Did Someone Say... Road Trip?!

     Since my last post, I have driven more than 1800 miles, crossed 7 states, and spent a straight 25+ hours in my car... each way.  Why you may ask... two words: road trip!

     There are few things I enjoy more than traveling.  So when I was booked to work an event in Las Vegas, I packed up the suitcase, grabbed the GPS, and hit the road.  I can't help but smile as I sit here and reflect on how these past few months have played out.  For my New Year's Resolutions this year I decided to try something new.  Instead of making the same standard resolutions I tend to make year after year, (lose 15 pounds, eat healthier, read more, etc, etc...) I decided to really think this one out and pour my heart and soul into what I would call my "Leap List of 2012".  I chose resolutions that would require hard work to accomplish, put me out of my so-called 'comfort zone', and require some serious chance-taking... or leaping.  Hence why I named this year's resolutions my "Leap List"!
     Now instead of sharing my entire list right now, I will focus on the one "leap" this post refers to:  "To drive cross-country to see the Grand Canyon."  When I made this resolution, I knew it would take a bit of planning, and I wasn't even quite sure when I was going to make the trip or how.  After all, driving practically to the other side of the country and back is... a LONG way.  Not to mention the thousands of miles put on your car, having to drive overnight and into the next day, all the while having a loving mama fret over which state you're in and if you've ran out of gas and are stranded on the side of the road. So I knew from the get-go this cross-country trip would take some work,... I just didn't expect the chance to come so soon!
     Now this is the part of my story that literally makes my heart skip and has me take pause and give a gracious "thank you" to our Lord.  Because friends, believe me when I tell you, HE made this trip... this crazy resolution of mine... possible!  To give you a quick look at another "leap" on my list, I chose to "let go and let God" for the entirety of 2012 (and from here on out preferably!).  The past several months have brought about many opportunities, some that have been amazing... others that have been a struggle, and all of which I have learned from and grown immensely.  God did some big tearing down and building up in my soul, and from which I've learned that we have got to live in complete surrender to not only Him, but His timing too!  Now I know from experience this can be hard.  We think we know what we want and where we should be at this point in our life and how successful we're adding up, but friend, I'm here to tell you-- we ain't got a clue.  I'm not saying we don't have an idea about what our true dreams, passions and desires are, I'm just saying that if we don't pray and ask Him to lead us to our dreams, passions and desires in the way He wants us to get there and at the time He wants us to get there... we'll be a hot mess!  We"ll stumble and we'll fall and we'll fail. We can't rush these important things.  That's why we must be faithful; because it's sometimes a long road, and we cannot go it alone!
      So why tell you all this... well, I've had this longing in my heart to visit the Grand Canyon for a loooooong time.  I had a geography professor in college who told my class once, "if you're someone who believes in nothing, go to the Grand Canyon, and when you see it, you'll believe in something!"  I had seen pictures and heard people try and explain the vastness of this world wonder, but could never fully comprehend just how glorious it could possibly be.  So at 24-years old and with a flexible freelance work schedule, I hoped this would be there year (like I said, in His timing) I would get to see it for myself.  And so I poured my heart into a prayer for an opportunity that would allow me to do just that. And praise be to God, from out of nowhere really, I was booked to work the grand opening celebration of the new Smith's Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas... which of course opened the door for the my trip out west! I'm not trying to say that things are always going to work out perfectly, but I do know the Lord gave me this opportunity which would allow me to make my trip to see His beautiful creation, the Grand Canyon!  And see it I did!  Talk about the perfect Artist!