87 flights. 75 domestic and 12 international. 87,814 miles. 212 hours. That’s how much I’ve flown in the past 7+ months – which amounts to about 8.8 days flying, or going around the earth 3.5 times. Those 87 flights have taken me to over…
“To comfort me, you have to come close. Come sit beside me on my mourning bench.” – Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for a Son Grief often isolates us, even amongst those of us who grieve the loss of the very same person or thing. I…
I used to think I read only the “right” books. Or perhaps I should say I read the “right type” of books. I was fairly proud of the books that I read – books that everyone ought to read. In fact, if I am honest, I used to…
Here’s a few of the books I read this year that I would recommend to others, and will most likely re-read myself sometime in the future. You may notice that I’ve swung from reading mostly theology/pastoral books to reading more literary fiction this year.…
Ten years ago today was the day that my dad died. I can never forget this day. It has changed nearly every aspect of my life during the past ten years – and I suspect it will continue to affect the rest of my…
Awakening Faith fills a much needed void in today’s Christian culture by giving us a brief glimpse into the writings of the first seven centuries of the church fathers who have gone before us in our faith. For a culture that remains so focused our…
My recent sermon from last Sunday at Midland Bible Church is up on the MBC iTunes podcast – click here to listen to it or download it. As the title suggests, it is about brokenness and grace, and comes from Mark 7:24-30 – the story…
I’ve honestly never been much for poetry (probably primarily because I’m not smart enough to understand it), but I was unpacking all my books and came across a little compilation of poems that a good friend (who is much more literarily inclined than myself) gave…
For class I’ve begun reading through St Augustine’s Confessions, and there is a beautiful theme that I’ve started to see in the first few books. The theme is this: that everything – and I mean, everything, finds its end and final completion in God.…
I know it’s a bit late, but here’s a look at some books I read during the fall semester last year, which I would recommend for you to read as well. As I go through this list, I’m struck by how each and every…
![“I don't like either the word [hike] or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not 'hike!' Do you know the origin of that word saunter? It's a beautiful word. Away back in the middle ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going they would reply, 'A la sainte terre', 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them.”
.
- John Muir
.
——
.
I love what Muir says about the mountains. This is probably my favourite mountain (Buachaille Etive Mòr) in my favourite place (Glencoe) in my favourite country (Scotland) - it is a holy place. I’ve made many pilgrimages to this mountain, and plan to make many more. I love the idea of sauntering in the mountains, really taking the time to enjoy the beauty and majesty and glory of them. The Scots call it “hill walking” instead of “hiking” - we don’t hike with God, we walk with God. The best part is that while I’m sauntering through the mountains, I can lift my eyes up to see beyond the circumstances around me and am able to fix my eyes on something so much bigger and more glorious than myself. I often think of my spirituality as a journey up a mountain, going “further up and further in” - sometimes having to backtrack and find a different trail, sometimes going off trail, sometimes meeting fellow walkers and saunterers. Jesus often went up atop a mountain to pray, could we not learn from him and perhaps even meet him there as well?
.
Photo credit: @davidlobban .
#buachailleetivemor #glencoe #icouldlivehere #johnmuir #hillwalking](http://scontent-ort2-2.cdninstagram.com/vp/eae67eda496bbf0328e19d980a9de40f/5C6C5E37/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c180.0.720.720a/s640x640/42579293_2291596581063363_6787878858025906168_n.jpg "“I don't like either the word [hike] or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not 'hike!' Do you know the origin of that word saunter? It's a beautiful word. Away back in the middle ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going they would reply, 'A la sainte terre', 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them.”
.
- John Muir
.
——
.
I love what Muir says about the mountains. This is probably my favourite mountain (Buachaille Etive Mòr) in my favourite place (Glencoe) in my favourite country (Scotland) - it is a holy place. I’ve made many pilgrimages to this mountain, and plan to make many more. I love the idea of sauntering in the mountains, really taking the time to enjoy the beauty and majesty and glory of them. The Scots call it “hill walking” instead of “hiking” - we don’t hike with God, we walk with God. The best part is that while I’m sauntering through the mountains, I can lift my eyes up to see beyond the circumstances around me and am able to fix my eyes on something so much bigger and more glorious than myself. I often think of my spirituality as a journey up a mountain, going “further up and further in” - sometimes having to backtrack and find a different trail, sometimes going off trail, sometimes meeting fellow walkers and saunterers. Jesus often went up atop a mountain to pray, could we not learn from him and perhaps even meet him there as well?
.
Photo credit: @davidlobban .
#buachailleetivemor #glencoe #icouldlivehere #johnmuir #hillwalking")
