Savor. 551-600

551. An afternoon with Mary Arthur in Nashville. 

552. Finding a masseuse at Massage Envy who helps me be ready for the marathon.

553. My community. All of my friends who cheered me on through text, fb and in person during my 20 mile training run.

554. Falling asleep on the couch with Nathan while waiting for Brenda's flight to get here.

555. Life changing conversations with Brenda.

556. House sitting with Toly and Yana.

557. Long conversations about life and faith and brokenness with Yana.

558. Building a little trust with both of them.

559. The invitation to sing at the church for the first time.

560. Learning a new song in two days.

561. The congregations sweet response when they realize that I can sing.

562. Driving down I-65 with Brenda & Ingrid with Mumford and Sons playing loudly.

563. Rereading "Love Does" by Bob Goff.

564. Giving Susie my copy of "Love Does". 

565. Celebrating Susie's birthday in a small way by decorating her hotel room in gator colors.

566. The gift of a free flight to Pensacola with Gene.

567. Feeling I was coming home when we got to Pensacola.

568. Trying to see many of the people I love while in town.

569. But also giving myself permission to not see everyone so I could rest well.

570. Meeting Clay and having a new friend in ministry with him.

571. Getting to share what I love about all of the amazing youth he works with. 

572. Meeting Lisa's new boyfriend.

573. Candis was in Pensacola at the same time I am!

574. Meeting Heidi and Denise to run at Bagelheads on Wednesday morning.

575. Laughter with them. 

576. The fact that they mocked me for forgetting my running shorts  and I wore a skort instead. And they though I was just wearing a khaki skirt and no underwear. Ha.

577. Play and laughter with Cora. And Stacy and Ben. 

578. Pedicures, songs,friends and good food in honor of Susie.

579. The fresh, cool breeze when I got off of the plane in Nashville. 

580. Getting back to Nashville in time to spend a couple hours with Nathan before he went on a retreat for the weekend. 

581. Meeting Becky and Emily E. to run twelve miles on the greenway.

582. Experiencing Shari's Run - one of Lebanon local 5k's with church members.

583. Gorgeous weather to run in. 

584. Freedom to leave work early to get my haircut.

585. Catching up with Merrill.

586. Spending an evening exploring live music on Broadway with Nathan.

587. Stories about our families and experiences that shape us into who we are right now.

588. Inviting middle schoolers to be open to a life of faith filled with adventure at Winfree Bryant Middle School FCA.

589. Spontaneous photo of all the middle schoolers from the stage.

590. Short nap on the middle of the afternoon.

591. Listening to suicide survivors tell their stories at the "Never Alone" rally.

592. Being asked to do the opening prayer at the rally.

593. Getting to take care of Nathan after he injured his knees at Ultimate frisbee.

594. A weekend in Black Mountain, NC.

595. Having sweet and wise friends to sit with when my world is turned upside down.

596. The risk of opening my heart to someone else.

597. Bubbles in the mountains.

598. Roasted broccoli with parm and lemon.

599. Local Carolina brews.

600. Friends who are family.

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Photo by Susie Schmidt at the Knob.

Back in the states...

I am pretty sure most of us have got it all backwards.

Why do we work so hard to have time to do nothing?

What is rewarding about nothing?

I am not sure that this blog will make sense but I will see where it goes...I went to a bootcamp class this morning. All these women are in the class with me - as we started working out - I started thinking about how here in America we have the freedom to go to school, get jobs, to make money, so that we can afford to eat where we want(and eat too much) and then go to a gym. I just spent a week in a country where I never saw a gym. But who needs a gym when you have to go outside and get your own water from a public water spigot? Who needs a gym when you have to get your groceries daily because there is refrigeration where you live - so you do only eat what you need.

The thing I missed the most last week while in Nigeria was my cell phone. Isn't that crazy? Okay, not really the cell phone but the instant connection I have with the people that I care about because I have a cell phone. The entire last hour on the plane(and I had been on that plane for 14 hours) - I was ready to turn my phone on. I think I sent a text to everyone that I could think of to say I was back in the States.

But yesterday at church...I spent the entire day there because I had two meetings in addition to our normal Sunday schedule...I struggled with the realization of how easy it is to miss God's still small voice when I am home. When I am in America. America is loud. We demand to have all of our needs met and we want them met instantly. We have t.v., internet, radio, ipods, smart phones, bill boards...it's all just noise! Loud noise.

I think I crave the time I had on the Appalachian Trail for six months. Six months of very little external noise. And anytime I get a taste of that - like I did last week in Nigeria - I yearn for it again. I always say I learned how to breathe deep while hiking...I had to. And I am so thankful for it.

I am my own worst enemy. It's not America's fault that I buy into the noise. I don't have to get online the minute I get home. I try really hard to not keep my cell phone with me all the time, the t.v. stays off more and more these days...but the internet is where I spend my time.

So here's to less noise.

“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”
Frederick Buechner