The beauty of southern Iowa

Again somewhat later than planned, we departed Macomb, Illinois around 4pm this evening and got on the road. We had thought to perhaps camp on the banks of a man-made lake outside of Pella, Iowa, but once there we decided instead to tour the town square, take some pictures with the local monuments, and then move along down the road. The sunset was breathtaking, and I wish that I could have done it justice with a point and shoot camera in a car traveling at nearly 70 mph, but it just was not going to happen.



We arrived to Ames around 9:15pm and decided to head straight for my buddy Kyle's place in the northern part of the city. Tomorrow will bring some errands and other fun things to catch up on, but more importantly the memories of time well spent in a wonderful place here in the middle of corn and soybeans. For those who have never traveled to the great state of Iowa, I offer the surrounding photos of Pella as proof of its majesty and uniqueness. And when it comes to farming, there is a great deal more to it than meets the eye. I loved the one experience that I had to try it thanks to Kyle's father, but in the end accidentally moved a gas tank where it never should have gone, and then took down a telephone pole. As I said, many great memories....



Being here however has not yet lead me to grapple with the questions that have led us on this journey, and thus I wonder whether this will change over the course of the weekend we will spend here. Sometimes the familiarity of old places leads us to fall into old patterns, and we are not even aware of the lives that we are living, and much less of how we are living them. For this reason, perhaps it is good to step outside of our element, at least every once in a while to open our minds to other possibilities: other ways of thinking and living. Life is endlessly full of new opportunities and possibilities, and sometimes it takes getting beyond what we have always done. I have heard it said a lot lately that "doing what you have done will get you what you always have gotten." Hence, if you want something new and different, you have to change your choices and behavior.

Do it now! Change the way you approach your life every day. Even though it is harder to change the way you live in your life than it is to change the surroundings, doing this can still make a difference. What are your goals and dreams? What are you seeking to become and what are you actually becoming as a result of your choices? None of us are victims to our circumstances unless we choose to be, and we cannot benefit from our circumstances either unless we choose to take advantage of them. So go for it! Lead your life. Make choices differently today and see what else you might become. Make your life extraordinary!!!