Psalm 118:5-6

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
He brought me into a spacious place. 

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? 

New Year

It's 2014!

The first day of my year 2014 started with the wee morning hours spent floating through a haze of cat naps labour checks and a birth at the clinic. The sunrise was simple and beautiful, the start of a new day. From work I headed off to the mountain. Being the first day of the year, the state parks were closed, except for the tramway trail, which was open for a guided hike. Having been invited by some of my friends, I was excited to finally get on the mountain again and spend some time with friends in the great outdoors. 

The climb was an exhilarating and exhausting experience, and since there were not many people on the hike, it was good to get to hear the stories of some of the other hikers. There was a father and son from Washington, a couple of friends from Mexico, a family from El Paso, and the leader and his wife had transfered in from a park in Florida to be able to live in the mountains here. It was a relaxed group, eager to hike and be outdoors. 

Making it to the top, we enjoyed the view before piling onto the tram and heading down. Because of the nine people stuffed into the tram instead of the normal six, the space allowed us to get very close very quickly and our trip down was accompanied by joking and laughter. 

There was one other young lady on the tram, and her easygoing nature and sense of humor attracted me to her, so on getting off the tram, I introduced myself to her. That one simple introduction started a conversation that touched on everything from current schooling, future dreams, and faith. It was such a blessing to spend time with someone passionate about her faith, searching for opportunity to connect with and care for those around her, and living life with intentionallity and joy. What an unexpected encouragement!

Just goes to show that I never know who I'll meet or what I'll learn when I choose to reach out, even just to say hi. What a way to start off the year!

Merry Christmas!!

This Christmas, though packed with friends, church family, and contact with family, has also been filled with twinges of loneliness. Yet I am thankful for those moments, because they are a reminder that...

This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh Lord you know I have no friend like You

Moving right along, this is what I've been listening to lately. What a reminder of reality in the midst of the ever-present distraction of consumerism this season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqgJ9OCy3Kg

Merry Christmas!

...and just a glimpse of my adventures this Christmas, I went hunting for the perfect Christmas tree, and I think I found a pretty good one :)

It has arrived

I got a package today!!

Thank you to the wonderful ladies who put it together and sent it off. I've already had opportunity to share of its bountiful goodness :)

God's Provision

In my reading of the Bible, my knowledge of the stories from the Bible times, I often used to wonder why miracles don't seem to happen these days. I wondered why God chose to split the Red Sea for the Israelites, or how Jesus chose which paralyzed man to heal, or why He doesn't show up on a beach where I was swimming with a fish fry like He did for the disciples. I know that miracles happen, but in my knowledge of them, they seem to happen in foreign countries to people who have no other way. And when I think about it, it is the same in the Bible. Jesus didn't heal the the people who were healthy, He didn't feed the people who were at home with their pantries full, He didn't part the Red Sea so the Israelites could just go for a walk in the park. In each of these cases there is a need to be met, an opportunity for God to bless someone, and an opportunity for His glory to shine!

And, through my time here in Texas, living away from family, away from friends, and away from my mother's cooking, I'm learning that maybe miracles do happen to me, I just need to give God opportunity. I read a quote recently that reminded me of this: “When we are weak, Christ has the opportunity to be strong. When we are shattered, he can then go to work reassembling us. When we are defeated, he lends us his victory. When we are dispirited, he infuses us with his joy” (Gracia Burnham, To Fly Again). He provides when there is need. At home, my mom and dad do a pretty good job of making sure I'm warm, I'm fed, and I have a job to provide money. Here, not so much. So while I'm here, God has opportunity because I have need; and I am amazed to see the ways in which He provides. He is amazing. 

Just to give you a glimpse of the ways He provides, here is a list from this month (by no means complete) of things I have received, without any mention on my part of need:

-food (cereal, bacon, fruits, veggies, honey, hot chocolate, bread and biscuits, oatmeal, cupcakes, tamales, tortillas, chips, fish, a pumpkin, etc)

-a space heater (we're not using the main heater in our house because it heats the attic better than the house, and I was getting pretty chilly)

-a friend (she came out to visit, and took care of me when I got sick)

-a week off of work (right when I got sick, perfect timing)

-encouragement (sometimes things get hard, and encouragement seems to come when I least expect it and most need it)

-rides (I have a habit of walking most places, but I really appreciate those times when people surprise me by offering me a ride)

-necklaces (though they aren't a necessity, they are beautiful)

-money (both random generosity, and also some designated for gas, food, or bills)

-a house (to house sit for a couple of days, complete with a heater, bathtub, food, and dogs)

What a miracle! And looking back at this list, I can see that God doesn't provide only what I need, but He gives extra, enough that I can share with others and so double the blessing. How amazing is that!

Joy

In my perusing of the internet today, as I was looking for information about informed consent, emergency protocols, and grief resources, I saw something that made my heart smile, so that is what I will share with you today.


ps. this is originally drawn by a young lady named Dana (I'm not sure who she is, but I like this drawing)

Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever!

Another thanksgiving season is over, and black Friday was survived yet again. This thanksgiving was spent partially working, partially enjoying food and friends, and partially resting. Since there's been nothing of note happening lately, here are some things that I've been especially thankful for in this season of thanksgiving:

-warmth.  My roommates and I are trying to keep the furnace as inactive as possible to keep bills more affordable. Since houses down here have very poor insulation, home life has been frigged lately, but since I have a ton of blankets, I figured that was God's way of providing for me, and I was thankful for the protection from the cold. But then, as I was leaving a friend's place, she disappeared into the back corner of her house and emerged with a space heater, so now I have both blankets and a space heater. God is good!

- friends. On thanksgiving I was blessed with time spent hanging out with my clinic friends outside of shift. It was a blessed change from the usual work-related friendship we have. Also, God sent me a friend during these days over thanksgiving. What a blessing it has been to have someone who is willing to talk, to walk, to rest, to challenge my point of view, to remind me to rest, and to bring me back to the truth of the bible. What a much needed encouragement. God is good!

-a home.  Yes, I'm currently sitting on a comfortable leather couch, using wireless internet, having just eaten a wonderfully delicious breakfast, enjoying the company of my friend, and basking in the warmth of a normally functioning heater. One of the couples from my church went away for the weekend, and invited us to house sit for them, leaving us a house full of warmth and food. God is good!

I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. 

~psalm 27:13-14