Riding Awake and Aware....

 It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon at the end of summer, right on the edge of a new academic year. The house is still, everyone including the dog is napping. In the calm, I find myself inspired by the Spirit to sit down and write.

I’ll be honest, sometimes it feels hard to hold on to praise. The headlines are heavy, full of war, conflict, and division. The noise of the world makes it easy to get swept up in worry. Lately, I’ve been trying to practice letting go reminding myself that I can’t control everything and choosing instead to create space for Peace.

Work has been a reminder of where Hope shows up. These past couple of weeks I’ve been reviewing degree plans for high school seniors who have earned college credit, many of them preparing to graduate with an associate degree while also graduating from high school. I’ve also had the chance to meet incoming freshmen, eager to follow the same path. Seeing their energy, hearing their dreams, and watching them take those first steps gives me perspective. It’s what keeps me showing up each morning. In them, I see possibility. In them, I see the future.

This weekend, I turned my attention back home. I finally decluttered my closet letting go of clothes I no longer wear and the ones that don’t fit anymore...thanks to intentional weight loss. I also reorganized the altar in my bedroom, which had slowly become a landing place for random things. Clearing that space felt like clearing my mind. There’s something freeing about letting go of what no longer serves you. It creates room for what matters most.

Just as the days and nights move steadily forward, with no pause button to press, I plan to keep moving awake, aware, and open. Guided by the Spirit, I hope to lean into each moment with gratitude, clarity, and accept what’s ahead.

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