Walk by faith... (and not by sight)

I love shoes... Like in that Emelda Marcos, could fill an entire house full of shoes and still want more, buy the most impractical pair in the world just because they are fun, kind of way. I used to pick out the ones with heels, they were my favorite, mostly because I lived in America, where I could drive from one place to another and only had to walk a few steps in them. Now I prefer shoes that are more practical, because every day I hike a pretty good ways, whether I'm walking to the bus stop or walking to work.
The funny thing about my love for shoes is that I have an equally strong dislike for feet. They are just gross to me. They are usually smelly, caloused, sweaty; and no amount of painting or primping does them much good. Sure, from far away they look okay, but get them up close and I'm still pretty grossed out by them.
The Bible talks a lot about feet. In the Old Testament people were required to take off their shoes and often wash their feet when entering a place that was considered holy. Feet were important in the book of Joshua when they needed stop the water so the Ark could cross the Jordan River. Isaiah extols them as beautiful, Psalms says that my feet can be like those of deer, and countless other references mention feet as a source of firm standing and security.
Feet were also referenced when talking about sin. Feet often times carried a sinner to their sin (Isaiah and Jeremiah make countless references to feet that didnt stay at home, feet that wandered or ran to evil).
So I started thinking, something that is usually dangerous to my laziness and desire to do nothing, about the uses of feet. Obviously they are for walking, running, jumping, dancing, etc... I thought a little more and realized that there is something wonderful about the idea of walking by faith. That faith that I imagine walking by isnt the kind of faith that believes only when its easy, or when its going my way. Its the kind of faith that can move mountains, the faith that takes every word that God has spoken as truth, and believes that God is going to do exactly what He has promised to do. And the journey.... probably not only through the green pastures and by the still waters. Sure, there are going to be seasons of that, but there are also going to be mountains deep and valleys high, rocks, mudslides, hurricanes and typhoons that interrupt the walk.
This is the walk I want. That is the faith I want. I'm even willing to wear ugly shoes to survive the walk... Besides, God said my feet were beautiful... I'm going to believe that one.

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news. "

A Picture is worth a thousand words

some pictures from the last few weeks
Phil and I after a wedding of one of our local friends

My friend Tracy who came for a visit. Our day at the bowling alley. I won, by the way! The guys were shocked!
Courtney and I decided to sumo! It was hysterical... and so much fun.