Beginnings, Direction.

[Janurary is a reorientation month- reevaluate, respond, redirect. I'm asking the question "where am I?" and maybe more importantly
"Where am I going? To which end do I head? Who am I running to and allowing to rearrange the common moments of my Tuesday afternoons? What's True North?"
Eugene Peterson says that "The Christian life is a long obedience in the same direction."
It's a long, joy filled, heart wrenching obedience in the same direction. Christ is True North. Hold fast to Him, Laura.




This year,
give me ears to hear
the words that you speak.
And obey.
Give me ears that hear and obey.


"... And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left..."
Isaiah 30

Beginnings, Possibilities.

"..And God is able.."

Twelve different stories, untold
Three hundred, sixty five days unfold

Remind me again,
12 months of the year
how fast you come and go
and teach me
what 'Forever' means.


January.
Beginnings, Possibilities.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.”

(2 Corinthians 9:8-9)

Beginnings, Strength.

"You will be strengthened with all [God's] glorious power..." Col 1:11 

A forest within a single seed,
a world within a single deed.

His life, a death
my life, again,
begins.


January.
Beginnings.



After death, comes life.


"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.." Col. 1:11 (ESV)

Variations on a Theme: Death, V

"Sing to Him."

Psalm 105

His love never ends.

Variation on a Theme: Death, IV

Certainly the faithful love of the LORD hasn't ended; certainly God's compassion isn't through. 

Lam. 3:22 CEB

Variation on a Theme: Death, III

"You are the God who sees me." Gen.16:13

Variation on a Theme: Death, I

The ropes of death had become tangled around me. The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.

I called on the LORD 

in my distress.

I cried to my God for help. 

He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help reached his ears.

-King David

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We are mourning the sudden and tragic loss

of a close and greatly loved uncle, 

Jon Clawson. 

"My times are in your hands." Psalm 31:15

Yellows, Browns, Browning

YELLOWS, BROWNS

If you get simple beauty and naught else, you get about the best thing God invents. 

-Robert Browning

Blues, Purples and Mary Oliver

BLUES, PURPLES

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I took a walk around the family acreage to observe the fall scenery and keep seeing dusky blues and swarthy plum purples.

I guess October colors aren't always gold and orange.

Marty is our mystery bird. A classic peacock, he showed up on our property one day with clipped wings and pulled feathers. Now he roosts with the barred-rock chickens and the white down-feathered ducks.
His plumage feathers are growing back slowly, but it's still an interesting lesson present.
Beauty is never gone forever.
It fact, it never ceases to come back 'round.

MARY OLIVER

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"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." 
                                        Mary Oliver

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Hiking Pike's Peak

So, here's another Colorado Story.

A few weeks back, in the end fringes of the month of September, I had the chance to hike the backside of Pike's Peak with the students at Summit. At 14,115, feet it's one of Colorado's 54 fourteeners, and it remains my first (and only, for right now) fourteener to hike. The day started early and was absolutely perfect for the 6 mile hike to the top from our starting base at the Mennonite Camp. I hiked the backside last year, and it's amazing what a 2nd time 'round perspective will let you see.

 I saw the switchbacks differently because I knew the terrain better.
 I had a different feeling towards to route to devil's playground, because I knew a reprieve came afterward.
I saw the big, obtuse obstacles near the summit as a joy, instead of curse, for rest remained at the top, just within reach.
It was a good hike, and I'm sure I was reminded at least once or twice of Moses as he climbed a mountain and met God.

Stephen (photo cred), Andrew and I held silent moment, missing Micah via his buttery scones.

 (Confession: They got a little moldy in the mail. Sorry, M.)

Now fast forward a few weeks. Add a brother, a sister and her boyfriend who have yet to see what life could be like at 14,000 feet.
Mix into the tale another perfect day, a red train and way to the top of Pike's Peak that is less, shall we say, grueling.
Cody and Ben came out to join us on a long road trip home, but not before heading over to the Pike's Peak Cog Railway to, you know, take a train up that mountain.
As I've said before, and will say again

                                        "There is something magical about trains."

There's also something really fun about becoming a tourist for a day and seeing something with a different view. And so we did.

















Apparently, I'm still the best ever at taking the worst ever self portraits.







Ben recently moved home from Kappa, Hawaii, and was feeling the sub-degree weather at the top. I guess it hasn't snowed in Hawaii for a while.




It was cold, actually. Really cold. I forgot how much flats don't work in snow.


 But, oh. The view.







And the classic pose. I guess this isn't the normal tourist behavior. At least, that's what the girl at the top from  Norway said.



All in all, it was a mountain adventure worth remembering, and I think we will.
If you haven't already, please add "Take a train" to your bucket list, plan a trip and go.
Go with the ones you love.