A great book....

I recently picked up a book that I've had for over 5 years. I read this book when I wasn't in a relationship and practically underlined the entire thing. The book just resonates on so many different levels for me. When it comes to women, we are complex creatures who are able to juggle a lot of things at once and most women I know do a very good job at it.

But authentic living is found in contentment and in balance. This book reminded me that first you have to be content and love yourself before you can love others. If you think that sounds too introspective, then might I remind you that Jesus said it first. Love others AS you love yourself. The point is for women, we can be very giving creatures with a tendency to forget self in the midst of life -- especially mammas who are juggling young kids or facing the teen years. This book reminded me that even in the stage of life I'm in, with a new man in my life after MANY MANY years of being single, I still must care for and nurture myself. Yes the Bible talks about dying to yourself but for most giving women who give of themselves day and night, that might not be the whole truth they need to hear. Yes, we need to die to self but we also need to love others as we love ourselves.

The second portion of the book talks about your relationship with a man. Good stuff. Haven't got that far again yet but one thing I appreciate is TD Jakes poetic way of saying things. It resonates with my soul. That's the color inside :)

Finally, the last portion of the book talks about your relationship with the Lord. There's one quote in there that I love.

"In the stillness of the night, when he has gone to sleep and there are pending issues on her mind, it is her Lord who works the night shift and watches over her in the dark. He is the one whom she can talk to when her words cannot describe what she is feeling. Her husband may understand what she says, but her Lord understands what she feels."

mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm. :)

good stuff.

Jen

A Moonlit Hike and a Pilgrim's Progress

Last night James and I met up with 15 other avid hikers at the Mt. Rose Summit Trailhead after work and hiked to the top. Our hike down was in the moonlight and that was very cool!

Parts of the hike were flat, scenic with little meadows, beautifully colored yellow, purple and red wildflowers, streams and even a natural waterfall. Other parts were brutal as we climbed over 2000 feet in elevation with only a few switchbacks to make it a little easier, not completely uphill.

When I moved back to Reno, I joined meetup.com for both the Reno and Sacramento areas. I found out about meetup.com when I was in Budapest. You can find meetup groups on a variety of things from the arts to living an active lifestyle. In Sacramento, they have some amazing groups that train together for Triathlons. Here in Reno the best groups are for hiking and that's no wonder. Lots of options here in the area!

It was absolutely stunning to look out from the Mt.Rose peak and see all of Reno, all of Carson, the Lake Tahoe area and Donner. There were some magnificant views from the top. Getting there was another thing. Not only did my heart rate pound through my chest at some points, but the wind near the top made it so tough that I literally thought I was going to blow over. One of the girls on the team almost did, if not for her walking stick to keep her up. Brutal!! That's all I have to say about the Nevada wind.

The other tough spot came near the top as well. I was breathing in air that made my lungs and nose hairs burn and the wind was kicking up the Nevada dust, blowing it in my eyes. I'm not quite sure what that was all about, but nonetheless, it was tough.

Anyways, I was thinking about how much this hike parallels our lives as believers. Often times there are parts of our journey as Christ-followers that are filled with beautiful meadows, wildflowers, and waterfalls. We are completely filled with the wonder of the journey and we are enjoying it. Other times, perhaps even as we're about to reach some of the mountain tops, there is a huge amount of resistance. Sometimes so much so that it would blow you over if you weren't careful. Maybe even breathing in the venom of the brutal windy air, causing your internals to burn with a not so welcome burn.

One other parallel that I made during our hike last night had to do with James. He's done the hike three or four times before so he knew what to expect and at a few moments he could tell me what was ahead and that really helped. As we got near the tougher part, he carried my bag. He carried my bag to the top. I honestly am not sure if I would have been able to make it to the top had he not been with me and carried my bag. The bag wasn't that heavy but even the slightest weight made a difference when you experience resistance too. Not that James is Jesus, but in this moment, I was reminded that we do have a "Greatheart" (Pilgrim's Progress) or a "Braveheart" in Christ who gets us to our destination if we remain in Him. He has gone before us. He's traveled this road we're on and knows the path. If we stay close to Him, He will tell us what's ahead and when it gets really rough, He'll carry our bag.

Not only did this hike bring forth these parallels, but it also reminded me of a book I read awhile ago by John Bunyan called "The Pilgrim's Progress." An interesting classic, all about the journey.

My final theme from this hike is once again the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. James and I were a little surprised at how quick this group of hikers were hiking the trail. They were booking it! That was fine, but that was definitely not our pace. We wanted to enjoy the surroundings but didn't really get a chance to do that in order to stay with the group. At one point, though, we slowed it down and just enjoyed.

The Hare may have been fast, but it was the Tortoise who made it to the finish line in one piece. In our walk as believers it's important not to get caught up in getting there quickly. Enjoy the race. Enjoy the pace of life and learn all you can along the way. You'll make it to the finish line if you keep your eyes on Him.

So many thoughts....

The other day James and I were talking about the differences between men and women and how funny some of them can be! For him, it's funny that women can think of about 10 things in our head all at the same time. Whereas, men usually only have one, maybe two things on the brain at a time. One day we were sitting on the couch talking about this very issue and he asked me, "OK, so what 10 things are you thinking about right now?" and I started rattling off several of those things. He just laughed and said, "Really?" I said, "Why? What are the things you have on your brain?" He said, "Only one. Being with you."

It's crazy because in addition to thinking about 10 things at once, I can also decide several things at once.

So I just decided a few things

1.) Lake Tahoe is cold. I don't know this by any recent personal experience, but I can just tell. Looking out at the water as we sat for Shakespeare on the Lake Sat night convinced me. I can just tell these things.

2) I like the P90X workout series and when I have a little extra cash sometime in the future, I think I'll invest.

3) His Needs, Her Needs by Harley. Great book :)

4) Little dogs are not dogs. They are fluffy furry things. I'm dog sitting right now and I can say this with full authority.

5) Life is good because God is good and for no other reason really.

6) Cancer sucks.

7) Besides Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Prince, I really don't like 80s music.

8) I like being outdoors but sometimes it's nice to sit with a book and read.

9) Perspectives on the World Christian Movement was a life-changing course for me.

10) I want to have a garden someday :)

;) Permagrin

Yeah, what can I say. He makes me smile....

I had a lot to smile about before I met Mr. Brownskin, but what can I say?

He brings my soul a lot of joy.

Living Stones Church in Reno

This past month, I've gone to church with James at Living Stones. It's been refreshing to take in the worship, the messages plus the big bonus of sitting next to and holding the hand of a hot man whose loving Jesus with all His heart too.

One of the things that I noticed this past Sunday while walking into the Reno High School Theater was the huge canvases of art that line the walls. One stood out to me this week but it didn't hit me until I was in the middle of worship. The canvas is a huge, white canvas and painted on it (from what I can remember) is part of a tree, or a tree branch - either in dark brown or in black coming from the left side. In the right top corner are some birds. At the bottom of the canvas in the middle is the word "worry."

I didn't get it at first but I was only passing by and glanced quickly at it. When I sat down and music started, I got it. Jesus said we are to look at the birds of the air and see how well they are taken care of and remember that how much more our Heavenly Father will take care of us. We aren't to worry about temporal things but focus on being His bird. :) Hmmm. I'll be meditating on that for awhile.

Heart Rate Monitor

So I got a used Polar HR monitor off E-bay that is supposed to help me while training, specifically to see how I do while biking and running. I still haven't figured it out, but once I do, it will be a better way to track what I'm doing. I'm sure I'll figure it out as I use it.

UnChristian, an interesting read

I recently started reading a book that was recommended to me by David Kinnaman. If you're unfamiliar with him, he is the respected name behind the Barna Research Projects on various topics. I highly recommend this read for every believer and follower of Christ. Sadly, most people associate Christianity with something that is no longer authentic and so far removed from the genuine deal that took place when Christ first came on the scene. But the book is also hopeful. I won't give it away, just recommend it as a great read.