Hiking the Big South Fork

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is go hiking. So, with a beautiful day forecasted tomorrow, I am planning our next adventure!

On a random note, I am mulling a change to the blog... will let you know soon...

Big South Fork

The other day I received a couple fun things in the mail from Amazon.com: a map and a guidebook; both related to the Big South Fork.

The Big South Fork is a recreation area that stretches from southern Kentucky to northern Tennessee. It's a place where you can hike, ride bikes, go rafting, and other outdoor activities. And, it happens to be just down the road from where we live.

As someone who loves the outdoors I was pretty excited to receive my goodies. I've been planning our next hiking trip(s) and can't wait to get out and explore God's creation, especially as the weather turns even warmer (its already been a crazy warm winter!).

For you other hikers out there, see you on the trail!

Change

About one year ago this month, my family and I visited Gatlinburg, TN. The picture above was actually taken up near the Tennessee/North Carolina border, when you travel on Route 441 from Gatlinburg into the Smokey Mountains. It was a beautiful drive.

We hope to visit Gatlinburg again in the near future, and we will more than likely be in the same places we were about one year ago. The only difference is, I hope I am not in the same place.

I hope I am at a different place than I was last year.

What I mean by this is that I hope I am different. I hope I have changed, for the better! Here it is October; 2011 is quickly racing to a close, and it seems I was just reflecting on the changes I wanted to make and goals I wanted to reach in my life for this year.

So tonight I'm considering, am I really different? How am I doing at making those changes I wanted to make at the beginning of the year?

In some ways, I believe I am better. In other ways, I remain the same, or seem to have slipped backwards.

I don't believe we are supposed to stay stagnant and struggle with the same things all our lives. God has made us to be victorious and calls us to holiness.

I am thankful tonight, because the year is not over yet... I am still sucking air, and so I still have another opportunity to change, to get better, to become more like Jesus.

This year, as I visit the same place I was a year ago, I hope I will be in a different place.