“There is a rawness and wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don’t listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second rate life and want you to do the same so they won’t feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long, it’s to live.

Jesus says the options are clear. On one side, there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in your hearth, stay inside and stay warm and safe and dry. Or you can hear the voice of adventure – God’s Adventure.

Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God’s impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference. Sure it isn’t safe, but what is?” – Max Lucado

Regardless of your spiritual frame of reference, I thought you might like this excerpt my Dad emailed me from his daily reflections book, “Grace For The Moment”.

While watching the sun rise over the Taj Mahal last weekend, with a brand new soul sister and fellow Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer, I felt such gratitude for this Adventure of Hope. Every day brings new opportunities to see the world and to build connections with my fellow volunteers; the inspiring people who run NGOs like Sympameals, Thuy’s Dream, and CanSupport; my amazing international volunteer partners and hopefully, all of you.

What about you? Is there a voice of adventure buried somewhere beneath your obligations and the stresses of your day to day life? What is it saying?

Here are a few more of my favourite pictures from last weekend…