This week, I went on 2 retreats for 3 days. I cannot say this enough: I love IJM. It is the best organization ever, and the people I work with are amazing in so many ways.
On Tuesday, we had day 1 of our staff retreat, “choose your own adventure” style. So, naturally (not), I chose to go horseback riding FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! I don’t even think I’ve ever pet a horse. Maybe I have.
This is me and my main man General. He was the sweetest! I pet him the whole time and he just trotted along and didn’t throw me off.
The view from atop General. The best! I was feeling crazy and bold when I was holding my reigns with only one hand.
This is my new and wonderful friend Kathy, riding her horse, Goldie. Guess what? GOLDIE AND GENERAL ARE DATING! They’ve been dating for years! Isn’t that the best? Also, Kathy and I being friends gets confusing for people at work, mostly because both of our names start with Kath and we both have brown curly hair. For this reason, people say we look alike. However, we think it’s the hair that is distracting them. (Except just now I was scrolling through thumbnails and clicked on this photo of her thinking it was me. Yikes.)
Check out Freddy! Alesha’s super slow but precious horse that was behind me in line on the trail. Also, check out those LASHES!
After we rode horses, we went to a vineyard! It was great. I want to go to more vineyards.
On a very sad note, we had to put our beloved Tripod down this week. 
He was my favorite cat ever. Here’s a photo of him in his glory days, loving the three-legged life.
On a happier (but still slightly sad) note, the family that Sarah and I live with fosters golden retrievers! The one they had when we moved in was named Tanner, and they just found a home for him this week. See what I mean? Happy but sad.
There’s no good transition from that, so I’ll just come right out with it: at the retreat on Wednesday, I encountered this wonderful bit of encouragement:
This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capability.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.”-Archbishop Oscar Romero.
Isn’t that wonderful? Something else that was wonderful was last night, when I had a sleepover with this girl. We stayed up late chatting about our super cute long distance boyfriends. (Happy but sad again.)
Speaking of, I miss college. The living was easy, my boyfriend had long hair and pierced ears, and Chic-fil-a was merely a 2-minute walk from my classroom door.
But, alas. DC is undoubtedly the best city in the world. It LITERALLY has everything you could ever want in a city. Everyone should live here for the rest of their lives. Actually, don’t EVERYONE move here. The traffic is already horrendous all the time. But, other than that, everyone living here sounds really fun.
Oh, look. It’s 9:16. Bedtime.
I leave you with this: If you tarry ’til you’re better, you will never come at all.
I love you and your bloggin’ self.