hay bales.

I love the smell of hay, it reminds me of riding horses when I was younger. Watching the sun set across a field while sitting against hay bales, is more peaceful than one would imagine. I've been passing by this row of hay bales set against a row of trees now all summer. When the sun is setting, the hay bales glow with warm tones and cast deep shadows that contrast the golden hues so beautifully. I had to photograph it. I'm so attracted to beauty found in nature. Billowing clouds, sunsets, mountains, oceans, grassy hills, flowers, huge trees...I love admiring what God created.

Summer is ending soon, and so will my view of my favorite row of hay bales cease to be a daily encounter. I'm moving into a house next week close to campus, where I will be living with 5 of my friends. I hope to visit the hay bales often (so long as they're there). Although my living arrangements will change for the school year, my involvement in this community will not.

I'm taking with me into the school year what I've learned from my experiences and hoping to live by example, but encourage my peers to actually be the hands and feet of Jesus in this community. I've gained so much in these past few weeks, cried a whole lot more than usual, dealt with my past yet again, saw Jesus in strangers and felt the weight of burdened women. I really don't expect people to understand. They weren't in those rooms, they didn't work along side the same women of faith or see live footage of a little miracle called life. No, I didn't even understand.

But what if we read these verses literally...what would our lives look like then?

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." Matthew 16:24-25

"And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Luke 12:32-34