Today I went for a hike in the forest. Mostly I got lost, because I still have no sense of direction. But God blessed and I always found myself again. And everything was so beautiful... the grass is starting to come up green, the pine needles were reddish orange underfoot, the trees smell like alive-ness again (I like to imagine that smell is the sap slowly climbing from the roots to the tips of the pine needles -- maybe it is!). I startled two white-tail deer and they bounded away as fast as they could with their long tails up like danger flags. They scared me too! And I heard a hawk's wings -- whomp, whomp, whomp is what they sound like because they move so much air. At the end of my hike I came to an ice-cold stream gurgling along happily. We had just had a sermon about piles of stones so I pulled a little rock out of the bottom of the stream. It smells like fish. But it reminds me of perspective.

A pile of stones is a reminder to yourself and others of something that God did. It's God's idea -- as the Israelites were getting ready to cross into Canaan after wandering an extra 40 years in the desert, God gave Joshua instructions for how to get the people across the flooded Jordan River. The priests, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, were to step into the water and the waters would part. That must have been a scary step of faith! And Joshua was to appoint one man from each tribe to pick up a big rock from the Jordan's riverbed as they walked across it. Then they were supposed to make a pile on the Canaan side of the river. And anytime someone -- a child, or a foreigner, or whoever -- asked what it meant, they had an excuse to tell about one of God's miracles.

Our sermon today said that these piles of stones, or signposts, or "God moments" in your life, can all add up to a direction that God leads you in. It's true. Or they can just show that He is faithful. My rock today is that kind of rock. I was needing some perspective on life -- strife between people, self-pity, the needs in Idaho, and my need to make some decisions were weighing on me. As soon as I walked outside, though, the burden lifted. There's something about spring... and something about the way God shouts at us through the wonderful things He's made. My problems are picayune in comparison to His vision of the world. So my fish-scented rock can remind me that if I just took a step outside my limited views, life would make much more sense. And even if it doesn't -- God is still in control; He brings the seasons and feeds the deer and makes the hawk's wings keep it aloft and grows trees, and He can take care of my little problems.

All this said, I don't have a great deal to decide at this point. My last post sounded like I might have a more predictable job soon. Nope. The teacher for whom I was to provide maternity leave came back and is now hoping to be able to teach for the rest of the year. So I'm back to permanent substituting. But another district just added me to their list, and it's much closer to home so I spend less time commuting on those days. It's neat to see how the districts are different and how each school runs, as well. I'm learning what to look for as I interview.

Yesterday I volunteered at a soup kitchen with some of my new friends who are also going to Mexico in June. What an eye-opener. And what fun. One guy named David started to teach me how to play Scrabble. Another, Ken, told me just enough snippets from his long life-story that I know it would be fascinating to just sit with him for a whole day and learn the rest. And I love food, so it was really fun to give it to people who also love it. :-) Working with an interdenominational ministry was another highlight. I guess I expect each denomination to work only with its own approved people, so seeing several churches work together to serve their community was so refreshing!