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My daughter sent me this yesterday. Just read this column by sports writer Rick Reilly . This is the church at her best. And see if there isn’t some way God might show you to give yourself away to someone on a rocky road!

I couldn’t resist sharing this thought above. I love it and it’s a great reminder every day that we live. There is far more about God that we don’t know, than what we think we know. That’s especially true when we add in the conundrum of how much of God we think we know about him that isn’t even true. We just think it is.

It’s from a book I recommended a couple of months ago , called Paradox Lost . The whole book is designed to help us settle into the reality that our Father in heaven could never be cataloged in a book and just about the time we think we’ve figure him out. It’s a book I know many of you will enjoy.

That’s why we will find more joy in following him as he reveals himself, rather than following concepts of him that often disappoint us. I had a friend who often referred to God as Jehovah Tsdnikki. You’d have to be an old King James reader to fully appreciate that moniker. The way he shows up unexpectedly and the things he does to touch our lives defy our imaginations. That’s why trying to follow a God that meets your expectations will be horribly frustrating. I know, I did it for decades and spent a lot of time wallowing in the anger of disappointment. And there I missed so much of what he was still doing around me.

Realizing God is so much more than we can sort out at any stage in this life can set us at rest from trying to do so. Fortunately we have a God who wants to reveal himself to us in the smallest bits every day. I find greater joy walking in what he has revealed about himself than frustrating over what I don’t yet understand. When I pray, “Father I want to know you as you really are,” I find he answers that in the things I most need to see in the circumstances I’m facing. That often comes in conversations with others who are seeing things about him I haven’t discovered yet.

Figuring him out is an adventure we’ll never complete in this lifetime and our awareness of that can create a humility that doesn’t try to force our view on others. And we’ll not sort it out here. I’m hoping eternity will last long enough to maybe get to the end of him there, if getting to an end is even possible in eternity.

Saw this quote the other day, and it rings so true for me:

The most familiar books reveal more about themselves when we attend to them anew. And our growing experience allows us to approach our favorites from different angles. In a sense, rereading the same book produces new insights because the reader is a different person. Indeed, a good book is very much like a mirror: The glass is the same year after year, but the reflection in it changes over time.

Christopher Nelson, President of St. John’s College

And if it’s true than our favorite books are an incredible guide to what God is doing in our hearts. My favorite book is the Bible. I’ve been reading it for over 50 years, nearly every day and it marks well the course my journey has taken. Initially I was absorbed in the story of Jesus and then came upon a long stretch where I read it as a demanding rule book and came way from it either condemned by how far short I fell of its aspirations, or falsely convinced that i could live up to it on my own. Over the years, however, I’ve come to read it not as a rule book, but an unfolding revelation of God’s true nature and how it took thousands of years for us to even begin to see how good and gracious he is. That’s why when you read it you’ll notice that not everything humans thought of God turned out to be true. Jesus came to show us what he was really like and that made all the difference. In him we see the reality of the Father.

Now as I read though this amazing book I see continual insights about God’s passion for humanity, the process by which he changes us and that I don’t have to clean myself up for him. In fact my own best efforts can thwart what he really wants to do in me. And I love how each time I read it, even in the most familiar passages, something new comes into focus I hadn’t seen before. Just the other day Sara and I were reading a well-worn passage in my Bibles, Matthew 6, and we stumbled upon something we had never seen before about why God works in secret and why we might want to help others an unobtrusively as he does.

As I read the Bible now I not only seen humanity growing up to recognize who God really is, but I see my entire journey waking up to that same reality. What a journey it has been! The pages remind me of past misinterpretations that led me down dead ends, and newer insights that have allowed me to increasingly live in the beauty of his work in my life. I’m more patient with passages I don’t understand and refuse to get caught in speculations that we just don’t know yet. I’m relaxed about the fact that what is important in the Bible is very clear, and what is unclear isn’t that important.

It is a grand mirror indeed and a faithful companion on this journey of knowing him.

(Note: Wayne prepared a video series years ago to help people with this process of interpreting Scripture. It is free on line at The Jesus Lens .)

Sara and I will both be out of the office until May 18 and will not be able to fill orders for books or audio during that time. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience and delay and appreciate your patience. Orders sent in this week will be filled on May 18.

Inov-8 recently released their new Trailroc series that has quickly become popular amongst the hardcore trail running set. For Spring 2013, the company will add a lighter, more minimalist shoe to the collection, enabling your foot to better feel the ground for a more primal running experience.

Joining the Trailroc 235, 245, and 255 , the new Trailroc 150 combines the superior outsole grip design of the series with a super lightweight package, weighing in at only 150 grams or 5.3 oz. To achieve the weight, Inov-8 stripped out much of the midsole while keeping just the bare minimal amount of cushioning.

The Trailroc 150 outsole incorporates Inov-8's Tri-C technology where the sole is divided up into three separate areas using different types of rubber and cleat sizes. In areas of the outsole that typically experience the most wear, endurance rubber with large cleats is used.

On the outer sections of the outsole, a hard sticky rubber gives stability and grip while the toe and inner arch feature a soft, sticky rubber with smaller cleats to enable excellent grip on loose terrain and the hard base below. Combined with a zero-differential heel raise, you achieve a barefoot running experience without giving up on traction and protection.

The Inov-8 trail shoes feature an anatomic fit, allowing your foot to naturally spread on the ground for maximum surface area grip. The Met-Cradle lacing system uses webbing to secure your 1st and 5th metatarsals in natural alignment, while firmly holding your forefoot in place regardless of terrain. No black and blue big toenails here.

Keep an eye out for the Trailroc 150 sometime early 2013.

Setting up a wedding website is a must in today’s digital world. However, finding a good website service that understands weddings is a little tricky. If you want your website to look and feel like the real deal, stay away from the free themes and templates, and upgrade to a website provider that understands aesthetics, weddings, and how to build websites that work flawlessly.

We are excited to announce our collaboration with Riley & Grey, a luxury wedding website service that offers couples easy-to-use and stylish websites. We are also super happy to announce that Riley & Grey is offering the first 100 Junebug readers who sign up a 50% discount on a Riley & Grey website using the discount code: JUNEBUGSEPT. If you’re a newly engaged couple in need of a beautiful website, head on over to Riley & Grey and sign up today. Make sure to use the code JUNEBUGSEPT to get your 50% discount. Now for some beautiful website designs from Riley & Grey:

With luxury, limited-edition wedding websites, inspired by fashion and interior design, Riley & Grey is all about finding inspiration in unusual places and helping couples reflect their personal style. Purchasing a Riley & Grey website means you will benefit from their hands-on customer service on top of owning a beautifully designed website, they’ll even walk you through the set-up of your site– how great is that?! Having recently added even more stylish designs to their collection, Riley & Grey is the mecca of modern, eye-catching wedding website designs.

Completely mobile friendly, Riley & Grey websites can do just about anything, including collecting guest addresses and managing RSVPs.

Personalize your website to fit your wedding. We are loving this tropical theme for a beach/destination wedding. How cute?!

With an easy-to-use interface, setting up and personalizing your Riley & Grey website is a breeze!

Make sure to follow the Riley Grey blog for inspiration and fun design tips. You can also follow their stylish Instagram account (@rileyandgrey) for daily bits of inspiration and more!

Thanks Riley & Grey for giving couples the best option out their when it comes to wedding websites.

See more Wedding Paper Divas Inspiration

Real Wedding: Kari & Jay
Ask Etta: Multi-Faith Weddings
Real Weddings: Elizabeth & Ross

If you are currently planning your 2013 wedding then you might love this week’s sweet Pantone Nectarine. This hue would be wonderful for a spring or summer wedding paired with some ivory and hints of grey. Here are some of our favorite peach wedding invitations and wedding photographs to inspire you during your planning process.

Which invitation would you choose?

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Style Swoon: Coral Drop Earrings
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-Sponsored Post-

Happy Halloween! This is my favorite day of the year! The day that you can be whatever and whoever you want to be. It’s also a day that celebrates the macabre… so for all of you lovers out there who are a bit obsessed with the dark side, I have 3 perfect printable cards for you. Ideal for gifting to your sinister significant other on the morning of your wedding, or any ol’ day that calls for a little extra love! As always, I’ve relied on my trusty Canon PIXMA MG7720 to make the printing of these cards look fabulous!

Simple DIY | Free Printable Haunting Love Cards

SUPPLIES:

Canon PIXMA MG7720 Wireless All-in-One Printer
8.5″ x 11″ Cardstock
8.5″ x 11″ Paper
A2 Sized Envelopes
Paper Trimmer
Corner Punch
Glue Stick
Scissors
Our free printable designs at the end of the post!

Print + Cut

At the end of the post, click to download all three “haunting love card” designs including the three different envelope liners. Print your choice of card design onto 8.5″ x 11″ cardstock. I love the speed and precision of my Canon PIXMA MG7720 Wireless All-in-One Printer , I also love that it’s gold! Using a paper trimmer, trim on the lines provided and then fold the card in half.

Round The Corners

Round the corners of the cards using your favorite corner punch. While this step is optional, I think it adds a special little something.

Make The Liner

Print your choice of envelope liner onto regular weight paper, not cardstock. Then trace your envelope and cut out the shape about 1/8″ inside the tracing line. This can be done with ANY shape/size envelope. Slip the liner inside the envelope and glue it down to the top flap of the envelope only, that way when the envelope is folded the liner won’t bunch up!

Done

That’s it. That’s all there is to it. Making a special card for your favorite ghoul is quick and easy, especially when you have a great printer and a super cute design!

DIY TUTORIAL SPONSORED BY:

Canon U.S.A., Inc. prides itself on allowing consumers to create and preserve beautiful imagery, from capture to print. With wireless technology and seamless printing capabilities, you can print your photos and printables with precision and ease.

As with all our DIY tutorials, if you create one of our projects please send us a picture – We Love Seeing Your Creativity! If you use Instagram or Twitter please use the hashtag #SomethingTurquoiseDIY and it will show up on our Get Social page. Happy Crafting!

DIY Tutorial Credits

Photography + DIY Tutorial: Jen Carreiro of Something Turquoise // Canon PIXMA MG7720 Wireless All-in-One Printer: courtesy of Canon // Card Designs: Julia Ensign // 8.5″ x 11″ Cardstock/Paper and A2 Envelopes in (Beet, Chartreuse, Curry): Paper Source // Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper: Amazon // Fiskars Paper Trimmer + Scissors: Amazon // Nail Polish: OPI – Withstands the Test of Thyme

Shop The Supplies:

Find the supplies you’ll need for this project from our affiliate links below:

Good morning you lovely lot!
Happy halloweeeeeeeeeeen ! Well, today is not your usual Cwtch of the Week. As it is the 31st October, we figured that a normal, warm, safe cwtch would just not be satisfactory. Today we want gruesome. We want weird. We want scary and creepy, wrapped up in a big halloween terrifying cwtch!

So, when the super crazy talented Jenna McDonnell had a chat with our very own fabulous Maria Farrelly , we knew there was going to be something awesome about to happen. Jenna is the most fabulously talented make up artist! You have to check her out. In the meantime, enjoy your Halloween Cwtch of the Week. This wonderful bride, is not so much sharing a cwtch with an other human, but instead, some kind of inner beast, clawing at her face to get out!!

Enjoy! Mwwwwaaaaahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!

The Scary Bride

and some more……just because……..

A friend of mine from Wales, sent me the following piece written by John Fischer about our engagement with the world. This piece teems with the message and spirit of Jesus. For those that thought the November elections in the US were a major Christian victory, this might give us pause and consider just what message we are sending to the world in the name of our Savior:

For some time now it seems to have been very important to many people in the church and in Christian circles that the world is wrong. As a result, a good deal of effort has been put into trying to fight the wrong in order to overcome it and make right prevail. This has been unfortunate in some ways for our mission in the world, which is to spread the good news of Christ’s forgiveness to all because of the cross, and invite people to become followers of Christ. As a result, a confusing mixed-message has gone out. Something like: We love you and want to let you know that Christ died for your sins; we really don’t like you unless you see things the way we do.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid the second message has been much louder than the first. It’s become more important to make society Christian than to make Christians in society.

There’s one way to a quick attitude change that will help us get back on track with our mission. Think of the world as being not wrong as much as it is lost, and “lost” is the operative word.

When someone is wrong, the other’s job is to set that person right. Do you have anybody like this in your life—someone who is out to set you straight in some area? How happy are you to see this person as a general rule? This attitude creates a very conditional relationship and one in which the person who is “right” is always better. In contrast, when someone is lost, the other’s job is to find that person, and believe me, someone coming to my rescue is a much more welcome sight than someone coming as my judge.

Jesus stated His mission was as one coming to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10). He loved the lost. He told lots of stories about lost things: a coin (Luke 15:8-10), a pearl in a field (Matthew 13:44-46), one sheep among a hundred (Luke 15:3-7), and one son who was lost—who when he came home, was not touted for being wrong, but was celebrated for having been found (Luke 15:11-27)!

God’s heart is really big. He’s already dealt with the right vs. wrong thing on the cross. No need to spend a lot of time proving what we already know about everyone including ourselves: that we’re all wrong. Let’s get back to finding people who are lost, and the joy of being found ourselves (because we were lost, too). I think that will be much closer to our mission.

When Jesus looked at the world he didn’t see bad people needing to be fixed, but he wept over them with deep compassion as those who are “harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.” When you get that, you will simply be his witness in the world, even when you’re not trying to be.

At Interbike this year, I was given a pair of the new RPM bike shorts from SUGOI to test out. Since the show in September, I have been wearing the bike shorts for training rides around Marin, my bike commute to the climbing gym in the city and I even wore them for Levi's GranFondo (picture below). I can now safely say these bike shorts have changed my riding life…

Let me back up a little here. Ever since I began riding, I have lived with "saddle pain", believing it was all just part of the sport. Without going into too much detail, pressure from the saddle had been concentrated way far forward of my sit bones where it ideally should have been. Because of this pain, I have had trouble going for longer rides and also riding consecutive days as I needed time to let the pain subside.

Enter the women's version of the new SUGOI RPM bike shorts. During my first ride with the RPM bike shorts, I was frankly astonished that I had no pain and could actually feel that all the pressure was concentrated back on my sit bones.

I can only think that this relief must be due to the construction of the S.1000 chamois. The chamois appears to be better contoured to a female specific body with no unnecessary extra padding to create bad pressure points, as was happening with my Pearl Izumi bikes shorts (see comparison below).

In addition to the contoured chamois, the SUGOI RPM bike shorts use compression technology to offer your muscles some extra support as you ride. I could really feel the compression technology at work for the first couple of rides but the bike shorts seemed to get just a tiny bit looser with every wash. Because of this, you might want to consider getting one size smaller knowing they will eventually loosen up.

I enjoyed the feel of the super sleek P3 fabric used in the RPM bike shorts as well as the silicone dot free hems. The P3 fabric is treated with a wicking finish that works in conjunction with the ventilated air channels in the S.1000 chamois to keep you from getting soggy diaper syndrome on long, hot rides. I could actually feel the sweat being wicked to the back of my bike shorts where it eventually evaporated away.

Bottom Line: The SUGOI RPM is a great mid-level range bike short. I found the S.1000 chamois to be extremely comfortable compared to my older Pearl Izumi bike shorts and I really like the compression technology. Again, you might want to order a size smaller than you normally do as the bike shorts seem to loosen up a bit over time.

The SUGOI RPM bike shorts will come in both a men's and women's version and be released in time for Spring. The men will also get the option of a RPM bib short version. The bike shorts will retail for roughly $70 and the bib shorts for roughly $90.

Pauline and Julien’s interactive approach to their wedding in Champs, France is a great example of throwing a community-focused celebration that is truly personal, enjoyable, and unforgettable. The couple ditched a traditional vow exchange, wanting to keep those words close to their chests, and instead played an intimate concert for their friends and family. From a pink DIY photo booth to a ceremony arch of peonies, sunflowers, and eucalyptus, every carefully crafted detail served to add a sense of sweetness to the woodland wedding.

The Couple:

Pauline and Julien

The Wedding:

Private Residence, Champs, France

Working with Baptiste Hauville ( You Made My Day ) was fun and natural. We had a real crush for his work and we were not disappointed! As our profession Julien and I are being usually quite behind our cameras and we were a bit apprehensive concerning moments of shooting couple. Baptiste put us at ease and it was a very nice moment. Baptiste is super cool guy, attentive, very discreet while being everywhere and there when needed.

Our ceremony remains the most moving memory of our wedding. It was organized and orchestrated by our two witnesses with some speeches of our closest family and best friend. Julien and I played the guitar and piano of the three songs we had chosen, along with our friends on vocals. It was unique to share it with them and to be fully actor of our ceremony. Julien and I did not want to verbally express ourselves about our feelings in front of everybody…playing music together was for us just as strong.

We wanted both of us to invest 200% in the preparation of our wedding because the most important for us was to have a wedding that looks like us. We agreed from the beginning on the idea of our marriage: a personal outdoor ceremony, a lot of flowers, no seating plan for the dinner, no table service, but a sort of open-air garden party!

The best advice we could give to engaged people is to make the marriage they really want, the marriage which is like them, even if it does not please everyone. Let your desires express themselves, whether original or not is not what matters. This day is yours and you need to feel it. And we advise you to assist you with your family our friends. Give a real role to your witnesses, they will be delighted to participate and you more reassure.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – You Made My Day
Venue – Private Residence
Floral Design – Les Fleurs de Pauline
Catering – Gauthier Traiteur
Cake – Caroline Bourgeois
Live Music – Les Gadjos
Videography – Less is More Film
Wedding Dress – Laure de Sagazan
Bridal Accessories – Colizée Manfield
Groom’s Apparel – Ami

Congrats to Pauline and Julien on their wedding in Champs, France! For more woodland wedding inspiration, check out Magda and Michal’s romantic rustic Polish wedding at Wierzbowe Ranczo .

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Sara and I left Germany this morning and arrived in Switzerland. The previous day we trained down to the southern border of Germany and were taken on a beautiful drive through the Black Forest. What a great time we had! Then this morning we took a train into Switzerland. That’s us outside the capital city of Bern before we spent the midday touring the city. We climbed to the top of the Cathedral tower in the background for a breathtaking, if not queasy, view of the area.

I had such a tremendous time in Germany. The ‘Jake’ book has become a huge seller there and most people I met with had already read it and were ready to interact with me about its content. I was so blessed by the people I met, the hunger they had, and their openness to follow Jesus instead of the rituals or demands of religion.

I love it that Jesus is stirring a common passion all over the world. It is not being led by any person, but the Holy Spirt is disillusioning people with the emptiness of our religious dogma and practice, to invite us into a real relationship with him. The only frustrating part of the trip was being unable to speak the language and not spending enough time in each place to get to know people as well as I hoped. But I was warmly and graciously received by people all over the country.

Now we are holed up in the village of Vallorbe along the French border west of Lausanne. This is the view out of the home we’re staying in. And what’s more, we actually get five nights sleeping in the same bed! How fun is that?

I realize a lot of well-meaning people think that fear will endear people to God. They pull out any passage that can be interpreted to terrify people, thinking that fear will lead people to holiness. Well-meaning perhaps, but horribly ignorant of the Gospel itself. Jesus taught us that only love leads to holiness. Fear will not draw people to God. It will either draw them away from him, or it will make them so focused on their failures that they can’t find mercy and grace when they need it most.

The entire Bible story was written to draw people out of their fear and feelings of condemnation when they think of God, to see him as a loving Father drawing them into his love and his reality. Look at Jesus. When he was among us he was not terrifying people with his power, but reaching out to them “as harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.” I am so sick of religious teachers twisting that story by pulling out those moments where God has to intrude into human history to preserve a line of salvation and concluding that they define his nature. His actions are still one intent on rescue, not destruction.

A few days ago I received an email from Germany written by a young woman who finds some of the more ominous passages in Scripture undermines her freedom to trust God’s love. Here’s what she wrote:

I emailed you last year shortly after reading your book He Loves Me the first time. I love your book! Since I read it, I am trying to change my perspective and “live loved”. I really want to live my life for God and do His will without fear. But I have a problem with different fears since I am a child. Right now, I am seeing a therapist for it (he`s not a Christian) and we are working on it. I think God is working on me, too. I realize His love especially through brothers and sisters that I meet and circumstances. However, there are still great fears in me because of passages in the Bible that I do not understand. They really disturb me and make it harder for me to believe in a loving Father.

The passages I am talking about are where God hardens the heart of Pharaoh, Romans 9, the story of Annanias and Sapphira, God trying to kill Moses, God saying he loves Jacob but hates Esau, the fate of Judas, the passage in Matthew 7 where Jesus warns that not everyone calling on His name will be saved, and some passages in Hebrews. Reading all these passages create a fear in me that God may choose to harden my heart as well, or suddenly punish me one day or make me “an object of his wrath — prepared for destruction” (Romans 9) – for I know that there are still dark sides in my heart, that I am far from perfect, and not obedient all the time. I really fear that I might get lost or loose my faith one day, that God chooses to do so because of my sins & doubts.

In this regard, I thought about Judas a lot. Did he ever had a chance? Was he meant to get lost since the day of his birth? And finally, how do I know I am a “real believer” and do not have to fear Jesus warnings in Matthew 7?

I am often telling myself Bible verses that speak of Gods love and that I do not have a Spirit of fear. I also think of your words that fear never does make anyone holy. I talked to some Christian friends about my fears and they said that we will never understand God completely and that I just have to trust & obey him. They said that “nobody can take me out of His hand”, but I wonder, is that true? What about my doubts and sins – can they not take me out of His hand? I am really trying to learn to trust God but whenever I think of those passages I feel discouraged and fearful. These fears make me doubt God and in the end, I do not only feel awful because of my fears, but also because of my doubts, which in turn increase the fear again that God leaves me/hardens me because of my doubts, and thus, this becomes an endless circle.

I am telling God about my struggles often and ask Him often to give me a trustful, fear-free heart, but obviously, it does not happen yet. I am telling myself that He is still working on me but sometimes I fail to believe that. How can I loose my doubts and fears and trust God whole-heartedly, knowing that He will not leave me?

It’s easy to understand why these passages cause such concern. It’s just like the alcoholic father who comes home and beats his wife and kids. He may only do it every few months, but if he does it at all, his family will live on pins and needles always afraid when he comes home that this might be the angry dad. I hate that religion has made our God look like that and creates an environment where people have to either totally trust God or be terrified of him. It isn’t honest and it causes paralyzing fear in people God simply wants to invite to know him better as he teaches them how to live in his love and grow in their trust.

Here’s what I wrote back to this young woman. Perhaps it will be helpful to others of you as well:

There are many more passages (even in the Old Testament) about God’s “lovingkindness is better than life”, where his faithfulness is great, and where his love endures forever. You’re pulling out the most extreme circumstances and applying them in ways they were not meant to. Of course it would take a while to drill down into all of those stories and explain what’s really going on there as a loving Father is trying to keep creation from falling into complete darkness and preserving his work of redemption in the world. His actions in these moments are like a surgeon removing a cancer that will spread, than an abusive dad blowing up in his anger. I recorded a video series (8 hours +) to help people work through all of this. I know that is a lot of time, but it is at least free. It’s called The Jesus Lens and seeks to help people interpret passages like these through the eyes of Jesus. It will help, but I realize it will take some time.

Part of the problem may be that you feel as if you must trust God whole-heartedly and never have doubt. Wouldn’t that be awesome? But it is also unrealistic. God wins us into ever-deepening layers of trust as we grow more secure in his love. Jesus is the “author and finisher” of our faith, because we can’t do it on our own. We all have doubts and God does not reject us for it. Instead he wants to be invited into our doubts, where we can pray, “What is it about your love God, that if I understood it, I would not have this doubt.” This is a journey out of fear and doubt into love and trust. It is a lifetime journey. You can relax in this process as he teaches you. Look at Jesus’ patience with the disciples when they kept misunderstanding what he was about. He gently kept inviting them in closer so they could relax in his love.

Don’t try to completely trust him. Just trust him today as much as you can. Be honest about your doubts and know that he sees you as his beloved daughter and he wants to teach you how to respond to his love and grow in trust.

I don’t believe Judas was condemned at birth. God might have known the choices he mad,e but he was not forced int to hem. Scripture makes clear that God always responds to the slightest attempts to look to him and follow him. Focus on those passages that demonstrate his magnificent love. Those that provoke fear, ignore for a time. Ask God to show you what’s really going on there in his time. But know that his perfect love casts out fear. Fear will not serve you today in any way God wants access to your life. Fear drives us from him not toward him. He doesn’t need it. You don’t need it. Your heart is his or you wouldn’t write the things you write here.

How will you know? Look to him. Watch how Jesus treats the people around him, especially those who are struggling to believe him. Listen to your own heart as his Spirit lets you know how the Father feels about you. You don’t have to trust what others say, or sort through competing conclusions from Scripture. Simply knowing him will make it absolutely clear to you.

I pray you will have the freedom to relax in his love. Walk in it where you see it today. Let the passages you do understand shape your heart, and put those you don’t understand on a shelf until God makes them clear to you. Do so again tomorrow and you’ll find your freedom growing.

The EVERmore represents Patagonia's initial foray into the more minimalist footwear market. These lightweight trail shoes are great for runners who might be looking to transition to zero drop footwear or for those who have already gone minimalist but want a touch more underfoot protection on technical terrain or long runs. For the past couple of months, I have been wearing my EVERmore for both hiking and running the trails around San Francisco.

With an almost complete durable mesh upper, the EVERmore are extremely breathable and also drain quite quickly during those wet spring trail sessions. I can see these trail shoes remaining in my rotation throughout the summer as they are so lightweight and keep your feet from overheating.

For those of you not quite ready for the full "barefoot" trail running experience, the very flexible EVERmore feature a 4mm drop that serves as a good transition shoe and encourage midfoot striking to work on your minimalist running style. The trail shoes are cushioned yet low profile enough to still offer good ground feel.

The 2mm footbed and forefoot rock plate protect your feet from any sharp rocks on the trail, while the EVERtough tacky rubber sole has climbing lugs in the forefoot and rear-facing braking lugs in the heel for better traction both up and down the trail. I found these trail shoes provided stable footing through mud, water, and even loose rock.

The EVERmore are designed with an interesting shape. The shoes are very tight in the midfoot with quite a bit of arch support, then a very roomy toe box and a somewhat sloppy heel, almost like a figure 8. The trail shoes feel a bit weird when you put them on at first but are actually quite comfortable when hiking or running, leaving no hot spot areas.

One of our male testers actually found the fit to be a bit different, with both a tighter midfoot and heel cup. He found that keeping the laces relatively and counterintuitively loose gave your toes ample freedom to move around and offered a more comfortable ride.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a lightweight, comfortable, minimalist type shoe that is a little more burly for the technical trails as either a trail runner or light hiker, check out the EVERmore from Patagonia. If you have a generally wide foot, you might find the midfoot too tight for your liking.

The men's and women's EVERmore retails for $110 and is available now.

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