When The Snow Falls

SNOW – you always see it in movies, especially in those Hallmark Christmas movies you love watching even though you know who will fall in love before the movie is even halfway over 😉 Well anyways I got to see real SNOW yesterday (Dec 8th)!!! Like what! It was interesting because the night before, my family sent me pictures and videos of them in the snow and I was so jealous because the one time I was not at home in Texas, it snows. Haha and it never snows there! I was happy for them but desperately wanted to experience it with them. I had heard that there was snow expected to come here where I live in Alabama that next day. So, I was expecting snow but not the way it came. It was a wonderland of a day. I’m writing this so I can remember this day since its fresh on my mind.

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7:35am: I woke-up to the sound of roommates running around the house, shouting with excitement. “It’s snowing!”, “Look at this!”, “Wow!” I threw my blankets off, quickly went to my bedroom window and peeped through the blinds. White sky, white ground, white trees and white fluff was what I saw. It was SNOWING!!! My eyes had never been so wide, my face never so grinned, my mind never so awakened with excitement. With pajamas on and messy hair, I ran out to the balcony of our apartment. I met the fridged air and cheery roommates at the edge overlooking a winter wonderland. Was this real? Am I dreaming? No! This was real, this isn’t a dream.

Pictures and videos stopped this moment in time for a second, then I just had to go experience it myself. “Let’s get pictures of all of us roomies!” said my roommate Kayla. All of us ran back in to get ready as quickly as we could. I ran into my closet found the warmest pullover jacket I had, slipped on my leather riding boots and ran down the stairs. I wasn’t even worried about how cold it was, I was just so giddy to be in it! More pictures were taken, more videos were recorded and more memories were made. A bunch of us Highlands College students were outside gathering together, enjoying the moment. We walked down to the pool area and were throwing snowballs at each other. It was really cold out and my hands were frozen because I didn’t have gloves and the snow was cold, (obviously;) So my neighbors, literal neighbors, who are HC students, invited me and some others to come over to their house to eat eggs. Yum, they were so good and warm. “Cinnamon rolls sound good right now.” “Yes, I agree.”, “Let’s go get some from Walmart.”. A trip to Walmart we went with Haili, Nathan, Nataley and I. They were the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had for real! so flakey and yummy and warm and tasty and sweet and gooey!

Once we finished eating, we walked around again to explore the beautiful views. The groups of people outside became bigger and bigger over time as students came running to join each other in excitement. I made snowballs, got in the middle of and took part in numerous snowball fights. Saw the real Narnia light post. Kept walking to wherever, it didn’t matter where, there was no plan, I just walked and enjoyed the snow with friends. From around the corner my friend Nathan said, “Hey, Aundrea! Slide down this hill!”. It was a steep hill and they were sliding down the slope on there backs! I was hesitant not wanting to do it, but my friends encouraged me to slide down it. This was a once in a lifetime kind of thing I thought to myself and didn’t want to remember this as a time when I was afraid but a time I had the funnest time ever!! So there I was at the top of the slope, on my back. They cheered and I sled down!  My eyes were closed the whole time with a smile on my face and shouted a happy shout. I did it! Yippee! it was so much fun I did it again and again. After that we all walked up to the top of the apartment complex where a giant snowball fight was happening. Chunks of snow were flying everywhere. We used the cars for protection and for our source of snow chucks! We were out for hours. Then the group I was part of got the brilliant idea to go to Waffle House! We packed into someones car and drove to the restaurant. Erik played Christmas music on a tiny speaker in the middle of the table and snow was still falling outside, so I felt like I was in a movie, in a scene where inside was cozy and hanging out with friends in a small town diner, eating waffles was a real thing.

 

Time and time again the Lord amazes me. In the midst of the surprising moments like this, his presence is felt. Peacefully and unrelenting love fall like snow. Gentle yet so powerfully impacting. Beauty and Awe. Wondering and Wandering. Captivated and Cultivated. When the snow falls I see how amazingly wonderful God is. When the snow falls I see how creative he is. When the snow falls I see how he loves us so. When the snow falls I feel peace. When the snow falls I feel his presence. When the snow falls I embrace it. When the snow falls remember it. When the snow falls eat it! 😉

So yeah, that’s pretty much what happened on the magical, surprising SNOW DAY we had in Alabama on December 8th, 2017.

Picture Credit: Me 🙂

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Happy Reading ❤

AKE Writes

Hello. Goodbye.

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Date : 10-23-17                   Title: Hello. Goodbye.

 

I quickly spread apart the tattered lace curtains that hang from the widely open windows. Freshly picked sunflowers stand in a blue, glass vase in the foreground. Dusty light shines onto the kitchen table. Breakfast was scrumptious. A sip of creamy coffee and a kiss on the cheek from him marks the morning, so let the day begin.

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hello. goodbye.

embrace. let go.

our routine is everything.

back and forth.

nothing has ever changed.

one day after the other.

until …

 

the train tracks.

they carry you out of my sight.

greatly needed you set off.

will i ever be the same.

will i ever feel the same.

will i ever say hello the same.

we said goodbye and i let go of your hand.

farewell my love…

 

surely goodbye is not the end.

hello. hello.

over the hills I’ll go.

hello. hello.

i’ll wait until i know.

hello. hello.

i’ll never let go.

hello. hello…

 

is it you that my eyes perceive.

the one i adore is coming back to me.

it has been too long.

i should’ve came along.

never again goodbye. but forever hello.

forever embrace. and never again let go.

 

my darling,

hello.

– AKE Writes

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Remember the hello, more than the goodbye. Embrace the moment more than you dread the letting go.

The thought that came to mind when writing this short story/poem was to always remember the hello’s in life. The moments when you are together with someone you care about, whether that’s a friend or family member or whoever. Keep these times in your heart. Remember the hello’s more than the goodbye’s. Remember the good times in the kitchen baking cookies with mom, remember the not so good times in the kitchen when you burnt the cookies with mom. Remember the adventures, the laughter, the jokes, the failures. Embrace the moments.

What is one of the best hello’s you can remember?

Happy Reading,

AKE Writes ❤

Calmness

Date: 10/30/17    Time: 12:54pm

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Cold weather. Warm place. Parallel, horizontal rows of magazines are in view in front of me. I sit on a hardened, brown, long bench, with piles of books beside my feet. Random selection of music plays in the background. Sounds of conversation. Creaky door opening. Flipping of pages. Sounds all around and I feel so calmed by the quiet, random, distinctive distractions. Writing this seems to calm me also. Right now is a calming time in my day and I love it. Soon I’ll leave this little corner of calmness into the outer doors of aliveness.

{A.K.E. Writes}

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So, today after English class, I went to Barnes and Noble with the main goal of doing homework. But instead I got distracted by the beautiful covers and titles and art of the hundreds of magazines lined on the back side wall. Not saying that’s a good habit, to get distracted and all, but sometimes you just need to do something different 🙂

I grabbed an arm full of them and plopped down on a long, very hard bench. I don’t know why I described the bench to be “very hard” because aren’t all benches the same hardness? I don’t know just a thought, anyways. I grabbed a plethora of magazines about writing, poems, more writing, creativity, food, photography…

I sat and read. I sat and took notes. I sat and listened to peoples conversations. I sat and heard the music. I sat and wrote. I sat… and relaxed. It was calming to just sit in a quiet yet moving place to read and write, because these things are what I like to do.

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I have multiple places and things that make me wind down on any day.

A Place I love to go that gets me relaxed is in the outdoors. In the mountains, on a ranch full of horses, by a lake, in a field. I especially love to be where there are horses, even if it’s just watching them run around and play. This makes me so happy and is super relaxed and at peace, because it gets my mind off of the things I need to do, and focuses my attention on how awesome God is. I think of how a horse is majestic and strong yet so gentle. This reminds me go how God is. He is mighty, strong and so gentle and caring with us at the same time.

Things I love to do that get me relaxed include, writing, reading and riding horses and listening to music, roasting marshmallows, being with family.

What are some things you do, places you go that make you feel relaxed and calm?

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When was the last time you did nothing? I mean something that makes you calm, you can’t really do nothing, because if you’re breathing that’s doing something 😉

I mean when was the last time you did something where you didn’t think about work, school, your calendar, what you have to do tomorrow, who just texted you, things like that. It’s good to do something you love, go somewhere you love every once in awhile.

It disconnects you with the world for a moment and the possibility of connecting with the Lord.

 1 Chronicles 16:11 “Seek the Lord and the strength he gives! Seek his presence continually!”

Hope you set time aside in your day to do something, go somewhere relaxing, to be in the Lord’s presence.

 

❤ Happy Reading,

A.K.E. Writes

Replay Happiness

What You Long For Is Jesus

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She replays that day in her thoughts over and over. The music, laughter, friends, dancing, singing. It was a grand day in her thoughts, nothing seemed to have gone wrong. She was happy, in fact she is happy. But can one be happy and still long for more?

She sits, letting the sun and fresh air gleam to her face as she stares out her bedroom window. Her thoughts racing within her.

‘There must be such a place where love finds you no matter what… in the happy and sad, good and bad, ups and downs, smiles and frowns, ins and outs, laughs and pouts; could there be such a place?’

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If you’re always searching for happiness alone, you’ll never be satisfied. Jesus is all we need. He is what we long for. He provides us with our hearts desires, including happiness, if we take delight in Him. Look no further, because He is our happiness.

Psalm 37:4 NIV

– AKE Writes

{Written on 12-21-16}