"so we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. at one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. how differently we know Him now! this means that anyone who belongs in Christ has become a new person. the old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 cor. 5:16-17)
when you go to the Word hungry, you will get fed. it's that simple. it's still astounding. i needed this so much this past week, and i fall on my knees in praise to the God who has helped me get past my own deal to see & deal with others with love.
when i last left off, i was pulling out of my driveway, saying goodbye to the life i had always known and dearly love. our first night's stop took us to Springfield, MO, where it was cold as all get out...1 degree is not my favorite type of weather. don't get me wrong. snow = boss. frostbite, hypothermia, death = not so much. pretty normal scenery till we hit new mexico, where we stopped in Alberquerqe, NM, where the sky is as big as the land is far. i could have stayed right there on the mesa and been perfectly content, but california still called. i spent the first three days mostly sleeping due to being sick...i am so thankful for my brother who is steady at the wheel and loving at the heart. he takes good care of me. wednesday night we cross the california border after a lovely day of mountains, mesa, snow and sunsets. i laugh that we got stopped by border patrol and had to give up our fruit... andrew george, your dream job, eh? ;) california was a balmy 60 degrees and welcomed us with a dilemma. that morning i had gotten word that my frantic trip to make it out to CA in time for the jan. 11 start date was in vain...yes, they pushed the start date back a week. so now i was in CA with an extra week's time and nothing to do. so, what did we decide to do? well, its all about location, location, location. :) we were in so-cal, right? so of course we decided to take thursday and go visit disneyland! i can proudly say that i have visited all the disney parks within two weeks of each other. i also was able to spend quality fun time with my brother who i dearly love. did i mention it was beautiful day with a high of 75 degrees? mmmn hmmm. friday dawned bright and clear as we made our way north towards the place i would call my home for six months.
i live in an enchanted forest. think narnia, star wars (episode 6), and LOTR all in one. one minute we were driving through rolling hills, farmland and scruffy trees (which i now can identify as tan oaks!) and the next we dropped down into wooded land and the tallest trees i've ever seen. we pulled into Alliance Redwoods around 5 pm and were greeted by...uh...no one. there was no one in the house, and we actually didn't see anyone till the following day! thomas and i took the next day to explore the village & also the beach. the woods are lovely here...so many fairy circles and also leprechauns (for reals!) that its absolutely crazy! i also was faced with the dilemma of what to do for the following week. i came into this place with honestly a bad attitude, a defeated spirit, and an unhappy face. so, in my desperation, i called up my dear friend laurel and asked if i could come visit her.
what? spend a week on a ranch? with nothing for miles and simply animals and deep, spiritual company? what could be better? what could be more invigorating for the soul? i needed to be immersed into california slowly (can we say culture shock?) but also i needed something to revive my spirit -- to make me excited for who i am, and what my purpose was out here. perhaps to simply find my purpose.
a sad departing, i dropped my brother off at the airport & cut my final ties to home. i love my family & miss them dearly, but knew that it was time to head off onto my own path. so, i hopped into to my car and started off for elk creek. here i would find rest, peace, and serenity.
just wait.
Absolutely love the part about LOTR!!!
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