welcome back friends!
Congratulations, you've made your way back to my corner of the world-wide internet where I yap about pictures in cool places! Today's location is one that I love and is pretty well-known (for obvious reasons LOL). Cooper's Rock is located in Morgantown, WV, not far from WVU, and it's the perfect stop to add to your list. I actually took my students on a field trip to tour WVU and to see Cooper's Rock recently. It was such a fun day, I definitely recommend it as a day-trip because it's not very much hiking but gives you a great view AND photo-op OF COURSE!
Cooper's Rock State Forest is extremely beautiful year-round, but in the Fall... literally breathtaking. The first time I went was in the Fall and I've been hooked ever since.
Finding joy in the chaos
Bryce + Carley were the most fun! Every time a couple shows up chill and down for a good time, we make magic. Their photos felt like the calm part of a movie, young and innocent joy, enjoying the moment they're in. The beauty of that is the reality that life doesn't stay calm very long just like the movies (minus the guaranteed happy ending). Now for some, this reality is terrifying. I mean, who loves change? It's hard to adapt, to learn, and to move on. We spend so much time trying to catch up with everything. It's almost like life is moving faster than we can keep up. All of your friends are getting married or having kids or seem to have it all figured out and no matter what stage of life you're in, you feel behind. This can be a crippling logic if you let it overwhelm you and paralyze you, but you could take a different approach and use it as motivation. Instead of constantly trying to catch up, why not must enjoy the moment you're in with excitement for the future?
My ADHD brain has a hard time staying in the moment. I'm always looking on to the next thing. I try to fill my life with good things, but I must admit I love to stay on the go. Between photography, school, long-distance fiancé/friends, and church, life is busy. I love the chaos, but in devotion, God brought a Scripture to my mind. "Be still and know that I am God:" -Psalm 46:10. God sees your busy life and all that you do. He knows you're weary and doing your best, but in these busy moments it's our responsibility to be still and know. I think about the story in 1 Kings 19 where God spoke with a still small voice. You can't hear a whisper when there's noise surrounding you. Have you ever played telephone? That game is so fun and always ends with some good laughs. It's also a good reminder that it takes commitment to hear clearly. If God spoke to you in a whisper, would you be still enough to hear it, or would life be so busy that you wouldn't have a chance to slow down? We make excuses for ourselves because the things we're doing are good things and they have to get done, but the danger is that we allow our lives to become focused on acts of service, and not the One the service is for. In Luke 10 we read the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus had come to their house and it was common for the host to feed their guests so much work needed to be done to prepare the meal. Martha begins working and gets frustrated when she sees her sister Mary sitting at Jesus' feet instead of helping her in the kitchen. "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:41-42. If I would honestly insert myself into this story, I'd say I'm Martha. In life, things have to get done. In church, it takes work to prepare and serve people. I find myself having a hard time when I read this story because my heart breaks for Martha. I'm sure she was thinking to herself, "I'd much rather be in there talking to Jesus but we can't all have that luxury, because then there'd be no food." The issue was never that Martha was working, however. The problem was that she prioritized her acts of service over a relationship with Jesus. Sometimes we may get caught up in the busyness of life, or maybe the acts of service are used as an excuse to dismiss devotion. Whatever place we are in, we must remember to be still and know that He is God. If we are too busy for devotion, then things need reevaluated because nothing is worth sacrificing a relationship with Jesus. If you want rest while still in the middle of chaos, turn to Jesus. If you need a miracle mentally, spiritually, or physically, turn to Jesus. It's not a single prayer that we say once. It's inviting the Creator of everything we know into our situation and into our lives. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33. "The Lord shall renew their strength" - Isaiah 40:31. Seek Him first. Be still and know, and He will take care of you. He will provide every need and bless you beyond what you can imagine.
