the pain and sorrow, the disappointment,
expressed in my soul as i learned
the news of exorbitant exclusion
from that of which i yearned
surprised, oh my heart, and hurt
but hurt and surprised be not
for such passions are of this world
from expectancies of haught
my being is fraught with avarice
with thoughts of deservedness
yet the Lord, alone, merits all
to Him, may i ne'er give less
rest, oh my soul, for this hurt be not for e'er:
my home, this world is not
may all of my life be lived for Him
for the days i own are naught
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Ape Cave and Bear Grass
Yesterday I had the privilege of hanging out with my long-time friend, Suzanne. We spent the day in the Mount St. Helens area, hiking the entire length of the 2+ mile long Ape Cave and checking out the St. Helens area. It was beautiful and full of wildflowers, and it was wonderful to catch up with Suzanne again!!
Touching the end
Suz told me to frolic among the wildflowers. So here I am, frolicking... ;)
Right before descending into "The Crawl," a 35 foot lava tunnel formed by three interconnecting tree molds
Doin "The Crawl"
The flowers were prolific. And magnificent!
At the Main Entrance of Ape Cave
Oh, Suzanne, you're so photogenic! =)
Touching the end
Suz told me to frolic among the wildflowers. So here I am, frolicking... ;)
Right before descending into "The Crawl," a 35 foot lava tunnel formed by three interconnecting tree molds
Doin "The Crawl"
The flowers were prolific. And magnificent!
At the Main Entrance of Ape Cave
Oh, Suzanne, you're so photogenic! =)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Stuff of Life
Yesterday, the forecast called for record high temperatures and nothing but sunshine and blue skies. So naturally, I opened up my calendar, picked up my friend Beth, and jetted up to the Mountain for some late-season snowshoeing. Twas a wonderful, wonderful day, filled with great conversations, laughter, warmth, encouragement, and refreshment. Twas a day of delighting in the promises and goodness of our God.
I completely got sunburned, even though I sunscreened twice! And it was SPF 30, not SPF 4, thank you very much! =) So I'm continuously slathering on the Ocean Potion Aloe with Lidocaine, generously donated by BJ&Melis.
After we got back from the Mountain, I quickly showered and headed off to Girls Group with my Jr. High girls. We went to get some ice cream, laid a blanket out in the day's last rays of sunshine, and thoroughly enjoyed discussing the stuff of life. I have been greatly blessed by each of my girls. They have snuck into my heart in ways that I never expected, and I am so privileged to be able to share in their lives.
Then, I was off to the other Koning's for some 24. I love my monday nights with Brian and Melis! Being able to share the victories and hardships of Jack Bauer with people I love - well - it can't get much better than that!
I completely got sunburned, even though I sunscreened twice! And it was SPF 30, not SPF 4, thank you very much! =) So I'm continuously slathering on the Ocean Potion Aloe with Lidocaine, generously donated by BJ&Melis.
After we got back from the Mountain, I quickly showered and headed off to Girls Group with my Jr. High girls. We went to get some ice cream, laid a blanket out in the day's last rays of sunshine, and thoroughly enjoyed discussing the stuff of life. I have been greatly blessed by each of my girls. They have snuck into my heart in ways that I never expected, and I am so privileged to be able to share in their lives.
Then, I was off to the other Koning's for some 24. I love my monday nights with Brian and Melis! Being able to share the victories and hardships of Jack Bauer with people I love - well - it can't get much better than that!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Snow and Sunlight
On Wednesday, the whole world was working.
Well, everyone except me.
And the forecast showed nothing but warmth and sunshine.
And I had been dying to get out of town and into the mountains.
Simple solution: I went snowshoeing.
Solo.
And let me just say, it was a sweet day!!
The snow had a tiny, trace layer of ice on top, and powder beneath, and with every step I took, a delightful crunch filled the still mountain air. And whenever I climbed, or walked side-hill, or descended, every piece of snow that I dislodged succumbed to gravity and went scurrying down the thin ice layer, creating a sliding, soft swooshing sound.
The sunshine filled the crisp air with warmth, and I spent the entire day in complete freedom from the weightiness of a coat, hat, or mittens. The sleek snow intensely reflected the sunlight, and sunglasses were a wonderful necessity of the day. The scent of the mountain was sweet, refreshing, and simple, filled with hints of melting snow and subtle pine swirled about by the light breeze.
I love spending time with God in this way, surrounded by the largely untouched portions of his beautiful handiwork. I love praising Him in this way, my own awe of Him complimented by the declaration of glory given to Him by His creation. Life is crazy sometimes, and I often don't understand what His purposes in my life are. But He is Good, and I will choose to rejoice and delight in Him, together with the mountains and hills and trees (Isaiah 55).
See the Sundog?
Well, everyone except me.
And the forecast showed nothing but warmth and sunshine.
And I had been dying to get out of town and into the mountains.
Simple solution: I went snowshoeing.
Solo.
And let me just say, it was a sweet day!!
The snow had a tiny, trace layer of ice on top, and powder beneath, and with every step I took, a delightful crunch filled the still mountain air. And whenever I climbed, or walked side-hill, or descended, every piece of snow that I dislodged succumbed to gravity and went scurrying down the thin ice layer, creating a sliding, soft swooshing sound.
The sunshine filled the crisp air with warmth, and I spent the entire day in complete freedom from the weightiness of a coat, hat, or mittens. The sleek snow intensely reflected the sunlight, and sunglasses were a wonderful necessity of the day. The scent of the mountain was sweet, refreshing, and simple, filled with hints of melting snow and subtle pine swirled about by the light breeze.
I love spending time with God in this way, surrounded by the largely untouched portions of his beautiful handiwork. I love praising Him in this way, my own awe of Him complimented by the declaration of glory given to Him by His creation. Life is crazy sometimes, and I often don't understand what His purposes in my life are. But He is Good, and I will choose to rejoice and delight in Him, together with the mountains and hills and trees (Isaiah 55).
See the Sundog?
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