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
