Hi, my name is Rylie Weber. I am currently 21 years old (as of today… yay) and I am a senior at Oklahoma State University. I am so excited to share my story with you all!

Growing up I was the ornery youngest child who caused all the trouble. I have two older sisters who are overall pretty awesome humans. Collectively they’ve given me two nieces who are truly my pride and joy. Life with two sisters was a blast, we got to surprise people with our fist-fights that looked like three grown men in a bar fight. My dad thought it was funny (until braces came along and he bought boxing gloves), while my mom just shook her head.

My mom is simple and steady, she forgives everyone, even when they don’t deserve it, and she’s a vault for every secret. My dad was a little rough around the edges, and the older I get the more people say I’m just like him, which I’m still deciding if that’s good or bad. He is someone who will quite literally push you to be the very best version of yourself. He never gives up on anyone, he would give the shirt off his back for a complete stranger, no questions asked. He taught all of us girls that we don’t need a man, we mowed the lawn, changed tires, worked on rent houses, and did all the typical “son” chores around the house, but don’t get me wrong we had to “make a good wife one day” so we were doing the dishes and laundry after. On a real note, he taught us what hard work was and he showed us that it would get us anywhere we wanted to go. He never failed to humble us when we were wrong but he was always the first to congratulate us after a win. I really do have the best family a girl could ask for. I am a mosaic of all the people God has placed in my life, every family member, every friend, every person who has loved me and who I have loved. To know me is to know them, because their pieces are woven into every part of me.

I grew up in church because that’s what you do in small-town Oklahoma. At six years old, I got baptized because my sisters were, but I didn’t truly understand the Gospel. My life was smooth sailing other than the occasional whoopings for “being mean” to my sister. I learned all the right answers in Sunday school, went to every camp, and wore the mask of a “good Christian girl.” Now is a good time to mention that I was (and occasionally still am) a very prideful person. Around middle school, I realized that I had never actually given my life to Christ. I was living in constant fear, knowing that if I died, I would not be spending eternity with Jesus, but I was even more fearful of swallowing my pride and walking the aisle in front of all those people who I had this mask on for.

The summer before my freshman year in high school I was at Fallscreek and I couldn't do it anymore, the fear and faking were too much. I looked over to my friend and told her I wasn't saved. That July night I truly gave my life to Christ. (Fun fact: that same night at a totally different camp, my best friend Allison got saved too. God is so intentional!) I was baptized soon after, but I treated my relationship with God like a one-way phone call.

January of my Sophomore year of high school my dad unexpectedly passed away. I became bitter and I shut everyone in my life out, I treated people so badly and quite simply didn't even want to be alive anymore. I wish I could tell you that it only lasted a couple of months but that wasn't the case, I continued to ignore everyone and everything for about two years. I lost friends and people that I loved dearly because of the way my heart had hardened to the world.

Then, the summer after senior year, I went through a breakup with the guy I had been dating for almost four years. I felt completely alone, about to move away from home, and heartbroken. At the time, I didn’t realize it, but sometimes God breaks our heart to save our soul. It was apparent I had not surrendered every area of my life to God.

On July 31 of 2023, I fully surrendered to the fact that I needed help and could no longer do things on my own. I had to fully surrender to God and allow Him to control EVERY area of my life before He could change me and use me for His good and perfect plan. I would be lying if I said that everything was smooth sailing from there but I would also be lying if I told you God hasn't done a 180 in my life. I am so proud to say that I am nowhere near the girl I was on that July night. God has filled every crack in my heart with Himself and He still continues to stretch and grow me in ways I didn't know I needed. 

All glory to Him, I don’t deserve any of it. I wouldn’t be alive today if I hadn’t hit rock bottom and discovered He is the Rock at the bottom. Thank you, Jesus. May I be a vessel of Your overflow.

Good talk,
Rylie with the Messy Life :)