I LOVE fall! To me, fall means pumpkins, apples, sunflowers, hay bales, festivals and very comfy leggings and sweaters. It means cute long dresses for church and fallen leaves crunching under my feet. Fall also means we’re even closer to Christmas which is my favorite time of the year. Until then, we have Halloween (which is a little too dark and evil for me) and thanksgiving of course where we eat… everything.

Everyone is always describing the browning leaves and bare trees of fall, and while it’s true there’s a lot to see during fall, there’s also a lot to take in with your other senses.

As a blind person, I feel like people care so much about sight as what they call the “superior sense” that they miss all the other senses that are so valuable for taking in the world around them. Here’s my fall challenge to you. Go outside on a crisp fall day and start by smelling the air. Each season has a smell and, in my area, fall smells woodsy with the changing of the leaves and harvesting of crops. Listen to the sounds around you. The air sounds different. You can hear the leaves falling off the trees and scraping along the ground as they’re tossed by the wind. It gets quieter because birds are flying away for winter and kids are occupied with fall activities instead of waiting outside for the ice cream truck or playing kick ball. You can feel the fall breeze blowing around you and as time goes on you can feel the temperature dropping with each passing day. When you bite into a fresh apple or sip your pumpkin spice latte you’ll be experiencing the taste of fall.

I’ve had asthma all my life and I’ve been dealing with some other health issues lately which is why I’m excited for the mild weather of fall. I like things on the cooler side, not freezing and not hot, so spring and fall are the perfect seasons for me. I’m really looking forward to putting on a cute fuzzy sweater and stepping out into the chilly weather.

Now to catch you up on my summer. In some ways this was the worst summer of my life and in other ways it was the best. Working at Urban Impact summer camp in Pittsburgh was definitely a rewarding challenge dealing with kids who have a lot of behavioral problems and family hardships. God did a lot in me during that time, and I hope that Gospel seeds was also planted in the hearts of the kids.

Abbi already mentioned our Pittsburgh trip which is honestly what got me through the second half of that summer. My Colorado trip to meet Stephanie May Wilson was honestly one of the best trips in my life, and to top it off I got to go to California to visit Abbi in August. I’m hoping to go back in the fall. I love that there are so many things to do in California and I’m looking forward to going to Disney Land in what I call my “functional weather.”

As I mentioned earlier, I also got a health diagnosis at the end of the summer which confirmed a lot of things I’ve always suspected. I have something going on with my heart that’s a little scary but not life-threatening. I’m grateful that God has known about this from the beginning of time and already has the situation under control. In the fall, I have several appointments to get more information and hopefully resolve the issue.

Also, in the fall I hope to start seriously selling my art. I’ve been doing ceramics in a studio for a little over a year and I love it! I’ve already sold several pieces and volunteered to make a Christmas basket for a fund-raiser. I’m really excited that people want to buy my art and that my family is really proud of me for the things I’ve been doing.

God is also doing a lot of work in me as I mentioned in my self-control post. He has called me to obedience and commitment to him and to pursue missions. I’m learning how to be obedient by working on my daily habits with God like communicating with Him through prayer and reading my bible and I’m preparing for what He has next for me. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be having my last wisdom tooth removed (ouch) and having my passport renewed for upcoming missions adventures with my pastor! I’m really excited.

In the meantime, though, as we move into fall, I’ll be here writing and creating, chai latte in hand. I’m praying you have a great fall full of all the traditions we love in this season and some new experiences to keep life interesting. Maybe you’ll even go outside and find out what fall sounds and smells like for yourself.

Katelyn