healing in nature

I wake up every morning to natural sunlight (ya know, like a weirdo). Seriously, I leave my curtains and blinds open when I sleep so that the sunlight wakes me up. I do this because I love seeing the tail-end of the sun rising. Right when the sky is golden and bright, or when it looks a little like pink/orange sherbet, I get to witness this perfect gift that Heavenly Father has given me to start my day.
I believe that sunrises and sunsets are a visual representation of God's love for us. Not only are they incomprehensibly beautiful, always dependable, and a literal light, but sunrises and sunsets are unique and never the exact same. His love for us is completely personal and different for each of us.
Ever since I was young, I've felt at peace being in nature. Even though I grew up in Las Vegas, I lived in a part of town very close to the mountains and ski resort, and I would go on hikes with my parents every few weekends. Those moments in the trees are where I first can remember feeling the Lord's presence.
Adulthood is difficult, and has taken bits and pieces of me over the years. My mental health has fluctuated, I've been through heartaches, losses, moves, and countless other less-than-fun adult problems. Through all of this, I'm able to heal when I build my relationship with the Lord. I feel strength and peace when I feel the Lord's hand in my life, and allowing myself to be in places where I can feel Him the most is the greatest gift I have given to myself!

These places where I can feel Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are sometimes pretty predictable. Church, the temple, my home. However, I've found the Lord while my lungs are burning as I climb a steep mountainside. I've heard Him as I stand oceanside near the crashing waves. I've felt Him in the warm sunshine that peaks through enormous trees and lands delicately on my skin. I've found the Lord in His creations in nature, and I've been healed by Him through these experiences.

Everybody is at a different point in their journey with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. If you feel you don't know if God is there, take a step outside and witness His creations. I have never felt more beautiful, magnificent, or WHOLE than by stepping into holy places!
My holy places are the temple, and nature, and I hope you can find your holy places too.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We All Peak In High School

Image
Anyone who knows me knows that student council and leadership consume(d) my life (they still kind of consume my life). Being student body president, I attended "required" monthly presidents meetings where all of the student body presidents in Vegas would meet at one of the high schools in town about everything and anything student council. I put the quotes around "required" because I would have gone to those meetings whether we had to or not. I looked forward to them every single month! They were one time I could see some of my closest friends all together at once, and we got to talk about leadership. Does life even get better than that? We all became great friends very quickly. In my group of friends, there was this ongoing joke between the presidents that we all had peaked in high school. "We've already become presidents of our schools! It must all be downhill from here." As lighthearted as this joke was, it quickly became a real fear for many
Read more

TLTA: Comparison, Plans, Disappointment

Image
Hi friends, today let's talk about three things: comparison, making life plans, and big disappointments. I have a handful of people who are very curious about what on earth is happening in my life, and I'm writing this in part to address that. I have a heavy heart today. For the past 6 months, I've been working to get myself to Provo, UT to get my cosmetology license, and later finish my degree. It has been the most stressful thing applying, getting scholarships, finding housing, and a car. But, I've felt that it is what I need to do and where I need to be, so the stress has been bearable! The biggest challenge I've faced has been with my family. My dear parents have wanted/needed me home. And 5 days before I was supposed to be making my move to Provo on October 16th, my parents took my plan away from me. I don't want to dive into the dirty details, but it has been some of the hardest few days of my life having this taken away from me. Which brings me to o
Read more

TLTA: Technology, Priorities, Helping People

Image
Hi friends! Today let's talk about technology and how to use it more purposefully, shifting priorities, and how we can improve the way we help others. In my last post, I mentioned that I would be "unplugging" for a a time from social media and cut back a bit on technology in general, and it was INCREDIBLE. I recommend everyone doing this at least once every few months. I had no idea how addicted I was to the internet and my online image. It was so wonderful waking up in the morning and reading a book in bed instead of checking Twitter, and not fussing about what pictures to take to post on Instagram. Obviously I'm back on social media, but for a quick minute I considered deleting my accounts completely. I had the realization that the internet and social platforms are incredibly powerful and we have so much potential to do good with it! I believe the internet's sole purpose is to share good messages with the world. Messages of joy, hope, and knowledge! I encourag
Read more