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Road Trip Part 4

June 6, 2013June 6, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

Here we are in Part 4 of the Road Trip. Isn’t is amazing that we can go from sharing a postcard with someone when we are on a trip, to posting in on a blog and letting many, many people share in your experience? Changing times…

To catch up you, we are now headed to Wenatchee and meeting up with a cousin of mine that I haven’t seen in years and years. As we drive into Wenatchee, we are wondering which way to go because it has changed so much since I last was there! So with my Maps on my phone and hubby’s good sense of direction, we were able to find her house. What a fun reunion we had visiting and catching up. They took us out for dinner and we got to keep the conversation going. It was once again a reminder that family is so important, and that losing contact with them is such a waste of great fellowship! We need our family and surprisingly, they need us too. Don’t let time constraints keep you from staying in touch! I got the address of a cousin that was my best bud when we were five years old and sent him a couple of pictures of us. I am in high hopes he will contact me back!

So after that wonderful visit, we headed toward Leavenworth and to our home for the night. We are staying at Thousand Trails, Leavenworth and thought we had a pretty good idea where we were going. I even got directions from the reservations operator. Yeah…well…not really. She had us going the back way in, we had no idea where we were and it was getting dark. I thought I would use my phone and see where we are! Wrong. Got our pin point location and then lost signal because we are up in mountains! Ok, how about the map? Nope. The roads aren’t even on the map and this is a new map! We would get a signal and then hubby would move forward with the car and lose it. Of course at one point he just stopped but that wasn’t the place where we could get signal. If it wasn’t getting so annoying that we had such poor directions without technology, it would have been kind of humorous. So after a lot of, “I don’t know. I’ve never been here before either!” comments, we just kept driving and I started praying that we would find it soon. Nobody to ask because there weren’t that many houses there. When we did find someone place to ask, at a small hotel, they didn’t answer their door for service. So we got back on the road and kept driving. Several more miles down the road, and we saw the sign. We had been driving total of at least 50 minutes looking. But, we DID find it…thank you Jesus! And below, you will find a picture of our home away from home. Not bad, huh?

We even had a BBQ on our deck we could use. I think we will come back to this one! It was beautiful! As you can see, it had a pool also! Oh yah!! Course, I won’t be seen in any form of a bathing suit, but it is way cool to have a pool. Maybe a midnight swim when no one is looking???? I always wondered why some designer hasn’t designed a swim suit for “the less likely for two-piece anymore” kind of gal! You know, one that comes almost to the knee? Skirt type with a BIG flair to it? I can see it, can’t you? But I digress.

So we unload our things from the car and walk into our house and the lights are on and music is playing…I like that they wanted us to feel right at home. Kind of like the Motel 6 commercial where they talk about leaving the light on for you.

We really enjoyed our stay here and kicked back for the evening. Resting up was important because we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow walking around in Leavenworth!

So the next morning, we are up and going and headed into Leavenworth to have breakfast. It is so nice to just have no particular schedule and just enjoy the moment. Breakfast was very yummy! After eating we parked our car on the main street and hit the shops with great anticipation. Oh my!! SO many things to look at. Look what I found in the first shop!! I put my keys on it right after this picture was taken. I even got a “J” charm to add to it! Yep, its me!!

The of course, I had to walk across the street because I saw chocolate. And hot or not, I had to get some to enjoy! Oh yummy! The store is full of wonderful chocolate of all kinds!

I just loved this shop window! It was fixed up so cute! And look at this chocolate covered macadamia nuts! I also got some chocolate covered orange sticks too! But I DID share with my sweetie.

Wasn’t that “eye candy” for the chocolate lover’s soul? It sure was to me! We walked to another little shop and found the coolest furniture made from whisky barrels! I would have loved to buy the table and stools for our bedroom. Yeah…that’s another story. But anyway, we sure did like them; very creative style.

It is a nice ambiance walking the streets of Leavenworth. You can find some very unusual things. One store had a statue that my hubby had to show me because I am Norwegian and it is a statue of the Norwegian God of Folklore. He really liked it!

I also have always wanted to get an old vintage trailer and fix up. I have some great, creative ideas but not always as practical for me, because who would remodel a vintage trailer for me? I certainly don’t know enough. But I have learned about some ladies who call themselves Sisters On The Fly who have done it. They inspire me. I had to get a couple of books to read all about it! Pretty cool! So watch for future episodes. It just might happen for me before I’m wear grey hair!

I have been known to stand in stores and read cards and laugh my head off. People look but I don’t care. If it is funny, I laugh. I like clean and funny and these little one pieces for babies made me laugh right out loud in the store. Sometimes I wish I could come up with these things. It makes you wonder what type of person thinks these up! But then I remember that I would like to be one of those persons, and I laugh again. They would be like me who laughs in a store at a card that is funny, and sees the humor in all things. I laugh at commercials at home all the time! I think we need humor in our lives and maybe more of it. Laughter is good for the soul!

So we have walked around, listened to music piped through the town square, enjoyed a Stawberries and Cream Frappe at Starbucks and talking about heading home. We both wish we could do a couple more days of this. But then I think everyone feels that way about a great get-away. We walk back to the car and head down Tumwater Canyon and I take some shots as we go. The beauty around us is right there, but we sometimes take it for granted. Here are a few shots of my canyon run…

The water along the river is so gorgeous! I loved the movement and of course I could sit there all day listening to it! I took a rock at one point and put all my concerns on that rock and threw it in so it could be washed away and I could walk away clean from my concerns. That is how it is with God. We give him our worries and troubles and He takes them away to Himself so that we can be free. He smooths all my rough edges. I was free that day once again.

It is so nice to see all the waterfalls, great and small along the way.

Close up of the river and the crashing waves against the rock. “BE STRONG, I heard. BE BOLD, I heard. Never give up even when things are crashing in around you. I AM HERE.” Phew!! Good to get that reminder!

Look at this pretty waterfall so high up in the mountains supplying the water to the river below. I saw this waterfall and thought it is a lot like God. He supplies our needs from His High Place to our us. Beautiful scene!

Up river a little further, is the waterfall you see below. It was so pretty. There wasn’t a place to park, so we walked a ways to get this shot but well worth it!

The photo below reminds me that we can have all the chaos around us, but if we have God in our lives, we can have calm right in the middle of it. Do you see in this photo how the center is open and the waves are crashing all around it threatening to close in? We can feel like that in our lives at times, and that is why these times away to reflect and enjoy life are so important for us. Our perspectives are given an opportunity to see things from a different light. Certainly, that happened for me during these three days!

My hubby and I talked about where we want to go on our next trip. Because you see, we need to do that. It is a healthy choice, both for relationship and for healthy mind, soul and body. What do you need to move around in your life to make time for the important? It is well worth the sacrifice to do it. Make a road trip fund and start right away! We have our next one planned! I would love to hear your thoughts on this trip and places you have visited or suggestions. Where will your next get-away take YOU?

I leave you with a photo that speaks of my feelings about the trip. It is so pretty and very peaceful. That is what this trip meant to me.

“When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll. What ever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul!” Horatio Spafford 1873 from Psalm 146:1.

Thank you for coming along on this Road Trip with me. I have enjoyed sharing it and I hope you too can say daily, “It is well with my soul.”

Walking the journey with you…

Road Trip Part 3

May 31, 2013May 31, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

Last blog post, I left you in Winthop. Sorry about that! But today I will catch you up and we will go visit our cute little place to stay! But before we do, I just wanted you to know that I tried to get that jar with all the candy in it, but she wouldn’t sell her jar! Darn it! I even offered to let her keep the candy! Anyway… we are now headed over to our little cottage room at Mt. Gardner Inn just outside of Winthrop. When we arrived, I walked inside to check in and was told that she was upgrading my room at no charge!!! Favor!!! Yes!!! So we walked upstairs to this lovely room with a RED door!! Now I knew God cares about the little things in my life. Our room had its own deck and view of the mountains! Ah…it was so welcoming! We had a refrigerator, microwave and gourmet coffee too. We got things settled and put away just as a storm blew in and what a storm in was!

A little while later it, it was really nice again! I wish we could have stayed a bit longer and enjoyed that deck!

Here was the entry to our room! Our room even had a red door! Yep all planned for me in mind!! It’s in the little things! Welcome mat and all!

I just loved this sweet place! Look at the inside! Very comfortable with everything we needed!

The next time we come, I want to stay in this cabin! I love it!!! The people were great care takers, and it was a wonderful place to stay. So with things all settled, we decided to give our friends a call that have a home in Twisp. We had made plans to meet up for dinner. We drove out to their place and visited for a bit and then they offered to go out on the 4-wheelers and see the property. They have around 40 acres and part of it is on the river! Oh HOW FUN!!! Terry and I were on one 4-wheeler and our friends were on the other one. We drove around the property, through the trees and around the corners and saw many, many deer standing there looking at us without a lot of fear. They looked up to see where the noise came from and that was about it. Terry hadn’t been on a 4-wheeler for a long, LONG time and so when we got up to the river bank and were going to back up so we could turn around, getting in reverse proved to be interesting. I was hoping we don’t strip a gear! Finally when he gets it in reverse, it is so sudden that my feet go up in the air and I have to grab him to hold on! We are laughing our heads off! The throttle was so touchy for him that he felt like a person just learning how to drive a stick shift! We would have been quite the sight to see. BUT I didn’t take any pictures! Dumb or what?!?!? But afterwards, we were so glad they offered that to us because we had a blast! What great people they are and I love the treasure of friendship when you can be separated for years and pick up where you left off. They were very such gracious hosts!

Next, we decided to hit the big town of Twisp to see what we could find to eat! Now if you know this area, you know you could almost blink and miss the town. But because of the time of day, we had a hard time finding anything open. We saw this one restaurant that they had wanted to try but the timing never worked out for them. This is one that you have to stop in and see if they have room for a reservation. It was Italian food. We had a great time visiting and catching up. We could watch them cook most of the food, if not all of it, in an open stone oven. VERY cool! Good food, good music and good conversation. Terry and I made that meal our celebration meal for our anniversary! Good memories! After a long table conversation, we said good night to our hosts, and headed back in to Winthrop to our room. First thing Terry did was get some coffee going and I looked at all the pictures I had taken that day! We were very thankful for all God had given us that day! What a joy to see the country side we hadn’t seen in years, experience the ambiance of quiet places, and a share some time with friends. We got all cozy for the night and did some reading before we let sweet dreams of sleep take over.

Good morning everyone!!! It’s Tuesday morning of our trip and we are ready to go! We are excited because we are headed to Grand Coulee Dam today. What a beautiful drive it should be. We left our room, and headed out toward Twisp again and honked at our friend’s house as we passed them. We are Grand Coulee bound! Whoohoooo! A lot of the pictures I take on the way today, I took through car windows as we drove, but we sure saw some pretty country.

Found this log church to be interesting and inviting. I love log houses and the look of them always seems warm, cozy and inviting to me.

This farm is coming up from the valley just before coming into Grand Coulee Dam. I love old barns, and so I get a picture anytime I can. There is a smaller shed that is by itself that matched the barn. As you look over this valley, you find this country has a beauty all its own.

I saw these trees just up from the barn and wondered if there had been a fire at one time. They reminded me of survival… we all go through the fire at times in our lives, but we have to be determined to stand and face whatever it is that hits us. God is our strength. These trees were a good reminder to me.

Look at the beautiful view of the valley! I think I could deal with the barren land as long as I lived by the river.

These fields of fruit look a lot different then they used to. Now they have the cloth that they can roll out over the trees to protect them. It was interesting to see how they did that over such large fields. I remember coming over to the Eastern Washington as a child with my parents to pick up fruit and haul back home so we could can it. Later in my parent’s life, they actually came over and stayed in their motor home, and picked the fruit for the farmers as an extra job each year.

As we round the corner to drive into Grand Coulee, I was reminded of years ago when we came by motorcycle. Oh yes. I was the rider on a motorcycle that put on many, many miles across the states! I learned to read and sleep while on a motorcycle. That way when it got cold or rainy, I could sleep and not notice so much! I wore leathers and boots also. But I was a young adult when I rode and hadn’t been to the Dam since that time. So, here I am some 35+ years later and it still quite a sight. We pulled in to the park and walked around so I could get some pictures. We were first greeted by some furry friends. Before we took this shot, one was laying flat on its belly ALL sprawled out enjoying the sun! I raised the camera to get the shot, and I hadn’t turned off my focus indicator, and sure enough, he heard that little tiny sound! So when he looked up, I took the shot!

I walked over to the dam and took a shot. It is quite amazing. It would have been awesome to have been there when they actually had it opened up more.

Above, you can see the dam from the other side. Just to the left in this picture, there is an observation and museum building that you can go through to see how it was built and it was fun to learn things I didn’t know about it. They had many artifacts that you could see. Of course, I found a camera and movie camera that I had to take a picture of!! Pretty cool!

This bird represents many that came over to this tree once I started talking to this bird. It seemed all alone and it was really a pretty bird with black body and a green ring around the neck that kind of transitioned up the head to a mostly black head. The eyes were bright yellow. As soon as I started talking to the bird, then he started talking too and pretty soon a whole lot of friends came to join the bird in the tree.

On our way out of the park, I saw this really cool architecture in this building. I always enjoy when I find unusual things and this was so bright, you couldn’t help but notice! It was gold and so the sun reflected off of it and made it hard NOT to notice! It was hard to get the full spectrum of the lighting in the photograph because I just shot it out of the window. It’s all diamond shaped all across the front.

After filling our eyes with as much as we could see, we headed out to Coulee City where some of my cousins live. I hadn’t been in that area for years and years either. So it was fun to see the area where they live. On the way there, you will drive by an area that was purposefully, I believe, flooded and is now a lake.

We saw many unusual mountain formations and the sky was beautiful as it set off the jagged edges of the mountains around us.

If you look closely at the picture above, the bottom portion of the silver area reminded me of a key lock. Maybe it is, and you could put a big skeleton key in that lock and a secret passage opens up. I don’t know, but it was fun to think about! Don’t ask me where these ideas come from as I am riding along!

Look it how the clouds reflected their shadows on the mountains. Made an interesting view. I stopped for this picture and as I was getting back in the car, I saw this bottle cap that was kind of cool. I have no idea what it is, but it reminded me of super hero icon or something and so I took a picture of it.

What a joy it was to ride along and have such great country before us. We both enjoy traveling and seeing different areas, and so as we drove along to Coulee City, we had a great time munching a few snacks and talking about life. The picture above and below were taken from the car at 60 mph so not too bad!

Another farmer’s barn! Sometimes I think of traveling around and just taking barn and church pictures because they are so varied and fun to explore. We came into Coulee City and drove around to find the best gas price and came back to the beginning of town to this cute little quaint coffee shop/gas stop/ice cream shop combination. What a delightful couple that owned this shop. Right on the main road and they had wonderful ice cream that we enjoyed after getting our tank filled. Cute decor too! A great addition to this little shop, is that they had wi-fi and good cell reception also!!! Yay! They had pictures on the wall that were before and after flooding that area we saw before. If you are ever traveling in this part of Washington, do stop by and see them! They are a relatively new shop and had the best gas prices in Coulee City!

Refreshed from a great dish of homemade ice cream, we are now headed for Wenatchee. Another cousin lives there and we hadn’t seen each other in years and years. So I had called from our little shop where we got gas and told her we were on our way. Of course, I made a few stops along the way for some roadside finds.

I wanted to hook this car up behind our little focus and pull it on home. Oh it made me sad to see it sitting in the sun and no one doing anything with it! It wasn’t it that bad of shape inside either! My grandparents had this car in chocolate-brown. This lady (me) loves vintage and classic cars! Made me so sad to leave it sitting there in the field. At one time, they had shown the car because it had a Collector’s License Plate. It wasn’t for sale either.

I just love old churches. There is something about those steeples that you can see for miles that draw you in. I saw this coming into town and told Terry to follow the cross. It reminded me of a song that a gospel group called Gold City sings about a little boy who is lost and man comes up to him and asks the crying little boy what is wrong. He tells him he is lost and can’t find his way home. So the man tells the little boy to think of something that he can remember around the area where he lives. All of a sudden the boy looks up through the tears, and with a smile says, “If you get me to the cross, I can find my way home.” I kind of feel that way every time I come across a country church. I love seeing the steeples above the houses and buildings in a town or city. This one was a beautiful church out in Douglas, Washington.

What a fun day this has been! I hope you enjoyed the pictures and stories. I will be driving you to my next stop, which I know you will enjoy, in Part 4 of the Road Trip! Don’t miss it! I have some fun finds to share with you and some great photos! See you in the next leg of my journey. Thanks for coming along with me this time…

Road Trip! Part 2

May 25, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

We love our homes, don’t we? It’s a comfortable place to be; a place where we are familiar. When we do make trip somewhere, it is common to come back from being away and say, “It was great to get away, but there’s no place like home!” But…it comes down to the fact that, we NEED to get away sometimes. Why? When we are at home, there is always something to do. There are dishes to wash, and laundry to do, cleaning the house, the yard work that never ends, kids to keep an eye on, or repairs that need to be made. It can be never-ending and so we don’t always get the chance to kick back and REALLY relax. I have found for me, that getting away is a time of total refreshment because I don’t have to do all the things I would at home. In fact, I don’t even have to think about all of that when I am gone. Yes!!! I’m free to enjoy what is around me. With that in mind, I wanted to continue my story about the Road Trip in Part 2. Here we are going up the hill again from Diablo Dam.

We get back up to the top and drive further to the top of the pass. The mountain ranges in this area are absolutely fantastic and we stopped to get some shots of those mountains and waterfalls.

I felt the urge to leave my mark in the snow that was there.

Love this beautiful water falls above and then the one below. So fun to see so many of them! It solidified my desire to have a waterfall in my back yard.

We were able to experience the waterfalls of all sizes and pussy willows that were out, as well as, wild dogwood too in the pictures below.

The photo below reminded me of waves in the snowy mountains. But it’s amazing what the eye sees and the camera can’t quite catch. But it looked like waves of snow as it stretched along the mountain side. The mountain below was so interesting too with its side swiped ridges in it. It had kind of like wind-swept lines in the rock. The colors were quite vibrant also. It was very striking.

Isn’t that just the most beautiful mountain range against the blue sky? It was amazing! You can also see what elevation we were at during these shots. There was a lot to look at!

Amazing to stand in one place and see so much beauty!

Looking at these mountains and the winding roads, it just makes me think about our perspective on our lives. From the top, we can see where the road leads us, however, while we are in the bends of our life, we can’t see anything but steep mountains around us. We can find beauty in the valleys and eventually as we climb our way to the top of the those mountains in our lives, we can see things a bit more clearly. That’s what these trips are about for us; getting away to let God lead us and give us direction. When we give ourselves a chance for quiet, we can hear His voice. This photo is a great illustration of that. The photo below is looking the other direction.

We got back in the car and enjoyed a little snack as we looked around at beautiful scenery and views that are free for the looking. What a view we had for lunch! Anxious to see what was around the next corner for my camera lens to see, we took off down the mountain. We are pretty excited now because we know our next stop is Winthrop, Washington. I haven’t been there since I was a young adult and my sweetheart has never been there. So we anticipate the miles between the mountain and Winthrop. As Winthrop comes in to sight, we decide we are going to park and walk the town. Now if you

know Winthrop, it isn’t that big, but there are so many fun shops to walk through and the one place you HAVE to go first, is the ice cream, candy and bakery shop. It is right on the corner at the stop sign when you drive in to town and it will be on your right side. We parked the car and headed straight for something cold; well, at least I got cold; Terry got coffee.

This little shop had all kinds of treasures in it. I walked by the chocolate, and I will have you know, I didn’t even buy any! It was so fun! Out on the porch you will find a couple little side shops that serve ice cream, and the other hot dogs and coffee or Italian sodas. Ah…Raspberry Italian soda was my choice. It tasted so good on a warm day.

I took the picture of the candy jar because I knew my grandson would love to see it. First thing he said when he saw the photos was, “I want to buy that jar of candy!” So, we wandered around the shop and then pulled up a seat to finish our coffee and Italian soda. What do you think of these seats? Getty up!!

The street you see above is the corner where you drive into Winthrop from the pass. We sat for quite a while people watching and picked up a couple of brochures and had fun walking downtown!

Walked down the street a piece and found this delightful building!! I would bank with them just so I could tell everyone this building was where I banked! Love it!!

As we walked down the street on the other side, we saw a glass shop where you could watch him design his glass ware items, and then further down found this gas station and shop. So fun!!! Reminds me of places we would shop when I was a child.

We explored inside almost all of the shops but we soon were ready to give our legs a break. We scouted out the map and my phone to find out where our little cottage room was for our night’s stay. It sounded delightful and I was ready to settle in for the night. So… I will leave you here in Winthrop as we go find our resting spot.

It really is such a wonderful experience to explore and go to new places; much more fun than sitting at home and wishing we did something like this! I was glad to be able to share some of the trip by my phone with Facebook, but getting away from those things are also healthy and good for us too. Time to communicate with each other, relax from responsibilities, make memories, seek new places and dream a little. As Terry and I walked around town holding hands and enjoying the sights together, we were once again reminded that life is short and we need to do things we talk about. Make it a priority in our lives and follow through. Give up something, don’t buy something, whatever it takes to make these times possible. You won’t regret a minute of it or the sacrifices it takes to do them. If you have children, they will have so many great memories. It doesn’t have to be a big trip that costs you tons of money. It’s the being together and giving each other the attention you need. What’s keeping you from your next little trip?

I’m headed for the room! Thank you for walking the journey with ME this time! See you in Part 3!!

Road Trip! Part 1

May 22, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

In a day and age where so many people are flying everywhere, it is really refreshing to take to the road! Instead of flying over everything, we are seeing it as we pass by it, or better yet, stop to SEE AND explore it! So, I thought it would be fun to share my trip and thoughts in three or four posts here on the blog.

Part 1

This last week, my husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. We have had some rough times, but one thing we know, God has been faithful to us. We decided to celebrate by taking a road trip to areas that my husband had not seen, and where I had not been in years. We left early on Monday morning and headed over the North Cascades to see what we could see. I am anticipating a wonderful time of leisure with my hubby and my camera because I know each time I take the time, God always shows up with some amazing thoughts and experiences.

The first place we stopped was in Marblemount, Washington. This is a kind of last stop before going over the pass. As kids, we knew if we needed a potty stop, this was the last one for a long while. So for old times sake, we stopped and walked around. There were some wonderful lilacs along the fence line that I had to take the time to smell and photograph. We walked across the road toward the bridge because I wanted to try and get a photograph of the fog bank over the water. But instead, I found a wonderful perspective of the bridge to take. So, I walked to the bridge and took this photo from my point of view and looking to the other side. It just reminded that no matter how grey and foggy our life may seem at times, that if we will walk in faith to the other side, we will see a different perspective and maybe find God is doing a new thing! I felt that day, that God was doing a new thing in our lives. I was to walk “in” it.

Then, as I turned, I looked down river and took a few shots of the fog. Every couple of minutes it would change. It was kind of funny because as I was trying to get a photo, a big 18 wheeler came over the bridge and the bridge vibrated for several minutes afterwards. It took a few minutes for the bridge to settle so I could get the shot. But the scene made me want to tarry a while to enjoy the beauty of the green tree-lined river. It was so peaceful. This is what it is about; the ability to take the time to enjoy the beauty God has given us.

After I took my bridge and river picture, we get back into our little red car and head up the mountain. We stop where ever the notion hits us for a good photo-op, and we certainly found a few; pretty riverbanks, water falls, and deer along the road, tunnels and park areas. It is amazing what you see when you go with the intent of seeing, and not just letting it pass you by, on the way to where you are going!

We pulled over to get a beautiful shot of the water fall. There were so many along with way but it wasn’t always easy to stop where we saw them so I did a lot of walking. Here is one of the falls I saw a little ways up the mountain. Close by, the deer pictures were taken through the car windows so we could get as close as we could without them running off into the woods. They were just curious enough to turn around to get a good look at us.

We came through this tunnel and I got the brilliant idea that I wanted to take a picture from one end of the tunnel to the other end. I seemed to be getting that idea at the beginning of this trip; the idea of “looking through to the other side.” We couldn’t park there, so we had to go up the road ways to park the car, and I ran back to take a photo. Every time I would get out into the middle to take a photo, a car would come. Back to the side I would go. The car passes, I would go out to the middle and try again. Here came a car. So, finally after about six tries, I had a break and got out to the middle quickly, and took the shot just as a truck came around the corner! Phew!! The things we do for a photo! In the time it took to get this shot, it had started raining, and quickly turned into a downpour! I needed to get to the car. Terry couldn’t back it down because there was no place to park. What to do? Wait it out? Put my camera under my coat and run for it? I was standing there laughing so hard at my predicament, that I just decided to put the camera under my coat and run for it! About that time, Terry gets out of the car with no jacket, and starts coming for me with an umbrella. We meet up and run to the car under the umbrella laughing so hard we could hardly breathe! It was quite a distance! I was trying to tell him about the cars coming every time I wanted a picture and we just burst out laughing again. What a pair we are! But he is my knight in shining armor who came to my rescue in the pouring rain, to help his photographer wifey not get too wet. It’s times like these you never forget! Love that man!

Now that we warmed up in the car, we decide to move on up the road and came to a park information area. We stopped in to see what we could learn. Inside we found information about the whole mountain area, all water ways, and a little shop. In the sitting area, we found this above the fireplace. In light of our world right now, these words could never be more true. It IS up to us to take care of our land, but not just that, but to put our life priorities back into place on a daily basis. We found good information and I bought a map so we could begin to map out on the map of Washington where we are visiting on this trip and future trips. Away we go again.

We made another stop at Diablo Dam. It was kind of ire to see the dam without the water flowing over it as it is so black in color. But I have seen it when the water is flowing and it is beautiful! The picture above shows the dam. The next photo is from across the dam and looking up at the mountain. It was so majestic looking even with all the fog. But it stands strong and unyielding between the green of the other mountains.

You drive down the hill to this quaint winding drive with light posts that line the whole distance of the drive. We drove across and I took some shots around the area.

When we drove around the lake and I looked back at the bridge, one thought came to mind. When I look at this photo, it looks like the bridge is a pretty straight shot. You can’t see the twists and turns or the drive. Our lives our like that. We think it should be, or we want it TO be a straight shot. We don’t want any of those twists or turns, or ups or downs. When it happens, we find ourselves disappointed, hurt, or angry. But we are told to expect them, so it depends on how we look at them. What is our perspective? I found that when I was up close, I could see the beauty even IN the turns. The ups and downs of the road led me to this place of beauty. I believe it is like that in our lives too.

Well, here we are and we aren’t even that far into our trip! Both Terry and I said so many times that first day how much we were enjoying the leisure time to get out and see what we could see. Spending time in God’s creation is always a great way to draw near to each other and I think God designed it just that way. I think He wants us to look at our lives the same way. It is an adventure and a journey. There will be rain, storms, losses and all of that. But we can keep looking forward to what is around the next corner, the next hill, the new thing to learn, the next moments to spend with ones we have and love, and above all, to spend time with the Creator who made it all for us to enjoy!

I will leave you for this part of the journey and will post the next in Part 2 of…The Road Trip!

Walking the journey with you…only this time, you are walking the journey of mine with ME!

My Life In Review

May 9, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

A Young Me & My Dog Pal — A Young Me & Our Dog Pal

We hear so much any more about movie reviews, book reviews, reviews when you buy something on Amazon and we sometimes take part. I was contemplating my life the other day and suddenly, it was like a movie playing on a screen; from my earliest recollections to the present time. It really made me take notice of the changes that have happened in my life up to now. I have found them to be great changes that God has orchestrated for my good. It’s a longer post than most, but maybe you can relate and be encouraged by some of them.

Relationships: At a very young age, I had a great appreciation for the people who God placed in my life, whether it be family or friends. Even as a young girl I knew they were important. God gave me Godly parents. They took me to church every Sunday. They sacrificed in their life so I would HAVE. I was very involved at school, church, choir and youth group and also with friends. I was surrounded with family who always got together and shared life together. Family reunions and sharing food around the table with great conversations. Sometimes speaking norwegian so us kids wouldn’t understand the conversation. Although, we got to be pretty good at understanding it and surprised them often with our language prowess. They sacrificed other things they may have needed to get a travel trailer so we could go camping as a family; and camping we DID!! Shared weekends camping at the ocean or lake, digging clams, catching smelt and frying them up for dinner that night, swimming in the lakes, and the early morning smells in our little trailer. From my hammock above the couch in the trailer, I could watch as dad made his coffee in the morning and mom was cooking breakfast. I think on these things and realize that God showed me that family is important to the longevity of life. It gives us a sense of belonging. They have been instrumental in my life changes. To this day, the water is where I go to dream with God.

Photography: God has changed me through my photography. It’s like He has given me a macro look into my life. He is showing me the beauty in my life around me, but also the areas that I need to improve my focus. I have learned to look at my life in a totally different way. I see things differently; I notice His beauty. I LOOK for the beauty that I didn’t see before. When He gives me that macro shot of where I need to change, I change that in my daily life. I think about my adult cousin, who loved photography, always shared his pictures and cameras with me as a young child. We spent time in his make shift photo lab watching him develop pictures. I didn’t think much about it then, but have come to understand now, that God placed that person in my life to plant the seed for what was to come with own camera experience. I always think of him when I raise my camera to take a shot.

How I live: As those whom I loved so dearly left my world through various circumstances, I learned how to go on after they were gone, but always honor their memory and what they meant to me in my life. I have thought about their contribution to who I am today, even how I think, and what is important to me. It wasn’t always that way. As a young mother, I had to work a lot when my family was younger for reasons that are personal to me. But I always desired to be at home with my children. I loved being a mom and working was good, but it also brought a lot of stress into my home. I tried to keep all the plates spinning in my life and sometimes my kids suffered from that activity. God began working in me many years ago to take each day and live it out as my best. I might not have a tomorrow. As I lost my mother in 1991 and then my dad in 2002, I began to know that more deeply. After my dad’s death in 2002, I moved back home and made some changes. I have learned to live with less in order to stay at home. I know some families don’t feel that’s possible, but I have come to know that when we truly desire to do something that God places on our heart, He is faithful to provide ways to make that happen. Our faith in Him can project us forward to make it a reality. He has done just that. There were relationships to rebuild, a heart (mine) to mend, and a repositioning of my life and relationship with God that I needed to work on.

My view of flowers: I don’t have a green thumb and never had a great place to enjoy a flower garden nor a desire to work in one. But in the last several years, I have come to enjoy them very much and want to have them inside and outside my home. God has really shown me that He made them for a purpose; not just to plant but to truly enjoy! I do that now and use my camera to remember.

My relationship with the Lord: I always felt Bible study should be a part of my life and have really been faithful to do that. But God changed my heart to REALLY desire to walk deep with Him. I felt like I was to be a college student in my approach. So, I looked and researched ways I could do that without a lot of expense. God provided those ways. I trusted Him to show me and He did. I have never been the same since. He has taken me places I would never have gone if it wasn’t for quieting my life so that I could hear His whisper.

My approach to reading: I have always enjoyed reading but He has changed my thinking from reading books, to learning from books. He challenged me to read so many books a year. I have gained a great education from the reading I have done and I’m a better person for it. My goal? Read a book a week. I have gotten pretty close but not there yet. What a difference it has made in me personally. I am very thankful for everything He has chosen to share with me through the pages of books, and thankful to the authors that write them! Where would we be without them?

How I handle money: I made some bad judgement calls at times and over the last 20 years or so, He has slowly and consistently brought those areas into alignment. I save for what I want and pay cash. I don’t want to live with credit debt period. I trust God with my money and He has always come through beyond what I could imagine. And…He has blessed my obedience to live that way. I still have improvement to make with delayed gratification at times, but I am committed. I feel good about the control it gives to my life. It’s never worth it to live beyond our means, because it only brings bondage.

Regarding boundaries: Setting boundaries in your life can free up a lot of heart space! What a liberating experience for me! I no longer have to be responsible for someone else’s reaction or choice. I can decide what I will allow in my life and let my yes be yes, and my no be no.

What I am thankful for: God has taught me to be thankful for what I have; to be in gratitude for what He HAS given me. I might not have everything I want, but He has given me everything I need. I needed to get my eyes off of things, and unto gratefulness; for my house, my bed to sleep, warmth, food, shoes on my feet, clothes to wear, and a car to drive even IF it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I learned to look at my life each day as a gift. I could have been born in a land where living for Jesus means I could die tomorrow. But, I don’t. That WHISPER tells me, “You have life and freedom, live it for Me. I will take care of your needs and maybe even some of your wants.” He has.

So… I am thankful for all the things I have learned. I have figured out that God wants me to use what I know. I have come to understand why He placed the deep desire to keep learning over my life. Through it, I have learned importance of my family and carry that legacy into my own. I can TELL the people who are in my life what they mean to me. I can share pictures to encourage others to take a moment to see the beauty around them. I can use encouragement to share what I have learned so that others can be encouraged. I want to be a good listener. My hope is that I am a light on the path of shaded areas, and the encouragement to keep you walking out your journey in little steps. Are there some choices I made in my life that I wish I had either listened to the advice of others, or listened to the Holy Spirit telling go a different way? OF COURSE! But I don’t choose to live there in that place. I would rather have some review of my life here and there, and then say, “I’m not that person anymore and that’s not where I live.”

My life hasn’t been perfect. So you can’t say, “Oh boy! JoAnn lives such a Pollyanna lifestyle!” I have had some real hard knocks, and those who are close to me know some of them. But God… He has been my constant and He knows my heart. He forgives me when I have been angry. He loves me when I have failed. He never turns His back on me…ever. Ask God to show you the areas where you might need to focus and change so that you can enjoy stepping forward into freedom with Him. May your life be changed by what you have experienced and learned.

I have learned. I have changed. I have been faithful to live my best life every day. And you know what? I don’t have a lot of regrets now. I like my life. God has taken me through and changed me. He has used them as a spring-board to launch me into a life I enjoy and I feel blessed to be a part of. I am excited every day to see what He has for me. I am listening to His whisper in my ear. I want to hear it. I am thankful for His love.

Walking the journey with you…

Journey Back Home

April 30, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

As I was filling up my “good glass” with ice tea the other day, I was reminded of my “life motto” that I made several years back to drink out the good glass every day. At the time that I decided that was important in my life, I had already lost my mom and then several years later, my dad. I was thinking back over my times with them and my grandparents, and realized that sure, it is all stuff; stuff that they couldn’t take with them, but, that I now have. That means that these items are now mine to enjoy, as they obviously did because it was a part of their household. Why would that idea come to mind to use an item as a way to remember the blessings of my life?

Here is my little journey of thought on that question. Background: When I was a young girl, I spent a lot of time with my grandma. My mom never learned to drive so when we

would travel to my grandma’s house, we would either ride down early with my dad and he would drop us off before work, or we would pay ten cents per person, and ride the shuttle car into to town. Now this shuttle car was a green station wagon owned by a man who lived in Cedarhome, just outside of Stanwood in Washington state. He would get up every day and drive from Stanwood up to Brandstrom’s corner(up close to I-5), which was about a five mile trip, to meet the Greyhound bus. He would take people from the bus stop by the highway into the town of Stanwood. So anyone along the way, could stand out by the road and catch a ride with him. We would watch for his car and flag him down. THAT was our way back and forth from town; once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. Special arrangements would have to be made with him for other times. He knew us well. So it was a big thing to go to Grandma’s house on our own while dad was at work.

My Grandma had everyday dishes, and then she had her good dishes that were used for special holidays. But somewhere along the way, she had this plate and was “different”. It was creamy white and rose colored, with these beautiful roses on it. I was attracted to the plate as a little girl and it became “my plate” to eat off of. Grandma knew I loved that plate so she would try to make sure that it was at my place setting for me. I have never forgotten that. And that is still kind of my style to this day. I love old and pretty things that have meaning to me. My house is full of them. So it is quite natural for me to come to the conclusion that my “one glass that I have of hers” is used most every day. Or, that I would purchase that special cup to drink my mocha from, or, to share a mocha across the table with a friend.

Further, when my kids were little, I had a special red plate that they got to use on birthdays or special occasions that we could write a message on. They loved getting that plate set at their place setting when they were young. Ethan, my grandson, knows the story of drinking from the good cups and glasses, and he will ask for them at my house. He knows the meaning of many of my things in my home and I feel it is a way to pass on the legacy. Items may be just stuff, but it all has a story. I’m sad that I couldn’t have my grandma long enough to be OLD ENOUGH, to share how much those things meant to me as a child. So I don’t want that to be the case with me. I want to share the stories. I was given a set of silverware a while back by a very good friend; the set was her mother’s. When I opened the case, I found the set was the very one that was my grandma’s and then my mom’s. SO fun to use at my table now. But also in that case was a very beautiful vintage fork. It now has become my daily fork. It reminds of some great people in my life! Like a reminder every day of my blessings!

So, you might ask, what does this have to do with me? A lot. We all have things in our life that we need to share with someone. Your story. Your life. But many may not know. It is something that only you can tell. And, it IS worth telling. I often wish I could sit with my grandparents and parents and ask the questions that I didn’t quite feel comfortable asking them as a young person. Not sure where the idea came from that I wouldn’t be able to ask, but I sure do wish I would have. However, I can make the memories all come alive again through the stories and experiences that I have! What a blessing a legacy is!

So this is the deal: Life is an exciting journey and I want to live mine out to the fullest extent that I am given. I am excited about life over all; hardships and all. But you know what excites me even more? That I have a Heavenly Father that is saving not only the special table for me to sit down at, but He is saving a room just for me in His mansion in Glory. Now that is something to celebrate!! Maybe mine will be decorated with old furniture and vintage decor. I don’t know. Smile…but He does know my heart. To think I am invited to His banqueting table to enjoy meals with the saints, well…that just does my heart a whole lotta good! So I am going to practice here on earth with special dishes, glasses and cups so that I am ready for that heavenly banquet. If my earthly family benefits from my practice, so much the better! Don’t lose out by forgetting to remember. God has given us what we have, and we should appreciate it and share it with others. So, grab that special glass that you are afraid to use in case something happens to it! Use it. Enjoy the memories that come with it! And smile all the while knowing that with Jesus in your heart, you will be enjoying the ultimate feast with the most beautiful table you have ever seen… sometime in your future.

Lift your glass or cup to some comforting and cozy times! Walking the journey with you…

In Times Like These

April 20, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

The Locked Door

In times like these where we have once again endured the plans of Evil trying to focus us on the evil, I find it best to focus instead on what is good! Does that mean I have my head in the clouds? No. I just choose not to listen or watch the events over and over again in my mind. But instead, watch how people come to the aid of those in need; many running TO the situation instead of from it. It was great to read the positive comments and messages of others to encourage and lift up the spirits of the people in need. THAT’S what can make all things bearable.

I believe that we can learn many truths in the times of trials that we face, no matter what that difficulty is. If we would remember this same kind of love and encouragement that we give each other during difficult times, and give it out all the time, then maybe our lives would be much better lived. I love the idea and the opportunity we have with social media to be used as a way to lift each other up and share positive messages. Anyone can be negative. But it takes a special way of thinking to focus on the good. We are all capable of it though with God’s help. It’s a choice. I want to read things that make me stand up or rise up and say YES! That’s what I needed to hear! I agree with that caring message enough, that I am going to pass that message along to encourage someone else. I am going to pay it forward! I take the focus off myself, and instead, focus on others. It’s pretty hard to be negative and say encouraging words at the same time. When we do a good deed, we aren’t thinking of ourselves but of someone else first. I loved going through the Starbucks line the other day and buying the coffee for the person in back of me. That’s what it is about for me.

I also think that we see how events are sensationalized during these times. We need to stop the drama. Hopefully we recognize it for what it is, and we come back down to the basics of our lives and realize how blessed we are to have the lives we have. We may not have experienced attacks here, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. How would we want others to respond towards us in a given situation? Let’s pray for protection daily over our world. Now. We have a responsibility to pray for our nation, leaders, families, and people. Let’s do that on a daily basis, not just when something horrible happens.

So how does this play out for us? We can ask ourselves a few questions:

How should I respond to my own responsibility to live out my life differently?
What can be learned from this difficult time/season so I may avoid it happening in my future, or at least respond better to it?
Am I communicating through prayer to ask Him for protection and guidance every day?
What does God want to me to do about it?

Here’s a starting point…

Love on your family and those around you every day! Show them and tell them. Stay connected with each other.
Your friends? Let them know how much they mean to you! We aren’t guaranteed a tomorrow. They are a treasure given to us.
Be a giver and share what you have to give; a word in due season, a dinner, a cup of coffee, your time, a donation, whatever it is that God puts before you.
Live your life every day LOOKING for what He has for you to do.
Live as if it could be your last days, and it will change how you look at EVERYTHING.

I only have to look back at my trip to Honduras to remember there are places that have needs FAR greater than I. But I can also find those same needs right here in my own back yard. So, I ask myself, can I do something about it? If I can, I must. It’s hard at first to be obedient in everything, especially if you haven’t lived that way before. But, when you do, you will find it brings you joy and it certainly brings glory to God when I am His hands and feet here on earth. I reap the benefits, feel better and also feel closer to God. It should never be out of obligation. But, author Stovall Weems says in his book, Awakening, “If you don’t feel like obeying God, then something is wrong with your feelings.” Ouch! But true.

Do you know what happens when we look at life this way? It eventually becomes a natural way to live. You will have so much more joy in your life every day! Then, when the hard times come, your bank is so full that you can handle the hard stuff when it comes so much easier. God tells us that we will have trials so I shouldn’t be surprised when they come. He doesn’t give us multiple choice in what comes our way either. Can you imagine what would happen with that? We are dealing with things that past generations have had to live through, they just didn’t have the media around to follow the stories live-to-the-minute. I think sometimes we just think because we are the generation living with the most knowledge available to us, that we should have gotten past those horrible times; learned something. In fact, we have not. These things are happening to many other people in the world all the time. We have people being killed for their faith. We just don’t see it or hear so much about it. We, like many people in biblical times, have not learned from our past.

My challenge? Spend the next thirty days living differently than you have before in terms of being a great friend, a great parent, a giver, an encourager, and looking for the next good thing you can do. I know it will change your life! We don’t need to live as defeated people by the very things going on around us. We are free to live out our lives for Him. It should make us more determined to live every day to its fullest.

Are you living your best each day? If not, hit the reset button in your life today and start again. Learn new behaviors. Break open the doors that have been locked before you or in you! It will energize you! I have made this my priority in life to live in gratitude over every little thing that comes into my life. I see it as good. Am I perfect to respond all time at the first onset of difficult times? No, not always. But a great percentage of the time I can. The more I live that way, the happier I am. I can honestly say that I am happy in my life and where God has placed me, as well as, where He leads me. I hope this has sparked something deep inside you that motivates you to move forward towards this similar life style. God will always bless it.

Now THAT is worth living for! Walking the journey with you…

Why Does It Have To Take So Long?

March 18, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

This new year has been monumental for me! I have spent many years praying for certain things to come to fruition and was placed in “waiting mode”. Been there? Nothing seems to be going on and you don’t see any answers? Did you give up? Think God wasn’t listening? Lose your joy? Get all negative? You can’t see where it’s going so you aren’t even going to take the next step?

I have seen and read a lot of negative things around me lately. Lest we forget how blessed we really are, I want to share some personal thoughts with you. Did you know that sometimes we have to wait for the answers for MANY different reasons? I have found that God sometimes is teaching me things that I need to know during those times when I think He isn’t doing anything. BUT…in reality, He IS doing something! It all depends on whether I am willing to be obedient to what He says to me during these times. I may gripe, complain, get a short fuse, even get discouraged about my whole life, but, all the while, God is working on the solutions. I can’t seem them. Shoot! I don’t even know they EXIST yet! BUT GOD…is faithful. He never let’s go of my hand. The only time our lives get in this situation is when we have pulled our hand away. Possibly, we have tried making things happen on our own rather than waiting. Oops…never a good thing. But then, when we put our hand in His, all of a sudden, things become a bit clearer. We start to see things through His lens and view-point. We see His hand at work and we can begin to see the wheels turning toward what God has in mind for us. In my case, I am much more willing to step out with Him.

These last several months, I have seen God…

Bring us to a point of being debt free. We have been praying and working on that for about 8 years. Something always seemed to happen that kept us in debt. But we began diligently seeking God about this area of our lives, and asked Him to help us, AND we got some Holy Spirit gumption and determination!
Bought a house that had lots of work to do on it. He has helped us accomplish that the work.
We sold a house that took many months to sell which meant we were making double payments. But after many offers falling through, He brought the EXACT right couple.
We made additions to our home, that under normal circumstances, would seem impossible. Yet, God did it.
Money unexpectedly coming to us to pay debt down. Also, through scrimping to make extra payments, somehow the money spread around to all expenses.
We were faithful in our giving.
We even enjoyed some “get away” times together.

God just did it! The important part of this whole process was, OUR involvement with Him. We prayed and listened. We were obedient to say no to ourselves, in order to say YES to God. So, He was faithful to honor our needs and some of our wants. We can’t ask Him to be debt free and not be willing to do our part to get there. THAT was our process. We listened. We learned. We followed.

Next BIG point? We thanked Him ahead for what He would do. We thanked Him for

being debt free, we thanked Him for the appliances, we thanked Him for the items we needed to save on daily living expenses, and we thanked Him for the savings that we had. We thanked Him for how He made the money stretch. You know what? He did it over and over again! We might find just the right thing for our home (the mirror in the picture) and He blessed us with a way to make that happen.

Now before you think it is all about “things”, He will do those exact same things in ANY area of our lives. AND, He cares about the smallest desires of our hearts. I love that about the Lord! In this process, I have learned to love the daily, simple things that come my way and never take them for granted. I have a Gratitude Jar that I am keeping this year and every time anything good comes my way, I am putting a heart in my jar with the written word of my blessing, and at the end of the year on New Year’s Eve, we will take that jar out and read what God has done. Anyone coming into my home may add to that jar. Last week, my grandson asked if he could add another heart to the jar! Now THAT does a grandma’s heart good!

So don’t let the devil get you all tied up in knots over time lines. Know that God is working the night shift, and He KNOWS what you need. But you need to walk in faith “in the mean time” and trust His timing too. Leave your cares in His hands because He cares about you. ALL about you! Don’t put your mind to the negative. Find the good in your day. You are alive here on this planet today to enjoy your friends and family and to be a light to others. Make it count! Count your blessings one by one so you SEE what the Lord has done! Remember that song from when you were younger? It is true. It will bring joy to your heart. I promise, and God promises that very thing to us in His Word. “This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” THAT is the best way to fight the good fight. Be a warrior and start wielding the sword of the Spirit!! Don’t let the evil one whisper in your ear anymore. Bring out your Sword!

Bottom line? I have walked this journey with the above ways for most of my life. I can tell you it works. Do I get discouraged? Sure I do! But not for long, because my experience with God tells me that He knows. He cares. He is always working. What He has done before, He will do again!

Give Him your cares, SO THAT, He can show Himself faithful. Don’t give in, give it up to Him! Walking the journey with you…

Who Do You Follow?

February 15, 2013February 15, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

As a Christ-follower, what do you think about when you hear about someone who is acting in such a such a way that it neither becomes the person or the Christ-follower life style that person says they lead? What does that term Christ-Follower mean to you? Does it reign you in a bit, or does it seem like something archaic in terms of your life? Maybe too constricting? Too much under the law?

Various times over the last several months, it has come to my attention that we have many who seem to have one foot in the world, and one foot in the spiritual realm; and sometimes it is hard to tell which. When I think of a Christ-follower, I am not thinking of someone who has to be perfect in any sense of the word. But, I think of someone who has the desire to have the character of Christ and ask the Holy Spirit to help them live that character out. They read and learn about that character of God in the Word, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct them to seek out that character and to correct and convict in the areas that need help. As Christ-followers, we are maybe the only example that many will see. It would seem both wise and discerning to make sure that the way I choose to live out my life in public and private, would be in line with how Christ would live out His. We have many fine examples of His life throughout scripture. Now, before anyone gets all excited about me being judgmental and critical, I want to say that I am not perfect. God is dealing with me in many areas and as much as it hurts, I am trying to listen and change the things within me that need changing. But I am NOT publicly going to do or say things that would cause another to question what it means to be a Christ-follower. That is not glorifying Christ at all. I have to ask myself, would Jesus to do that? Would He act that way? Would He say that?

I believe that we can be “real” with people without having to do and say things that would cause question in anyone’s mind. I think we can be helpful and transparent without having push envelopes of appropriateness. Doesn’t God tell us we are to be a light to the world? Salt to the earth? What is it with us these days, that you can’t tell someone who follows Jesus, from anyone else who walks the face of this earth? Does it matter who I’m talking to at the time? How cool I want to appear? Or the idea that I can be a Christ-follower and still say what I want because God is cool like that? I don’t think so. I think He expects us to act in a manner pleasing to him. I don’t think that includes bad language, lying, cheating on income taxes or reports, manipulations, or anything else that is even questionable or displeasing to Him. He IS a God of grace, yes. But He is also a God of judgment. When we don’t know better, that is one thing. But when we have come into relationship with Christ and walked with Him a while, we KNOW the difference. THAT is when we are held accountable to how we live our lives out before Him. We need to lead well.

You can think of me as you will. But I have felt God has been nudging me to say something for a while. I guess I am the GONG in the lives of some. But God calls us out and we need to obey, even when it’s not comfortable. It’s one of the disadvantages to social media. Everyone has a voice and many use it; some good and some bad. I want to use mine well. But it is the same for my daily life outside of social media. I want to encourage people in their struggles, but I also want to show the way that is clear and not muddied up with other things. I want to show behavior that exemplifies God’s character the best way I know how.

Let’s stop and ask God to show each of us where we can improve and for us to be quick to respond; not defensively, but honestly. When I read or hear something that is hard, I always ask if there is ANY truth in it for me. If there is, I ask God to help me change that. If there isn’t, then I have no reason to justify anything. I can move on. But if I AM defensive, chances are that I DO have some truth I need to face and change with God’s help. It’s not easy or fun. But it IS how God wants us to live. We are called to be set apart. I desire that. Even if it means others won’t like what I have to say or how I live it out.

The closer we are to God, the more He speaks. I want to be a good listener. I want Him to say, you, JoAnn, lived your life well before me. May God help me to that end.

Walking the journey with you…

Be A Light From Where You Are

January 24, 2013 by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

Do you know that God has you in the place he has/had you in for a reason? I mean, if we really look back at our journey, we can see why this or that happened, why we were placed there at a certain time, and we can truly see God’s hand at work through those of us who have been willing to “go there”.

Let me share some examples with you from my own life.

I prayed the Prayer of Jabez over my life in 1998 that sent us on a move to Missouri to work for a ministry for two years! THAT was getting on a potter’s wheel for sure! But boy did I LEARN! Miracles happened when I obeyed and we saw them on the way there, when we got there, and all the time while we lived there.
A year ago about this time, I was sitting in my office studying when a message came through my computer to ask me, if my cost for a mission trip were paid, would I want to go to Honduras? My first thought? It was to tell God, “It is sooo hot there! And God, its HUMID and hot there! I don’t do well in that kind of weather and you know that about me.” My next thought was that if He was paying my way, knowing that I didn’t do well in that environment, that there was something He wanted me to experience, or see, or be a part of. So, after some praying for confirmation that this was the way in which I was to go, I walked in it. I said yes. I went to Honduras for 10 days and it was life changing!! I saw, I learned, I followed, I took the journey in photographs, and I came home walking closer to God than ever before. I came home thankful for my home, running water, ability to freely go about my life, to live for the Lord, for having what I need and best of all, with friendships that will last a life time! God knew. While I was there, God spoke to me to go home and raise the money to send a container full of items that are needed for the school, the children’s village, medical center, and church there. I did that. I came home, prayed, and then started sharing with others who had a heart to see what God was doing in Honduras. With their help, we sent the container last August. I am currently in the process of raising the money for the next one to go later this year. God needed me there to see and to bring something about for His purposes.
Fast forward a year…I was friended by a young woman on Facebook from Uganda. We have been communicating back and forth for some time now. I have no idea how she came by my name, or her reason for friending, but she did. She is wanting to preach and teach the gospel in Uganda and is really on fire for the Lord! So as we talked, I talked to her about having a voice on the internet. She could teach through the internet by sharing it via a blog. So…via long distance, I helped her set up a blog so she can now use that as a voice to many. She also shared that she is going on a mission trip to the west area of Uganda with a group and they are in need of a camera that does video. I am putting the word out for that also.

What is my point? God can use each one of us in ways we may have never thought possible, but they are. In my little office, I can be a voice to help spread the gospel in whatever ways God chooses to use me IF I am listening, and IF I am obedient to His voice. If I had listened to my own thoughts, I probably wouldn’t have gone to Honduras. Would God have used someone else? Could be. But maybe not in the same way, and my particular part in it would not have been completed. I would have missed out on the blessing. There is always a purpose.

YOU are important to intricate plans that God has for others to be encouraged and taught. And if you are thinking it is always to another place far, far away, think again. He can use you in the same way right in your own neighborhood. He can use you sitting at your desk. Ask Him how He wants to use you. But be ready! He WILL call on you. You can see from my examples that He doesn’t let the miles get in the way, OR the language! I’m thankful that I have chosen YES! The best part? When you realize it is NOT about YOU, but you are thankful God chose to INCLUDE you in the miracle!

Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)

⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Walking the journeys with you…

P.S. If you are sitting there thinking, I have a camera, or a laptop I’m not using, this team could really use it. Or you might want to help by sending a donation to the Honduras Bound2 project… message me. You WOULD then be taking part in something much BIGGER than you!

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