Firsts...

This past week or so blessed me with a number of firsts. One was a true first, meaning I have never done it before with any success, and the other two I have done before but they are firsts for this time at Honey Rock. Regardless of whether it was a first-time first or a first-time for this time first they all blessed me ... exceedingly. Wonderstruck blessed to borrow the word from Margaret Feinberg's book. So...

Tammy is in the blue. New friends Nathan and Sara bundled up for the ride.

This was my first time back on a horse in, oh I'd say, about 20 years, and it was marvelous! Tammy Johns* a Honey Rock Wrangler asked me to join a small group to ride a trail and see if it was safe for taking retreat groups out. Only about 4-5" of snow covered an icy base. Not the best conditions for the horses. It was a very cold day... and I mean VERY COLD, so she advised us to bundle up in case we had to walk the horses back to the barn. Walk? I was so bundled up I wondered if I was going to be able to get up into the saddle! But, with a little bounce I was successful and Jesse (my horse) and I set out with the others.

Tammy leading us into God's blessing.

Tammy led us through fields, passed bogs, under snow-ladened branches, between majestic firs. I wish I could describe the sound of the horses hooves plodding into the fresh snow. I wish I could describe the gentle kisses of wet flakes as they landed on our cheeks and noses. I wish I could describe the fellowship that grew between us and the horses and the nature which embraced us. It was ...

Beautiful.
Quiet.
Peace-filled.
Joy-filled.

I could have stayed out longer but toes and noses were beginning to feel the single digits.

Interestingly enough, those single digits rarely hinder any of us from venturing out into the beauty around us. A couple of days ago, I put on a pair of cross-country skis determined to find my skiing rhythm again.

The first 20 yards or so were a bit shaky... or I should say ... slippery. Arms and legs didn't seem to want to work together. But as I passed the field where I first learned how to cross-country ski, the song "Elvira" began playing from my memory. It's the song the Honey Rock staff used to teach a rhythm for cross-country skiing. I laughed when I remembered it, but it worked! Soon, I was on my way following trail signs and again, marveling at the untouched beauty of the woods. I chose a trail that had not been used for a while and found myself skiing through new snow. Often times I would stop to look and listen. The fir-tops reaching up to the blue canopy of sky. Birds singing into the silences laden with God's glory. How could this not fill one with wonder?

Where did that log come from ?!!!

Then, the inevitable happened. The path descended a hill and turned a corner. I wasn't so hesitant about the hill or the corner, but I couldn't see what lay beyond it. Well, there was nothing to do but point the skis in the right direction and hope for the best. You guessed it. Major wipe out. A log had fallen over the path. One ski lodged underneath and the other slipped over the top. Unlike downhill skis that release when you fall, cross-country skis stay put. My skis stayed put and I went over! No broken bones. As a matter of fact, no injuries whatsoever! It was, however, really really funny. I couldn't get at my boots to release the skis and I was majorly stuck. So, for a short time I just lay there looking up. Snow fell softly, drifting all around me. The birds chirped wondering what knucklehead decided to invade their home. And, the angels laughed with me... and I believe, literally helped me up. Somehow I was able to back up and release my ski from the log. I was back on track and enjoying every moment.

Cushman's olive oil and my first success at bread making!

The last first... well, for this week... was my attempt to bake bread. You have to understand that I DO NOT choose to cook or bake unless needed. My sisters are the professionals in the kitchen. My claim to fame is that I like to eat. And, I am very accomplished at doing dishes. But, this last week, with the encouragement from my sister, Christine, I baked bread. I was astonished. Literally, astonished! It turned out and it was delicious! It is a VERY SIMPLE recipe and by the afternoon I was enjoying freshly baked bread dipped in the most delectable olive oil (Thank you Rob and Janina for the La Mandorella Olive Oil!). Oh, my... just a bit of heaven! A glass of their award-winning red wine would have put it all over the top! (Congratulations Rob and Janina for the ribbon won at the Hilton Head Wine testing!)

So, a week of firsts. What I learned from this is that "To try and fail is at least to learn; but to never try is to suffer the inestimable loss of what might have been." (a quote of Chester Barnard from my friend, George Carmody) It would have been easier to stay inside, out of the cold... to claim it wasn't safe to go outside in single digits, to risk the horses walking on ice, to get lost or worse cross-country skiing on my own. It would have been easier to say, "I've tried to make bread and it never turns out!" But, if I had, if I never tried... again... I would never have discovered that God is so near and wants to bless me if I just take the risk or try again. I was fed through each one of these experiences and in each one I remembered other times and other brothers and sisters who have blessed me.

May this day find you willing to take the risk... to try, even if to fail and learn... so that you may discover God's blessing for you. He is near.

Praise be to God.

*Johnstown, Pennsylvania is named after Tammy Johns' family. And, Vicky Johns, Tammy's Mom, loves studying Dr. Allen Ross' books! She is now working her way through his book on Leviticus. What a God-moment for me to find out that I am at Honey Rock with someone who connects my past (Johnstown, PA) with my present (Dr. Ross). How fun is that?