It's that time of year again...

The time of year where everything gets just a little bit warmer than it was in June, July 4th comes around, lightning bugs finally make an appearance, sunsets are crazy beautiful, everything smells like bonfire, and no matter what, windows are (and should be) rolled down with some type of music coming through the speakers. 

And maybe it's just me, but this time of year makes me love the midwest. 

Now, I am aware that I might be crazy, because who doesn't love mountains or the beach (I know I do), and I know that you can catch lightning bugs pretty much anywhere, but honestly I love seeing that sun set over acres of corn. I love seeing the tractors travel down the road on the way to work...even though that means I have to eventually figure out how to pass them, I love it regardless. I also love the county fairs, where anything and everything is deep fried, it smells like dirt and far too many animals, and the people...well for me, are just really fun to watch. (Go to one, you'll figure it out.) 

Ever hear the saying, "Bloom where you're planted"? 

I think it might just be a good idea to actually do that.

So often I look too far ahead. I want to live there, do this, meet them, experience that..yada yada yada..

And maybe I will do all those things, but for right now I'm learning to be here, and to enjoy being here. 

Here. In the good ol' state of Illinois. With people that have known me all my life. Doing the same basic summer thing I've always done. And honestly I do like it.

I had coffee with a pretty cool lady this past week, and as I listened to her tell part of her story of how she was going in one direction, and God took her a totally different one, and how if someone had told her when she was my age that she'd end up in Illinois, there was no way she would have believed them, I laughed to myself, because I think God loves to do that. Not that he likes to make us miserable by changing our carefully constructed plans, but I think he loves to reveal his plans for our lives that far exceed our own. I think he loves to take us to places and have us look back on our lives wondering how on earth we got to that place when it was so far from what we saw and had planned for our futures, and to realize that the place we’ve ended up is so far better than what we had initially wanted and planned.

And who knows, maybe the Lord will take me to the mountains, or the ocean, and I definitely wouldn't hate either of those one bit, but for right now I'm here, learning to "Bloom where I'm planted," and catching glimpses of all things beautiful that this home state has to offer.