Where There Are Octobers: An Introduction

the glory of autumn in South Mountains State Park, NC

Hello and welcome to my latest foray into blogging. It's been a few years since I've dipped my toes into this pool, but the chaos of 2020 has stirred in me a renewed interest in writing and a curiosity that searches for the joy of the Lord in the everyday moments of my life, and so here I am again.

By way of introduction, my name is Stefanie, and I'm a youth services librarian in North Carolina. As you might guess of any librarian, I spent my childhood adventuring through the pages of my favorite books, and while I found many kindred spirits in the characters I met, the delightful imagination of one particular redhead taught me to see the beauty around me. I'm speaking of course of Anne of Green Gables, and one of my favorite quotes from that plucky heroine is the inspiration for this blog. On a lovely fall day, Anne remarks to Marilla upon seeing the gorgeous trees surrounding Green Gables, "I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill—several thrills?" I can't say for certain that Anne would agree with me that October truly is the most beautiful month, but I know we share a deep love for the bold reds, golds, and oranges that October brings, and we share something else. 

Anne has a knack for seeing beauty in the details of the world around her and inviting others to revel in that beauty, and that's what I want to do with this blog. In a year that's been hard for most of us, I want to invite you to join me on a journey where we seek out the beauty of everyday life and the Giver of that beauty. Maybe it's the bright yellow maple tree on your street corner. Maybe it's the piping hot cup of coffee you relish before starting a busy day. Maybe it's that song that pops on the radio that you haven't heard in fifteen years that causes you to get lost in a pleasant memory of days gone by. James 1:17 says that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change," and I believe that all those daily moments of beauty are gifts from our loving Father to show us that no matter how hard life gets, He is with us, and we can find joy in Him even in the darkest of times. 

That's what I want to do in this space. I want to highlight those moments of joy that God brings into the details of my life and the gratitude those moments bring to my soul. In an homage to my kindred spirit Anne, each post will begin with "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are..." followed by something that's come across my path recently that caused me to pause and thanks God. So at the end of my favorite month, let's begin this journey and be thankful that we live in a world with Octobers, maple trees, coffee, music, and more. Let's look for surprise glimpses of our Creator around every corner.