Afternoon Walks with Finley

There is something so surreal about the beginning of autumn. The air feels fresher and the world has quieted in the anticipation of cold, cozy months. Truly, I call the season fall but I prefer the way the word autumn sounds and looks. Autumn implies romanticism and the christening of a new season to come in all of its color as it comes to a fiery end to bring us the cool colors of winter. Fall, rather, brings some level of peace as I enjoy the season regardless, but the word itself is unable to encompass what it means to me. When I see the word fall written on a page, I imagine the golden brown leaves drifting down to earth, which although is quite beautiful, it misses so much of what the season is before the leaves leave us to prepare to begin anew.
So here I am, walking my dear Finley (who, while I was at school and being her dearest self, had chewed up my mothers earrings). The weather was simply divine with a light breeze, bright sky, and just the right amount of little, white, fluffy clouds. When I walk around my neighborhood, which you must realize is quite small, I get such strong yet fleeting feelings only comparable to nostalgia. It's just so beautiful. My neighborhood, my tiny little neighborhood, my little corner of the world - is just so beautiful. This just hit me so hard today because it's just so simple. We don't need these grand gestures to feel loved or leadership positions to know we are important, or a vacation to Fiji to be at peace because it is all right here. In the simplest of places the Lord can call us and show us the beauty in his creation. And not just the simple beauties he has placed in the world around us, but also the simple beauties we often don't see when we look in the mirror, or feel in our hearts.
This school year has been a very trying time for me up to this point - and I can tell you I do not feel beautiful. But today I feel God gave me a glimpse of what he wants to teach me this season and how he wishes to shape me in the image of Christ. I pray that this Autumn will be a season of reflection and truth as I learn more about myself and how God sees me vs. the lies I tell myself.
The Lord is good and I pray that we may rejoice in His name through our trials and our joys.

 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."Romans 8:28
P.S. This painting is by my favorite artist Leonid Afrenov and I got it here: https://afremov.com/