun.

Also not fun, getting stranded in Hanover, Germany because the weather shut down trains. Really, trains and I had a rough relationship in Europe. Transportation in generally, really... especially when some dude tried to get me to go down a dark street in Paris with him at 3 a.m... Hard pass, bro.

2017 was nothing short of an adventure, and God stretched me quite a bit as the days went by. So many moments were tests in trust, from patience to protection to the big picture. I latched on to Jeremiah 29:11 in Europe, and I've been trying to hold onto that still. Just letting God do His thing is hard, especially when you feel like something is about to change in your life, but you don't know what. Trust isn't easy, but allegedly it will be worth it. I guess we will find out. 

How The Beach Impacted My Thoughts On The Future

Life is crazy.

Somehow, I landed the amazing opportunity to go to Europe for a little more than a month. Oh, the stories I could tell from that adventure! Maybe pieces of it will come up in future posts.

For now, I'm just going to share a little piece of my journal.

Before I left, someone mentioned that they don't think I'm in the career I belong, and it sent me into a bit of a spiral trying to figure out if there's truth to that statement. It's something I've debated for years now, but journalism is the only job I ever clearly saw myself doing.

The only thing to do in situations where you don't know what to do is to spend some time with God about it. I took my coloring Bible and journal down to the beach in Broadstairs, and spent some time with Jeremiah 29:11-13, which says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.'"

After some time thinking on that passage and praying, I started to write and try to find a direction again. Instead, the ink formed the following words on the paper, and I don't think the message is just for me.


"As I've been sitting here, the tide has been creeping back in, covering up the rocks and sand I was walking on  an hour or so ago. It looks pretty different... kinda like life itself.


I saw things one way, but the earth shifted and adjusted what was my reality. I can no longer see the ground I was walking on, like I can no longer tell you what I want to do anymore. But the seeds of God's plan are still buried in me, like the rocks and shells are still underneath the waves. The tides will change and they will become visible once again.

Maybe that's how the desires of our heart work too. God gives them to the deep places inside us, and rolls back the tide every so often to remind us that they are there... it just isn't time to pick them up yet. Especially with big rocks, the waves have to wear them down to smaller pieces and wash away a large amount of sand before you can pry it out of the earth.

Even when you can't see it, the waves of life are preparing that big dream to break loose at just the right time. The bigger the dream, the longer it takes to prepare and loosen.

But you also have to be preparing to carry it.

Larger stones require more muscle to carry it distances greater than two inches. Same with goals and visions. They require strength to carry out to completion.

Tides change. Views change. The substance underneath the currents doesn't change. It just takes shape. So, I guess the answer requires looking at what has been there all along, even when the waves of life have blocked it from view for a while."

In case you're curious, here's how drastically the view changed.

Just remember, even the wind and waves obey Him. He can roll back the tide to remind you who He created you to be in the moments you need it most. Jeremiah 29 is written to exiles, and that's honestly how I felt for parts of my trip. I was alone (at best, with people I just met) and didn't hear much from home, which drove me absolutely bonkers. But when I needed it and sought Him out, Jesus joined me on a beach to share a different perspective on what the future could hold.

That, my friends, is where you find hope.