Yay!! I love blog season!! It feels like zero time has passed since October but here we are at the end of another month. This month has been one of really high highs and really low lows which I must say is pretty on character for how I live at any given time. There's so much I could highlight, so I’m going to try my very best to stay on track.
Adventures
This was a month of so so many adventures, a month of learning I can push myself to do more than I previously thought I could, a month to lean into the excitement and joy of the busy and drown out the parts of me that tend to run from that kind of thing.
Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of adventures this month:
I SAW TAYLOR SWIFT with my cousins to start the month. It was incredible. I cried. I’ll never be the same. I wish there was more Speak Now.
We went to DC, we went and got after it, decorated the van, saw monuments, walked the streets, spent lots of good time together. I just love DC. Lets go back soon.
I started knitting again. Thats pretty cool. Thanks Evy.
I learned my ideal career is a secretary. So if anyones planning to take over the world and needs someone to do their paperwork let me know.
We went to Nicaragua. There’s so much I could say here. Many thoughts and feelings that I can’t quite string together coherently. It was an adventure and prayer and blessing and heavy all in one. And its cool that our God works in our jumbled thoughts and feelings and experiences. But we got to meet new people, and have fun together, and I mixed concrete (and maybe now feel passionate about the best way to mix concrete?), and each of those is an adventure in and of itself.
Prayers
This month has been one of praying hope over myself in moments I want to give up. Hope is a weighty concept that I’ve been wrestling with for the past few years. What does it look like to hope when you can’t see the resolution? What does it look like to hope when it feels like one more unfulfilled dream might crush what little you have left? This has been a month of why God? Why does this still hurt God? Why is this still here God? Why is it still hard God? And I can’t say I’ve come to any resolution, its honestly just continued to get harder. Yet even still. Even in the midst I return and seek to hold the hem of the one who made me.
I don’t think I could add prayer as a little reflection section without highlighting two moments. One is prayer with Pauline. What a blessing that has been to me. Ask me about it sometime, I’ll tell you about the patience of our Savior who sits gently on the blanket waiting for me. (Also in Nicaragua we had a time of painting and prayer and so many of us drew our spots that we prayed. I thought that was cool.) The other was prayer in Nicaragua. This space was such a blessing. At first I felt very hesitant- because I have been struggling to trust that the presence of the Lord is a safe space to dwell. But he was so kind and patient with me as I tiptoed nervously to meet him. And I’m so grateful for all those who prayed for me. For Emma and Ashley and AG and Jenna and the way the Holy Spirit met me through them. He is gracious.
Blessings
I sit writing this the day before I leave to go home for Thanksgiving. And it feels a little cliche to at this moment sit and list things I’m grateful for. But there have been so many sweet blessings this month and so I’m going to do it anyway. Also Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It's slow and gentle and centered around good time with those I love dearly. It’s just the best. I can’t wait.
A huge blessing this month (and always lets be honest) has been getting to live with Evy. Evy you are kind and wise and gentle. You hold space for me in a way that has a deeper impact than I think you realize. You make home joyful and I’m so glad I get to be your sister!!
A special shout out here to our lovely November birthdays. Jenna, Tessa, Josh and Ashley each one of you is such a blessing to me and it was such a joy to get to celebrate you.
I am so blessed by sweet friendships this month. By people who are willing to sit in the heavy with me, usually as I attempt to divert in another direction. So thank you to everyone who was patient and kind and gracious in sitting with me in hard moments. Thanks for pressing in. I’m so grateful. The Lord has been so kind to me through the people he places to walk alongside me.
The changing of the seasons has also been a huge joy. I LOVE WHEN ITS A LITTLE COLD ! So let's hope for more of that in the coming months (and maybe snow!?)
November Statistics
Nights slept in my own bed: 12
Different states/countries: 6
Cries: 12
Expensive airport coffees purchased: A lot
Bags of concrete mixed: So many (although tbh very little of that was me, so all credit to Bailey and Bryan there)
So I know I’ve definitely rambled for far too long. This month has been full and joyful and heavy and fun and sad and silly and exhausting and energizing and I can’t do it justice. But I’m grateful.
Surely his goodness and mercy will follow me!!
All my love!
Lola