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.

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.

Hope // April’s Word of the Month + A Prayer for the World

I don’t think I need to do much explaining for this word of the month, so I’ll keep this brief.

It’s a dark time right now, it really is. There’s a new virus raging the earth, and many, many people are sick. Lots of people are sad, depressed, and afraid as they sit quarantined in their homes, wondering what the future will hold. The world could use a little hope right now.

I Don’t Understand, But God Does. // Quarantine Thoughts

I should be doing schoolwork right now, I really should. I have a huge project due tomorrow, and I’ve barely started on it. But I don’t want to work on it, not now.

So I’m writing this instead, because I’m a mess right now, and so is the world.

The Future is Scary.

^^I don’t even watch Star Wars but I had to put this in here

If you’re in high school, you’ve probably been hit in the face with a lot of reality recently – like me. As soon as freshman year starts, it’s like there’s a magic button that gets pushed and everyone suddenly becomes extremely inquisitive about your f U t U r E. They begin bombarding you with questions like: “What college do you want to go to?” “What do you want to study?” “What’s your GPA?” “Are you taking the ACT or SAT anytime soon?” These questions (and others like them) will all eventually lead to The Big Question™, which is: “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE?!”

And that’s scary.

Heart // February’s Word of the Month

Annddd once again I have fallen behind posting on this blog. *facepalm* Oh well, what happens happens, and there’s always a chance to try again. :)

Today I’m coming out of hibernation to do a Word of the Month post. In honor of Valentine’s Day, February’s Word of the Month is…

Arrow // January’s Word of the Month

Hello everyone!

Today, I’m here with the first installment in my ‘Word of the Month’ series! As I mentioned in this post, I’m beginning a series on the blog where, at the beginning of each month, I’ll be picking a specific word to focus on for the next several weeks. I’ll write a short post about why I chose the word, what it means, and how I’ll be implementing it into my every-day life. So, here we are with the first official Word of the Month, which issss… *drumroll please, even though you’ve already seen it in the title…*

2019 // A Re-Cap and Wrap-Up

Happy (almost) 2020, everyone! :)

Since the New Year is just around the corner, I decided to reflect on 2019 with a post recalling some of the many events in my life this year. I really wanted to write them all down in one spot – kind of like a diary entry – so I can come back and re-live these memories again in the future. I also wanted to include some of my favorite pictures from this year, because why not? 

I’ve had a lot on my mind recently, so I felt that typing out some of the thoughts and events that have been swirling around in my head would be good for me. Kind of like putting 2019 to rest, ya know? As much as I loved this year, I’m ready to move into 2020 with a clear mind and a clean slate, and I believe that the following post will help me do just that. :)