One is One Too Many, One More is Never Enough

My favorite season is here. Finally. Fall.

Low Humidity & Crisp Air leads to great hair.

Boots, Scarves, and Cardigans are staples in my wardrobe.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes…well usually that would be a daily part of this time of year, but I have a promise with myself I shall NOT order one this Fall. “One is one too many, one more is never enough. It’s always your favorite sins that do you in.” Yes, I just applied Kenny’s song about a forbidden lover to a Starbucks drink, but I am sure if you have had this beverage you know you can’t resist them once your taste buds remember how yummy they are. But this year I have sworn them off. 

Sorry about the tangent, but back to Fall. 

My FAVORITE thing about fall is pumpkin carving.

My charming little family started a pumpkin carving tradition my freshman year of college over Fall Break. The first time I hung out with Klay Kelley, my sister’s current husband but at the time he was just a very new boyfriend we decided to carve pumpkins. He was exposed to my family’s quirky ways. Mainly mine. 

That year I carved Dick Cheney’s face.

Fall of Sophomore Year I carved a deer hunting scene, which is most definitely my most impressive one.

Fall of Junior Year I carved a kitty cat.

And this fall I carved a lion.

Pumpkin carving, like most things in life begins with a plan. A sketch, an idea, a dream. As you start cutting, you keep chugging along until you realize oops. I should not have cut there; I stepped out of the boundaries that were planned, into a “danger zone”. Some of these mistakes just lead to little modifications to the plan; the dream is still in sight. But other cuts, mess more up than is repairable. The plan and ultimate goal changes entirely. You cannot make the cut look like a hair bow anymore, it must be cut out entirely to create something different.

I often wonder how often I step out of the lines of God’s plan in my life. When I don’t trust Him fully, to let people come in or out of my life, or to hold on and try harder to succeed, I mess up my design that He planned. The plan of our Maker is for the best. It is so comforting that when I epically fail or step in the wrong direction, He is there to create something beautiful out of my mistakes. 

This Fall I really want to see pumpkins as a reminder to surrender to Him. I want to let go of control and allow Him to carve me into the best possible me.

“Faith is not knowing what the future holds, but knowing who holds the future”. 

-SJP