Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Two: Move

As a writer, staring at blank white documents kind of becomes a hobby. It's a frustrating hobby, by all means, but it's a part of life as someone who enjoys pouring their soul out in the form of creative expression.

You can ask anyone in my family, and they can tell you that I have loved words for a very long time. When I was very little, my mom and I wrote a story together by arranging stickers that came in a fantasy do-it-yourself book kit. Of course, I was not skilled in creating letters yet, so Mom wrote it all out for me. Sometimes, when I'm back home and have access to it, I like to pull it out and read that story for the hundredth time. It's kind of incredible to see how imaginative my mind was, and it's also kind of sad because dipping into childhood thought and imagination is so hard now. 

The face that screams, "Life is AWESOME!"

I'm feeling sentimental because three years ago today, I started this blog. It's crazy to start back at Chapter One and just see all of the changes unfold in my life: graduating high school, going to college, changing my blog name, new friends, changing my hair, getting tattoos, new challenges... Most of all, lessons learned. Maybe it's the future educator inside, but I sincerely believe that we never stop growing or learning, and I'm so thankful that I have combined my love for writing with my love of learning to continually track these lessons learned and experiences gained. 

Today, I'm reflecting on a reoccurring theme that has pushed me forward through these last couple of years. Every twist, every turn, and every obstacle on this path have given me one message: Move. 

Keep Moving. 

Life is a wonderful, beautiful adventure, but sometimes it sucks. Sometimes we don't communicate with nice words, or we don't eat very well. We sometimes don't nail a lesson or do great on an exam. We spill our coffee, we bite off more than we can chew, we let little words break our hearts. We fall. But if there is one thing that the Lord tells me over and over again, is that He is there for me and will always have His hand out, ready for me to take it, to help stand again. 

I know I bragged a lot about my friends in my last post, but it still stands true! My friends are my support and a reminder that I am loved and can always stand again. I only hope that I can be that friend to others, too! 

"What a great favor God does to those He places in the company of good people!" 

- St. Teresa of Avila

Time does not stop for us, even when we fall down. The people around us move, change, and continue on. However, when I write a chapter on my blog or a book with my mother, those fragments of time stand still forever, capturing those emotions, trials, and moments. What a beautiful art form writing is - that we can capture so much of a particular time with just letters and words strewn together like our own memory. I'm so thankful for my blog because, thumbing through these past 121 chapters, I am reminded of all the lessons I've learned, all the memories I've made, and how much I have grown. My first blog was only three paragraphs long...and now I'm writing novels (or at least it feels like it!) with my own pictures and reflections. The woman I was in 2014 is not who I am now - all because of time and what we make of it. Every moment has the potential to help us grow. 

About a week ago, my college celebrated Arbor Day by allowing organizations to help plant life across campus. I got to relax with friends and help make something beautiful. We turned a blank canvas of soil into a bed of bright, yellow, happy flowers. 

It was fun, and relaxing, and got me thinking. Is this what Jesus wants to do with our soul? He wants to move us, to mold us. When we hand Jesus that spade, and allow him to work in our hearts, what is to become of us? While planting those flowers - it hit me. 

Jesus wants my heart to be a garden of love, beauty, and grace. He wants me to flourish. He wants the absolute best for me - I just have to move. 

Like a flower, we have to take care of ourselves. We need to have enough space to take root, we need to have life-giving water, and we need to turn our faces towards the Sun. Or, in my case, the Son (Pun totally intended). 

Thank you for being a part of this adventure for three whole years! I am looking forward to what else we will discover. Happy Blog-Birthday, and I'll write you soon.