Let's Catch Up!

Hello Dear Readers!

It has been an embarrassing amount of time since I blogged last.  I really adore writing, but I haven't been making time for it.  You know those Netflix subscriptions are a procrastinators paradise :/ Especially when 5 seasons of Parks and Rec are available to stream...no one can resist the charms of Leslie Knope.

Anyway, I am BEYOND due for an update.

In the past year I was hired at Angels Foster Family Network here in Edmond.  I work with some pretty freaking fantastic people who not only helped me land this job, but also make coming to work an absolute joy.  And I get paid to help this non-profit help children.  So it's a pretty sweet gig.
Check us out at www.angelsfosterokc.com  :)

I was honored to participate in 2 fantastic musicals.

I was Lucy in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown with Giving Tree Theatre

Not only is this show a total blast, but the people were pretty great too.  Even though I still don't understand why people kept telling my I was type cast... ;) 

Then I had the pleasure of playing Violet Bick in It's A Wonderful Life: The Musical, directed by none other than my sweet cousins Bruce and Kim Greer!  It was such an honor to be approached by such talented people to do this show.  I also got to meet some awesome new friends Max and Kim whom I absolutely adore. 

Some stills from the show!

And I got to reunite with my lovely family!

Another HUGE highlight of 2014 was getting to return to Ghana, Africa and see all my friends at The Village of Hope.  Over the past few years, I have been extremely blessed to serve as the Social Media Administrator for the non-profit Heartbeat for Hope.  If you want to know more about how you can donate to H4H, visit the website www.hearbeatforhope.com  ! I got to spend a whirlwind of a week loving on my sweet babies at VOH and visiting/making new friends in the surrounding villages.  God is doing big things there and I love getting to be a part of it!

Here are some highlights!

Goofing off with the boys in front of Boateng House!

Mishel and Eric.  These smiles..I can't.

 Making faces with Jesse

 Gabriel! 

 My best girl Abigail and our secret hand hold :)

 Emmanuel :)

And last but definitely not least, Ebenezer:)

I cannot wait to go back and see them!

Overall, I live an incredibly rich and full life that I certainly don't deserve.  I have friends and family who love me, roommates who make coming home at night so much fun, a job that allows me to serve and work with awesome people, and a passions that I am learning to hone and perfect in the hopes that someday they become a career.  Life as a 20 something can be so confusing sometimes and it's so easy to whine about the hard stuff and forget about what you have.  So I guess this blog post is more than just catching you up on my life.  It's a sort of "stop and smell the roses" moment for me.  And it was definitely overdue :)

Perspective is a beautiful thing

HERMIONE: We didn't celebrate your birthday, Harry. Ginny and I... we'd prepared a cake. We were going to bring it out at the end of the wedding. HARRY: Hermione... I appreciate the thought, honestly. But given that we were almost killed by a couple of Death Eaters a few minutes ago...                                    HERMIONE:                                        Right. Perspective.

I LOVE this quote.  And it's so true.  Perspective really is everything.  I have a tendency to catch myself complaining and worrying about things that are so completely and utterly "first world problems" that it is quite embarrassing. In light of the tornados that hit so close to home this week, I have been especially reflective on my life and the things that really matter.  Not 2 hours ago I was sitting here in my room, under my twinkle lights, catching up on a TV show while relaxing in my super comfy queen sized bed and worrying about whether I was going to get scheduled for enough hours this week at Anthropologie. Don't get me wrong...I'm not trying to brag at all...but let's be real...FIRST. WORLD. PROBLEMS.  I'm worrying about these things while people are sleeping on the rubble that used to be their homes not 72 hours ago.  Now I know that finding a job or having lack of appropriate hours at said job is nothing to take lightly, but when you end up dwelling on it instead of praying about it...you're not putting your faith in God.  I'M NOT PUTTING MY FAITH IN GOD.  We are told in Matthew 6:25-34 to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field.  The Lord cares for them.  Will he not care for us that much more?  "Can any one of you by worrying add a SINGLE HOUR to your life?" (vs 27) "Oh YOU of little faith"..."do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of it's own." (vs. 30&34) I cannot imagine having Jesus look at me and say "oh you of little faith". But he is speaking directly to me in this passage.  I so often try to pass off worry as prayer.  And they just aren't the same thing.  So as I write to you from my house that is still standing, where I live with 3 beautiful Christian women whom I am HONORED to call my friends, I encourage you to look at your life and try to put things in perspective.  We shouldn't have to have tragedy strike to be reminded just how blessed we are.  -Mads

CHRISTMASSSSSSSSSSS!!!

I am FINALLY home after being in Oklahoma way too long!  Don't get me wrong...I love Oklahoma, but a Texas girl NEEDS her feet on Texas soil way more often than I'm able to do so:)

Anyway, the holiday's are upon us and one of my favorite things to do is get dressed up for a holiday party! What better time is there for bright red lips, glitter and bold colors?

I'm usually not such a girly girl...but you have to give this one to me.

I found a great holiday makeup tutorial that I just have to share!

I hope you enjoy!  I know what I'll be wearing Christmas Eve;) 

With Love,

Mads

Adulthood is HARD.

Ok Ok.

I know I said that I was moving, but something keeps leading me back to this blog.  I don't know if it's the followers or the previous posts or what, but I just love it and i'm back!  I hope you are all SO excited.  I know...it probably just made your day. (HA)

Anyway, to get down to the purpose of this post.  Adulthood is HARD.  I know that everyone who has ever gone into adulthood before me is going..."Well DUH." But seriously...It's harder than I anticipated.  I think the hardest part is trying to figure out exactly what it is that I want to do and what it is that God has planned for me.

If I can ask that you keep me in your prayers as I make decisions about my future and my life, I would appreciate it SO much.

You guys are great!

Hopefully I will be blogging more often!

Madison Victoria

I'm Moving!

Hello Followers!

As you may know, I am moving my blog (and hopefully all of you) to a new blog I'm calling "Is this real life?"  I hope you decide to switch over there with me!  It will be lots of fun!

Thanks guys!

Love,
Madison

The Number One Busiest

I know that you are all waiting on the edge of your seats to know what I'm doing on a Friday night...well I will tell you.  

I am sitting on my couch...in my PJs...watching a chick flick that I am certain that I won't like the ending to.  I know that it doesn't sound glamourous, but it is actually the best thing! Well...except for the chick flick with the bad ending that is.  

Life has been SUPER busy since school got back up and running! I'm constantly running from cabaret practice to spring sing practice to the apartment and then it's time for homework!  It just never ends! 

But I am still so blessed!  God proves that to me every single day.

I am so blessed to have the wonderful roommates that I have.  Like today, my sweet precious roommate Natalie made me a yummy omelet with some fresh fruit and tea because I was tired and broke after cabaret rehearsal!  Little things like that just show me how much God loves me!  

I hope that this weekend, God shows you how much you are loved:)

Mads

Bittersweetness.

Bittersweetness.

Did I make up that word? probably.  Is it the most accurate of how I feel. absolutely.

Today (January 7) would have been my Dad's 53 birthday.  That is such a weird thing to say.  "would have been."  It's almost been 6 years and I still expect him to come walking in that door! I'm glad it's that way though.  I fear the day that I am resigned to the fact he's not coming back and I pray that it never comes because I think it would just be too much to handle.  Maybe that makes me naive...but i'd rather call it...hopeful.  The hope is what keeps the sadness at bay.  HOWEVER, this was not meant to be a sappy, sad post...so here I go! :)

As per Callaway tradition, the tradition of being awesome that is, we celebrated Daddy's birthday by having a Callaway cookout!  Burgers, brats...the works.  And to top it off, it was 55 degrees.  Yep, we do it real and we do it big:) We ate yummy food, watched Castle (our new favorite show) and just enjoyed spending time together.

This break more than any of my other college breaks has shown me just how fantastic my family really is.  I mean i've always known that I was super blessed in the fam department, but seeing how my family is growing (as in getting older) and seeing how we deal with what life throws at us makes me so proud to be a part of it.  Dad would be proud. God truly is the great creator.

Tomorrow (January 8th) is my BEAUTIFUL Mom's birthday!  I am so excited that we get to celebrate with her...even though we have to drive back to school before her birthday is over:/  She is such an inspiring, God fearing and gorgeous woman.  I hope that I can be half as incredible as she is when I am her age.

That's all for now! I'm off to watch one more episode of Castle and then call it a night:)

Blessings,
Mads