A Forest Reborn out of the Trees

Sometimes it is all too easy to lose sight of the forest for all the trees. An analogy that bears notable weight for me given where I am currently living, surrounded by trees wherever I go. It is all too easy to be overwhelmed by the individual trees we encounter in our lives and in so doing to lose sight of the larger picture of the forest. And it is unquestionably the forest that holds true significance.
I was keenly reminded of this truth on Easter Sunday as I sat atop the highest peak in Shenandoah, gazing across the expanse of the Blue Ridge Mountains as the sun rose over the piedmont of Virginia. I didn’t see any individual trees, any pathways, any roads, or houses. I saw rolling hills and a spectacular fiery orange ball illuminating the horizon. In that moment the trees didn’t matter. All that I had to accomplish or worry about seemed suddenly less important. The uncertainty of life faded away. The stress of not knowing how I will support myself and my new wife once I am cut here in November, of Alison finishing school, and trying to make plans for a wedding became trees amidst a forest of color and illumination. They are important yes, but they are merely single trees amidst a much larger picture that reflects the glory and majesty of our Savior. And that is where our focus must be if we are to appreciate the wonder that surrounds us and convey that wonder and mystery to others as we help to bring the kingdom of God here to this earth.

This lesson was brought home in that sunrise, but that has by no means been the only moment recently in which I have received a similar message. My job here is very different from what I have done with the Park Service before and it is often harder to see the impact that my role has on people and their ability to experience the wonder and majesty of God’s creation. Sometimes though, it could not be more apparent if it was written on the wall in front of me.

I shared last week the story of twin girls that were inspired through the Jr Ranger program. My interaction with those girls was such a moment. Yesterday I experienced a remarkably similar moment with another set of twin girls (weird…) with whom I sat and discussed what they had seen and experienced in the park for quite a while as they sought to prove their mettle as Jr Rangers. It is through such moments as these that the heart can be awakened to a higher calling, a wider picture, a view of the world that encompasses not only individual trees, but the full expanse of the forest.
Two weeks ago the mountains were rocked with the intensity of thunderstorms throughout the day, the same storms which dropped tornadoes across the Midwest, which flooded Georgetown in DC, which closed Skyline Drive due to flooding and stranded hikers  in some of the more inaccessible canyons due to flooding rivers. I hiked into such a canyon the following day, two weeks ago tonight, and experienced the sheer majesty and power of nature in a powerful way. I promised a fuller account of that experience, and here it is…

Saturday, April 16, 2011
06:33-Awoke to the pounding of rain on the windows of my house, rain which continued to intensify with little abatement throughout the day
08:15-Fellow ranger went out to raise the flag and nearly had it ripped out of his hand in 54 mph wind.
17:30-In a brief lull in the storm I make phone calls from the picnic area only to be interrupted by hail and torrential rain as the storms return
21:00-Hear accounts over the radio of stranded hikers and flooding on Skyline Drive as rain continues

Sunday, April 17, 2011
6:33-Awake to glorious day. The storm has passed. A new day has dawned
09:45-Visitor Center is swamped with people, a trend which continues throughout the day as hundreds travel to park to see the streams and falls in their now swollen form
17:24-Arrive at trailhead for Cedar Run Falls intending to hike an 8.2 mile loop, one of the most strenuous in the park
17:38-Set off on trail, not knowing what I will find. Soon discover that much of the trail is flooded as water flows across myriads of small streams headed for Cedar and White Oak Runs
17:45-19:58-Successfully hike down Cedar run across White Oak Canyon and up White Oak Run to the top of White Oak Falls (total of nearly 2500 feet in elevation change). In so doing I pass 8 officially recognized waterfalls, all of which are flowing at proportions rarely seen before. There are normally three stream crossings along this trail, all of which are navigable using large rocks without getting your feet wet. I find a total of five that are higher than the level of the top of my boots (15 inches above the ground); two of these crossings are above my knees. I successfully ford the stream each time, continuing the hike with wet boots and pants. The majesty of the rivers and canyons is nearly beyond description. So much water is flowing down the rivers that it is nearly impossible to distinguish the falls as the entirety of the river is one continues cascading torrent of water. It is unlike anything I have seen before. As I make my way up the White Oak Run I suddenly walk into a fairyland; water is flowing down both sides of the canyon in at least 15 separate waterfalls that would normally not even exist, all flowing down to join the river below. So much water is flowing down that the trail is flooded nearly continuously and I am glad indeed that I have my good boots on. I have never seen so much water flowing in so many places simultaneously. This single sight is worth all the effort, cold, and wet clothes to get down there. I am alone. No one else is near and the sun is setting. I am transported from a hiking trail to an alternative world through the power and majesty of the moving water, one in which there are no worries and concerns that cannot be washed away by the flow of these streams. All evil, all pain, all sorrow, all angst is washed away in a torrent of love and grace and out of the torrent rises new life, new growth and the birth of spring. My heart is lifted up in praise and wonder as I see in this landscape before me a physical manifestation of the picture of the work of Christ within me as he cleanses and brings new life. My soul is reborn.

This hike proved to be but the first of several that I have done in recent days that have continued to manifest the same truth in lesser or different forms. Though this hike was the most overwhelmingly majestic my heart still most truly lies along the Rose River, the trail along which Alison agreed to marry me. I hiked this loop twice in the last week and found a sublime wonderland each time. Bloodroot, hepatica, and trillium (guess who has been learning about wildflowers!) line the trail as water cascades down the canyons, a potent symbol of the coming of spring. It is a place of peace and a place of rebirth.

As this trail remains uncontestedly my favorite in the park I frequently recommend  it to visitors looking for a beautiful hike in the area near the visitor center. I did so several times today, twice this morning to groups to whom I gave extensive detail of the trail and spoke to at some length.  During the hour and a half after lunch when I was not up on the desk this afternoon I was twice called up because someone wanted to speak to me. Both times I found the entire party of one of these groups, who had returned to the visitor center following their hike and called me up to the desk for the soul purpose of thanking me and describing to me their wonderful experience in a majestic wonderland in great detail and excitement. One young woman thanked me for giving them the perfect day.

I may not be able to give formal programs as I have before, but I can certainly still help people to see and appreciate not only the beauty of the trees, but the wonder and majesty of the forest.

A Flood of Inspiration

This past week has been National Park Week, which meant  that entrance fees were waived at all national parks. This year this same week also happened to be spring break for much of Northern Virginia, which meant that very large numbers of people came to visit Shenandoah. That in turn meant that it was a rather busy week for me!

Last Saturday the park (and much of the surrounding area) was hard hit by the same storm that caused so many tornadoes in the Midwest (and Virginia for that matter!). It rained hard all day which meant that there was a whole lot of water in the park. The following day (a week ago) the park was filled with visitors seeking to take advantage of the opportunity to view so much water flowing through the park. I had similar thoughts myself, so as soon as I got off work I headed north to White Oak Canyon, a particularly beautiful and water fall-filled area of the park, and set off on a strenuous 8.2 mile circuit hike at 5:30. I knew there was no way I could get back before dark, but I had my headlamp and knew there would be a full moon that night, so as long as I could get out of the main canyon and above the waterfalls (which is the much more treacherous section) before dark then I would be okay.

I made it, but only just. The light was fading as I came to the final waterfall after an inspiring journey through a spectacular water fairyland. The experience deserves its own dedicated treatment which I will try and write and send out in the near future. Until then I can only say that it was an absolutely incredible hike in which I saw both the glory and the power of God clearly made manifest all around me. Water was flowing and cascading everywhere. Whole sections of the trail had themselves become waterfalls and I cross stream after stream that would normally not even exist.

That loop normally includes four significant stream crossings, but convenient stones in the water provide for ample support to cross without getting one’s feet wet. Not so that day. All four came over the top of my boots, and two of them came up to my waist. There was a LOT of water cascading down those streams!

On Monday I took the Rose River Loop Trail, which I now affectionately refer to as the “proposal” trail following Alison’s acceptance of my offer of marriage nine weeks ago. It too was filled with water and absolutely beautiful. It was also filled with visitors so I rarely made it more than a sixth of a mile without being stopped for a while. One such stop was particularly exciting, when two visitors pointed out what they thought was a black bear across the canyon. They were quite correct and I had the pleasure of not only observing the bear myself, but helping about 24 other people find him up in a tree where he posed for us for a while before going back into his den.

In addition to it being National Park Week and Easter weekend, yesterday was also  Junior Ranger Day, and we found ourselves inundated with young and aspiring junior rangers throughout the day. Despite the chaos that characterized much of the day, I still shared some significant moments with a few of these kids.

The first was with a family who walked into the VC at 10:10 and inquired about the junior ranger programs. When I informed them that they had just missed the start of the bird program (10:00) they were very disappointed, but renewed their spirits when I informed them that if they hurried over to the amphitheater they could still get there in time to see the birds. This family returned to the desk later in the day and I learned that they had made it in time to see the birds even though they were traveling by bike. I also learned that the two young children were named “Theo” (in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, with whom he shares a birthday), and “Meadow” (named after our very own Big Meadows). They were a family who had definitely been impacted by the parks in general and this area of Shenandoah in particular.

Shortly after opening yesterday I spoke to another family. They had camped in Big Meadows last night and come to the visitor center to find out about hiking in the area. As they came in the door they saw the schedule for junior ranger day so they approached the desk to ask about it. At first it seemed that though the parents were interested, their two girls were not, but that attitude quickly changed as the day wore on. These two girls embraced the idea of being junior rangers in such a way that in my mind, it embodies the very reasons why the program exists.

By chance I was the one who spoke to this family each time they came to the desk throughout the course of the day, a total of five times. I got to know them pretty well, especially the two girls who turned out to be 9 year old twins Rachel and Samantha Plumley. They tried on the uniforms, spent a good while at the touch table and then hurried off to see the birds. They returned in great excitement to tell me about the birds and to find out what else they could do. I got them set up with junior ranger books and explained what they would need to do to achieve each of the different levels and sent them off to meet a law enforcement ranger and learn about emergency work in the park.

After attending several other programs they embarked upon a nearby trail that includes a scavenger hunt for a variety of different things. Returning about two hours later they proudly came to the desk once again to present their completed  scavenger hike books with a perfect score, victoriously claiming to have found everything along the trail (a claim enthusiastically supported by Mom).
They then proceeded to present their completed junior ranger books, proudly declaring that they ought to have their picture placed on the wall since they had completed everything to be a junior ranger that they possibly could that day. I checked their books and got out their patches, which I presented to them after they pledged in perfect unison to continue to learn, explore, and protect not only Shenandoah, but all national parks and areas of natural wonder and beauty that they might encounter.

Now officially junior rangers in every respect they proceeded to tell me about all the other parks they want to visit, of their plans to come back to Shenandoah, and most enthusiastically, about how they want to help to create their own national park, where they can assist in naming the waterfalls and trails so that everyone can come and enjoy it.

In a single day these girls had gone from knowing nothing about being junior rangers to creating their own national park and all but pledging their lives to the mission of the Park Service. I for one, was deeply touched.

Not a bad lead in to the celebration of Easter.

Countdown to shutdown.... ?

So Friday made for an interesting day in my world. Nearly every conversation I had with both the visitors coming into the park and the many people who called on the phone was centered upon whether the park would be open the next day. And all I could tell them was that we didn't know, that it was entirely dependent on what congress did. As you might imagine, that got a bit frustrating as the day wore on!

I didn't know when I went to bed Friday night if I would be coming in to work the next day for a normal day or to spend a few hours in the morning helping to shut down the park. I certainly maintain hope that congress will do what they said and actually write and sign the appropriate legislation in the next few days or we will be right back in the same place once again. Not a very fun place to be in!

That being said, I was rather disappointed that they passed another CR at the last minute. I think it would have been better for things to actually shut down so that they would have to deal with that reality as a result of the actions they have taken. But I am certainly very glad to still be getting a paycheck!

I happened to be at the desk on Friday when a news crew arrived to film for a story they were running that evening about the impact of the impending shutdown. Attached is a video clip from NBC 29, the local affiliate of NBC which was the lead in to that story which was aired Friday evening. The story was largely centered upon the impact on Shenandoah and I had about 15 seconds of airtime in footage showing me interacting with visitors. This clip only contains a brief image, but you do still see me as the face of the services that would not be available if the government was to shut down. 

I raised the flag in front of the Visitor Center Saturday morning, the officially recognized symbol that we were open and available for service. Yesterday afternoon/evening I hiked ten miles through the mist and fog, roving the trails and enjoying the beauty and wonder of the park for myself. It seems appropriate that while the park was shrouded in fog both Friday and Saturday, today the sun dawned bright and clear, a new day filled with hope and life.

There is Just Something About the National Parks...

I think it would be fair to say that I possess an affinity for National Parks.This has long been true but has perhaps never been more evident than it is now.

I first visited Shenandoah National Park in May of last year in late spring. I hiked several trails within the park including one that took me alongside the beautiful cascading water of the Rose River. As I hiked along that trail I found myself thinking that if there were ever a perfect spot to propose, I was in it. It was with that thought in mind that I brought Alison to that same trail in August, and though there was certainly no proposing that took place, that hike did mark the moment of our first kiss and the beginning of our romance. We returned to the park again in October to enjoy the colors of fall, thus completing for me a record of visitation in three of the fours seasons.

When I found myself a few months later thinking about how I would want to propose to Alison there really wasn't much of a question. And thus I found myself hiking the same trail with a ring in my pocket seven weeks ago in the final remaining season. Little did I know when I devised that plan that only a few days after the proposal I would be offered an eight month position working as a Park Ranger in the very same park. So now, seven weeks later I find myself engaged to be married while living and working in Shenandoah. This place will ever hold a very special place in my heart. :)

I am officially in uniform as an NPS ranger once again, this time aiding visitors in understanding and experiencing the wonders of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is different in almost every way to what I was doing on the Mall! I have certainly enjoyed these first two weeks and am rapidly learning and applying that newfound knowledge in my interactions with visitors. My first significant moment of interpretation and guidance while working as a ranger at Shenandoah had nothing to do with that park, however. My very first day on the desk I found myself talking to a couple about the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, thus interpreting the very same thing I would have done had I been on the Mall in that moment.

I was blessed with the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the blossoms myself last week, despite no longer living in the immediate area. The single biggest challenge in me taking this job in Shenandoah is being away from Alison as she continues to live in DC. Thankfully I have been able to come and spend each of my days off so far with her, including last Tuesday when we occupied ourselves by playing model for a fledgling professional photographer as he took a series of fun pictures of us with the blossoms around the Tidal Basin including several featuring my NPS flat hat. We had a lot of fun enjoying the blossoms and will hopefully get some fun engagement pictures out of it as well!

The weather in Shenandoah has been anything but spring like for most of my time there thus far. I awaken each morning to temperatures below freezing and last week twice awoke to more than 2 inches of fresh snow on the ground. The second storm was this past Friday and after work I went and hiked up to the highest point in the park and enjoyed some spectacular scenery covered with a blanket of snow as the sun was setting.

My affinity for National Parks is not limited to working, living, and proposing in one. It is looking increasingly likely that I will also be getting married in one. It is a distinct possibility that Alison and I will be married at the Yosemite Valley Chapel in Yosemite National Park (http://yosemitevalleychapel.org/photos.htm) on Saturday, January 14, 2012. This is not set in stone, nor something to count on at all at this point, but is certainly a rapidly emerging preference for both of us.

Life certainly continues to be an adventure!

A Working Update

Today turned out to be a rather significant day in terms of job prospects. As mentioned in my last writing I had been contacted by a ranger at Shenandoah requesting a job interview. That interview took place today. As I was on the phone I received another call which turned out to be a ranger from Arlington House in Arlington requesting an interview. So I called her back right away and did that interview as well. So after months of not knowing anything at all and not moving forward at all, within two hours I interviewed for two positions with the Park Service. It is pretty amazing really that these two interviews took place so close together. Of the more than 80 jobs with the Park Service I have applied for in recent months these two are the two I have been considered for that are the closest to where I live in Falls Church and the two that I am most interested in within this area. So basically the two most exciting interviews I could have received in terms of positions that would allow me to stay in this area until getting married this fall. (By the way, early November is the target time for the wedding!) If that is not evidence of the work of God in this situation, I really do not know what is!
 
Both interviews went very well. Both interviewers were highly complimentary of me and told me that I was one of their top candidates. At Shenandoah he picked me out of a lineup of more than 100 people largely because of the extra work that I had done beyond what was required at both Wind Cave and the National Mall. It was a huge confirmation that God is at work and that what I have done in the past is appreciated.

Both positions start at the end of March. Shenandoah goes to early November and Arlington to October 1, so both pretty decent spans of time. So now I may have a very tough choice to make. Do I take the job that allows me to stay where I am living now, stay connected in DC, and interpret Robert E Lee, but be confined to a single house (which is currently under rehabilitation and unfurnished and therefore much less interesting to walk through) in a single site. Or do I take a job that would require me to move but cost significantly less (saving about $400 a month on rent), allow me to live within Shenandoah, to interpret the wilderness including roving on hiking trails and through the campgrounds, and diversify my resume, while also meaning that I would see my fiance significantly less?

Then again I may be offered one job and not the other. Or perhaps I won't be offered either one.

To further complicate matters I also received an email today requesting an in person interview out at Mt. Vernon on Friday (I was just there yesterday celebrating the general's birthday!) for a position as a costumed living history interpreter on the plantation.

So what do I do? How the tides have changed!

The Difference a Week Can Make

A week ago I wrote about moving forward as we trust in God and seizing the divine moments of our lives. In the intervening days since I wrote those words their truth has been so indelibly pressed upon my consciousness that had I not believed them when I wrote them (which I absolutely did) I would most certainly believe them now. This last week has been filled with such moments, some seemingly simple and innocuous and some clearly and overtly life changing. There are four such moments in particular that illustrate the kind of week it has been.

By far the most significant news is that on Tuesday February 15 I took Alison to Shenandoah National Park and as we traveled along the Rose River we came to an idyllic location where we stopped in recognition that it was the same spot where we had first kissed. It was in that place, standing in snow covering ice out in the river with water flowing beneath us that I asked Alison to marry me. To my great delight and joy she quickly agreed, entering us both into the wonderful world of being engaged. Pictures can be found in an album here on facebook.

This news alone would certainly warrant an update in the status of things in my life, but three other events this week bear mentioning as well. On Wednesday I went through the process to officially change my residency to the commonwealth of Virginia, something I have long delayed doing as I did not know what the future would hold. But in proposing I have committed to Alison and thus committed to this area for at least the next chapter of our lives. So I am officially a resident of Virginia with a drivers license, license plates, and car insurance to match. 

Yesterday morning I completed the final elements necessary to send in an application for an MA in American History at George Mason University here in Virginia. I don't know what the future holds, but I am never going to have a better opportunity to pursue returning to graduate school than I do now, so I have begun the process of doing exactly that. I will be taking the GRE in a couple of weeks and following that will be on track to attend George Mason (if accepted) for night classes (thus allowing me to work simultaneously) beginning as early as this fall. 

In addition to all of these changes and movements in my life I have one more to add. Though things on the mall are still stagnant (as a result of the failure of congress to pass a budget this far--God willing that may change in the immanent future!) in the last few days I have received reason to hope that something might work out at another park. The day before going to Shenandoah to propose I received notification asking if I was still interested in a position at that very park. Yesterday I received similar notification for Wrangell-St Elias in Alaska. This morning I found a follow up email from Shenandoah requesting an interview for a position that could start as early as March 21 which is tentatively scheduled for this coming Tuesday. It isn't a job, but it is hope that my name is actually making it high enough that I am being considered for positions.

It is amazing the difference a week can make when it is lived in such a manner!

Choosing the Moments of Life

Life is sum total of the choices we make. We are defined by our choices, by what we do, by how we respond to the circumstances that we face. It is not the circumstances themselves but rather our reaction to them, that determines the content of our character. If you have known me for very long it should come as no surprise to hear me articulate such truth. It has been a common theme of my life since high school, something I have spoken about, given speeches about, preached about, taught classes about, and even given ranger programs about. It is a common thread that runs through much of my life. And it is a truth I have been keenly reminded of in the past two weeks. 

We must seize the moments in front of us, to suck the marrow out of life as Robin Williams puts it in "Dead Poets Society." We must live our lives to the full. Many of you know that one of the verses that is dearest to my heart is John 10:10, in which Jesus proclaims that his purpose in coming to earth is that we might live our lives to the full, the way he created us to live them. This single verse and the implications in carries for not only the mission of Christ, but the purpose of creation itself has dramatically shaped my life. Christ came to bring us life. It is all about life. It is about making choices in our lives that embrace the mystery and wonder of life and bring us closer to the heart of God. There is no higher purpose, no better way to live. 

This principle has been the guiding force of my life for many years. It is why I decided to stay in Oroville and work in youth ministry instead of taking a full tuition scholarship to go to graduate school. It is why I left Oroville, quitting my job, and giving up my house to take a three month temporary position as a park ranger in South Dakota. It is why I picked up and moved to Washington, DC to work on the National Mall. It is why I am in Northern Virginia right now, believing that God has a plan, is directing my life, and has brought me here on purpose. 

Our lives our filled with moments, each one an opportunity to respond, to make a choice. Each choice determining as CS Lewis says, whether we are moving closer to or farther away from the presence of God and His mission on this earth. Each choice we make has connections to so many others and our lives become the sum total of the choices that we make. I am reading Erwin McManus' book "Chasing Daylight" with Alison and a few days ago read this statement; "While moments are the context within which we live, choices chart the course and determine the destination." Our choices chart not only our course and pathway along the journey but determine the destination itself. We define who we are and where we go in life. 

This truth has been keenly imprinted upon my mind in recent days. It is timely advice for me to be reminded of. I receive a verse in my email inbox every day. The one that arrived yesterday was Proverbs 3:5. Anyone who has been a part of Nazarene Caravans should know the reference immediately, but for those of you who have not sported the blue sash the verse reads, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." I received this verse by chance. It is one I have known since I was five years old. And yet it seemed as if it had been sent on purpose to remind me that our own understanding is not to be relied upon, that the only way to make the kind of choices that reflect the character of God is to give our hearts up unto Him and to lean on His understanding rather than our own. 

I have also been reading through the bible chronologically and a couple of days ago came to the passage in Judges that tells the story of Gideon, a man who God called to lead His army to victory, a man who faced a Midianite army described as being "thick as locusts" with camels that "could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore." With 300 Israelites (down from 32,000) Gideon utterly destroyed the Midianites because he trusted in God and leaned not on his own understanding, making a choice to move forward in faith when he could not see the path ahead. 
It seems as though God has been trying to tell me something of late, to imprint a message and truth upon my mind that it might be reflected in my own actions and choices. A timely message as I sit here looking into the future. 

I remain unemployed and still have no word about future jobs, but I have hope. I applied for 8 more park ranger positions yesterday, and have found out that I have at least made the initial cut for more than 20 positions including several in Virginia. While waiting to hear further word I am continuing to invest in the National Mall in a volunteer capacity, going in at least once a week to serve as a volunteer. A few days ago I was positioned near the Vietnam Wall. It was cold out and few people were out on the mall, but there were still people coming to the wall and I was able to help several people find a name or explain the way the wall is set up. Among the people I spoke with that day were two men, both of an age that made it immediately clear that they had lived through the Vietnam era as young adults. As we spoke I learned that both had served as doctors in Vietnam, one in the regular army and one as a Green Beret. It turned out that after the war the army doctor lived in Arizona and the Green Beret worked for ten years as a team doctor for various sporting teams at the school that would become Point Loma Nazarene University. Small world huh? Then the Green Beret told me of one of his high school buddies that he had signed up with, a pilot named William Schultz who had been shot down less than a month before he would have finished his Tour in Vietnam. I stood there with him looking at William's name on the wall and I suddenly understood why it was that I was standing out in the cold as a volunteer that day.

It was a divinely appointed moment. No one else was around. It was just me and these two men out in the cold. It was a moment in which a window opened in front of me and I saw something more clearly than I have ever seen it before.  I had shared much with these two men, explaining why the wall was the way it was and giving them historical context of why we were even in Vietnam at all. They had both visited the wall before but left that day with new meaning and understanding. They had lived through and served during Vietnam before I even existed and yet I had given them a new understanding of why it was that they had done so. But it wasn't just me teaching them. They had given me a new understanding of the meaning of sacrifice and of making choices to serve and honor God through that service. They had provided me with a picture of brotherly love and fidelity that will stay with me as long as I live. It is for such moments as these that I continue to go down to the mall even after the government has ceased to pay me to do so. 

We are defined by the choices we make. We are defined by the way we respond to the circumstances of life. We are defined by the physical manifestations of our trust in God. Can I see the way ahead? No I cannot. Do I know that there is a path and that God will reveal it to me as He knows I need to see it. Absolutely. Will I continue to seek to live a life that defined by a determined pursuit of righteousness, living in the aroma of the presence of Christ? Absolutely. Will I keep seeking to live my life to the fullest, trusting in God and His plan for my life? Absolutely. Will I continue to seize the moment and make choices that keep the son in my eyes? Absolutely.