much to write...

i took a quick trip to idaho and montana earlier today... (mentioned in movie trivia)... and it was wonderful... absolutely wonderful... i am grateful to dave f. and matt o. who encouraged the road trip in our discussion...

i want to be able to formulate my thoughts a little better... but there are three major things that stuck out in major ways on the drive...

1. i remembered what it was like to be 5 years old today in a very particular way... when i was a kid i was amazed by nature... trees looked HUGE and snow was the most beautiful sight i had ever seen... not only was it aesthetically pleasing, but it also brought the hope of a day without school... i loved being in the car and looking at nature passing me by...

somewhere between the time of 5 years old and 25 years old, things have changed... trees don't seem as tall anymore... snow is exciting, but not in the same way...

but things were different today... the trees in idaho and montana are HUGE!!! seriously - they're tall trees... they were all the way up the side of the mountain where i could barely see the top without ducking my head down to be able to see more... beautiful, tall snow-covered evergreen trees... one of the most beautiful things i've seen in a very long time... i even stopped at a "historical site" and got a handful of snow, took pictures and ate a bite or two... for old times sake... and today i used comp time from work, so it was almost as happy as not having school... or happy in a different way - but with much joy...

it made me feel small today - not in an insignificant sense of the word, but in the wide-eyed wonder sense of the word... i got chills looking at the mountainside... my heart was happy...

2. coming back to spokane, i somehow timed it right without even knowing it... and was driving into spokane while the sun was setting... and i'm just going to tell you that the sky looked big... very very big... and it was streaked with the most brilliant colors i've seen in a very long time... as i tried to imagine those colors together on a palatte, it didn't seem the same... as i thought about it some more i realized... i could never recreate those colors... the sky was on fire... even thomas kinkade can't match God's art... i got to see a piece of it today in the afternoon sky... and my heart was happy...

3. i stopped in coeur d'alene (pronounced core da lane - it's french... so i guess the plural would be coeurs d'alene...) during early afternoon... i drove around the lake (gorgeous!!!) and then i stopped at a mexican restaurant and ate and then walked down to a used/rare book store, where i bought 4 books... looking through the shelves was wonderful... i love old book stores... love them!!! i told the owner that i was so glad to have found him this afternoon... i think he was happy for the company for a while... i loved it... it made my heart happy...

so after all this happy heart business... it's just made me realize the faithfulness of God... it is no secret that i've been struggling in many ways the last several weeks and months... that journey is not over by a long shot... but i was reminded of His goodness today in a fresh way...

and i haven't even mentioned the conversation from last night... but there is no time for that right now... it's been a great 24 hours... more info about the conversation to come... it was on that level of the great conversations i have with my boss sometimes... but way way better... i know it's a great conversation when i both cry and snort...

but for now... i gotta go... oh... and i'll post pictures as i'm able...