Okay, I skipped a couple of days....ummm...delighting myself in the Lord. Saturday, my guyfriend and I went on a "color" drive through southwest Colorado. We left early that morning and drove to Durango, Silverton, Ouray and then Telluride and then looped back home. I had heard a lot about Telluride but never been there...WOW - it was beautiful. A great place to visit but extremely expensive to live there. We took the gondola to the top of the mountain - went over Oprah's house, viewed Tom Cruise's airport investment, and had Nicholas Cage's mansion pointed out to us or at least the general direction.
So, how have I delighted myself in the Lord recently. Just resting in the Lord and not worrying about anything. Taking things one day at a time. Interestingly enough, I am averaging about 3-4 sub jobs a week. I have heard varying reports but I have been told that the number of jobs I am getting is phenomenal - and then today - as I turned down a sub job since I was already booked - the teacher told me subs were hard to find. So. I don't know how it really is but I feel like it is totally the Lord's blessings I am getting so many jobs. And I am enjoying having a varied schedule.
My other little "delight" is my new business - "this girl needs a party." It is a party and event planning business and I have come up with these little cupcake bouquets I do that are just Adorable!!! Even if I say so myself. My ad goes in the paper this week so we will see what happens.
I love this little business. My creative mojo just gets going and I absolutely have fun designing the bouquets. The creativity totally comes from the Lord and it wears me out sometimes. My mind gets going and I can't keep up with all of the ideas and plans I come up with. Results of being a victim of experiencing "happy mojo." LOL
Well, must go to bed so that I don't MISS MY ASSIGNMENT TOMORROW FOR MS. BECKY!!!
Delighting myself faithfully.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Project: Delight Yourself in the Lord Day 3
Well, I almost missed posting today. Let me give a recap of this morning...
I had just settled myself down this morning with coffee, bible, and notebook when my phone rang. It was my friend Faith. "Hello?" "Where are you?" Faith demanded to know. "At my house." I replied in a tone that implied where else would I be at 8:20 in the morning? She says, "You are SUPPOSED to be here." OMGosh! Tone has now changed to horror. "What?" "Yeah, Becky has you scheduled to sub for her today." "Well, it's not on my calendar!" Holy smokes. My nightmare situation is occurring. I have forgotten a sub job. "I will be there in 45 minutes tops!" I hear Faith laughing as I hang up the phone. Forget delighting the Lord this morning! I am in turbo mode getting ready to be in a classroom I should have been in 20 minutes ago. Possibly, the Lord's delight for the day is this little episode in my life and He is very likely having a little laugh Himself. So glad I can provide comic relief for friends, family and God. Once I was actually in the classroom and settled in, I did find the situation rather humorous and laughed at myself. I am such a noo noo head. LOL
I had a moment to visit with a teacher friend and she made the comment, "Don't you think by delighting yourself in the Lord, God changes your heart and changes your desires?" I absolutely think that. When my desire is to delight God, I am not thinking about what I want so much. I am just letting things go and not making my demands to the Lord. Just like with prayer. Prayer is not about having a genie God to do my bidding. Prayer is about conversing with a friend... a special friend that has all the answers whether He chooses to reveal them at that moment or not. So another rather uneventful day in the project has passed but it was still a beautiful, well-spent day.
oh! another signature item about Ms. Jaye:
Perfume: Clinique - Happy Heart or Happy. Aren't those great names? Actually, my preschool was named "Happy Heart" and I came up with the name before I EVER heard of the perfume! Alfred Sung is my other perfume. The day I subbed for the freshmen algebra class, they walked in and said, "It smells like Ms. Jaye. It smells just like last year's class. Overpowering!" Oops. Oh well. At least it is overpowering in a good way - I think - As I reflect on being overpowering, I know that is also a signature feature of my personality - for better or worse. I know I can be a powerhouse and I am learning to curb it...kind of...
Still delighting...
I had just settled myself down this morning with coffee, bible, and notebook when my phone rang. It was my friend Faith. "Hello?" "Where are you?" Faith demanded to know. "At my house." I replied in a tone that implied where else would I be at 8:20 in the morning? She says, "You are SUPPOSED to be here." OMGosh! Tone has now changed to horror. "What?" "Yeah, Becky has you scheduled to sub for her today." "Well, it's not on my calendar!" Holy smokes. My nightmare situation is occurring. I have forgotten a sub job. "I will be there in 45 minutes tops!" I hear Faith laughing as I hang up the phone. Forget delighting the Lord this morning! I am in turbo mode getting ready to be in a classroom I should have been in 20 minutes ago. Possibly, the Lord's delight for the day is this little episode in my life and He is very likely having a little laugh Himself. So glad I can provide comic relief for friends, family and God. Once I was actually in the classroom and settled in, I did find the situation rather humorous and laughed at myself. I am such a noo noo head. LOL
I had a moment to visit with a teacher friend and she made the comment, "Don't you think by delighting yourself in the Lord, God changes your heart and changes your desires?" I absolutely think that. When my desire is to delight God, I am not thinking about what I want so much. I am just letting things go and not making my demands to the Lord. Just like with prayer. Prayer is not about having a genie God to do my bidding. Prayer is about conversing with a friend... a special friend that has all the answers whether He chooses to reveal them at that moment or not. So another rather uneventful day in the project has passed but it was still a beautiful, well-spent day.
oh! another signature item about Ms. Jaye:
Perfume: Clinique - Happy Heart or Happy. Aren't those great names? Actually, my preschool was named "Happy Heart" and I came up with the name before I EVER heard of the perfume! Alfred Sung is my other perfume. The day I subbed for the freshmen algebra class, they walked in and said, "It smells like Ms. Jaye. It smells just like last year's class. Overpowering!" Oops. Oh well. At least it is overpowering in a good way - I think - As I reflect on being overpowering, I know that is also a signature feature of my personality - for better or worse. I know I can be a powerhouse and I am learning to curb it...kind of...
Still delighting...
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Project: Delighting myself in the Lord Day 2
Nothing really of significance happened yesterday but it isn't always the big things that are so major. I just looked up the word "delight" and the official definition for delight is "find great pleasure or enjoyment of something." The opposite definition is "to be in distress." So - children give me great pleasure and enjoyment. I spent yesterday with K-4th graders helping with reading skills. One little girl and boy drew me pictures - their version of a thank you/I love you to the substitute teacher. Ahhh - refrigerator art - I miss that.
Reflecting on these children's art - isn't it amazing that you can spend 45 minutes with a child and they think they love you? I didn't do anything special for either of these children, like play favorites or anything, I was just there. At the end of the class, they hand me pictures and notes saying "I love you - you are so nice to me." Kind of makes you tremble in awe with the power you hold in your hand, your voice, your demeanor at touching a child's heart. Ok - that was my delight but what about delighting the Lord?
I think - no, I am pretty sure, positive that God delights in absolute trust in who He says He is. Every time Satan put a negative thought in my head about job possibilities, I just pushed it aside and repeated: "Delight yourself in the Lord." No need to worry about tomorrow, or next week, or what people think or don't think... work with today...go with the moment...and be who God created me to be and who He created me to be right now in the moment. Trust in the God who says, "Trust me, fear not...I have you in my hand and I WILL NOT leave you nor forsake you..." (Jaye's condensed version.) Do you know how awesome the feeling is to just let go and live for the day??? Incredible!
So, I can choose to find enjoyment and great pleasure in the day or I can settle in for distress and discontentment." Ummm....choosing great pleasure so here I am on the morning of day 2 and anticipating the day's events...
Ms. Jaye
Reflecting on these children's art - isn't it amazing that you can spend 45 minutes with a child and they think they love you? I didn't do anything special for either of these children, like play favorites or anything, I was just there. At the end of the class, they hand me pictures and notes saying "I love you - you are so nice to me." Kind of makes you tremble in awe with the power you hold in your hand, your voice, your demeanor at touching a child's heart. Ok - that was my delight but what about delighting the Lord?
I think - no, I am pretty sure, positive that God delights in absolute trust in who He says He is. Every time Satan put a negative thought in my head about job possibilities, I just pushed it aside and repeated: "Delight yourself in the Lord." No need to worry about tomorrow, or next week, or what people think or don't think... work with today...go with the moment...and be who God created me to be and who He created me to be right now in the moment. Trust in the God who says, "Trust me, fear not...I have you in my hand and I WILL NOT leave you nor forsake you..." (Jaye's condensed version.) Do you know how awesome the feeling is to just let go and live for the day??? Incredible!
So, I can choose to find enjoyment and great pleasure in the day or I can settle in for distress and discontentment." Ummm....choosing great pleasure so here I am on the morning of day 2 and anticipating the day's events...
Ms. Jaye
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Project: Delight Yourself In The Lord
I absolutely love Hobby Lobby (craft store). I mean, I can walk in the store and just feel ....happy! Everything in the store just spells cute...creative...beauty ( most of it) ....and of course there is sure to be "tacky" stuck in there somewhere but overall it is a store supplied with materials to enable the creative genius to do their thing. Anyway, on a recent visit, as I walked through the store, I realized, "I have lost my fun." How do you lose your fun?
First off, you get so intense and focused on something that you lose sight of everything else. When things aren't turning out the way you want them to, you get angry and depressed and cynical and lethargic - or at least that is what has happened to me - and a really stinky attitude settles in. So, without realizing it, I have been in this really long temper tantrum with the Lord because I didn't get my way. Even though I have said the Lord has something else for me other than teaching full-time this year, I didn't really believe it and I have just been plain mad about it. Then my friend made a comment to me that has changed everything. He said, "Jaye, you have been through a lot. Why don't you just enjoy this time you have substitute teaching and enjoy being off on the days you don't have an assignment..." hmmm... novel idea....enjoy my time off... first remark was "you haven't seen my bank account." No, but God has and does.
So, after seeing the movie, Julie/Julia, I have been inspired to do my own project. The Lord has been whispering in my ear one of my long favorite verses: "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your hear." Psalm 37:4. Everyday, from now until May 31st, I am going to delight myself in the Lord; put my "happy" on; and focus on delighting the Lord. Each day, I will share what has happened.
As of this day, I am letting go of the past disappointments of not getting a job. I have no expectations of getting a job this next year with the district. I am leaving that situation to the Lord. I have no agenda other than to start and finish my masters and see what happens. Feel free to remind me of this at any point should I get off track!
Happy facts about Ms. Jaye:
Current job: substitute teaching and children's minister at my church
Signature colors: Red - passion, energy, power, danger, purity, joy, happiness, celebration and prosperity. YELLOW - cheerful, hopeful, joy and courage - mixed with red - excitement. BLACK - mystery, sophistication, elegance, class, depth, encourages the imagination of a different world from that of daylight realities. (each color does have a negative side but let's just focus on happy!)
Relationships: Daughter of a king; earthly daughter to two wonderful parents; sister of two beautiful sisters; mother of three beautiful children; grandmother to one beautiful little boy; special relationship to one incredible man; owner of a multitude of friends that she can't engage with as much as she would like.
I invite you to share this journey with me. And now, I must get ready for this first day of delighting myself in the Lord...
Delighting...
Ms. Jaye
First off, you get so intense and focused on something that you lose sight of everything else. When things aren't turning out the way you want them to, you get angry and depressed and cynical and lethargic - or at least that is what has happened to me - and a really stinky attitude settles in. So, without realizing it, I have been in this really long temper tantrum with the Lord because I didn't get my way. Even though I have said the Lord has something else for me other than teaching full-time this year, I didn't really believe it and I have just been plain mad about it. Then my friend made a comment to me that has changed everything. He said, "Jaye, you have been through a lot. Why don't you just enjoy this time you have substitute teaching and enjoy being off on the days you don't have an assignment..." hmmm... novel idea....enjoy my time off... first remark was "you haven't seen my bank account." No, but God has and does.
So, after seeing the movie, Julie/Julia, I have been inspired to do my own project. The Lord has been whispering in my ear one of my long favorite verses: "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your hear." Psalm 37:4. Everyday, from now until May 31st, I am going to delight myself in the Lord; put my "happy" on; and focus on delighting the Lord. Each day, I will share what has happened.
As of this day, I am letting go of the past disappointments of not getting a job. I have no expectations of getting a job this next year with the district. I am leaving that situation to the Lord. I have no agenda other than to start and finish my masters and see what happens. Feel free to remind me of this at any point should I get off track!
Happy facts about Ms. Jaye:
Current job: substitute teaching and children's minister at my church
Signature colors: Red - passion, energy, power, danger, purity, joy, happiness, celebration and prosperity. YELLOW - cheerful, hopeful, joy and courage - mixed with red - excitement. BLACK - mystery, sophistication, elegance, class, depth, encourages the imagination of a different world from that of daylight realities. (each color does have a negative side but let's just focus on happy!)
Relationships: Daughter of a king; earthly daughter to two wonderful parents; sister of two beautiful sisters; mother of three beautiful children; grandmother to one beautiful little boy; special relationship to one incredible man; owner of a multitude of friends that she can't engage with as much as she would like.
I invite you to share this journey with me. And now, I must get ready for this first day of delighting myself in the Lord...
Delighting...
Ms. Jaye
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Prayer - does it really matter?
I bet you saw the title and thought, "She's on a downer." No really I'm not. I have had this question posed to me a couple of times in the last couple of months...and I am at a place where I can really think about it...again. Why pray?
I contemplated this question shortly after Kade's death. I mean - if God is sovereign and He knows what He's going to do and things are going to happen according to God's plan, does it really matter if I pray? or...can God's mind be changed with prayer? or...we pray and the harder we pray the worse things get? What's up with that one?
I think the bottom line answer to the question is prayer isn't about us. Prayer isn't about getting our way or getting God to be our own personal genie. Prayer is about relationship. When I pray, I am talking to God, my Father, my Friend, my Savior, my Comforter, my Deliverer, my Provider,...my everything.
I was thinking about this question the other day and the comparison came to mind of parent/child relationship. My mother and I are very close. Growing up, I could talk to her about anything. I spent a lot of time with my mom talking in the car or just around the house and when I married and moved off I still called her a lot...about anything and everything. The thing about my mom is that if she could fix a problem for me, she would - come hell or high water - if it was in her power to help me, she did. Or if she felt I needed something she got it. If she found something she knew I would like, she bought it. If she couldn't fix it for me - like my broken heart - she was there to hold me and comfort me and tell me she loved me. I saw her love for me in her eyes and actions. And her prayers - I was on every prayer list she could get me on because in her weakness and powerlessness she knew the One who could help me. My mother loves me with everything that is inside of her and I am pretty sure she would give her life for me. My mom and I are close because we have shared our hearts with one another.
Prayer is communication with the God that loves me so much He died for me. Everything my mom feels for me and does for me is minute compared to what God can do and does for me. Spending time with God in prayer develops a relationship that cannot be created any other way other than by time being spent with him. In the movie, "Elf", Buddy quickly discovers the "false" Santa. He knew the real "Santa" because he had lived with Santa, worked for Santa, and talked with Santa. Buddy tells the fake Santa, "You don't smell like him." You don't know how someone smells unless you have been next to them. That is what prayer does for you. It puts you next to God so you can smell him. It doesn't matter whether you get what you want or whether you get the relief you seek- what matters is that you know the One in control and you know Him well enough to trust him with your life. And you may not understand. But you know the One who does get it and has it all under control.
So - what do you think? Why pray?
I contemplated this question shortly after Kade's death. I mean - if God is sovereign and He knows what He's going to do and things are going to happen according to God's plan, does it really matter if I pray? or...can God's mind be changed with prayer? or...we pray and the harder we pray the worse things get? What's up with that one?
I think the bottom line answer to the question is prayer isn't about us. Prayer isn't about getting our way or getting God to be our own personal genie. Prayer is about relationship. When I pray, I am talking to God, my Father, my Friend, my Savior, my Comforter, my Deliverer, my Provider,...my everything.
I was thinking about this question the other day and the comparison came to mind of parent/child relationship. My mother and I are very close. Growing up, I could talk to her about anything. I spent a lot of time with my mom talking in the car or just around the house and when I married and moved off I still called her a lot...about anything and everything. The thing about my mom is that if she could fix a problem for me, she would - come hell or high water - if it was in her power to help me, she did. Or if she felt I needed something she got it. If she found something she knew I would like, she bought it. If she couldn't fix it for me - like my broken heart - she was there to hold me and comfort me and tell me she loved me. I saw her love for me in her eyes and actions. And her prayers - I was on every prayer list she could get me on because in her weakness and powerlessness she knew the One who could help me. My mother loves me with everything that is inside of her and I am pretty sure she would give her life for me. My mom and I are close because we have shared our hearts with one another.
Prayer is communication with the God that loves me so much He died for me. Everything my mom feels for me and does for me is minute compared to what God can do and does for me. Spending time with God in prayer develops a relationship that cannot be created any other way other than by time being spent with him. In the movie, "Elf", Buddy quickly discovers the "false" Santa. He knew the real "Santa" because he had lived with Santa, worked for Santa, and talked with Santa. Buddy tells the fake Santa, "You don't smell like him." You don't know how someone smells unless you have been next to them. That is what prayer does for you. It puts you next to God so you can smell him. It doesn't matter whether you get what you want or whether you get the relief you seek- what matters is that you know the One in control and you know Him well enough to trust him with your life. And you may not understand. But you know the One who does get it and has it all under control.
So - what do you think? Why pray?
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Climb...continued
From yesterday...(this is my last email post as I will be using my blog-spot ...)
What a climb...my climb. As I think about the different climbs I have made in the last few years, I realized I have had this unconscious idea of "The End and she lived happily ever after." If I could just get the degree, I will "live happily ever after...." If I could just get a nice-paying job...If I could just be settled and not flitting from one place to the next....one venture to the next....
If....one of the biggest words in our vocabulary... (I still laugh at this saying my mom used to tell us when we used the word "if" - "Yeah, and IF frogs had tails they wouldn't bump their butts when they jumped either." We would kind of look at her like....huh?)
Miley Cyrus' theme song from the movie "Hannah Montana, The Movie" is called "The Climb." The words are exactly where I have been, where I am, and where I am going in life. Here are the words but I am going to break it down to what "The Climb" means to me...
THE CLIMB LYRICS by MILEY CYRUS:
http://www.lyricsyoulove.com/m/miley_cyrus/climb/
I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming ( currently the degree...) but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it, (No the voice is saying "you still can't get a job")
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction (I'm not lost just confused and impatient over God's Plan)
My faith is shaking but I (My faith in God is steadfast and strong underneath but there are moments when I just flat don't understand..)
Got to keep trying (Hope....that is why I can't join Chris down at townpark and just give up)
Got to keep my head held high ( don't understand the plan but I am planting my feet firm on Jesus Christ and pushing forward walking and standing on faith)
There's always going to be another mountain (I am already planning on entering the master's program with Univ. of Phoen. in September)
I'm always going to want to make it move (There is always something else to accomplish - like that book mulling around in my head and heart)
Always going to be an uphill battle, (that is part of life)
Sometimes I'm gonna to have to lose, (took a HUGE gamble this summer on a job and lost)
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's The Climb (think of all the adventures, lessons learned and places I have been - spiritually and physically! Can't say my life is boring!)
The struggles I'm facing, (seeking the career)
The chances I'm taking (living on faith - literally)
Sometimes they knock me down but (started wearing a butt-pad)
No I'm not breaking (I will NOT give in to despair or self-pity - I am Jaye Price, daughter of a King, hear me roar!)
I mean I know it
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah (It's not the good times we remember the most - it's the hard ones and the lessons we learn. How many times did we hear our parents say, "When I was going to school we had to walk 10 miles in the snow - barefoot - to get there!" They don't remember all the times they had shoes and got to school in a bus or warm truck or car....)
Just got to keep going (I will wake up everyday and say, "This is the day the LORD has made - I will rejoice and be glad in it! and think of something fun and productive...or maybe just fun...to do today)
And I,
I got to be strong (that label has been applied to me many times but I am only strong because in my weakness GOD becomes strong....."Jesus loves me this I know.....I am weak but He is strong")
Just keep pushing on, ( I refuse to sit down and throw my hands up and say, "I am done. This is too hard.)
Keep on moving (Walk tough)
Keep climbing (It's worth the climb)
Keep the faith baby (No worries there)
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith
The thing about the climb is this....there is always another one. The realization I have come to is this: THERE ISN'T A 'THE END.....AND SHE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER'..... until I close my eyes in the final sleep and wake up staring at my Jesus.
But meanwhile back at the ranch or rather at the Barbie Condo, Ms. Jaye will try to fulfill the words of her favorite quote:
"Life is not meant to be a gentle journey to the grave arriving in pristine condition, but rather a wild roller coaster of a trip, sliding in sideways, a mocha in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other, completely used up and screaming whoooeeee! What a ride!" (or climb)
What a climb...my climb. As I think about the different climbs I have made in the last few years, I realized I have had this unconscious idea of "The End and she lived happily ever after." If I could just get the degree, I will "live happily ever after...." If I could just get a nice-paying job...If I could just be settled and not flitting from one place to the next....one venture to the next....
If....one of the biggest words in our vocabulary... (I still laugh at this saying my mom used to tell us when we used the word "if" - "Yeah, and IF frogs had tails they wouldn't bump their butts when they jumped either." We would kind of look at her like....huh?)
Miley Cyrus' theme song from the movie "Hannah Montana, The Movie" is called "The Climb." The words are exactly where I have been, where I am, and where I am going in life. Here are the words but I am going to break it down to what "The Climb" means to me...
THE CLIMB LYRICS by MILEY CYRUS:
http://www.lyricsyoulove.com/m/miley_cyrus/climb/
I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming ( currently the degree...) but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it, (No the voice is saying "you still can't get a job")
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction (I'm not lost just confused and impatient over God's Plan)
My faith is shaking but I (My faith in God is steadfast and strong underneath but there are moments when I just flat don't understand..)
Got to keep trying (Hope....that is why I can't join Chris down at townpark and just give up)
Got to keep my head held high ( don't understand the plan but I am planting my feet firm on Jesus Christ and pushing forward walking and standing on faith)
There's always going to be another mountain (I am already planning on entering the master's program with Univ. of Phoen. in September)
I'm always going to want to make it move (There is always something else to accomplish - like that book mulling around in my head and heart)
Always going to be an uphill battle, (that is part of life)
Sometimes I'm gonna to have to lose, (took a HUGE gamble this summer on a job and lost)
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's The Climb (think of all the adventures, lessons learned and places I have been - spiritually and physically! Can't say my life is boring!)
The struggles I'm facing, (seeking the career)
The chances I'm taking (living on faith - literally)
Sometimes they knock me down but (started wearing a butt-pad)
No I'm not breaking (I will NOT give in to despair or self-pity - I am Jaye Price, daughter of a King, hear me roar!)
I mean I know it
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah (It's not the good times we remember the most - it's the hard ones and the lessons we learn. How many times did we hear our parents say, "When I was going to school we had to walk 10 miles in the snow - barefoot - to get there!" They don't remember all the times they had shoes and got to school in a bus or warm truck or car....)
Just got to keep going (I will wake up everyday and say, "This is the day the LORD has made - I will rejoice and be glad in it! and think of something fun and productive...or maybe just fun...to do today)
And I,
I got to be strong (that label has been applied to me many times but I am only strong because in my weakness GOD becomes strong....."Jesus loves me this I know.....I am weak but He is strong")
Just keep pushing on, ( I refuse to sit down and throw my hands up and say, "I am done. This is too hard.)
Keep on moving (Walk tough)
Keep climbing (It's worth the climb)
Keep the faith baby (No worries there)
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith
The thing about the climb is this....there is always another one. The realization I have come to is this: THERE ISN'T A 'THE END.....AND SHE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER'..... until I close my eyes in the final sleep and wake up staring at my Jesus.
But meanwhile back at the ranch or rather at the Barbie Condo, Ms. Jaye will try to fulfill the words of her favorite quote:
"Life is not meant to be a gentle journey to the grave arriving in pristine condition, but rather a wild roller coaster of a trip, sliding in sideways, a mocha in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other, completely used up and screaming whoooeeee! What a ride!" (or climb)
The Climb
Just so you know I don't have altzheimers...I realize I wrote about this in my blog last year but it has new meaning this year...so hang with me...there is a point...
Last year I hiked Pagosa Peak for the first time. Let me try to get your head wrapped around what that was like. First, Pagosa's elevation is about 6,000 ft. Pagosa Peak is 12,556 ft. in elevation. You drive to the trail head which can be an adventure in itself - 10 miles per hour over the bumpiest "road"- I use that term loosely - to get there. Then it is about a 1.3 mile hike up the mountain to the peak. Just a mile....yeah right ....1.3 miles on a pretty steady incline.
There is a trail to lead the way but there can also be fallen trees on the path and you must decide whether you can hike your leg over or maybe it would be best to climb under it. You walk a few minutes and stop to get your breathe and take a peak at the beautiful scenery around you -- in case you have been so busy watching where you walk and figuring out how to walk and breathe, you forgot about the scenery. And you are huffing and puffing as the air gets thinner and thinner. But when you stop for that quick rest and look around, you take a moment to take in the beauty of the place and gasp at the beauty surrounding you. And then you keep walking.
Finally you are above treeline and in this meadowlike area. You can look down in the valleys before you and see how high you have climbed....so far....and you ask the person wearing the GPS...how much farther? how high ARE we? She says, "We have 1,000 feet to go" woohoo. really. that far... huh. you look up and it is right there....really?....1,000 feet more? You take a deep breath and keep going. You look at your watch and see you have been hiking for about 2 plus hours.
Then you find yourself really above the trees...and it is rocky...and you wonder...where's the trail? Oh is it that tiny little trail you thought was for the mountain goats? Yep, that would be it. Now there are no trees around you. Just a climb following a trail truly meant for mountain goats....you have become the mountain goat. All of a sudden you are on top of the peak...wow!...uh...don't get too excited because it's just the peak before THE PEAK.
You look up and there it is - a beautiful, majestic peak but...it looks so high...and rocky...and a little scary...can I make it? That trail is getting more rocky and is it skinnier?...I can do this you say. And you keep climbing.
All of a sudden - you are there! It is the most amazing sight ever! You are actually standing on top of a 12,556 ft. peak. You are even with the clouds! If that cloud on the left there was any closer, you could touch it! You can turn 360 degrees and see the tiny speck of Pagosa, and Navajo Lake and rivers and green valleys and smaller mountains -
YOU MADE IT!
We were fortunate enough to hike on a day when it was almost cloudless and we didn't have to worry about an electrical storm coming up. The hiking rule for Pagosa Peak is to be off the top of the mountain by 12 pm because if the rain comes, you are above treeline and a target for lightning. After all the photo ops were done, we sat down and ate lunch.
3 hours after the starting at the trail head, we were there and having lunch.
What goes up must come down. After about 30 minutes up at THE PEAK, we started back down. Going up the mountain you are huffing and puffing and resting every few minutes. Going down the mountain, you stop every few minutes to give your knees and toes a rest. Balancing your weight and using good hiking posture helps the back but puts pressure on the knees. Because you are going down at a nice little decline, your toes hit the ends of your shoes and puts lots of pressure on them as well. It doesn't take as long to get down but it is still a difficult trek down. The euphoria from the top helps because you have just been to the most incredible place.
An hour and a half later, my group was sitting on the tailgate of the truck... after taking turns finding a bathroom bush!...we were exhausted.
This trek is an all day thing. Meet at the church parking lot at 7:45 a.m.; drive to the trail head....about an hour....9:00 hit the trail....12:00 at the Peak....2:00 back at the trailhead...wait for everyone else to get down...load up...back at the church around 5ish.
What a climb. WHAT A CLIMB!!!!
What a climb...my climb. As I think about the different climbs I have made in the last few years, I realized I have had this unconscious idea of "The End and she lived happily ever after." If I could just get the degree, I will "live happily ever after...." If I could just get....
to be continued....have to study more for the biology test....hold the thought.
Last year I hiked Pagosa Peak for the first time. Let me try to get your head wrapped around what that was like. First, Pagosa's elevation is about 6,000 ft. Pagosa Peak is 12,556 ft. in elevation. You drive to the trail head which can be an adventure in itself - 10 miles per hour over the bumpiest "road"- I use that term loosely - to get there. Then it is about a 1.3 mile hike up the mountain to the peak. Just a mile....yeah right ....1.3 miles on a pretty steady incline.
There is a trail to lead the way but there can also be fallen trees on the path and you must decide whether you can hike your leg over or maybe it would be best to climb under it. You walk a few minutes and stop to get your breathe and take a peak at the beautiful scenery around you -- in case you have been so busy watching where you walk and figuring out how to walk and breathe, you forgot about the scenery. And you are huffing and puffing as the air gets thinner and thinner. But when you stop for that quick rest and look around, you take a moment to take in the beauty of the place and gasp at the beauty surrounding you. And then you keep walking.
Finally you are above treeline and in this meadowlike area. You can look down in the valleys before you and see how high you have climbed....so far....and you ask the person wearing the GPS...how much farther? how high ARE we? She says, "We have 1,000 feet to go" woohoo. really. that far... huh. you look up and it is right there....really?....1,000 feet more? You take a deep breath and keep going. You look at your watch and see you have been hiking for about 2 plus hours.
Then you find yourself really above the trees...and it is rocky...and you wonder...where's the trail? Oh is it that tiny little trail you thought was for the mountain goats? Yep, that would be it. Now there are no trees around you. Just a climb following a trail truly meant for mountain goats....you have become the mountain goat. All of a sudden you are on top of the peak...wow!...uh...don't get too excited because it's just the peak before THE PEAK.
You look up and there it is - a beautiful, majestic peak but...it looks so high...and rocky...and a little scary...can I make it? That trail is getting more rocky and is it skinnier?...I can do this you say. And you keep climbing.
All of a sudden - you are there! It is the most amazing sight ever! You are actually standing on top of a 12,556 ft. peak. You are even with the clouds! If that cloud on the left there was any closer, you could touch it! You can turn 360 degrees and see the tiny speck of Pagosa, and Navajo Lake and rivers and green valleys and smaller mountains -
YOU MADE IT!
We were fortunate enough to hike on a day when it was almost cloudless and we didn't have to worry about an electrical storm coming up. The hiking rule for Pagosa Peak is to be off the top of the mountain by 12 pm because if the rain comes, you are above treeline and a target for lightning. After all the photo ops were done, we sat down and ate lunch.
3 hours after the starting at the trail head, we were there and having lunch.
What goes up must come down. After about 30 minutes up at THE PEAK, we started back down. Going up the mountain you are huffing and puffing and resting every few minutes. Going down the mountain, you stop every few minutes to give your knees and toes a rest. Balancing your weight and using good hiking posture helps the back but puts pressure on the knees. Because you are going down at a nice little decline, your toes hit the ends of your shoes and puts lots of pressure on them as well. It doesn't take as long to get down but it is still a difficult trek down. The euphoria from the top helps because you have just been to the most incredible place.
An hour and a half later, my group was sitting on the tailgate of the truck... after taking turns finding a bathroom bush!...we were exhausted.
This trek is an all day thing. Meet at the church parking lot at 7:45 a.m.; drive to the trail head....about an hour....9:00 hit the trail....12:00 at the Peak....2:00 back at the trailhead...wait for everyone else to get down...load up...back at the church around 5ish.
What a climb. WHAT A CLIMB!!!!
What a climb...my climb. As I think about the different climbs I have made in the last few years, I realized I have had this unconscious idea of "The End and she lived happily ever after." If I could just get the degree, I will "live happily ever after...." If I could just get....
to be continued....have to study more for the biology test....hold the thought.
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