Battling the GPS

My husband loves to use the GPS device on his phone, so when we went to the Oregon coast the other week, he opted to use that instead of paying for one in our rental car.

As we left the car place, the GPS lady began navigating our way. Though neither of us had been to Portland before, I was SURE Miss GPS had no idea what she was doing. She had us driving up small streets and through residential areas. I kept thinking we just need to get to the freeway - that would be the fastest way to get out of Portland and on our way to the coast.

After what seemed like a crazy list of directions, we eventually did reach the freeway and were on our way.
But that wasn't the only time the GPS lady led us through what I knew had to be the wrong way. Each time we ended up where we wanted to be, despite what felt like a series of odd turns and roads. (One time she was off by a quarter of a mile - and boy, did I gloat about that!)

So often in life and on this journey to publication, I feel like I did in the car listening to the GPS. I'm doing my best to follow God's will, but sometimes I think, "this can't be the right way. Isn't there a faster road, God, a more direct route to get me where I want to go, to what I want to be?"

But if I can stop and put aside that impatience, I realize no matter the twists and turns, the odd side roads, the detours, in the end I'll be right where I'm supposed to be - as long as I keep listening and moving forward.

Do use a GPS device for directions, stop and ask someone or just wing it?  What detours or side roads in your life have brought about surprising success?  

*Jenilyn M. Tolley awarded me the Liebster Award the other week (thanks so much, Jenilyn)! This award is meant to connect us even more and spotlight new bloggers who, at the moment, have less than 200 followers. The rules are:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2.Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3.Post the award on your blog.
4.Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the Internet – other writers.
5.And best of all – have fun and spread the karma!

So here's five blogs I've enjoyed reading for a while or newly discovered:

Mark Noce
Peggy Eddleman
Rosslyn Elliott
Canda Mortensen
Kym McNabney

Lovin the Journey

I know I've regaled you with a lot of travel stuff the past few months - like how many hours I've spent in the car so far this summer - but my DH and I just got back from a trip down the Pacific Coastal Highway and I'm bursting with blog ideas and pictures!

We flew to Portland, rented a car, and set out to see as much of the coast as we could in four and a half days. We drove more than 900 miles, from Oregon to Oakland (logging another 15 hours in the car), and we saw and did so many cool things.

As we were driving through the forest on our way to Tillamook from Portland, I realized we wouldn't be coming back this way since we were flying home from California. There wouldn't be another chance to enjoy the gorgeous scenery - this was it. 

It hit me then how much Life is like that. We can't go back; we can't return to an earlier time. NOW is the time to enjoy where we are, whatever our season in life. When things get a little chaotic (especially with school starting for the kids yesterday) I'm trying to remind myself of this - to enjoy where I am right now.

How do you make the most of where you are in life right now? What helps you find joy in the journey?

*Thanks to everybody who entered the contest last week! It was so much fun to read your answers about the cleanliness or absence of it in your cars and what bizarre things you've got stowed away in them. :) The winners are Sarah Forgrave and Rosslyn Elliott. Congrats ladies! I'll send along your prizes today.

Time for a Giveaway!

While my daughter and I were on a walk yesterday morning, we passed a parked car - an old Cadillac-looking type - that had a GIANT pine cone (see picture for size) sitting in the back window, which got me thinking about what stuff we have in our car.

To win one of two $15.00 Amazon e-gift cards, answer one of these questions in the comments: Are you currently storing something unusual in your car? Do you keep your car cleaner or messier than your house?

(Even though I'm kind of a neat freak, I'd have to say my house gets straightened way more often than my car does! At different times, the kids have had all sorts of little toys, feathers, and very old snacks stored in the various cubbies or crevices.)

The contest will close this Sunday, August 21st at midnight (MST) and I'll announce the two winners on my blog next Wednesday.

Hit the Road!

My hubby and I have spent A LOT of time in the car the last while. Between our vacation to South Dakota, a funeral in Nevada, and another in Idaho, I think we've driven something like 40 hours in the past five weeks!

With all this driving I've realized there are a few things I need to manage long car trips. The two things I must have are the IPOD and gum, specifically Trident spearmint gum. Runners up would be snacks - not any particular kind, just something yummy to munch on - and occasionally Dramamine (Did I mention I get carsick riding passenger to the store?). I'm looking forward to sticking close to home this week - with no drives over 10 minutes!

What things are essential for you on a long drive? What's the most time you've ever spent in the car?

Remembering

My 95-year-old grandmother passed away a week ago. Born in 1915, she lived during both world wars, the Great Depression, and all the advances in technology as well as raised six children.

She had a voracious appetite for reading, which I inherited, and would stay up very late to finish a book. Her hair was always strawberry blond, but just a year or two ago when we asked her where it came from (meaning who did she inherit it from), she said, "the kind that comes from a bottle." And I never knew!

As I've been thinking about her, I realize it isn't so much the things she accomplished or the places she lived that I remember but who she was as a person. Her faith, her quiet strength, her service, her unconditional love - those are the things she's left as her legacy. And while I hope my grandchildren will be able to one day say "Grandma was a published author," I hope, like my own grandmother, to pass on much more than what I did in life. I hope to pass on who I strived to be.

What traits or interests have you inherited from your parents or grandparents? What legacy do you want to pass on to future generations? What do you hope your children or grandchildren will say about you one day?