Changing leaves and an update

It has been a while hasn't it?

Life seems to move at such a rapid pace these days. Sometimes I get so caught up in the activity of it all that I forget to stop and enjoy the ride.

It's kind of like the changing of seasons. I hadn't even noticed that the leaves were changing colors until I was driving down 85 to visit Jes at the end of last week. I left on Thursday and got a late start, which always stresses me out. I found myself driving down the interstate, frustrated that I was behind schedule, and thinking about all of the things that we were going to do over the weekend when I so clearly heard God speaking to my heart, "Stop. Quit thinking, and just enjoy the beauty of my creation." Wow. What an eye-opener. God is painting such a beautiful picture before our eyes, and it changes every day...every minute. We get so wraped up with our work, our relationships, our errands, our worries, our concerns, that we forget to enjoy the beautiful splendor of all that He has made for us.

The weekend was full and busy. I picked up Jes in Greensboro and then we headed down to South Carolina to visit some of our friends at SWU. Our time there was very bitter-sweet. I feel like I've changed so much since I left there last year. Sometimes it is very hard to go back to a place and spend time with people who don't really know the person that you are, only the person that you were in the past. But we had a good time together.

I have decided that one of my favorite things to do is driving with Jes. On our way to her parents house on Saturday, we drove past so many people who looked so somber and were not enjoying their time together. I felt so badly for all of those people and wished that they could find joy out of something as routine and ordinary as driving.

We were able to spend great time with Jes' parents on Saturday and Sunday. It is truly such a blessing to have the support, input, and guidance of both her parents and mine. Our families are very similar and I feel so at home there.

The best part of the weekend came on Monday, when I was supposed to go home, but decided to stay and go up to her school and spend a little more time together. We went to a coffee shop near her campus and spent a few hours just talking and being close to one another. It was so wonderful to just relax and not worry about anything, but just focus on each other and God.

This weekend was so wonderful and I feel so great about everything that lies ahead. My focus has been brought back to where it needs to be...I have a renewed sense of commitment to go deeper with my relationship with God and to truly seek to honor and glorify Him, not only in our relationship, but in every aspect of my life.

No matter what you're doing today....whatever you have on your plate. Take time to stop and enjoy the season. The clean, crisp air of fall makes me feel so alive, and the colors remind us that change can be beautiful.