Further Up & Further In

Hello Loves! Today I wanted to let you in on a little secret – there are some big changes coming to Oak + Oats in the near future!! Oh boy, oh boy! I’ll be slowing down on the front of things (like daily posts) until I get things all ironed out but I’ll be working like a crazy person behind the scenes! I’ve got ideas and dreams flowing out of me like a waterfall, I’m just trying to catch them all before the continue floating down the river. I cannot wait to start sharing them with you over the next couple weeks.

New things are completely exciting for me yet so overwhelming. I think that I need to have perfected everything before I start something new. It is super unrealistic but stems back from my fear of imperfection and failure. I easily fall into the trap of feeling like I don’t have time to do it all and the discouragement of feeling like it will never all be perfect.

I’ve been trying to step away in those moments instead of dwelling in them. When the process is longer and the ideas are too many I feel trapped, stuck, and overwhelmed. I’ve been making lists, prioritizing, and also seeking rest. I have a hard time not being in GO GO GO mode but I get completely burnt out when I stay in GO GO GO mode – can you relate to that at all?

So I’ve been reading books, I’ve been writing, and I’ve been playing. There are a million things I want to share with you but I’m letting myself do them one at a time. And that is honestly better for the both of us!

I let myself reread the Chronicles of Narnia series. If you have not read them yet, they are a quick, easy, yet powerful read! I encourage you to start at the beginning and move through them all. The last book may be my favorite just because it is the culmination of the rest of the books. The Last Battle is a beautiful story of the end of days and the wrapping up of a story you’ve been on a journey with since the first book. One of my favorite quotes from that book is when Aslan exclaims “Further Up and Further In!” It is the beautiful process of pushing forward and going deeper – forever. There is no rush, there is no stress, but there is this constant movement.

I have dreams, plans, and passions and I want to do everything now. I’m impatient and overwhelmed. The truth is I cannot and will not ever be able to do it on my own. I’ve been learning to slow down – to move forward one step at a time – one direction at a time. Further up and further in. Trusting the Lord to be my peace and my strength as I walk closer with Him. Trusting that the passions and gifts He has given me are there for a reason and moving forward into the unknown because it is not unknown to Him.

I don’t know where you are at today but you may need to be reminded (like myself) that it is good, wise, and okay to do one thing at a time. I know you have dreams, plans, ideas, and projects that will change the world (I do too!) but to get there you just have to move one step at a time. Being patient, trusting, and enjoying the journey. Oh, and also embracing the perceived imperfections, flaws, and failures. Because that mess is more beautiful than you realize and we will never move forward if we hold onto those things too tightly.

Thanks for sticking with me on this journey! I’ve been so blessed, overwhelmed, and encouraged by your support over the years and it is a joy to being revealing new dreams to you, my dear friends! If you have any dreams, goals, and plans that you are walking through, I would love you to share them with me! That way we can pray for and encourage each other as we take one step at a time!

xoxo, elizabeth