Dandelions and Daydreams

Today was the first day in about…oh 2 months that the temperature got above freezing. Such an occasion is worthy of an adventure, so I put on my snowsuit, packed my snowshoes in my backpack, and headed out.

My destination was the city trail that heads South along the lake and across the long bridge. The trail is still covered with snow, and I was glad to have my snowshoes along.

At the trailhead is a large parking lot. In the summer it is full of Subaru’s with bike racks on the back. In the fall, a few cars will show up with “For Sale” signs in the windows. If the cars don’t sell in the fall, the owner had better get them before the snow starts to fall.

I am trying to decide whether the caption of this picture is “North Idaho Vehicle Security” or “Now where did I park that car?”

Right behind the parking lot at the trailhead is where the city puts all the extra snow–just in case we run out!

This is actually a huge pile of snow that has been removed from the roads. In the downtown area of Sandpoint, the city uses giant snowblowers mounted on road graders to blow the snow into the back of a dump truck. The dump truck empties the snow at the top of this pile. Right now, the highest point of the pile is probably 20 or 30 feet high.

The first and last picture were taken in black and white, the middle two photographs are actually in color. I guess today is just a mono-chrome sort of day.

Someone had been on the trail before me. I know they were there today because it snowed last night. Their presence was actually welcome because in snowshoeing it is much easier to follow a path that has already been broken.

Life is kind of like that too. It’s easier to follow the path that everyone else is taking, but the real challenge–and rewards–come with breaking your own path.

As I headed back home, there is a section of trail that follows the highway. A lot of the drivers were staring as they passed me.

I can’t help but think that they were actually envious of me as they sped by in their cars and I tromped through the snow breathing in fresh cold air and feeling the freedom of taking the road less traveled.

Don’t forget, tomorrow is the last day to submit your articles to the Carnival of Christian Women. The next edition will be published Friday.

Everybody seems to be talking about living a completely fulfilled life. What does a fulfilled life look like? What fulfills your life? How would you change your life now to be fulfilled? How can you achieve a fulfilled life?

The fulfilled life looks different for each person, and what would be the fulfilled life for you, might be absolute failure for me. Even so, Living the fulfilled life stems from the same root, no matter who you are. The challenge is learning what kind of flowers blossom from your branch.

The Root of a Fulfilled life.

To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And to love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-40)

Love God. Love your neighbor. Love yourself.

What does it look like to Love God?

There are a lot of voices about how to love your neighbor and even more about how to love yourself, but how do you love God? Now there is a loaded question. Loving God means keeping His commandments, but it also means living out His will in your life.

God is like a great storyteller, and you have a unique role to play in the story that He is telling. He created you with passions and desires so that you could use them within His plan. Don’t spend your time chasing the things that drag you down, but look for opportunities to use your God-given talents.

The bad news: There is no such thing as a completely fulfilled life.

After telling you all that, there is no such thing as a completely fulfilled life…

…not on this Earth anyways.

We were created to be in a perfect, unhindered relationship with God, and we were created to be in a perfect, unhindered relationship with other humans.

We can strive towards that perfect relationship with God and the perfect relationships with humans, but while we are on this earth, sin will always hinder perfect relationships. As much as I would like to find total joy, I am thankful that there is a perfect place for the perfect, complete life because the perfect, complete life isn’t suitable for an imperfect world. We just have to do the best we can here.

Photo by Rachel_thecat, cc-by-sa

It’s a quiet day, for this one moment, there aren’t any cars driving by. The space heater has turned off, not even the refrigerator is running. I stop to listen and my ears ring–straining to hear, something. In this deafening silence, I am astonished to realize that such quiet can exist within the city.

Yet there is one place in this silence, where there is no quiet. My soul feels restless and peevish. Nothing satisfies me right now, but I am wanting of nothing. I would like to go out, but I have been sick all weekend and I think it would be wiser to stay indoors.

I have had too much tea to be comforted by it today.

My thoughts flit from one idea to another unable, or unwilling to settle long enough to accomplish anything.

Whenever I feel like this, I usually have quite a long to-do list and no motivation to act. In my foolishness, I resist the one thing that I know will restore balance and bring back peace and joy to my soul. Like a child who refuses medicine, I resist picking up my Bible.

Just a few moments of fellowshipping with the Creator, that’s all I need. I know that and still I resist.

I open up the book and flip through, looking for a good place to read. True to my mood, I cannot settle on anything. My restless spirit encourages me to read in Ecclesiastes:

“Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (1:2)

It suites my mood, but even the teacher in Ecclesiastes concluded that the duty of man is to “Fear God and keep his commandments.” (12:13)

And I am reminded of another Bible author who often felt peevish, restless, and depressed.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.”
(Psalm 42:11)

I know the answer for this emptiness I feel inside.

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
(Psalm 41:1)

photo by Zest-pk, CC-By

I’ve always thought that Friday is a day worth celebrating. When I was little, my mom would make pizza and we would eat off the good china. She would split a small soda between the 5 of us, and we would ring in the weekend. Ever since then, I have always had a subconscious knowledge that Friday should be celebrated.

When Brenton and I got married, we were both still in college. Life was crazy, and time was in short supply. There were weeks that I only saw him for a few hours a day (usually while he was sleeping). You can imagine the stress that put on a young bride (and groom).

During that insanely busy time, we wrote “Friday Night is Date Night” down in stone. During that first year, I would hold on just for Friday night date night. I would barely see him all week, but I knew that if I could just make it until Friday night, I would have his undivided attention.

A few years have passed since then. We have both graduated from college. Brenton has a job that doesn’t follow him home. We actually see each other in the evenings and spend time together. Even though our lives have changed, Friday night is still date night.

With our lives changing, our date nights have changed too. In college, sometimes we would just eat dinner together and then fall asleep. Now we like to play games together, or go walking under the stars. Last summer we went out to the city park and watched a meteor shower. I expect that date night will continue to change as our lives continue to change. No matter how busy our lives get, we have to set aside time for our marriage and our relationship.

Friday night date nights started out as a necessary survival tactic. I guess in a way they still are a survival tactic. With divorce occurring at a startling rate, those of us who are married must be proactive about fighting for our marriages. There are so many forces trying to pull our marriage apart. If we don’t fight for it, who will?

Tonight is date night and the husband is on his way home for lunch. I might try and talk him into a Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich date

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photo by skycaptaintwo, CC-By