Hi, friends! It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the “blogosphere,” but after almost four months away from this space and the regular routine of writing, I am officially BACK! If you’re still following along with me here, thank you for sticking with me and joining me upon my return!
I used this summer as an opportunity to break away from some of the normal, everyday things of “home life” in order to regroup and get focused on what God is doing in my life, and it was seriously the best thing I could have done for myself following (and in the midst of) a season of personal growth on many fronts. I’ve mentioned on here several times how much I appreciate travel and how a change of scenery greatly helps in giving me a renewed perspective. Between being up north for 6 full weeks (I didn’t spend one day of July at home) and out west (Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana) for 1.5 weeks, I definitely had some quality time to myself, with my husband, and with God to let go of the less important things and reflect, pray, and dream over the future. I am beyond grateful to say that this special time away proved to be a tremendous blessing and has allowed me to come back home with a greater sense of purpose and passion for the truly important things in life – marriage, family, friendships, and the callings / dreams God has put in my heart to pursue. (I also want to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to my beloved sister friends who have been faithfully and fervently praying for me and specific prayer requests I’ve had in this season. I am so so so thankful for all of your friendship, love, support, and attention to God’s voice over my life. I have felt those prayers at work and cannot thank you all enough! I am blessed!)
Some highlights from the past few months, include:
- Working through the All Good Things Collective “We Are” Devotional – such a good reminder of who God says we are as His daughters (highly recommend!),
- Completing the Ludington Lakestride 10K,
- Continuing to earn social work continuing education credits and work toward my supervision certificate,
- Soaking up the sun on the shore of Lake Michigan and getting a really nice tan,
- Experiencing the beauty of Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Parks – unbelievably GORGEOUS country,
- Celebrating my dad’s 60th birthday up north with three out of four siblings and two out of three littles,
- Celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary with a picnic on the beach where we were married,
- Making it onto the Dance Stand Run book launch team,
- Reading plenty of good books – Chasing Slow, Unshaken, Cultivate, At Home in the World, and Heart Made Whole,
- Enjoying the last “hurrah” of summer with our family and friends at the lake over Labor Day weekend, and
- Completing the Capital City River Run Half-Marathon (just this past weekend) – which I trained for over the summer months!
It’s been about three full weeks since I’ve been home from the lake, and I can honestly say, it feels good to be home. I definitely have a greater appreciation for all that “home life” entails – even the mundane, ordinary things – after an extended time away. As the summer season has gradually been fading to fall, I’ve taken time to unpack the travel totes, decorate the house for a new season, start a brand new planner for what feels like a “brand new lease on life,” and reconnect with family and friends I hadn’t seen much over the past few months. Work has picked back up, and despite being very busy each week with meetings and travel during the work day, I’ve been able to reflect on what’s been working well and what I want to improve on and work toward (personally and with my team) in the coming new fiscal year. I’m excited for the opportunities to keep growing in my current role and hopefully continue making a positive difference in the lives of the field staff we support, and ultimately, the clients and communities we serve!
With today being the first official day of fall, here are some of the other things I am very much looking forward to in this season:
- Football tailgating and games – Go Green! Go Lions!,
- Getting pumpkins, cornstalks, cider, and donuts from the local farm with the hubby,
- Visiting the nearby apple orchard,
- Continuing to run and train in the cooler temperatures (and maybe aim for one last big race for the year),
- Pumpkin Spice Lattes on the weekends (my post-run treat),
- Earning my social work supervision certificate,
- Traveling to Minnesota with my best friend to visit my dear college buddy and her family,
- Celebrating my 33rd birthday,
- Enjoying the changing colors at home and on my travels,
- Watching my favorite Halloween movies (Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic, Casper … and all the cute Hallmark channel movies),
- Traveling to Arizona with my mom’s side of the family for a week-long vacation, and
- Thanksgiving and other holiday preparations.
There is so much to be thankful for and as summer ends and fall begins, I am determined to continue on the path of abundance in this season and to finish this year STRONG!
I don’t know if I’ll be writing and posting on here every week, as I previously had been, but I do intend to write on a fairly regular basis and continue to share my heart and life in this space. I do feel called to develop and grow on this platform, and I look forward to how God will continue to use it for His glory, and my and others’ good.
Thank you, again, for following along! Here’s to a wonderful new season ahead with fabulous opportunities to experience His goodness and faithfulness! Happy fall, ya’ll!