Exploring the Deep

Passionately pursuing life, faith and adventure…

Monthly Archives: January 2013


by Leave a comment

I spy…

Sometimes an image sticks with you for a few minutes, sometimes a few days, sometimes longer. I’ve had a mental image from a flight that has resurfaced many times since this fall when I spied it out an airplane window.

As I flew over the South Dakotan plains I watched little streams wind through the farms. They zigged, zagged, twisted and turned their way through the land. And I couldn’t help question why they didn’t move straight from one place to the next. Why the extra effort to snake around trees and slip through fields? Why the added work for farmers to determine the best way to develop the land around the streams? Wouldn’t it be so much more efficient to slide straight from one place to the next?

And that’s when I heard the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit say that life is like these little streams. There’s no quick path to our final destination. The stream of our life twists, turns and doubles-back as we make decisions, develop relationships and encounter obstacles. Only for short periods of time does our life push ahead in a straight path before it takes a turn and causes us – and our surroundings – to adapt.

It’s what creates a beautiful landscape. The twisting streams that erode the land on one side also create space for new life on the other. Similarly, the challenges we face in life also create the best opportunities for success. Our call is to see both sides and embrace the twists and turns of life!


by Leave a comment

New Year. New Goals.

I’m not usually the type of person to make resolutions at the beginning of the year. And if I were, forget them including to lose weight or find the cure for cancer. But I am naturally a goal-setter and January is a great time to evaluate what I’m working toward.

The past year was a fun one, full of travel, adventure, passion and friends. At the start of the year I made a list of goals that I focused on throughout 2012. I was going for “more” – read and pray more; grow personally, professionally, spiritually and emotionally; be more open with my life, thoughts and dreams; have fun more often; do more new things.

It’s fun to look back on 2012 and see how I accomplished each of my goals! I went on vacation to New York City (twice!), Vermont, Chicago, Sioux Falls and Leavenworth (Wash.). I gardened and canned for the first time, read nearly 20 books, spent countless hours with friends (both new and old), prayed and sought God more than ever, and had a lot of fun! I was also more transparent with those close to me about my life and experiences. This was indeed a year of “more!”

So what are my goals for 2013? It’s all about going for even more! I’d love to travel, read, explore, pray, try new things and open up more than last year. But primarily I’m focusing on two things that will take some serious focus and stretching beyond what I believe my limits are. For now things are staying under wraps, but I promise to bring you into the loop as they develop!

If you’d like to pray with me over the year, I’d be happy to share a little detail…. But for now, I’m praying for even more for YOU as we move forward into this new year!