travel

Okay, I admit it. I failed to answer yesterday's reverb 10 prompt... but some things in life are more important than blogging, such as spending time with people you love. Last night some sweet friends from high school and I stayed up until 5 am laughing and catching up on life and it was an unimaginable blessing! Funny how so much and so little has changed all at the same time...

the question: How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?

a piece of the answer: 
I absolutely love to travel. In fact, my family often makes fun of me for beings somewhere different every weekend and for running around until I completely wear myself out. I love to go, love to visit different people, and find so much joy in long car rides by myself. Driving is one of my favorite things and it's such a precious time to connect with the Lord. So often my gps takes me the back routes down the scenic paths and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've traveled more this semester than ever before but it seems only fitting considering I traveled to seven (or six, depending on how you spin it) different locations this summer with camp. Traveling has become a part of my being at this point. You really learn a lot about life when you live out of a trunk and a 12 passenger van for a few months... Just for my own piece of mind, I'm going to map out all the places I can remember going in the past year, in order to the best of my ability. I'll leave out the multiple trips to Marietta (let it be assumed) and keep in mind that almost all these places resulted in a return trip to Athens. Needless to say, my odometer is rapidly racking up...

Macon, Ga-- youth conference
Bainbridge, Ga-- my all time favorite DNow location
Nashville, Tn-- John Mayer concert with my brother
Chatanooga, Tn-- visits to my wonderful neighbor
Florida-- a much needed beach trip
Nashville, Tn-- family trip!
Campbellsville, Ky-- training week for camp
Cleveland, Tn-- Lee University for the first few cycles of camp. loved it.
Ridgecrest, Nc-- beautiful.
Buies Creek, Nc-- camp at Cambell University... I won't cry if I never go back to that town
Shocco Springs, Al-- more camp... over 1000 kids that week.
Norman Park, Ga-- favorite camp location. love.
Ridgecrest again!
Nashville again!-- departing from camp equals saddest day ever.
Toccoa, Ga-- preschool leadership retreat
Chatanooga, Tn/Trion, Ga-- wedding!
Birmingham, Al-- Needtobreathe concert with incredible friends.
Savannah, Ga-- BB King concert with more incredible friends on a random wednesday night.
Rome, Ga-- unexpected trip
Savannah again!-- awesome camp reunion complete with haunted ghost tour
St. Simons Island, Ga-- school conference
Nashville, Tn-- (I frequent that place despite it being 6 hours from my house.) day with LifeWay
Chatanooga again!-- more weddings!

Good grief! And I left so many short trips and repeats out... my goodness! Here's something that I think is really cool though, and it explains the title of my entire blog in the process. (By the way, any feedback on the new layout would always be appreciated, cough cough...)
I have a picture hanging on the wall in my apartment that came straight out of a Chaco magazine. It shows four pairs of feet standing beside one another in the dirt-- three worn and calloused feet decked out in tribal gear from Kenya, and one pair of a young white girl's feet wearing her chacos with her jeans rolled up. I love this picture for a multitude of reasons beyond the fact that I have a passion for my chacos and the artsy photography. I love it because it speaks of bringing hope to the nations. It calls to my love and passion for missions. Around the picture is written the verse "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" --Romans 10:14. How special and how beautiful it is to think that the Lord blesses the feet, the lives, and the directions of those who are heading out to make His name known. 

This verse for me ties right into the title and the verse running across the top of my blog: "The steps of a good man are directed and established by the Lord when he delights in His way and he busies himself with his every step." --psalm 37:23. My friend's mom and I stumbled across this verse two summers ago in an ICU waiting room in Montana and it has rocked my world ever since. We sat there that day not knowing if her son (and my friend) would recover from the terrible, horrible car wreck he had been in late one summer afternoon. (praise God for his recovery today!) That verse spoke up to us knowing that he had been walking in God's will and so long as we are striving our best to do just that, God directs and establishes our footsteps. This thought confused me for a little while but it really speaks to the fact that God has a plan for all things and there is nowhere we can ever go to escape his sovereignty in our lives. Continue to delight in the Lord's way and He will continue to guide us. We might walk through some frightening situations, but we continue to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, knowing that He is ever in control and ever out to push us closer to Himself.

I think this has gotten slightly off the topic of traveling, but I feel that in all reality we travel each day. We travel across the street, down the hallways, through our offices, and even to other states. Each of these places are moments to be consciously and intentionally sharing the Gospel of Christ. In 2011 I cannot fathom where my feet will take me, but I pray that they take me there because my steps are being directed and established by the Lord. I pray always that I have beautiful feet that remember to bring the good news where ever I go. We'll see what happens... I certainly have no idea.

 

The beautiful feet of a few of my summer staff... coincidentally all wearing our Chacos. Imagine that.