hard rock

The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, 

and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation...

2 Samuel 22:47

When Mark suggested a stop at the Carlsbad Caverns in NM,

I was delighted.

It's always seemed to me a beckoning, mysterious sort of place.

Mark, Amy, Elise and Michael enter at the Natural Entrance

...from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. 

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I...

Psalm 61:2

Mysterious, yes.

Other-worldly, worship-inspiring.

Almost everyone inside spoke in whispers, and I'm not convinced that it was just out of obedience to the park ranger at the entrance who encouraged us to talk softly. 

 The sheer magnitude of this subterranean world is truly awesome.

Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:4

No lens could do it justice.

Even in our God-less age,

His handiwork is still reminding people everywhere of His eternal might and glory!

I won't be down in those caverns again...

at least not anytime soon.

But  His handiwork is all around me,

every day,

if I'll only notice.

declaring His praise

"Behold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

The wild beasts will honor Me,

the jackals 

and the ostriches,
 

for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,

to give drink to my chosen people,

the people whom I formed for Myself

that they might declare my praise."
Isaiah 43:19-21 

Declaring His praise as we see the wonders of His hand across our nation,
and as we wait to see the new things He will do...

All photos above from Joshua Tree State Park, CA, and the Desert Museum of Tucson, AZ

(btw: yes, I do realize that those are NOT jackals and ostriches!  but they're close enough!)

18 x's 2

Yesterday we celebrated Amy and Elise's 18th birthday.

 After a yummy breakfast Mark whisked them off 

to the DMV where they each obtained a driver's permit.  

Such an easy process once you're 18.

 Then the rest of us met up to hike down to the base of Snoqualmie Falls,

a majestic spot here in the Northwest.

together with Barbara's sister and nephew at the falls

 God gave us the gift of gorgeous sunshine,

and precious time with loved ones as we hiked,

picnicked together at the top,

and  later shared a delicious birthday dinner and cake.

(Thank you, Judy, for all your love to make it such a special day!)

♥♥♥
We thank God for His gift to us of Amy and Elise.
You two have blessed our lives in countless ways.
We're delighted in each of you, 
and so thankful for every day of every year we've had with you!
The Lord bless and keep you in all the days ahead...
♥♥♥
 

It was also the anniversary of the day Mark asked me to marry him...
21 years ago!

Yes, Mark - I'd say YES all over again!

 ♥

yes, we're here!

Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon and the orchards will be in blossom, and the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And the whistle in the summer barley in the Lower fields. And eating the first of the strawberries with cream. 

Do you remember the taste of strawberries?
-Tolkien

It's been over two weeks now since we landed in Seattle

and tasted strawberries again.

Jet lag, a tough trip, sickness, and exhausted minds and bodies from all that went before

left us very thankful for the loving welcome of family and for time to rest and be quiet.

Mark and his sister on a hike at Wallace Falls

Amy pulls out her watercolors

We've enjoyed time outdoors in some beautiful Seattle sunshine

breathing deeply of the cool, dry air.

Mark found and bought a car which we plan to drive cross-country in coming weeks

while Elise and Amy are studying a drivers manual in anticipation of learning to drive.

We've made intrepid forays into American grocery stores, 

stocked with more food options than seems believable.

Mark and Michael doing minor repairs to our 'new' Taurus

 Amy and Elise (below) flew to the east coast days after landing here,

where sweet friends cared for them,

(THANK YOU, G family!!)

and took them to the Student Orientation and Registration session

at the university they will attend this fall.

(They were gone just 5 days, and are back in Seattle again with us now!)

Thanks for the photo of Amy and Elise at Orientation, MEG! 

And Michael's been enjoying good cousin-time.

They've done some r/c building together, and went for a maiden flight this afternoon.

 Now that we've had time to rest, and to acclimatize back into American culture,

we're looking forward to spending time with more family and friends here in the NW.  

For any of you in the area who would like to get together, let's do it soon!

sacred idleness

Last week was Spring Break,

a welcome chance to relax and enjoy time with family and friends.

One morning we grabbed some gear

Michael with his snorkel

and headed to the beach with friends for the day.

Sometimes we forget about the beauties of the tropics;

or to notice the goodness of God right where we are,

wherever we are.

 Work is not always required. 

There is such a thing as sacred idleness. 

~George MacDonald

Amy, Elise, Michael and T play some Frisbee

A little Rummy anyone?

 Mark and I also appreciated time with this special family,

and their fellowship and insightful counsel about transition.

With a season of change ahead for our family, 

their words and encouragement were especially meaningful and timely.

Thank you, T&J!

on the way home again

We're thankful for the time to rest, and to be refreshed for the work ahead.

Now the final quarter of the school year has begun;

in a way, the beginning of the end of many things.

 And He said to them,  

“Come away by yourselves to a secluded place 

and rest a while.” 

Mark 6:31

the end of the adventure

After our hike up Mount Puting Bato, we climbed back on those motorcycles 

and headed down toward civilization. 

I felt relieved to hit flat paved roads again.

We stopped at a sari sari for something to drink (bottom left)

and then headed on toward Hagimit Falls.

Michael takes the plunge at Hagimit

 We spent a refreshing hour at the falls,

enjoying the cool water and the peaceful setting.

This little girl (bottom right) sold us cold drinks.  

She was so sweet, I asked if I could take her photo.  

I love how she's framed by all the colorful goods for sale.

It had been a high-energy morning, and it was time to head home.

We said good bye to our trusty motorcycle drivers

and boarded a little ferry boat (below, right) homeward.

Elise and Amy baked a fabulous chocolate cake and served it up that evening for my birthday.

And Amy's birthday gift to me summed up how we all felt after our adventure...

There's No Place Like Home.

"Maybe that's the best part of going away for a vacation - coming home again."

-Madeleine L'Engle

Amy crafted this piece for me using a paper-cutting technique called scherenschnitte.  
The patience required for such precision cutting is beyond my comprehension, 
but I'm loving my beautiful gift!  Thank you, Amy!

an adventure continued

 Disembarking from the passenger ferry,

Mark bartered with three motorcycle drivers to negotiate a fare 

to hire them for the morning.

Once agreed on a price, we jumped on and zipped off down the road.

After a quick stop for enough gas to last the day ($2.50 per bike)

we headed to the highest point on Samal Island,

Mount Puting Bato (Mount White Rock).

These photos cannot do the 30-minute trip justice.

After all, good photos are only obtainable when you aren't bouncing along rutted dirt roads 

at a 45 degree angle.

After what seemed like hours of fervent prayer and holding on for dear life,

I found myself whole-heartedly agreeing with Mr. Baggins:

“Why O why did I ever leave my hobbit-hole?" 

said poor Mr. Baggins, bumping up and down on Bombur's back.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

 At long last we reached the Tayapok Trail, a 25-minute hike to the top of the mountain.

(Notice our drivers outpaced us by driving up the trail)

A brave heart and a courteous tongue.   

They shall carry thee far through the jungle. 

– Rudyard Kipling

But success was denied us;

the top of the mountain was off-limits that day.

Mark tried to rouse a keeper for the padlocked entrance gate; 

(that's him on the bottom left, peeking into the gatekeeper's lodge)

we would have been more than happy to pay the 15 cent entrance fee!

All to no avail.  

I guess they hadn't got the memo that we were on our way.

So Michael pulled out his R/C plane instead.

 What a great place for a flight!  

Our drivers were fascinated by the mini air show.

In the name of God, stop a moment, 

cease your work, 

look around you. 
 - Leo Tolstoy

- Stay tuned for one more post to complete our birthday adventure!