Why I Love Fall

I want to go on record and say that I just adore the season of Fall. What is not to love? The days are at the point where they are just gorgeous. There's no other way to describe it. You want to stay outside all day just because it's so beautiful. There is so much anticipation for me with Fall. I feel like it's the precursor to Christmas. We have Fall, but then we know what is coming after Fall which is the wonderful holiday of Christmas. I think that makes Fall even more exciting. You get to stay in the holiday mode for a while.

Things I love about Fall:

• cozy cool nights
  
• leaves changing color: red orange, yellow, green, gold...gorgeous
• the smell of leaves burning
  
• football
• hoodies
• chili
• pumpkins
• corn mazes
• mums
• the fact that Starbuck's comes out with the pumpkin spice drink
• pumpkin spice candles
• acorns on my walkway

The other day we had an interior designer, who I will be working with soon, come to our house to give us an estimate on a kitchen remodel. When we opened the front door, the first thing she mentioned was how our house looks like Fall.

My heart smiled.

Meetings, Pop Cans, Errands, Receipts, and Dirty Dishes

This past week was spent running from one thing to the next. It was one of those weeks where I felt like I could hardly slow down to catch my breath. I worked close to 45 hours between my two jobs and I was dog sitting in the town next door. Life became a race of trying to get from one thing to the next. I hope this isn't a foreshadowing of what's to come. I pray I find time to enjoy the moments of life.

There is this book that I have great intentions of reading along with many others. It is "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niequist. On the back of the book she writes as follows:

"I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that He gave life to someone who loves the gift."

I want my life to be like this. Lord, help me not to miss out on the little moments in life.

Identity Crisis?

So often I try to find my identity in things that are not supposed to identify me. I find that society pressures me to assume my next role in life. I've graduated from college so apparently I need to find a job using my degree, get married, go back and get a masters, find my own place, etc. etc. ect. Why do I continue to let these things influence my thoughts and actions? I find myself now that I am out of school needing to explain myself to people. Why do they ask so many questions?! More importantly, why do I feel as if I have to explain myself? I found myself today forgetting exactly who I am. I am not in school so obviously I'm not a student anymore. I am not currently pursuing a masters so therefore I am not as intelligent as my sister who currently is. I have no guys in my life so obviously, I'm not a girlfriend and no where near a wife. I have a degree in interior design but no "career" which means I'm not an interior designer. So who am I?


In the front cover of my Bible, I have something taped inside. My precious youth pastor gave it to me and it's something I cherish. Tears flooded as I read the first statement.


IN CHRIST:

I am loved by God (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

I am completely forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)

I am chosen by God (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

I am blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)

I am made the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I am adopted into God's family (John 1:12)

I am raised up and seated with Christ in heaven (Colossians 3:1)

I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)

I am freed from the power of sin (Galatians 5:1)

I am delivered from darkness into light (John 12:46)

I have peace with God (Romans 5:1)


THAT is who I am.