It Is the Road

 A few weeks ago, in the heart of colorado, i found myself climbing the hike in the photo below in the early hours one morning. It became a pilgrimage of sorts, because I definitely wasn't in good enough shape to be doing it without feeling like I had to drag myself up the mountain. Somehow, I made it to the top. Fortunately, it was well worth the effort. 

As I was journeying up, this quote kept going through my head and pushing me forward. 

“This life therefore, is not righteousness, 

but growth in righteousness, 

not health, but healing, 

not being, but becoming, 

not rest, but exercise. 

We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” - martin luther 

Along the road, (the literal road west), I had so many conversations with people who are dealing with the reality of this broken world, many tears shed for the confusion and harshness and sin and shame encountered while trudging through this life. And I so badly want to snap my fingers and make it okay, to erase the need for a process of pain and suffering and growing. 

But I know life doesn't work like this, and we will not be what we shall be until we are in a different world. And then, we will get to dwell with God and be free to live as we were created to. But for now, I'm trying to be thankful for the road, for the process, for the healing and becoming, for the glimmers of hope when my heart loves God more than myself. This is not the end, but it is the road.  

 

 

Perhaps my favorite road of all time, even if it isn't surrounded by world-renown spectacular scenery. But it's the road where almost everyone knows your name. 

 

 

 

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The Girl & Her Map

the open road, one of my favorite places. my friend leah and i recently braved the polar vortex by driving across america in january. risky business. but we actually stumbled upon great weather and spent many of our days exploring the great outdoors. many friends took us in along the way, making for a delightful tour on the great trip west. 

i found this 1970s pontiac guide to america and talked leah into letting me pose her in some strange places to represent each state. my goal is to do all of the states, but i don't know if she can take that much more travel with me. we might need crates of snyder's honey mustard and onion pretzels to make it through that trek. 

* the girl and her map * 

* illinois *

* missouri *

 * kansas *

* colorado *

* new mexico *

* arizona * 

holiday hoopla 2013

It's been a full season of crazy here. We take our holiday celebrating seriously in illinois. It was an especially fun year, I think with being gone for a few months overseas, I appreciated being home more. Thankful for family who loves to be together and who sees the hope in Christmas. 

One of our quirky traditions....the lost art of taffy pulling. This is definitely a community event, where everyone gets involved.  We are not quite sure where it comes from, perhaps the old german heritage....

Step one: clean hands....and wash the soap off. no one wants to eat soap. 

Step two: apply copious amounts of butter and vanilla as to not completely lose your epidermis. 

Step three: try to get the burning hot candy off of the plate without singeing your hands. grandmas and farmers have tough hands. 

Step four: begin the delicate, beautiful dance of the taffy....we like to think it is similar to the dance of the sugar plum fairy. 

Step five: place the taffy on a table in a cool area so it hardens. 

Step six: eat as much as you can without throwing up. kendall won the award this year. 

happy january!