It’s not all fun and games but rather strategy. Fitness for me started as my coping mechanism when I was young. Sports helped clear my mind and training helped me process my emotions. It was a vital part of my health plan. Now I may not spend as much time in the iron gym but I have found ways to stay fit from a functional perspective. I haul around hundreds of pounds of veggies weekly, I do still train lightly from my home gym most days but my favourite is hitting the mountains and hiking and throwing rocks around. I trained all my life to live the life I’m living now. Praise God! It has its pro’s and con’s as every “dream life” eventually exposes but I do want to say some things still ring true no matter where I have lived and no matter what the stress. There is a cure that is everlasting.
Finding peace, purpose, and a higher perspective in a world that never seems to slow down
There is something beautiful about getting above the noise.
Whether it is hiking into the mountains, walking through the forest, sitting beside a lake, or simply taking a quiet moment with God, there comes a point when we realize how much of our lives have been consumed by the things happening around us. Believe me, I’m gulity of this too. It’s easy to get consumed by news, and the never ending exposure of evil in the world. I ask myself all the time… I know, why do I give it so much space. Well, my honest answer is it’s prayer points, it’s asking God what I can do about it. Do I jump at everything? No, I can’t solve all the world’s problems. I was never meant to and neither were you. We are limited and we know it but not powerless in terms of the health of our soul- through clothing ourselves in Christ and the power He gave us. Each of us are given our own personal projects to make this place better for those who we are all called to serve. Some are called to leadership and some are called to nurture the details. We can not be all things to all people at all times and over the years I have played different rolls at different times but am just as limited by the 24 hours in a day as you are. Sometimes I find God’s ways entertaining and quite interesting in His role call. You just never know what exactly you might be called to but you can be assured that when you are starting to feel overwhelmed you are outside of scope. Jesus said His yoke was easy, so when things get difficult you can ask Him what needs adjusting and He will help you see so you can make the appropriate shifts.
The conversations.
The headlines.
The opinions.
The expectations.
The endless distractions.
We live in a world that constantly demands our attention. Everyone seems to have something to say, something to prove, or something they want us to believe. The truth has been traded in for compromises.
These past years have given me a lot of valuable lessons. The truth is the truth no matter what people want to play around with. Whether they want to claim “love is love” or every perversion is acceptable.
Watching the decay of our culture and our countries has been a sad reality and I really don’t think anyone thought it could get this bad but it was written in Revelations so in some ways it’s a releif that indeed every word in that book is real even if you don’t quite see the reality of it all at first. It sure is motivating to read and watch it unfold knowing that you are His child and you will be safe in His arms no matter what happens.
I mean you can warn people until you loose your voice but eventually you feel like silence is the best place to be. Understanding why Jesus didn’t fight with people has become very relatable. He had a few that were willing to go with Him but the majority was just there for the show. They didn’t actually want to do what He said. It’s been hard to watch people choose death over and over. When Paul told us not to even eat with such people- 1 Corinthians 5:1 he was warning us of the reality of the exhaustion and the temptation to fall into entrapments.
Yes, it’s been a time of great division and people want everyone to get along but how can anyone with moral standards sit along with those who mock God or blatantly speak of murder as a religion. I can’t and I won’t. It’s not hate, its sanity safety. Yes, my group has changed but my life has improved 100 percent walking away from people who refuse to acknowledge the truth of the Word of God. There couldn’t more evidence of God than ever before in history than there is right now. It’s crazy having conversations with those who refuse to believe and repent. I do understand blindness so I do have compassion but with limits. At some point all I can say is good luck with that. God is real and so is hell, you can’t save anyone from eternal hell you can only tell them and fight daily to stay in line with the Lord. Love doesn’t call us to enable or to lie. Love is sometimes silent and lets God reveal Himself to those He chooses to save. God did not say everyone would be saved that’s why there is so many warnings in the Bible. It’s clear as day to see this truth now. Accepting it for me was the hard part but I accept now and understand letting go is part of God’s peace plan of surrender. I’m grateful He tells us to do this, it really releases us from being the saviour of other peoples bad decisions. I feel like I spent all my 20’s and 30’s trying to help and save people. Teach them to eat good, exercise, be healthy, pray and so on only to met with mockery and hard evil hearts. No, not everyone but many- many- many! I couldn’t take it so I ran to the mountains to pray that God would bring me people who wanted to do good, who loved Him and that would climb these mountains without the need of a beer in hand. I just wanted to be healthy and whole. I wish I could tell you that was easy….. well in one part it was, God gave me a church family to replace the one I lost and he gave me friends that would be healthy with me. It has come with lots of struggle but worth it even for this hike I am posting. I have learned to be more private, and I understand, everyone is on their own journey, but not everyone is going to be joining me on mine, and that’s ok.
Sometimes you just have to take those who understand and go above the noise. You have to understand that everyone has a choice and when they are given the truth and they make the choice to disregard it, you shake yourself off and move on. I can tell you if you also feel you need a change and just want to find people who are more aligned with you, PRAY! Only God knows who should be in your life and test the fruit in their life. God might surprise you who He sends but know, He’s working it out and He will not leave you alone forever. You may need to drop old friends so you can have ones that will help you grow into who He made you to be. It’s a journey and trusting Him will come with various test. Trusting Him is worth the discomfort at first. He will come through.
The noise can become overwhelming but God
There is a lot happening in the world right now.
People are concerned about their health, their families, their finances, their freedoms, and the future. Conversations can become heated, and it seems increasingly difficult to have an honest discussion without someone feeling the need to defend their position but there is always an answer in the Bible to help us navigate these situations.
Proverbs 26:4 “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him”
Social media can make it even more overwhelming. Yet it gives us confirmation of prophesy:
We can spend hours scrolling through information, opinions, arguments, and stories that leave us feeling more anxious than informed.
2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
And somewhere along the way, we can lose sight of what is happening right in front of us.
The beautiful things.
The people we love.
The opportunities to grow.
The blessings God has placed in our lives.
We were never meant to carry every concern in the world at once.
There is a difference between being informed and being consumed.
There is a difference between caring about what is happening and allowing the noise to steal our peace.
Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is step back, take a deep breath, and remember that our lives are about more than what is happening in the news. Believe me, I remind myself of this often. Take deep breaths, cry if you have to, actually make sure you do still cry. This world is messed and if you don’t cry sometimes you could be suffering from a hardened heart. Ask God to protect your heart as it doesn’t need to consume us but when tragedy happens, it’s healthy to feel sorrowful and lean on others as you mourn. From someone who has lost so many people in the last few years believe me, it’s devastating and you will need to cry, it’s part of God’s healing framework. It helps you release the pain in your body. It’s the living water flowing through to heal you. Crying comes with a promise that the pain will not last so let it flow so the pain can go.
“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” Psalm 126:5-6
There is something about the mountains
I have always appreciated the way nature can bring things into perspective.
When you begin hiking higher into the mountains, the world below starts to look different.
The roads become smaller.
The buildings become distant.
The noise fades.
Getting that mountain top perspective is what God calls us to do in terms of sitting with Him and remembering all of His promises for His children… those who believe and follow Jesus Christ. He has a plan, He told us what it was, He warned us about the days we are living in now and we can trust His every word so obey and trust him.
Psalm 46:10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
And suddenly, you can see things you could not see from the bottom.
There is something about standing above the clouds, looking across the mountains, and realizing how much beauty exists beyond the everyday distractions.
It reminds me that sometimes we need to change our surroundings to change our perspective.
We need to get outside.
We need to move our bodies.
We need to breathe fresh air.
We need to experience the beauty of creation instead of spending all our time listening to the chaos of the world.
And we need to remember that God is not limited by the things that overwhelm us.
The mountains remind me that there is a bigger picture.
Psalm 121:1-2 says:
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from where my help comes from. My help comes from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” —
The hills are beautiful, but our help comes from the One who created them.
That is an important distinction.
Creation can remind us of God, but it is God Himself who gives us strength, wisdom, and direction.
Going higher begins in the heart
Going higher is not necessarily about climbing a mountain.
It is about choosing a different way to live.
It is about refusing to let bitterness, fear, anger, and constant distraction become the things that shape our hearts.
It is about learning to recognize which voices are leading us toward truth and which ones are pulling us into confusion.
Sometimes going higher means choosing not to participate in an argument.
Sometimes it means stepping away from a conversation that is no longer productive.
Sometimes it means being willing to listen to someone who sees things differently.
And sometimes it means being quiet long enough to recognize that we do not have all the answers.
There is freedom in not having to respond to everything.
There is wisdom in knowing when to speak and when to walk away.
And there is strength in allowing God to work in us before we try to change everything around us.
Proverbs 4:23 reminds us:
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” — KJV
What we allow into our hearts matters.
The conversations we participate in matter.
The thoughts we entertain matter.
The things we repeatedly watch, listen to, and believe can influence how we see ourselves, how we treat others, and how we respond to the world.
Going higher means becoming more intentional about what we allow to shape us.
Wide awake, but not overwhelmed
There is something refreshing about meeting people who are genuinely interested in what is happening around them.
People who ask questions.
People who are willing to learn.
People who are not afraid to discuss different perspectives.
People who care about their communities, their families, their health, and the future.
I appreciate conversations where people can bring their experiences to the table without needing everyone to agree.We can learn from one another. We can share information. We can ask better questions. We can challenge ideas while still treating people with respect.
Being awake to what is happening in the world does not mean living in a constant state of alarm.
It means being discerning.
It means seeking truth without becoming consumed by fear.
It means remembering that not every headline deserves our attention, not every opinion deserves a response, and not every disagreement needs to become a battle.
We can care deeply about what is happening while still choosing peace.
We can stand for what we believe without losing compassion for people who believe differently.
And we can remain grounded in our faith when the world around us feels uncertain.
God has given us more than a mind
Our health is not just about the physical body.
It is not just about what we eat, how much we exercise, or how many hours we sleep.
Our thoughts, relationships, spiritual life, and daily environment also influence how we experience life.
When we are constantly overwhelmed, our bodies can feel the effects.
Stress can influence sleep, mood, energy, and our ability to concentrate.
That is why I believe it is important to take a more holistic approach to wellness.
Feed your body nourishing food.
Get outside.
Move your body.
Spend time with people who encourage growth.
Make room for rest.
And most importantly, make time for God- Read your Bible.
We need more than another distraction.
We need a foundation.
We need wisdom to understand what is happening around us and the discernment to know what deserves our attention.
James 1:5 says:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” — KJV
We do not have to figure everything out on our own.
We can ask God for wisdom.
We can pray for direction.
We can seek understanding.
And we can trust Him even when we do not know what comes next.
The higher view changes how we live
When you begin to see life from a higher perspective, the little things start to matter more.
A good conversation.
A home-cooked meal.
A walk in the sunshine.
A friend who genuinely cares.
A moment of laughter.
A prayer shared with someone who needs encouragement.
These things may seem small, but they are part of what makes life meaningful.
We can become so focused on what is wrong that we forget to appreciate what is good.
We can become so concerned about the future that we forget to live in the present.
And we can spend so much time trying to understand the world that we forget to nurture the people and relationships God has placed in our lives.
Going higher reminds us to look beyond the immediate.
It reminds us that our purpose is not simply to react to everything happening around us.
Our purpose is to grow in wisdom, love, faith, and understanding.
To become people who bring encouragement instead of discouragement.
People who bring hope instead of fear.
People who are willing to serve, support, and pray for one another.
People who are not afraid to stand for truth but who understand that truth should never become an excuse to abandon love.
Looking unto Jesus
Ultimately, the highest perspective is not found in a mountain view, a quiet retreat, or even the most peaceful place on earth.
It is found in looking to Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2 says:
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” — KJV
When we look to Him, we are reminded that our lives have a purpose beyond the circumstances we are facing.
We are reminded that we do not have to be controlled by fear.
We are reminded that we can choose forgiveness.
We are reminded that we can grow through difficult seasons.
And we are reminded that God is still working, even when we cannot see the full picture.
Sometimes the noise around us is loud because we have forgotten where to look.
We have been looking at the problems.
Looking at the opinions.
Looking at the uncertainty.
Looking at what everyone else is doing.
But what if we lifted our eyes?
What if we spent more time seeking God’s wisdom than consuming endless information?
What if we made room for prayer, Scripture, meaningful conversations, and the beauty of creation?
What if we chose to become people who live from a place of peace rather than constantly reacting to the world around us?
A little higher, a little closer
I think there is something powerful about choosing to go higher.
Higher in our thinking.
Higher in our understanding.
Higher in our relationships.
Higher in our faith.
Not higher in pride, but higher in perspective.
The world will always have noise.
There will always be opinions.
There will always be things we cannot control.
But we can choose how we respond.
We can choose to protect our peace without becoming disconnected from reality.
We can choose to seek truth without becoming consumed by fear.
We can choose to nourish our bodies, strengthen our minds, and spend time with people who encourage us to grow.
And we can choose to keep our eyes on God.
So perhaps it is time to step away from the noise for a little while.
Go for a hike.
Take the scenic route.
Sit beside the water.
Have a meaningful conversation.
Open your Bible.
Pray.
Give thanks for the life you have been given.
And remember that there is a higher view.
A view that reminds us of what truly matters.
A view that brings our hearts back to peace.
A view that helps us see beyond the distractions and into the beauty of God’s purpose.
Let’s keep going higher.
Above the noise.
Above the fear.
Above the distractions.
And closer to the One who created us.
Because sometimes the best way to find our way forward is to lift our eyes and remember where our help comes from.
God is good.
And there is so much more to life than the noise…. Remember
“Be still, and know that I am God…” — Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
If you need an adventure getaway I have some great spots I’d be happy to share. Reach out claire@clairerae.com
