Falling....

This school year has been rough so far.  This is the first year that I've thought 'I don't know how much longer I can do this job.' It has been hard to get back into the swing of things, especially when my class is less than ideal. Some years I have felt so fortunate to have the job I have: I have the opportunity to influence kids for the better, they are the perfect examples of innocence, they are kind and love without terms. I have been struggling to find those moments of gratitude this year.

As the seasons have slowly been changing from summer to fall I have been so aware of the beauty that comes with a new season. Fall is my favorite season and this year it couldn't have come at a better time. I have needed a pick-me-up and that is what this beautiful season has given me. With the mountains so close I decided that this fall I would spend more time in higher elevations where the air is cool and the colors are enveloping. I've wanted to escape the monotonous life I lead in the city and experience new things amongst the trees where clocks don't exist. Hike after hike after hike has helped provide me with a grateful heart and a contentment that is usually suffocated with worry and fear. By nature I am a worrier, I feel like I am rarely content, I am almost always concerned or anxious about something. Being in the mountains encircled by God's creations has been so liberating, it has brought me perspective that usually feels out of my reach. God knew what he was doing when he created this earth, what we would need and when we would need it. This year as I've struggled to find gratitude and joy in my job I've been fortunate enough to find it elsewhere...

in the miracle that is fall.