road trip
The French love their outdoor cafes -- well then so do most Europeans and Californians for that matter. There is something about food, outdoor air and people watching that causes us to linger over our conversation and enjoy each other's company just a bit more. It was one of my favorite things to do in Paris, and even on cold, rainy days, we could sit outside under heat lamps. I would order my chocolate chaud and take great care in which pastry I would order. Oh yes, it's practically a law that you have to have a sweet treat daily ~ just a small pleasure.
God understands the importance of friendship and food. He invented the concept. Really! Just read through the many Biblical verses that substantiate my claim. www.blueletterbible.org
road trip
Okay, I have joined the chorus of admiration for the beauty of Parisian women. I spent a lot of time people watching while in that city, but I must preface my observations by saying it's a very unscientific study.
These women are beautiful by being not by doing. What's my distinction? They don't appear to work at or contrive their beauty. Make-up and jewelry is minimal. Clothing is simple and doesn't shout out look at me. No doubt that they have been groomed somewhat by genetics, upbringing and cultural influences. I think, however, there is more to it than that. Even the students who all looked incredibly hip, appeared to just be hip without effort.
I think it centers on an attitude. I know that when I am feeling good about myself, I can wear simple bluejeans and t-shirt, and stride with confidence into the world. But when I am uncertain, even a good hair day will not alter that uncertainty.
The deep rooted question is what is the source of my confidence? If it's rooted in me or in circumstances, then my confidence will bounce on the waves of change. If it's rooted in the truth of who I am ~ a beloved daughter of God ~ then I am grounded in the unchanging nature of His love and acceptance towards me.
road trip
Every time someone asks me about my trip to Paris, my eyes light up and my mouth goes into high gear. Don't get me started --- or on second thought, maybe do!
The excitement is ratcheting up as Valentine's Day approaches. Every year the Groovies and their husbands get together to celebrate. We have elevated this Hallmark card event to a whole new level thanks to alternative years of secret planning ~ "alternative years" meaning the wives plan one year and the husbands the next. This highly anticipated event gives a whole new meaning to male-female rivalry as one group tries to outdo the other. Hush hush talks begin sometimes a year in advance as each group tries to make our VDay celebration an affair to remember.
And remember we do. We remember taking the men to salsa dancing lessons and their retaliation the next year telling us they were taking us fishing (we did go to the ocean but with nary a fish pole in sight). We remember candles on bathtubs and rose petals on the floor. We remember fantastic dinners and limousine bus rentals. We remember special songs and choreographed entertainment in public places.
But what we really remember most is the celebration of our love for each other and our deep appreciation for the gift that the Lord gave each of us in our spouse.
So this year it's the husbands' turn; the invitations have been sent and the rumors are flying. The men have even upped the anty by telling us to save not one weekend but two!!! Stay posted. This is going to be fun.
Take the pictures off your refrigerator of what you want and replace them with Scriptures of what you need.
And so we were challenged by Pastor Steve in his teaching yesterday. The world's way of thinking is "name it and claim it" ~ to visualize what you want and then make it happen. We are told to create a story board or post pictures on our refrigerator to remind us daily of our goals. However, do we ever stop and question the things we are striving towards?
There is nothing wrong with "abundance thinking" ~ but just how do I define abundance? Lately it's not what I used to think. My mind and heart are now focused on living by the Spirit.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, proving and envying each other. (Gal 5:25-26)
So that means for me not looking left and right, coveting things others have that I do not. It means not living in slavery to my wants but in the freedom of fulfilled needs. It means aligning my heart with treasure that is worth more than gold.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." (Gal 5:22-23)
How about you?
road trip
As I was watching the U.S. presidential inauguration on French television on Tuesday, six things struck me (well, more than that but I'm only sharing six.)
one. The French telecasters could not get over the abundant verbal and visual references to God during the ceremonies. They commented several times about separation of church and state, and yet there were prayers, mentions of God in the swearing in portions of ceremony, and hands held on a Bible. They were most confused and said only in the United States (they said that several times about different things).
After the French revolution, their new constitution made a very bold separation of church and state in order to protect the people from the corrupt politics of the church and the kings who ruled by "divine authority." In other words, the bigwigs of church and state were in cahoots against the "little" people. So when the little people overthrew the government, they demanded protection from the corrupt church.
The U.S. constitution also calls for separation of church and state but our founding fathers did so to protect the church from persecution by the government. So while the wording is similar, our framework and intent was different. And that's why the French don't understand what they watched on the day that our new president swore his allegiance to our country.
two. One French telecaster commented several times throughout the proceedings that Obama was being sworn in not just as the president of the United States, but as president of the world. Whew, that's a pretty heady statement and one I think that Obama would deny. There is no denying, however, that for all the negative lip service that other countries give to our country, they look to our leadership and guidance in getting the world out of its current economic, social and political mess.
three. Miss France was there for the event and looked lovely. She, too, is of black-white heritage and honestly, she looked even lovelier with tears cascading down her face as she choked down her emotions once Obama was sworn in. She saw it not as a great victory for black people everywhere, but as a symbol of peace and hope that they, too, now have an identity in the world.
four. The French ~those purveyors of high fashion ~ couldn't let the moment go by without mentioning the clothes. They raved about Michele Obama, but really struggled to define the color of her outfit. They preferred to mention the cut and texture. It's not like it was a color they had never seen before, they just chose to say it was "a bit like yellow, yet a bit like green," which is the obtuse way of saying "chartreuse." Evidentially, the word "chartreuse" translates into "green like duck poop" (at least that's what my host translators said). Ah, those cultural differences.
five. A comment was made that behind the scenes of the inauguration, behind the White House a very quiet transition was taking place as moving vans moved one president out as they moved another in. "Only in America." Only in America, they said, does the transition from one government transition so smoothly and peacefully. No revolution. No war. No killing of the person in power to replace him or her. Once the voters have decided, it's just moving vans and a festive party. And to that I say, "God Bless America."
six. Food. Could the French let the telecast go off the air without mentioning the food to be served at the respective celebrations? I think either a Frenchman or a French-trained chef is going to be the White House chef, or at least did preparations for this big shing-dig ~ which of course made the French quite proud. They also praised Obama's taste in food. Sounds like he's already a winner in their eyes.
road trip
Having just come back from ten days in France where I watched the inauguration of our 44th president from the perspective of French television, it made me think about similarities and differences in people/cultures, and it made me think about the power and cultural focus of media in disseminating information.
The following posts really have nothing to do with that observation other than I read them in the newspaper.
item: It seems that a would-be robber in Ohio may have given away his intentions when he stood in line at the bank wearing a ski mask. I love the clerk's comment when he finally stepped up to the window, "Sir,you will need to remove your remove your mask before I can help you." (or something to that effect). That was quick thinking on the teller's part. I bet her mother raised her that it's not polite to engage in social discourse when your face is obscured by a ski mask.
item: A newly enacted law in Nigeria requires motorcycle riders to wear a helmet. Sounds simple enough. The law, however, might not have defined what type of helmet and the police have been very narrow-minded in their enforcement of the regulation, giving tickets to riders who have gotten quite creative in their headgear. Apparently, dried calabash shells, paint pots, and pieces of pans and tires tied with string are not considered acceptable protection. They must adhere to the same legal principle we do that ignorance is not a legal defense.
item: Our newspaper published an article entitled "Ten Potential Sitters in Ten Minutes." It featured a Sitter Socials event where too-busy-parents-to-actually-be-parents could choose their kids' caregivers in a matter of ten minutes or less. Yes, in our busy, busy, busy world, the tiresome, bothersome, time-consuming, even burdensome task of finding a child sitter has been telescoped down to something called speed baby-sitting (you know, kind of like speed-dating). In a manner of minutes, a couple can peruse notebooks chock full of pertinent information about the person who is going to relieve them of their parental duty and raise their children. Then, they set up on-the-spot interviews with potential caregivers -- all in one convenient place at one convenient time --- yep 10 interviews in 10 minutes kind of thing. To quote one of the parents, "Definitely, it's a lot more convenient than interviewing 10 girls individually.....It saves time and money." Wonder how the kids feel about it.
wrap-up: I could give further social, cultural and political commentary on the above items, but I believe that is what television news anchors do after they have finished reading the news, so I won't step on their toes. Besides, my brain hasn't returned completely to this side of the planet and I might give a mixed-up French-American perspective.
Speaking of the presidential inauguration, tune in tomorrow for my American observation of the French take on the festivities.
Praying. That is what the passengers aboard that downed USAir jet was doing last week when it landed in the river ~ at least according to the last passenger off the plane. I saw an interview with him on the Bonnie Hunt show. Hunt asked if the passengers were in a panic when the plane started losing altitude and headed towards the water He replied that it was totally silent other than hearing the quiet voices of prayer, including The Lord's Prayer.
Right on national television in this politically correct country where it's deemed impolite and insensitive to talk about God, this gentleman said, "I prayed to Jesus. I was supposed to go home on the 5:00 flight but was done with work early and switched to the 2:30 flight. God had me there for a reason."
And that reason was this man's quiet, calm demeanor as he stood one foot on the wing and one foot in the doorway of the plane, and helped others to safety. Only when everyone was off, and the tugboat gently hit the plane causing it to tip slightly and form a cold wave of water from inside the plane to wash over his back, did he leave.
His story makes me pause and ask: Would the only sounds emanating from my lips be words of prayer? Does everyone know as clearly as this man, a faith and trust in God? He admitted as the plane was descending that he didn't know if they would make it ~ he even made sure that his wallet was in his suit jacket so they could identify him later ~ but he felt calm in the presence of the Lord.
Indeed, it was only after he had been transported to a hospital and his family allowed to see him, that his thoughts went back to himself and the magnitude of what he had just survived hit him. Even then, he called his wife the hero, not himself, for keeping the family calm and together during the ordeal. He said that there were many heroes that day ~ because everyone has a hero.
This man, whose name I cannot remember, but whose deeds I will never forget, is mine.
I am quiet today. Still processing my trip. Silence is golden.
Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
The Norwegian travel gnome is happy to report that the blogmeister is on an airplane this very day returning from a far flung destination and looking forward to sleeping in her own bed.
road trip
Today is my last post on my road trip through the San Joaquin Valley of California. I had to end it on a humorous note.
While in Fresno, 100 plus miles away from my home, my sister-in-law and I lamented over the proliferation of dust bunnies. It seems that they frequent her home as much as they do mine. We both enjoy the carefree ease of taking care of wood and/or tile floors, but it comes with a trade off. We literally see our fuzzy inhabitants way more than we would with carpets.
Dust bunnies borrow in between the fibers and mingled anonymously with other denizens of a carpet. With a bare floor, they have no place to hide. They scurry this way and that, sometimes breaking up into tiny pieces and covering the surface with a fine gray mist, at other time becoming great tumbleweeds that frighten the heck out of any poor creatures who may be crawling around the floor (people or otherwise).
So we get out our brooms, our mops, our power vacuums and reclaim our floors for a day or two before the dust bunnies return to their natural habitat. We could just sigh and live in mutual harmony, but the floors would eventually cry out from a lack of fresh air, and then what would we do? It's a conundrum for sure.
road trip
This entire road trip reminded me of Jesus. Well, at least every place there were grape vines planted. I must admit it wasn't as picturesque as the photo above, which I took long Hgwy 101 in Northern California. No, the vines were planted very stoically, row after endless row in wide open spaces with no other redeeming qualities. But they evoked thoughts of Jesus anyway.
If you aren't familiar with Him, then you will wonder how my mind made the transition from grape vines to the Son of God. If you do have a relationship with Christ, then you are nodding your head in agreement with me right now.
You see, Jesus was famous for speaking in parables that people of the day (and today) could relate to, and he quite often referred to matters of the land, and more specifically to grape vines. Take for example, John 15.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener..Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches...apart from me you can do nothing."
So as I drove past mile after mile of grape vines, I wondered to what purpose they will be used ~ raisins, table grapes or wine. And so too, I thought about how I am nothing apart from Christ. I was created with certain giftings and talents suited for a specific purpose. As my gardener, the Lord God will prune me and refine me until I produce the finest results for His kingdom. If I attempt to separate myself from the source of my sustenance, then I, too, will wither and die. But if I remain grafted onto the source, then, oh my, what fruit will be produced!
road trip
One of the nifty features we pass on our road trip is the California aqueduct. It's a marvel of human engineering that carries a massive volume of water along the length of the state. I won't mar my blog with the politics of water in California but will move on to the reason for bringing it up ~ a clump of trees. And what does the aqueduct have to do with these trees? Nothing, except for the fact that they were situated along side a graceful curve of the canal alone, with nothing else around them. It was kind of weird and beautiful at the same time.
There were no more than half a dozen trees, which looked like ficus but most likely were not. They were lined up side-by-side, their green leaves swaying in the gentle breeze. And really, there were no other structures around. So, of course, they provoked my curiosity. Who planted them? Why? When?
I raised these thought-provoking question to my husband who wisely turned to me and said, "Does there have to be a reason? Just enjoy their unexpected beauty." Gotta love that man! He's right. Sometimes it's just enough to soak in what is before us, sear them into our memory to be tapped for another day when a sight such as this will be a welcomed respite in our day. I/we need more of these "just because" things in our lives.
road trip
One thing about traveling along highways, I see more abandoned and neglected buildings in the country than I do in town. Did they become disheveled because no one cared or because no one enforced the housing codes? It's the chicken and the egg thing. Are there other possible reasons? Maybe they just see life differently than I do.
I'm always curious about people who choose to live off the grid. (I'm not using this term in the traditional sense but in relation to living independently rather than in a cluster with others). For some, it may be a financial thing. It's cheaper to live out of town. It may be tradition, something their families have always done. For others, however, I think it's more to do with fierce individuality or a true love of the land. They just like it that way.
I used to prefer living on the edge of town, in touch with nature yet within arm's reach of civilized amenities. I'm still happiest when I'm outdoors. But as I've grown older, I find myself savoring the city more. I like the people connection, the restaurants, the culture. There is an order and expectation to it, unlike the seeming randomness of nature.
I don't do well, however, when I've been away from nature too long. I'm not talking about manicured lawns and well-kept gardens. I'm talking about the sheer beauty that is nature, that is divinely inspired, that is God. I always feel closest to Him when I'm in the midst of his creation. His handiwork far surpasses that of man.
Maybe those folks living "out there" in the countryside do have it better off. They can walk out their front door, past whatever man made structure they have devised and maybe ignored, and be in instant contact with a renewing, refreshing and revitalizing place that was formed by God.
road trip
I'd like to say that there is a great diversity of animal life to encounter on our road trip but alas, there is not. Of course, I don't see many domestic or wild creatures clamoring to get closer to any noisy road inhabited by big, fast moving metal boxes on wheels, so perhaps they wisely remain in the background.
For the most part, the animals we did see were fenced in so they had no where else to go. They chose to ignore us and go about their grazing or whatever it is they do. We did see a pasture with some sheep and birds. What was so lovely is that one bird sat on the back of each sheep. I don't think they were trained to do that and I'm sure there is some useful symbiotic relationship going on ~ but I prefer to just think of it as pleasant company for both parties involved. After all, we all need to be loved and cared for.
Yes, I know that these aren't sheep but I didn't have a photo of one so I'm sharing my baby llama picture instead. They are equally cute and adorable so just imagine that they are sheep with birds sitting on their backs.
We also saw quite a few ducks. Apparently, a stretch of the highway outside of Los Banos is or used to be a duck hunter's paradise. My husband says that many duck clubs used to frequent that area but no more. (Duck clubs as in duck hunters not spas for ducks.) Now I like a good duck dinner, but I prefer it this way. The ducks were happily swimming in the ponds and puddles along the road.
Yes, feeling happy enough to show off their butts to the world and troll for delicious goodies lurking under the surface. We should all feel so content and safe.
road trip
So we turn off I-5 and head east on the 152. I think that's the number. I never really pay attention to details like that as I travel by instinct. Once I've been somewhere, I can pretty much get back by intuition and land features. It must work because I used to be the navigator at car rallies and we did pretty good. Well, come to think of it, we never won but placed second once. But I digress.
The one and only town we pass through on this stretch of road is Los Banos, which bills itself as a historic venue. I don't really know the history of LB but I can't imagine it being much more than a stagecoach stop or a bandit's hide-away. I mean people, there is not a whole lot of redeeming value to this town, at least as I see it. But I'm not being fair and most likely looking at it through jaded eyes. So what can I say that's positive about this town.
Well, it has a Starbuck's. One of the busiest ones I've seen, but then it's the only one I've seen between the I-5 and Hgwy 99 (two major north/south highways in California) on this stretch of the road. That means there are most likely more road warriers than locals as we grab our fancy coffees and Chai teas to endure the flat, very straight drive ahead.
It's affordable. There are several new housing tracks in the area. I really don't know where these people work since every other town is no less than 30 minutes away at 65 mph and LB is primarily a farming community. But unless they bought under some crazy loan scheme, these residents have a home for their families and that's a good thing.
It has a Frosty Freeze. Let's get real here. Who doesn't love Frosty Freeze soft icecream cone? My husband's first introduction to this particular FF was at the impressionable age of 14 on his first trip to the ocean with his first girlfriend's family. Okay, there are a lot of "firsts" in that sentence and I'm sure the sum total is greater than its parts, but stopping at this particular FF became a regular tradition for him. Since we live in the Bay Area and he has family in Fresno, he has been taking enjoying a FF for - oh let's just say more than 50 but less than 100 years.
I'm sure there are more wonderful things I can say about LB but right now I'm stuck on FF. A large vanilla cone sure sounds good right now.
The Norwegian travel gnome interrupts the road trip blog posts to insert an infomercial about skiing. Indeed, the gnome has indicated that skiing is good and the blogmeister's husband has taken off to Tahoe for a few days of sushing the slopes. That is all.
road trip
Having driven down Interstate 5 (or I-5 as we natives like to call it) is like driving down a ribbon of concrete through paradise or hell, depending upon your point of view. If you like buildings, people and lots of man-made activity, you will be sorely disappointed ~ unless cars, trucks and RV's turn you on. But if wide open vistas of rambling hills, row upon row of fruit trees and endless sky is your idea of heaven, then you will be greatly pleased.
Well, for the most part. A couple hundred miles of practically the same vista can get a bit boring. My husband, who grew up in Fresno and waxes nostalgic about farm land, thinks every mile is a treat. I, on the other hand, really do like the view but get antsy down around Bakersfield. No offense to the citizens of big B, but for those of you who have taken the I-5 to Los Angeles, you know what I mean.
So if my husband suggests that we take a byway instead of a highway, I'm all for it. And that leads us to Los Banos. Stay tuned.
road trip
When you drive along the highways of California, particularly the side ones rather than the large interstates, you get a close-up look at varying stages of life. I'm talking about the life that grows in the vast farm lands. Some fields are fallow, not yet planted. Some have mature trees that, depending on the time of year, are dormant or bursting with life. We passed one that looked like a gigantic geometric puzzle.
In this very large field were literally thousands of new trees planted like good soldiers in straight lines, one behind and beside the other. These tender shoots were housed in individual white sheaths to help them grow straight and to protect them from voracious tree-eating critters. It was all very uniform and pleasing to the eye if you just stood and looked out over the field. It was all very psychedelic, however, if you passed by going 65 miles per hour. At this speed, the perfect, separate lines worked together to play havoc with my brain. Lines went this way, then that as the brain took in the images and reworked them into mind-blowing patterns. Serenity just flew out the window as my brain went into overdrive.
I know there's a lesson in all this but I have to tell you I'm too dizzy just thinking about it. I just have to have a camera ready next time so I can capture the way life can morph so quickly from predictable and comforting to just barely holding on for the ride.
road trip deluxe
I know that I'm in the middle of tales from my recent road trip but I'm heading to the airport today. Yes, I'm taking my very favorite kind of trip ~ this time I'm heading to the friendly skies of France. I'm giddy with excitement and anticipation. I ask for your prayers of safety, and for God's hand in the reason for my trip.
But stay tuned because thanks to the miracle of scheduled posts, my blog will be updated daily and you can continue the adventures of my road trip down the San Joaquin Valley and any place else I may wander.
Thanks for tuning in. Sometimes I feel like I'm just babbling to myself. Oh well, it's cheaper than therapy (ha! ha!).
pit stop
I'm breathless. Last night, after spending a glorious day at the beach with a group of wonderful gal pals, I came home to a surprise birthday party. And indeed, it was a surprise since my birthday was December 29th!
My home was filled with cherished friends and family, decorations, food, fun and joy. I felt like Cinderella at her very own ball. I am humbled by the precious gift of friendships that the Lord has blessed me with.
A special shout out to my Groovy girlfriends and the Gang of 5 for their part in keeping the big secret while participating in the planning. It seems that the ball started rolling out a couple of months ago when my husband decided to throw a party for me. Honey, I love you. You are the best!
road trip -- a fitting topic after my Cinderella evening
As long as I have lived in California, I haven't got over the thrill of seeing freshly grown grass on the hillsides in the middle of winter. I spent my formative years in places where winter meant brown grass if you could even see it from under an ever-present blanket of snow. I've been living in the sunshine state for over half my life, and I'm still conditioned to think of green grass as "summer" and brown as "winter."
Yet in California, a reverse miracle takes place. The brown grasses that cover the hillsides in the water-starved, sun-drenched summer give way to tender and lush green in the wet winter. It's a lovely site. Weird but lovely.
It always makes me stop and think about how much do I really see when looking at things on a daily basis. We all do it. We pass by a familiar street corner a thousand times and don't notice it anymore. We walk past our neighbor's rose bush but no longer take in the visual and olfactory messages being sent to our senses. We know the sun has been temporarily blocked by clouds but do we look up and see how magnificent the after-rainstorm cumulus clouds really are?
Yes, the green grasses of winter always make me stop, breathe in the air and soak in the ordinary around me ~ the ordinary that is transformed into the extra-ordinary.
road trip
Dirt. When you drive through the farmland of the San Joaquin Valley, you just can't help but marvel at the dark, rich soil. This is the kind of soil that farmers get all itchy to plant when they dig their hands into it.
We passed several empty fields with row after row of freshly plowed dirt silently waiting for their next batch of seeds. The land may have looked barren but it had a stark beauty to it. The geometry of the rows. The deep richness of the color. The potential to cradle life.
If you travel the length of the valley from Sacramento to the base of the Grapevine along Interstate 5 and pay close attention to the dirt, you will notice a gradual transition in the color and texture of the land. Further south, it's very pale and sandy, needing lots of tender care and water to produce crops. Further north, it's darker and richer but still needs tending to fulfill its life-giving mission.
Good stewards of the land know this. They know the value of crop rotation, water ratios and proper nutrients. They know how to lovingly coax the land to its full potential.
Jesus knew this, too. He also knew that not all soil would bear fruit. Read His parable of the four soils in Matthew 13:1-9.. I'm not going to give away the plot but if you have trouble understanding it, follow up with Matthew 13:10-23.
road trip
There's a wonderful large equipment "store" off Highway 99 near Madera. There are brand new shiny trucks anxious to get in the dirt, and their slightly used cousins hankering for a second shot in the play yard. These are BIG machines ~ plows, tractors, scrapers, bulldozers, earth movers ~ Tonka toys on steroids ready for heavy construction duty. These are the very machines that build our wonderful network of highways and byways.
I must confess that every time I pass this lot full of big boy toys I get nostalgic. Nostalgic not only for every road trip I've ever taken, but also for the days when my brothers, and then my son, used to play with their kid-size Tonkas in the back yard.
My brothers would lovingly get out those machines and hug them for dear life as they made their way to any available patch of dirt. They made different engine sounds as their bulldozers and dump trunks maneuvered piles of dirt into imaginary cities. Oh, how they loved their Tonkas!
Years later when it was my son's turn, the toy companies were making the trucks from plastic, which didn't have the same aesthetic or durability as the old-fashioned metal ones. I was thrilled when I found a rusted and slightly beat up but still very usable yellow dump truck at a garage sale. I brought it home and with a bit of sandpaper and yellow Rust-o-leum paint, I gave that Tonka a new lease on life. I don't know who was more thrilled ~ my son, me or the truck!
God does that. He takes beat up but still very usable people like me and you, and gives us a new lease on life. And I don't know who is more thrilled ~ God or us!
a new beginning ~ road trip
It's amazing how much there is to observe, ponder and write about when I'm a passenger on a road trip. Take for instance the very highway on which my husband and I were driving. Have you ever given much thought to highways? I don't mean the ones that take you to the shopping mall. I mean the highways and byways that give your car-loving culture the freedom to travel great distances or explore new destinations.
I love road trips. I must admit that travel by airplane is my all-time favorite. I love the hustle and bustle of people scurrying through the airport. I wonder where they are from, where they are headed and I make up stories about them. It's all about the people watching. Road trips are about the scenery. It's the travel itself that becomes as interesting and captivating to me as the destination.
Our recent drive home from Fresno is a perfect example. It has given me lots of things to blog about so buckle your seatbelt because we're going on a journey through the vast California farm country known as the San Joaquin valley. For some of you it will be a new way of looking at ordinary things.
a new beginning
Did you read about the widow in Connecticut who lost her husband but gained a winning $10 million lottery ticket? On November 1st, her husband, a 79-year-old retired factory worker, purchased two lottery tickets and later in the day suffered a fatal heart attack. Needless to say, the grieving wife did not even notice or check the tickets until two weeks ago when she discovered her good fortune in the midst of grief.
Now don't think I'm comparing the value of her husband with money. That's not my point. Of course,she is in mourning and misses him. But can you imagine her shock when she discovered that he had continued to take care of her even after he had died?
This couple shared a 20 year tradition of buying a lottery ticket together. For 20 years they gained nothing but kept hoping. And at a time when the wife had suffered a great loss and things felt bleak, manna rained down from heaven in the form of a mega winning lottery ticket that was lovingly and faithfully bought by her husband.
Hope. Faith. Loyalty. Love. These things remain ~ a legacy ~ and are the bedrock for a new beginning.
a new beginning
When we go go bed at night there is an expectation that the sun will rise in the morning as it has daily since time began. The sunlight isn't always the same quality or brightness, but we can count on the fact that it will arise anew.
As my husband and I drove to my brother-in-law's this week, I was struck by the murky quality of the daylight in the valley. It felt even gloomier because our journey had started under a bright, cloudless blue sky. As we dropped down into the valley from the hills, I was astounded at the depth and thickness of the cloud layer below. We drove for miles under a gray, featureless sky taunted by the occasional glimpse of sunshine past the edge of the hills.
It struck me that while my immediate world was colored gray, above and over it lay the blue, sunshine-drenched sky. As it often happens, I find my nose so stuck in my dismal circumstances-of-the-moment that I don't/can't lift my head up to catch a glimpse of hope.
In my new way of thinking, I'll keep my eyes focused upward, looking beyond my circumstances and past the immediate murkiness of the low-slung sky. I know without a doubt that the bright light of hope is shining faithfully, and it's mine for the taking. All I need to do is believe.
blogmeister's postscript: I made some graphic changes to the Groovy blog just because I felt like it, and because my blog guru changed her's. It looked like fun so I gave it a try. She likes it. I'm not sure. Bear (or is that bare) with me as I experiment.
a new beginning
Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we will try to do today (or tomorrow or the next day after that).
But the riches and rewards from doing so are beyond compare, beyond counting, beyond imagining, beyond belief.
Each day is a new beginning, a new chance, a new way to think and live and love. Each day is a new day to engage in the most difficult thing we will ever do repeatedly in our lifetime ~ being faithfully His and not getting caught up in ourselves.
a new beginning
If we could truly be happy and moral without Jesus, then why did He come? (Oswald Chambers)
What is the true nature of man? Philosophers and theologians alike have argued over this question for centuries, but I don't need a scholar to reveal the truth about our nature and our need for Christ. The truth is written plainly and clearly in the Bible for everyone to know. The logical question that follows is, "Do I believe the Word of God?"
It's a question we all must face because the answer will shape how we live out the days and months to come in this new year and beyond.
a new beginning
Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. (1 Corinthians 6:12)
This issue of our will versus God's will is what hangs up a lot of Christians and non-Christians alike. We think that God only allows this and that, and that He's a tough task master and party pooper (no disrespect intended). This is far from truth. He gives us free will ~ the will to choose freely on our own who we will love, trust and obey ~ what we will do ~ how we will do it.
Ah, but here is a glitch. There IS a distinction between God's permissible will and His perfect will. Say what? Let me quote Oswald Chambers:
"Always make a distinction between God's perfect will and His permissive will, which He uses to accomplish His divine purpose for our lives. God's perfect will is unchangeable. It is with His permissive will, or the various things that He allows into our lives, that we must wrestle before Him. It is our reaction to these things allowed by His permissive will that enables us to come to the point of seeing His perfect will for us."
His permissive will steps back and freely gives us the choice whether or not we accept His love and salvation, wisdom and direction. His perfect will reflects a purpose and a passion for us that is beyond anything we can do or imagine for ourselves. However, it is only by acquiescing or surrendering our free will to Him that we tap into His good and perfect will for us.
So here we are, at 362 days of new beginnings. Do you take this journey on your own, totally absorbed in expressing your free will, or do you tap into His perfect will as a guide your journey? That's what I love about God. He doesn't force Himself or His way on us. He lets us choose.
a new beginning
I love a fresh snowfall. It covers a multitude of ugliness and bareness in a beautiful mantel of fresh white. Even the process of snow falling is beautiful and serene as the white flakes blank out the sky and drift silently down from heaven. It becomes all about the snow. And once this exquisite gift has been delivered, the clouds recede to reveal a blazing sun shining in a brilliant blue sky while the land rests in protected peace. Have you ever noticed how quickly the birds come out after a snowstorm and sing their delighted songs exclaiming the beauty of the day, the provisions of the sky and the promise of life renewed?
It is fitting that the new year comes in winter, a time when we think of life as dead or dormant. (I realize that some of you may be living in climates where snow is nonexistent at this time of year or ever, but that doesn't prevent the analogy from applying to you, too.) For some plants, winter is too harsh and they die. But if you know anything about plants that thrive in cold climates, they need the dormant time of winter to rest and recharge for the burst of activity in the coming spring. It takes a lot of energy to produce leaves and flowers, and renew the cycle of life.
We, too, need a time of dormancy ~ not complacency nor denial nor regression but a time of reflection, planning and renewal. A time for a physical, spiritual, mental and emotional check-up, tune-up and balancing out.
So while you contemplate what the new year may bring, visualize the covering of snow over your past year. Think about what lies underneath. The failures, disappointments and pain remain, that cannot be changed, but what also lies below the surface of the fresh snow is the beauty, potential, joy and hope of all that is you and your days ahead. You can wallow, wither and die in the history of your past, or you can be dormant for this season as you prepare for the annual renewal of your life.
Whatever you do, don't leave God behind. As Oswald Chambers says, "He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way."
a new beginning
Happy New Year! Today we celebrate the beginning of 365 new days. 365 chances to live differently. 365 moments to give and receive love. 365 opportunities to create purpose and direction. 365 times to experience joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control and abundance, 365 days to live beyond ourselves by surrendering to God our Creator, Father and Lord.
It is fitting that a fresh start takes place in January after a month of being thankful (November) and a month of giving (December). We have had time to reflect over our past year, bask in the warmth of good memories, experience personal growth from the not so pleasant ones, be thankful for what we have and give to others from that abundance. We now have an opportunity to start afresh by building on our past and opening ourselves to the future. I love the way Oswald Chambers says it:
It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future...He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future...(So) leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him (for) "the Lord will go before you, and ...will be your rear guard." (Isaiah 52:12)
road trip
