Unplanned Detours...

"What a God!  His road stretches straight and smooth.  Every God-direction is road tested.  Everyone who runs toward him makes it."  Psalm 18:30  the Message

I read this verse today and it reminded me of a story---

The photo's above are from our trip to Lucca, Italy this past summer.  Lucca is a cool city in Tuscany that was founded by the Etruscans.  It is a beautiful city that is set inside a ring of Renaissance walls that are still standing today.  These walls are thick and Lucca now has a bike path on top of the walls. You can rent bikes and ride around the  old city portion on them, all while looking down into these beautiful private gardens and enjoying the amazing Tuscan architecture.  It was for this reason that we chose to go to Lucca-- because riding on a bike on top of ancient city walls sounded like a fun adventure worth trying.

When we wondered into a bike rental shop, we discovered something really fun!  A four-person bike, and so we decided to forgo the tradition single person bikes for this one.  Jeff and Keagan set up front and pedaled, Keagan was in charge of steering (God help us all!) and I was in charge of navigation and photo's.  Win, win!!!!

So, with adventure in mind we set off.  What they don't tell you when you rent these bikes is that in order to get on top of the wall you must travel up a ramp. A very steep ramp.  It didn't take long before we also realized that unlike our bikes at home, there was no gear shift on this thing so that you could shift down to help you as you pedaled like mad to get to the top of said ramp and wall.  

Lucky for me, I had strong bike partners!  So, once we made it to the top we began to make our way around the city walls.  It's a pretty path lined with trees, some old Roman ruins, parks, Tuscan views, and views of the old city.  

About halfway into the ride, we discovered something else that the bike shop rental place didn't tell us-- they were doing some repair work on the wall and a portion of the path was closed.  We sat there and debated about turning around and heading back, when we noticed another ramp that led off the wall.  So, in all our brilliance, we decided to detour.  To take the ramp down, travel along the wall for a bit, and take a ramp back up once we got past the construction.  So, off we went.

It was while going down the ramp that discovery number four was made-- the "brakes" on this contraption were not as good as they needed to be.  And the ramp we were taking down merged directly into a road where motor vehicles were traveling.  Hmmmm..... Have you ever witnessed the slightly crazed way Italians drive their cars?  This could be interesting.  We kind of gritted our teeth, prayed a little, and went for it.  When we made it we felt a little like Indiana Jones did when he outran that big boulder in the opening scene.  We all sat up straighter, puffing with pride, at our mastery of said ramp.  I'm sure to the locals we looked like just another set of weird, slightly crazed tourists with a mild death wish.  Whatever.  We had already survived driving a rental car through the crowded and confusing streets of Florence while our GPS cycled crazily between "lost signal", "rerouting", and "turn left here" when we were in the right hand lane!  We could handle a little detour on a quad bike.

So, having made it down said ramp, we immediately set off to find our detour.  The problem with old, etruscan, tuscan cities is that they were often built without straight lines, or without any sort of order or plan to them.  The simple thought of following the wall came to a halt at the discovery of the fact that the streets didn't necessarily follow the wall.  The street we were on actually dead-ended at a huge public building, which hugged the wall closely.  So, determined, we turned inward towards the city center in order to detour around said building.  At this point, the nice, smooth, modern road we had been traveling on became an ancient, cobblestone road.  Very pretty, very picturesque!  Very, Very, Very bumpy!  As we travelled down this road, our teeth rattling inside our heads, another observation was made--- this road was much, much narrower.  And there was a car coming towards us.  And said car took up most of the road space.  Hmmm.......  We somehow managed to squeeze by each other and continue on our way, weaving through old streets, trying to find a way back to the safety and smoothness of the wall.  I found myself getting a little uptight about this detour.  Worrying about whether or not this was allowed.  Worrying about how we were going to get back to the wall.  But then my husband began to laugh, and my whole perspective changed.  I was in Lucca, an amazing city in Tuscany, with my two favorite people on earth!  We were on an adventure together.  I needed to lighten up and enjoy the ride! It was at this point that the bike began to make some interesting noises while traversing this rough path, and we began to laugh riotously.  We passed many locals who I'm sure thought we were insane!

Eventually we made it back to the wall.  Went up another steep ramp, and finished our trip around the walls of Lucca.  And we now have an adventure to remember.

I want to talk about the detour portion of this story.  We often have a picture of the path we are going to take in life.  We know that there may be some hard ramps to climb that require some hard work, but we often expect the path to be mostly smooth and free of trouble.  When we run into a detour, we stumble. We then decide to take a detour telling ourselves it will be easy.  That we will simply go around the obstacle in our path and return to the path once the obstruction is by-passed.  Isn't it so like life that the detour becomes more involved than we planned for?  Isn't is also like life for the detour path to be rougher and harder to follow?

At some point in this detour, we have some decisions to make.  We have to decide whether or not to continue on or to give up.  If we continue, we have to decide how we are going to continue on-- are we going to simply grit our teeth and muscle through?  Are we going to continue on the detour and complain and make ourselves miserable?  Are we going to seek God and the path he lays out for us, or are we going to continue to struggle, lost and on our own? Are we going to laugh, and find the joy in the adventure, while keeping a sharp eye out for the ramp that will lead us back to where we need to be? 

My encouragement for you is that if you find yourself on an unplanned detour today, take a moment to stop and recognize how you are feeling.  Make some decisions about where you want to steer your bike.  Endure the bumps and rough spots.  But also take a moment to find some piece of joy in the adventure. Refocus on God-- He will help you find the right path.  It will change how you get through the detour.  And when you are finished, and back on the right path, boy will you have some stories to tell!  

I'll leave you with a few more photos from the incredible city of Lucca.  Enjoy!

The Beauty of Stains.. Illumination

This is a photo of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. It is arguably one of the most stunning chapels I have ever been in.  Sainte-Chapelle was founded by the ultra-devout King Louis IX as a private chapel for his royal palace.  It was also meant to serve as a reliquary for various holy relics which the King had collected.  It was built in record time, started in 1246 and consecrated on April 26, 1248.

Sainte-Chapelle is a stunning example of French High Gothic architecture. The structural supports were kept to a bare minimum to make way for the exquisite stained glass windows.  The chapel contains 6,458 square feet of stained glass.  These windows illustrate 1,130 figures from the Bible from the Old Testament through the New Testament.

Interestingly enough, during the French Revolution the chapel was converted to an administrative office and the windows were obscured by enormous filing cabinets and all but forgotten.  Can you believe someone covered these up?  

The process of making stained glass is a time consuming one. Glass itself is made by fusing together some form of silica, an alkali material, and  a lime or lead oxide.  Color is produced by adding a metallic oxide to the raw materials.  These materials are mixed in huge mixers and then melted in a furnace at 2500F.  Each ingredient must be carefully measured and weighed in order to produce the appropriate color.  The molten glass is  ladled into a machine that rolls the glass flat in 1/8-inch thick sheets which are then cooled.

An artist creates the design and prepares what is called a cartoon which shows the placement of the cuts on the glass with the spacing left for the lead lines that will hold all the pieces together. The glass is usually cut by hand following the pattern.  After the glass has been cut the outlines of the cartoon are painted on each piece with a special paint called vitrifiable paint and then fired in a kiln to fuse the paint to the glass.  The next step is the glazing and leading of the glass.  The many lead joints are then soldered and the window is waterproofed.

It can take anywhere from seven  to ten weeks to create one window. Wow! What a process, all for some stained pieces of glass. Again, think about it, there is 6,458 square feet of stained glass in this chapel.  All that beauty, all that painstakingly difficult hard work covered up and forgotten.  The other interesting fact is that this was built as a private chapel for the Palace, which meant even when it was first in use, most people were never allowed to see  or share in it's magnificence.  That seems like such a shame.

One more interesting tidbit about stained glass in general.  While the glass and the lead are beautiful by themselves, what really makes them stand out, what really turns them from something simply pretty to something that is stunningly heart stopping is illumination.  

So, make the jump with me here and lets talk about us, our human selves.  I think that most of us would consider ourselves somewhat "stained" by life.  We are colored by our life experiences, pain, hurts, fears, joys, heartache, sins, good deeds, all of it has left a mark or a stain on us.  And all of those stains combine to make us who we are.  They are the pieces of glass that make up the whole of our window.

If you are walking around, feeling stained by life, I want to take this time to just encourage you today.   All of those stains, all of of that mishmash of color, when illuminated can become something beautiful.  I can assure you, that even if you are looking at your stained self, and thinking that no one could possible find you beautiful, God sees a different picture.  He sees the masterpiece that will be revealed when light is added.  Don't let life hide your beauty by piling up enormous filing cabinets in front of you.  I encourage you to remove those barriers and let God's love shine down on you.  You might be surprised at the exquisite colors that are revealed with a little bit of illumination.  We are all stained.  But it's the stains that bring color, and when illuminated correctly, those stains can produce beauty.  

One final nugget of information to note;  while most of the windows all bear the same shape, the designs in each window are different, thus making each window unique.  I'll leave you with a few verses from Isaiah and a few more photos of this stunning chapel, which was restored in the 19th century and opened for all to come and view the beauty of illuminated stains.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  The Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy.. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more;  the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.""  Isaiah 60:1, 2, 5, 20

Bitterness Spreads...A Tale of African Acacia Trees...

The tree in the photo above is an African Acacia Tree.  They are often called umbrella trees because their canopy is often umbrella shaped and many animals seek shelter from the sun in the shade they provide.  This particular tree is hosting a rather large colony of Sociable Weaver birds.

These trees are a favorite feast for many grazing animals, but one animal in particular has a taste for their leaves.  Let me give you a photo clue as to what animal I'm talking about:

You guessed it...  the Giraffe love to eat Acacia tree leaves.  On a side note, this guy was as curious about me as I was about him.  He bent down to get a better look at me through the branches of this tree.  Fun!  

But, back to the Acacia Tree.  Now this tree has some built in defenses against being eaten by grazing animals.  Like most trees in Africa, the Acacia tree is covered in thorns.  But this tree is not your average thorny tree.  Oh no, they have two sets of thorns, one long and straight thorn and one with a small hook that is attached alongside the big long thorn.  These thorns grow up to four inches long! These are very sharp and pointy and will rip through clothing like it's butter.  This I learned from experience while tracking an elephant on foot through the bush, one of those thorns caught the sleeve of my down jacket and ripped a hole in it.  Throughout the rest of the trip everywhere I walked and every time I moved, my jacket puffed out downy feathers.  I walked around with feathers floating around me like some kind of weird shedding bird.

You would think that these thorns would be enough to detour the animals from eating the leaves.  But, the Giraffe have a specialized tongue.  The average Giraffe tongue is twenty inches long.  It is thin and almost prehensile in use -- by which I mean they can literally curl their tongue around a whole branch and strip it clean.  The Giraffe tongue is very tough and desensitized to the sting of the thorns.  They have also adapted a set of molars which they use to crush the thorns.  Something else you should know about the Giraffe is that they consume up to 140 pounds of produce a day.  That's a lot of leaves.   It means that a single Giraffe could possible strip several trees bare of it's leaves in a single day.  And we all know that leaves are important to trees for things like photosynthesis. The other problem that the Acacia tree faces is that while it may be able to grow taller than many animals, thus keeping it's leaves out of reach of hungry mouths, the an adult Giraffe can stand nearly twenty feet tall.

So, faced with a predator such as a Giraffe, you might wander how Acacia trees survive at all.  The secret to their survival is bitterness. Yes, you read that correctly, bitterness is the key.  You see, to prevent overgrazing, which will result in the death of the tree, the Acacia participates in chemical warfare.  When the tree senses an "attack" on it's leaves it does two things.  First, it increases a chemical in it's leaves called tannin.  In small amounts, tannin doesn't bother animals, but in increased amounts, it turns the leaves bitter.  In fact, animals that have continued to eat the leaves after the tannin has been increased have been known to die, because the tannin is toxic in large amounts.

Next, the tree  releases a chemical called ethylene into the air.  This chemical is carried downwind to other Acacia trees and when those trees "sense" this chemical, they are then triggered to release the tannins in their leaves, turning them bitter, and to release more ethylene into the air... which is carried downwind... and so on. So the bitterness is passed on, down through the line of trees, thus preventing overgrazing in that area.  The Giraffe are on to this game, and the minute they sense that the leaves are turning bitter, they move on to another tree, UPWIND.  

Fascinating stuff, huh?  But now I want you to make a leap with me here.  I want to focus on the word Bitterness.  When I looked up the word bitterness, one of the definitions was anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly;  resentment.  But a few other words popped up in the definition as well and they were:  

unpleasantness, disagreeableness, nastiness, rancor, spite, harshness, sourness, churlishness, peevishness, acrimony, hostility, malice, antagonism, vitriol, hatred, loathing, poison, and venom.

Wow... all that from the word bitterness.  That's quite a list, wouldn't you say? In fact, I really couldn't find a positive connotation  of the word bitter, the only exception being in the context of an alcoholic drink.  Most of us want to avoid anything bitter, whether it's food, people, whatever.  Bitter doesn't taste good.  Bitter doesn't feel good.  And a bitter person is no fun to be around.

The other problem with bitterness, is that it's hard to get rid of once it has taken hold.  Have you ever bit into a piece of fruit that is bitter?  That taste is awful hard to get out of your mouth afterwards isn't it?  Have you ever spent time around a person who was bitter?  Odds are that if you spent any amount of time around them, you left feeling worse emotionally.  That's the serious problem with bitterness,  it spreads.

The Bible says this about bitterness:

"Get rid of  all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." Ephesians 4:31

Recognize a few of those words associated with bitterness in the definition above? Hmmmm..

Acts 8:23 says this: "For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

I'll circle back to all this in a second.  I was very disturbed by what I saw, heard, and read during this year's election process-- from both sides of the fence-- people were WAY out of the lines of treating  each other with common decency and respect.  I was hopeful that some of that would at least calm down once the election was over.  Then, I thought that once the inauguration took place it would calm down, and now, now I think we are seeing the ramifications of allowing anger and bitterness to take hold in your heart and life.

These are just two of the statements I read yesterday on Facebook:

1.  In one day, Trump got more fat women out walking than Michelle Obama did in 8 years.

2 (If you voted for Trump).. then you are truly deplorable, please take that label and own it and stop hiding behind your beliefs.

I will tell you right now, that both of those comments bother me.  And they should bother you. I find both comments indefensible.  Both of those comments are born not out of anger alone, but anger that has been encouraged and allowed to fester into bitterness.   And Bitterness is toxic.  Remember the tannins in the Acacia leaves that made them bitter?  Do you remember what I said up above that not only is tannin bitter tasting, but that it is also a toxin?  Animals who eat too many of the Acacia leaves containing extra tannins die.  

Bitterness in the human heart will cause death in your life.  A study done in the UK in 2011 directly linked harbored bitterness with the increase of physical disease and a weakened immune system.  Mentally and emotionally bitterness causes depression.  But, in my opinion the worst part of bitterness comes from the breakdown of human interaction.  The lens of bitterness distorts your view of people.  It allows you to view people as ideals, beliefs, or actions,  not as human beings.  Another way to look at this is that each person is made up of many different layers.  One layer is the layer of humanness-- the layer that we all have in common-- the idea that we all bleed the same color, we all feel pain, hunger, joy, sorrow etc....  The next layer might involve beliefs or religion or  a moral compass or whatever you want to call it.  The next layer might be cultural.  And so on, you get the picture, no one human being is made up of a single layer.  We are each complex and multi-layered. However, when you view someone through a lens of bitterness, you allow yourself to only view one layer of that person.  Bitterness allows you discount the truth about the complexity of people.  In fact, bitterness then takes it one step further, in that it allows you to then judge that person based upon one small part of their whole.  When you feel like you can judge a person based on one layer, it's not a long leap to then dehumanize them and treat them with contempt.  Am I making sense to you?  

It is this bitterness that is causing people to speak to each other in ways that make my heart break.  And I believe that I'm not the only one.  This is not how God wants us to interact.  This is not how we are made to interact with each other.  Bitterness builds walls between people.  If you are bitter, you don't listen to what anyone else is really saying.  Bitterness allows you to be selfish.  It allows you to put your feelings above all others.  It allows you to discount anyone else and their feelings. 

To be honest, I'm not sure that Jesus would actually have a "dog in this fight" as some might say.  He was certainly born during a time of great political turmoil.  The Jewish people didn't recognize or understand him because he wan't political in his dealings with people.  He didn't get involved in  politics.  He didn't get involved in the injustice doled out by the Roman government.  My guess is that if they had held an election, he might not have participated at all.  Instead, Jesus focused on what was important-- people.  Helping people.  Serving others.  Love was his focus all along.  He loved people regardless of political affiliation, social standing, economic standing, or religious belief (or unbelief).  

So that's it.  That's where I am standing.  I am standing on the side of love.  Love for all.  I think that's a side that Jesus would choose.  I encourage you to be cautious about what you say and put out there.  Is it coming from a place of bitterness and anger?  Are you looking at only one layer of the person in front of you?  

"A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire."  Proverbs 15:1

One small side note, and then I'll get to some photo's because if you are like me, thats probably your favorite part of the blog (and probably the best part).  I have no issue with those who are peacefully protesting-- it is their right to do so, and it does nothing to hurt me.   I personally want to live in a country where voices are heard, on all sides.  I have no issue with those who have differing political beliefs than I do, because that is just one layer of who they are.  I can disagree on one subject and agree with you on many others.  But most of all, I can show you the love that you as human being deserve.  

On to the photo's... a few more of Giraffe's because well.... it's Giraffe's and they are one cool animal.  And a few of some trees from Africa because that scenery and those trees still hold my heart.  Have a good day!  Know that you are important and loved.

Dwell in Hope.. Thoughts for 2017

 As much as I love a good sunset, (and who doesn't?) I have to say that for me, nothing tops a glorious sunrise.  It is my favorite time of day.  Especially if I'm near the beach.  I adore going out for an early morning sunrise walk on the beach.  It's usually quiet, not many people make it out for the sunrise.  The ocean always smells particularly fresh in the morning.  The air is usually crisper.  You can usually find the best treasures left on shore overnight first thing in the morning.  And if dolphins are near, you can usually watch them as they are closer to shore in the early morning hours.

But mainly for me, I like the hope that is present at the beginning of each new day.  The promise of a new day being different than the previous day.  The promise of change.  The infinite hope that this new day has the potential to be better than the last.  The realization and feeling of gratitude that I get at being given another day to try again.  Sunrises represent to me bright beginnings.

A lot of people feel that same way about facing a new year.  They are hopeful that 2017 will be better somehow than 2016.  Some people are desperately hoping for a miraculous 2017.  It's hard to not feel some of that desperate hopefulness for the year 2017.  

But even as I grow older and the years seem to pass quicker, a year is still a long time span to wrap my head around.  So instead, I have been practicing the art of starting smaller.  I practice the art of starting each morning with hope.  Being a little more focused on the now of the day and less focused on the future of tomorrow.  That's not to say that I don't make plans for the future-- it's still important to make some future plans, I just don't spend the majority of my time there.  

I find that when I place too much focus on the future, I miss the amazing moments of today because in the broad scope of things they may look or feel somehow small or insignificant.  I also find that if I spend to much of my time focused on the future I feel less gratitude in my life.  It's hard to feel gratitude for something that is a future event.  When I place more of my focus on the now of today,  I tend to feel gratitude more often, even for the small things.  And for me, greater feelings of gratitude bring forth greater feelings of hope.  I feel more hopeful because I recognize all the small things in my life that bring me joy, peace, and love. And when I am dwelling in hope and gratitude, I unknowingly pass those feelings on to those around me.  I smile more.  I laugh more.  I am more peaceful in situations that are stressful.  Dwelling in hope brings calmness to my life.  It keeps me from riding the up and down feelings roller coaster that causes so much harm to my well being.

So my prayer for myself and for you in 2017 is that you find a way to Dwell in Hope, each and every day.  Find ways to start every day with gratitude and hope.   When  the future seems too overwhelming, break it down into smaller, more manageable time spans.  Be hopeful and grateful for the sunrise.  Be hopeful and grateful for your morning coffee.  And on and on, until you find yourself dwelling in hope.

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles;  they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:31

I'll leave you with a few more sunrise photos.  Have a hopeful New Year!

African Sundowners... the beauty of endings...

The photo above is the sun setting over the waters of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.  We were sitting in a boat, out in the water, watching the sun set, listening to the birds sing their last song, and hearing the hippos as they softly grunted to each other. Every place we traveled to in Africa had the same routine around Sundown.  They referred to it as "sundowners."  Where ever we were at sunset, we would stop what we were doing and watch the sun sink below the horizon while drinking a sundowner beverage of our choice and nibbling on a few small portions of food.  In some ways, this routine was nothing new.  Most people I know  have enjoyed observing sunsets for years.  

But what they did in Africa was more than just pausing to catch a glimpse of the setting sun, it had a certain ring of ceremony to it.  A certain amount of gratefulness for the day, a time of quiet conversations and reflection.  There was an almost reverent feeling of acknowledgement for the day passing.  

By taking the time to practice the pause, they added meaning to what is a daily occurrence.  An average event.  It made even the sunsets that weren't as spectacular to look at special.  And for me, it was a reminder to stop and be thankful for the amazing things we had been able to see and do on that day.  There wasn't one sunset in Africa where I didn't have the thought of "Holy wow!!!!  I'm in Africa!!! Watching the sunset!!!  This is amazing!!!"

I was thinking about this year, how it is rapidly coming to a close, and reflecting on all that has happened.  In a way, I was having a sundowner moment.  And in that moment of pause, I let the feelings of gratitude and awe sweep over me.  It hasn't been a perfect year,  but I'm so grateful for the amazing moments I have experienced.  God continues to be good and faithful, gracious and loving towards me and my family.  I have gained new knowledge of myself and the world around me.  I have been blessed to spend time with friends and family.  My life isn't perfect, but my life is good.  And as the sun sets on this year, I want to take the time to practice the pause, to practice gratitude, and to acknowledge the passing of another year.

I would love to tell you that when I came back from Africa I continued this daily practice of pausing around sunset to celebrate the end of the day.  But, of course I don't do this on a daily basis because life gets busy, and I get caught up in it, and I'm often a forgetful and ungrateful human being.  But, I do think I practice the pause more often than I used to.  The reverence for the event of the sundowner somehow stuck with me.  And if, in my rushing I happen to catch a glimpse of a sunset, I am reminded to stop and pause.  Even if it is a short pause, I can at least stop long enough to say a quick, quiet, prayer of gratitude.  I'm trying to make it  if not a daily occurrence, at least a more than once a week occurrence.  

I hope that as the year ends, you take time for your sundowner.  Take the time to pause, reflect, and be grateful.  I pray that these last days of 2016 are peaceful and full of love for you!

I'll leave you with a few more sunset photos.  Enjoy!

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Zambezi River, Zambia

Kalahari Desert, South Africa

Outer Banks, North Carolina

Outer Banks, North Carolina

Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany, Italy