a walk in the park.

I should have posted this a few weeks ago, but I guess it's true when people say "Better late than never". I had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Spring so I could get out of the house and into the Great Outdoors! There is nothing like taking a hike in the Valley in springtime.

So my girlfriend, Heidi, and I packed a bag and headed up to Shenandoah National Park. We didn't quite have a plan set, but we knew we weren't going to let the day go to waste. We settled on the South River Falls trail (which has always been one of my favorites) and commenced our trek! The sun was bright and there was a cool breeze blowing - God was definitely planning to show off His creation.

Along the way, we both decided to get a bit adventurous. Heidi scaled a massive rock-face, while I maneuvered my way across a treacherous bridge...okay, maybe we weren't staring death in the face. But we sure felt like intense wilderness voyagers.

There's something about hiking that always puts me at ease. Now, I can't sit here and say I've always been the outdoor enthusiast, but in the past few years it's something I've grown to love and appreciate. I have my best friend and college roommate, Jeremy, to thank for it. It's hard not to be blown away by nature. When you really take a moment to take in the magnitude of it all, it's easy to be made humble.

For me, taking hikes or spending quiet time in the presence of my Creator and His creation, puts me back in a centered place. The fact that the One who molded mountains and valleys, trees and streams, also molded you and me is astounding. Whew! It kinda hurts my head just thinking about it. We are incredibly small in the grand scheme of things. Yet, God reaches out to us, loves us, and offers us lives of grandeur as if we were the most important things on Earth! And when I dig deeper, I find that, in fact, we are the most important thing to Him. He is our Father and He searches for and pursues us constantly. That's HUGE!

I want to leave you with some more pictures and the challenge to get out! Take a hike. Go explore the wonderful creation laid outside for us. You definitely won't regret it. And maybe one day in the future we can enjoy a walk in the park together. 

  

Looking out over South River Falls.

Jesus Calling.

It's Hump Day! And I am supa pumped to say the least. Don't get me wrong, I love having an awesome 9-5 job with an air conditioned office, but I'm also looking forward to the weekend.

It's been a very interesting week, well month. I said goodbye to a job that I loved, and started a new one that offers more stability (and benefits). The transition has been a bit overwhelming but I'm acclimating to the change in pace. Heidi, my beautiful girlfriend, has been extremely supportive and should be given an award for dealing with my complaints and stress. Now on to the point of this post...

During my lunch-break today, I was reading through my daily devotional - Jesus Calling (by Sarah Young). The message was as follows:

When things don't go as you would like, accept the situation immediately. If you indulge in feelings of regret, they can easily spill over the line into resentment. Remember that I am sovereign over your circumstances, and humble yourself under my mighty hand. Rejoice in what I am doing in your life, even though it is beyond your understanding.
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In Me you have everything you need, both for this life and for the life yet to come. Don't let the impact of the world shatter your thinking or draw you away from focusing on Me. The ultimate challenge is to keep fixing your eyes on Me, no matter what is going on around you. When I am central in your thinking, you are able to view circumstances from My perspective.

Umm....YES! What an amazing conviction! It's human nature to nit-pick and complain about everything little thing we don't like. I'm definitely guilty of it. Even though I have been thoroughly blessed, my human nature takes over and I find something to be unhappy about. And then I sit down for some quiet time with God and He smacks me across the face and tells me to WAKE UP!

I love that! I love how this ever-evolving relationship with Him can bring me back down to reality and remind me that He has everything, absolutely everything, under control. And the message is true. The hardest challenge is keeping our eyes fixed on Him and trusting in His all-knowing way. I urge you to check out the Scripture associated with this devotional, and find time to lay any worries on the One who has the power to make them all go away!

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:6; John 14:6

a lesson in Love.

November 3, 2012. A day that might seem like an ordinary day to many of you. However, to me, it is the day that I began one of my greatest adventures.

For a long while, I had become convinced that relationships, let alone LOVE, just weren't for me. I hadn't had much luck in the category and figured I probably was in the small percentage of men who grow up to become the creepy guy who's house all the kids were afraid to go near, fearful they'd never make it home alive. It's a tough thought to swallow, but I just merely accepted my fate and moved on.

Much to my surprise, God had another plan for me.

As I sat at home watching the X Factor with my roommates, my phone let loose a buzz. "Hi, Phil!" The girl on the other end of the message was surely as nervous as I was. (This "encounter" had been set up the day before by her sister.) I was too nervous to respond, but knew I needed to make a witty reply in order to keep her interested.

"Hey there chica!"   Smooth. I know.

I would love to post all the messages we exchanged that night, but I don't think Google will allow me that large of a blog post. All you need to know is that nearly seven months later, that preppy blonde is still sending the butterflies in my stomach flying.

I think it's easy for most guys to misinterpret God's hope for relationships between men and women. "Relationship" is the most important thing to God. Think about it! We were created by love and through love to be loved and to give love. Love changes us. It creates a reaction that provides energy, both emotional and spiritual, for life. Relationship is intended by God to be an experience that exposes us, transforms us, and mends us.

This woman that God has placed in my life has taught me these things and more. I think of how closed off I allowed myself to get, and how with love I accepted vulnerability. I remember the times when I hid true feelings, and how with love I became who He created me to be. I look back on the moments of brokenness, and how with love I have been pieced back together.

I have been blessed by the past seven months. And to ignore that truth would make me a fool. I know that the Lord has much more for me to learn, and He will surely place moments before me that teach me to be humble. But I rest confidently on His promise to never lead me down a road or path I am not capable of meneuvering.

No Excuses.

To say that I have fallen off the radar would be a HUGE understatement; my last post on here dates back all the to October which is highly unacceptable! While my absence from my blog may seem unwarranted, let me assure you that I have had many good reasons.

My life has been nothing short of interesting, consisting of various twists and turns, roadblocks and moments of joy and delight. I've walked along paths I never imagined for myself. And I have faced obstacles that have undoubtedly shaken my faith to its core. Yet, all the while my God has stood faithfully by my side, flowing words of encouragement into my wondering heart.

I now am finding myself back at the keyboard, excited about adventures that lie before me. My hope is that you all will return here often to hear the stories, see the pictures and, ultimately, marvel as the Lord's plan unfolds before me.

I look forward to sharing with you all again very soon. Until then, enjoy an adventure of your own.


Fondly,

Phiz