I've been in Michigan for almost a week now and I have had an amazing experience last week attending the Leadership
Summit. I attended it with some church friends out here. We watched via satellite feed from a church in Troy Michigan. This was my first year attending and I can say that it will become a part of my August every year now. There was so much to digest that it's hard to even put to words. I'll have a lot more to say about this experience in the days and weeks ahead.
My time away has been amazing and it's hard to believe that I'm on week number three. This time next Monday I will be on a flight returning back to Maine. I've really not been able to spend a lot of time in depth with what I've been able to experience and do over the last few weeks. I'm grateful for the technology of my iPhone since it allows me to post pictures and content to my blog site right from my phone. However, it is a little cumbersome to write long postings using the tiny keyboard on the phone.
With all that I've been experiencing lately I still can't seem to shake the experience I had at Mt. St. Helens a week ago Saturday. It was spontaneous and I'll remember the look Lisa gave me when I said "Hey Lisa, have you ever been up in a helicopter before?". I posted a few pictures last week about that amazing adventure. At first I was a little disappointed because the rim of the volcano was clouded in. Despite the visibility it was very clear that slowly nature was taking its course and regrowth and restoration from that eruption was taking place. Thousands of trees have been hand planted and the vegetation in its various stages are reclaiming what was once lost. Lisa took some great photos of the trip and here is a shot that I think really shows how nature is in a sense being re-born.
It's funny cause literally seconds before we boarded the helicopter my camera decided to go on the blitz. I still shot video but something had reset on my LCD display on my camera and flipped literally everything upside down. It was pretty interesting to shoot. I looked at the footage and sure enough it came out fine. After about ten minutes into the flight I stopped shooting footage and just took in the scenery. I was just in a awe of the amazing power and strength of what a mountain can do when it literally blows its top off. In retrospect I'm thankful that I was just able to put down the camera for a bit and take in the full beauty of what was surrounding me. 
I was able to relate in a way I didn't realize. This mountain and me shared a lot in common. The eruptions of the past season of my life are now claiming new ground as well. That day I was not to see the source of the destruction because the clouds were there. My focus was redirected to the valley of healing and restoration and I viewed life being made whole again right in front of my eyes. Animals were grazing again, water was flowing and life was returning. The tourist trap became the teachable moment that day. Now I have had two mountain top experiences. The last two and half days at the Leadership Summit have also been transforming. I've learned from the summit to claim ownership of one's vision and to keep motivated and crystal clear in direction and intention. My last week while away I'm praying that I don't miss the whisper of what that will look like in my life. I'm so grateful for having the opportunity to be able to take this time and digest all the things that I have been processing. I can't thank enough the amazing Prisk family and Terry specifically for inviting me out here. You all have been amazing. This is where I am staying while out here in Michigan. A family here has been so kind to let me stay at their house while there gone during this month. I literally having this lake-side home to myself.
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It's been amazing to say the least. I am looking forward to this week. It has been a long time since I've just been able to clear off a whole week to just be still and be reminded that God does have a perfect plan for me. I am claiming ownership of that promise once again. I found this verse in Jeremiah today and I thought it was fitting in relating to both mountain top experiences I've had in the last week and a half.Jeremiah 17:8 (NIV)
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
As I finish this blog post I'm thinking of my brother Ron right now and praying for good news as he has his first of two knee replacement operations. Knee one this week and knee two a week from today. I'm so excited about Ron's new wheels. I'm praying for a full recovery and strength for the therapy journey.
OH and here is a cool link of what the current conditions of Mt. St. Helen's looks like. There is a webcam located at one of the observation areas. Mt. St. Helen's Live VolcanoCams.
