Golden sunsets, brilliantly colored leaves, late-night campfires, cozy flannel blankets, apple picking, pumpkin spice... it's time to welcome in my favorite season!

If you have followed my blog for any amount of time, then you know how much I love autumn - perhaps because this is my favorite season for writing. I always feel especially inspired when that first gust of FALL sweeps over the prairie leaving gold and crimson leaves in its wake. The colors, the scents, the tastes... there is nothing about this season that I don't enjoy. 

While riding my horse out in the pasture a few days ago, I took a moment to look out over the country surrounding my home and let myself stare in wonder at the sinking sun. Maybe there is something different about observing creation when you are a creative person yourself. Rather than simply marveling at a job well done, I look at God's masterpiece and wonder how He managed to pull it off. The wanna-be painter in me schemes the best way to imitate a grove of maple trees in acrylics. My writer's heart smells campfire smoke and hears laughter and wonders how to capture that feeling on a piece of paper. 

Now, surrounded by living colors and a palpable sense of change on the wind, I want to gasp out loud at the pure beauty of it. It leaves me feeling so incapable, so inadequate, so awestruck. Only one thought ever crosses my mind in a moment like that - 

This is all the proof I need for a Creator. 

My Father's world leaves me so in awe of His glory. I can't even count the number of times I have stood out in the middle of a pasture surrounded by wildflowers, or stared up at the endless expanse of stars in the nighttime sky, and been left with an incredible assurance of my Savior's power and an overwhelming realization of His goodness. Then I remember - the same hand that crafted this breathtaking world crafted me as well. 

His gift leaves me eager to give something back. The love I have to offer Him seems so very feeble in return, and yet He accepts it and not only does he accept it, He wants it. I am His most precious, intricate, and beloved creation. 

Try thinking about that for a long moment. Now walk away discouraged or afraid... I dare you. Because I can't

Let me be poetic for a moment and say that summer reminds me of a melody: dozens of lines, stanzas stacked one on top of the other, notes sprinkled across the page in a dozen different patterns, and the occasional crescendo here or there. Many of the notes might be the same, just played in a different order. One or two lines could be repeated, but a musician rarely plays a song exactly the same twice (at least I don't). 

This summer has been an interesting composition. A mix of hopeful and minor keys, it certainly didn't live up to my expectations. Thanks to the little surprise twist my Composer threw in - turning the world on its head - I have been forced to look outside myself and realize something:

It's not about what life holds for you, it's what you bring to it. 

It is so easy to get wrapped up in this world - a single, feeble line in the grand scheme of a symphony - and forget that this is not my home. I am not here simply to suck every ounce of pleasure out of life, to revel in my accomplishments, or even to shoot for the stars and chase my dreams. If that were so, I am afraid that life would disappoint me. Instead, my ultimate purpose as a child of God is to serve others and glorify my Creator.

​All else - the beauty of a sunrise, the excitement of hearing my favorite song on the radio, sipping pumpkin spice lattes, relaxing on the back of a horse as it grazes and watching the clouds float by, the joy of reaching for the stars and dreaming big - all these little joys flow from that truth. I am His and He is mine.

Now... to remind myself often, because it is all too easy to write down the truth, and then walk away and forget.

​"We have all eternity to celebrate the victories but only a few hours before sunset to win them."
- Amy Carmichael 

​Hello Friend!

Here I am, emerging from the midst of a crazy busy, challengingly different, albeit inspiringly beautiful summer. It's been a while since my last blog post or writing update - but while my blog has sat quiet, the rest of my life has been anything but. 

The first few months of summer were crowded with planting thousands of baby trees for my summer job. My sister and I spent hours working under the sun, getting coated in dirt, and learning to navigate the tangle of gravel roads in our rural county. 

Once planting season ended, the usual plethora of farm work has kept me busy: hauling small square bales off the ditch, butchering chickens, training and riding our horses, pasture upkeep, and marveling at my mother's incredible garden. Of course there are also long hours of reading, sunny days at the lake, playing with kittens, or going out for ice cream with my siblings. 

And, of course, watching a pandemic shut down the world has been... interesting. ​

Elisabeth Elliot once wrote, "The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian makes me a different kind of woman."
I think the same truth can be applied in this way: The fact that you are a teenager does not make you a different kind of Christian, but the fact that you are a Christian makes you a different kind of teenager. 

​I live in a strong Christian home and have grown up under solid Biblical teaching all my life. But I will be honest, there are times when I read articles or books on living for Christ and they fall flat because I have heard it all before.

It is especially easy for teenagers raised in a Christian home to grow apathetic about their faith. The gospel becomes commonplace - I don't like admitting it, but it's true - and we grow comfortable. We get stuck in our habits. We go through the motions. 

Whatever happened to a fire for Christ so bright and passionate that people couldn't help but notice its glow?

When I was little, my dad read books aloud to my sister and me before bedtime. One of the first series I can remember him reading was The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black. We borrowed the set from a friend while it was still in the self-published format and I loved it all. I was engrossed in every sword fight, intrigued by the Prince, and quickly made Tess, the valiant lady heroine of the first two books, my role model.

Since then, I have bought and devoured every one of Mr. Black's books as they were released, from his medieval Knight's of Arrethtrae, to his Wars of the Realm trilogy. Nova, Episode One of the Starlore Legacy, was no exception. I read the entire book in one afternoon.