Posts made in July, 2010

I70, you aint got nothing.

Posted by Caroline on Jul 30, 2010 in Family, The Backpack | 0 comments

To get my hotel cup of coffee I had to get up early.  A bit ironic, but fresh coffee can lure me from afar.  I promised Robert I would let him sleep until 10 a.m. and hence, a much needed slow morning.

I just imported my pictures from yesterday and all but three of them were taken by Robert from inside the car.  As we drove, he held the camera to the window exclaiming…

Wow! Oh my goodness!

Man! I missed it.  Look how big that rock is!

A lake! Caroline it’s beautiful!

you can see the rain! It’s sunny there and storming here! ugh.  the windshield wiper is in my picture.

Rainbow!!!  count the colors!!

It was such simple joy.
Simple joy over the things Elohim spoke into existence.

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Psalm 24

I was focused on I70 and finding our Quality Inn before dark– so focused that each time Robert exclaimed in joy I was taken off guard, restraining a “shhhh.”  This morning as I flipped through Robert’s rather blurry pictures, my heart was heavy with conviction.  I feel like I’m convicted of this often; maybe it’s that I’m in the beauty of God’s creation and He doesn’t want me to miss it.

Lord, I confess I ignore You way to often.  Continue to break through my focus.

My fear is that intense focus on I70 isn’t limited to just traveling.

Other I70′s that steal my focus:
-future plans
-grades
-technology
-success
-sometimes even learning
-self-centeredness
-… and the list continues…

oh, the I70′s offer nothing in light of eternity!  To return to Him is True Joy.  Look around today and praise the Lord.

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we have so many tree huggers; if only they saw the Creator and gave the glory to Him.  Him alone.

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Anomaly

Posted by Caroline on Jul 28, 2010 in Family | 2 comments

I want a huge family. Part of me wants to say a minimum of 7 kids.  Seven is a nice number.  7+2 parentals=9 and since nine is so close to ten, why not have another child? (afterall ten does sometimes signify perfection).

The only problem is that I know I’m a bit disillusioned.

ACTUALLY, really disillusioned.

I’ve been vacationing with a 13-year-old.  We’ve been all over Colorado Springs and Manitou and are heading to Denver tomorrow. If all 8 of my children were to be like this 13-year-old, I’d be set. The more deep conversations that I have with this little guy, however, the more I’m reminded that he’s not normal. no, not at all.

He’s mature.  Meet Robert.

He flew in to Denver on Monday; flying by himself made him seem older. I was ready with my camera much to his demise.  [I'm going to be that mom documenting every moment. yikes].

off from the airport, we immediately hit: Garden of the Gods. the little cubby was perfect for pictures but we soon after learned that it’s not so easy to get down from.

then…Air Force Academy: The entire base was nothing short of impressive.  My apartment this summer was less than a mile from the base, and yet I had no idea what was behind the gate. Roughly 13,000 people call it home.  That’s certainly bigger than 90% of the cities we’re going to drive through in Kansas Friday. This picture was taken in front of the chapel on base.

Odyssey’s Whit’s End. Despite Robert’s rather forced smile, he loved it– especially the slide.

Seven Falls: the blurred colors in the back are the lights illuminating a waterfall in Cheyenne Canyon with seven falls (perfect name, huh?)

Pike’s Peak or Bust: we took the Manitou Springs Cog Train (a history lesson in itself) to the top of Pike’s Peak.  The great planner that I am didn’t account for the 50 degree temperature drop.

so… we bought warmth–oversized warmth. it was flurrying atop the 14,000 summit.  We were in the clouds. literally.

And because everything has to be educational (uh oh, another foreshadow), the Ghost Town museum.

And at the end of Day 2, I wiped Robert out.  We checked into our hotel and Robert has been glued to the Cardinal’s game.  I’m secretly wiped, so hallelujah for the Cardinals.

We’re going rafting tomorrow and then heading up to Denver.  I’m treasuring this time with the ever-so-bright Robert Gear.  We’re making those stories that will be told from our rocking chairs.

He’s the perfect travel buddy– so energetic, conversational, easy going, patient with my directional handicaps, and is certainly my friend.

no joke.

Robert, I think you’re an anomaly.

To think all 13-year-olds are like you, however, is silly. Downright silly.

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Focus Institute

Posted by Caroline on Jul 27, 2010 in Amazing Grace, The Backpack | 0 comments

Sometimes I get stuck.  I slip into the mentality that if it cannot be done perfectly, well… it’s not worth doing.

That’s pretty dumb.  Because of this silly thinking I’ve deterred from blogging when in all honesty, this summer has been one of the richest times of my entire life.

No kidding.

I’ve grown in areas that I thought I had mastered.
I learned how little I actually know.
My pride was embarrassed as I came before the Lord, repeatedly.

I came out with more questions than I came with. also more ambitions.
a deeper love for the Word.
a deeper desire to know Christ.

But all this to say this:  the past 8 weeks deserve far more posts than were given.
However, I’m sure what I’ve learned will infiltrate every post from this day forth.  That’s one of the miraculous things about the hand of God– when He stirs within the heart– it literally changes everything.

an aside
you well know I have a thing or two that I endorse
[e.g. vacuum bags, Sonic, COFFEE, Clayton (maybe?), the kindle]

but in all seriousness, I think every Christian needs to learn the content I learned at Focus Leadership Institute.  It is foundational, and even as church kid, reader, and my desire to know Christ, I was naive.  Every college student should attention FLI or some variation thereof.  Our churches need their members to know the whys.

think about it.

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original intent.

Posted by Caroline on Jul 11, 2010 in The Backpack | 0 comments

Harvard’s Rules and Precepts 1636:
“Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is etneral life (John 17:3) and therefore lay Christ at the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.”

They must have foreseen that we’d eventually forsake our foundation.
It seems that they were warning us.
Yet, we’re right where they didn’t want us to be.

If the founders were to see our educational systems today, they would grieve.

Naively, I didn’t see a problem.
however, seeing the founders original intention,

I, too, grieve.

Princeton:
“Cursed is all learning that is contrary to the Cross of Christ”
Founding Statement

Columbia University

Where did the dichotomy arise?  Whence came the idea that learning and spiritual growth must be separate? that somehow faith must be put on hold in order to find real knowledge? that Christians cannot be intellectuals or worse, that Christianity is not intelligible?

As I pursue Truth,
I pursue Him.
Now, may it be Truth that I pursue.
Always.

THAT is true learning.

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Keep Stepping

Posted by Caroline on Jul 7, 2010 in Amazing Grace | 0 comments

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying
“This is the way, walk in it,”
when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

Isaiah 30:21

Be encouraged, my friends.
the LORD will be heard.
what a sweet sweet sound.

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