Sanctified Saturdays: A Place in the World

Psalm 16:5-6

THE PASSION TRANSLATION

Yahweh, you alone

are my inheritance.

You are my prize,

my pleasure, and

my portion.

You hold my destiny

and its timing in your hands.

Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.

I’m overwhelmed

by the privileges

that come

with following you!

A PLACE IN THE WORLD

When I was younger, I knew I belonged to my family.

Or did I?

My older siblings teased me about being found under a cabbage leaf—as though I arrived any differently from them.

Mom told the story of how she was so certain I was a boy, that when I arrived, she insisted they had mixed up babies in the hospital. Once she saw me she knew right away I was hers. It was reassuring. Mostly.

Throughout my school years, I had varying success at fitting in. Eventually, in high school, I became a part of several groups, flitting from one to the next, like a butterfly sampling each one.

My college dorm was a place I tried to fit in, but my floor was filled with athletes training for the Olympics. Not me. I was the one who seriously bruised her kneecap while typing a term paper. Try explaining that one!

I wanted to be a missionary nurse, but then I met my husband at college and plans pivoted. I understood my place as a wife, and later as a mom. Mostly. I struggled to meet the needs of my family, bosses, and church, often burying my own. It was a demanding life that many times took more than I had to give. Sometimes I fantasized about running away to some tropical island where someone would take care of me for a change.

Jobs came and went, the children grew up and moved out, grandkids came. Retirement assured me I could finally focus on caring for myself. Which was fine. At first. It got boring.

Then a switch flipped when I discovered what the prophetic was about; hearing God's voice on a daily basis. It stirred such a hunger in me to go deeper in God, something I had given lip service to, but never seemed to achieve. Or fully surrendered to. I’d known that He would speak from time to time. I had gotten messages from Him; gentle nudges, ideas that wouldn't go away, scripture that seemed to come alive. But it was random, not often and somewhat mysterious.

Then I learned that He was speaking all the time. I could hear what He had to say any time I stopped to listen. This shifted things for me. Now I was motivated me to tune in. And get closer to this loving God, who was so much better than the one I had grown up knowing about. I wanted to know Holy Spirit, not just about Him. I didn’t want to grieve Him and shut down this new-found connection. I wanted to understand His distinct personality, this third person of the God-Head. And how they all worked together in harmony and unity.

This is where I truly found my place. Not only as part of a group, a family, or a job. But in God's lap, with Jesus and Holy Spirit. A place of intimacy with my Creator. He knew me best, and loved me most. From that happy place of union with Him, I found fulfillment and purpose.

Filled with His love and strength, I stepped into the place created for me. A place of influence and service. My place in the world.

Have you found your true home?

Sanctified Saturdays: LIGHT!

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

 John 1:5 New Living Translation

Moonrise at sunset in Arizona

LIGHT

Darkness tries to hide so many things. Sneaky plans to derail us. Destructive forces at work. Slimy thoughts and self-indulgent actions. 

But it only takes a tiny bit of light to push darkness aside and bring revelation. Light doesn’t have to work at shoving aside darkness, battling for supremacy. Light is. By being who it is, it causes darkness to slink away, overcome by brightness.  

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by increasing darkness in our world. Wars, destruction, self exaltation of leaders. I can’t fight the darkness. But I can be a light and shine the love of Jesus everywhere I go. 

I can’t change nations, but I can pray for people in those nations to encounter the love of God. I can’t replace evil leaders, but I can pray for justice, mercy and righteousness to be released. 

Sunset in Arizona with saguaro cactus

Just as God spoke light into our dark world, I can partner with Him to speak light in this present darkness. I can declare the goodness of God. I can read His words out loud to shine His truth into the atmosphere.

When someone around me is grumpy and negative, I can smile and show love and kindness. When news from around the world seems dire, I can declare He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, even in troubled areas.

Standing strong in faith, trusting God, and finding joy in challenging situations allows His light to shine through me.

Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16, The Message Bible.

He is my light. He has filled my life with His light. I must BE a light.

Take that, darkness!

Travel Tuesdays: Embracing Change

It's that time of year!

Changing seasons brings different activities. For us, Fall means preparations to get our summer lot ready to face the wet winter months without us. Chairs are put away, mats rolled up, outdoor kitchen equipment put away or covered. The apple tree pruned and garden plants pulled up and potted herbs nestled in for the cold. Anything that migrated from the RV to the outdoor kitchen gets returned, while items that accumulated inside and won’t travel with us go into the shed. Sorting, preparing, evaluating. 

Getting the pots ready for winter

The winding down of one season and preparation for the next has a mix of melancholy for the ending of summer along with anticipation for the adventure ahead. It takes weeks of doing a little here, strategizing about what we can do now and what must wait until the last few days. Have we seen everyone we wanted to see before we go? Have we prepared with enough supplies for several months? 

Crunch time comes and a flurry of activity ensues to make sure all is ready for the estimated departure date. Can we flex a little if we’re not quite ready? Or is the weather going to dictate a precipitous departure?

Help with pruning the apple tree is much appreciated

For the uninitiated, it would seem that living in an RV means we could pull up the jacks and head out in short order. But, besides the preparations for what we leave behind, any time we get ready to roll it requires things to be stowed for travel, front seats turned around, the table leaf lowered, and the slide pulled in. Once the rig is ready, the tow vehicle must be attached on the back which often means moving the motorhome to a new position. At our very quickest, it takes about 1-1/2 to 2 hours to prepare to roll. When we are traveling for days in a row, we leave the slide in and the truck still attached. Often we wake up earlier than usual, make coffee and pull out, eating breakfast when we're ready for a break hours and many miles later. 

The covered deck shelters several things while we're gone.

If we’ve been parked for awhile we do much of the prep work the night before to make our departure quicker. When we’ve been boon-docking in the desert, the first stop is usually to dump the black and gray tanks and fill up the fresh water tank before we head to our next destination. The gas tank is filled often and we try to top it off before we park anywhere since the generator also runs off the gas tank. About once a month the propane tank needs to be refilled. While we can go the entire summer on one tank when it’s used only for cooking, traveling requires the refrigerator to run on propane. 

Several times a day the solar panel monitor is read to determine how well the sun is recharging the batteries. Is there enough sun to run an appliance for a little bit? On overcast days when the charge can’t get high enough, we run the generator for 30 minutes or so to give a boost so we can make it through the night. RV living is about managing resources: propane, gas, power, water, waste water and food. 

Parking near friends in Nevada near Valley of Fire

It’s also about change. Changing scenery, weather, locations, and states. Meeting people, new friends and old. Every year, whether heading south or returning home, we wonder what changes will occur before we return. 

Change. A part of life we have learned to embrace.  

The Christian Fellowship group in Quartzsite at moonrise and sunset. The picture does not do justice to the warmth of friendship and the fun of gathering in this place every year.

Writer's Corner: Bobby's Big Break

A picture writing prompt combined with a random comment brought this little story to life through my fingers. It never ceases to amaze me what a mere fifteen or twenty minutes in the morning with other creatives can spark in me. Sometimes something profound, a poem or inspirational piece. Sometimes a lively and fun story for kids or adults.

And now, on to the story: Bobby's Big Break

Clinging precariously to the iron fence, Bobby eyed the patch of grass that stretched toward the Bookstore. 

Could he make it before that big Doberman came hurtling around the corner? He sniffed the air. No scent of dog wafted toward him. 

 

He leaped as far as he could, landing at a dead run, scampered across the grass, and up onto the porch. Barely pausing to catch his breath, he clambered up the ivy near the door to position himself for the next dare-devil maneuver.

 

Up the walkway skipped a little girl with her Mom in tow. 

 

“I know you’re eager to see the new book, but slow down a bit! I can hardly keep up with you.”

 

“C’mon, Mom! I want to make sure they’re not all gone,” said the little girl. Her blonde curls bouncing, she tugged at her Mom’s hand, urging her to go faster.

 

Bobbie clung to the ivy, ready to pounce the moment they opened the door. Just as they entered, he timed it perfectly before the door swung shut. He jumped, swishing his tail aside quickly before the door caught it and scampered under a table. 

 

He spun around, peeping out carefully, eyeing the bookstore to make sure nobody had seen him.

Uh, oh! The little had girl caught the movement and turned to look right into his beady little eyes. Busted! 

 

But then, a grin spread across her face and she winked at him trying to suppress a grin. She turned and tugged her Mom to a nearby table, picking up a book with beautiful illustrations.

 

“This is it, Mom!” she said, holding the book to her chest with a huge grin. “ 'THE ACORN AND THE OAK’! They have it, we got here in time.” She jumped up and down with glee, her Mom chuckling at her enthusiasm.

 

“All right, calm down, we’ll get it. But I want to look for a book for myself. Just give me a minute,” said Mom.

 

When she turned away, the little girl peeked back over at Bobby. He slowly moved closer to the table that held the books, his gaze going between the book she held and the table holding only two more books. 

 

Tipping her head sideways, she whispered “Do you want one of these books, too?” 

 

He stopped, stood on his hind legs, and nodded vigorously. With a stifled giggle, she slid her prized book across the floor to him. He hopped quickly forward, grabbed the book, and tugged it under a table.

 

Reverently he opened the cover and began to read. The little girl watched for a moment, joy lighting her face. Finally, she stood up and reached for another copy of the book.

 

Where were they? NO! They couldn’t be gone already, could they? Frantically she pushed books around the table, searching. Tears gathered in her eyes as she saw two kids her age clutching copies of the book and standing in line at the checkout. 

 

She sank to the floor, chin quivering, unable to stop the wet flow down her cheeks. She tried to keep her sobs silent, but someone heard her, anyway. Looking up through a haze of tears she saw Bobby. He pulled the book to her lap and hopped onto her shoulder. 

 

Sniffing, she offered a watery smile. Then she opened the book and began to read. Together. With her new friend.

 

                          *     *     *     *     *     *

 

The book referred to is a children's book just published by a mother-daughter team who are part of The Writing Room family. Rhonda Accardo, author, and Jessica Waterstradt, illustrator. Gorgeous illustrations frame this story of an old oak tree, giving a gentle lesson in dealing with loss. Although the target audience is four to six year olds, this book is sure to become a family favorite. This timeless story gives hope in a time of grieving and points to the good things we can hold on to when faced with loss of any kind. A message for any age. The illustrations have delightful detail that children will enjoy pouring over, plus additional pages at the end to encourage exploration of the world around them outside.

 

To get your own copy of "The Acorn & the Oak", click here: PaintedThistlePress.com/shop 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel Tuesdays: Family Fun

 

Part of the fun for me of heading south again is the stop along the way in Oregon to visit extended family. Parked at my nephew's place, one morning I was greeted with this quiet misty vista. I love these towering oak trees. They aren't indigenous farther north where I live in the summer. This is the area I grew up in and I miss these beautiful trees. Although listening to the acorns drop on the roof of the RV is perhaps not my favorite part!

This time I chose to focus on one branch of the family to keep from spread myself too thin visiting all my nieces and nephews. I love them all, but trying to see everyone in a few shorts day can get crazy and exhausting. Planing a group gathering can be challenging when we don't know how long we'll be there. To all of you that I didn't see this time--I'll catch you next time through.

I managed to get in on a quick trip to Eugene for tea and shopping with my sister Sue and her daughters. When it was discovered that the targeted shop didn't have the right herbs and wasn't open to the public anyway, a plan was hatched to get together a couple of days later and order the herbs online while I was there to make sure of the right ingredients. Some years ago I made up a special blend for Sue of calming herbs that she likes. Her daughter has taken on the task of making sure she has a good supply. This get together turned into a tea party complete with treats, different kinds of teas, and historic family albums making an appearance. 

My grandmother Vera camping in jodhpurs. Brewster Valley. Circa 1920

 We stayed long enough to visit my nephew's church for two Sundays and a Friday night prayer service. We thoroughly enjoyed that. It was so refreshing to be in this group of people who love the Lord and love people so much. Love Jesus, love people. Simple concept, much harder to implement. They are doing this well.

We enjoyed seeing my other niece's property they recently acquired. It will be fun to return and see what they have done to improve things. Big plans. We had a great walk down to the Calapooia river that runs along one edge of their acreage.

The Calapooia River dressed in Fall colors.

 

We stayed a bit longer than planned because of two big storms that blew through, one right after another. We were thankful to be parked on the other side of the barn from the wind. Although, before leaving, I had to get up on the roof and sweep off the equivalent of a large garbage bag of oak leaves. I was amazed at how many had swirled around into piles up there. Since we no longer have the slide topper, it must be swept before the slide gets pulled in. After days of rain, it was plenty soggy up there and took awhile to remove all the leaves
.  

Foodie Friday: What kind of Fuel?

 I’ve overheard discussions on the finer points of what kind of gas to put in a vehicle to get the best performance and reduce maintenance. Which companies put out the best gas, which ratio of this to that works best. On the other hand I’ve heard of junk yard practices that take cars about to be parted out and empty the gas into a big gas tank. They sell it cheap because who knows what’s really in that gas? It’s dubbed ‘crack gas’ because drug addicts would come and buy the super cheap gas. Then pay the price later in a gummed up machine.

It’s imagery that sticks in my mind as I watch people around me fuel their bodies with ‘crack gas’ in the form of food-like substances designed to addict them. The crunchy, salty ones with the perfect mouth feel and taste—and deadly trans fats. Potato chips, anyone? The sweet flavors bursting to tantalize the tongue with artificial flavors and colors, in a single bite possessing more sugar than the body needs for a month. Candy anyone? Craving more and more, the taste buds are indulged while the process of gumming up the body is well on its way. Crack food. It pretends to fuel our bodies, but it does not.

Our bodies were designed to eat a mix of carbohydrates in the form of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Protein in the form of legumes and meat. Fats with olives and avocados and the like. Food that looks like the real thing, like the original plan, combined to bring nourishment. Not the Franken-foods that fills grocery stores promising much and delivery little. Processed foods. Designed for profit, not health.
 

We hear the warnings, but do we know what that means? Vegetable oils, especially canola, go through multiple processes to become something our bodies struggle to properly digest. Sugar cane refined and stripped of any redeeming vitamins and minerals. Wheat hybridized to be easily harvested, but triggering gut issues rather than nourishing.

What do you fuel your body with? Real food? Or crack-food? Food that fuels the body, or that which satisfies a craving, an emotional association, or a tradition?

There’s a cost up front for good gas for your car, just as there is for food. The crack-gas might be cheap, but the cost later can be much greater than the initial output for good gas. Good quality food is the same. What priority have you put on the fuel for your body? Do you reach for the crack-food, the cheap stuff? Are you starting to recognize how it feels in your body once you’ve swallowed it? Do you see that it’s gumming up your body and the real cost  is starting to show up in the form of inflammatory diseases?

Many diseases (dis-ease) begin in the gut. Things like:

   insulin resistance
   heart disease
   auto immune diseases
   frequent infections
   gut issues
   stiffness in joints
   foggy brain
   depression

...and the list goes on. When we pay attention to gut health by feeding our gut microbes foods that help them function right, things get better. Some conditions take more work than others, it's true. But each bit you take in the right direction makes a difference. Every day we have a choice. 

I’m going for the high-octane, high-performance real foods. 

How about you?

Travel Tuesdays: The Family Cabin

At the right time of year, I can step across from dry rock to dry rock. Other times the rocks are overflowing with water and slippery moss covering the rocks prevents safe passage. From this series of  little water falls comes the lullaby of the river.

 

Considering we go to the family cabin at least once a year and usually twice, I'm surprised I haven't written about it on my blog, yet! Maybe it's because there's a part of me that wants to keep this treasure to myself. This is what I consider to be my main inheritance from my parents. I got some 'stuff' from them, mementos and more books than I needed, but this is different. This is family history. Experiences. Roots. Tangible.

Looking up at the cabin and deck from the river.

 

My predominant memory of the cabin from childhood is being so car sick by the time we got there that I could hardly stand on my shaky legs, stumbling out of the car to reorient myself in the grassy field. There are some vague memories of sleeping in the upstairs loft with my sisters and three girl cousins. Now I wonder where my brother slept? He must have felt outnumbered. 

In the background, there is always the sound of the river dancing over the rocks, singing a song with a timbre that changes from season to season with the volume of water. How I loved to play in the water, carefully navigating the rocks, slippery with moss, hunting for crawdads, watching 'skitter bugs' skate across the surface, swimming, splashing and being a kid.

I remember Grandpa sitting in the old Morris chair, thus in my mind dubbed the Grandpa Chair. Several years ago when buying new furniture, the warmth of that memory influenced the choice of recliner. Now that we've sold the house and moved into the RV, one of them is at the cabin, sitting next to the Morris chair. Nearly a century apart in age, but similar in style and purpose.

Blessed by the new and the old. .

My project this year was to made new cushions.

It was very satisfying to have the skills and equipment to make new cushions for the Morris chair making it more comfortable. The sagging, lumpy cushions caused us to avoid it. Armed with sewing machine, fabric and foam, I set to work and finished it my first day there. The rest of our stay, we enjoyed having two comfortable chairs from which to enjoy a movie or two, or reading.

This year, we went in July for ten days, instead of the usual June and September trips. A whole day is taken up traveling the 335 miles in each direction, which gave us eight full days there. We worked on projects, read books, took walks and visited people. So often we only have three to five days, which is barely time to relax and get a small project done. This felt almost decadent and we were pleased with how much we accomplished. No matter how long we are there, it never seems to be enough time. I suppose that's how it is with something one enjoys. 

The June trip is scheduled to coincide with the Annual Shareholders Meeting, the small group of us who own the property the cabins sit on. The last two years we have met via Zoom. We look forward to meeting in person next year. There are six cabins there by the river, most of which have been passed down the families for generations. The Corporation owning the property was incorporated in 1913. Many things have changed since then, but the sense of history and continuity remain, will all of us committed to preserving the heritage we have. Our cabin was built by my Grandfather in 1946, with the others built some before and some after. Pictures of the large canvas tent used prior to the cabin were fun to see. We would call this Glamping, now, but I'm sure Grandma would have had some other description.

With a pleasing mix of vintage, antique and modern, the cabin exudes warmth and welcome.

The kitchen is fun to work in and a nice change from the RV. Surrounded by antiques, vintage appliances and Grandma's old china, I revel in the connectedness I feel with those who have used this kitchen before me. Plus it's fun to see what I can do with what I have available.

Memories of my Grandmother and other family members wrap around me in this vintage kitchen.

The mahogany plywood shipped as crates from the Philippines 70 years ago lines the walls and ceiling. In one panel, my great aunt's touches of paint bring to life a water scene she envisioned in the grain of the wood. Much of the charm of the cabin stems from this wood.

Since inheriting my share of the cabin in 2003, we have spent many of our September anniversaries there. Some years we were involved in projects that took all of our energy and time. Like the year we built a retaining wall under the cabin to hold back the river's high water encroachment. Stretched to the limits of our strength, endurance, and patience. Or the one spent scraping up the old tiles to prepare for the new flooring. We were too focused, and too tired, to drive a half hour into town for a celebratory meal. With an easy meal and a "Happy Anniversary" we dragged ourselves off to be overcome by the sleep of the exhausted.

43rd Anniversary at the cabin last Fall. The smokey haze from wildfires, miles away on either side, turning the greens an odd shade and obscuring the sun. 

 

September is a great time to be there. Usually the weather is still nice, sometimes even hot. It seldom rains, but the nights start to cool. The large wood stove is rarely needed by us. I soon found out that it can hold the heat all too well and only two chunks are needed to remove the morning chill. Anything more than that lasts for hours, well into the warmth of the day when doors are thrown open and fans turned on. 

My grandparents built it, passed it on the my dad and my aunt, and now it's owned by my oldest cousin and her heir, my sister, my niece and myself. We share in the upkeep and expenses as well as the privilege of being there with the river song lulling us into greater well-being. There is always work to be done, but with such a setting, the effort is well repaid. And break times are unsurpassed. I've already scheduled next year's trips on the family calendar.

Do you have a heritage you treasure? Family memories, stories or items passed down? I'd like to hear about them.

Travel Tuesday: Ocean Shores

The vast expanse of sandy beach, waves a fringe between sand and sky.

Since we needed to move the motorhome anyway, we decided to plan a trip somewhere. Many times we had pulled the motorhome out for some reason, and not thinking beyond that, found ourselves wishing that we could just go somewhere while we were in travel mode.  Instead we just went back to our home park and settled in. Even though our home is mobile, it's a matter of an hour or two of preparation to switch from parked mode to travel mode, especially when we've been parked for a month or more. Things tend to migrate out to the deck, or inside and then I must remember which goes where for traveling. 

We started out with the idea of  two or three days at the coast. A quick getaway that would satisfy the former disappointment of not going anywhere. It rather annoyed me that we have lived less than 2 hours from the beach for four summers and had not made it over there yet!

Finally, off we went to Ocean Shores, parking at the Casino for $10 a night. Since it's only a quarter mile walk to the beach, that's a great deal. It doesn't bother me that it's nothing more than a gravel parking spot, but parking where you can hear the ocean? Smell the salt water? Oh, yeah. Happy Camper time.

After getting settled, I was off to the beach to get some sand between my toes. It was lovely weather, just the right amount of warm with a gentle breeze accompanied by the sound of the surf. Delicious. Walking in sand makes me feet happy--except when it's hot, then, not so much. But the hard wet sand near the surf is cool and inviting. We walked along for awhile, then Jerry went off to run his high intensity interval training (HIIT). I continued to beach comb, then chased the waves letting them catch me. The water wasn't as cold as I expected. Still, I wasn't going in past my knees. Finally I headed for a place to settle into the sand. watch the waves and listen to the ocean song. To me there is no more healing sound than the ocean waves pounding the sand. A God symphony reminding me of His greatness and shrinking my worries.

Right from the first, I knew two days weren't going to be enough time to let the sea-song settle into me sufficiently. In our debate about a third day, we noticed and email from our home park informing us of the road treatment being applied that day. We didn't want to drive on it freshly applied, so we debated some more. Then we read the weather report. With record highs expected (111?!)  it seemed silly to return to Olympia before the weather cooled. A few emails and texts later, we were set to spend a week. Not only would I be missing out on the heat, I'd be able to stay near the beach indulging in my favorite sandy pastimes. I'm pretty sure a Happy Dance was involved here.

We also happened to be there the weekend of the Sand and Sawdust Days where there are amazing sand sculptures and chainsaw artists in various places around Ocean Shores. We enjoyed watching the artists at work with the chainsaws, but we were also glad to duck into the Convention Center with their air conditioning to visit the vendor booths. Yes, even at the beach it got hot, but not as hot as inland.

Sand sculpture near Convention Center. The pop-ups behind are the wood carvers.

Wood carver checking the design.

Three charming bears keeping an eye on everything.

Our picnic lunch was consumed from our truck on the beach in what became a beach parking lot with rows and rows of cars. We were late comers to the activities and found a place one row back from the waves so we could watch them while we ate. We soon found out why cars had moved--the tide was coming in! We watched in fascination as a couple of cars whose occupants were somewhere down the beach were threatened by the waves encroaching. Finally we felt it prudent to move and drove to the back of the parking area to take pictures of a series of sculptures. Jerry had to go back and take pictures of the one little white car with waves lapping at its tires. It got as high as the axles before we left, still wondering when the owners would arrive to discover their dilemma. The heavy duty tow truck we had seen nearby was likely going to get more business rescuing the unwary.

We returned home to discover trees and shrubs whose western facing leaves were burnt, unused to the triple digit temperatures and relentless sun. I was thankful to only loose one plant in the heat wave, with only a few burnt leaves on a couple of plants. My neighbor did a great job of watering all my plants and giving them love while I was away. 

The saying "Timing is everything" was especially true for this jaunt to the coast. What a gift from Father God, showing the depth of His love and care. Sometimes He strengthens us to meet the challenges we face, and sometimes He whisks us away to a place of refreshing and rest. He's a good like that. And I am so thankful.

When I was sitting on the beach allowing the sand to flow through my fingers, I was reminded of the verse in Psalm 139:17-18:

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand

This thought arrested my attention: God, who knows me so well, loves me so much that He's thinking of me all the time. How many grains of sand were in just my hand? Looking up at the expanse of the sand stretching for miles, my mind was overwhelmed. Just one beach. Just one part of the world. Wow. His thoughts towards me are MORE in number than the sand. Jeremiah 29:11 says that His thoughts towards me are good! I love that. That's a LOT of good thoughts coming my way. Unfathomable. Delightful.

When I was younger I was unconsciously waiting for Him to strike me with lightning or something for messing up. Discovering that He's not like that has not only been a great relief, but a joy. His thoughts towards me are good. He loves me. I'm cool with that.

In His love I am secure and even when He must correct me, I know He has my best interests in mind. He does it so lovingly that I am strengthened and made better by it. Trusting His good plans for me, I don't hesitate any more to go to Him for everything and with everything. Peace, hope, wisdom. He has it all.

The beach is where I feel His presence the most. It is the place where I see this constant reminder of His love and how much bigger He is than my problems. In the pounding of the surf I hear deep call to deep; the deep of His love calls to the deepest part of me. This has been my best "YES" ever.

Sanctified Saturday: Getting Out of Sideways

Moonrise at sunset near Bouse, AZ

In the Spring, when the nighttime temperatures warm up past 50 degrees or more for several days, the Sidewinder Rattlesnakes come out of hibernation. I’ve only seen a few since we are not down here for long once it gets hot enough. But to watch them in motion is a marvel. How do they move sideways so rapidly? They make it look easy, scooting along leaving a distinctive pattern behind them. How do they know what direction to go and how do they keep going that way?

It brings to mind those times when I have been moving sideways, not going in a forward direction, but lateral, marking time without a clear direction. Did God look down in his love and say “Oh, child, come this way! Come forward! I have so much more for you than this sideways dance, back and forth in place”? I think he must have, because eventually I felt the tug of more, of destiny, of direction and purpose. I felt his love pull me into a place where I connected with his heavenly GPS to guide me into a course correction. Pulled by that loving, bigger-than-life Heavenly Father into his presence, his better ways and purpose, I move in the direction and course he had planned for me all along.

I leave behind the cloudy self-focus, the time-wasting activities, the negative thinking, the circular questioning and step into the identity he created just for me. Now I joyfully dance along the road, sometimes running, sometimes walking quietly in contemplation, always trying to be in step with him, moving forward with purpose. 

He has called me, I have answered with my life.

Sunset near Bouse, AZ, camping with Boondocker BOF

Travel Tuesdays: January in Quartzsite, AZ

Sunsets are often spectacular in Quartzsite. I'm told it's because of the dust in the air. Whatever!

 

Quartzsite, Arizona in January is a phenomenon. I suspect it is unique in the whole world. Where else would you find so many RV enthusiasts in one place? For over 30 years, upwards of a million people have annually flocked to this desert town during the month of January. Sunshine and warmer winter weather play a part, but the space to spread out plays an even larger part. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns miles of land around the town. Not just acres, miles. There are two types of areas where RVers can park. Dispersed camping areas are free to stay for 14 days, no services, just a place to park. The Long Term Visitors Areas (LTVA) is $40 for 14 days, or an annual permit for $180 lets you stay for seven months . Provided is garbage dumpsters, water stations, and dump stations. Some places have pit toilets, but many do not. 

Most often we park in the dispersed camping areas, although we did stay in an LTVA once. It’s a favorite way to gather in groups. Such places as “Mile Marker 99” a favorite meeting spot for Geocachers and Ham Radio aficionados. “Scadden Wash”, one of the first areas we stayed, is off the worst road I’ve seen yet. This is a ‘paved’ road where the old pavement is so broken and cracked that a rig like ours can only go about 3 miles an hour to prevent being shaken to pieces. Driving on the wide dirt edge is preferred. Clearly, it’s not on any road crew’s maintenance list. Our favorite place now is Plomosa Road, where 3 miles of camping on either side is occupied with different special interest groups. Some groups are as small as two or three, some as large as 200 or more. The Bureau has rangers who come from time to time and check to see that people have checked in with the Camp Host to register. It’s how they get their numbers and can allot resources. One year the Ranger came to the Boomers BOF group and spoke. He said the head count that year was 850,000 people. It boggles the mind because it doesn’t seem that crowded and it leaves you wondering how that many people can be so easily spread out around this small town of 3,000.

What attracts people other than all the space to gather with each other? This area is famous for its rocks. Everywhere you look there are rocks. This has drawn rock hounds from all over for years. The town has capitalized on that and has an annual rock show, where collectors can find not only local rocks, but ones imported from around the world. There are more rock shops in town than gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants put together! After the rock show, there is the Big Tent Outdoor Recreation and RV show. I hear that back in the day it was really something special. Still, it’s fun to see what all the vendors bring. Outside of the Big Tent, there are hundreds of vendors with all variety of goods scattered about town. This year seemed to have less people shopping, but more than I expected in the surrounding area. I think many people headed out to the desert for a safe and enjoyable place to maintain distance while still being able to socialize.  

We reserve a day to shop, but most of our time is spent with the RV groups that have gathered. We have three Escapee RV Club groups (BOF: Birds of a Feather)  that we belong to that meet off Plomosa Rd: Boondockers BOF, Boomers BOF, and Christian Fellowship BOF. Thankfully they are now all within an easy 1/2 mile walk of the Christian Fellowship group where we start out. 

A camp setup that got my attention! There are some great cooks in this group.

 Besides getting to know the other Christians in the group, we enjoy the daily message given by a retired pastor and the time of worship music prior to that. This year I led the worship for the Monday through Friday times as well as the church services on the Sunday before and after. I was thankful for Nancy on her guitar and Kathy singing along. We made a great team and their input was invaluable for choosing songs and praying together beforehand. We were dubbed “The Desert Trio”. I also shared my music after dinner one evening, and although I hesitate to call it a concert, it was well received and appreciated by the group. First I shared songs I had written, which didn’t take long. When I finished, their expectant faces looked for more, so I went on to play favorite worship music and invited them to join me in praise of our Lord, welcoming his presence. What a blessing to know that I am doing what the Lord is asking of me, even if I feel only minimally qualified! He is so good to take what I have to offer and magnify it for his glory.  

The Christian Flag flying in the sunset.