My Dad is the most incredible man in the world, and I want to marry someone just like him.
My Dad loves me.
My Dad raised me.
My Dad taught me to play sports, and my Dad coached me for years.
My Dad taught me to bounce, even when the other girls were twice my size.
My Dad took me to the ER, hospital, and doctor each time I needed.
My Dad took me hunting, and fishing; I remember when I caught my first fish.
My Dad taught me to shoot a gun.
My Dad taught me to look at my surroundings, and he laughs at the fact that I am still directionally challenged.
My Dad showed me how to find the elk in September in Estes Park, and his bugle is basically a perfected art.
My Dad taught me to ride my bike, and how to drive my car.
My Dad taught me to read; one of my favorite memories is the two of us sitting on the couch in the basement is Cheyenne (the basement that he finished, of course) reading The Cat In The Hat.
My Dad showed me how to train a dog.
My Dad motivated me to pursue my dream of owning my dream dog; I now have two.
My Dad taught me about insurance, and gave me my first job.
My Dad taught me that saving my money for something big is often a lot better than spending it constantly on silly little things. (Though my stuffed animal collection continued to grow regardless).
My Dad helped me to graduate from high school.
My Dad helped me to get into college.
My Dad taught me about homeownership.
My Dad helped me buy my first house.
My Dad ripped up the carpet, and laid hardwood floors.
My Dad helped me plant trees, and fertilize my yard.
My Dad raised me on country music, and John Wayne movies.
My Dad showed me how to combine work and play, and I still jump in the leaves after I rake the yard.
My Dad raised me on Broncos, Avalanche, Nuggets, Rockies, and Rapids.
My Dad taught me about responsibility.
My Dad taught me to love.
My Dad taught me to say goodbye.
My Dad taught me when to hold on, and when to let go.
My Dad showed me that I am worth loving, even though I constantly fail.
My Dad gave me a glimpse of who God is, and what unconditional love looks like.
My Dad baptized me, in our hot tub in Utah.
My Dad laughs with me.
My Dad cries with me.
My Dad continually picks me up, and brushes off the dirt.
My Dad protects me.
My Dad trusts me.
My Dad keeps me safe from the guys that act like jerks.
My Dad has given me an example of what a Father should be.
My Dad taught me the value of chocolate chip cookies.
My Dad showed me the calming affect of sleeping under the stars.
My Dad holds me tight when I cry.
My Dad taught me to look for God's plan.
My Dad continually reaffirms that God has someone special for me, even when my heart feels like it's breaking.
My Dad is the greatest man I have ever met.
I love you Daddy!!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Just Your Ordinary Extraordinarily Unordinary Kind Of Day
I've realized lately that nothing is ever what it seems. I often miss the simplicity that was "childhood," but today I came to the conclusion that even in complicated situations with complex subject matter, there is always a simple solution.
I attend Trilakes Church of Christ with my family on most Sunday's and often Wednesdays to fellowship with my church family. This past Wednesday, two of my favorite people of all time and definitely my favorite preacher and preacher's wife of all time, Greg and Trish Smith, began teaching my class. Now Greg, being the awesome guy that he is, was talking to us and giving us some background on himself and his work. He was telling us about how there would often be times when two people would come up to him with two different opinions on the same subject, and ask him to tell them who was right, and who was wrong. He said that he always had the perfect answer. "Jesus." I laughed with the rest of the class at the time, but I've thought about it a little bit and I've come to this conclusion. He's very right; it is the perfect answer. It's simple, yet complex. Which is true of many things these days.
I wish, sometimes, that things were simple. Black and white. Good and bad. Easy or difficult. No messy in-betweens. No shades of grey. As dorky as it is, I'm going to quote Harry Potter. I think it was in the fifth book/movie that Serious Black (Harry's godfather) says to Harry when Harry is going through some anger issues and is concerned about if he's a bad guy deep down, "The world isn't made up of good people and death eaters. We all have good and bad in us, what matters is what we chose to act on." (rough quote - haven't read that book in a couple years now, and I don't have it with me at the moment!) Now, obviously, we don't really have to worry about the death eaters of the wizarding world. However, we have our own "death eaters" that we deal with. And the world isn't made up of Christians and devil worshipers. There are people wandering around who are totally and completely lost. We have to help them. They are often complex people who are stuck in those shades of grey needing the perfect, simple answer. Jesus.
I won't pretend for one second that I'm very good at sharing my faith through bible studies, preaching, or just sharing my biblical knowledge in everyday conversations, but I do try very hard to live for God and let Him show Himself to people through me. I know that God is always with me. I love feeling safe because I know He is protecting me.
Tonight I had coffee with an almost perfect stranger. We had a lot of mutual friends, and I had been to a movie and soccer game with some friends that he was also at. We'd talked on facebook, and texted quite a bit. We decided to get some Starbucks. As we walked up to the counter, I heard someone say, "Kortney Good." I looked up and saw my neighbor, Jared, standing behind the counter. I didn't have any idea that he worked there, but it was nice to see a familiar face. It made me feel more safe, and I really enjoyed myself. It was a simple thing. A friendly face. It was a simple event. Coffee with a friend. And it was just what I needed. I guess what I'm saying is, look for the simple things in life, and make sure you appreciate them. Sometimes, they are the things that matter most.
Some simple things that I am thankful for:
* Smiles :)
* Kisses
* Flowers
* Warm sunshine on blankets in the yard
* Hugs
* "Thank you"
* A text that says "Thinking 'bout you!"
* Chocolate
* Clouds
* Laughing
* Fingernail polish
* Candles
* Bubble Baths
* Strangers who hold the door for me
* Maggie Moos
* Listening to my sister play the piano
* Watching Westin sleep
* Holding Hands
* Christmas Music
* Hot chocolate
* The fireplace
* A good morning prayer
And the list goes on and on... make one! It'll brighten your day :)
I attend Trilakes Church of Christ with my family on most Sunday's and often Wednesdays to fellowship with my church family. This past Wednesday, two of my favorite people of all time and definitely my favorite preacher and preacher's wife of all time, Greg and Trish Smith, began teaching my class. Now Greg, being the awesome guy that he is, was talking to us and giving us some background on himself and his work. He was telling us about how there would often be times when two people would come up to him with two different opinions on the same subject, and ask him to tell them who was right, and who was wrong. He said that he always had the perfect answer. "Jesus." I laughed with the rest of the class at the time, but I've thought about it a little bit and I've come to this conclusion. He's very right; it is the perfect answer. It's simple, yet complex. Which is true of many things these days.
I wish, sometimes, that things were simple. Black and white. Good and bad. Easy or difficult. No messy in-betweens. No shades of grey. As dorky as it is, I'm going to quote Harry Potter. I think it was in the fifth book/movie that Serious Black (Harry's godfather) says to Harry when Harry is going through some anger issues and is concerned about if he's a bad guy deep down, "The world isn't made up of good people and death eaters. We all have good and bad in us, what matters is what we chose to act on." (rough quote - haven't read that book in a couple years now, and I don't have it with me at the moment!) Now, obviously, we don't really have to worry about the death eaters of the wizarding world. However, we have our own "death eaters" that we deal with. And the world isn't made up of Christians and devil worshipers. There are people wandering around who are totally and completely lost. We have to help them. They are often complex people who are stuck in those shades of grey needing the perfect, simple answer. Jesus.
I won't pretend for one second that I'm very good at sharing my faith through bible studies, preaching, or just sharing my biblical knowledge in everyday conversations, but I do try very hard to live for God and let Him show Himself to people through me. I know that God is always with me. I love feeling safe because I know He is protecting me.
Tonight I had coffee with an almost perfect stranger. We had a lot of mutual friends, and I had been to a movie and soccer game with some friends that he was also at. We'd talked on facebook, and texted quite a bit. We decided to get some Starbucks. As we walked up to the counter, I heard someone say, "Kortney Good." I looked up and saw my neighbor, Jared, standing behind the counter. I didn't have any idea that he worked there, but it was nice to see a familiar face. It made me feel more safe, and I really enjoyed myself. It was a simple thing. A friendly face. It was a simple event. Coffee with a friend. And it was just what I needed. I guess what I'm saying is, look for the simple things in life, and make sure you appreciate them. Sometimes, they are the things that matter most.
Some simple things that I am thankful for:
* Smiles :)
* Kisses
* Flowers
* Warm sunshine on blankets in the yard
* Hugs
* "Thank you"
* A text that says "Thinking 'bout you!"
* Chocolate
* Clouds
* Laughing
* Fingernail polish
* Candles
* Bubble Baths
* Strangers who hold the door for me
* Maggie Moos
* Listening to my sister play the piano
* Watching Westin sleep
* Holding Hands
* Christmas Music
* Hot chocolate
* The fireplace
* A good morning prayer
And the list goes on and on... make one! It'll brighten your day :)
Friday, October 1, 2010
Standing Outside The Fire
"Have you ever felt like you're an outcast? Because I sure have. In fact, I am an outcast. I'm very "abnormal" when compared to other people my age. A majority of the people my age are enjoying their senior year of high school. I'm finishing up my "senior year" of college. The other majority of people my age are a freshmen in college. They're branching out, trying new things, finding out what it's like to finally be "in control" of their own life. They feel so big, so grown up, so mature. They're cool. They go to parties, they have a bunch of friends, they get drunk, smoke everything imaginable, go dancing, go to sports events, get jobs at grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, clothing stores, sub shops, etc. and complain about making minimum wage. They get into relationships. They give themselves to that person who they care so much about... then they get hurt. The relationship just turns into a dramatic nightmare, and they either wonder why they were so stupid and lost that person, or else they wonder why there were stupid enough to ever give their heart to that person in the first place. They make fools of themselves and get over it, just so they can start all over. Why? I don't know. Remember, I don't fit it. I had a taste of some of this during high school, and I knew it wasn't for me. Sure, I never got that perfect high school experience of dating the football star, being homecoming queen, etc. but I also got a lot more out of my time there than I would have if the "perfect experience" would have happened. Fitting in is not all it's cracked up to be. I finally got that point. After I had broken my heart and disappointed myself and my family enough times I decided that there was more to me than what I was allowing people to see. I came to the conclusion that I don't have to go to parties every weekend to fit in with all the "normal" people. I don't have to go get drunk and do something stupid that I'll regret to be cool. I am quite content to spend my Friday nights having pizza and watching Smallville with my family. I am perfectly happy to have a bowl of ice cream and watch That 70's Show alone at my house rather than go play beer pong at a friends house."
I began writing this post on October 1st, 2010, but I'm finishing it on October 16th. As I was writing this post, a good friend of mine sent me a text and asked if him and some of his friends could come over. He said that they'd been drinking, and checked to make sure that was okay with me. What I should have inferred from that was "Hey, we're drunk and need somewhere to hang out where we're not going to get in trouble." but I didn't. I said "Sure, come on over!" and I was excited to see him. I thought about the irony of the situation. There I was, writing about not partying, not getting drunk, not doing the "normal, popular" thing, and out of nowhere that situation falls into my lap. It was weird for me, to do the normal thing. I didn't really like the way it felt, and as much as I enjoyed giggling at my friend as he danced and sang and was silly, as much as I enjoyed his company, I didn't enjoy what was going on. It reaffirmed that I don't fit in.
I titled this post "Standing Outside The Fire" which is a song by Garth Brooks. It says,
"We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned
We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always come with getting burned
But you got to be tough when consumed by desire
'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire
I began writing this post on October 1st, 2010, but I'm finishing it on October 16th. As I was writing this post, a good friend of mine sent me a text and asked if him and some of his friends could come over. He said that they'd been drinking, and checked to make sure that was okay with me. What I should have inferred from that was "Hey, we're drunk and need somewhere to hang out where we're not going to get in trouble." but I didn't. I said "Sure, come on over!" and I was excited to see him. I thought about the irony of the situation. There I was, writing about not partying, not getting drunk, not doing the "normal, popular" thing, and out of nowhere that situation falls into my lap. It was weird for me, to do the normal thing. I didn't really like the way it felt, and as much as I enjoyed giggling at my friend as he danced and sang and was silly, as much as I enjoyed his company, I didn't enjoy what was going on. It reaffirmed that I don't fit in.
I titled this post "Standing Outside The Fire" which is a song by Garth Brooks. It says,
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned
We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always come with getting burned
But you got to be tough when consumed by desire
'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire
We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall
We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all
They're so hell bent on giving, walking a wire
Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire
Chorus:
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire
There's this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can't abide standing outside the fire"
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall
We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all
They're so hell bent on giving, walking a wire
Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire
Chorus:
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire
There's this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can't abide standing outside the fire"
It's a bit cliché I suppose, but I can definitely relate parts of this song to my life, and the lives of those around me. I don't want to judge them, and I don't want to sound like I'm perfect. As I've clearly stated, I am without a doubt the furthest thing from perfect. (But that doesn't stop me from trying!) All I'm trying to do is let people know it's not all about fitting in, you don't have to be someone you're not just to feel satisfied. Please believe me, there are things that are SO much more satisfying out there. Give it a shot, and look for them. And please help me to look for them as well.
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