mountains are glorious.

welcome to 2010!!

december 31 was a long day.
mostly because it was two days... filled with hanging out with awesome people riding in cars, planes, and sitting in airports.
but after all of that i have made it safely to post falls, idaho.

here are some things i learned on my last day of 2009:
- if you go to McDonalds at 4:15 a.m. and order a mocha it will take them like 15 minutes to make it.
- sitting at the waiting area at the gate of an airport is much better than sitting on an airplane and having to wait for an hour on the plane.
- detroit metro airport has the best smelling bathrooms... there is enough extra air freshener in there that it doesnt really smell like a bathroom... at least at 6:30 in the morning.
- de-icing a plane smells really bad and takes too long when you have been on the plane for an hour already
- the second row from the bathroom on a plane is disgusting... the only thing worse would be the first row from the bathroom
- Minneapolis/St. Paul airport CRAWLED out of the '60s and is an epic failure at Subway.
- when you have been awake for two days it is easy to fall asleep on a plane, no matter how cramped you are.
- mountains are always gorgeous.
- spending time with friends in other states is always a fun time for me, no matter what we are doing.
- i love idaho.


this time of refreshing and vacationing is a great way to start off the year. i am spending this time with some of my VERY BEST FRIENDS. i couldn't think of a better way to be spending this time of celebrating the new year. i am so stoked to be here in idaho with Chrissy, spending time with her family and with joe and now moses too. it was awesome today to share in the marriage of a friend. i am loving idaho, it has been nice to see it with Chrissy and share in some of her experiences and where she comes from. we went to her favorite spot the other day and i think that is one of the coolest things ever, that she was willing to share that spot with us. it was so beautiful. surrounded by mountains and just so peaceful and serene. i seem to connect so much more with God when i see God's creation they way i see it when i am around mountains and nature like this. every time i see a mountain the only thing i can hear in my head is lyrics that go like this "Savior, He can move the mountains, my God is Mighty to Save, He is Mighty to Save."

Think about this-- i can't even wrap my mind around it! if God wanted to he could MOVE these GIANT MOUNTAINS in an instant!!!!!! that makes me think of the mountains we make and create in our hearts and in our own lives... the walls that we build up so high that we try to keep God out. I know that for me i want to start this year off by climbing on top of my mountains, reclaiming my life. reclaiming my identity in Christ. i am not who i was... let this new year be a renewing of your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus as it says in Romans 12. Be transformed. enter this year with thanksgiving and rejoicing and love in your lives.

praise God for friends, mountains, and life.
i hope today finds you well and realizing that you are amazing and that you have an amazing story to tell and an amazing creator who loves you so much.

i leave you with a quote from a blog that i follow from a guy named Eric
"this is the year that stories happen; the year that apathy dies and action begins"

let your story impact someone this year.