The Pursuit of Happiness & Seasons of Change.

There's no combination of words I could use to describe the rollercoaster of emotion the last week has been: from heartbreak & betrayal to victory & redemption. I lifted my eyes to God and cried out to the hills. My refuge, my shelter! The source of my strength! 

To everything there is a season & a time and place under the sun. To live, to die. To plant, to harvest. To mourn, to dance. To keep & let go. // Ecclesiastes 3:1-8


There are dozens of ways I've wanted to share this post with you guys and for days I thought of an array of titles and words but here it is: I'm officially moving to Richmond. After years of hoping & dreaming, months of saving, weeks of planning and countless days of praying, I am moving to the city that has had my heart for the past five years. But as I prepared for the move by finalizing paperwork for jobs and sealing the deal for apartments, God saw an area that needed more attention.
"Corey, why do you go through so many friends?" - the words that have haunted me since this weekend. I've noticed that some people come and go in my life but it never really bothered my until it was brought to my attention. Why? What was it? after all, I lived my life to serve and help others. But once, God saw me drowning in the abyss of own worries, chuckled & said, "Seasons, my child. This is a season of purging."

I thought about Jesus and all the miracles performed, the blind who were healed, the sick who were healed, the nonbelievers who were converted. After Christ made changes in their lives, he didn't say "shoot me a text & we'll hang some time!" or "hit me up and we'll grab a cup of coffee." Oftentimes, He told them, "Rise & go." This week I learned that people leave. Sometimes for no reason. And it's nothing to do with us. It's because they aren't needed in the next places we are destined to go. They have served their purpose and God has chiseled them out of our lives. He knows the upcoming chapters in our lives and knows who we'll need and what tools we'll need. I'm thankful for friends who are still on the journey with me & I see a future with skyscrapers, neonlights & a sky that refuses to fall.


& these are the days of gratitude.

Today & always, I am grateful for the loving, growing, daily relationship I have with Christ. Oftentimes, I find myself sinking in a sea of wrong turns and bad decisions or blinded by pride and weighed down with guilt, but in Him I find shelter, favor and lovingkindness. From the mountaintops to the valleys to the local record store, Your love surrounds us, loud & red. Thank you for your endless mercies and boundless grace. 

to You, I am forever indebted.

Today & always, I am thankful for the small college town that has been my home for the past fifteen months. After graduating from Averett,  I was eager to make Danville my home & everyday has been an adventure. I am grateful for the friends I have gained and lost, my cozy apartment, the bills that came too soon, the rooftops that became gathering spots, the coffee-shops that have housed stories, the fountain that has been a listening ear, the bars that have held memories for my brothers and friend, and the growth I have experienced as a artist, writer, Christian and a friend. Although I am excited to begin a new chapter in the city of my dreams & it saddens me to leave, I am eager to return to Danville with a pocket full of stories to bring back and share.

Today & always, I am thankful for my health, my family, and my southern roots which have been the basis of my character (also for sweet tea, lemonade & sitting on front porches.) I am thankful for the road trips, small towns & the cities that hold a special place in my heart.

Today & always, I am thankful for bad days and memories, for they are the basis of a better future. For the ability to help and serve others and for grace & mercy and second chances & beginnings. I am thankful for my family & friends, for without them and God, I would be lost.

I am thankful for all the little things that make day-to-day special. like coffee and donuts and bare feet and brunch. for hammocks and lazy days and intimacy and touch. for art and books and acoustic music and film and blogs and stories and sports and solitude.

Finally, I am most thankful for supporters and friends like you guys. Thank you for inspiring me and allowing me to inspire you.