Galilee Farewells

So my cat is laying at my feet as I type this because she has finally caught onto the fact that I am leaving. I spent most of today packing and getting everything situated for the trip tomorrow morning. I have plenty of clothes, books, and music to stay occupied for a while. I also went over a few last minute details about the route to keep my mind occupied.

My family and I all enjoyed a tasty steak dinner with baked potatoes. The typical Muth humor resonated through the air. My brother, Nick, started things off by saying, "If Matt was a doorman, he could be a doormat." Then my dad chimed in with "You could take a gamble and run the Vegas marathon." After my mother made some comment to packing heat, I finished things off by saying I would carry around my George Foreman grill. Oh how I will miss the awful humor for a month.

Nick and I then went over to Matt's house for the evening to discuss the trip and how I will be visiting his sister, Julie, in Jackson Hole. We enjoyed some Blue Moon, Bob White's dessert, and the Yankee game on radio before I had to head back home to greet Chrissy. Soon we will be getting some sleep so we can wake up bright and early to begin our epic adventure.

Why Wonder Why

An unfortunate part of human nature is that we all feel lost and wonder why about numerous occurrences in our lives. We have all been betrayed, experienced some form of loss, dealt with unfair circumstances, or regretted certain decisions or actions that we have taken. Human nature causes one to dwell forever on wondering why these things occurred or why you did what you did. Questioning is normal, but it can have negative effects. A line from a song by The Classic Crime goes like this: "Sick with regret, you sputter out. Your flame swallowed in doubt...Life's thrown before your eyes and leaves its toll." This demonstrates the negative side of wondering why.

The hardest part about life is the fact that many questions are left unanswered and that is how it is supposed to be. You can search long and hard for a solution or a reason, but more likely than not, you will hit a dead end. One of the greatest triumphs in life that one can achieve is accepting not always knowing. That is in fact how God intended it to be. Humans are not blessed with all of the answers. 1 Corinthians 1:19 says, "For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." We must all come to terms with the fact that we can not solve all problems or help those who need help. We are not in control, and wondering will only harm us and diminish our capacity to fully experience life.

There are those in life who lack faith because they feel that nothing good ever seems to happen to them, so thus, God must be against them. In fact, the opposite is true. God is always fighting for you and wanting you to seek Him. Hardships are meant to be tests of character. Author of Heaven is Real, Don Piper, put it this way: "It's the sinful ones, the people who have failed and need help, that God seeks for heavenly occupancy." James 1:2-4 puts it like this: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." We are never meant to throw in the towel when life gets tough. That is when you should look heavenward and seek the Lord, putting your faith in Him. In the words of the band, Kutless, "Everybody falls sometimes. Gotta find the strength to rise from the ashes and make a new beginning. Anyone can feel the ache. You think it's more than you can take, but you're stronger, stronger than you know...Broken hearts become brand new. That's what faith can do."

Many struggle with the concept of faith. This world is built too strongly on reason, which leaves many grasping for air when reason can't be found. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." For me personally, it is easier to find examples in song lyrics. A line from Addison Road goes as follows: "Everything rides on hope now. Everything rides on faith somehow. When the world has broken me down, Your love sets me free." Pretty much, one should always seek God for the unanswered questions in life. Only He can provide the appropriate comfort in difficult situations.

For the academic, this still lacks proper evidence. But again, it is fruitless to continually search for proof of something in the world when the answer lies within the soul. Nobody ever searches for proof of love before a wedding, yet most always question God's existence. One cannot physically see love, yet we don't doubt it's existence. Unfortunately, many still question the existence of God. My hope is that one day people will realize that He is the answer and will also provide some answers to those nagging "Why" questions that come up in life.

Crossing T's and Dotting I's

The end of this week has been spent finishing up some last minute errands in preparation for the trip. Using the tentative directions that I printed out, I flipped through my brother's Next Exit book and wrote down where numerous 24 hour gas stations are located along our route. I also copied some music from my friend, Lulu, in order to add songs to the playlists that I am creating (even though Chrissy claims that is her job). Other than finishing the playlists, I just have to research a little more about campgrounds and the national parks and whether there are certain hours particular parks are open.

Today, Chrissy got her truck, Connor, inspected. Everything is in tip-top shape and functioning properly. Two new tires were also put on, so we are set to go in that area. We have plenty of food and beverages to keep us nourished for our trip, so that will all get packed up Sunday night before Chrissy treks north to my mountain in Galilee, PA. Following the truck inspection, I went and had Teresa make me nice and blonde for the summer trip. We enjoyed the bonding time whilst watching the Season Five finale of Bones, trying to ignore the fact that we won't see each other for the next month.

This past week I have realized how truly blessed I am with friends and family in my life. I have said my goodbyes to the majority of them already, and they are all very concerned for my safety, along with Chrissy's. I understand where this is coming from. It's a long time for two girls to be traveling on their own and navigating across the country. We have taken into account the possible issues that could potentially arise, but are confident in our abilities and have great faith in God. Chrissy and I have discussed this on numerous occasions and we feel that on the off chance something bad does occur, it is God's will. There is no sense living in fear or else we won't ever experience anything. There is a quote from Bones that outlines my feelings in this situation. It's from when Angela was trying to convince Bones to have a meaningful relationship with Booth and she said, "If you keep living trying to protect yourself, nothing is ever going to touch you." In my mind, if I live within the confines of Northeast Pennsylvania, I may never get the full experience of life. There is also a Bible verse that explains having faith and trusting in the Lord. Proverbs 29:25 states "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." I am not going to rest on my laurels and let everybody else do the exploring in this world. This trip is a once in a lifetime experience, and I am going to take it because I believe that the risk is worth taking and that God will keep both Chrissy and me safe. So, I appreciate everybody's concern and advice in any and all situations, and am truly blessed to know how many people truly care about me, but the best thing for us during the trip is prayer.