Lake Powell

**I just found this post I wrote over a year ago about our trip to Lake Powell. Thought it should be posted!**

What a trip! In September/October of 2009 Paul and I joined two other couples on a camping adventure to Lake Powell! Our first stop was eventually christened "The Mars Site" because of all the red sand and HEAT. We stayed only one night before heading south.
We had to cross the lake (see picture above) to get to the road we needed to take. It was aday-long trip, but so very worth it when we found a Safeway (with affordable food), and a wonderful camping spot on the beach!
This is a view from our drive (above). This road was crazy!Sunrise from the tent I shared with Clinton and Pahtyana at our beach campsite. Twelve hours later the winds came. And they never went away. We spent another night (getting buffetted by wind and sand even in our sleep), but the next morning, when all seemed to be calming down, they got worse. Below is a picture of our site during the windstorm. We found out later that there were gusts of up to 60 mph. We packed in record time, found a hotel room (well, two, actually, one for the boys and one for the girls), and got breakfast. The great thing was, we were all still smiling and laughing.The next morning (after the guys emptied our stuff of sand and the girls reorganized all our food and miscellaneous stuff), we picked up our boat (below) and headed out onto the lake for the next three days and two nights.We did some exploring the first day and then found a campsite. We ate on the boat that night,which was good and bad. Good because it turned out we couldn't get a fire going once we got onto the land, and bad because by the time we tried to get to land it was dark and we couldn't pull in any closer to shore with no light. The guys ended up walking us to shore with us standing on their shoulders!The next day we explored the lake. Drove in and out of canyons, swam some, enjoyed good company, beautiful weather, and even found our windy beach site from the water!!! The boys treated us to dinner at a restaurant that evening (see above), and we had a sunset dinnercruise!! It was such a treat!We started talking about all the places we wanted to go. The six of us travel so well together, we should find more trips to take! So we "proposed" different options and enjoyed a delicious meal. Then Paul announced he had one last proposal before we headed back to camp.Carey Britton Cecil, will you marry me? Between me and Pahtyana, apparently all the oxygen in the area was used up. I said yes (of course!) and we beat feeted it (is that a word?) backto camp (in the dark), found it (praise Jesus), and had a campfire (bought firewood)! It was a wonderful day.Our last day we played some water sports. I even went tubing - behind a speedboat! Not without Paul, though :o) and I left my diamond with Pahtyana (see above, my best friend). Itwas really scary - well, jumping into the really deep water was (even with a life jacket), but I got there...eventually :o) Praise the Lord that my Love is patient with me!!!

It was truly an adventure! Culminated in a long overnight drive back (we had a one-year-old with us, did I mention that?), cleaning up really quick, and going to church to share our exciting news! Set the date for January 30th, a mere 4 months after we got engaged!

Wanna run away?

I am often threatening to run away for the weekend: "there's a flight that leaves at 8 p.m..... Everyday!" "It wouldn't be a problem, really. I could be back by Monday!" "Why not? It'd be fun!"

I wonder if this desire is inherent in the human heart. Naturally most busy-bee Americans wish we could "get away" for a little while, just for a break. Hence vacations and honeymoons and long weekends, nervous breakdowns, mid-life crises and early retirement. But what about that deeper desire, the one that gives birth to songs like Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me," Josh Turner's "Would You Go With Me?" or even "Come Fly With Me"? What is so intoxicating about the idea of being followed somewhere or taken somewhere, fully desired, fully trusted, even if we aren't sure of where we're going?
("Is that a trick question?")

This from a simple statement that I'd like to get away for the weekend and once again not being taken at all seriously (which, honestly, why would I be? "Wolf!"). So I'm going to start saving a little money here and there and one day I'm going to take a weekend. Where depends on my mood and the time of year, I suppose. I've threatened everything from South Dakota to South Africa, England to Hawai'i. Of course, some of those would be pretty tough to fit into a "weekend." Ah, well, who knows, could be fun - a little adventure never hurt anyone, right?

Salt Lake City - After (it's a long one!)

You are here...
...to help the hurting
...to encounter Christ
...to lead.

What an amazing week! To be honest, I'm still kind of shocked it's over (though we returned a week ago). I wish I hadn't wasted Sunday and Monday struggling with my own attitude, but I awoke Tuesday with renewed energy and joy at being in Salt Lake City. Praise God that I was able to get past myself at least a little and be fully there. It was a blessing and a privilege to hear the students process this week and all they heard. We got to spend time Tuesday night with my former youth pastor and hear his charge to our students. Wednesday night Kelly and I got to hear the girls process an incredible presentation on leadership! Seriously, it was incredible!

I am so excited to see what happens not only in the ministry I serve in at large but also in my own life and leadership! One thing I was reminded of this week was that God is bigger - than anything I could ever fear or worry about or wonder about or get stressed over. When something seems too big all I need to do is take a deep breath, remember He is bigger, He is in control, and take it all one step at a time.

Some thoughts and questions I boxed while taking notes:

• Where does your passion lie?
• (Rev. 4) How do you see God?
• (Acts 16:11-34) Show the Gospel by our radical generosity, inexplicable love, and our possession of radical joy in the midst of hardship and persecution.
• Valuing something more than life itself - that is what we worship.
• The love of Christ compels me...
• Where is your heart, your home?
• (John 4) What things do you rely on to make you happy? - Where do you seek fulfillment? - God is the only source for joy, love, fulfillment.
• Spend time with God.
• When headed somewhere you aren't quite sure how God can use you - ask Him why, be open to whatever He might have for you in that place.
• It's about surrender - you and God.
• (Dan 3) What are you willing to give up? That shows the value you put on God.
• What you focus on expands.
• Be a river flowing, not a flood destroying (Pr. 29:18)
• Remember the iceberg - your character is the 90% below the surface and it will always be the part that sinks the ship (Lk 6)
• Your greatest value is what is inside (2 Cor 5:17)
• Light a candle, don't curse the darkness.
• Why are we embarrassed by Jesus?
• Count the cost.
• Love people - listen to them.
• God is with you
• Pray for opportunity
• What God starts, God provides the resources to finish.

This isn't even everything. It's years of life lessons crammed into one week. Good reminders, new lessons, challenges and promises. I can count the cost, seek God, serve Him, live for Him, love and be a fool for Him - He is bigger, He is the only one that will never fail me, and He is reaching out to this generation, to every generation, to stand up and fight against the world, one soul at a time. Me first.