Just another Fall day....

Tomorrow I am supposed to begin a weekend of dog sitting the most precious dog I've ever known. Her name is Chloe, and if you have met her then you know what I mean. She is sweet and adorable, and has some of the most innocent-looking puppy dog eyes ever, though she is actually smarter and more clever than she lets on to be. She was my old roommate's dog and in the year that I lived there she reached her goal of making me into a dog person, or at least a Chloe person. I don't think her job was too hard... Did I mention she is a cute little Yorkie?

Anyways, I had no intention of writing tonight; I was actually going to get my clothes out of the dryer and pack. But the clothes are not yet dry and one of my roommies now is asleep in our room, which means packing is out of the question until the morning. I guess writing is more fun anyways... There are very few things I hate doing more than packing! But I'm not really sure what to say tonight either, which means there is a possibility of some ramblings. I apologize in advance. :)

Sometime last week began our first day of Fall for this year! I'm so excited. I love Fall... All the leaves turning orange and yellow and eventually floating to the ground; the sky being blue and the sun popping out but the days turning cooler; the possibility of huddling around bonfires with hoodies on and smores cooking.... It's glorious. I'm very excited about this season. Right now our windows are open and you can smell the crisp clean air from outside swirling in and hear the sound of crickets chirping their songs in the grass, along with some hints of traffic in the distance. Everything seems so peaceful late at night; maybe that's why I stay up so late all the time.

One of the things I've been pondering lately (wow, that makes me sound all wise and stuff) is how self absorbed I am. And most of the USA, for that matter. I saw a statistic the other day that said by 2020 (I think) 75% of Americans will be overweight. Not too shocking there... But then I heard another statistic that said 1 out of 7 people are living in poverty right now, which is like an all-time high or something. And I don't know, I just think there seems to be something wrong with this picture. While we're getting fatter and lazier, there are more and more people who are going without.

I wish I had something a bit happier to write about tonight, but I really wanted to write about what was on my mind. I think God is helping me realize how much I have so that I can help someone else. And maybe He's given me this burden for a reason, maybe to inspire others or just to make my heart become more in step with His. The prayer I've prayed a lot lately is "Break my heart for what breaks Yours", and I truly mean it. I want my life to mean more than just a photographer or student or friend. I'm definitely a change in the making, and as long as I'm here will continue to be. But I am excited about where this newfound passion may take me! I hope God will use me for His glory and for His purpose, and that I will lose myself in Him. Because looking in the mirror is not anywhere close to how exciting it is to look out the window.

I hope that you will have a great, fun-filled, Fall weekend and that you will allow your eyes to be opened to the other people God has specifically placed in your life. I hope you know His love and His grace and His goodness, and that you will find whatever passion He made just for you and pursue it. I hope that we will all realize how precious life is and be thankful not only for our possessions but also for those little moments of peace and beauty. I hope we take a minute to look out the window and see the world around us, to listen to the stories of others, and to forget about ourselves for just a few minutes. Throw that mirror down. :)