Merry Christmas...

A very Merry (belated) Christmas to you all!

I truly hope that each of you were able to see and savor the wonder of the Incarnation this season.

I am currently sitting in the house I grew up in here in Cape Coral, FL. South Florida is such a wonderful place to go to for Christmas vacation...the weather is extraordinary. And we've had some cold days (some 30 degree weather) but overall it has been simply gorgeous over my 9 days here. And I am sad to leave...sad to leave my family once again. And I really don't know when I'll be back or when I'll get to see my parents again. So I'm very thankful for the time I've had down here.

Tomorrow (actually today) morning I'm leaving for Montgomery, AL, for my buddy's wedding, which is on New Years day. I'm pretty pumped for it, and really excited for him.

I will be updating this blog before too long, and there will be another post more in depth about my time here. I've been able to do quite a bit: go kayaking a few times-once getting lost (which is a great story), once with my dad (which was fun) and once at the beach where I witnessed an incredible act of nature (which you'll just have to wait for); also was able to spend some good time with friends who are moving to various places in the country, play a lot of games with the family, replace my broken phone with a new one, play a round of golf, catch up with some old friends from church, celebrate Christmas with my family (even my sister over Skype!).

It really was a good time...it just flew by. So I'll post again to share some good stories from some of those mentioned moments. And hopefully I'll have a video made as well. Plus, there should be a bit about the wedding!

So, again Merry Christmas and if I don't get around to posting in the next couple of days, Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy the festivities of the season and are able to celebrate the coming of our Savior.

Finally, I challenge you to create some legitimate goals and resolutions for the new year. Things that you can actually follow through with and be held accountable to. I always have too many of them and nothing gets accomplished. At this time I find myself with as many as ever...my "New Year's Resolutions" are a combination of little to do's, new habits to form and bigger picture things. I get nowhere with this compilation of ways to better myself.

This New Year's I challenge you to sincerely pray that God would show you one or two things that you need to work on and add to or take away from your life. Pray that He would empower you to push toward that goal in 2011 and that He would give you accountability to help you get there.

That's all for now,

-b garrison

RECAP: exploring sydney: cliff top walk

Many of you may know that this past summer I had the amazing opportunity to travel around Australia for a couple of weeks. We arrived in Sydney on June 13 and, while we were a little out of it from the jet lag, we still managed to have a pretty productive day. The 14th (a Monday) was jam packed from 4:30 in the morning (watching the Australia vs Germany World Cup game live on the big screen at Darling Harbour) into the later hours of the night. We had spent the day discovering Sydney's many beautiful parks and gardens, gazing upon the inspiring Opera House and surrounding harbor, enjoying a gorgeous ferry ride to Manly Beach and a long trek around the peninsula.


I remember returning to Sydney on the last ferry of the evening, the stars were out, the moon was a lovely crescent overlooking these silent sea gulls which glided beside us the entire journey. The three of us stood at the front of the ferry to catch the view. We were all loaded with groceries at the time and definitely exhausted from our long day in which we had to have walked at least 15 miles. It was a bit cold standing in the front, but it was peaceful, very calm, standing at the front of the boat  which tipped up and down ever so gently. I can remember my mind was melodically processing all it had registered over the past few days. The sea can do that to a man...or at least it can to me. It puts me at ease within myself. As if I belong to its systematic rhythm.


And then we saw it in the distance, the stunning glow of the Sydney Opera House. It is a whole different experience to see the piece of architecture at night under the gaze of the moon. It was lit up in these purple lights which washed over the Opera House like the ocean. It was a really cool effect and it looked pretty magical coming into the harbor being greeted by something so spectacular, with the big city looking over its shoulder. I can remember our ferry coming in toward the port, Circular Quay (pronounced "key"), just marveling at the romance of the city. It was so majestic. The Harbour Bridge is a pretty sweet spectacle as well. It is so big...giving the city a genuine feeling of safety.


We were tired. But coming into port from Manly, in the dark of the night was a tremendous experience. We wandered down toward this area of the city called the Rocks. It is an awesome place! Basically there are parts of old historic Sydney that are still there and there are new buildings which have been built within or on top of old Sydney. So the Rocks is this great experience of restaurants, pubs, apartments, and office buildings that have a unique feel. Now that I'm writing I realize how hard it is to explain, but it is a really cool area...and you'll just have to take my word on that.


We discovered three crucial things while going through there:
1) There was this awesome international cuisine festival going on throughout the Rocks that night. Everything looked and smelled so good. I was so upset to have groceries in my hand at that point. The streets were filled with tent after tent of flavorful smells. Mmmmm.
2) We ran into a tent where a guy was selling licorice. We stayed and talked to him for a bit and he ended up letting us taste through his entire display of licorices. They were so good. We finally bought a few ropes of it. But I remember that guy so vividly; a very engaging older man who kept cutting us off pieces to taste.
3) On our way back toward our hostel we ran past this pub which had a sign on it for $10 steak dinners on Tuesday nights...which after our time in Australia thus far, we had realized was a really good price for a restaurant in a legit area. So we walked in, talked to the bartender who happened to be American, and he hooked us up with a reservation for the next night (which was Tuesday) at a table up on the balcony, which overlooked the Opera House. So that whole discovery ended up being the means to an entirely other amazing experience the next night.


I write all this (as you wonder what it all has to do with the "cliff top walk" title at the top) to give you context of what happened next. I can remember sitting on this big rock by the harbor as it was late at night and we were trying to figure out what we were going to do the next day. Some of the ideas were: trying to get out to the Blue Mountains somehow, go to the zoo and aquarium, go to the outback and see some kangaroos and aborigines, or go to Bondi Beach. Now I had this guide book, which really was a big help and I recommend it , by Frommer's, which was telling me that Bondi Beach and the cliff top walk along the coast was a must see. And so, after some discussion, Bondi was in and the others were out.


Let me just say how happy I am that we made that decision. For so many reasons.


Both the map and video below can give you as small visual taste of our time on the Bondi  to Coogee walk. Most of the icons on the map have pictures if you click on them, which gives you a bit of a visual picture of the walk.

View Exploring Sydney - Cliff Top Walk in a larger map

We took a bus the next morning from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach. This was a very different beach from Manly...it had a strong commercial feel to it, even though it was pretty empty (since it was the middle of winter and pretty early in the morning). We just sat and relaxed for a while. I took pictures, Scott read, Joel took a nap. It was so peaceful out there, which is rare for Bondi. In the summer Bondi is crowded with 35,000 people an any given day. Crazy! 

After a while we decided to start our walk. Our goal was to get to Coogee Beach where our hostel was putting on a cookout, which meant free food. It was remarkable as the day went on how many people we saw walking and running the pathway coined the "cliff top walk". So many runners, just really active people. We started walking up hill away from the beach and the views became magnified. There was something special about the way the golden sand meshed with the topaz ocean. The sun glazed over the waters melting the sea and sky together into a harmonious blue tint. It was magnificent.

And we walked and walked. I was continually stunned by my surroundings. Was I really taking a stroll on the cliffs of a beautiful beach in Australia?! Each cliff that jutted out to a view told me that I was simply observing a living photograph. The colors and shapes seemed to perfect to be real at times. My mind was racing of ways I could live along that area. I actually ran into a lady who was originally from Britain but had been living in this beautiful home here on the coast and I envied her. It soon came to my understanding that I would never live in Bondi Beach...but it was fun to pretend for a little while.

Needless to say, there was a certain feel along those cliffs that really energized me and ignited an excitement and vigor for life within the deeper parts of me. I love the ocean and the beach and Bondi had hit the spot! 

There is a lot more to our walk that I could rattle on about. You'll notice on the pictures that we pass through a huge cemetery. It was pretty cool to take a look at. People born as early as 1850. We also passed a bowling green, which was awesome to observe for a bit...seems like such a gentleman's game. Also, I saw the most colorful wild bird I had ever seen in my life, we hung out with people from our hostel as we grilled out on the barbie, and we tested out my newly purchased boomerang in the sand. I can also remember some great conversation we had.

Most of my thoughts, as we returned to Bondi Beach from the cookout at Coogee, were fixed on the people from our hostel who were obviously so lost. The hostel culture in Australia is actually quite sad, and it was tough for me to watch. We were really surrounded by a bunch of kids who are searching for a place to belong, a place to feel happiness, excitement, a place to get away from what's familiar. In Sydney we stayed in a 30-bed male/female dorm room. Sometimes, I'll be honest, it made me cry to see how everyone lived. I thought about that a lot as we walked back to Bondi. I thought about the task I've been given to bring the news which reaches into the heart of this longing. The great responsibility to live life to it's max each day, no matter where I am. That God has great plans for me...and those plans always involve the Gospel.

Whether we are in Australia or our very home, we have been given the task of living a life which reflects the glory of God and points others to Christ who gives life and breath to all who are weary, worn out, confused and lost. As beautiful as the Australia coast is, it does not compare to the magnitude of a human soul...and that is what caused me to marvel. That the inexplicably wondrous sights I had before me could not compare to the masterpiece of human life. The most beautiful part of our adventure was actually each person we encountered along the way.

-b garrison

back to work

Well, I am back at Covenant as we close up the first semester. Things seem to get hectic, in a fun, Christmas-like way, these last few weeks.

Just had a few videos and pictures from Thanksgiving to share. The first is a brief look at my snowy Thanksgiving in Washington:

And a picture with me and my grandparents at the airport:

Here are some pictures from the Salt Lake City airport:

Once I arrived in Nashville I took a shuttle to Chattanooga, but my flight delay brought me in at 2 a.m. and therefore, without a ride. So, I decided to hike up Lookout Mountain from St. Elmo, up to Covenant College. And I did so successfully...finishing in 1 hour and 28 minutes. Wasn't too bad; a 2000 foot climb in pitch dark at 2 in the morning with it being 30 degrees outside. Pretty sweet experience actually. One for the bucket list.
Here's a short clip of my finish:

That's about all for now...be expecting some recaps in the near future.

-b garrison

goodbye to the northwest

It is sad to leave...for many reasons:

To say goodbye to dearly loved family who I don't get to see very often; to walk away from the northwest once again after a short lived visit; to leave a relaxing Thanksgiving break and head back to work; and to bid farewell the wonderful food which I have been feasting on the last four days (which included rib-eye steak, razor clams, Steelhead fish, fresh corn, baked potatoes, pineapple upside-down cake, Grandpa's hotcakes to name a few...oh and let's not forget the Thanksgiving meal and leftovers!)

However, my time was good and I can leave with a smile on my face for the good quality time I was able to have with my grandparents and aunt. And I hope to return soon; I feel as if the Northwest is always calling me back and I can never get enough.

Right now I'm in the Salt Lake City airport waiting for my delayed flight...only delayed one hour, not too bad. Hard to believe that after this entire year my 25th flight is the first to be delayed. I have certainly been blessed in my travelling. The airport in Salt Lake is really pretty to fly into and even to sit in. Right now I'm just sitting next to a big window where a long mountain range is my background. And it's covered in snow which makes it all the more magical as the sun sets its glow upon it.It's 27 degrees here in Utah and 32 degrees when I left Kennewick, so...still cold, just not as cold. And after having single digits for a couple of days this really isn't bad at all.

It appears that Chattanooga is finally getting cold as it might get below freezing overnight tonight. We've had such a warm autumn.

Well, I just overheard that they are beginning to board my flight so I gotta get going.

----------------------------------------------------------

A couple of hours later now and guess what...I'm finishing this blog from the air! Over the holidays, Google Chrome is giving free internet on Delta flights, pretty sweet, eh? And as a user and avid supporter of Google Chrome (or just Google in general) I want to throw out a plug for Google Chrome, what I believe to be the best web browser out there. There it is.

So this portion of the blog is coming to you from somewhere over Utah or Colorado perhaps. Not really sure, plus it's dark outside so I cannot really tell. Just had a pretty long conversation with the woman sitting next to me about a lot of different things. I honestly felt like she just needed someone to talk to and share things with, and I really appreciated listening.

Yesterday my Aunt Karen and I went around Kennewick a bit to take some pictures in the snow. We drove up to Jump Off Joe, the hill in the background of the city, and took pictures of the huge windmills and snowy fields. It was pretty, but cold and overcast. We then drove down by the Columbia River for a bit. The next batch of pictures are from those places.

We got continual snow through out the week, including quite a bit on Thanksgiving. We got some little "iceballs", as my grandpa called them, yesterday...a mix between snow and sleet. I guess in the south we'd call that a wintry mix. One thing for sure...all the snow has certainly put me in the mood for Christmas! And I cannot wait to get back because the last few weeks of December are completely packed with Christmas festivities.

Well, that's about all I got for now. I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving where ever you are and that you gave thanks to the Lord for His many blessings to us.


Cheers.

-b garrison

Washington here I come...

In the last two months I have been blessed to take a spontaneous trip to south FL, a kayaking trip to Charleston, SC, a backpacking trip to NC, a weekend staying in downtown Chattanooga for a missions conference, and last weekend at a retreat on the Ocoee River.

This week I'm in Washington state. And it's cold here. At the moment I'm in Kennewick, one of the "tri-cities" in the southeastern portion of the state, by the Columbia River. I flew into Spokane greeted by a foot of snow and single digit temperatures. Both are pretty unnatural to this time of year...in fact I believe that the temperature has been record low for the last couple of days. However, I'm really loving the snow...it is a beautiful layer of frosting over everything around; the view is so much more appealing from inside than the frigid temperatures once I open the door.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am very blessed to be able to spend it with family, my grandparents and aunt, especially family that I don't get to see that often. There's not much more to this trip than that...I'm so thankful to be able to share this week with them.

And the snow is a cool addition. 14 inches of it at the moment. And it has been snowing on and off throughout the last couple of days. It was sunny for a few hours this morning and I took a walk for a while until I couldn't feel my hands anymore. The sun created a coat of sparkling glitter on the surface of the ground...and the pine trees looked like vanilla ice cream cones. It's funny to think what a little bit of frozen rain can do to a landscape.

Just now the TV had an alert that said "Beware of freezing fog"...what? I've never heard of such a thing, but apparently it happens.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-b garrison

RECAP: road trip nz - queenstown to christchurch

Hello, hello.

This is the first of a few (I hope) recaps of my past trips. I really have wanted to give more details to my travels, so this is my first attempt at that.

Looking back at my trip this past summer I can only say that I was very blessed to have such an opportunity...but, oh, do I want to go back.

The following video and map are a recap of the last two days we were in New Zealand. We had spectacular weather most of the time. On the map you should be able to zoom in and follow my trip a bit. The red line was our day trip to Queenstown from Cromwell and the blue line is our final drive from Cromwell to Christchurch to turn in the rental car. Each of the camera icons represent a picture which you can click on and see where the exact location of the picture is. The TV icons represent videos. So click on them and check them out.

View RoadTrip New Zealand: Queenstown to Christchurch in a larger map

Well, that's all I have for now. More recaps to come. And more updates of my upcoming trip to Washington as well, as I will be leaving on Monday evening from Atlanta and flying in to Spokane. I cannot wait.


Sweetness.
-b garrison

the Roan Highlands

Hello to all!

It has been a few weeks and life seems to be moving faster than ever. Last weekend myself and four other guys (Chris, Jared, Dan, and Micah) went on an all dude RA backpacking trip to the Roan Highlands...a beautiful region where the Appalachian Trail travels from Carver's Gap, TN into the city of Roan Mountain, NC. This is a portion of the AT I have hiked 4 times now and it never gets old. But this time in particular was simply spectacular; the most beautiful weather I've ever had here. 

And it really is a blessing to have had such good weather for all three days out there. Last year for this same RA trip we didn't have a lick of good weather...just thick fog and intense wind. The year before we had just one good day of weather. So this year, not only was I thrilled for the sunshine, but I had forgotten how beautiful this hike is and how glorious the sun shines on the golden balds in autumn. 

We drove the 4 hours from Chattanooga to Carver's Gap Friday evening getting in around 10 pm to set up our tents and call it a night. It was pretty chilly, but crystal clear throughout the sky. The stars were stunning. It's been a long time since I've seen such a bright sky. We got a decent rest and woke up to a cold and crisp morning. But once the sun came out, the day weather became really enjoyable. We got on the trail around 10 AM because we really didn't have that long to go. Once we got started it was immediate excitement for all of us as we hiked up to 5800' and beautiful views from Round Bald and Jane Bald. I was continually stopping to take in all the views around us. 

We took a break to do devotions on top of a rocky portion of Jane Bald. We read through Isaiah 40, and certain verses really stuck out in the midst of such raw beauty.

⁴ Every valley shall be raised up, 

every mountain and hill made low; 

the rough ground shall become level, 

   the rugged places a plain. 

⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, 

   and all people will see it together. 

 For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

²¹ Do you not know? Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

   Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,

   and its people are like grasshoppers.

He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,

   and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

²³ He brings princes to naught

   and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

²⁴ No sooner are they planted,

   no sooner are they sown,

   no sooner do they take root in the ground,

than he blows on them and they wither,

   and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

 ²⁵ “To whom will you compare me?

   Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

²⁶ Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:

   Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one

   and calls forth each of them by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,

   not one of them is missing.
²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

   the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

   and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary

   and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,

   and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD

   will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

   they will run and not grow weary,

   they will walk and not be faint.

So much of this passage just cries out to the majesty and wonder of the Creator God and reading this amidst the wonder and vastness around us made this so real to me. Creation is so beautiful and huge, but it is NOTHING compared to the hugeness and greatness of God.

The rest of our hike took us down to the Overmountain Shelter, or the "Barn", where we stayed the night. We got in fairly early so we had time for some individual solitude, gathering of firewood and preparation of the "sweat lodge". A sweat lodge is a homemade sauna/steambath. You simply heat up a few rocks in a campfire, then place them in an open space, sitting around them in a circle and placing a tarp over the circle. When you pour water over the rocks it creates a steam that gets trapped in the tarp and cleans out your pores. It's an old backpacker trick for taking a shower and cleansing the body. And did it feel great after a day on the trail! 

We had a good evening with a great dinner cooked over the fire. And I slept great that night. There is something really special about a campfire...it collects comradery and demands vulnerability from those around it. There's a real comfort that speaks through the flames and enhances conversation as chunks of wood become burning coals.

The next day was rough. We had only hiked 5 1/2 miles the day before so it was a big jump to push 12 miles with 2000' of elevation change multiple times. We hiked straight up for a mile which gave us terrific views of the "Barn" as we looked back into the valley. After about another mile we had reached the peak of Little Hump Mtn. A beautiful grassy bald which allows complete 360 views around you. Simply stunning vistas in the crisp mountain air. In the deep distance was Grandfather Mountain, a famous North Carolina mountain. It's jagged crest looked like a puzzle piece against the ripe blue sky. 

The wind was too intense to hang out for long at the top so we quickly descended and came into another valley at the base of Big Hump Mountain which we began ascending almost as soon as we had stopped descending Little Hump. This is quite a climb. About a mile of straight upward trail. But certainly a beautiful sight. I really love letting others go way in front of me so that I can see them trek ahead of me looking like tiny ants heading up the trail. That's the cool thing about the Roan Highlands is that the higher altitudes are complete grassy plains and balds which gives you full sight of the trail ahead and behind and complete views around you. There are very few places that allow you to see where you are going and where you have come from, even 10 miles away.

We peaked Big Hump, did some devotions, and ate lunch. Met a through hiker who has been out since mid May. On our way back we kept running into him at different rest areas and had interspersed conversations. I always find it a real privilege to meet a through hiker on the trail. There is so much experience in that one human being, yet there is so much peace and chill excitement in their eyes and voice. Each step they take is another cool piece of the journey, but they don't make it anything bigger than it really is...after being on the trail for 6 months there's a certain composure that is evident. Yet, in the Roan Highlands there never ceases to be a "Whoa!" among through hikers. Because the beauty there is so unlike anything you will ever see in the South or in the entire East for that matter. 

So we hiked back down Big Hump, up Little Hump, down Little Hump and then all the way back from where we had come the day before...a lot of uphill. But the beauty made it bearable. We finally got back to the car around 4 pm and that was that. Another great trip...and a much needed outdoor adventure. My first backpacking trip of the fall, long overdue, but the addition of my kayak has kept me from the backpack recently. And honestly, that's not too bad a trade.

So here's a short video of our hike:

A map of this portion of the trail:

View Male RA Backpacking Trip in a larger map

And go to this link for more pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026852&id=146900198

Well...that's all I have for now. My next planned travel is to Washington state for Thanksgiving break to visit my Grandparents. I cannot wait to get out there.

But until then I will say farewell, 

-b garrison