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We give Him thanks

by | Jul 20, 2012 | Uncategorized

Sunset on Puget Sound

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, 
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 36:5

photo by Maxine from Oregon
used by permission

Searching and waiting

by | Jul 17, 2012 | Uncategorized

I was talking and sharing with my husband the other day about my blog.
This blog that was birthed through prayer and through a deep searching of my heart.
At the time I began this in Two thousand and ten
there was a deep grief that settled around my world.
Actually between my husbands mother being ill with cancer and relationships changing in our circle of friends.
Both my husband and I walked in a fog for months.
Grief followed me wherever I went.
I am not sure I could count how many times church became a place for tears.
Like a shadow reflecting off my bent spirit
I couldn’t get the grief to move away.
In the Two thousand and ten blog book some of the deepest writings took place.
God was making me move deeper into a place of searching and thinking and it was hard but also very good.
I remember every time I wanted to write the struggle between truth and confusion took place.
I would sit at the table with my bible open with my notebook and pen and paper and write prayers out.
What shall I do with this blog today
was my prayer before it began.
Each time God gave me words.
Each time He showed me the topic and the places to look and to research.
Each day I carved out specific time to listen and to lean into the one who was teaching me.

I miss that these days. 
I don’t miss the grief but I do miss the deep 
time searching journey every blog post took me on.
It is almost like familiarity has done a not so good thing.
Now I write and share pictures.
I do assorted posts then I publish.
There is very little agonizing over each word or concept.
Is it wrong or a bad sign when writers get too comfortable with their writing journey?
I am searching this week.
I am also waiting to hear for a new direction.
Not to change this blog that would not take place
it is too much a part of who I am.
It is a very important part of my identity right now.
This waiting room is a place for me to listen and to hear
what the spirit wants me to share.
If you are a friend of mine can you pray with me for a deep direction for this blog journey.
More than anything my desire is to be a place of ministry and also a place of hope.

By His Power

by | Jul 15, 2012 | Uncategorized

As the sky became dark and the rains began we felt the wind pushing us to the shores edge.
{By his power he made earth. 
His wisdom gave shape to the world. 
He crafted the cosmos. 
He thunders and rain pours down. 
He sends the clouds soaring. 
He embellishes the storm with lightnings, 
launches the wind from his warehouse.} 
And we were in the middle of it on that day.
Jeremiah 51:15 msg version
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem with the Sunday community

A little bit of Oregon

by | Jul 14, 2012 | Uncategorized

More pictures of our canoe trip.

I thought it looked interesting to have horses along a rivers edge.
These are from the Sunriver resort for those who are staying there.

Another strange site was a dog on the rivers edge it’s owner nearby trying to fish of course having nine canoes pass by him didn’t help his fishing goal.
I love to sit and observe the sites around us as we move quietly in the water.
It really is very relaxing.

Oh I love the quiet and the beauty and how does anyone ever say there is no God?

It is beauty and more beauty and very peaceful.
The fresh air is so good for us to breathe in and out.

In silence we rowed and just kept our thoughts to ourselves.
It really didn’t seem right to talk much.
It was a serene place.

Back at camp we put our tent away and said goodbye to tent camping.

We were loaded up and ready to go home.
Home is always a good place to go back to.

Detroit lake on the way home… beautiful and majestic.

Beautiful scene.
I think Mt Jefferson.

On our way home from off the side of the road near the three sisters mountains.

Heading home and still taking pictures.
The 2012 trip was over and I still have pictures to download.
Memories were made and we did enjoy ourselves even when it rained.
Central Oregon is a distant thought right now as we sit in 90+ heat.
I hope if you are reading this you are comfortable and able to enjoy our little bit of Oregon.

Beauty and a surprise

by | Jul 10, 2012 | Uncategorized

Continuing our canoe story.
God gave us such good opportunity to see wild life and the peaceful scenes around us.

Even when it rained it was not cold and later we were able to see such beauty.

Each time we we went down the river in our canoes the purpose of getting out of the water at our drop off point was to stop before the falls. They are rough and jagged with many twists and turns and very dangerous.
Before we headed home we did a small hike above the falls so we could see what was there.
It was majestic and so powerful and definitely not anything anyone would attempt in a canoe.

It had awesome beauty.
The roar was so loud and so powerful.

 You realized how very small you are 
when you stand there and see the force of that water and listen to the roar as it tumbles down upon rocks.
As we were looking at the falls we were blessed by a little surprise not far from where we were standing.

It was as if God was saying…
“I care about all things the powerful and the small”.
It was just sitting on a rock and enjoying the scene too.

If I ever had a ‘dream job’ it would be a wild life photographer
(of course it would depend on the kind of wild life).
I love to watch them in their natural habitat or scene.
Our trip was almost over and we were heading home soon.
The journey was a good one filled with family, friends and fellowship.
There were a few challenges but we survived and learned from them.
We look forward to the next canoe trip a year from now and we are also looking for a motorhome.
The days of tent camping are over.
{Photos by Papa O from Oregon}

Healing Rain by Michael W. Smith

by | Jul 10, 2012 | Uncategorized


Have your sound on … and listen closely.
Praying for the drought and the many cities affected by the  scorching heat… the only thing that refreshes is the HEALING RAIN.
Oh Lord may we all rejoice in the washing of the water… sometimes we are annoyed by it but most times it is refreshing. Have mercy on us Lord and bring the rain.

A promise

by | Jul 8, 2012 | Uncategorized

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. 
Psalm 18:33
{photo by Larry or Sharon O from Oregon}
Joining Deidra on Jumping tandem with the Sunday community.

After a storm

by | Jul 6, 2012 | Uncategorized

Day two on the river was much nicer for all of us.
The clouds were light and fluffy with no rain in sight.
The rivers edge was warming up and the outside air was in the high seventies maybe even eighties.

The scenery was awesome.
The landscape was beautiful.
We were amazed at the beauty from the rivers edge.
The quiet of the outside was a great lesson for us all to slow down and truly listen.

 I always love the clouds and the pictures I can find within the contrast of blue and white.

The geese swam close by as long as we were quiet and non intrusive to their place of quiet.

The water was so calm and peaceful and all we could do was sit in the silence and enjoy God’s creation.

The deer in the brush looking at us as if to say ‘why are you out there on the water watching me’ then it quickly ran away into the trees for safety and shelter.

A mamma duck and her babies swam alongside the rivers edge. They were so cute I couldn’t get a picture close enough without scaring them.

The wilderness so beautiful on this warm day on the water.
I was so glad we stayed for another adventure on our canoe.
We would have missed so much if we would have gone home too soon.
God was showing me that after a storm there is always beauty and calm we just have to see it and observe the creation around us. During this two day trip my camera had 268 pictures on it.

The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm  19:1
Do the skies themselves send down showers? 
No, it is you, Lord our God. 
Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does this. Jeremiah 14:22

Another attitude change

by | Jul 5, 2012 | Uncategorized

After what seemed like a long day on the river we returned to the camp to get ready for our dinner.
First thing on my agenda was to get out of the wet clothes I was wearing and into warm ones.
It is always nice to find warm sweat pants, sweatshirts, warm socks and heavy duty hiking boots for the very
cold feet.
The camp fires felt good as we waited for our feast to begin.
Dinner was a great success.
We served taco’s for 18 with leftovers for another day.
After we burned our dishes and cleaned up a little we settled around the campfires for snacks and conversations.
Night time came and my hubby went to bed first.
After talking till near ten I decided it was time for sleep too.
Looking forward to a nice warm night of sleep I opened up my sleeping bag and realized it had been rained on. My pillow, egg crate mattress and sleeping bag was soaked as well as half of the cot too.
I woke my hubby up and told him about my situation and he gave me his extra sleeping bag and a spare blanket. (The sleeping bag was very light weight and was used as an extra blanket)
I threw the wet ones onto the tent floor and then made myself a bed finding a towel rolled up for my pillow.
Folding the sleeping bag in half I curled inside it. Then I folded the bottom half to cover me up more.
Not sure if sleep would come I laid there in the dark and wondered
what ever made me say YES to this adventure.
After a few hours of sleeping someones baby in camp woke me up.
The night air had dropped and I began to realize how very cold I was becoming.
Problem solving again I found my coat with a hood and wrapped it around me and then climbed back into the sleeping bag till morning.
My first thought when I woke up was to go home.
After a hot cup of coffee and realizing the sky was bright and beautiful full of warm sunshine my attitude changed and we began day two on the river with the feeling of good day ahead of us.
{I do have to say my hubby did not realize the night was so cold for me. Also a few of the other campers did have sleeping bags available. I just didn’t want to wake anyone up.}
Photo’s by Sharon or Larry O from Oregon.

It’s all in the attitude

by | Jul 5, 2012 | Uncategorized

I am always unsure at first. 
My first step into the canoe is one of nervous beginnings.
This trip a new life jacket helped with my confidence.
The positive affirmations from many around me that it would be a good trip helped too.
The coolness was a bit of concern and then as we moved into the darker sky it made me wonder what was ahead of us.

Above us the darkened sky opened up and about three quarters into our trip we were rained on.
It poured a torrential rain soaking up everything in sight.
We grabbed rain gear and tried to keep dry.
It poured and pounded and with the wind at our backs we had to row to the shores edge.

There was nothing anyone could do but to keep a ‘positive’ attitude and get to a dry place as quickly as possible.
Our hopes for a nice ‘day outing’ changed to a wet and damp boats interior.
Along with wet clothes and shoes and soaking hair too.

There was an opening along the bridge and we stopped to take cover and eat our lunches. 
At first I thought we were done and thought to myself… “wow that was quite an adventure.”
Then they reminded me our cars were far away and we had another two hours on the water to get to them.

This is not a good picture of me.
I was wearing wet jeans, soaked coat and was trying very hard to be kind to everyone.
This is a no makeup… no fancy… anything look.
The life jacket makes me look huge.
I am wearing my hubby’s extra large rain coat and had a firm grip on my camera bag.
The plaid hat is my ‘canoe hat’ tradition.
No one will let me on the canoe unless I have it with me.
After we ate a bit and the rain slowed to a nice ‘mist’ we had to return to the river.
Singing hymns and songs of praise we rowed to our next destination.

God is good and every circumstance we encounter is a teachable moment for us.
The key is our reaction to it.
James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have it’s perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Lord we trusted in you and we had your protection. 
Your majesty and greatness was all around us.
We praised you even in our storm.