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I'll Lead You Home

Wandering the road of desperate life
Aimlessly beneath the barren sky
Leave it to me, I'll lead you home
So afraid that you will not be found
It won't be long before your sun goes down
Just leave it to me, I'll lead you home

Chorus:
Hear me calling, Hear me calling
Just leave it to me, I'll lead you home

A troubled mind and a doubter's heart
You wonder how you ever got this far
Leave it to me, I'll lead you home
Vultures of darkness ate the crumbs you left
And you got no way to retrace your steps
Just leave it to me, I'll lead you home

Chorus:
Hear me calling, Hear me calling
You're lost and alone
Leave it to me, I'll lead you home

So let it go and turn it over to the one who chose to give his life for you
Leave it to me, I'll lead you home

So let it go and turn it over to the one who chose to give his life for you
Just leave it to me, I'll lead you home
Leave it to me, I'll lead you home

-Michael W. Smith and Wayne Kirkpatrick

View from the Clearing

View from the Clearing
Originally uploaded by kharms5253

This weekend I hiked up Granite Mountain with my Dad and his brother and sister. What a great view towards the top. This was from the clearing where we stopped for lunch. It was a beautiful day and a difficult hike.

I'm definitely paying for the hike today. My legs and back are incredibly sore. I have my first soccer game tonight too...I have a feeling I won't make it the full 90 minutes. I'll do my best though. :)

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Information about the hike: Granite Mountain

Highlights: Steep hike through forest and meadows to fire lookout with tremendous views.
Near: North Bend, WA
Scenery: Distance: 8 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 3800 ft
Hike Time: 5.5 to 7 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Trail Condition: Well maintained trail
HikeType: Out and Back

Summary: The trail starts off in the forest and climbs quickly. Although it is steep, it's a consistent elevation gain and there are many switchbacks, so the grade is not too terrible. At about one mile, the trail splits. Go right. You'll be in trees for another 1/2 mile. Then, the way opens up to switchbacks galore. Finally, the trail turns towards the right and you have a chance to admire the views. It is flatter here, too. The trail eventually turns back to the west. You'll come to several tarns with at least one campsite. Stay to the east of the tarns and to the north and east of the rocks. The trail will run close to the rocks and eventually climb through them, bringing you to the fire lookout at the top. Look for Rainier, Baker, Stuart, and the peaks around Snoqualmie Pass. You can also see a number of lakes.

Caution -- Avalanches can be a problem here until July.

Trailhead: Take 1-90 east from Seattle to exit 47. Take a left (north). Cross highway, go left (west). Trailhead is 0.5 miles ahead at the end of the road. Trailhead is shared with Pratt Lake trailhead. (Lat:47.397 Lon:-121.486)

There are more pictures from the hike in my flickr account. Just click on any of the photos to view my account and photostream.

-Cheers!

Why Stay Single?

This post explains why: http://melodymaker.posterous.com/the-reason-some-girls-stay-single-very-funny

Listen to the sound clip. It's totally worth your time. :)

News Flash or Update...whatever you want to call it

I haven't played in years...the last time I played I was doing 4 or 5 on a side soccer with girls. I haven't played a full field with 11 players in awhile. But I'm totally stoked for my first game on Monday. I know it won't be anything like the competitive soccer I played growing up, but it will still be a lot of fun and a good learning experience.

The team's name is Yo Mamma's Cleats and we're playing Co-Ed Division 5A soccer. Which means we're kind of competitive I think...not the types that have never played before. hmmm...Should be an interesting season. Games go through November and hopefully those who are playing this year will want to continue on in the years to come. :)

In other news...It's a three day weekend for me. Which translates to...time to clean and make my apartment look nice. Elisa is coming to visit this weekend. There's an opportunity to take pictures at the Korea Cultural Festival tomorrow...Sunday is hiking day. I think I just might die going up Granite Mtn, but who cares? I get to spend the day with my dad! He's driving all the way over from Idaho just for a day hike. I'm sure he'll be exhuasted but we're both pretty excited. Dave and Josh are coming too! It will be a great day and the weather is supposed to be nice and sunny all weekend long.

The start of school is just around the corner. I'm not ready, but I don't think I've ever really been prepared for what the new year brings. There are new faces, new problems to be solved and this year, add a team merge in and things will just be exciting and unpredictable.

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Today is also the anniversary of those terrible attacks 8 years ago. 9/11. What sad numbers. Forever attached to something that still haunts us all. I remember that day well, I was living in Minnesota at the time and about to take a biology test. Someone came in to tell us the news, but we continued on with the test anyway. When class was over I went to English next and from that point on the TV was on the rest of the day in all of my classes.

Seeing the footage was surreal. I kept thinking that can't be real...it's like the movies. But no...planes crashed, buildings collapsed and people died. These things have happened all over the world but never in the U.S. We were all shocked that something like this could ever happen to us. In fact, today when I see news about terrible things abroad...it still doesn't register the same way 9/11 did. It's a world away.

The event brought up a lot of quesitons about God and religion. For awhile it seemed that we were all clinging to something that would make sense...something that would explain these events. Many of us probably didn't get an answer or we didn't get one that satisfied us and made the pain go away. I know I hate it when that happens and I'm sure everyone else does too. It's a daily struggle to believe in something or someone that doesn't give me the answers and reasons I want to hear.

The problem of evil is something I ponder often. I still don't understand why evil exists...why people get hurt and why people who do nothing wrong suffer while some who do everything wrong receive great things. It's upside down isn't it? Someone I knew in college just received word that his cancer came back. I cry when I think about what he's going through right now. It's certainly not fair. I don't know what the larger plan is, but I think there is one. God can turn something bad into something good even if the results aren't right now. I have hope for something better and something more. There is something more isn't there?