Navigate the Landscape
of Life by Faith
Finding our way in the woods teaches us to navigate life by faith. Shall we take a hike?
Even when the landscape of life takes a tough turn, we can navigate by faith. Not by feel. Not by fear. By faith.
How do I know?
Hiking Yellowstone’s trails is always teaching me what it means to walk by faith through the highs and lows of everyday life. Even though the landscape of life passes through tough terrain, even though there is no one-size-fits-all map, it’s possible to find the way.
Whether the terrain you’re traveling is smooth, monotonous, unfamiliar, or steep, you’re in the right place. Let’s navigate life by faith.
happy trails ~
Natalie
Field Notes for Navigating Life by Faith
How We Prepare Him Room
Zipping my jacket to my chin, I picked up speed in hopes of generating more body heat. Before long it would be warm—possibly even hot—but that would be later. For now, the October sun hadn’t been up long enough to chase away the overnight chill. Earlier, when the...
Navigating by Faith When We’re Disoriented by Life
At the switchback, I paused for a breath and surveyed the landscape. Interested as I was in the spruce and fir trees dotting Lamar Valley’s faded grass, what I really wanted was to see how far my husband and I had come so I could figure out know how much further I had...
Our Seasons Aren’t As Simple as They Seem
Summer’s green is wearing thin. Before long, it will give way to the colors of autumn. Between the arrival of unrelenting heat and a steady green march across the lawn, some years it seems we go straight from winter to summer without stopping for spring. This doesn’t...
Gifts & Graces | Summer 2022
For more years than I care to admit, July 1 has settled in with a heavy sense of loss. Summer, I believed, was almost over. This is as unhelpful as it is untrue. How can a season that was born just days before be nearly at its end? Maturity is teaching me to take on...
Gifts and Graces | Spring 2022
One practice I use to keep me oriented to the features of the landscape of my life is to list the season's gifts and graces. It's a simple way to fix my eyes on the good so I can do my part to foster a hopeful perspective and healthy mindset. The list is intended to...
One Way We Find Our Way
“This way, Babe.” Late the night before, my husband, J, and I had checked into a hotel in Nebraska. Now it was morning, time to resume our road trip. I stepped out of our room and turned to the right, which, apparently, was wrong. “Really?” I asked. I was sure this...
How We Build Strength for Tough Times
“It’s easier if you walk along the edge,” my husband said. We were taking on unfamiliar terrain. I knew how to hike the packed dirt trails in the midwest and the mountains. But in Utah’s high desert where my KEENS tossed up a spray of sand with every step? Not so...
Winter Gifts and Graces
Of the practices I use to foster a hopeful perspective and healthy mindset, keeping a list of the season's gifts and graces is the simplest. Somewhere along the line, I started rearranging it into a bell shape and now I can't really stop. This season's gathering of...
Now is Not the Time to Wait
Every winter, I direct a troupe of middle and high school actors. From the very first year, there has always been that rehearsal. If you have ever worked with a group of kids, you know what I mean: mass distraction, constant talking, and management issues of all...
