writingsofwinchesters

[writingsofwinchesters]

tail lights in a hailstorm

One of my favorite things in my life currently is participating in my church’s high school youth group. For nearly five years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside students, watching them grow, learn, and connect with Christ. By grace alone, I get to be a part of a community that works hard to encourage,  to love, and build up these students as they progress through a really hard and transformative season.

It happens to be really freaking fun too.

Every year, the youth group goes on a summer trip. Each time, that week I get to spend in the wilderness is simultaneously the most exhausting and yet the most refreshing experience of my summer. It’s full of community, adventure, and heart work. During that week, I am certain, down in my bones, that this is what I was meant for. There is nothing like it.

For summer 2018, we traveled to a camp just outside of Centennial, Wyoming. Leaders were asked if they wanted to volunteer to drive and I jumped on the opportunity. I like driving and it seemed like a good chance to serve the students and my fellow leaders. I also wouldn’t have to jockey for a spot in the vans throughout the entire trip. I was assigned one of our three 15-passenger vans and we took off on our adventure.

Eight hours of interstate driving, a mini thunderstorm, and one missed turn later (completely my fault), we arrived at the camp in the Wyoming wilderness. The week did not disappoint.

The trip home was much more eventful than the trip out and seemed to take much longer. Instead of staying in our van order, there was a lot of mixing it up, with one of the drivers taking off in the front - so fast the other two of us lost track of him. Then, as we were driving back through western Nebraska, we drove right into a huge summer storm.

Now - I absolutely adore thunderstorms. Remember the storm that cancelled the first Husker football game last season? I was driving back home from Omaha as it was starting and I quite literally cackled the whole way because I couldn’t get over how fantastically gorgeous the clouds and the rain and the lightning were. The power behind a storm is so vividly breathtaking. I see God in them. I’m filled with awe.

So, at first, I was excited. Every chance I had I was gazing at the clouds and the sky. And, for awhile, it was beautiful. 

Then, the traffic slowed to a crawl and the hail started, so thick it blanketed the ground like snow. It mixed with the rain and pounded the windows. I cranked the wipers as high as they would go and gripped the steering wheel tightly, acutely aware that I had fifteen mamas’ babies in the car with me and I needed to get them home safe. A semi barreled down the left lane and threw such a huge and sudden wave of hail across the windshield, I nearly swore aloud. That would have gone over well in a van full of youth group kids.

The wind pushed the van tighter to the white line and I held my position at 10 and 2 and stared at the tail lights ahead of me. All I could think about was how thankful I was that I was not the one leading our little caravan and that I was directly behind the other van. I watched that van’s tail lights for indication - when they lit up, I braked, when they got farther away, I cautiously nudged the gas pedal. When I couldn’t see the white lines on either side, I matched my wheels up to those two little red bulbs.  

It was nearly an hour before we were out of the storm and parked at our lunch stop. I remember stepping out of the van with shaking legs and a pounding heart. I found the driver of that other van as quick as I could and told him, “Thank you so much for leading! I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t.”    

I can’t remember when I drew this connection. I don’t know if I was thinking of it while I was driving that day or if it came to me when I was listening to Fix My Eyes by Kings Kaleidoscope a few weeks later or God prompted me when studying His Word. But now, today, it is very clear what God was trying to teach me with that experience. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  -- Hebrews 12:1-2

Just like those tail lights were my guide during the storm, how much more so should Jesus be our focus in daily life? He can see much farther ahead than we can. He adores us and chose us to be His. He sacrificed everything for us, surely we can trust Him to lead us through the storms of life. He has proved over and over again that He can handle it.

I’ll admit the metaphor isn’t perfect. Jesus is not ahead in the distance, untouchable. We don’t have to wait until the end of the road to express our gratitude to Him. He is a personal God. He’s closer than the closest friend, sitting right next to us in the van. He is knowable and wants to know us. And we sure as heck aren’t driving our own life. If we’ve surrendered our lives to Him, He has the steering wheel, and he’s guiding our lives through the storm.

But He is God. And God is infinite. So maybe He’s both. Maybe He’s before us and beside us. Maybe He’s even more and He’s behind us too. So maybe it’s possible to keep our eyes fixed on the Jesus ahead of us, all while holding the hand of the Jesus beside us and remembering the faithfulness of the Jesus behind us.

There will be storms in life. I can promise that. There will be huge semi’s that come by and throw up sheet of hail with such unexpectedness that we react instinctively. Things will get hard and we will tire ourselves out thinking of all that we must do to keep the tires between the white lines and all that is at stake if we don’t. 

Dear friend, hasn’t Jesus made it simple for us? Hasn’t He taken the lead and asked us to follow? Don’t misunderstand me; simple and easy are not the same thing. We have one job, one task to remember - to follow Him - but that doesn’t mean that every day it’ll be easy to pick up our cross and walk. 

Grace upon grace, what does Jesus promise us? 

Perfect peace.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

- Isaiah 26:3

 An intimate connection with Him. 

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

- Psalm 62:8

Refinement. 

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

- Philippians 1:6

Eternity. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

- John 3:16

Yes, He is the first and the last. He is behind and before. He is God with us. Hallelujah!

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

- Deuteronomy 31:8

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

- Revelation 2:8

Here’s the tricky part: how do we actually do this? How do we actually fix our eyes on Jesus daily?

Man, I was hoping you’d have the answer to that one. 

It’s hard. I definitely don’t have all the answers. I wish I could give you a three-step process that works all the time. But we’re fickle, fallible humans and I don’t think we’ll ever get it perfect on this side of life. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. So, here’s a few things that have been recommended to me and seem to help.

Connect with God consistently. Think of a time in your life when you felt so connected to God and the closest you’ve ever been to Him. Or even a specific moment. What were you doing? Who did you surround yourself with? What did your life look like that looks different now? If you aren’t sure, ask those you know connect with God frequently and ask how they do it. Then try it out for yourself. For me, it’s nature. I connect deeply with God through His creation, so I spend time in it and I do things to help it.

Think about how you use your free time. What do you do first? Get caught up on Instagram stories? Maybe try talking to God or spending time in His Word during those moments. There are a ton of free bible apps you can download to your phone. His Word can be just as accessible as your social media accounts. Build a discipline of going to Him first. (I’M REALLY BAD AT THIS.) I’m telling this to myself too. 

Put reminders of God everywhere. Physical ones. Sticky notes with encouraging verses on your computer at work or in the doorway as you leave home or on your mirror or in your car or on your fridge. Put them EVERYWHERE. You’ll see them all the time and Jesus will be on your mind that much more.

Focus takes effort and practice. But He is my goal. I want to be watching Him so closely that I imitate His every move. Thanks for joining me on this journey. What do you do to connect with God and keep your mind fixed on Him?

[writingsofwinchesters]

THIS IS THE WEIRDEST THING EVER.

[writingsofwinchesters]

reflection on resolutions

New year, new me.

Meh.

I’m pretty undecided on New Year’s resolutions. (I’m pretty undecided on a lot of things, to be honest. But I’m getting better.) Mine rarely seem to stick. The only one I’ve ever really kept up is journaling every day. I dabbled with journaling as I grew up. It was sporadic and mostly along the lines of: dear diary, I like this boy, I hope he asks me out *heart eyes, heart eyes*. But about six years ago, I began to realize how much of my memories tend to either bury themselves deeply in my brain or just fall through the cracks to be lost forever. I resolved to actually remember my life, to have real memories to share with my kids and grandkids when they ask what it was like growing up in the ‘90s and ‘00s. I figured writing about it every day would really help. At least, I could look back on my journals and read about my days, even if I end up forgetting them completely. I’m not perfect at this, but usually I journal every day and have for the past six years. But for many years, my resolution had something to do with eating better and exercising more. I haven’t done either of those consistently since high school and even then it was questionable. This year, though, I’m kind of over making the same resolution to make my body meet some unachievable standard.

Another trendy, resolutiony type-thing I’ve seen many people do is choose a word to describe their year. I’m also undecided on this. I really like this idea of simplifying your focus to one word at the beginning of the year. On the other hand, I think it’s nearly impossible to look back on the year you’ve just lived and determine only one word to describe all of it. At least, it is for me.

2018 was messy. It was hard, painful, and residually achy. It was confusing and frustrating, hopeless and lonely. But it was also freaking beautiful. It was growth, fresh air, and new things. It was healing, rediscovery, passion, and purpose. It was full and bursting with life.

How in the world can I summarize all that into one word? I can’t. I’m not going to try. In fact, I’m holding myself back from writing even more about 2018. There is no word that encapsulates the entire year.

Even though I can’t determine a word to describe the past year, I still wanted to decide on a word to narrow my focus for this next year. I know it will not describe my entire 2019. There is much to come this year that I am totally unaware of. It will likely be hard and also beautiful. Life tends to be intrinsically oxymoronic and I won’t try to make every piece fit within this one limited term. But I did want to focus my actions, my energy, my goals on one singular word. I prayed about it, asking my Creator what He thinks and what He wants to do in my heart and my life in 2019. I am trusting the results of this year in His very-capable hands.

Turns out, it’s not just one word.

Ha. Not unexpected. Also, like, God is really funny. Have you ever noticed that before?

Two words came to me as I reflected on this. The first was “intention”. As in, living really intentionally. Putting sincere thought into how I live and what I do. This came from a blogger/writer I follow on Instagram. In November, she shared a lot about the homemade marriage retreat she and her husband put together over Thanksgiving. They planned and organized a weekend where they learned about each other, reflected on their marriage, and talked about how they could love each other better. I was absolutely blown away by the intentionality of it, the purpose and sincerity of it. Then, just before the end of the year, she shared the reflection and planning questions she and her husband discuss at the end of each year. Again, I was struck by how intentional it was. And I was just hit by a desire to do that. To live with that intentionality and purpose. Right now, not just in the future. Purpose and intentionality feels like a breath of fresh air.

So, I thought I was set. Intention. Cool. Let’s go 2019!

But then.

Another word entered my head.

Well.

That’s it. Literally “well”. It came from a culmination of many things, a slow discovery of how unhealthy and unwell I was living in many areas. Part of it was something I was not able to control, but some of it was within my control. I realized how sick I was of being unhealthy. Sick and tired of being sick and tired. This year, I am so ready to be healthy, joyful, and content in my own skin and circumstances.

I couldn’t decide between the two. Reminder: I am indecisive. Yet, I discovered that they actually go together pretty well.

This year, I want to live Intentionally Well.

What does that mean? In short, I want to be proactive and sincere in being and living healthy. I want to live well and be well, taking steps each day with sincere, proactive intention.

What does that look like? I will pursue relationships with family and friends with a focus on the other and a goal of showing the love of Christ. I will allow these humans to be supportive, encouraging, and helpful to me without feeling guilty about it, because that’s how God designed deep community. I will endeavor to take good care of what the Lord has given me - my dog, my apartment, my body, my heart, among many other things. I will care for Charlie and praise God for the joy of caring for His creation. I will keep my home as a warm and tidy space for rest, for invitation, and for a safe haven. I will exercise and feed my body well because it feels good, it allows me to do what the Lord has laid before me and do it well, and it’s another piece of His creation that I am privileged to care for. I will nourish my weary heart with time spent with my Creator and Savior and rest in His goodness and His love. I will chase the passions and interests He has curated in my mind. Above all, I will be content in Him in any circumstance, because He is above them and unchanged by them. Above all, I will grow in the knowledge of my God and experience the soul-satisfaction that only He can give.

That’s a long list. And I know I will in no way reach all these goals perfectly this year. There will be days where I drink too much soda, where I won’t have time to take Charlie on a walk, where I let the dishes pile up, or I fail the people around me. But I think the final important part of living intentionally well is giving grace and kindness towards myself. Especially in those times when I fail. Jesus does not condemn me. Therefore, I will not condemn me. In those times, I will rest in the grace Jesus lavishes upon me and praise Him because His mercies are new every morning.

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  -- Lamentations 3:21-23

[writingsofwinchesters]

what mountains taught me about identity

This past summer, my sister and I road-tripped to a little town called Dillon in the heart of Summit County, Colorado for vacation. The only thing we planned ahead of time was the Airbnb. The rest of the trip was spontaneous. One day we hiked the Tenderfoot trail, another we visited the local farmer’s market, another we walked up and down the tourist-trap main street of Frisco, and yet another we attended a church service at a outdoor amphitheater. We let each day kind of just happen - and it was my favorite.

The entire trip was one of the most restful and peaceful experiences of my life. One of the best parts was the absolutely stunning, panoramic view of the mountains from the balcony of our condo, second only to the fact I got to spend that time with my sister. I can’t quite describe how incredible it was to be able to sit out there for hours, reading, talking, journaling, watching the sunset, and just being still with my gaze on the mountains in awe.

Fun fact: the first draft of this post was written on that balcony. I wanted to capture some of the peace and awe I felt in one of the most tangible ways I know how - through words.

I have a confession to make. It may be obvious from my social media posts, but just so it’s out there explicitly.

I am fanatically in love with mountains.

I don’t know if I can quite explain why. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try. Something about them simultaneously quiets my soul and also, like, yells at me. Like “SOAK IN THIS SERENITY. PAY ATTENTION AND REST NOW.” A little paradoxical, I’ll admit, but it’s a heady, mesmerizing mixture of feelings that I can never get enough of. I could literally spend all eternity just staring at them.

I know it sounds strange, but I miss the mountains. I nearly cried as we were leaving Dillon. As we wound down to Denver, I spent more time than I should have watching the mountains shrink in the mirrors of my car. For context - I was the one driving. For sure not the safest time to be staring out the window. (Do not mention this to my sister, by the way; she’d retroactively scold me to keep my eyes on the road.) I choked back tears as we got past Denver and I discovered I could no longer see the mountains on the horizon. My heart ached at the fact that I would not see them again for over a year. This strange kind of heartache doesn’t really make sense, but it was heartache nonetheless.

Admitting all that makes me feel a bit ridiculous. Maybe it made you laugh or shake your head in confusion. Maybe you feel the same way I do. I still don’t quite understand why I feel this way. I mean, they are just formations of sculpted rock and earth, right? Why do I feel so connected to them, like they’re living, breathing things?

As I process through that feeling, I begin to wonder if it has to do with how connected to God I feel when I’m in the mountains. He is so real to me there. I feel Him in the cool, thin air. I see Him in the snowy mountain peak that breaks apart the sky. I hear Him in the quiet stillness as the jagged rock blocks and muffles the sounds of busy city life.  

But, like, the mountains themselves, though. They’re just stunning.

First of all, mountains are gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking. And not just because of the thinner air up there. Ba dum tiss. I know God is the most beautiful being in all existence because I see His beauty in how He molded the mountains and how He paints the sky around them. If His creation is that beautiful, how much more beautiful must the Creator be? For God to imagine up this beauty, He must be fantastically beautiful Himself.

Second, mountains are just so freaking majestic. And MASSIVE. I am fully aware of my tiny humanity when I gaze at the miles and miles of mountains. Just one mountain can take up my entire field of vision and even the smallest one exhausts me quickly when I try to scale it. The peaks stretch up to the sky and skim the clouds. We can’t build something that tall (we’ve tried - hello, Tower of Babel). There’s also something...unassuming and bold about a mountain, too. It’s not flashy or showy. It just sits there, confident and quiet, knowing it is one of God’s most incredible creations. That’s God too. He is majesty. He is enormous. He is the Most High King. His reach expands the entire universe. He is infinite. I can’t even fathom how big He is or how much He sees. He proclaims His glory in His creation - quiet yet bold. He is confident in His perfection and glory. His reach is not only wide but deep. He is personal enough to know every little detail of the life, body, and heart that He has given each of us.

Third, mountains are really complex and diverse. Some have rounded peaks, while others poke holes in the clouds. They are covered in millions of trees - pine, aspen, fir, and so many more. Their needles and leaves combine to become a blur of green around the base. Some mountains are short enough the trees and grass grow all the way to the top. Others are too tall that plant life can’t survive on the top piece, and they become warm brown rock with a snowy-white cap. Or maybe they’re slate-grey or even a blended brownish pink. Imagine all the animal life that exists on that one mountain! There’s so much detail in that delicate balance and God knows every single piece of it. What a mind our God has to create such diversity! He was intentional to place each rock and tree and animal and crevice and snow just exactly how He wants it. He put so much care and deliberation into His creation.

He crafted the mountains as a display of His glory and His majesty. How freaking amazing!

Phew. I need to take a deep breath for a second. I get way too excited about mountains.

Whoosh. Okay, back at it.

Since that’s how God created the mountains, unaware pieces of earth, what does that say about how He created us, moving, growing beings to whom He has given the breath of life? We are His creation, just like the mountains, and not only that, we are the crowning jewel of His creation, the final piece.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”  -Genesis 1:26-27

We are the only thing in all of creation that was formed in His image, created to bear His likeness and have dominion over the rest. Up until this point, He called His creation good, which includes the mountains. Do you know what He says on the sixth day, after He created us? “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) What does that say about our identity?

Identity is a common human struggle. I think it’s something we all search for out of a desire to be known deeply by someone other than ourselves. As I was growing up, I tried to find identity in being the best at everything I did. I had to be the smartest student, the most athletic volleyball player, the most popular kid in class, and the prettiest girl. To assess this, I developed a habit of comparing myself to others constantly.

Of course, I never met this impossible standard I set for myself. There was always someone smarter, someone more athletic, someone more popular, someone prettier. My reaction to this realization was to berate myself. Suck it up, I’d tell myself, work harder, be better. When that didn’t work, I turned to relationships with others to prove my value and identity. If this person liked me, if that person called me their friend, if that boy called me his, then I would be somebody. I’d finally be worthy, special, and valuable.

No surprise here, but that system failed quickly and often. Human beings are always changing - it’s in our nature, even our bodies change daily - and as a result, my perception of my identity fluctuated constantly. Identity is not designed to fluctuate. That was not God’s intention. The moment I realized my identity was actually inexorably connected to the God who is unchanging and eternal, the God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) my whole world shifted. That’s when I gave my life to Him.

But - sin is sneaky, you know? Years later, after I thought that I had dealt with that particular sin right there and then, it reared its ugly head again. I thought it was one and done - I put my identity in who Christ says I am once and I’ll never have to think about it again.

Yet, I discovered I was putting it elsewhere, only now, the “elsewhere” was dressed up in Christian-ese and sneaky adulty things. Instead of daughter of the Most High King, I was a youth group leader. Instead of saved by grace, I was a good auditor. Instead of designed by the God of the entire universe, I was wanted and needed by a community of other Christians.

So God had to teach me again. What a loving, patient Savior. He saves me even from myself.

What would it look like if we fully believed in the identity God has given us? If we lived confidently in it? Just like the mountains, God intentionally and carefully created each one of us. He chose the unique color of your hair and the shape of your eyes. He chose the length of your toes and gaps between your teeth. He selected each tiny piece of your heart, the skills you use in your career, the passion you bring to your friendships, and the tenderness you have for your family. He chose and customized every little piece of you.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” -Psalm 139:13-14

How special and precious are you, dear friend! You are chosen to reflect His heart.

A few years ago, I was on a youth group trip to Colorado (sensing a theme here) and our morning activity one day was a hike. We wound up the mountain as a large group, sucking thin air into our flatlander lungs and then turned around before we got to the top so we wouldn’t miss lunch. Priorities.

As we were on the way down, we started to kind of spread out. I was towards the end of the group because I couldn’t stop looking around at the view. Then, we went around a curve and the entire valley and distant mountain range opened up below us. It was spectacular. I was overwhelmed with some emotion, something that I - to this day - can’t quite find the right words to describe. It might have been true, unedited awe and amazement, or a heartbreaking kind of gratitude to our mighty God. I stood off to the side of the trail to just drink it in, letting the others pass me. I wanted to remember this moment, this feeling, for the rest of my life. I was in tears and I didn’t fully understand why.

Why?

The question wouldn’t leave my head. I kept asking God - why? Out of all of this? These mountains and these clouds and these animals and these trees? Out of all this creation - this splendor and majesty laid before me? Even that was merely a drop, a small pinprick of all He had created. Miniscule in comparison to the entire universe. Why us? Why me? Surely the mountains are more beautiful and more deserving of His love than I am. Surely the sun and clouds and stars in the sky are more worthy to bear His image than I am. Why would the God of all of this awe choose human beings, choose me, to love, to place His image upon, and to have a relationship with? Why did he want me?

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” - Romans 11:33

In the stillness of that mountaintop, I heard Him whisper to my anguished soul, “It’s not about you, dear daughter. It’s about me.”

What a relief. It’s not about me. It’s all about HIM. This world, these skies, these mountains, these people - this is all about God. This is His choice, His story, His love, His beauty, His grace, His glory.

My identity is that I am a tiny, but adored, treasured, intricately created, and delighted in piece of it.

And dear friend, so are you.

What amazing grace.

[writingsofwinchesters]

Hey @writingsofwinchesters

HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY!

We hope your half-birthday is wonderful, and we want you to know that the SPN Family loves you!

[writingsofwinchesters]

reblog to save an author

[writingsofwinchesters]

Hey guys! Sorry I’ve been MIA for awhile. I started a more personal blog called take delight. Check it out! Hoping to post more fics soon!

[writingsofwinchesters]

“But if you forget to reblog Madame Zeroni, you and your family will be cursed for always and eternity.”

[writingsofwinchesters]

Good grief. He is too pretty.

Jensen Ackles | JIBCon 2018 | credits: JMacLean | x | x | x |

[writingsofwinchesters]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Brewery

Hey @writingsofwinchesters, Happy Birthday!  Lots of love from your SPN Family!

You’d never been to such an awesome brewery.  Jensen had driven you from your house in Austin, the busy city life rolling away to the highways and backways west of the metroplex.  The trees were gorgeous, the huge blue sky reaching as far as you could see.

He parked the car behind the building, but led you back around the front.  The outdoor seating made you want to just lose yourself in a book and a beer, something that you’d actually probably end up doing later.

“So, want to try a few?” Jensen asked.  You nodded, following him inside.  He greeted the people working, knowing all of them by name.  Jensen’s sweet nature is what drew you to him in the first place, and you loved every time he showed it to anyone.

Jensen poured you a few different beers, letting you try them all before choosing your favorite.  He made you a tall glass of it before pointing you back outside.

“I know you’re ready to lose yourself into that book you brought in your purse…” he teased, making you scoff.  How did he know?  “I’m gonna work the bar for a bit, go find a table or a hammock or something and let me know if you need anything.”

You turned around, giving him a hug as best you could without spilling your glass.  “Thanks, Jay.  What a great way to spend the day.”

With a last shared smile, you found a perfectly shaded place to spend the day outside.

Happy birthday from @just-another-busy-fangirl

[writingsofwinchesters]

😍😍😍 thank you!!

Glamping

Happy Birthday @writingsofwinchesters! Hope you have a wonderful birthday!! Much love from your Supernatural family!! 

“Dean, are you sure you want to do this?” You asked him, pulling the bags from the back of the Impala. “It’s not like we get off days very often, and I know you’d probably rather be taking care of baby then camping.”

“Sydney, it’s your birthday, and you love stuff like this. So yeah, I want to do this,” he insisted, taking the rest of the stuff before slamming the trunk shut. 

You led the way, down the familiar trail. It had been a place you had gone to before with your family, one of your favorite places to camp. The trail wasn’t very hard, and there was a beautiful spot to camp by a creek. You just hoped that Dean loved it as much as you did. 

Dean kept up with you, never once mumbling as the two of you enjoyed the crisp mountain air, and the trees rustling in the slight breeze. It was almost two hours later that you finally turned off the main trail.

“Where we going?” He asked.

“You’ll see,” you answered, continuing along the lesser known path until you came to the spot. It was shaded by the pine trees, and the creek bubbled in the distance. “This is where we’ll camp.” 

Dean unloaded the tent, struggling with the poles as you got the food taken care of. Finally, you decided to help him out, and with the two of you working, soon your tent was ready to go. 

A couple of hours later, the two of you were sitting around a campfire, your can of soup heating in the coals as the sun went down behind you. “This is actually nice,” he seemed surprised. “Quiet, and relaxing.”

“I love it. Being out here, with nothing but nature surrounding me. The sound of the creek bubbling beside us, the whisper of the pine branches as they sway? That is the stuff that relaxes me, makes me realize that there’s always beauty out there.”

“I’m glad you suggested this for your birthday,” he told you, pulling you tighter against him. “And I can’t wait until we get to try out that couples sleeping bag.”

“Dean,” you chuckled, but you had to admit. You were looking forward to it as well.

Happy Birthday from @katymacsupernatural

[writingsofwinchesters]

AngelDesaray’s 300 Follower SPN Writing Challenge

CONGRATULATIONS!!

For some reason 300 people are following me, and to celebrate, I’m doing my first challenge ever!!!  AND THE APPLE JUICE DANCE!!!

This is going to be a Song+Gif prompt challenge, and I literally have thousands of gifs saved on my phone, so buckle in amigos.

Also, I know that it’s also a busy time of year, so I’m giving you three months to write these, practically the whole summer, so no stress!!!  Plus it gives more people the chance to enter ;)

Rules/Details:

Keep reading

[writingsofwinchesters]

Awww thanks!! SPN Family rocks! ❤️❤️❤️

Hey @writingsofwinchesters

HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY!

We hope your half-birthday is wonderful, and we want you to know that the SPN Family loves you!

[writingsofwinchesters]

[writingsofwinchesters]

[writingsofwinchesters]

Season 11 Episode 04 : Baby

Dean Winchester being a badass.

[writingsofwinchesters]

Hello!

Alright y’all. This is just my first, tentative, return post, so that I have something on my blog. As I get things figured out, I’ll be getting more and more on here. Thank you for being patient!