A Reflection of Seasons

Guys. Winter is coming!!

Here in Pinetop we are having an absolutely beautiful fall season, full with color and breeze and light jackets and loveliness. But when the sun dips below the horizon and the air gets chilled, I can feel that winter is on its way. I know I shouldn't be excited. I know that the snow will last from November to April and I might maybe may get tired of it all by the end, but for now I embrace the coming change in season with anticipation and a good pair of boots. I may have even put the Christmas moose on the mantel a little early because I just can't wait (yes, the Christmas moose is a real thing).

One thing wonderful about Pinetop, Arizona is the anticipation of each new season. I love living in a place with actual seasons. Each one has its own beauty and its own appeal, but we never stay in one for long. When I look back at my year here in Arizona I feel like I can separate the changes in my life by the seasons (and man, has this year changed a lot in my life!).

The fall was all changing colors and horizons as I settled into my new home. It was sometimes a beautiful season and sometimes a hard one as I worked to find my place here.
Then the winter came and with the snow days and hot cups of coffee came a new sense of family and comfort. Perhaps that is why I love winter so much. The cold air brings everyone together as we seek warmth and community amidst the snow and ice. As the snow covers all the mess that fall left behind, so too did my community begin anew as we covered our mistakes with grace and new understanding. Winter was my favorite season.
Spring was happiness and the birth of new things as we began to dream a new direction for our ministry. It was the birth of everything that the Kennel Unleashed is now. Spring changed everything for us, and there isn't a day that I don't praise God for those spring days.
Summer was a whirlwind of busy weeks, learning, hiking, and taking on new leadership that brought me to where I am now. Summer was a season that transformed me, but man, did I need a Rip Van Winkle type nap when that was over!

Gosh, it has been such a year. Such a really really good year.

As I sit in my kitchen on this rainy fall day in Pinetop I find such peace reflecting on this past year and the current season. I know that there were a fair share of dreary days and rainy moments, but as I look back on the year I am so grateful for every moment of every season. Each moment was purposeful, each struggle was a step in the right direction, and I know that this year will be the same. Who knows what these seasons will bring, what joys and pains, happiness and concern.

 All I know is that based on this past year, this next one is going to be full and beautiful. I cannot wait to see what happens. 

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