Future of Forestry

Hey all! So, yes it has been forever since I've posted anything and I don't necessarily expect a whole lot of people to pay attention to this and "no" I'm not making any more statements right now about how "I'm going to try to post a lot more now" and stuff like that. I just don't know what's going to happen. I would love to, but there are so many things for me to do. Does anyone else identify with having so many things to do that you just feel that you can't get them all done without exhausting yourself? Better question: Does anyone not identify with this?

How should I spend my time? I feel so often that I should be doing constructive things every second that I'm awake, but isn't that just a perfectionist attitude? Isn't it important to have no plans, no agenda sometimes? Isn't it important to relax without having to force yourself to relax?

I was recently on a church conference/retreat in Duluth and I went to a session there called "Getaway Like Jesus." In this session, we studied and discussed many Jesus' numerous "getaways." These were the times where he would leave to pray to His Father or to focus on His disciples or maybe even (what a shocking thought) to relax and recharge! Anyway, I was convicted that I need to take more time to go off and pray and be in solitude and try just not speaking for an hour. Can you imagine how difficult that will be for Uber-extroverted me?!! However, I think it is important to rest from speaking and to allow the hectic thoughts of the mind to be soothed. We live in such a high-energy, "GO! GO! GO!" society, that I think we've forgotten what it's like to be quiet. Maybe this is sort of what God was talking about when He said in Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God..."

So, even a week and a half later I have still not followed through on taking that time of solitude, but I hope that it is coming soon. Ultimately, I think it'll be about making time for that solitude that I need.

Now, for the reason I originally started writing this post: my favorite band, Future of Forestry has just released its new album entitled Travel. The name Future of Forestry comes from an obscure C.S. Lewis poem about a time in the future when the trees are gone and industry and "progress" has taken over everything. I think this is actually very symbolic of what I've been talking about in this post. It is symbolic of what can happen inside of us. If we are so focused on work and progress, we will slowly "destroy" beauty that was once there: the beauty of being a to pause in a hectic world and be still before God.

Future of Forestry is an excellent band in many ways and they mean very much to me.

So, take some time to relax and enjoy the free music at the bottom of the page!