Pura Vida

Whew. OK...it's been ages since I last posted. Sorry about that! There's LOTS going on in Moosedom right now and I just haven't had a chance to write.

Part of the distraction was, in a word, PARADISE. I went on vacation last week to Costa Rica and it was the Best. Vacation. Ever. Seriously.

One of the challenges of being a 30-something single girl (who loves to travel) is finding others who have the same interests, availability and budget for a fun vacation. So I sent out a note to the many amazing single girls I know and started looking for the perfect place to go.

Hello luxurylink.com. If you aren't familiar with this website, now's the time to turn the light on and get to know one of my favorite places to hang out on this little thing we call the World Wide Web. LuxuryLink is a site that features high-end vacation rentals at discounted rates and auctions. The first time I went out to look for ideas I found the perfect place. A gift really. A little slice of paradise called Casa Oceano. And we got an amazing deal on an even more amazing house (and by house I mean villa-mansion-dwelling deluxe).

A few of us all started reaching out to our fabulous friends and ended up with the perfect group of six. Perfect not only because they were all accomplished, interesting, fun women, but also because the house had six bedrooms and, well, you can do the math. Perfection.

This trip was truly spectacular. But I have to say, that on top of all the fun and luxury and, hello, decadence, it was also a very spiritual trip. I have always felt closest to God in nature. Those moments when I look around me in awe of the natural beauty and know that God just breathed it and it came into being.

On this trip I was overwhelmed by the gift that God was giving me (and the whole group). It was impressed on me that when He was creating this beautiful coastline with its thundering surf and jagged volcanic rock, that he knew we would be there to enjoy His handiwork. That, if for nothing else, He created it for the moments that we were there to appreciate it. It all goes back to the post I wrote a few weeks ago: my life is so good and for too long I've taken for granted the beauty around me that was all a gift to enjoy.

In the last few days that I was there I was a little overwhelmed by some potentially big decisions and changes that I knew would be in front of me when I got back (sorry to be cryptic...more info as I am able to share). For a while now, the trip has been a barrier between present and future and I was acutely aware that as the trip ended that future would no longer be something "out there" but become the here and now.

In the midst of that I spent some time praying and God took me to Mark 5:18 where JC said, "Go home and tell your family what I've done for you and how good my mercies are." Yep. That fits.

This trip was such a gift and to say that God's mercies are good is simply inadequate. His love for us is perfect. He knows exactly what each one of us need in every moment and, if we're willing to open our eyes and notice, He'll show us how He's meeting those needs.

I'm really sorry that I didn't have the opportunity to blog each day of the trip to share all the fun stories with you. We had such an adventure and more fun than I can convey here. Here are a few pictures that I hope at least give you a taste of our experience.

Our fabulous group a the lookout point at the end of our beach:

The beach behind me was our playground. Our house was down by the rocks at the end of the beach.

Our amazing house:

From the dining room looking out over the sundeck (looking out over the ocean):

Our private beach:

A coconut I found on said beach:

We hiked to the waterfalls in Montezuma:Swimming in the falls:This is Sebastian (a.k.a. one of my favorite stories). This crab apparently sleeps in the house at the base of the stairs to my room. We tried to remove him and he just came back. We tried to scare him...no luck. And then we took this picture. And he never came back. Apparently Sebastian can read. And got the hint...

Ziplining in the canopy near Montezuma!The last day we were there about 20 howler monkeys stopped by to visit. AMAZING!! B.L.I.S.S Soaking up the sun. Sigh. (I want to go back!!)Las Gringas Locas!!

Costa Rica 2009 and Las Gringas Locas was an experience that I will always treasure for the fun and the friendship, but even more for the reminder of God's faithfulness.

The motto in the CR is Pura Vida--the good life.

Thanks, God for giving me one that is amazingly good.

Girl Interrupted

Whew. What a week. You know those times when it just seems like everything is harder than it ought to be? Yeah, that’s pretty much where I’m at. Work is beyond out of control, I’ve been swamped with technology “issues” while said workload makes it the worst possible time to be sidelined without my PC, and, of course, there’s the whole broken toes/recovering from surgery fiasco.

For the most part I’ve been able to hold on to my sense of humor in the midst of it, but I’d be lying if I said that I haven’t had my moments where it just seems like TOO MUCH to deal with. Really.

I’m struggling to keep my head above water. And I’m treading water with one foot.

But no sob story here—I know that each of you have been where I am now at one point or another, and in this fun little thing called life we’ll all be here again.

On the one hand, all of the daily chaos has made it difficult to spend time reflecting on Easter and all that it means (I know I usually keep things on here pretty light, but let there be no question that my faith is the most important thing in my life). On the other hand, though, I’ve felt especially tied to the season and able to relate to the suffering of Christ. Don’t get me wrong—I know my little turmoil is less than one of the strikes he endured as he was tortured for my sin. But it still makes it easier for me to relate than the happy-go-lucky times I am blessed to usually enjoy.

I’m a huge fan of A Slice of Infinity and a few days ago there was a devotional that still has me thinking. It focused on Simon of Cyrene—the guy that was just minding his own business on a little trip when he was plucked from the crowd and forced to carry Jesus’ cross on the way to the crucifixion.

He was minding his own business when his plans got tossed aside and his vacation was (very rudely) interrupted. By the cross. And his life was never the same.

I’m so grateful that the cross completely interrupted my life, too. I know that I tend to dwell on the interruptions caused by the crazy chaos that can easily consume my daily activities…work, technology snafus, and freak accidents that seemingly turn my life upside down.

But the groovy thing is, that when I feel like I’ve completely lost my balance and am swept away by one of life’s floods, it’s the cross that anchors me. It’s the cross that helps me know which way is up. It’s the cross that rescues me over and over again.

There was a time when I was doing things my own way, pretty much just minding my own business living life with the status quo. And the cross came along and completely changed everything. It ruined me for an ordinary life as I came to know and experience the most amazing love of a Father who sacrificed everything for me. ME. And you. YOU.

Who says interruptions have to be bad?

The power of the cross is personal. Jesus didn’t just die for some collective whole. He knows us each intimately and he allowed His own life to be interrupted so each one of us could have something so much better than we deserve.

As I celebrate Easter this year I am unspeakably grateful for the hope that there is so more much to life than the daily grind. I am unspeakably grateful for the grace that secures that hope and promises that one day my life will REALLY be interrupted and replaced with joy that’s beyond what I could ever imagine.

That whole eternal life in Heaven thing?

It’s going to be pretty great.

Hope to see you there!

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)