Enjoying the life in your years...

In the last few weeks before it gets too cold to enjoy the outdoors, myself and the other interns have tried to appreciate the sights of Beijing as much as possible. So before anything, let me attempt to paint for you a picture of this massive city...people from every culture and background; skyscrapers and apartments stretching on for miles; an international world with embassies and food from every country you can think of; the majestic architectural works of ancient emperors and empresses; traffic filled with crazy drivers and honking that seems to last for days; and then there's the little taste of American culture with a Starbuck's, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen or KFC on every corner...So as you can probably imagine, as the cultural, political, financial and historical centerpiece of China, the city is full of so many wonderful places to see and explore.

So what did we decide to see first? Well as some of you know, one of my initial connections to China stems from my love for the giant panda at an early age. So where does one go to find her favorite Chinese animal? Well...unfortunately, pandas don't just roam the city as one might hope, but the Beijing Zoo is definitely a great second option. So my friends and I set off for the Zoo one Sunday afternoon after church. It was a beautiful place to explore, filled with several lake and park areas and much vegetation and flowers...

The Beijing Zoo is one of the oldest and largest zoos in all of China (being built in the early 1900s and housing over 14,000 animals from ALL over the world) so there was plenty to see...

Red panda

South China Tiger

East Asia Lion

And there were thousands of other animals to see as well and many of them could even be found in the Knoxville Zoo, but there was one kind of animal that can't be found in Knoxville, and in my opinion, it was the star of the Beijing Zoo...the giant panda!!

Don't you wish you could just pack them up and bring them home?? I sure did...

After recovering from my excitement of seeing these cuddly bears, a few weekends later, several of us decided to embrace public transportation and headed off to the Summer Palace for the day.

It was stunning, and though I had been there last summer, it was still worth the trip. The sky was absolutely beautiful, and as we walked around, all I could think of was Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God;

 The skies proclaim the work of His hands.

We got to see the ancient buildings of the Chinese empire and even the Buddha that the emperors and empresses worshiped during their visits in the summer months...

Overall we had a wonderful time and really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Chinese culture and the vibrantly colorful history they have along with the beauty of the surrounding landscape and city.

When looking back on the last few weeks, I am reminded of a quote by Abraham Lincoln...

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count.

It's the life in your years.

In my opinion, President Lincoln couldn't have been more right. As I reflect on my life, I am reminded of how important it is to live life to the very fullest. Whether it be exploring the world around you, spending quality time with friends and family, listening to the gleeful laughter of children, or enjoying God's beautiful creation, life isn't about how many years you get to live and experience, but what you do with those years. These days my prayer for myself is that I might find the freedom from my busy schedule to experience this wonderful life I was created to see and explore. 

And I pray this for you as well. Today, may you dive deep into the world around you; may you see for yourself what awaits you in these years; may you recognize that God has created you to live a life of more fullness and joy than you ever dreamed of; and may you look for ways to enjoy the life in your years. ...