Want to know something funny? I was never an autumn girl until this year. Autumn always felt melancholy for me because it resembled the bridge from life (summer) to death (winter). For the first time, I have been so romanced by the changing colors of the leaves and the brisk mornings and the way the air smells different and beautiful. I am embracing that this time of year welcomes sweaters, thrifted penny coats, slow mornings, and brewing tea.

I am finding that there is so much magic and beauty stored in this season, autumn. I actually find my heart anticipating winter for the first time. I feel like so much of this resembles what Jesus has been stirring in my heart.

I think many of us go through life afraid of the barrenness that winter brings (both figuratively and literally), but I have realized that the growing pains and grieving places are spaces to rest in the goodness of my Father. I am comforted by the words of Jesus in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

As Jesus is telling the disciples that he is leaving, they don’t understand. They are wondering why he can’t stay longer. In that moment, Jesus promises that the peace he leaves them is unlike the peace the world gives. Peace in the bible can often be translated to the Hebrew word shalom. This shalom can often be defined as wholeness — a wholeness found in Jesus, a reconciliation to God despite all the ways we fall short because our salvation and lovableness has never been based on who we are. It is entirely based on the goodness and love that is Jesus. This is such good news, friend. It means there is hope for all the broken, barren places.

Friend, this is the paradox of walking with Jesus. Even in the midst of chaos and grief, there is a living peace and hope. There is a good God who knows you and I by name who sent his son to bring shalom. You and I are living in the story of barren places and broken pieces that are being made whole. We have a high calling to live for King Jesus and be carriers of this good news and light. He is bringing beauty from ashes and “undoing all the sad things” (c.s. lewis). While there may be pain in the present, on this temporary/foreign home, let us always remember our truest citizenship as people of the Light. Let’s live present lives, with a vision bigger than ourselves, carrying His deep love + light throughout these days.

your friend,

liz

Listen to while you are scrolling: Big Black Car by Gregory Alan Isakov

Ready to hear the sweetest story?

A few months ago John and I talked about reaching out to this couple, Lukas & Grace, to hang out. We knew that they loved Jesus and that it’d just be a joy to get to know them more. Around the same time that we talked about reaching out to them, Lukas mentioned us to Grace too. Neither of us realizes we mutually had mentioned each other. We never ended up reaching out. Fast forward to September, we went out the Oregon Coast and were exploring for session I had that evening.

While we were scouting, we pulled up to a spot and looked out our window to this little hill and saw this sweet couple. John pointed them out and said, “Ah look at that cute couple!” Then we realized...it was Lukas & Grace! We ran over and were so giddy to meet them after having talked about reaching out to them.

They invited us to sit with them on a picnic blanket and drink tea on the coast (a coastal picnic was my dream coming true). We then ran around the beautiful coast a little and snapped photos of each other. Lukas is an incredibly gifted photographer himself and so he also kindly snapped some photos of John and I.. It was so special and was totally the hand of God to bring our worlds together on that cloudy afternoon by the coast.

Here is the story of the afternoon through images —