Wednesday, September 19, 2012

One down... 52 to go!


U.S. Route 24 is becoming a familiar road, which is a really good thing as it's what takes me into the mountains! Last Saturday I was again traversing on this highway while headed to Mount Quandary. If you look close, you can catch a glimpse of a hot air balloon in the distance.


Mt. Quandary was my second attempt to hike a Colorado fourteener. My first attempt was with Dad last summer. We unfortunately got going too late on Mt. Sherman and a doggone afternoon storm cut the hike short. Despite waking up much too early the entire week preceding my second attempt, I made sure to get an early enough start for Mt. Quandary... I wasn't going to have another failed fourteener go on my record! 


My new friend, Cactus, joined me on my second attempt to hike a fourteener. It turned out to be a glorious day for a hike, as is made obvious by the capacious trail of people winding up the mountain (which is not as obvious to see in this picture).


We found a mountain goat meandering across the path... pretty sure this is the most exciting wildlife I've seen in person!



Success... reaching the summit of my first fourteener!


Since it was only supposed to be 60 down in Breck at noon, I was anticipating it to be pretty chilly up top. But once we separated from the mass of successful hikers (who for some odd reason were hanging out in the windiest and coldest area) it was quite delightful! Nice and sunny and perfectly comfortable with a jacket on. 


A nice view, sunshine, good company, and lavender chocolate made it quite easy to relax in this spot for a couple hours!




On our way down... saw three more goats!


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Getting Artsy Phartsy


I like to make things but most times I seem to like procrastinating more. So to help myself out, I made a little chart that I've hung up on my wall. Simple pleasures, such as stickers, can bring a lot of satisfaction and joy so I've given myself not just one but two glorious spots for deserving stickers! One for the start of a project and the second one goes on at completion of a project. 


This lamp helped me earn my first two stickers. Mom got it for me when I moved out here and it just had a plain, white shade on it before the crafting began. I used some maps from the World Atlas I snagged at a garage sale for $0.25 and decoupaged them onto the shade. 


I'm pretty pleased and happy with my vagabond lamp. And man, did it feel good applying those shiny stickers to my chart!


Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Peace


This past Sunday I paid a visit to the International Anglican Church here in the Springs. I had found it while still back in Indy as I scoured Google Maps for gems in my new neighborhood. I'd never been to an Anglican church before but after looking through their website, I didn't see anything I disagreed with and I found it very exciting that they were a church plant from Rwanda. And as it's in walking distance to my new home, I saw no reason not to go. So I did. 

It was a good experience, I enjoyed the liturgical aspects and sermon on daily worship. While there were no hymns accompanied by the saw, banjo or harmonica, there was one thing that brought a smile to my face and reminded me a bit of Redeemer... the pastor's Birks were tossed beneath a pew as he preached his sermon barefoot.

After the sermon we sung a song, had a lengthy prayer and then were told to greet one another in peace. So I shook a few hands and moseyed my way on out the door. I thought it somewhat strange that there was no mass exodus but figured this is good, these people just like each other and want to visit. But later that afternoon I was feeling suspicious. I remembered that I had seen communion set out up front but had no memory of taking communion. And an offertory... nope, don't remember that happening either. Did I really leave before the service was over? So I pulled out my bulletin to take a look see. Sure enough, I had headed out during The Peace and missed communion and the offertory.


Guess The Peace is not the time to peace out!




Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Bartering with the Chickens

We give them these... 


And they give us these...


Seems like a pretty good trade to me! 

These chickens, and I suppose all chickens, are the most amazing garbage disposal I've ever seen. Weeds, rotten bananas, watermelon rinds, any kind of food scrap you can come up with.... throw it in their vicinity and it'll be gone in no time! And do you notice the multicoloredness going on in those eggs?? We get not only white, but brown, blue, and green eggs too! 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Maker of the Morning Joe & Evening Demitasse


This is how I wake up every morning.... with a delicious cup of coffee, or espresso, or a latte if I'm feeling fancy.... made from this spiffy machine of Michelle's. Pretty fabulous, huh?

Sunday, August 5, 2012

My One Year Challenge

So, what the howdy heckin' hay am I doing out in Colorado anyway? I'm not really sure. Not that there are a lack of good reasons to be here... mountains, family, an abundance of coffee shops, red rocks, hippies... see, all kinds of good reasons! But still, to give some more purpose to my new adventure... and so as not to change my hippie-wanna be status too much, I have decided to take on a new challenge. I've also just been needing a good spiritual kick in the pants.


A couple of months ago I read Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream. Carrie had recommended it to me and then let me borrow her copy. It was a short read with a big impact. The title is pretty self explanatory as to the goal of the book but to give you yet a better taste, I'll share an excerpt from David Platt:

“You and I have an average of about seventy or eighty years on this earth. During these years we are bombarded with the temporary. Make money. Get stuff. Be comfortable. Live well. Have fun. In the middle of it all, we get blinded to the eternal. But it’s there. You and I stand on the porch of eternity. Both of us will soon stand before God to give an account for our stewardship of the time, the resources, the gifts, and ultimately the gospel he has entrusted to us. When that day comes, I am convinced we will not wish we had given more of ourselves to living the American dream. We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship.”

I have to say that it certainly is easy to get comfortable living the American Dream. While a big, brand new home in a safe neighborhood with a super successful bread winner, a couple of perfect children and a cute little pupster may not be my current dream, I certainly like to live comfortably and am constantly dreaming of my next big adventure/vacation. And yes, I do have the dream of owning my own home and filling it with all my wonderful junk. If it starts becoming obsessive, I justify it by telling myself I just want one of those old cheapo homes in Fountain Square and most of my belongings will be thrift store finds and garage sale snags. 


So see, I'll hardly be spending any money on my dream home! And for that matter, I'd be happy to cruise the country on a Greyhound bus and stay with strangers to fulfill my adventures. So for me, it may not be the biggest, best, newest, shiniest, and most expensive that entices me and therefore lets me think, "Bigger and better? Nope, that's not me. Guess I'm not hung up on the American Dream." 

But don't worry, I know I've not escaped from getting caught in our cultural trap. It's become all too easy to simply try and be a nice person striving to be a smart, capable, independent person. While there is certainly nothing wrong with being a nice person who is also smart, capable and independent, there is a problem when these qualities become the main focus and aim of my life. I strive after these qualities because I want to be well liked and happy. And in that process, I seek to make much of myself. This is where those good qualities become ugly. My goal in life is not to make much of myself but to Make Much Of My GOD.


At the end of his book, Platt gives a list of five things that he challenges readers to implement in their life over the next year. 

The One Year Challenge

1. Pray for the entire world


The goal is to pray specifically for each country of the world... a bit of a daunting task! First of all, knowing the name of each country will require some investigation, not to mention knowing what kind of needs that country has and how to pray for them. Fortunately, my job has been made tremendously easy thanks to Operation World. They give a list of all of countries and then give demographics and prayer requests for each. Now I have no good excuse not to pray specifically for each country of the world! 

2. Read through the entire Word


I have decided to read through the Bible chronologically and am currently working my way through Job.


3. Sacrifice my money for a specific purpose


I have always been completely content with my freebie cell phone... until recently. Mom and Courto both upgraded to an iPhone a while ago, giving me the opportunity to hold one of those fancy smart phones in my grubby hands. It didn't do too much for me at first. But then, I would find myself constantly asking them to look up where this restaurant was or what that word meant, etc. I was starting to get the bug. Then I'd be out by myself, trying to figure out the name of that one town that is home to the World's Largest Egg, reach for my phone, look down and remember, "Oooooh, that's right, I haven't made that upgrade yet.... where are my trusty iPhone toters when I need them?!" I knew things were getting desperate. I really wanted an iPhone. Heck, I needed one! I mean, how can one go about not knowing where the World's Largest Egg is? Not to mention, if I had an iPhone, I could get that sweet looking Volkswagen cover for it! Anyway, all this rambling is getting to a point. And here it is: I have decided to continue to delay my purchase of an iPhone. The money I will not be spending on a monthly data plan, I plan to give away. As to the specific purpose I will give it for, I have yet to figure out.

4. Spend my time in another context


While I probably won't be going back to Mzuzu, Malawi for a month, the idea is to spend some time, a weekend, week, month or the whole year in another city, state or country helping someone in need. Where this goal will take me is still unknown. 

5. Commit my life to a multiplying community


My multiplying community - a place of spiritual accountability, encouragement, and growth - will no longer be my beloved Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis but I will be looking for a new church family here in the Springs. 

So yes, there are still a lot of unknowns in this new Colorado adventure but this one year challenge does put some good goals in front of me as I begin this new undertaking. 




Monday, July 30, 2012

I Blame it on the Olympics...


.... the sad, sloppy state of my room that is. While my room is full of many wonderful things, it is lacking one essential item for this period of life - a television. When planning my move out to Colorado and thinking of top priority items to bring out or buy upon arrival, a TV was not even on the bottom of the list. Normally, I could care less if the TV is on but these are no ordinary times. Thank goodness I live with someone who gives me access to the Olympic Games because I've pretty much been glued to the tube since they started!


A new garage sale item. Pretty nice, huh?




Finally picked out my snaps, did the necessary cropping and filled this beautiful metal thrift frame!


Oh the cleaning that should be done... in 14 days perhaps!