Night Hiking

Mood:  healthier, lonely, ready for the week ahead (i hope....)

You know, I've never understood Sunday being the day of rest...when...for those that work in the church...it tends to be a day of little to no rest.  That being said, since I truly love working in a church, it's not the most unrestful event...but it's also...slightly stressful.  Any work is.  And then there's the societal tendency to make Sunday the day of ALL unfinished business from cleaning to yardwork to car repairs...so when you work in a church AND try to do unfinished business....if you're me you end up taking a nap all afternoon then heading back to the church.

So Caitlyn and I made a pact that every single day this week we will spend at least 20 minutes cleaning/organizing/repairing so that there's less to do on Sundays.  

Beyond that this evening's Sr. High youth event was a "Halloween Night Hike."  Sounds scary...it wasn't.  It's actually a conservation walk...and it was pretty cute, I have to admit.  One of the things that I miss the MOST about being home in the fall is the foliage.  Of course the leaves change here, and it's gorgeous...it's just...the mountains at home the entire landscape of reds and oranges and yellows and browns and golds.  So tonight, on the hike I started to actually pay attention to the woods we were walking.  Not just hurrying up to get done...but looking, feeling, absorbing.  And it was wonderful.

Okay so mostly tree branches.  But I focused on the leaves instead.

The further  into the woods we got...the denser the trees.  And the orangier as well.  Near the middle of our walk the moon was out.

The view of the moon is what made me miss home the most...but at the same time...comforted me the most.  Oddly enough thanks to David Spade.  If you've seen Joe Dirt then you might remember how Joe (Spade) talks about missing people and looking up at the moon KNOWING that the people he misses are looking at the same moon.  And that comforts him.  And tonight...I let myself be comforted by that.

To really let your surroundings affect you...to simply take some nature in....and to take a brisk walk...some days there is nothing nicer that can be done.