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Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc
This summer my husband and I hiked one of the best and most famous trails in Europe—Tour du Mont Blanc. It was around 100 miles and took us 10 days. We prepared for months by reading, gathering gear, examining the itinerary, and praying. This hike was different than any other long trek we have gone on as we went with a company that provided a guide and secured our hut-to hut accommodations. This hike reminded me of so many realities of our journey with Jesus that I reflect on in the following paragraphs. Several months before our hike, the company sent us a day-by-day itinerary. It included what cities/countries we…
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The Hundred-Mile Wilderness Adventure
Over the years, my husband and I have had many adventures backpacking in many different terrains and altitudes. This summer we had the opportunity to backpack through the Hundred-Mile Wilderness in Maine at the northern end of the Appalachian Trail. Although we have hiked in various terrain, this adventure was the most challenging. We were grateful to be able to hike it and finish injury-free (besides some bruises, a few blisters, and swollen feet)! When you’re backpacking for a length of time, there is plenty of time to contemplate God and life. This time was no exception. Being in God’s creation brought several lessons regarding my relationship with God and…
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Benefits of Being Outdoors
Backpacking in the backcountry for 10 days in July left me with a new appreciation for the outdoors. I observed many parallels to life on my trek. In addition, watching teenage boys adapt to the backcountry left me with an awareness of the benefits of youth being outdoors. When I returned home, I found articles that articulated the benefits of being outside that I had observed. Various benefits arise from being outdoors. Claire McCarthy[1] lists the following as benefits: appreciation of nature, vitamin D from sunshine, exercise from active play, opportunity to take risk, socialization in unorganized atmosphere, and development of executive functions (skills that help us multitask, plan, troubleshoot,…