Saturday, August 14, 2010

For the Love of Adventure

I'm following my older brother through the neighborhood salvaging loose pieces of discarded boards from the construction sites of the new houses in the neighborhoods. I'm following him through the woods around the edge of the water. Together, along with his friends, we scout the woods and find the best place for a secret hideout. The months spent in those woods we explore new territory, we create new paths, and discover hidden places. These are the woods that soon I will lead my younger siblings through as well when my older brother moves on to new things. The place where I will be the leader. I will pass on what he taught me. I'm riding my bike behind my brother through our small town. Today we ride miles into the city where the stores are. I learn new roads and routes. I explore new territory. Territory I will explore again and again, once again bringing my younger siblings and telling them about the first time he brought me here.

Every little girl needs an older brother to have adventures with, to teach her how to explore, to show her the love of the great unknown. If not a brother, a father is needed. Men seem to be the ones naturally prone to cast out into the great unknown. We women long for adventures, but we need the man to who casts out to turn around grab our hand and say, "Come on! It'll be fun! Just follow me." And with pounding hearts, racing minds, and eyes wide open soaking everything in, we do.

After my explorations with my brother I led my own. I was the leader in familiar territory. Even when I "grew out" of playing in the woods, I still went back. I go back to those spots whenever I can.

When I was in high school some of my favorite memories are of the times my friends and I talked each other into going out into the woods. Once it was just to do it. Kara and I went back in to the woods in the park and attempted to cross it into the neighborhood on the other side. I felt like a leader leading her though with just my sense of direction.
Once my friend Nicole and I stayed at her grandma's house on some land. She had a small spring that flowed through her property and started somewhere in the middle of it. We set out to discover the head of the spring. There were times the underbrush was so thick we were crawling on our bellies through mud just to get through to follow this spring that at times was nothing but a trickle. And why would high school girls do this?? For the adventure of it!

Many times we think of the males as wanting the adventures, but we both do, we just have to help each other discover how to make them. I have so much to thank my parents and brothers for helping me.
Still today I love to just escape. I love to hike, to ride my bike, to move! I love to go somewhere I have never been. I love to walk down a trail and then just go off of it into the woods. To be where no one else is. I still do that today every once in a while.
I love to do these things, but I always feel something is missing.
I want that guy, that guy that has the wild heart, that wants to cast out fearlessly into the unknown while looking back, giving me an excited smile, grab my hand and say, "Come on! It'll be fun! Just follow me."
Until then I need to remember that God is right there with me, leading me on new adventures every day. And He longs for me to make Him a part of them, just as I long for someone to come take me along with him on his adventures. So instead of continually waiting for this person in a stand still mode I need to get moving! I need to tune into God who is standing next to me, holding my hand, and excitedly saying "Come on! It'll be fun! Just follow me." <3

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

May, June, July Oh MY!

Wow, let's just say a lot has happened, which is a very good excuse for not blogging. I don't really want to go into details about it all. This blog post would have no end. I will just start from now. It is now August and I am going to work at Oak hill Day school again in basically the same position as I was in last year, except I have less hours as a TA so I will have to make up for it with more after school hours. Which totals to a more stressful year. I'm not very happy about that. It's really hard right now too because I am seeing all the pictures of class room decorations my friends are posting.
I never grew my garden, but I did set up a pretty shepherds hook with flowers and a hummingbird feeder on it that has attracted many birds for my Grandma's enjoyment.
I have bought a mountain bike and am now adding trail biking to my hobbies. So far I have gone on one good ride. I am excited to continue that. I have talked more friends into playing tennis so now I practice that weekly. It's so fun having hobbies.
I just returned from an awesome trip to Colorado. The ACTS group at my church planned a trip to Estes Park, Co. It as amazing besides the freezing rain. I love hiking and woods, so it was a great adventure. This was my first time West at all. I hope to be back again.