Rocky Mountain National Park, 2016

Like a vintage roll of film

Let's not even talk about the fact that these photos were taken two months ago.  Or the fact that I haven't written in over a year.  But like a vintage roll of film, the one that you lost in the bottom of your 1980s carry-on bag, I stumbled across our 2016 summer vacation pictures and have to share them before they are lost.

This is the first summer that we vacationed for a full 14 days.  Most summers we cram too much into 7 days.  This year we took a full two weeks and flew to Omaha, Nebraska.  Yes Omaha.

There we grabbed the only not-booked RV in the Midwest (not kidding) and set off for Colorado.

Northeast Colorado feels like an old Western.  We spent two days in Sterling, Colorado.  Home of, ... well, ... nothing.   About an hour west we found the Pawnee National Grasslands.  Every road in the grasslands is a minimum maintenance road and most recommendations were to travel there by Jeep or 4 wheeler.  Nope.  We traveled there by rented RV.

PS.  Don't ever buy a rental RV.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 

- Mark 6:31

In Awesome Wonder

Spearfish Falls, Spearfish, South Dakota, August, 2015

This is me.

Dylan told me recently that I am "a really good starter but not a very good finisher".  Hmmm.  THIS from the child who can not remember to put deodorant on after a shower (speaking of not finishing well).  But honestly, he's right.  How do you think he knew?  Was it the paint that was purchased and has been sitting by the front door all summer?  Is it the fabric and crafting supplies that I purchased after a Pinterest marathon that are now piling up in the storage room?  Is it fact that I was a 20th year college Senior this past year (not an exaggeration)?

The fact is that it could be any one of those things.  Or more likely it is something that he has simply witnessed that I am unconscious to.  

But it's ok.  It has taken me a long time to learn who I am and to understand who I am not:

I am motivated by appreciation and significance.  

I'm an introvert who can act well enough to occasionally play the role of an extrovert.

I'm a dreamer.  

I am more resourceful than artistic. 

I am scarred by the things I have seen. 

I am creative and emotional.  

I am a risk-taker and a spender.

I'm selfish about sleep, the last dessert and massages.  

I hate talking on the phone.

I've always wanted to be a stay-at-home Mom but I don't have the patience or stamina.  

I want to travel everywhere except Canada.

I have an irrational and sometimes paralyzing fear of suicide affecting my family. 

I don't ever want my kids to move away.

I'm not very good at maintaining friendships.

I am a Christian who tries to live a Godly life but every day falls short of the glory.  Every day.

... and yes,  I'm a really good starter and not a very good finisher.  

Sir Isaac Newton meets God

Nothing in this life is static.  I'm not talking about the whole earth spinning on it's access thing or the earth moving around the sun.  I'm not even talking about how many Anoka County ambulances are set into motion when one truck takes a call in Blaine. I'm talking more about a twist on Sir Isaac Newton's third law of physics.  It's a simple equation of F1= -F2.  My sixth grader learned this in science.  I've personally learned this when I tried to ride a skateboard.  Once.  Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  But here's the twist.  Newton never researched how this applies to our personal life, interactions and relationships. 

Think about your garden.  A lot of effort goes into it every spring.  The ground is tilled and the soil is hopefully dark and filled with moisture and nutrients.  The seeds are chosen and planted with much thought and care.  And then the wait.  Doing nothing. Watching.  And then, after doing nothing, there might be a little peek of green that pokes through the surface.  Is it a sprout or a weed?  Oh, it's a weed.  Just leave it.  Do nothing.  Until, not so suddenly, after weeks of doing nothing (which is an action by the way), the entire garden is covered with weeds (the reaction) and my harvest will certainly be affected.

Now think about your marriage.  In the beginning, a lot of action is taken to nurture your relationship.  We all know this.  Leaving little notes, wearing that favorite dress when you'd really prefer yoga pants, spending time together just talking (even when there is housework to be done).  Nurturing your partner and your union is hard work.  I'm not proud of the fact that over the years I sometimes chose to do nothing.  Just leave it.  Do nothing.  And then not so suddenly, after weeks (months) of doing nothing, my marriage was suffering.  We found ourselves trying to dig out of the weeds that had begun to overgrow the harvest. 

I consider then, how Newton's Law applies to my spiritual relationships as well.  You see, there is no standing still.  We are all either nurturing our faith or slowly allowing the weeds to smother us.  If we are not moving closer to God we are moving away from Him. 



Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:19–20.

And so, yesterday was like a scene out of biblical history.  Just as the disciple John would baptize crowds of Christ followers, in 2014 we sat on a hill overlooking a beautiful body of water as witness to this profound event.  Our family was baptized together.  Biblically, it is an act of obedience.     Spiritually, it is my action.  It is my forward motion.  It is my understanding that moving further from God is not an option and thus I must be moving closer.  F1= -F2

 

One Lord, one faith, one baptism ~Ephesians 4:5

 

Staycation Day 1

06/30/2014
   
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. ~ Psalm 139:13

God's Not Helping Me

Last Wednesday, after dragging himself home from another baseball defeat, Dylan sorrowfully announce that "God is not helping me win".  You see, this is Dylan's very first year playing organized baseball and their team is,... how can I put this nicely?... Ummmm.  Not good.  They haven't won a game yet this year and keeping this team of 12 year olds motivated is a full time job.  I was watching the coach at the last game and thought that he must be exhausted.  

Winning is fun.  No doubt about it.  But my suggestion is that we might find God's purpose in this event without focusing on the winning.  We spoke about sportsmanship.  God uses our everyday adventures to help us learn life lessons.  
  
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. ~ Proverbs 24: 17-18

And baseball is a great way to understand the need to learn and follow the rules of the game.  Not all of life is a sporting event, but all of live has rules; written and unwritten. 

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ~ 2 Timothy 2:5
   
And lastly, probably the reason that I most encouraged Dylan to participate in ANY sport this summer, is that God encourages our socialization and fellowship.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Don't give up Dylan boy.  Altough it seems like winning is the goal, the reward is in the teachable moments you're living every day. 

PS.   Please please please let them win just ONE game!!!