Adventure!

So much has happened in the last month...but I never got to write about my awesome trip to Arkansas because I've just been so busy and haven't been writing very much at all. Also I was going to hold off until I had pictures to post...but I don't have my camera back yet. =(

From April 1st through the 4th, I went on an awesome trip to Arkansas where I went rock climbing for the first time ever...and I absolutely loved it!
My favorite things about that trip were:

1. Meeting Kim and Sean. They were so easy to get along with, and fun to be around. Kim and I were surprisingly a lot alike. =)

2. Spending some time outside of work with Josh! I love about him how he just goes with the flow with everything, is very spontaneous, a great leader, and is almost always up for an adventure. He was the one who invited me along, and thanks to him I went on a trip I consider to be the best trip since Ecuador!

3. Being surrounded by mountains once again. Given, they were not as impressive as the ones I was so use to seeing in Ecuador, but it was still incredibly beautiful and was reminiscent of Ecuador at least.

4. Seeing many, many stars! When we first arrived to our camp (at like 5 or 6 in the morning) I looked up and was able to see tons and tons of stars...it was so beautiful! I could have stared up there for hours.

5. Camping out in a teepee. That was quite an experience, though if there's a next time I'm probably at least going to bring a mattress pad and another blanket, because it wasn't so cozy sleeping on a boarded floor with just my sleeping bag...and every night I was freezing cold! Also if there is a next time, we need to take advantage of the little fire pit that was inside!

6. Humble living. I do enjoy it actually...It gives you a different, fresh perspective on certain things in life.
Other than the humble housing conditions, we also didn't have a shower. Also was quite reminiscent of my Ecua trip.

7. Storms in the middle of the night. I love waking up to an awesome storm...and it was especially awesome since we were sleeping in that teepee!

8. Going on the coolest hike I've ever been on! We went to this place called "Sam's Throne", and the coolest part was going through the catacombs (that's what they were called, right?). There was quite the element of danger, I especially realized when I climbed down from one boulder to another, looked back and saw that if I would have taken the wrong step, I could have fallen to my death. That's what makes the adventure more thrilling though. ;-)

9. Exploring the shops. They had the most interesting little antique stores and cafe's in this little town called Jasper that was a little up the road from the place we were staying.

My favorite store was this little art store, where this sweet lady made a bunch of necklaces and tiles all on her own, and she by herself. She was showing me a little bit of the process she goes about making her things, and was so open with me when I started asking her a little bit about herself. I decided to hand her a million dollar bill tract as I was leaving, and she said, "I love it!" And started to read it immediately. =)
I wanted to go back and buy this really awesome tree necklace she made, but when we went back, she was closed.

10. Rock climbing of course! Especially when I was able to finish climbing a route I couldn't before (and leaving a trail of blood in the process).
The highest one I climbed was about 70 feet, and when I got to the top, I was actually able to stand up. So I took in the magnificent view, and let out a barbaric YAWP! =)

11. Singing in a cave.
On the way back home, we left quite early...so Josh being the spontaneous one he is tried to look for some cool pit stop for us. After failing once (Hahahaha), we spotted Mystic Caverns. They had an awesome little gift shop with little figurines from Peru, different kinds of rocks on display behind glass, coon hats, staffs (one of which had a compass on them!), and different neat little things like that. We decided to tour two caves, and the second one, I was volunteered to sing on a "balcony" inside of the cave, while everyone else on the tour was watching below on the "dance floor". I sang the solo I was supposed to sing on Easter Sunday. I will never forget it! The acoustics were amazing in there. =)

12. Going to Lambert's for the first time.
Lambert's is probably one of the coolest, if not the coolest restaurant I've ever been to! Anything you order is unlimited, and they have different workers going around with fried okra, amazing, delicious rolls, and some other sides. Though I wish I had more of an appetite whenever we went. =(

So that's all I have for now...hopefully I can get my pictures to post soon! For now here's an amazing one that was taken by Kim during the awesome hike we went on:Sam's throne

Slow Down...

Oh how I just can't seem to do this very thing.
I've been getting so caught up in work, and so distracted from the things I hold most dear.
I need to plan a get away...


I have this fantasy in my mind of the perfect place to be...it's always somewhere on a farm out in the middle of no where, where you can see billions of stars. I always picture myself being there on a cool summer night. I would have a little space in a barn to myself...surrounded by hay and stringed white lights. A little opening in the roof for a perfect view of the sky. I would be safe, secure. I would have a field to frolic through, and my heart would burst with excitement at the beauty all around me. I would sigh deeply and take in every precious moment. I feel at peace, and complete contentment. I lay on my back, with my hands folded behind my head, and search for shooting stars....

What a wretch...

Today I am feeling quite the weight...

I feel I keep getting my arms yanked in either direction in my life. Never would I thought that some plans that I had that I felt so sure about would seemingly start to drift away without a care in my heart.

And what a wretched thing it is indeed...this heart of mine.
It has hurt many, and has been hurt many
It has both compromised, and been set on one affection only

How I wish things would be as easy for me as it seems things are to others....

I embrace changes in my life so easily and could easily leave behind places and people I love, as terrible as it sounds.

I am truly the wretch the song refers to....

Today I am feeling the weight of responsibility...

I am humbled to think of the position I have been put in, and the weight of my influence. I have so many titles that I bear...

Big sister, little sister, daughter, co-worker, friend, fellow church member, fellow band member, etc.

I am weighed down by the thought of how I fill those roles each day.
Oh, how miserably I fail to fulfill all those roles in a loving, Christ-like manner to each of those people who refer to me under each of my titles.

How I long to fulfill those roles the way God wants me to...

I know I'm a wretch, my dear friends...but know that I am aware

Know that I have to rely on God's grace each day to help me fulfill the roles He has placed me in. I know I've made the excuse that I'm a busy person, but it gives me no excuse to shirk these responsibilities I have.

I cannot bear to imagine what it would be like if I were to leave the earth anytime soon without more reconciliation than I have to those who are around me. I cannot bear thinking that they might have been hurt by me for not fulfilling that role for them.

My dear Lord, help me with those roles each day...guide me in my steps each day as well, as I go out in this world as an ambassador for You. It's for Your glory alone that I live...and I thank you for that privledge. Amen.

Affections

Today I'm reflecting on different things I've read and heard recently, and how much they relate to my present difficulties. It's all seeming to fit together to teach me quite a lesson.

I'm thinking a lot about the feelings and affections of my heart.
Certainly many of the objects and affections of my heart can be fleeting, and even idolatrous. Everyone on earth has an idol factory in them.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"
-Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

Our hearts are the seat of all our affections, and the driving force of certain sins we commit...but also the seat of our affections for God. I believe this why David asked for a clean heart,

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
-Psalm 51:10 ESV

And only by the cleansing of our hearts by God are we able to produce fruit. I am also reminded of the famous quote of C.S. Lewis:

“If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is not part of the Christian faith.

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak.

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

- C. S. Lewis in “The Weight of Glory”


How true this rings to me, yet so often I forget it.

Whenever our hearts go astray from the affections of God to the affections of the world, we need to remind ourselves that we are settling for lesser things. No matter how attractive it may look to us, or how intoxicating our feelings towards those things may be, they separate us from fellowship with our Creator.

Ultimately, what's going to bring us the sweetest, satisfying joy is our fellowship with Him. The things we get caught up in this world may seem to be so attractive and worthy of the affections of our hearts...but they will never satisfy. It reminds me of what Jesus told the woman at the well,

"Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

-John 4:13-15 ESV

My dear friends, I ask you today...What is ultimately capturing the affections of your heart today? Are you drinking of the water of the world that keeps you thirsty, or are you drinking of the Living Water that satisfies?

#30 Revisit European Candy Store

Oh yeah! Crossed #30 off my list, along with my best friend...


Haha, he takes after my style. =P


Look! Thur it is!!


Holy---plethora of candy!!!



Times I have with my brother like this make me so thankful. We have great times together, and it's so great how our friendship has grown over the years.
As kids we use to fight a whole lot some days, and beat each other up (hahaha), and then other days we would call each other "best friend".

Together we have been growing in our faith and learning from each other, as we have endured changes with our lives and family together.

I love about him that he can understand my point of view on things, and we share the same views. Because of this we can talk to each other and not get into debates with each other.

We've shared many adventures together since our childhood, and they just keep getting better as we get older.

I'm so very blessed with him...very thankful he was able to help me cross this off my list. =)

And another kind of list

It's been a while since I've done one of these....

X the things you have done:

() Shot a gun

() Gone on a blind date.

(x) Skipped school (does it count if I was homeschooled...?)

(x) Watched someone die

( ) Visited Africa

() Visited Canada

() Visited Hawaii

( ) Visited Cuba

( ) Visited Europe / England

( ) Been on the Alps

(x ) Visited South America

( ) Visited Las Vegas

(x) Visited Mexico .

(x) Visited Florida

(x) Seen the Grand Canyon

(x) Flown on a plane

( ) Served on a jury

(x) Been lost

(x) Traveled to the opposite side of the country

( ) Visited Washington , DC

(x) Swam in the Ocean

(x) Cried yourself to sleep.

(x) Played cops and robbers

() Played cowboys and Indians

() Recently colored with crayons

(x) Sang Karaoke

(x) Sang a solo or duet in church

() Paid for a meal with coins only

(x) Made prank phone calls

(x) Laughed until some beverage came out of your nose

(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue

( ) Had children

(x) Had a pet

( ) Been skinny-dipping outdoors

(x) Been fishing

(x) Been boating

( ) Been downhill skiing

( ) Been water skiing

(x) Been ice skating

( ) Been camping in a trailer/RV

(x) Been camping in a tent

() Flown in a small 4-seater airplane

( ) Flown in a glider

( ) Flown in a helicopter

( ) Flown in a hot air balloon

( ) Walked on a glacier

( x) Driven a motorcycle/been a passenger

( ) Been bungee-jumping

( ) Gone to a drive-in movie

(x) Done something that could have killed you-but not

(x) Done something that you will regret for the rest of your life

( ) Visited Asia

() Rode an elephant

(x) Eaten just cookies or cake for dinner

( ) Been on TV

( ) Stolen any traffic signs

() Been in a car accident

() Donated blood

( ) Gone Curling

Hmmm...wow. Looks like I have lots more to do