Happy Mother’s Day! For some, it really is a happy day – a day of remembering the selfless love of someone who gave them life, or gave life to those they love. But this year, for probably the first time in my life, I…
So in some ways this post scares me more than writing about death or cancer or chemo. At the same time, it is way more exciting than death or cancer or chemo. I’m going to try to start something new on my blog, and…
I’m a little late on my reading review from 2016. I blame the chemo. Unfortunately, also due to the chemo, I wasn’t able to read as much as I normally do. So I should caveat here that I typically only put books here that…
Silence has been a great companion to me recently. I mean both the word “silence” and at the same time the movie/book Silence. For many people, that seems like an odd or dismal thing to say. Silence can be maddening. Everyone starts fidgeting in church…
Most of you know that I have recently finished my prescribed 6 Rounds of chemo, and yesterday morning I got the results of my latest CT scan back during my meeting with my oncologist. I shared a brief update on social media but wanted…
I will say without reservation that Silence has already become one of my favorite movies, and is likely to remain in that position for a long time (right behind Calvary – which is amazing). Part of this is because it magnificently adapts Shusaku Endo’s book, Silence…
When I set out on this Contemplating Chemotherapy series, initially I thought it would be primarily blogging about my experience with chemo exclusively during this season. As I’ve been writing and looking back, I’ve realized that life is never simple enough to let you…
I’m glad that 2016 is over. I don’t typically say that, but it is true. Bring on 2017, I’m ready. As long as it’s nothing like 2016, it will be fine with me. Or will it? Chemo Christmas Let me tell you about what…
I have been wanting to write a post along these lines for some time now, but I figured now would be a good time to post in light of the holidays. Christmas is often a time to visit and spend time with family, and…
So (as if you didn’t already know or hear): chemo sucks. I would have said that before starting chemo because I’d heard all of the horror stories (and, you know, it was basically mustard gas at its inception). But after my first two rounds…
![“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.”
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- John Muir
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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?
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Photo credit: @davidlobban .
#buachailleetivemor #glencoe #icouldlivehere #johnmuir #hillwalking](http://scontent-ort2-2.cdninstagram.com/vp/8fe0c9ee3dcf9530ccfe9f65c2f5c56d/5C51FBCD/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c180.0.720.720/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")
