Seeking His Refuge // How Living Outside Helped Me Find God Again

Hi everyone,

It’s the beginning of my sophomore year of college, and as the papers and books are piling up again, I figured this old, dusty blog could use some freshening up before my time becomes all-consumed with academics again. As I was sitting down to write this, I realized that I’ve never written a blog post from a college dorm room, but today seems like a good day to try something new. :)

The last time I wrote, I was not in a place to share much about the specifics of my personal life. Now, however, I feel that I can be more open about some major, recent events in my life (minus the unsolicited details). To summarize, in 2021 I contracted a severe illness that drastically affected every aspect of my daily life for almost a year. My body was in shambles, my confidence was destroyed, and my faith suffered a severe blow. I continued to carry the pain from this traumatic experience throughout my freshman year of college, as I was unsure how to rebuild myself as a person and find healing from such life-altering events.

Growth // A Post for Reflection

Hi everyone,

I feel like I say this at the beginning of every post, but it’s been a while since I last visited this little corner of the internet. To be honest, I’m not sure what prompted me to write this – I have no idea what I’m going to say.

I guess that’s been my problem over the past several months – I just haven’t had the right words. I’ve missed writing for this blog so much, but I just haven’t regained my inspiration. I’ve been told that’s understandable based on my recent circumstances, but I can’t help but feel a twinge of guilt every time I remember my dear old blog, collecting dust in its corner of the internet.

Healing // Finding Purpose in Pain

I sit at the white, paint-stained desk in my bedroom. I wear sweatpants and a large, oversized t-shirt. My hair – much longer now than it was when I last wrote – hangs in a loose, messy bun at the base of my head. The window sits open, and a soft breeze that carries the familiar scent of fall drifts in. The autumn air is somehow crisper, lighter than the air of summer. It fills my room with the smell of falling leaves and the faintest hint of smoke. Birds sing in the distance as the soft, golden light is beginning to disappear. The atmosphere of the changing seasons is calming and restful. Even though my body hurts, my mind is clear, my heart is full, my soul is at peace.

It feels good to be writing again.

Why I Stopped Reading // Tales and Trials From a High School Literature Class

My sophomore year of high school was pretty rough. There were several personal challenges I was facing, and academics was one of them. I was involved in an incredibly rigorous homeschool program, which unfortunately left me mentally drained and physically exhausted every day. It was nearly impossible to find the time (or energy, for that matter), to pursue my interests, develop my hobbies, or spend time with friends and family without forsaking my studies. School was taking over my life, and I was sick of it. 

Tom and Fred // A Short

A few days ago at Chick-fil-A, I was working the drive-thru window during our lunch shift. An older man pulled up to the window with his dog in the passenger seat of his little red car. The man’s name was Tom. Since his food wasn’t ready yet, I decided to make polite conversation with him while we waited. He was a nice man, and seemed happy to talk. I commented on how sweet his dog was, and inquired as to its name.

“His name is Fred,” Tom replied as he pet the dog’s brown head. He gave Fred a warm smile as he scratched behind the dog’s scruffy ears.

“What kind of dog is he?” I asked, grinning.

“No idea,” said Tom. “I found him as a stray when he was just a pup.”

My Top 3 Goals for 2021 // Happy New Year :)

Happy New Year everyone! :)

Remember when everyone expected 2020 to be the year? The start of a new decade called for new goals. I, along with many others, made a list of things I was excited to work on over the year. I was ready to annihilate my goals and come out of 2020 as a better person. The 2020 vision was strong… for about 2 months.

And then the world fell apart, along with all of my ambitious goals and resolutions. As soon as everything went crazy, my goals were completely abandoned. My screen time spiked, waking up early was no longer a priority, and any motivation to write went out the window. In short, my 2020 goals were a total flop.

2020 // A Re-Cap and Wrap-Up

Happy (almost) 2021, everyone!

I believe we can all agree that this year has been one roller coaster of a ride. Aside from the chaos of the world around me, there have been several events in my personal life that haven’t been easy to deal with. I’ve had thoughts and feelings that I couldn’t find the right words to express. Writing has been a struggle because I’ve been creatively drained for what feels like forever. I’ve lost people I never imagined I’d lose. I’m ready for things to go back to normal, but at the same time, I’ve enjoyed this strange time of solitude and isolation. It’s been a scary, crazy, insane time, but peaceful in the strangest way.

Even though there was so much bad this year, there was a lot of good, too. Moving on from the bad can be hard – really hard – but focusing on the good can help. So, here’s the good from my 2020.

*deep breath*

I Painted the World on My Bedroom Wall // Because Why Not?

Why hello everyone! Wow, it has been a hot minute since I’ve made an appearance on the blogosphere, hasn’t it? I apologize for the lack of activity, but the whole “online school” thing has thrown me for quite a loop.

Today, I am emerging from my cave of academic studies, loud music and Chick-Fil-A sandwiches to bring you my latest late-night project: painting a world map on my wall!

It’s Been a While // Update + Art + A Survey

*sigh* Well, here we are again. :)

As you may or may not have noticed, I kinda disappeared off the blogosphere for about a month. I was reminded of this fact during a FaceTime conversation with two friends the other day:

When The Fireflies Come Out // A Short

Several summers ago, an old friend and I were playing in a park at dusk. When the fireflies came out, we were both thrilled to catch them. My friend decided it would be fun to smash the bugs on his hands so his palms would glow, and it quickly turned into a game of how many fireflies I could protect, and how many he could smash. I was so mad at my friend for destroying these beautiful little creatures, but I was also laughing through my anger.

I miss that evening in the park. I’m reminded of it every summer when the fireflies come out, and a small smile always crosses my face as I remember.