Hello. I have writer’s block. I’m not sure if I’ve ever really experienced it. It’s hard to have writer’s block when you’re not required to write anything. Ain’t nothin’ to block if ya ain’t writin’ nothin’. My 5:20 pre-nap plan was to wait until tomorrow to write this, but then Ashely texted me and asked me to make a blog post tonight. I don’t know who she thinks she is asking me to post my blog by the due date. Just kidding Ashley, don't shoot please. Jokes aside, I’m what most people would consider “stuck”. I’ll do what I must. Little Obi Wan Kenobi quote for your back pocket in case that pocket of yours was feeling a little empty.
I don’t talk about the weather. If I had a twelve man lineup of dialogue topics, “the weather” would be on the bench. Past the bench. He only gets playing time when I’m in a conversation that has since stalled and the only way to keep the ball rolling is by saying “crazy weather today am I right” in a sarcastic tone. But let’s talk about the weather, shall we? Specifically the pollen. Pollengeddon. Everytime I stepped outside yesterday I was dry-rub-seasoned with pollen. It’s like I forgot to take off my yellow tinted sunglasses. Not the fun kind that Elton John would wear, just the lame pollen kind. Elton John wouldn’t wear those. The pollen has made me sad, however, something that has brought me a lot of joy over the past few weeks are the cherry blossom trees. They have become my favorite tree. Thank you for the blossoming plant life, pollen. You can leave now.
I have never been conscious of cherry blossom trees. I wouldn’t go as far to say that I’ve never seen one, but I have only noticed them as of March 2025. They’re quite beautiful. One in particular has especially stuck out to me. I was driving home the other day when I passed one in my neighborhood. The wind blessed me by sending cherry blossom petals floating past my truck. There was a mound of cherry blossom petals resting at the base of the tree, gently accenting the main beauty of the cherry blossom branches. I don’t really get emotional that often, but at that moment I did. That cherry blossom tree is perfect evidence of the Lord’s kindness in creation. There was beauty all around it, fleeting from it towards anyone with eyes to see. I understand the utility of trees, providing us with oxygen, quite literally life itself. But trees don’t have to be pretty. They could be ugly. They could look like pollen. But just as the Lord is kind enough to send rain that washes the pollen bullies away, He is kind enough to make His creation beautiful and abundant for us to enjoy. Maybe that’s elementary, but I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit lately.
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“For God alone my soul waits in silence,
from Him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
My fortress, I shall not be greatly shaken.”
This is Psalm 62:1-2. The Fellows participated in a silent retreat this weekend, led by my host mom Mary Young. Psalm 62 meant a lot to me over the course of the weekend. There was a coffee mug wall of sorts in the main lodge at St. Francis, and each Fellow picked out a mug. The mug I picked was pink, accompanied with roses painted on the outside and Psalm 62:1 inscribed on the inside. The next day – in a rather silly series of events – I was reminded of the verse, and decided to look up Psalm 62. That’s all I’ll share. The Lord kindly revealed his truth to me this past weekend, so I wanted to share these verses with you all. A big theme of the Lord’s kindness over the span of March.
My song recommendation is “Old Soul Song” by Bright Eyes.
“And just when I get so lonesome I can’t speak
I see some flowers on a hill side like a wall of new TV’s
Yeah they go wild”
Love, Bailey