I like going for walks. They help me think. If I'm upset about something, walking helps me sort things out. When I have writer's block, I go for a walk, and by the time I get back, I know where my story should go next. And besides that, I just enjoy being outdoors. I rarely listen to music when I walk, and one of my friends asked once why I don't. At the time, I wasn't sure how to explain.

I've found that when I'm walking, if I have headphones on and music playing, I can't see very well. That's not to say my eyesight suffers. The music distracts me, allows me to shut myself up in my own little world. And I don't see all the wonderful things around me. I don't stop to enjoy God's creation, and don't think to praise Him for it.

I feel like I'm living with headphones on my heart. I get distracted too easily by modern conveniences. I never watch the sun set--having lights on all the time means I never know when it's going down. I spend too much time on the computer or watching TV. Living in real houses makes me feel cut off from the world. Part of me says that God has provided many of these things to make our lives easier, and that I should be thankful. I can say the words, but am I?

Not really. I find that I'm happier living at camp, where mothers are shocked at how "rustic" our cabins are. Or in Liberia, where we lived without electricity or running water. Things seem more real in those places.

"Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart." I used to take that to mean, "Be what I see." But this summer it took on a new meaning. Be my vision, my sight. Be what I see, but also how I see. Lord, take my eyes and give me Yours. Let me see the world the way You see it.