Do You Want a Better Life?

        The Cave of Now is a difficult place to be in, mainly because it forces me to look at my life each day – both before and after the fact – and reflect, anticipate, seek to enjoy and squeeze ever drop out of now that I can. As I’ve been thinking about that lately, I discovered that easily the most important part of my day recently has been the time I’m spending with God in Scripture.  Specifically, I’ve decided to read through some Old Testament books and study characters.

    I’m also taking a course online to improve writing skills (more on that to come probably) and the goal is to write every day.  My character studies and desire to write more is the perfect environment to share some of the things I’m learning.  I will start today with Enoch from Genesis 5: 21-24.

    He lived in a time where men were living 700-900 years a pop.  (And I thought being 30 was old!) His great great great great grandpa was Adam.  Enoch fathered Methuselah, the oldest ever guy in Scripture. His great grandson’s name is Noah.  So, in Genesis 5, it’s just this list of guys, how old they were when they had their first children (180 years old and having kids?!) and how long they lived.  There is literally no other biographical information.  Just read the first 20 verses of Genesis 5!  Did they have a family run business?  Where they carpenters?  Farmers? Where did they take their family vacations?  The text doesn’t tell us a thing about these men… but each of them lived roughly 800 years on Earth!

    But Enoch.  Whoa.  He gets 3 verses and they are stunning:

  

    When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.  Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (Gen 5: 21-24)

   Here were my observations:

1.The phrase “walked faithfully with God” happens twice.  Enoch’s life was marked by a faithful walking with the Lord.  It doesn’t say this about any of his ancestors. 

    2. He only lived half a life compared to his contemporaries! He lived 365 years.  Everyone else lived 800+ years

    3.  He didn’t die??! It just says “he was no more, because God took him away.” Uh…

     For me, the biggest take away from Enoch is that quality of life matters more than quantity of life. He had half the time of others in his days and yet, his mention in Scripture is that he was “faithfully walking with the Lord.”  This is challenging to me, especially since I get even less time than he did (and I won’t be having kids at age 65!). It forces me to ask the question, am I living faithful to the Lord?  Would people around me say that I’m faithfully walking with God?  It’s not so much that I want to be recognized for it, but that friendship with God is such a rich blessing.  It brings joy in the midst of difficulty, contentedness in the midst of scarcity, peace in the midst of anxiety. The benefits of walking with God are great in this life and infinitely greater in the next. 

     I think Enoch saw and lived this idea. He understood that a life lived with God, though it may appear short comparatively, is the best kind of life to live – a better life.  

     I want a better life - do you?

Here I Go...!

So, they all speak English as their first language... that's a plus.  However, I feel just as much a fish out of water as I did 6 years ago (the last time I was involved in a church youth group) living and ministering in the Alps of Austria.  I just got back from the first youth group night of the year.  Can you say energy?!  

I'll be helping out with junior high this year and while I'm excited to be involved again, I have to admit that junior high is not my favorite age.  I didn't even get junior highers when I was in junior high!  There were many times tonight that I wanted to bolt out of there and get away from the awkwardness.  And what kept me there was remembering two experiences from my time in Innsbruck:

1. It was that completely awkward feeling standing in the youth room for the first time. not knowing anyone. not understanding any of the language. not one word. feeling completely stupid. uncool. feeling American. having thoughts like - what the heck am i doing here? and when can i leave? inability to remember names (or pronounce them sometimes). it seemed like this went on week after week with no end in sight... that struggle to engage instead of fleeing.

2. It was 10 months later, at a birthday party for one of my now dear friends, Judith.  The room was filled with oodles friends and acquaintances from the city.  Laughter and German chatter abounded and I was home.  I sat on the couch, surrounded by some of my best girls... girls I had gotten to know (in German and in English) in the past year.  Guys that I had hiked and biked with... students that had poured their hearts out to me because I had the time and desire to listen.  It was my little corner of Austria... in that room. I remember sitting on that couch surrounded by completely familiar... and be incredibly overwhelmed and grateful at God's working.

Those two memories made me glued to my seat tonight.  And I'm thankful for that glue.

Whoop whoop for junior high youth group!!

Even though it looks like an obstacle, it’s probably an opportunity.

This summer has been the most unique summer I’ve ever experienced, aside perhaps from the summer I spent in a different culture.  I say that because one would think that replacing a small little ligament in a knee would be a relatively simple fix.  It was a simple fix… a quick surgery and a textbook recovery. What I could never have imagined is how upside down living and rehabilitating this little ligament could be.  Here are a few of the big things that have been a challenge:

-   At first, literally moving.  A trip up 8 – 10 stairs would tire me to the point of napping.  Then it was bending, getting that range of motion to what my other knee is capable.  I’m still working on that, but it’s better every day.  Now, it's strength training in the muscles around my ACL. Stairs still pose a mighty obstacle as I’ve begun overcompensating in various ways to make up for the weakness in the muscles surround this little ligament.

-   Secondly, actually moving.  My lease was up in July, as was my former roommate’s planned stay in Stevens Point.  So, just two weeks after my surgery, a new lease and a new roommate started to be a part of my life. I’ve loved everything about this new place and the new roommate, but I tell ya what… organizing, unpacking, decorating, shopping, assemblying and repurposing is hard work without a recent surgery! It’s taken at least twice as long and I’m still not settled to the desired level. 

-   Have I mentioned that my business office moved along with my physical address? Again, restructuring, organizing, finding, assemblying, unpacking… with insurance files and leads.  It’s all been a challenge.

Of course, there have been bright spots amidst the challenges.

-    My younger brother loves to pack and unpack things into a van and trailer.  This man not only took everything I own down a flight of stairs to our van, but up another flight of stairs at my new place. Spending this time with Cody (and having his help!) has made this move possible and 3,000 times more fun.

-   Time to relax.  I’ve really had to slow down this summer physically.  I haven’t been biking, slacklining or playing ultimate or doing any sort of physical exertion beyond stair-climbing. This is much harder than it looks or sounds.  At first, it sounded like a vacation of sorts, until exhausting 3x a week physical therapy and daily leg-strengthening exercises were added to the routine.  At times, this is frustrating, but I’ve also been trying to see it as an opportunity for rest, recuperation, and retooling. I’ve read a lot, learned a lot about the Milwaukee Brewers (and baseball in general – fascinating), and got to vacation and reconnect with friends… all at a slower pace, mind you. These are huge blessings behind what was disguised as an obstacle.

So, this summer has felt like no other.  In some ways, I feel like I’m in a different culture because of the new experiences I’ve faced! I’m more thoughtful about a lot of what I do (mostly because every step is an opportunity to reinjure myself) and I’m excited about what the fall will bring as far as my schedule goes. Again, there will be some new experiences and chances to explore more of life and what it means to be Jaime in it.

PS – one of my goals is more frequent posts here so stay tuned.

The Valley at Night

Even as the wordsmith that I am, I cannot begin to put into words the beauty of this night in the Inntal. I sat for awhile with Mum Grander as the night crept in. Houses across the valley turned on their lights like we had. The snow-topped mountains shown brightly, even with the dim moon. She with her sudoku and me with my journal, we sat in relative silence for a little while. As twilight hit the mountains, epic-ness ensued. We began a long conversation (spoke primarily in German) about ancestors, letter writing, and the activities of our days. It was during this time that I realized the reason I (and I think many people) get such a rush from language learning. There is some sort of unspoken awesomeness that comes with speaking a different language and being understood. Being able to share thoughts in a way that the other is completely comfortable with... it is truly stunning! Do you know a language that well? One besides English, I mean? I am completely grateful that God gave me to opportunity to undertake this language... because of the people it allows me to know and be known by.


Tomorrow, there is more bopping about Innsbruck. Sunday is church and hopefully more people. more German. Gotta soak it up while I can!

The Now

Some of you probably thought that I have been sick or dead or unable to type in these last months, but alas, that is not true.  I've found other outlets for writing, but some big news has prompted me to fire this baby back up!  I'm heading back to Austria for a visit this next Tuesday!!

I'll be spending about 15 days in and about Innsbruck, seeings lots of old friends, visiting old haunts, hiking, traveling with friends, etc... I'm SO excited!  It will be the first time that I'm back in the country since I left it 4.5 years ago!  My hope is to be able to blog some stories of the adventures either while I'm there or very soon afterward.  The plans for the trip are coming together and I'm filling every moment I can with people.

Be praying for me as I go.  My goals are to encourage each person that I see as well as be rejuvenated myself by being back in this place that I've spend a very impacting year of my life.  Thanks! 

Pictures and updates to follow... :)

Home.

I’ve been contemplating lately what home means.  My new place hasn’t felt like home.  I’ve put up familiar pictures of recent memories.  I’ve spent time there, cooked there, cleaned there, slept there and yet, it hasn’t felt like home… until this week, until today. What makes home home?

Today topped off a week of letting my dearest friends into this space that I inhabit.  I had tea with them, played Scrabble with them, talked with them on the phone, emailed them, and most recently, chatted with them over an ocean.  They say that “Home is where the heart is” and I’ve never really understood what that even means… I say, “Home is where your heart is not alone anymore.”   I was with them…  I was with the people who have held my hand and hugged me through dank and dismal times.  And now I’m at home, in my new home.

Moved.

So, I’ve recently moved into a place of my own (well, with a new roommate!) and I kinda feel like I’m reinventing myself. How’s that for new-age? Maybe it’s the cooler weather and the kiddos heading back off to school (or something complete else different), but I just feel an energy about life lately. I’m lovin’ that! There have been a few words that have driven this reinvention of Jaime… Courage. It’s inserted itself into my life in several uncanny ways (really, only God could have done this – ask me about it sometime!), but it’s encouraged (see, there it is again) me to have courage in life… to be who God wants me to be, even if it looks a little different than everyone else… to write whether anyone ever reads it or likes it… to live a life of intention. That is the other word… Intention. As I think about what will go into my “new life” as an apartment renter, I ask questions like, how can I honor God with my time? What should I spend time studying? Who should I spend time investing in? What should I have for dinner? I know, this all sounds overwhelming, doesn’t it? I have this inexplicable peace that it will all happen in its time as I trust the Lord. Yep, the cave of my now is definitely brighter, more hopeful and faith-filled.

What words are defining your fall/life season?

The Craft Mobile!

Being with Amber always means adventure, and most of the time, epic adventure.  Epic is Amber's middle name.  She can make microwaving a burrito epic. It’s just the way she sees things.  It’s one of the many reasons I crave spending time with her.  This weekend, we decided to hold the first tri-annual (or quarterly – we aren’t sure yet) “crafting weekend”… it’s still up for debate whether we will actually craft at every one of them, but we thought we’d start it off with a bang… a trip to JoAnn Fabrics.  We almost didn’t make it out actually.  We almost spent our whole weekend in the store, standing over our cart, admiring fabric and dreaming about what it could become with the right amount of stitching and patience.  We pulled ourselves away after several pep talks.

We had two main projects: A make-up bag and some placemats.  We sewed for about 10 hours, with a short break for pizza dinner.  Have a look…

We used a pattern from a German woman.

This is Amber's bag because it has chutzpah.

We now have matching AWESOME place mats!

 

We came, we saw, we crafted!

Our other goal was to eat food out of Amber's beautiful garden that Fabi and I helped plant this past May... and, well, we failed miserably.... but we had great burgers at the Big Star Drive In... and pizza delivered by Papa Johns (yummy garlic butter sauce!)  Here are the before and after pictures from her garden...

Before in May

After in August

 Impressed?  I was.  Amber grows a garden in an epic  way!

SFOOG: 2011 -- We're Back and Better than Ever!

Sunday was the 3rd mostly annual SFOOG (Sherf Family Outdoor Olympic Games).  I say "mostly annual" because last summer's weekends got eaten up by planning a wedding!!  :)  The events of SFOOG are Jaime originals, at least the twists are.  We pair up and compete in the activities I create and then we dress up in the medal outfits for a picture based on our finishes.  Enjoy the picture and blurb recap of highlights!

Bring Sally Up, Bring Sally Down

  We all got down on our stomachs for some good ol' fashioned push-ups.  As we listened to Moby's Flower, we came up and went down with the lyrics for Sally.  The person who lasted the longest in the song without stopping got to pick his/her partner for the day.  Cody won!  Congrats bud!

Gold Medal winning Ice Escape performance

 The first event was Ice Escape, formed in my mind while we were ice fishing this winter on the Lake of the Woods.  As we were in my dad's car, we contemplated the best possible way of escape if we were to break through the ice.... the sun roof!  One member from each team had to start in the driver's seat and be timed as they projected him or herself out of the car and onto the pavement.   Winning time?  5.72 seconds.

Winner?  ME!  That's right, Jaime Sherf beat out 2 of her 3 brothers for the title of quickest escape out of an Impala sunroof!

 Event #2: Roofball - the family fav!  Technical rules (which only Cody and I really know since we made them up).  It's a hoot!   A pregnant woman and her husband took the gold in this event.  By the way, the "gold" medal was an Aaron Rodgers' jersey, a tiara and a superman cape :)

Event # 3: Fru-Bik-alad

The names are just as fun to come up with as the actual rules of the game!  One team member headed out via bike around the block.  Once one lap was completed, his or her teammate proceeded to eat a bowl of fruit salad.  After the consumption of the salad, the first teammate would set out for another block of biking.  The first team to make it back to the mailbox won gold.

The Bikers of Fru-Bik-alad

The 2^nd place finishers got to don a straw hat, a maraca and a Ghanaian head wrap.   The third place team really was worse than getting 4^th because you had to show up in a picture wearing the pitiful jersey of GB#4.  There was also a Marilyn Monroe style wig and some Viking colored beads.

The winners of Fru-Bik-alad!

Bonding over a cold soak!

 Event #4: Cold Feet

The kiddie pool scares my family.  It might have been from the time I made us all stick our heads underwater at hold our breath in a competition of lung capacity.  In any event, it’s always fun to spice it up a bit.  I filled our pool with a few layers of ice and then freezing water.  Then, we stuck our feet in.  We shared moments of intense pain while we strengthened our wills to be the last foot in.  40 minutes.  Not bad.  It all came down to a quiet conversation between my brother, Jeremy and me… and then I took my foot out, securing second place.

Medals for Cold Feet

Event #5 Bean Bag Toss

Nothing new or insane about this, which I think my family was thankful for… because their feet were still tingly.   By this point, Jeremy and Nicole have completely run away with the day… winning all by one gold medal.

 

Event #6 Nut Stack

We had a four way, head to head, team nut stack.  Oodles of fun.  The goal was to stack 7 nuts (three different sizes), alternating team members, using a shish kabob skewer. 

Nut Stack Results

 All in all, it was the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon with my dear family… making memories!

What memories did you make this last weekend?

Summer Days

The days don't get much better than this weekend!  It's treating myself to a cold Starbucks drink, opening the sunroof on my dad's car and listening to my new summery music loudly as I drive through town, the wind swirling about me.  You couldn't wipe the smile off of my face! 

Today was a treat, just how summer, and the 4th of July should be.   I met Amber in town for what promised to be an adventure of epic proportions, no matter what we actually decided to do!  Amber can make microwaving a burrito into an epic adventure!  So, just before we set off on a somewhat lengthy bike trip around Point, with various stops along the way, we decide to give Olson one last chance to hang out with the most delightful women around.  He picks up his phone finally!  Belt's.  Now, you all know that I am a pretty religious ice cream eater... and most of you probably know that I don't consider soft serve actual ice cream... but I go to Belt's on special occasions, when those I am with are not so enlightened. Today was one of those days.  

The three of us caught up quickly and easily, as we always do.  Are you ever with people who you've known forever and even though you feel like you've changed somewhat, they still know exactly what you'll think or say about something?  Those are these friends.... special and deep friends.  Friends I thank God daily for.   

We headed for the river in hopes of finding some great trees for slacklining (Wiki it if you wanna know more.) and fields for frisbee.  The perfect temperature.  The perfect amount of breeze.  The perfect absence in the ability to text (Thanks Element Mobile!).  The perfect company.  Oh, this was a glorious day!  We talked and laughed and I did a pretty good digger as the line flung me off of it. Hilarious.  We missed our NYC contingent for sure!  We left some holes in our pictures for you two!

Jeremy left to begin his actual epic adventure of a year of clinicals in this 3rd year of med school. Fun!  Amber and I biked over and dropped in on Ann and Lee, who just happened to be sitting down to dinner, which they had cooked extra of, which was providential.... score for Amber and me! :)   Their porch is perfect for evening sun, laughter, good food and more special friends.  Could you ask for anything more?

Arriving back at the Perri-base after biking through Point as it said goodbye to the mid-summer holiday weekend, we found ourselves being offered more food and fellowship-y fun.  You just can't beat the cook outs and parties of summer, can you?

It was the perfect day.   And I am perfectly exhausted after this weekend.

Next post will include all of the highlights of SFOOG 2011: We're Back and Better than Ever!  (Our 3rd annual Sherf Family Outdoor Olympic Games.)  Pictures too!

KC: The Opening

This place is such an event in our family. Summer is surely now here for good because King Cone opens today!!!  Absolute excitement.  We endure winter for this day.  It's gonna be a good day! 

Some of you local readers (ha, people read this!?!) may be wondering, will the Sherf family go to the *new* location in Plover?  Yes, of course we will.  There are many similarities between them, beyond simply the name.  The ice cream is the same delicious Cedar Crest (I was saddened to find out that Cedar Crest, of Manitowoc, WI does not offer plant tours!  What a bummer!) ice cream, but this year, with 8 new flavors MADE LOCALLY AT KING CONE!  There is also the lovely view of a King Lube oil change building across from both locations.  It's a little eerie folks!  Same great manager, who works hard to make sure that the Sherf favs are always in the freezers.  Yes, expansion is good.

And with the opening of King Cone, I have a new season goal.  My goal is to introduce 10 new people to the delights of KC this summer.  Already got one.  Two more are planned.  Last year I tried to eat my way through the menu, but Zanibar Chocolate with After Dinner Mint is just such a comfort to me... I didn't make it to everything!  If you've never been, let me know and we'll plan an outing.  It's really just what everyone needs - always.  It's that simple.

Oh, and I also hope to write more on this thing... My now is full of stuff (like most of yours' are too!).  May will bring one of my best friends for a month-long visit, so I will be writing about the Grand Canyon, the Apostle Islands and general shenanigans with Fabian!  

What are your spring highlights?  What events mark the beginning of summer for you and your family?

The Season

I realized something yesterday as I traveled back from Wausau East after the boys were eliminated on their way to the State tournament.  I realized how much I have always enjoyed the competitiveness of an Amherst basketball game.  Not only that, but I realized the necessity of it for me during the long and dark winter months in Wisconsin.  It has been my joy to watch these men play since November.  They have grown as players and as men.  I am so thankful that their teacher and coach, Gregg,  invests so much of his time and talent into their lives.  Every year, there is a new batch of guys to mentor.  He is not aptly paid for the impact he has on their lives.  It is a pleasure to watch him coach and take advantage of the teachable moments.

It was quite emotional to watch the season slip away.  In the waning minutes, I began to understand that I would never see those plays executed quite as beautifully as those five did it.  They communicated and complimented each other so well.  You could tell they were friends off the court too.  I can still see the passion they have to play in their eyes.  They want it so bad, but it's just not in the cards.  Hugs, back pats and tears were shared between our guys, dazedly dejected by the defeat.  They begin to understand the finality of these moments.

I look back on the season and I, for one, am so thankful to the players, coaches and school for putting on such a great program!  It makes me proud to be from Amherst, a community that comes together in a high school gymnasium to enjoy a great bit of playing and camaraderie. Thank you Will, Jordan, Ben, Eric, Jared, JB, Steve and Ezra for being a ray of joy for me this winter!

Euchre in the Ice Box

A couple weekends ago, I had the sweet opportunity to spend the weekend in the bitter cold "ice fishing" with some of the men in my family (and Aryn, but we didn't just come to cook!).  I say "ice fishing" because I don't actually fish... I sit in the ice house and play euchre and sometimes pinochle or hearts.  Here's how it works...  

We get out to the fish house at about 8:30am, after waking up with icicles in our noses from sleeping in negative temps.  (Seriously, -20F is a WARM morning!)  In the fish house, I snag a spot by the heater while everyone puts down a line or two.  They check the depth and set the bobber while I make conversation and "consult" on lure choice.  This year, my fun uncle brought two of his three children.  And my older brother, Jeremy, joined Cody, Dad and me... we just had a ball!  Once everyone's lines went down, the table comes out and everyone gets into a position where they can see and attend to at least 2 holes.  We don't fish with tip-ups. So, the dealing begins. Euchre is a quick-handed game so that's nice.  Every time I mix and deal, I call for an ice-house-wide jig and/or bait check.  This year, my uncle began dancing every time I called for a jig.  Hilarious.  We didn't catch much fish, but we did laugh a lot.

The playing goes on until lunch, with occasional interruptions for a bite or re-bait.  We clear the cards for lunch and get out the sandwich fixings.  We eat as if we haven't just had breakfast, second breakfast and 11sies...  It's always good.

After lunch, the perfect, yet opposite, delight occurs.  I leave the fish house... my dad or Cody take me back to the cabin, draw me some water and build a fire and then leave.  I have the whole afternoon with my tea, a blazing fire, a book and my journal.  There is no one near me.  It is bliss... the perfect antithesis to the camaraderie of the fish house.  I love this annual weekend.  Most times, I don't even mind not showering for 4 days!

My dear fishing buddies :)

The evenings are filled with more food and cards until we all venture off to rest, snuggling in under tons of blankets.

I did actually jig just once this year.  It yielded this fish :)

Thanks for a great weekend everyone!  Until next year...

A Daddy Date

I was a cheap date.  Half of a $6 gas station pizza and a $5 State Park pass.  I was eager to spend this time with my dad... & also try out my brand spankin' new snowshoes & boots.  It was even degrees - neither positive nor negative - windless and quiet, as we approached the guard shack.  The attendant took the money and gave us a map of the candlelight loop.  We strapped on our shoes as others finished the loop, beaming at the beauty of the moonlit trail.  We started out, following the luminaries down the trail groomed for cross-country skiing.  

The air was crisp and still.  We clopped.  We chatted and wondered at things as we had done on the 9 hour journey to this tundra.  I love that about my dad... he taught me to wonder well, and to ask questions.  The trail was 1.25 miles, lit intermittently by candles.  God's yard light show with pure luminescence through the trees and along our path.  At times, we'd stop and admire the moon and list to the wind fly betwixt the trees.  We rounded back toward the car.  We were breathless and radiating heat as we finished our little adventure. 

These moments with my dear daddy will always be tucked in my heart.  I know it will not always be like this... but I am so grateful for the time we do have now.  It is a happy little part of my cave of now. 

Memorial. Day. Adventures.

In an attempt to suck up as much "now" as possible and not freak out about the upcoming "now," I pumped myself up for a Memorial Day ride to remember.  It was time for the 2nd Annual Country Drive-While-Avoiding-All-4-Lane-Or-Busy-2-Lane-Roads Road Trip with Lee and Ann!  There is something just magical about not having any place to be, a tank full of gas, a bottle of Coke (without all that high fructose syrup) and a well-used gazetteer... just sitting three to a front seat and enjoying the day!

We drove south from Amherst on Cty A in search of the "secret road." Apparently, 15th Ave is probably known only to people who live on it and those in love with their gazetteer.  It was revelicious!  The trees hung over the road, hills, curves and all = perfect!  People in Dakota love to wave.  We felt welcome, friends!  We made our way to Montello (pronounced: Mon-TAY-yo) and stopped for some stretching (three people in the front seat is both a blessing and a curse, folks!).  Turns out, there is a granite quarry there  that the granite for Grant's tomb was extracted from.  Remember that for Trivial Pursuit: US Presidents Edition! 

Our general goal was to make it to the Baraboo area for some "natural area exploration." I think it's a bit ridiculous that we have to label our "natural areas" so that we don't end up putting a highway or gas station up on accident there!  Anyway, Abelman's Gorge was slightly over-rated, although this may have been fed by our fright in hearing that a bear had been sighted on the trail just last week.  We were all a little behind on our bear handling skill courses!  Pewitt's Nest (Hwy W west out of Baraboo) was just what we were looking for!  It was a gorgeous gorge!  Shady, beautiful river, stunning structures, and some good light hiking (let's not get carried away - it's a holiday, remember!).   It was definitely a place to which I would and will return!

We headed down to Merrimac and with all our hearts, wanted to ride the free river ferry, but the line was too long and unlike what my opening paragraph suggests, we did have a place to be... so we forwent (word?) that adventure.  Merrimac is magical.  We'd like to come back.

At the end of it all: 268 miles. Tons of gorgeous gorges.  Thoughtful conversation. Sweat. A couple of walking sticks.  A few pictures.  Awesome roads. A knowledgeable navigator. A faithful friend. An attentive driver (well, we did almost throw up all over each other toward the end!). Sun.  And all around bliss.  It was all it was cracked up to be!

Pictures may follow... eventually...

Checking Out.

I came out of Iron Man 2 on the mega-screen and found myself looking up at the sky a lot.  On my late-night drive home, I envisioned myself catching a glimpse of Robert Downey Jr whizzing by on his way to save someone.  Or semi-intelligent drones rising up out of the fields to block my path, while trying to create world-wide pandemonium (Isn't Wisconsin the place global chaos would begin?!).  Movies just do that to me... they take me to a place just outside of reality.

Books can do that for me too.  I remember walking down the street on my way to the Bahnhof in Innsbruck, certain that I was being followed by Hadrid.  I thought he was going to kidnap me and I would be swept up into some new adventure at Hogwarts.  That was in the midst of my Harry Potter marathon in anticipation of Book 7 being released.

The point is that, I guess, movies and books are a great little getaway, but it's always scary how easily they work with my mind.  I would hate to come to the end of my life and have only a list of titles and films I'd experienced.  I would rather have experienced my reality.  By "my reality," I don't mean some sort of subjective mumbo-jumbo.  I mean, I hope that I will have experienced True Reality, in the way God made me to experience it.  To do and be what I was created for.  

What does that look like?  I think I'm learning about it every day.  I hope you are too.  Read a book by Karl Marx.  And then one by Glenn Beck.  Make a friend in Sweden or Greece via the internet and find out how daily life is over there instead of listening to the media's depiction of it.  Roll around your yard like a dog and enjoy a beautiful day instead of watching beautiful days made up on television.  Play catch with your kid instead of promising to do it tomorrow.  Throw a party for your wife just because you love her.  Do this because, well, because God has given us this world as our reality to interact with... Don't check out and flip on the movie channel all weekend!  That's not what we were made to do...  we were made to live!