The second week of my vacation/retreat started when I picked up my girlfriend, Tricia, in the airport and we drove from Sacramento to Redding. There is just something about road trips! We talked, sang, prayed and laughed all the way. We passed the town of Yolo and of course we had to shout “YOLO!” every time we saw a sign. Then we passed huge stacks of hay and of course we had to go, “Haaaay!” (obviously). This is what happens when you put two corny people in one vehicle for an extended period.
We also kept passing these fields of beautiful flowering trees and eventually curiosity got the better of us and we had to stop to find out what they were and take a picture. Turns out they were cherry trees and they were also highly secured with electric fences and surveillance cameras. (Don’t ask how we got the photo above).
The main purpose of our trip was to attend a conference at Bethel Church in Redding. However, we had a couple free days, so we decided to drive to the Trinity Shasta National Forest and Lake. More road trips! And beautiful scenery. It was a unique experience to see the landscape change to snow as we ascended the mountains.
Then there was the conference. It was epic! It was one of those times when you feel the weight of purpose over your life. We knew this was not a chance event; we were supposed to be there! Again, I was overcome with gratitude as I realized what a privilege it was to have a bff who is as excited as I am about Jesus. I don’t mean just to find someone who is a Christian. I mean a person who will get excited about spending her vacation at a church conference. A person who is intentional about investing in her spiritual growth. Not all Christians are like that, but Tricia certainly is and I’m thankful that she is in my life.
But before this turns into a really soppy post (puke), that’s not all that I was grateful for… There were hundreds of people from over forty-five countries at the conference who were just like us! It reminded me how important it is to find your peeps. Whatever your thing is, it’s important to find the people who are as crazy about it as you are. Whether it is Star Trek, running or rock collecting, find your peeps. Nothing will motivate you to go further and to hone your craft like gathering and sharing what you are passionate about with other like-minded individuals.
Well that brings my California trip to an end, but I expect this time of renewal and retooling will be bearing fruit for many months to come. I enjoyed sharing it with you and I hope it inspires you in some way to invest in yourself.
Joyfully,
Copyright 2018, Matik Nicholls.