Turning Leafs: a story of all great firsts

I have this thing about "firsts"...I love them! If you know me well, you know I have an admiration for oranges, I think they are purely and absolutely wonderful because when I look at them I like to look at them as if I am seeing it for the first time. When you look at an orange (or anything for that matter) as if it's the first time, there is in expressable happiness, curiosity, enlightenment, thankfulness, and a great picture of God's grace.

Well...these past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of seeing fall for the first time. I will say that fall weather is colder than I imagined and all I'm asking for Christmas from family is WARM CLOTHES! However, when I'm standing outside in the fridged air, i no longer am aware that my nose and toes have no feeling, but instead am captivated by the many colors of the trees around me. Crimson reds, canary yellows, burnt browns, and illustrious orange is all I see! The best part about fall, by far, is when the wind picks up and it seems to rain leaves. It makes me want to dance, it make sme want to sing a praise song, it even makes me want to be outside in the COLD air.

For those of you in Cali...I'm sorry! But, this should give you a desire to come visit me and see the beauty of fall and the glory of God in the face of REAL SEASONS! Some pictures are included below!

The Devourer

Satan has been really attacking the girls on my hall lately. God is allowing for many of them to be tested in unimaginable ways. Each one is growing stronger in faith and personality, but in the mean time it's been really rough.

There are several sicknesses going around, relationship problems, church issues, and even mental issues. On top of all these, finals week is quickly approaching and stress levels are rising. Through all of this we are to: "Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him" Psalm 33:1. How often it is that we hear preachers preach and teachers teach that we should praise God at all time, in all situations, and in all seasons of life. Well, here's our chance. This life, here in America, has it's worries, but how foolish we are if we think our lives are worth woe-ing over. Others have written about torture, sex-trafficing, murders, and deathly diseases. These things are also included in the call to give God praise through...! Imaginable!

Yet, the end of that same Psalm gives us why: "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you" (vs. 20-22).
God is worth it, we have hope, and his is victorious over all things that the devourer seeks to attack us with.

If you get the chance, please remember my friends here in prayer, but don't forget the others whose sufferings are greater!