The Ramblings of a Redhead

Change. What comes to mind when you think of Change? Is it perchance autumn and the brightly colored leaves as the world shifts from one season to the next? Or perhaps it is water as it rushes along falling from one place to the next and joining the big river that is never the same again? Is it a fork in the road where the path you need to take breaks away from the path you are familiar with? Could it be watching the waves from the ocean crash upon the shore for just a brief encounter before the water rushes back to rejoin the ocean? Maybe you see a pebble breaking the glassy surface of a lake that creates ripples that grow larger and larger the further out they go? For me, I see Change as the turning of a page in an amazing book. The beginning of a brand new chapter in an epic story. Any way you look at it, Change comes to us all, and it isn't always easy. No matter how many times I encounter Change along this journey of life, it always seems to create and stir that hollow fee

Life. Life is hard. Though if life wasn't hard we would have no reason to become stronger. We would never grow and flourish into all that we are capable of being. Life has a way of shaping us to fit into cookie cutter standards, but do you know what I say to that? Life is so much bigger than the cookie cutter shapes we are told we have to fit into to be worth while. I look out across this incredible world we live in, and do you know what I see? I see a kaleidoscope of so many things. I see hope. I see love. I see anger. I see dispair. I see hurt. I see heartbreak. I see joy. I see brokeness. I see adventure. I see hardships. I see loneliness. I see wholeness. I see.... This list could go on forever, right? Everyone living in this world knows how difficult living is. We know that life doesn't always give us a picture perfect reality. Real life is messy. It is a series of really high highs and unexpected drops, twists and turns, light and dark, love and hurt, joy and sorrow.

Recently I have been hearing a lot of conversation regarding the subject of finding worth in a broken world. My journey to discovering my self worth has been one that I have been on since I was a teenager. It has probably been the hardest journey I have ever taken, and I have come a long way thanks to the grace and tender love of my Almighty Prince. Due to the recent coversations I have been a part of I have felt led to share a part of my journey here. I am going to be completely vulnerable with you guys. Even though the idea of being so vulnerable and awkward terrifies me more than I can express, I know my story should be shared, and I pray that it helps maybe just one person realize that, no matter what, you are worthy of a love so far beyond human imagining that once you find it your life will never be the same again. So here we go. I was 13 years old and on a summer camp retreat with my church's youth group. It was my second summer camp of my life, and I was thrilled to spen

The following is an original short story by me! It is a longer post, but I hope you are able to make it to the end. It was a fun creative bit to write. Let me know your thoughts, and if you'd like to see more of my creative writing stuff on here as well! She found herself on a path so familiar to her it could be home, and yet it was more foreign than some far off land. The path led to a cliff lined with windows suspended in the air. They were hanging from somewhere unseen far overhead. She looked down over the precipice, but it was shrouded in mist so thick she couldn't see how far down the drop went.  She knew that somehow she had been here before, and yet she couldn't figure out how or when that would have been. Surely no place like this could possibly exist in the real world.  a breeze blew past her drawing her towards the windows.  Some she could see into easily, while others were too far beyond her reach to steal a peek. She could smell the salty sea air that remind

Life, like every great story, must move forward. Chapters must end, and new chapters must begin. No matter how great the last chapter was, in order for the story to continue, it must come to an end. Not all chapters will be as thrilling or happy as the one you find yourself in, but every chapter is necessary to the story as a whole. If we cling to past chapters new ones will never unfold, and who knows? Maybe this new chapter will be even better than the last one. Some chapters will contain dragons and storms while others bring good times with friends. It may be tempting to skip the chapters that seem too mundane to matter or too much to possibly bare, but oftentimes it is in those chapters where we find pieces of ourselves that we need in order to experience the great chapters to their full extent. Change is never easy. You would think with as commonplace as it is that we would grow accustomed to it, and yet it is always hard to move away from what is familiar. When the page is t

A Good Book... ...will speak in a soft voice. ...will allow the reader to see the story within its pages unfold before their eyes. ...is filled with characters to admire and learn from. Characters that will lead readers on fantastical journeys through lands near and far. ...leaves a fingerprint on the reader's heart of lessons learned and new ways to see life. ...and when its story has been told, and the book is closed it is put on a shelf to await the moment when it is remembered. A Great Book... ...will scream so loudly that it is impossible to ignore it. Even when the reader has set the book aside to go do other things the story is all the reader can think about. ...allows the reader to feel, live, and breathe the story held within its pages. The reader stops seeing words on a page and sees the story come to life around them. ...is filled with characters that become best friends. Characters that make the reader laugh, cry, hurt, and rejoice along with them. It is like t

The sound of rainfall. The smell of the pages from a book in my hands. The soft cooing of a dove in a nearby tree. There is a peace that so often accompanies the falling rain. It is a day for pondering, remembering, creating, smiling, wishing, and just being. There is something about the rain that is just good for the soul.

You feel the wind has picked up slightly, but it isn't so bad because it finally holds the warmth and promise of spring. You watch as the sky grows darker, and the darkness draws closer and closer.  You can smell the rain in the air. There is a familiarity of the smell that you can't quite put into words. You see the drops of rain starting to fall from the sky, and before you know it, it is as though the skies have opened up.  You can hear the sound of the wind in the trees as it intertwines with the sound of wind chimes, birds, and raindrops to create a soft lullaby. But oh, that sound of the rain hitting the grass and trees... Rainstorms...you have been sorely missed...welcome back my old friend...welcome back.

Time for sleep... Time for the wind to carry the dreamers upon its back. Time for those dreamers to fly to the highest of heights and to have the grandest of adventures. Time for stillness. Time for crickets and cicadas to sing their songs. Time for the moonlight to kiss the earth with its soft rays of light. Time for peace and comfort. Time for the troubles of the day to wash away. Time for renewal of mind and soul. Time for resting your weary head upon the pillow. Time for sleep...

Alright guys it's time for a long adventure post! I have riddled it with photos to make the journey more fun. I will never forget the first time I set eyes on the medieval town of Sighisoara, Romania, but before I tell you about my personal experience, I would love to share some of the fascinating history behind this incredible place. (Historical information from Encyclopedia Britannica, the official Sighisoara website, and some I learned during my time there) Sighisoara is located in Central Romania (Mures county) in the historic Transylvanian region, and it is roughly three square miles in size. It is known as being one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in all of Europe. The area was settled in the Bronze age, but the town itsself wasn't founded until the 12th Century by Transylvanian Saxons. In 1676 tragedy struck when there was a fire that forced much of the lower town to be rebuilt. Sighisoara is probably best known for being the birthplac

Today is a day made to live. Life is created for love. Your mind is built for hopes and dreams. This very moment exists to spark your imagination hurtling you ever forward into an adventure beyond your wildest imaginings... Think outside of the box; Embrace the parts of you that don't fit into the standards that have been set around you. Dare to dream bigger, laugh harder, love more deeply, listen intently, become more selfless, give more freely, smile more often, and allow yourself to actually FEEL everything... Because THIS life...the one you are living right now... OH! What an adventure it is! And oh, the places you will go...

What is passion? Passion is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something. What is passion really though? Is it that extra spark in your eyes when they light up as you talk about something you love? Is it that extra push forward to do something that brings you more joy than is possible for you to ever put into words? Simply, it is what makes you feel alive. I was recently asked by a friend what my passion was, and I am going to be honest here, I had a really hard time thinking of just one thing. I am a very passionate person so trying to narrow it down to one passion that fuels me was not an easy task. I love life. I love singing, reading, writing, theatre, people, and that was just skimming the surface. How could I possibly come up with that core passion that drives me? Well, it took me a couple days of pondering, but I finally came up with my answer... Stories. I absolutely love stories. I love

The sun has yet to rise. In the fading darkness a cool breeze blows through the trees. The limbs creak and groan in protest. Sounds of the world around me waking up slowly begin to fill the air. The world is just beginning to stir. A new day is on the brink of the horizon. Ponderings, contemplations, hopes, dreams, renewals, another chance to live the life we have been given to the fullest. A new day has come filled with unknowns ready to be explored and discovered, and it lies ready at our feet. Let's love deeper, live fuller, dream bigger, hold on tighter, let go easier, laugh always, listen with open hearts, see people more clearly, think outside of the box... Today is a new day. Let's make the most of the adventure.

Night has fallen, and the moon shines hauntingly down onto the freshly fallen snow. I lie wide awake even though I must be up in just a few hours. I close my eyes willing sleep to embrace me. However, time seems to be against me. One hour passes, then two, three... I toss and turn. I stare up into the darkness towards my ceiling. Another hour passes. I glance at the clock - 1:30am... It may as well be 1:30 in the afternoon with how awake I feel. Perhaps if I get out of bed and move about then sleep will come looking for me instead. Another hour and a half of precious time gone... Sleep still has yet to make even an inkling of an appearance. I think back on the previous day. It was filled with so much joy, friendship, and fun. Amazing memories had been made. Perhaps sleep is evading me because it knows how difficult it is when a fantastic day has to end. Another half hour is steadily passing, and I have to wonder...will sleep come at all tonight? I hold onto hope, and if it doesn&#