Not Just For Looks

I just got back from my first work trip of 2010. I spent a couple days in North Carolina to help with Winter Jam, but I was also able to visit my mom and my sister. It's not really much of a visit when I'm working the entire time, but it was still good to see them. Plus I got my Foster's Market fix!

When it comes to traveling for work, I'm always torn. I hate leaving Todd. Hate it. I don't like sleeping alone, and it's not the most comfortable feeling to be a young woman traveling airports and interstates by myself. I have been able to visit some great places, although I only get really excited when Todd is able to go with me. But, the more I travel, the more I understand what God is doing in this season of my life. Will I always travel? I sure hope not. I can't even imagine leaving when we have a child, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I understand this season of travel because I believe my soul needs it. My life can be hectic. I am constantly moving. My job is demanding. I've learned there is really no such thing as a day off. On top of that, I like having a clean home, spending time with friends and family, and fitting in a workout when I can. Quiet time gets overlooked frequently. When I'm traveling, my alone time with God takes first priority. I read Christian literature. I journal and spend the lonely hours in the car talking to Jesus. When I'm home, the busyness of everyday life often gets in the way. That's not the case when I'm in a hotel or an airport terminal. When I'm away I dig into His word and always come back with new knowledge of who He is. This weekend I started reading an advanced copy of Joshua Harrison's Dug Down Deep. Four chapters in I'm already being challenged. Statements like this one grab me:

If I love the Cross only for what it does for me, I will have reduced it to a monument to myself. But the greatest glory of the Cross is what it tells me about God. A God of justice and mercy. A God who loved helpless sinners like me so much that he came to die so we could be free to know and worship him for eternity.

Like I said, I'm only a few chapters in, but already I would recommend this book.

***

While I was in North Carolina I set a new goal for myself. It came out of a conversation I had with my mom. She asked if I had made anything from the Foster's cookbook she gave me for my birthday.

My answer? Nope, not yet. I haven't made anything from my Pioneer Woman cookbook either.

They have been reduced to coffee table books. That's not what they were written for! So, I'm going to cook my way through those books, as well as a new cookie cookbook that Todd's mom gave me this year. They're not just for looks. They contain recipes that I'm sure will change my life. So, you might see a few more posts about food in the weeks to come. I'm going to put those books and my pots & pans to good use.

I think I'll start with a new recipe tonight! It's so good to be home.