petals of thoughts falling into existence
I took my heart to the forest,
And felt its strong embrace
As the winter snow glistened
Softly falling upon my face
I was a lost wanderer
Lonely and alone
Until the forest found me
And guided me back home
The trees conversed together
Gently whispering my name
And when I really listened
Something within me changed
I took my heart to the forest
And with each passing sound
I realised I was never lost
The moment I was found
It was a very exciting weekend for my family as this little guy entered the world, and I honestly teared up as I held him for the first time. My new baby brother is so precious, and God has truly blessed my family. I am looking forward to all of the wonderful memories that we will share, and I am so lucky to be his big sister… My heart is so full.
Welcome to the world, sweet Cole!
I hope that you all had a blessed Easter 2020! Although this year was quite different than others, my family still celebrated the resurrection of our Savior, and we had a great day despite the circumstances. I have to admit that quarantine definitely intensified my sweet tooth, and I have been trying to control my chocolate intake all day… Can anyone else relate?
Also, I am sending prayers to those who were impacted by the storms last night and especially for those who lost their homes or loved ones. May they be comforted and regain strength during these difficult times.
Lastly, my new sibling will arrive in two weeks, and I am getting very excited to meet the newest addition of my family. I hope that you all have a fantastic week, and thanks for reading! Until next time.
I never expected 2020 to accompany one of the greatest pandemics that has ever faced the world… I don’t think any of us saw this coming on January 1st when fireworks and streamers lit up the sky to celebrate the new year. Merely three months later, schools are closed, businesses are shutting their doors, grocery stores are almost empty, and people are in self-quarantine to prevent the Coronavirus from spreading any further.
It is okay to be afraid during a time like this, and it is okay to be worried. However, we must not allow these emotions to overpower our faith, and we must understand that some things are truly beyond our control. No amount of anxiety will change the situation, so the best thing that we can do to right now is to stay in, stay sanitized, and stay faithful.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
I can’t promise that you won’t get sick, but I can promise that you are not alone. We are all going through this together, and we will overcome this. Please take care of yourselves and know that you are all in my prayers. Stay safe!
This semester was harder than I ever expected, but I learned more life-lessons within the past sixteen weeks than any of the other semesters combined. Looking back, I am not really sure how I made it through everything, but I couldn’t be more thankful for the experiences that helped me become who I am today despite the challenges.
I always use to tell myself that nothing is impossible and that I could do anything I set my mind to if I was determined enough. This helped me achieve great things in the past, but this semester humbled me to realize that some things truly aren’t possible. I was pushing myself harder than I ever had before, and I was setting unrealistic expectations for myself. This year, I took a full semester at the college through dual-enrollment while dancing full time as a professional trainee ballet dancer. Though I had done this before, my academic courses were more difficult this time, and the demands were a lot higher. I was only getting about five hours of sleep every single night just to keep my feet on the ground, and the exhaustion/stress really started to take a toll on my health.
I learned that “you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.”
The problem was, I was trying to give 100% effort at both school and dance because I didn’t know where I would end up or what I even wanted anymore. A professional career in ballet is extremely competitive, and universities are also highly selective; I needed to be perfect at both. It was about mid-October when I realized that something had to change because I physically couldn’t do everything anymore, and I was wearing myself out… I had some big decisions to make. After thinking everything through, I decided to no longer pursue a professional career in ballet after Nutcracker which was one of the hardest decisions that I have ever had to make. Even though it is a huge change in my life, I know that I made the right decision, and I did what it best for me. Since then, I am so much happier, and I passed all of my classes!
Through it all, it truly was bittersweet to walk off campus for the last time knowing that some of my friends wont return in January… From the coffee shop shows, Friday morning laughs, “flying squirrel” (inside joke), study groups, and hot chocolate chats, I couldn’t have hoped for a better group of people to hang with. I made some great friendships, and I am so thankful for all of the wonderful memories! It certainly wasn’t an easy semester, but we got through it together. The Fall semester is officially complete. I can’t believe it, but we did it!!
“in the end, she became
more than what she expected.
she became the journey,
and like all journeys,
she did not end, she just
simply changed directions
and kept going.”
*quote: r.m. drake
*photo: richard jean-louis
It is so easy to look around at all of the things that we wish we had and all of the things that we wish we could do… Honestly, we spend so much time focusing on what we want that we often loose sight of everything we have. This is the time of year to be grateful for the little things in life, pray for those who are struggling, and give thanks for all of our blessings. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving 2019!
We worry about if we made the right decisions yesterday. We worry about our ability to do everything “right” today. We worry about what will happen tomorrow…
That is a lot of unnecessary worrying, and these thoughts are often followed by anxiety which is detrimental to our health. It can be so easy to detach from our faith as we allow these unsettled thoughts to invade our minds, and we often forget that God has a plan. Hence, if we make a wrong turn somewhere down the road, things will always straighten out way that they are suppose to and lead us where we are meant to be. As hard as we try, we will never have complete control over our lives because most things are beyond our control. So why waste so much time worrying? Think about it: We can spend all day worrying about the past, but it will never change. We can spend all day worrying about the future, but most of the things we worry about don’t even end up happening anyways. Be fully present in this moment, and trust in God’s plan for your life. Never be afraid, and don’t worry.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6: 34
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:13
This is something that I am really going to work on this semester because I was so lost last year… I spent so much time trying to figure out how to overcome my stress/anxiety, but I think I have finally found my answer through faith. I hope that I can keep my eyes on Him, and not allow distractions to pull me away again no matter how hectic life gets. This is my goal for this new school year.
What is something that you are working on? Do you struggle with anxiety? Are you guilty of allowing worry to overtake your life? Feel free to share your thoughts on this in the comments section, and I hope that you all have a fantastic week (worry free).Â
With each breath, I remember how lucky I am to be alive, and I thank God for the health of myself, friends, and family. It is so easy to take “the little things” in life for granted, but it is important to remember that everything can change in an instant. Nothing is ever guaranteed. As I let my feet sink into the earth, I embrace the sounds of nature and consider how fortunate I am to hear the birds sing. I think about how blessed I am to have vision that allows me to see the amazing world that surrounds me, and a voice to speak what is on my mind… I thank God for waking me up because today truly is a gift.
I danced for the patients at the hospital yesterday, and it was a very humbling experience. Emotions stirred within me as little kids reached for the tutus, stretched their arms up, and moved their feet… I am so grateful that I could share my gift of dance with such an inspiring crowd, and it is something that I will never forget. It felt so rewarding to see the joy on their faces, and I hope that I can do this again in the future. Props to my friend, Claire, who organized the event because it would not have happened if it wasn’t for her… Thank you for everything!
Have you had an eye-opening experience recently? What have you been up to this weekend? I hope that you have a fantastic week.
I am so thankful to have been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by the awesome Ezra! Thank you so much! 🙂
Rules:
Ezra’s Questions For Me:
1. What’s your favorite sports team?
I am just going to be honest and admit that I really don’t keep up with sports enough to have a favorite team… Sorry!
2. What do you spend most of your time doing every day besides school?
Dancing. Whether I am taking class or rehearsing, I am always at the studio.
3. Do you have any plans for summer?
I am taking a summer semester at the college to keep getting closer to my degree, and I also have my dance intensive for the next few weeks. Other than that I will be sleeping in, soaking up the sun, and hanging out with friends.
4. What is your favorite type of candy?
Oh goodness, that is a hard choice… I think I have to go with Almond Joy.
5. Would you rather be Captain America or Batman?
Captain America!
6. What is the longest you’ve slept?
I think the longest that I have ever slept is close to 14 hours!
7. What’s your favorite board game or video game?
Board games are great for camping or spending time with family, but video games are more exciting; I guess it just depends.
8. What is your favorite way of transport?
AIRPLANES! I don’t know what it is, but I have always jumped at the chance to fly.
9. How long on average does it take you to make a post?
Lately, my posts have been quite lengthy, so they have been taking me a lot longer to write. I would say generally anywhere between 45 minutes to 2 hours once I upload the pictures from my phone, write, edit, and publish the final draft.
10. Star Wars or Marvel?
Honestly, I am not very familiar with either. I know it is terrible, and please don’t judge me. I desperately need to catch up!
11. What’s your favorite bible verse?
Philippians 4:13 remains in my heart every single day as I remind myself that ” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I know that it is one of the most popular verses, but it always gives me the strength especially in times of doubt.
11 Random Facts About Myself:
I Nominate…
Questions For Nominees:
I really appreciate the nomination, and I hope that my nominees enjoy doing this award as well. Again, please do not feel obligated to participate if you do not wish to do so. Thanks for reading!
Please note: The logo/picture on this post was copied directly from Ezra’s blog, and I do not have any rights of it.
Writing Rose 