Life....

This is your life.
Do what you love and do it often.
If you don't like something, change it.
If you don't like your job, quit.
If you don't have enough time, stop watching tv.
If you are looking for the love of your life, stop;
they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.
Stop over analyzing, all emotions are beautiful.
When you eat, appreciate every last bite.
Life is simple.
Open your mind, arms and heart to new things and people.
We are united in our differences.
Ask the next person you see what their passion is.
And share your inspiring dream with them.
Travel often;
Getting lost will help you find yourself.
Some opportunities only come once, seize them.
Life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them.
So go out and start creating.
Life is short.
Live your dream and wear your passion.

Flyin' Kites: In Memory of Pepere

When I think of kites,I think of warm, breezy summer vacation days in Whittier's Palm Park. I think of a man whose solitary life drew him to the art of kite-flying.
I think of my grandfather, Pepere.

Pepere, (which mean's grandpa in French - or so we were told by him) was my dad's dad. Pepere made colorful kites and flew them just across the street from the house where my dad grew up in Southern California. He made simple but interesting kites. Watching him fly from a young age was always fun but being an active child, I never stuck around long enough to fully enjoy it. Yet Pepere never did it with fan and flare. He did it for himself. He did it quietly. He did it for his creative, demonstrative side to his solitary soul.

Pepere had quite a collection going by the time he was 90 years old. I regret not requesting them when he passed away. As time went by and he flew less and less while he was alive, I thoroughly enjoyed the times he did get out to watch him perfect his hobby.

Legend has it that one summer on His visit to Nevada, we took Pepere and some of his kites to Mills Park to fly. My dad warned him that Nevada winds can be brutal, but Pepere didn't listen. Stubborn man that he was, he rarely listened. He was a man set in his ways. Although rumor has it he liked listening to my mom over a glass of cream cherry. Who doesn't? You don't even need cream cherry to enjoy listening to her.

Pepere had his kite flying so high that day and before long, those Nevada winds turned for the worst. He had to cut the line or be overpowered with his arm out of socket. The kite dove straight down into a tree trunk and embarrassingly enough, it stayed in that tree for weeks.

His tenacity, his stubborn nature must have started young. He had reason to be that self willed. Somewhere around 10 years old, he had to grow up and help parent his siblings. His father was a severe alcoholic and Pepere became sole provider for the family. Hard working, through the depression, he was a man with opinions and he raised three boys each with their own expressions and ways.

Recently I got to thinking about Pepere and his kites primarily because of some good Southern California memories and curiosity as to what Pepere enjoyed most in flying those instruments. Maybe the kites helped him soar above the daily grind and get him far beyond the reality of what his life had been for 90 years. Not that it was bad. By no means, for Pepere did well. He purchased a home for his bride and three boys in Whittier, which at the time was filled with orange groves. Not today! And for some 80 years he had been a hard worker, diligently providing and plodding along for his family, taking pristine care of his home. Feisty, testy, but true and loyal to what needed to get done.

Kites are tethered aircrafts and maybe that was the joy Pepere found. He could move past his limitations and life as it had been for those brief moments, knowing he'd come back to the security of the life he labored so hard to create. I know Pepere had pain and I'm sure there were a lot of things he never fully worked through. There were things about Pepere that I really loved. His tenacious talks with me about why I wanted to be a lawyer anyways. And then I thought about the blessing and inheritance he left for his sons. He flew kites, but he was also anchored. A tethered life is a blessed life to me.

Only way is up

Out of convenience, most of my runs in training have been around our neighborhood. Fortunately for the views, it's amazing on these runs. But unfortunately, for the training I prefer, we're surrounded by hills. It's actually really good for training, but I'm just not a big fan of the hills. The only way to get home is to take on some form of these monsters. I don't mind an occasional booty but kicker, but I'm much more prone to find flat, long stretches on my own.

Yesterday's run was convenient and I set out from home to take on a 3 mile run. Part of it included one of these hills and as I took it on, my pace came down to pretty much a slow walk. I contemplated turning around and going back down the hill just so I could enjoy the feeling of a light, easy, quick stretch of run to what I was doing. But the reality was I still had to get up that hill if I wanted to get home.

And that gets me to this point. Aren't there times in life we just have to go through things and there's no way around it? But when you get through it, or to the top of the hill, so to speak, you're home. As convenient as it may feel to just slip back into things that are easy, you're never going to get where you were intended to be unless you take on the booty but kickers.

And this brings me to another point for myself as a Christ-follower. Sometimes in the day to day events of life, it's super easy to forget the bigger picture. It's easy to forget His love and His purpose in life. When things get dark and life lacks meaning, you feel lost until you look up and put one foot in front of the other and take on the monsters in your mind and heart to get to the top where home is, where Christ is. That's a slow journey for me but I never regret it. Sometimes it's a word I read that reminds me and stirs my soul to action, giving me courage to take on the hill. Sometimes it's the encouragement of a friend whose on this journey too. And together we see the hill but we take it on.

In the end, I'm grateful for booty but kickers that keep me out of convenience and challenge me physically to get better while running. I'm also grateful for the struggles in my spiritual life as I look to Christ to perfect what He started in my heart years ago when I was just a crazy high school student. To see those victories in life and in running, the only way is up.

Exposed Roots

One of Sweden's longest and most popular national trails is called the Kungsleden or "King's Trail" which starts in the Northern town of Abisko and stops in the Southern town of Hemaven. Most people hike/camp Kungsleden over their summer, breaking it up into four weeks or a portion of the trail for a week or two. The trail is marked with posts every few hundred yards and huts every 6-14 miles (about a days hike). The trail was created around the turn of the 19th century to get the Swedes outdoor to enjoy their beautiful country! And what a beautiful country it is!


While James and I spent a few days at Abisko National Park, we set out one afternoon to hike a portion of this 270 mile trail. As we walked the easy part of the Kings trail my eyes were basking in the lush, green landscape with the Abisko river hugging the path. I couldn't keep my eyes off the rushing river in all its glory. In one area of the trail, cliffs and rocks made of gorgeous marble slats layered the banks of the river, encasing it in unique beauty.

Making our way a few miles into the trail, we came into the forested areas of Abisko with beautiful wildflowers and gorgeous mountain peaks. And then I noticed something a bit disturbing. Many of the lush trees had a labrynth of roots growing up and out near the walking path, completely exposed. Anyone taking the Kings Trail trampled on hundreds of exposed roots that lay bare on the path with no soil to protect them. Some of the roots broke off and were no longer connected to the tree.. Some roots were still in tact, just exposed to harsh hikers feet.



Walking on exposed roots felt a little like nails on the chalkboard to me. Somehow it felt wrong. I immediately remembered that somewhere in scripture, Christ-followers are challenged to be rooted in Christ's love. Here I had a visual of what it looks like when your roots are not deeply rooted in the good soil it needs but instead exposed to strangers and their trampling feet.

When we got back to the Lodge, I found this scripture in Ephesians 3:17 that Paul penned "...I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Paul prayed that every Christ-follower would find their roots of faith established and deeply centered in the most important thing -- God's rich and deep labrynth of love.

If not rooted in Christ's love, what's the alternative? Does our faith look like these exposed roots when it's not rooted deeper in His love? Exposed roots. Exposed to whoever walks by and tramples those roots underfoot. Exposed to strangers who could care less. That's not exactly how the biblical text reads but I considered the "or else" as I now saw the visual on roots that didn't go deep, roots whose soil no longer protected and preserved the growth of the true roots.

And here is the challenge my soul was left with on the Kings Trail.

My life is like a tree. Somewhere in the Bible it talks about being a tree planted by streams of living water. It's important where you are planted but it's also important how deep you allow your roots to go. I once heard that one of the primary understandings among architects is that you can only build as high as you build deep. Where you plant your life, how deep you plant it will also determine how strong and high it can grow.

My prayer for myself and all my loved ones is that our roots will be buried, completely covered by the dirt grow deep in Him. Deeper and deeper until we're lost in how high, how wide, how deep....Until our roots are that labyrinth of grace hidden in the rich soil of His love. Hidden. Unexposed roots. Roots that have the opportunity to thrive in the richness of His essence.

Patience is a virtue, eh?

Patience. It's listed as the first thing in a string of love definers in 1 Corinthians 13.
In Galatians 5, it's supposed to be evidence of a spirit-led life for a Christ-follower.

So where is it in my life these days??? Patience wouldn't be on many of the pages of the book of my life, specifically with people. Without even realizing it, I'm easily set on fulfilling my agenda and can run right over others. I'm not quite sure what has brought this self-revelation on but I'm realizing just how impatient I can be.

If patience is a virtue, a positive substance that should be in the heart of a believer, what does it look like and where is it in my life? I'd like the question answered and I'd like to see this quality more evidenced in my life, right now! Ha!

What did Paul mean when he wrote those texts?.....The best definition I've found thus far is "waiting without complaint" or "enduring discomfort without complaint." Living in a world with people, it's very easy to complain when we have to wait for anything.

In a book called "The Practice of Godliness", Abraham Kuyper writes that "Patience ought to be the possession of every child of God. If it is not his when he is reborn, it ought to grow within him as he grows in Christ.....Patience is a strength of spirit, engendered within the heart of God’s children by the Holy Spirit, which enables them to remain standing, unshaken and undaunted, in spite of all the forces that would tear them from the Kingdom of God. It is strength; it is endurance. (Patience's) branches twine about the cross of Christ. Its goal is eternity. Its glory is in the grace of God."

One thing I know quite well is that If patience is a fruit of the spirit, there had to be a seed of that fruit planted in my heart. I wasn't born with it. In fact, if anything, I was born impatient. My mom reminded me this week that I was very impatient or "active" from the time I was born....She woke up at 6:30 am and delivered me at 7:30 am and I came out with my eyes wide open, ready to take on the world, quite impatiently.

Patience is a seed in the soul that Jesus planted in me when I handed over the reigns of my life to His authority. But there is wrestling in the soul to see it grow, even after a lot of years. In the midst of whatever we're learning to be patient about, it can be a fight. Although it may sound a bit dramatic, I find at times it can be a soul distress when the exercising of patience is present. It's not automatic but grows. And yet after all these years where its had opportunity to grow, there are areas in my life that I find of late it's sadly lacking in me. Abraham Kuyper says this is evidence of restlessness. That this lack is my aversion to the cross. Ouch! That hurts.

By nature I am still opposed to patience because in my dark heart I admire strength, vigor, power over suffering when it's called for. Kuyter notes that monuments are built to those who fight great battles and perform valiant deeds and we're ever ready to praise what others dare to do. Hero worship is not necessarily our first instinct when we read the Old testament description of Christ as the "lamb that is dumb before the shearer". That old testament passage talks about Jesus in that moment at the cross when He displayed the greatest soul strength in patience, being God and yet quietly enduring what He knew was to come. Some might say he didn't stand up for himself. But in reality, His soul was bathed in patience. He is patience.

Patience isn't necessarily an admired quality...It's usually despised. I know my soul despises it at times and of late I'm wrestling to be the kind of woman Christ created me to be....To turn the other cheek...really? Ouch. Patience is needed. Jesus is my best example. And still I find myself asking the question. How does that play out in every day life? I guess when the heart naturally seeks strength, power, dignity, that might be evidence of a soul plunging down into the depths instead of climbing upward on the ladder of patience, a patience that isn't resigning but enduring in the midst of adverse circumstances.

Although I may have experienced glimpses of patience as a godly quality in my heart, there's been nothing over the long run and I hate that. But how can I walk in patience if not a constant friend of Jesus - the Patient. So I guess at the end of all my thoughts on patience today, I stand with Paul who also said that He still hadn't laid hold of all that He was created to be....." but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Continually.....through every changing season

"And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul...."Isaiah lviii. 11.

" Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh,
His sight is never dim,--
He knows the way He taketh,
And I will walk with Him."
A. L. WARING.

"Abandon yourself to His care and guidance, as a sheep in the care of a shepherd, and trust Him utterly. No matter though you may seem to yourself to be in the very midst of a desert, with nothing green about you, inwardly or outwardly, and may think you will have to make a long journey before you can get into the green pastures. Our Shepherd will turn that very place where you are into green pastures, for He has power to make the desert rejoice and blossom as a rose."
H. W. SMITH.

This morning these quotes were a soul refresher. Married life is exciting and I'm so blessed already in this new life with James! Yet I've never been here before. There are new areas to trust God. New moments to strengthen faith. New moments to be guided....continually. I feel like I'm in a wildly green pasture full of lush garden flowers and joys abounding (even though we're smack dab in the middle of the Northern Nevada desert.) Right now life is rich and I'm so thankful. Last night James and I read a devotional that we can't trust our hearts but we have to lead our hearts. My heart is learning to abandon all to His care and guidance as a married woman now. I'm learning to lead my heart in marriage. Exciting!!! Let the journey begin. He cares for us. He is so trustworthy. Continually, through every changing season.

Our story and proposal

The story starts in the biggest little city in the world!

The first date takes place at a Reno Ace's game in June of 2009. The Ace's won that night, but James had the biggest win with Jen that evening when he showed his generosity by donating an XBOX to a youth group.

The date was almost over as quickly as it started when Jen whipped out her new Iphone (James is a Microsoft employee)! Fortunately for Jen, James was the bigger person and proceeded to play around with the weather settings. Jen's been keeping track of weather patterns around the world ever since!

Jen thought James was quite intriguing, having lived in Europe for a few years. She loved his desire to be outdoors, to travel, live an active lifestyle and serve Christ. Jen thought it was admirable that he served in Kid's ministry at his local church and volunteered at St. Mary's Hospital. James was impressed with Jen's desire to serve Christ, her missions work, her worldly travels and outlook, and her active lifestyle; and he hoped for a second date, even if she was an Apple fan!

After returning from an East Coast trip with her mom, Jen agreed to a second date and the adventure continued. They enjoyed getting to know each other in their travels to Yosemite Park, Napa, Oregon, Washington and a plethora of other places! As Jen's Mom once said to them as they returned from a hike, 'What oceans and mountains did you guys cross today?'

For almost a year and a half this adventure continued until. . .New Year's Eve, just after a family dinner with both family's meeting for the first time. James and Jen drove back to Reno to watch the fireworks from Keystone Canyon in Northwest Reno.

Just after the last fireworks went off, James asked Jen to get out of the car.

Although it was a chilly night with snow on the ground, .......

James got down on one knee in that glistening snow and proposed!

and with smiles between them, a sense of excitement and joy, Jen said YES!

Thank you for sharing in our joy as we look to exchange our vows this summer!