Fresh Air, Fresh Start and The Walk That Changed Everything

Isn’t it amazing how a little sunshine can completely shift your mood?

This week has been full of blue skies and warm sun rays, and I’ve been soaking up every bit of it!

A person wearing chic sunglasses and a white cardigan stands outside amidst leafless trees, basking in the golden sunlight.

With all this gorgeous weather, I finally got outside and started tackling my flower beds.

It’s always a bit of a mess after winter, but I’m feeling ahead of the game this year.

A person stands near a small, smoking bonfire in a wooded area, finding a personal moment of reflection surrounded by scattered fallen branches. In the background, the tranquil lake post-sunset offers a serene view.

Rich has been busy, too—he started burning all the twigs and brush left behind from winter, plus the piles from a few dead trees we had cut down earlier.

There’s something so satisfying about clearing away all that old, scraggly debris and making room for fresh, new growth.

There’s still plenty to do (isn’t there always?), but just getting started feels like a win.

In this personal post, a winter garden unfolds with raised beds and bare trees surrounding a wooden compost bin and two metal trash cans under clear blue skies. A frozen pond glistens in the backdrop, adding to the serene beauty.

I’m excited to get back in the gardens this year.

Something about digging in the dirt, clearing away the old, and making space for new life reminds me why I love this time of year so much.

How’s spring shaping up for you? Are you diving into outdoor projects yet, or just enjoying the sunshine?

A serene sunset unfolds through bare trees, painting the sky in orange and pink hues that reflect vividly on the water's surface—a personal glimpse of nature's canvas.

Did you happen to catch this amazing sunset the other night?

That sky was really showing off!

At dusk, three round huts with thatched roofs and wooden doors sit in a grassy area, framed by trees in the background. The scene evokes a sense of personal tranquility, like stepping into a serene post-card from nature.

Weekly Wins

The other day I shared this story on Facebook that I am calling this weeks weekly win because it’s really made me see how much I’ve grown since my trip to South Africa almost two years ago.

Just remembering that one time I got to stay in a real yurt in South Africa.

I watched this video again tonight and it took me right back to that night. We drew the short straw and ended up in a yurt without a bathroom while everyone else stayed in nicer lodgings with bathrooms.

I was so upset.

I felt invisible, disposable, and rejected.

I remember being terrified, walking down the road to the bathroom in the pitch black, knowing there were wild animals all around us since we were staying in a Big 5 Game Reserve with baboons, lions, cheetahs, elephants, and more.

TRUTH: God will use whatever means necessary to make you who you’re meant to be. In this case, he used the fear of walking outside in the pitch black, knowing there were wild lions roaming around, to show me a reality I couldn’t have seen otherwise.

{watch the video – it is pretty funny to me *today*}

I remember driving through the safari the next day when it hit me how much of a brat I’d been.

Instead of thanking God for an amazing once in a lifetime experience, I chose to wallow in my hurt well into the following day.

When it finally hit me like a 2×4 to the face.

I was so upset over something that the kids I had just spent several days with deal with every night of their lives.

What was an inconvenience to me was just part of everyday life for them.

If they want to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, they have to walk in the dark over garbage, glass, and live electrical lines to get down the road to the community toilet. Many times they don’t even have shoes.

Maybe there aren’t lions in the settlements where they live, but trust me, there are other wild animals of the human kind who do roam about and prey on the most vulnerable.

A person in a red "Key of Hope" shirt takes a selfie with three children beaming around them, sitting under a tent—a moment that feels like a fresh start.

And these kids were just so full of life and joy because of the love of Jesus.

God sees and cares for each of his children wherever they are.

We can choose to focus on the dark.
We can choose to focus on the wild animals.

Or we can choose to focus on God in all of our circumstances.

Those kids choose to focus on Jesus and I’m learning to do the same a little more day by day.

Also if you’re feeling led to learn more, check out the amazing work Key of Hope is doing for these kids and their families too.

Introduce a touch of magic to your personal post with this leprechaun trap kit. It includes themed printables like rainbows, gold coins, ladders, and directional signs, all set against a whimsical shamrock-patterned background. Perfect for adding charm to any St. Patrick's Day celebration!.

Favorite Find

I found this fun printable Leprechaun Trap Kit over on Etsy and decided to grab it.

I printed out one set for each of our grandkids. We have everyone coming over after church this Sunday to have St. Patrick’s Day Dinner and these will make for a fun activity for the kids to do while we’re all hanging out together.

Also, don’t forget to grab your FREE St. Patrick’s Day Games Kit.