road trip
Accidents are an ever present danger on road trips. It's not something you consciously think about unless the weather is bad. And then, honestly, I have to ask myself what some of these drivers are thinking when they ignore the unsettled road conditions.
Case in point was hgwy 86 in Idaho between Twins Falls and Pocatello. The weather was foul ~ a combination of ice and snow ~ and the roads were deceptively treacherous. If you live in this neck of the woods you know that black ice is one of the most dangerous conditions because the road looks perfectly fine but is covered with a thin sheet of ice without a whole lot of traction.
We passed no fewer than a dozen vehicles that had spun off the road and were upside down or otherwise incapacitated. One small truck sat forlornly in the middle of the lane with no top. It wasn't a convertible; the top of the truck had literally been sheered off by the force of the object it encountered.
In an instant, in a heartbeat, in the blink of an eye, life changes and is never the same again. Someone dies, someone mourns, someone shakes his head at yet another senseless tragedy.
I don't want to be the one that God shakes His head over. I choose purposeful death and joyful living. Let me explain.
We all have a shelf life and an expiration date. None of us know when we will breathe our last corporeal breath. Only our Maker does and He mourns over every physical death that was not first preceded by spiritual death and rebirth in Christ. He shakes His head over the senseless tragedy of another lost soul. Only Satan rejoices as He scrapes up the battered body off the pavement and welcomes that soul into eternal separation from God.
And that's what I believe. I believe that Christ died for my sins and by freely accepting His gift of redemption while alive, I have died to my old self and been born again in my new self ~ no longer lost but eternally found.
road trip - somewhere between here and there
Lovelock, Nevada. The ever present casino. Cattle. A major intersection or two. The home of trucks and 4-wheel drive. Not much in the middle of nowhere. The billboard coming into town exhorts us to stop and "feel the love in Lovelock."
Pilot to co-pilot. We have left California and entered the twilight zone. I'm sorry. I know that I'm being irreverent about one of our 50 states, but people, have you been to Nevada? I don't mean Las Vegas. That town doesn't even qualify for "reality" status.
What drew us to Lovelock were our grumbling stomachs. We had left Tahoe at 5:30am ("officially" 4:30am due to daylight savings but the change hadn't kicked into my nervous system yet). We were hungry and lasted as many highway miles as we could. So Lovelock was it.
Needless to say, on a Sunday morning not much is open except the casino's restaurant. Praise God for the nonsmoking laws in California, which we were reminded of the second our noses stepped inside.
Working our way past the slot machines, we entered the restaurant where we encountered table after table of men dressed in plaid shirts and baseball caps. These men were gnarly, having spent a lifetime on the farms and ranches nearby. A tilt of their head, a blink of their eye was about all the acknowledgment we were going to get. Come to think of it, WE felt like the aliens who had landed in town.
Once settled, I was reminded that my dad would have loved a place like this. These were his people. He grew up in farm country in upstate New York and a love of the land never left his blood. I could just see my dad in his plaid hunting shirt joining these men before a day in the woods. I miss him.
I ordered grits and eggs. My dad's favorite. Thanks for the memories, Lovelock.
road trip
Lake Tahoe is famous for its beauty. I'd like to say pristine beauty but the town along the south shore where we are spending our first night is (shall I say it?) tacky. It's a hodge podge of buildings thrown up along the highway that wraps around the edge of this most beautiful stretch of alpine water. I'm all for quaint and unique, but a plethora of road signs and t-shirt shops just saps any loveliness out of this town. It doesn't help that just over the border into Nevada are a couple of big casinos. You have probably guessed by now that I consider casinos a blight on the earth.
The irony is that this tacky town is bordered on one side by the sapphire blue lake and on the other by the snow-capped Sierras, which offer some of the finest skiing in California. Our destination for today is Heavenly Ski Resort. We're getting in our runs before our two-day drive to Montana.
Only moments after lifting off the ground in the aerial gondola, the lowly town fades away and our gazes take in the incredible confluence of water and land that only God could have created. This masterpiece is the backdrop for a day of skiing achingly white snow under brilliantly blue skies.
Taking in the riches of the day, my husband said it best. "People need to get away more so they lift their eyes off daily living and see what life really has to offer."
So live ~ and return from your time-out exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. Hot shower. Comfortable bed. A good night's sleep. Awake refreshed with a new perspective.
road trip
Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiip. Ziiiip. Zip. Zip. Zip. The unmistakable sound of my husband on a trip. This man has a thing for bags and I swear he's especially fond of playing with the zippers. When we get ready for a trip, and especially if we're living out of our suitcases, the sound of zippers is never far away. He likes to put things in smaller bags to pack in bigger bags ~ and then goes just a little nutty when he's looking for something and he can't remember which little bag it's in.
Zip. Zip. Open and close. Open and close. There has to be a Biblical application here but I'll be darned if I can figure it out.
road trip
We had to turn on the radar detector outside of Eldorado Hills, California on hgwy 50. It's an indispensable piece of technology for a road warrior. I know, if we drove at or under the speed limit we wouldn't need one. But we don't, so we do.
What if God used a radar detector in a diametrically opposed fashion to its intended use? What if He actually encouraged us to pick up speed in our relationship with Him?
"Angel Gabriel, I see that Casey has left the garage of safe living and is beginning to drive down Full Speed Ahead for God Lane. Make sure she has her seat belt fastened."
"Angel Gabriel, the radar detector has pegged Casey right off the charts. I do believe we have lift off and achieved another breakaway life for Christ!"
road trip
The am/pm mini-market on Grant Line Road just off hywy 99 outside of Elk Grove, California is the happening spot on a Friday afternoon. Working men. White-haired couples. Moms with kids. Road warriors like us. If the owners charged everyone a fee just to walk in the door, the could retire by Sunday. Okay, slight exaggeration but no doubt hundreds of people frequent this purveyor of potato chips, ice cream bars, beer and the ever important bathroom on their way to wherever.
A few miles down the road at an intersection to nowhere is Hot Dog Island, proud home of the 1/2 pound hot dog (or was that 1/4 pound?). This time of year, there's not much here on a a regular basis except for two sets of white plastic tables and chairs. The beauty of Hot Dog Island is that it's mobile. Just hitch up the trailer and move on out. Go with the flow.
The link between these two businesses is arguably quick and tasty but unhealthy food. Why are we so attracted to things (and people) that aren't good for us? It sometimes causes me to question my own ability to make choices. I am grateful for a God who consistently makes unerringly perfect choices for my life. I am grateful for a God who knows what I need to stay healthy on a daily basis. Now if I would just pay attention and listen to Him.
Lord, you know that fast food is quick and easy, but I thank You for the life-giving manna of Your Word.
road trip
In order to get out of Dodge, we have to negotiate the Altamont Pass. It's no biggie since we start off at 300 feet above sea level and the pass only rises to about 1,000 feet. But oh my, the view we get of the valley and beyond is spectacular.
This time of year, after the rains, the rolling hills trade in their golden mantel for robes of green. Intense green. Lush green. Verdant green. They undulate on both sides of the pass creating a hypnotic effect of peaceful beauty. And as you come over the top, there it is ~ a view of sky and land that on a lucky day goes all the way to the snow-capped Sierra mountains 100 miles away. It takes my breath away every time.
Lord, your works are beyond the thoughts and hand of man.
I thank you for my eyes to see your creation,
my ears to hear the sounds of nature,
my mouth to taste the bounty of the earth,
my nose to smell the riches of the air,
my skin to feel the caress of a breeze;
for the coolness of a babbling brook,
for the warmth of the sun on my face,
for the mud between my toes.
Your works are too wonderful to comprehend
so I will just take in, enjoy and be thankful.
road trip
We just finished a big lunch. The car is fully packed and ready to roll. We're off! I'm ready for a noisy snack and my hot soy chai. Seriously, as soon as we hit the highway and the car is heading towards our destination, I get a craving for something crunchy and something hot. What's up with that? I'm not even hungry, for heaven's sake! I think it's the Pavlov effect. After years of road trips where we loaded up on munchies and stopped at the coffee kiosk on our way out of town, I'm trained to respond to a fully loaded car.
It makes me stop and ask myself how many other things I do that are simply stimulus and response. Some are beneficial, even basic, like stopping my car at a red light. When it comes to things like relationships, however, knee-jerk reactions (layman's term for stimulus-response) can be detrimental to one's health. We all know that speaking before engaging our brains can result in some awkward, if not destructive, moments. We also know that just reacting to things as they come up is not the way to nurture our relationships.
I got to thinking about my relationship with God. Do I react on a knee-jerk (as-needed or "oops") basis? Dear God, I really want/need ______. Dear God, would You help with _____. Dear God, please heal _____. Dear God, I'm sorry for ____. Dear God, how could You _____?
Or do I nurture our relationship? Do I seek Him out daily as He does me? Do I desire Him even if I don't have a pressing want/need? Do I regularly, lovingly acknowledge Him? Do I lay at His feet just to be near Him? Do I pour myself out and ask nothing in return? Do I actively engage in relationship with Him just because He is who He is?
It's amazing how a crunchy snack and a hot drink elicit profound thoughts towards my Lord. I love that about Him ~ He's even in the ordinary, every day things of my life ~ desirous of a total, not knee-jerk relationship with me.
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul; and forget not all His benefits... (Psalm 103: 1-2)
I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live... (Psalm 105:33)
road trip
Five of us are driving to Big Sky, Montana and Sun Valley, Idaho for a skiing adventure. We're making a side trip to Heavenly in Lake Tahoe, California. I just love the names. They bathe my brain in colors of blue and yellow. They conjure up visions of openness, unlimited possibilities, happiness, warmth, angels and cowboys. Yee-haw!
But before we cinch up our saddles and head into the sunrise, we have to get our proverbial ducks in a row and the wagons ready I tell you, it's exhausting! Despite the fact that we have no kids at home, no pets, a small house and an efficient yard, we are always amazed at the planning it takes to fly the coup for more than a day or two.
There are bills that must be paid so they won't be overdue, newspapers to be put on hold, neighbors to be notified of our absence, adult children to be given contact info, last minute birthday/anniversary cards to mail, utilities to be turned down, food to be thrown out of the refrigerator, car to be checked, skis to be prepared, clothes to be packed, blogs to be written and scheduled out, needed supplies to be purchased, roads to be mapped out, hotels/resorts to be reserved and, and, and...
When did our lives get so complicated? Why do we let the things of living take over the life of living?
there is a time to plant and a time to uproot...a time to tear down and a time to build...a time to keep and a time to throw away (Eccles 3)
road trip
I must have a bit of wanderlust in me. I just love to travel, particularly road trips. It probably stems from my childhood as an Army Brat ~ the fond term used for kids of military parents. Before the age of 15, I moved every 2 to 3 years as my dad was reassigned to a new base. It was a great adventure for me because I was always meeting new people, and experiencing new places and ideas.
I just got back from an adventure with my husband, his brother and two friends to experience the skiing in Montana and Idaho, with a pit stop at Lake Tahoe. There is nothing like going on a road trip in search of new mountains to conquer. Of course, these mountains have already been tamed with chair lifts, groomed slopes and hot chocolate in lodges with bathrooms, but that's besides the point. Each mountain is a new challenge to our skiing abilities, our stamina and our friendships (which run are we skiing? what's for dinner? did anyone turn on the hot tub?)
My upcoming posts will recount my observations made along the way. But first, the numbers:
5 - people on trip
2 - cars in caravan
16 - skis (yes, some of us took more than one pair)
16 - days we were supposed to be gone
11 - days we were actually gone
4 - states we traveled
2,270.3 - distance in actual road miles
680,80,93,84,86,91,20,191,75,5,205,580 - the magic numbers (highways) that took us to our destinations
1 - casino(we stopped for lunch)
1 - too many times we stopped at a casino
2 - timezones (Pacific and Mountain)
1 - extra time changes (Standard to Daylight Savings)
3 - ski resorts
0 to 41 - temperature range on the mountains
45 - degree pitch of the most difficult slope we skied (although I insist it was steeper)
a whole bunch - times we road up the lifts and skied back down
1 - hot tub frequented nightly
gazillion - photographs taken (love that digital camera)
6 - animals we "bagged" (more on that later)
29 - age my son turned on his birthday while we were gone2 - missed opportunitiestoo many to count - memories
Tomorrow - the journey begins.
Sweet spring ~
The burden of winter has been lifted
to reveal sensual pleasures;
the smell of flowering trees and daffodils,
the unfettered flight of birds,
the warm breeze upon a cheek,
the laughter of children in the park,
the touch of a newborn lamb,
the taste of first fruits.
The eternal promise of spring is life anew.
We're still on our road trip but I finally found a wifi that I hooked up to for a quick posting. Right now we are in Sun Valley waiting out a snow storm so we can ski. I have been keeping a paper journal (I know, that's so old school but it's the best I can do under the circumstances). I have so much to share with you about our trip that I'm tripping over my words. Once I get my tongue untied, my fingers are gonna fly! But right now, my thoughts are focused on what I hope will be an outstanding powder ski day tomorrow. After all, even us blogmeisters have priorities!!!
Hooray, another road trip. I will post on the road if I have access to wifi so stay tuned. Yawl come back now, hear? (If all else fails, I'll be back at the keyboard on March 21st)
I have to share with you that I am absolutely humbled by the Groovies. When life looks down, these women never fail to look up. When the burden seems too great to bear, they lift their glasses to the Lord God and praise Him for His steadfast faithfulness. They are trying to get real, live real and stay real with their Savior one day at a time. They inspire me. They encourage me. They have my love. It's a privilege to pray for them.
Thank you, dear sweet friends, for helping me stay focused upward and not downward on my circumstances.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. (Christ's words in John 16:33)
Happy Birthday, Son! You are the best son in the whole, wide universe! I love you!
It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide. You may be more prosperous and successful from the world's perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod you on to do His will. (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest)
If you doubt that God can and wants to use you, or aren't sure if He has called you to do what you are doing for Him right now ~ the first step is to tap into your relationship with Christ and make sure your direct line to Him is connected and operating. That means getting into the Word, listening for and to Him, and praying. The next step is to be aware of your gifts and strengths. Whether you are called to work in a church or secular setting, the Lord does have a specific call on your life, which may or may not change with time and place.
Who knows but that you are here for a time such as this? Be bothered, severely bothered, by what the Lord calls you to do. It will bring Him glory and will bring you much joy in serving Him.
A recent article on the 1970 movie, Wild Child, (L'Enfant Sauvage by Francois Truffaut) brought to mind the incredible power of love. It's based on the true story of a filthy, walking-on-all-fours pre-teen boy found and captured by a group of hunters in 1798 in the South of France. He was turned over to the National Institution for the Deal and Dumb, and eventually put on display for the paying public. His savior was Dr. Jean Itard, a physician who through great effort, attempted to communicate and tame this 11 year old boy who had learned how to survive in the woods like a wild animal.
The key point of the story isn't our morbid fascination with how this boy came into his predicament and how he learned to survive in the way that he did. The key point is that this deeply caring doctor (who himself had experienced an isolated and rebellious childhood) saw this boy as a fellow human not a circus oddity, and welcomed him into his home. The key point is that through endless love, devotion and endless patience, he was able to reach this young boy's humanity.
The bigger point is that our heavenly Benefactor, our heavenly Physician welcomes us into His arms despite our weaknesses, our wildness, our sinful nature because He sees our beauty and desirability underneath it all. He, too, painstakingly and with endless amounts of love, patience, encouragement and guidance, reaches into our hearts and brings out the unique and precious "me" that has been there all along.
Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city... (Psalm 31:21)
By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me... (Psalm 42:8)
My son, do not forget My teaching, but keep My commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and peace they will add to you. (Proverbs 3:1)
What does love have to do with it? Everything!
Did you see it? The new girdle undershirt for men? Yes, ladies, it's described as control underwear and looks like a gray sleeveless undershirt that has been shrunk 2 or 3 sizes. A special blend of polyester, nylon and spandex it (and I quote) "makes waists look trimmer, improves posture and helps men get into the latest slimmer-fitting suits."
According to Galvin Jones, head of the company that launched male shape underwear, "Men are under a lot of pressure right now to perform financially, socially and romantically. Why shouldn't we have the same products what women have had for years to make us feel better?"
Succumb to performance pressure. How funny. How sad.
Do I even need to comment?
I don't know if it's because I have been posting on words/language these past few days or what, but today as I was blow drying my hair the first line of Psalm 23 came to mind . (There is a connection here, just keep reading.)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I can remember when I first came across that psalm, I was absolutely perplexed as to why I would not want the Lord. I was a fairly new believer and knew I had a lot to learn, but this just didn't make sense to me. I really remained perplexed for quite awhile over that verse until someone pointed out its true meaning.
Yes, for all you English majors out there (of which I am not but one of our lovely Groovies is) you spotted my error right away. I was reading that line as one long sentence, ignoring the semi-colon that separated the front half from the back half. I wasn't pausing between the words shepherd and I, so I was giving it a whole different meaning than the author intended.
In fact, if I had know His character better, I would have read that sentence correctly the very first time without even worrying about punctuation. I would have know that God is faithfully vigilant in watching over me. I would have known that He knows me so intimately that He is keenly aware of my very needs. I would have known that He knows what's best for me even if I don't. I would have known that He is fully capable of filling my needs, particularly in ways that I can't.
Now I know.
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (Proverbs 25:11)
I was getting my hair cut and the woman in the chair next to me was droning on and on about how so and so did this, and so and so is doing that. I know I'm in a hair salon, which are notorious centers of gossip, but I just wanted to lean over and ask. "Do you have any philosophical or moral objections to the president's new economic stimulus package?"
The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. (Proverbs 16:21)
Lest you think I engage in grandiose conversations on a regular basis. let me assure you that I do not. However, I have been challenged lately by what I do spend my words and time on. We get so caught up in the endless chatter of daily life that we often don't dig in deeper. Of course, we are created for relationships, and chatting about how so and so is doing such and such does keep us connected, sometimes in a voyeuristic kind of way. But it's reporting about life, not living it. It's sharing details not uplifting words. It's skimming the surface and not going to the heart.
Let your conversations always be full of grace... (Col 4:6)
I think the world has defined a new four letter word ~ you know, the words that are so bad we're not supposed to say them.
I was at an all day, heavily attended women's networking conference yesterday. Lots of speakers, some good and some so so, lots of yummy food and lots of vendor booths bidding you to look at their stuff. One booth asked each woman who visited to write down the answer to the question ~ Who has had the most influence on you? ~ with the answers being posted on a wall at the end of the conference.
That was an easy question for me. Certainly my parents have had a tremendous influence on me but my unequivocal, undeniable answer to that question is Jesus Christ. Evidentially they found that answer offensive because it didn't get posted on the wall.
I know, I know, technically, Jesus Christ is two words with more than four letters each, but I think their reaction clearly shows that the world defines Christ as a four letter word. He said that would happen. He's their loss but my gain.
If the world hates you; keep in mind that it hated me first. (John 15:18 Christ speaking to His followers)
While thumbing through the dictionary yesterday, I came across a silly word that made me smile.
horripilation - the bristling of the body hair, as from fear or cold; goose flesh. It comes from the Latin horripilatus.
Wow, goose bumps actually have a "formal" name with Latin roots (an old language not dark Spanish hair). It's kind of funny if you think about it because it's the tightening of the surrounding muscles that cause the roots of our body hair to stand on end. (Get it, Latin roots, body hair roots.)
Let's run with this. Is that why horror movies give us horripilation or does horripilation give us horror movies? Maybe that's where horror movies got their moniker.
Horripliation makes me think of depilation ~ the act of removing hair from the body. Hey, that word has a Latin root, too, which is depilare (completely deprive) and pilus (hair). So are horror movies the reason I need to get a dreaded lip wax every two weeks? Funny, I don't watch horror movies.
I don't know, this is starting to sound more French than Latin. French is a romance language with Latin roots (there we go with the roots thing again) but I digress.
So class, this is our language lesson for today. You can't say that you don't learn nothing from reading my blog. (ha! ha!)
note from the blogmeister: Whew, I had to change this blog's wallpaper! All those red flowers were causing my brain to spin.
I was described the other day as an opinionated, tell-it-like-it-is but safe person to talk to. I didn't know whether or not to take that as a compliment, but it felt more like a sort of.
I like that I"m thought of as a straight shooter. I just don't like game playing when it comes to communication and relational interaction. I swore off that kind of garbage back in junior high when Sally wanted us to be mad at Susie and then by the time the word got around to everyone, Sally was friends with Susie again and we all looked like dopes.
I really like being thought of as a safe haven. I want to reflect God's care and concern for us because He is such a safe and secure refuge.
But opinionated? I'd like to pass that off to maturity ~ you know ~ been around the block kind of stuff. I'd like to think that maybe I just stand out as someone who speaks her convictions, even if they are unpopular. But I must admit that opinionated is something my entire family can cop a plea to. Yes, we have a thought about most everything and I must admit we can be a bit overbearing. Okay, maybe sometimes even more than a bit, especially when the whole gang gets together.
Does that go contrary to my desire to be humble in who I am? Let's get the dictionary in on this. To be opinionated means to hold stubbornly and often unreasonably to one's own opinions. To be humble means to be modest, to show deferential respect, to be lacking in high station, be unpretentious. I believe the Greek word for humble means strength under control.
I think I answered my own question. Ouch.
road trip
