Nature

Visiting Gibbs Gardens has been a joy for our family during this unique season. We had no idea it'd be a spot that would remain open and have loved checking out the change in blossoms, walking together, and enjoying so much beauty. One of the times I took along a scavenger hunt for the little girls to complete and they enjoyed having that to focus on (and the reward of fruit snacks at the end!). I've found it so calming to walk and sit in the stillness of nature and the outing together as a family has been wonderful. A few of these walks, I had some real time to process internally and just listen. God's comforting voices was woven into so many moments - the steps, the quiet benches, the blossoms, the pathways. Beautiful.

 This one isn't in Gibbs, but in a random spot of a parking lot where we had a picnic with burgers and fries. It was new and different from eating at a restaurant, but gosh, we had fun!

This was our next trip there (looking forward to going again soon!)

 I fell in LOVE with this plant! I've always loved hydrangeas, but had never seen a variety that blooms like this (and so early!). We came home and figured out that we have THREE of them planted at our house! SO EXCITED!

Words to Remember: Welcoming Change

Welcoming Change:

As the pages of one chapter end and a new one begins, take a moment to pause.

Close the eyes and inhale. Feel your lungs expand as you breathe the air surrounding you. Notice the long inhale opening your heart, creating space for all the emotions surrounding this sacred space within you. Give them a name.

Exhale and release. Soften your mind into the present moment. Between the pages of these two chapters. Maybe it's a new job, a child heading off to kindergarten or to college. Maybe you've recently moved. But where you stand today is unchartered ground. This period of transition has awakened a new chapter to open from within you.

As you pause, soak in moments from the past. They were exactly as they needed to be. Because those moments, strung together like individual beads on a necklace, are what have created the beautiful strand of your life. They are what have brought you to where you stand today. Full of heartache, loss and failure and disappointment but also full of hope, laughter, love and joy. Let the light of those moments travel through you like the warmth of the sun on the skin on a summer day.

The light within you is the source of truth.

Looking ahead, you may find yourself worrying, overwhelmed at the unknown pages ahead in the next chapter. Unsure how to navigate them or where to even begin. Yet, pause, my friend. Plant yourself firmly exactly where you stand and feel the earth beneath you. Just as that earth grows the most magnificent trees, it's taking the seed you have in this very moment and is preparing you to blossom. Let yourself grow in this very moment. Stay open.

Stay open when the rains come. Stay open when the night sky darkens. Because the light of the stars will continue to shine, and what makes the stars is also within you.

Trust the process. Welcome this season of change with courage and faith. Walk hand in hand with both and they will become your North Star.

All destinations begin with taking a single step. Yet remember, dear friend, that with each step you take, you invite the opportunity to pause. To take a breath. To remember that exactly who you are now is exactly who you are meant to be. And whatever lies ahead, you will not fear. Your light is made for this time. Your light has been gathering, ready to shine in this very moment.

With love,

Sara