Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

I don't know what it is about the Black Hills.

Maybe the clean, pine-scented air, or the sharp rise of the mountains, or the tiny delicate flowers growing up through the rocks.

Or maybe it's the wildlife... not the typical bunny rabbits and deer that we've got at home, but buffalo and antelope.

Maybe it's how simply we live there. No plans, no requirements, just peace and campfires.

All I know is that I'm really excited that we're heading there today.

Zeke's family makes a yearly trip to the Black Hills every August, and we'll be meeting up with them there. After such a crazy busy summer, I'm really looking forward to getting a little time away.

In my more philosophical moments, I've pondered what the Black Hills show me about the character of God.

{I heard once that people experience God in four ways- mystically, naturally, intellectually, and emotionally. We tend to experience Him more strongly in one or two of those areas. I tend to find God intellectually and emotionally, but in the Black Hills? I see Him in most predominantly in nature.}

The Black Hills is rugged and dangerous with sharp edges and hard stone surfaces. It's extremes and challenges and hard-scrabble survival. It's dangerously beautiful.

I tend to see God as safe, as tame. Beige. Soft, fuzzy, pillowtop God. And in some respects, I think He can be... but that's such a limited experience of His character. I mean, even more limited than our already humanly limited minds typically experience Him.

The Black Hills remind me of this other facet of God. The wild, rugged, dangerous part of God. I need that sometimes. To experience Him in a different way, in a way that shakes my narrow minded self into realizing, again, that safe and quiet and beige isn't all there is to life.

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So, since I'll be sucking up joy and beauty and peace (and that sometimes comes without any internet access. And probably absolutely no cell service, either. Which makes me worry about "I-love-dirt-biking-down-mountains-Zeke," but that's another post for a more anxiety ridden day.), I don't know how much I'll be on ye ole interwebs this coming week. I'll try to keep ya updated and share pictures of the majestic scenery so you can take deep breaths right along with me. 

In the meantime! 

I've got some posts about community scheduled to hit the web (enjoy!), and then when I get back next week, we'll start a new series for all the single ladies (or dating ladies)! 

Introduction here... 

Bloom: Stop Waiting, Start Growing 

I'm really super excited about it. 

There are still two more slots for guest bloggers- so if you're interested, shoot me an e-mail!