Road Trips with Dad

As a kid, my dad used to take me to work with him in the summers. He didn’t have a normal, office job. My dad worked for an insurance company, and he traveled all over the state inspecting the buildings his company insured, making sure they were all up to ‘code.’ In my eyes, it was one of the coolest jobs a dad could have because it seemed like he was pretty much his own boss.

I looked forward to the trips we took every year. We would leave early in the morning, make 10-15 stops throughout the day (one of which would always be for a hamburger at lunch), and we would always stay in a hotel afterward, capping off the day with a swim in the pool, seeing a movie or going to a park to wind down the evening. They were some of the best summer memories.

Over the years, my dad spent as much time on the road as a semi-truck driver, maybe more, and I’m grateful I got to spend at least a few of those millions of miles with him. My dad taught me to love the long drives and the roads that take us places. He taught me patience and simplicity, some of life’s greatest lessons.

There’s beauty in the irony of this hot summer day, now fully grown. I am sitting in my own office, watching the traffic go by on the road he used to take to work every Monday morning, imagining myself sitting right next to him again, listening to the radio, watching the cars go by and casually listening to the stories he had to tell.

-Cliff

Cliff’s Note: Don’t write-off road trips; they’re often full of more memories than miles.

Packing Light

Next week, my wife, Sarah, and I, along with a couple of our friends, Melanie & Connor, will be taking a trip to Alaska. We’ll be gone seven days, most of which will be spent in the national parks around the Anchorage area.

I think we’re all longing for a vacation, but one think I’m not longing for is packing.

Packing is always an overwhelming chore to me, and no matter what, I always over pack. I think through every weather scenario that could happen while there, and also plan on having hours of free time, so I not only take ample amounts of excess clothes, but I also take way to much ‘stuff.’ Rarely do I ever wear everything I bring, and I never use all of the things I bring to occupy my spare time.

But that’s also a bit like life. We over prepare.

We have all of our insurance, our back-up plans and savings. We have excess clothes, furniture and food that never gets eaten. We have a lot, at least in America. And of course, those things are not all bad. It’s good to have insurance and savings.

But something I’ve been wondering lately, why did Christ teach simplicity, minimalism and giving, rather than accumulating, but also expect us to live feasibly in today’s world of always having extra and a back-up plan? Still trying to figure that out.

-Cliff

Cliff’s Note: Pack light, except socks & underwear.

Leadership Fears

There are certain things adults don’t warn you about as you’re growing up. Things like how hard it is to save and buy your first home, holding down a steady career, being confident in who you are and taxes. Another thing you don’t hear much about is how scary it is to be a leader.

As a kid, it seemed like there were certain, natural leaders who rose to the top. Those were the kids that everyone was naturally drawn to, the kids who had a little group following them around the playground, whether it was because they were good looking, popular, athletic, smart, etc. Naturally being a leader always looked easy.

But as you grow up, and one has to learn to lead, things get scary. Like when you’re put in a management role for the first time, or if you’re charged to lead a family, you begin to think through things differently.

What if no one follows me?
What if I lead down the wrong path?
What if I fail?
What if I hurt someone?
What if I say the wrong thing?

Leadership is scary, and it carries a weight of responsibility, no matter what the role is. And there’s always a risk for failing.

But since when have the good things in life been easy?

-Cliff

Cliff’s Note: Be a leader in the good, and keep leading when things go bad.

Matching One's Greatest Joy with the World's Greatest Needs

Sometimes, life hands you lemons, and you make lemonade. Other times, life hands you gourds, and you look back at life and ask it, “What am I supposed to do with these?”

At some point or another, my Creator, the God who assembled me together, inside and out, added a spark into the primary engine of my spirit that kicks on when I watch people connect and work together. And oddly enough, I can remember this spark being there since I was a kid. Back then, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you what it was about watching two friends from two different friend groups hit it off and get along that made me so happy, I just know it did. It always has, and it always will; however, what do you do with that feeling?

Growing up and watching your friends’ passions develop is a fascinating process - how these passions evolve and influence the trajectory of life is amazing, and it carries people all over the world. From friends passionate about athletics and pursuing professional sports to friends passionate about politics and pursing careers centered on social justice, it gives one a feeling of pride to stand back and say, “Hey, that’s my friend. Look how far they’ve gone.”

But what was I going to do with this weird passion I had of convening people and watching them form friendships out of those introductions? I certainly wasn’t going to pursue a career in match-making, but surely there had to be something out there ‘where my greatest joy met the world’s greatest need,’ as the great Frederick Buechner said. After all, I highly doubted the world needed another match-maker (although Bumble and Tender turned out to be pretty successful), but surely, the world needs something that allows me to do what I love?

-Cliff

Cliff’s Note: Match your greatest joy with the world’s greatest needs is a journey, one that cannot be given up on.

Experience

“I don’t know what to write.”

“I don’t know what to write.”

*Writes a sentence

“… Don’t love that.”

“I really just have no idea what to write”

The above is usually the script my brain follows every morning, Monday - Friday, starting at about 6:45a. It’s a familiar one, so I don’t have any trouble at all remembering my role; however, I’ve gotten pretty tired of that role lately.

I forgot what it was like to write consistently. The battle that it is to wake up and stare at a blank page every morning, while it waits for you to fill it with something pleasing, thoughtful or meaningful. I forgot what it was like to try to find the thoughts and the words to communicate those thoughts, all the while doing it with a passion.

Then this morning, I remembered a secret piece to it all that i’ve forgotten - experience. The driver of what shapes me, what shapes us and the world around us.

It’s the stories, the sense and the way the cosmos moves around us that make for good writing, good sharing and good living. It’s helping one another tell our stories by asking questions, listening, remembering and reflecting. Experience is what makes good writing, and it’s what gets us all out of bed in the morning.

Live it. Remember it. Tell it.

-Cliff

Cliff’s Note: Looking for passion? Look to experience.

The Grueling Pursuit of Passion

This morning, I was reflecting on one of the best feelings a person can have. The feeling when you’re doing what you know you’re supposed to be doing.

Growing up, I always loved seeing my friends get a long, especially when I happened to be the one to introduce those friends to one another. I always got a lot of joy watching a mate from one friend group enter into the circle of another friend group, only to have the two friend groups mesh together and create a massive, new friend group. I wouldn’t have called it this one I was 12, but it was a passion, and when you’re a teenager and you start to grow up, you begin to wonder how you can translate your passions into jobs and your jobs into careers, but my passion, obviously, was pretty unique.

What was I going to do with this weird passion I had of convening people and watching them form friendships out of those introductions? I certainly wasn’t going to pursue a career in match-making, but surely there had to be something out there ‘where my greatest joy met the world’s greatest need,’ as the great Frederick Buechner said. After all, I highly doubted the world needed another match-maker (although Bumble and Tender turned out to be pretty successful), but surely, the world needed something that fit what I loved to do.

And it did, and it still does. It just always looks a little different for each season of life, as the world changes and as I change. But really, there’s no feeling quite like the first time life hits the nail on the head for you and you get a phone call that says, “Yes, we’ve got a job that fits exactly what you’re describing.”

Whatever that may be for you as you pursue finding that passion and purpose, I pray that you sit in that, ‘Aha!’ feeling of finding that illusive happiness. And it may be a lifelong pursuit, but don’t stop. It’s worth every second.

-Cliff

Cliff’s Note: The pursuit of finding your passion is never a wasted journey, no matter its length.

Chasing a Hero

As I sit here trying to calm down, relighting the incense, and feeling the burn of a mostly-finished glass of bourbon in my throat, I think to myself, “Why didn’t you click save when you wrote this post the first time?”

And also, “Is this really what you thought life would be like?”

Right now, I’m flustered, sitting up here in my garage apartment alone, trying to re-write thoughts I’ve already written, watching the incense burn down once again, and the thoughts aren’t the same. The flow is gone. The words have changed. The passion absorbed by frustration, and the desire clouded by “I should probably just go to bed.”

But I’ll write.

Yuh see, when I moved into this apartment, I was chasing one of my heroes, so I thought. Donald Miller is his name; Blue Like Jazz is his fame. I moved here with goals and dreams, wanting to be just like this hero of mine. I wanted to live above where cars slept, work a day job that allowed me to save my creative juices for writing sessions in the morning and at night. I wanted to become a published author by the age of 28. That’s what Don did, breaking into the New York Times Best Seller list at a super ripe age. He could do it, why couldn’t I? After all, Don and I are similar guys. We’ve practically lived the same sort of life, both intentionally on my part, and unintentionally.

I too moved away from my Bible-belt buckle of a hometown to the great Pacific Northwest to get as far away from the culture I grew up in as I could. I too left with questions about Faith, what the world looked like around me and why a Coors Light was enough reason to be sent to the Place They Don’t Serve Breakfast In (that’s a Newsboys reference for you kids at home). I too was a player, having gone through my fair share of relationships and leaving a trail of destruction in my wake. I too was a writer, a storyteller and a guy who tried not to take life too seriously. Aren’t we the same, Don and I?

Except I got a day job that allowed me to save my creative juices for writing sessions in the morning and at night, but I haven’t been very good at using those juices. Except I’m not a published author, and I’m definitely not anywhere close to selling anything in New York. Come to think of it, I’m not even sure I still have the same sort of boldness for adventure I once had that would take me to New York on a whim of Faith that I once learned from my hero.

It feels funny to write (and rewrite) these words at a table that I’ve written thousands of other words at. Words that have always been full of hope, honesty, transparency and aspiration, but are now outnumbered by thoughts that are full of doubt, fear and uncertainty. Is what I really wanted only going to amount to that? I’d like to think not.

These days are the days when it feels like I’m becoming less of a person I’ve been chasing and more like someone I’ve been running from. Finances are tight, words are few and winter is on its way, dragging a looming number 29 right behind it. But I’m writing.

Writing.

And while the incense is nearly gone and the bourbon long gone, the words are not. They will someday turn into a page, and hopefully, that page will turn . . . into something I’ve been chasing for a long, long time.

Cheers to the heroes.

-Cliff

Cliff’s Note: Chase a hero, you might not catch em’. Heroes are fast; that’s why they’re heroes, and that’s why they’re worth chasin’.

When Expectations Don't Go Your Way

Have you ever gone on a a trip to Wal-Mart that you expected to only take 10 minutes, but instead it took you 45 minutes? (because Wal-Mart) Or have you ever gone into a store thinking, "I'm only going to spend $x amount of money," but instead you end up spending $xxx amount of money? Or what about hobbies- Have you ever tried to learn some new skill that ended up taking longer to learn than you initially expected? In each of these situations, or any situation like them, reality doesn't coincide with our expectations, and as a result, our emotions run in all sorts of ways, but at the core of it all sits the emotion of frustration. 

Yesterday, I went on what turned out to be a 6-mile hike. It wasn't initially supposed to be a 10-mile hike (it started out in my mind as a simple 'nature walk'), but, like the situations stated above, my expectations didn't coincide with reality. After not reading the trail map correctly, my thought of a short, 30-minute hike with my camera wearing in jeans, Chuck Taylor's turned into a full afternoon of trekking across Greenleaf State Park looking for the infamous 'Swinging Bridge,' which, I did eventually get to-3 miles further than I thought. 

I was hot, frustrated and at times, lost. I even caught myself saying out loud to myself, "I wish there were just some place closer to park so I could've driven here," which, if you know me, is very unlike me to say; however, my expectations weren't being met, and I was worried as to whether or not I was going to make it back to my car before nightfall. 

In the end, I made the hike, saw the bridge I was looking for (which was totally worth it), and I made it back to my truck before dark safely. I was satisfied with how things turned out, but I was also really confused by the comment I'd made to myself earlier and just how unlike myself I'd become when my expectations weren't met and frustration took over-especially on an adventure like a hike. It's evidence though to just how unlike ourselves we can become when selfish gets its grip and takes over our personality for a moment. Comments come out we don't mean, and we miss out on the adventure at hand. 

When life throws you a curve ball, don't duck out of the way or get made that it wasn't the pitch you were expecting. Adjust to it, stay in the box and take a swing ( pun intended on the bridge) because some of life's greatest memories are made when life doesn't go how you expect it to. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: If you want to hike the Greenleaf Lake Hiking Trail, plan for a full-day's worth of activity. Looks are deceiving on their map. 

When Bison Make You Feel Like a Baby

Have you ever been to the ocean just to stand in front of it and let it breathe on you? If you haven't, I highly suggest it sometime. Sure, if you're going to the ocean, definitely go swimming, play, tan and do more than just stand in front of it, but at least take a moment to stand in front of it, look out upon it's vastness and let its breeze breathe the fresh salt air on your face for a few minutes. It will make you feel smaller than the grains of sand you're standing on. 

There is something to be said for sitting in the presence of something greater than yourself. It's a small feeling, a humbling feeling and honestly, a feeling of reverent fear. This looks different for a lot of people. Some people feel small next to mountains, others oceans and for some, even trees do the trick; however, for me, lately it's been beasts. I'm not sure if you've ever thought about it before or not, but there are a lot of things out there that can kill or seriously maim a defenseless human being. There aren't just lions, tigers and bears out there, there's more- Like hippos, snakes and even insects can do some damage. However, today, I spent some time in the presence of something just as dangerous as any other animal roaming the earth that might make your knees shake: the American Bison.

This afternoon, I took a trip over to Osage County in the Northern part of Oklahoma to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. It's there that over 2,000 American Bison call home. There were herds and herds of them around every curve of the gravel road throughout the state park, and it provided me with just the right dosage of 'feeling small' that I needed.

There's just something so cool to me about sitting and watching pieces of creation that could tear me limb from limb just do their thing. I literally did nothing but watch and photograph buffalo for three hours, and not once was I bored. I was in awe, entertained and humbled all afternoon. At one point, my truck was completely surrounded by at least 20 buffalo for about five minutes, leaving me unable to go anywhere; the last thing I wanted to do was honk my horn and make one mad. I don't think my car insurance covers buffalo damage, so I just had to sit and wait in the middle of what I felt like was a circle of beasts that could easily have their way with my F-150 and myself if they wanted to. It was awesome.

If you never have, I would encourage you to intentionally go sit in the presence of something greater than yourself. Go to the zoo and watch the lions eat, go to the mountains and stand at the base of them or go to the ocean and let it's breeze blow you away. Whatever it might be that would make you feel small, humble and defenseless, take a trip to see it; it will remind you Who your Creator is.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Creation is a great reminder that you are not greater than the Creator. 

'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' & Travel Dreams

Last night, I watched the movie, 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.' It's a great flick, and easily one of my new favorites. It's one of the few movies out there I can watch more than once and not get bored with, not to mention, it has an absolutely perfect soundtrack to go with it. Essentially, the movie is about a man named Walter who works for Life Magazine. He spends his days day dreaming a lot because he doesn't do anything exciting in real life, except work, until he loses an important photo for Life's final print magazine cover. He ends up traveling to Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas searching for this photo, battling sharks, drunk helicopter pilots and volcanos along the way. Needless to say, his life goes from boring to full-on pretty quickly. It's a great reminder that 'Life' doesn't have to be a boring routine, and that it can be an epic adventure at any moment. All it takes is a few leaps of faith. Anyway, anytime I watch this movie, it makes me want to stop whatever I'm doing and get on the next flight possible leaving the nearest airport, which can be both healthy and unhealthy. It does another thing too. It makes me dream of what I think I want my life to look like.

I think if I had a dream life it might look something like this: 

Seeing the world and meeting the people in the world would be the highlight. The jobs I would have would be temp jobs that wouldn't require a long-term commitment but paid enough to have a small apartment. I'd be able to work until I'd saved enough money to travel to a new place. Then, I'd sell/give away some more of the stuff I'd acquired, move on and start the process all over again. I wouldn't really want to own a lot, maybe just a couple of suitcases of clothes- one for winter and one for summer, a laptop for writing, a camera for pictures, a few books and a phone to stay in touch. And an orange VW van. Definitely an orange VW van.

The trouble with this dream life is that it doesn't seem plausible. It doesn't really provide any way to get health insurance, have a family or prepare for any sort of retirement. Not to mention, there isn't really any guarantee of a new job each and every time I want to find another one after a stent of traveling. It also seems kind of selfish because it all centers on me. 

Living a life full of traveling, telling people about Jesus, seeing the world, writing, taking photos and working in temp jobs sounds like a dream, but is it? Sure, it would be the perfect life to live if I wanted to match it up perfectly with the ultimate Indie playlist on Spotify, but how realistic of a life is it, not just for me but for those around me? After all, mom and dad won't always be around to cover my back if things don't go according to plan. I'm not sure, but a life like this seems a little iffy. 

I'm not sure what exactly shaped this life dream of mine that lacks permanence and realism. Maybe it's the fact I just have the travel bug, or maybe it's something deeper. Maybe it's because, in the words of Switchfoot, "I'm just looking for a world where I belong." I think I'm at a stage in life where I'm still trying to figure life out. I'm at a stage in life where I'm learning that this world really isn't my home, and no matter how many places I live or how many times I scratch my travel itch, I'm still going to have that refugee feeling in my soul. I'm still going to have that unfilled feeling of not belonging that only eternity will be able to fulfill. Until then, I'm still going to have these unrealistic dreams of traveling/living that are unrealistic because the reality is, traveling the world and seeing it all doesn't ultimately satisfy one's heart's desire. My ultimate heart desire can only be met one day in eternity when I finally enter a world I belong in with my Creator. Then, maybe then, my travel itch won't itch any more. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Don't watch 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' unless you want to get the urge to drop whatever you're doing and get on a plan and go to Greenland. 

3 Keys to Finding Something to Do

Have you ever noticed that when you visit and/or move to a new city, the number of possibilities of things to do/places to go seems relentlessly long? Everything is literally new because it's a 'new' city,' and like all new things, you just want to try it and try it all. It's slightly daunting. 

When you're in a new place, you don't so much have to 'find stuff to do.' It's actually more like a you have to 'pick something to do.' It would be like hunting for beef in a pasture full of cows (not that that's something anyone would ever do); It's too easy, and the possibilities are endless. There are new restaurants to try, new roads to drive down and new people to meet. You don't have to seek these things out; they're just there. It's just up to you (and me) to go out and do it. But how? 

Ask for Advice
If there's one thing that people are especially bad at these days, myself included, it's asking for advice. There's just something about it that's kind of awkward/kind of hesitant. It's like a last resort for a lot of people; however, without advice, how would we really the secrets of what to do. After all, you can't believe everything you read on the internet, can you? If you want to find something to do and narrow down your choices, ask for advice. It'll give you some direction and give you some local secrets. 

Take a Friend
Doing things alone has it's perks because you can do whatever you want, but doing things with someone has it's perks too, number one being that you're not alone. There's something about making memories with someone else that holds more value than making them alone because then you have someone to reminisce with, laugh with and learn with. Having a partner in crime is a solid way to help find something to do in a new place. Sure, you may have the awkward, "What do you want to do?" "I don't know; What do you want to do?" moment, but in the end, you'll both be able to narrow something down pretty quickly and be able to find something to do you'll both enjoy. Plus, you'll miss out on the awkwardness that sometimes comes along with doing things alone in a new place. 

Don't Be Afraid of Being 'the New Guy'
This one is a tough one for me because I hate being 'the new guy,' or better yet, 'that guy.' Whether I'm visiting a new church for the first time or going into a new restaurant for the first time awkwardly wondering whether or not to seat myself, I always feel like I reek of the new guy smell. It's like people just know you're new because of the way you behave or because they just don't recognize you, and sometimes, this can be intimidating; however, it shouldn't be. Everyone is new at some point, and I know when I see someone new, I don't think anything about it. I'm excited to meet them and introduce them to my friends, and odds are, they're thinking that same thing. Let people know you're new, whether it's by reeking of 'new guy' smell or just telling them. Where your new smell proudly and accept the politeness of others when they try to help you out.

If you're in a new city or new place, embrace it, enjoy it and awkward it up. After all, you're only new once, and soon, you'll be the person getting to help along someone else who is new. Find something new to do and enjoy it!

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Ask for advice, find something new to do with someone and embrace being the 'new guy.' It'll make your 'new' experience better!

Photo Blog: Queenstown, NZ- The Highlights

If New Zealand isn't on your bucket list of places to travel, it should be. The views, the people and the atmosphere are absolutely outstanding, even if you're not into the whole Lord of the Rings scene.

I'll let the photos do the talking. I hope it inspires you to take a visit yourself!

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Go back. 

Why 'Home' and 'Adventure' Should be in the Same Sentence

I spent 80 percent of this weekend driving around in a 1990's Toyota mini-van, and it was one of the most life-giving weekends of my entire life. It was the people, the beauty and the music. It was a camera in my hand, and it was having no agenda. This weekend was perfect.

This past couple of days, I drove around Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It's an island that's about a 30-minute ferry ride away from the mainland, and it's an island that's free from big cities and full of authentic, untouched Australian 'Bushland.' I have to admit, out of all the places we've visited while we've been here, this was my favorite. It trumps Sydney, Carnes and all the above. This is just personal opinion, of course, but for me, it was a wonderful experience exploring some of Australia's most preserved land. It had me wondering, "why don't more people come here?"

I talked to many locals around the Adelaide area before we left for KI, and many of them had never been, and the ones who had been had only gone when they were young. This amazed me. It's a place of such natural beauty, yet people don't seem keen to make the two and a half hour trek to the small island. It seems crazy to miss something so beautiful that's so close to home, yet honestly, it's the same deal for me; I don't explore home either.

Have you ever had the chance to explore what's around you? Or, better yet, Have you ever had the desire to explore what's around you? Your home. I mean like really explore it and appreciate it for what it is. It's super easy to take something for granted when it's close. It's easy to say, "I'll see it sometime. There's always next year." And then you say that for 10 years, 20 years and so on, and then it's too late. You've missed it. You've missed the adventure that was closest to you.

So far, I've missed it. I've missed the adventure closest to me. This is how I've treated my home state, Oklahoma, most of my life.

In reality, Oklahoma has some wonderful natural beauty that I've never taken advantage of. It's home to some of the oldest mountains in the world, the Wichita Mountains, it's home to a mini desert in the Little Sahara, and it easily has one of the most scenic freshwater lakes in the country at Beaver's Bend. I haven't explored hardly any of these places, and these are just a few of the many examples of local adventures that I haven't explored because honestly, what adventure could I ever experience at "home."

How wrong I have been.

The truth is, there's a lot of adventure to experience in one's home. Just like I've taken for granted all the wonder in my own home state, it's easy for others to do the same. No one ties the words 'home' and 'adventure' together in the same sentence very often, but I believe we should. There's plenty of adventure to be had right where you are, so have at it. You'll undoubtably see something you've never seen before. 

Go explore home.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Before you adventure across the world, adventure across your home.  

P.S: If you're interested, and want to join, I'll be planning some weekend trips across my home, Oklahoma, starting after the new year. If you'd like to join, get in touch with me. We'll make it happen.

Photo Blog: Kangaroo Island | Day 2

If you're going to South Australia, I definitely recommend going to Kangaroo Island. We spent the day experiencing some amazing beauty, and yes, we did finally see a kangaroo (I almost ran over it as it ran out in front of our car). Enjoy today's shots!

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Today's stops on KI were Admiral's Arch, Seal Bay, the Little Sahara and the Remarkable Rocks.

Photo Blog: Kangaroo Island | Day 1

One of the best things about traveling abroad is actually getting to travel. There's nothing like escaping the city blocks, buildings, and busyness. Cliff Notes will look a tad different over the next few days, as I'll be posting more photos than writing from the weekend trip we're on in Kangaroo Island. Photos are worth a thousand words, after will. Here are some shots from day one. 

Kangaroo Island, Day one: Zero kangaroos, one lizard.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: We went wine tasting, and visited a honey farm, a eucalyptus distillery and a beach called Emu Beach (which had no emus).

Creation Didn't Have to Make Us Feel Anything

(Photo: Greg McCown)

As I'm writing this, it's storming outside.

There are flashes of lightning illuminating the night sky and claps of thunder rattling the windows. 

I've forgotten how terrifying, yet amazing the sudden clashes of thunder and flashes lightning can be. The way the thunder seems to rumble from far off in the distance until it sounds like it's at the front door and the flashes of lightning bursting like camera flashes from the heavens are calming reminders of home. But why?

The sights, smells and sounds of storms don't have to tie into my emotions, but they do. Nature doesn't have to terrify, amaze and comfort me, but it does. 

Have you ever thought about that? Storms could have just been storms and nature could have just been nature, but instead we're tied to it all.

Rain puts us at peace.

Thunder humbles us with a sense of fear.

Lightning puts us in awe.

Storms don't have to make us feel peace, fear and awe, but they do. Why? Because we have a God who gives us peace, who we should fear and who we should be in awe of. I think He likes to remind us He created it all.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: There is evidence of God in all of creation. We just have to look for Him. 

5 Answers to the Question: 'Why Travel?'

Traveling is more than paying lots of money to get on a plane and go somewhere. It's more than sightseeing a city's tourist hot spots and more than blowing up social media with "cool" posts. Traveling is about changing one's perspective on life. No two places in the world are exactly alike or do life in the same way, and the more places you can see, the more ways you can see how others do life. The beautiful thing about traveling is that it doesn't have to be across the world or across the country, and it can be as expensive as you make it. Even taking a trip to your next closest city will expose you to new ideas, new people and new walks of life. Travel, and here are some reasons why:

1) Learn why others think the way they do

One beautiful thing about the world is that no two people think exactly alike. If there's one thing traveling can teach you, it's that people have legitimate reasons behind their thoughts, ideas and beliefs, and some of those thoughts, ideas and beliefs are the exact opposite of yours. Some of our biggest national and global problems stem from political differences, but did it ever interest you to know the why behind those differences? Traveling and experiencing new cultures begins to reveal, at least parts of, the reasons why others may think differently about a situation than you do.

2) Growing up

There's something about traveling that helps a person grow up. It's like an adventure or a quest, not always to find oneself, but even more so to find out about others. A part of growing up is discovering the world and how it works. It's about discovering the answers to all of those "why" questions you've always asked, and it's about seeing the pictures from all of your school textbooks come to life. Traveling helps turn the childhood moments of learning into the adulthood moments of experiencing. 

3) Meeting people

When traveling, especially traveling alone, you're required to meet people. Meeting people will be a part of asking directions, interacting with locals at the downtown pub and exploring a new place. There's something special about meeting people that are in different places, experiencing different walks of life that you may have never thought about. Being able to swap stories across states, countries and cultures is a special art form that's centuries old and that will continue to be centuries new until the world can be traveled no more. 

4) Understand what its like to be on your own

Even if you're traveling in a group, there will be some sense of being on one's own while traveling. Maybe it's just the idea of being away from home or being away from family and friends, but there's always this sense of independence while exploring. Home is miles and miles away and cell phone reception may or may not be available, so it comes down to figuring out a situation and enjoying the independence that comes with a side of adventure. There's an African proverb that says, "If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together," but there's anything wrong with experiencing pieces of life on one's own and learning from that.  

5) Make memories

This one is as cliche as it comes, but memories are some of the most valuable pieces to a person's life. They're hope to cling to and old stories to laugh at. Look at it this way, which are you more likely to remember and reminisce on in the long run? A new shirt or a concert featuring your favorite band? Traveling makes memories. Memories are made through experiences and experiences come through seeing new things.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Traveling isn't about the money you spend or how far you go. It's about the way it changes us and challenges us. 
 

Why Your Dreams Are Worth 30 Minutes a Day

Has anyone ever told you that you can't do something? Not in a way that says, "Don't touch that," but in a way that says, "That's impossible." Maybe they said you weren't smart enough, weren't rich enough or weren't good enough. Maybe they said it's not logical, it's too big of a risk or the odds are too great. Whatever anyone has said, forget about it, at least for this instance. Forget what they said and remember what your heart said when you had the idea. Remember your dream.

Now that you've thought of that dream, ponder on it for a moment, and try to remember why you thought it was possible. Don't concentrate on the reasons why it might be impossible, but concentrate on the reasons why you believe it is possible.

You see, dreams don't just come out of nowhere. They form over time, and they form out of experience. Maybe it was a sport you grew up playing or a business idea you had that could change the world. A dream is founded in something, and that something is usually passion. We all have a passion for something, and it's because of that passion that we all have hopes, dreams and wishes.

As a recent college graduate, it seems like most of these dreams take shape around college-age individuals. It's a time people begin to be more exposed to the world and more aware of the opportunities out there to change it, so "dream jobs" develop. Many times, it's after college that those dream jobs seem to slowly turn into just dreams. Steady 8 - 5 jobs are found, and routines develop. Families are made and life goes on, but then what about that "dream job?" Does it just die and go away, or does it turn into a haunting nightmare because it was never pursued? I don't want to find out.

Dreams need to be pursued, and they need to be enjoyed. They need to be met with goals and practical ways of achieving them, and as difficult as that sounds, maybe it's not that difficult. If your dream is really your dream, it will be backed with passion, and that passion will be fueled by joy. If you have a dream and want to do it, there will be joy pursuing it.

Here's my challenge to you: Spend 15 - 30 minutes a day doing something in pursuit of your dreams. It doesn't have to be anything that costs money or radically alters your schedule; it just has to be something that puts you on track to see dreams come true. Maybe it's something as simple as sending emails to organizations or companies you want to work for, or maybe it's as tedious as learning an entirely new skill. Whatever it is, try it. Dreams don't have to stay dreams. They can come true, and that in itself is why pursing them is worth it.

After all, if you've spent your whole life dreaming something, isn't it worth 30 minutes pursuing?

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Don't let your dream become a nightmare because you never took the time to pursue it.