A field trip

I think this is the lower Mohawk lake. Note the snow behind us in August!
The guys went even higher and had so much fun fishing they forgot to stop catching long enough to drink water!
Mary and I, so thankful she introduced me to Colorado in the summer.

Last week we went to Colorado with our good family friends, The Suit's, second year in a row. So fun, we rode bikes several days and hiked several days and one day we... wait for it... biked and hiked! One day, same as last year, we went on a particularly long hike up to Mohawk lake. It was beautiful but, hard, my heart is starting to pound in my chest just thinking about it. I'm sure it was just the elevation making it difficult :0

As we began our ascend Riley and I and others, who shall remain nameless, but especially Riley and I began stumbling and tripping over the rocks all the while mocking ourselves and trying not to feel shame. By our TRIP down the mountain we had stopped trying to come up with clever remarks to ease our embarrassment. I even banged my knee pretty hard on a rock and earned a beautiful bruise of bravery. I will add we were moving pretty fast up the mountain because the Daddies wanted to spend the night camping at the top so they were moving us at a rapid rate. Our hurry down was to get into Breckenridge to have cupcakes and crepes before dinner. There I said it, we aren't as healthy as you thought!

Even as I was putting my little backpack in the back of my car I tripped one more time over a stumbling stone just before my hand was safely on the driver's door! I just laughed (or was it the little rock laughing at me?), "they" just had to trip me up one more time!

The next morning I opened my Bible and continued my current study on faith. Amongst the scriptures on faith I read Romans 9:30-33


30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." 33 As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

I can't tell you how many times when I am faithful to do my Bible study He will use His living word to speak to me in a way that even little 'ol me can understand! I love HIM so much for that! You see, I have struggled with working my way into heaven all my life! I have stumbled over this more than I'd like to admit. Jesus is the cornerstone, the one we trip over and fall to our bruised knees. His plan for our salvation is simple, why do we make Christianity so complicated?

I have taught many a Sunday School class, hosted Bible studies, kept nursery, blah, blah, blah, in hopes of earning my way into heaven. In other words, I am pursuing righteousness based on the law. When I do these things in my own feeble strength, I get frustrated, tired, annoyed and unlovely like a clanging cymbal. If I will serve Him out of my passionate love for Him it becomes easy and a pleasure and a wait for it... JOY! Ohhh that I would pursue righteousness through faith. Ohhh that I would just simply believe in HIM and not be put to shame!