My family and I love the mountains. As a child, my grandparents had a cabin in New Mexico and my favorite thing was to pull into the mountains late on a Friday night. The smell, the stars and knowing that a relaxing weekend with my grandparents was on the horizon gave me an overwhelming sense of peace. My family and I still visit those same mountain towns a few times each year. I have been pondering the mountains and what it is that I love so much about them.

• Time moves slower in the mountains. You don’t tend to see people scurrying around at quite the same pace as you do in the city.
• You can find alone places.
• In the mountains, you see beauty and gain perspective.
• There is the opportunity to rest, to simply abide. Busyness comes naturally to me. I have to train myself to just “be”.
• You can see more from the vantage point of the high places and you tend to notice more detail.

I love that the Father beckons us to the High Places. But as I think about it practically, it can be very daunting to approach the base of a mountain, knowing that that the journey to the High Places may be extremely difficult.

• No one can “carry” us to the High Places. You must make the journey yourself.
• It is difficult and at some points may seem to be more than we can handle.
• The journey puts priorities in order. You don’t carry unnecessary items to the High Places. It makes the burden too heavy.
• You go to the High Places on purpose. No one climbs a mountain by accident.
• Changes your perspective. You can see people and situations more clearly.

As we seek to know the Father on a deeper level, to try and get a glimpse of His perspective…we begin our own personal journey to the High Places. I believe this is a process that believers go through many times in their lifetime. There is so much to be gained in the journey, no matter how difficult it may be.

I remember a trek up the mountain with my family a few years ago and as we sat down for lunch our conversation changed my perspective forever. My children began to talk about all the beauty they had seen on the way up. As I listened to them, I realized that all I could remember seeing were the rocks we had to surmount and the dirt under my feet. I was focused on the trail, focused on the difficulty. What the Lord spoke to me that day, was that even in the journey, my focus must be on the destination. Even in our struggles if we will only lift up our heads there is beauty around us to help sustain us.

I don’t know where you are in your journey, but I am praying that you are on the trail to the High Places.  The High Places are where we are so near to Him that we can hear Him whisper plans and perspective to us. The High Places are where He fills us up and equips us for the next calling. Don’t give up. Don’t stop.  Pursue Him. I will see you on the trail…to the High Places.

My love,

Buy Candy’s book Rescue here! 

You can swim confidently into the murky waters of parenting teens! Rescue offers wisdom, encouragement, and practical applications. Working with a group of young “Lifeguards” throughout the book, Candy Gibbs gives struggling parents the life preservers they need to rescue teens from a drowning culture. With Biblical insights and Candy’s own creative techniques, Rescue is the “Noah’s Ark” of parenting books, ensuring that today’s teens will carry on a legacy of godliness to generations to come. Find out more!