HEY FRIEND!

Oh, how I’ve missed you. I’ve been thinking about you a ton. How are you doing? How was your summer? I can’t believe it’s fall already!

Fun fact about me—fall is my favorite season. If I feel even the slightest breeze or see a leaf drift to the ground, I immediately declare it sweater season. But mind you, I live in South Texas, so the heat kicks in midday, and I’m sweating bullets. Or should I say, I put the SWEAT inSWEATer. Okay, sorry—that wasn’t funny.

Anyway, summer moved at the speed of light (but then again, life in general tends to do that).Taking a moment to breathe and reflect is something I’ve learned is so vital.

With that being said, I’m currently in the grand city of Nashville, Tennessee, sitting on my hotel balcony. If you see a blonde-headed girl with mismatched pajamas and hair pointing seventeen different directions—that’s probably me.

Although I might look a little crazy, I’m currently writing this blog. And just like I feel the slight breeze or see the leaves touching the ground, I also see God’s fingerprints on everything I do. Sometimes my vision is a little blurry, but I have faith that He’s in it all.

I’d love to catch you up on all the adventures, hardships, and blessings the Lord has walked me through over the past several months. And if you remember my last blog, you already know how much I love bullet points. So, buckle up!

• May: My band and I flew up to Canada for a show and tried a mysterious dish called poutine.The base of the dish is a bed of fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. It was very salty—but the people of Canada were not! They were some of the sweetest souls I’ve ever met. Funny story: I ran out to perform the first song (“Point of View”) and leaned down to hold a girl’s hand. She accidentally bumped the mic into my face, and it chipped my front tooth. LOL. I still haven’t gotten it fixed. But honestly, every time my tongue brushes the ridges of my raggedy tooth, all I can think about is how much fun we had. I’m so grateful I get to sing and dance alongside you guys.

• June: My family and I moved closer into town. My dad dove headfirst into his “DIY era,” so we renovated our new house together. My brothers and I sanded, prepped, painted our rooms, changed out every knob and light fixture, built walls, tore others down—it was a full-on family construction zone. I even managed to lock myself in the bathroom. Still not sure how that happened.

• July: Oh my goodness, a lot happened in July—several festivals, shows, (and something else I can’t tell you about just yet). K-LOVE invited me and several other artists to a retreat deep in the Georgia woods, where we could breathe, rest, and connect again. It was magical. My band and I sprinted through airports, had delayed flights, and shed many tears along the way. It was a long month, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I got to meet so many of you (my favorite part!) and was reminded—once again— that I can only do this if I truly lean on the Lord for strength.

• August: I played a few more shows, went to the Kansas City Zoo, and wrote one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written (more on that soon). I spent sweet time with loved ones and made a few IKEA trips to give my new room a little facelift.

Although there were many highs, there were also many lows. I’m beyond grateful that I get to travel and sing songs that bring joy and light to this world—but we’re all human at the end of the day. We all have baskets of dirty clothes, open the fridge for milk only to find the carton empty, daydream at red lights, get goosebumps when we hear a chorus we love, and experience loneliness, stress, doubt, and insecurities. But if we take a moment to look around, we can find beauty in the little things.

You see, God is in it all. He’s with us every step of the way. And when we experience hard things, I wonder if that’s God’s way of reminding us that we can’t do this life on our own. We can rest assured knowing that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

Okay, do you remember August’s bullet point when I said I wrote one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written? Funny enough, that song is all about this very truth: that God is with us and has never once left our side. It’s called “Always Mine”, and it comes out October 31! I’m so excited for you to hear it.

Until we meet again, I’d love to leave you with the “Always Mine” chorus. I hope you take time to pause and reflect on God’s goodness—He’s singing these words over you. 🙂

“I have not left you, I never will

Was with you then and I’m with you still

I go before you and behind

I’m always yours and you’re always Mine

And when you feel you’re walking in the dark

You’re not alone, you’re right here in My arms

Every day, for all your life

I’m always yours and you’re always Mine”

Talk soon, I love you, now go shine,