What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

I was running in the dark and squinting to see anything. The dim flashlight provided little help beyond the small circle it illuminated. In the dream everything was gray and hazy – mere shadows. I couldn’t see where I was going. I didn’t know what was beyond the next step. Suddenly, I realized I could turn my flashlight brighter with just the flip of a switch. Everything was instantly illuminated. I could see the trees and houses around me. I knew where I was going! Continue reading “What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do”

Italy Trip: Day 7 – Family Legacies

We started our day by attending mass at the smaller of the two churches in Gallo. We entered late and took a seat behind the only other four people attending. All older ladies.

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Michael, Josh, and I all wanted to go. Even though we knew we’d be unable to understand it, we wanted to sit in the place where perhaps Joseph Muccio attended as a young man. I’m learning so much family history through this trip and I can’t possibly share all the details, but here’s the basics…

Joseph Muccio was born in Gallo Matese and is the grandfather (or Puppo) of Michael Muccio, which makes him Josh’s great-grandfather and our children’s great-great-grandfather. He left Italy when he was just 17 years old to come to America where he settled in Pennsylvania and married his wife, who was also Italian.

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As I sat in the little church I don’t think God could’ve spoken to me more clearly if I had understood the words the priest was saying. Continue reading “Italy Trip: Day 7 – Family Legacies”

Italy Trip: Day 5 – Galleria Borghese & Pantheon

Today was lovely and restful. We weren’t trying to bang out a bunch of tourist spots and driving ourselves to exhaustion because of it. I am not a fan of feeling the pressure to see everything that’s here just because you are here! You’ve gotta build rest into your vacations.

The time difference has been hard when waking up in the morning, and in Rome restaurants don’t open for dinner before 7 or 7:30. Since you don’t want to go to sleep right after eating dinner, you stay up late. Plus, at home it’s not bed time. Our buffet every morning is from 7 to 9 AM. Today we made it down there at 9:05 AM. Aye… It’s like waking the dead. But, oh how I love those heavy blackout drapes!

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Josh napped after breakfast and I relaxed before we walked to Galleria Borghese. We ate a block of cheese and fresh bread on the way.

Continue reading “Italy Trip: Day 5 – Galleria Borghese & Pantheon”

Italy Trip: Day 4 – Pienza, Tuscany

Today has been amazing! We drove all over Siena, Tuscany tasting wine, climbing castles, and buying pecorino cheese & Italian leather. I am satisfied.

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I was growing a bit weary of the city and longing for some green. Josh and I booked a tour with Walks of Italy and I recommend it 110%. We’ve learned so much and enjoyed every single part of it. The views are gorgeous. The wine is delicious, and the lunch with the Italians prepared on their farm will be a forever memory. Continue reading “Italy Trip: Day 4 – Pienza, Tuscany”

Italy Trip : Day 3 – the Roman Forum & Colosseum

Today was both good and disappointing. Basically, the colosseum closed for a special event before we could get inside to see it. We did, however, see the Roman Forum and used the Rick Steves free audio tour to learn about it all.

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I purposely picked out a novel with Rome as the setting for this trip. Of course, I read the whole thing on the flight here, because I’m a book nerd, as my loving sister Kati calls me ?. Ancient Rome is intriguing and depressing all at the same time. Continue reading “Italy Trip : Day 3 – the Roman Forum & Colosseum”

Italy Trip: Day 2 – Rome & the Vatican

Food and art. Mmm… The two things that have drawn me to Italy. My sophomore year of college I took Art History with Professor Opp. And thanks to him I fell in love with Renaissance art and the Baroque period. Art History was not an easy course – it was challenging, which made me appreciate it all the more. I learned so much and knew that one day I’d have to see the works for myself.

When I stepped into St. Peter’s Basilica today and saw Bernini’s baldacchino (the bronze pavillion) I was amazed at the size! In class, I memorized artwork and artists and dates based on tiny pictures, and to see this piece in real life and so massively huge brought tears to my eyes. “I am here. I am in Italy,” I thought. It finally hit me.

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Continue reading “Italy Trip: Day 2 – Rome & the Vatican”

Italy Trip: Day 1 – Rome

Buongiorno! We arrived in Roma at 8:30 AM local time. My full amount of sleep on the plane was approximately 1 hour – ha!

The drive from the airport to our hotel was in Josh’s words “probably the scariest ride of my life.” I definitely expected crazy driving so I mostly laughed about it. Until we slammed on the brakes to keep from hitting pedestrians.

As our rooms were not ready at check in we left our bags with concierge and set out to find a bar for espresso and pastries. (Many thanks to Riccardo for his patience with us at check in and for knowing how to spell our last name!!! Yay! We are in Italia! I don’t have to spell out our name. That lasted all of 5 minutes when we got to concierge where the guy tried to put an “a” where the “o” should be ?)

On our walk to find food we happened upon a church at the Quattro Fontane (4 fountains – one on each corner of the small intersection) We stepped inside the small church and enjoyed the beauty of our first Roman sight. I picked up a few small cards as free souvenirs – pretty little artistic things – and the search for espresso and pastries continued.

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Continue reading “Italy Trip: Day 1 – Rome”

Faith vs. Obedience

Faith is a popular word. People like it. It’s a feel good word. Have faith. Keep the faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.

Faith is hope. Faith is trust. Faith is believing. We like these words and ideas. They inspire us.

Obedience is not such a popular word. It’s not found on the inspirational word art at your local Home Goods store. It doesn’t typically motivate or encourage. The connotation is nothing like that of “faith,” and yet, obedience is faith.

When you feel God calling you to let go of something – something you hold dear – it takes an act of obedience, but it is also a step of faith. It’s faith that God has something so much better on the other side of your obedience. It’s hoping, believing, and trusting that God is leading you to something greater.

When God says let go of that relationship, job, unforgiveness, or anxiety He is saying you have to let go, so that you can reach forward and walk into the fullness of something greater than you can even imagine.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV emphasis my own)

If we could imagine something greater, we would have no problem letting go.

Oftentimes we don’t recognize that what we have is incomparable to what we could have…. if only we took that step of faith – that step of obedience.

What is God calling you into? What does he have ahead of you? What do you need to let go of so you can reach forward with open hands and grasp the unimaginable?

keep the faith