When your soul desires to be alone at sunrise
One must layer like the colorful sky
But with clothes to survive Alaska’s freezing mornings
And carry hot coffee in a thermos container.
Dutch Tuesday photo challenge
Heaven’s Morning Visit
In late November
Above the Cook inlet
Between mountain’s ranges
Heavenly light makes its entrance
Spreading Hope for all souls to see
Photography Captures Messages
The wind quickened and the stormed continued to develop. Me?
I happily drove south with my husband in the car. It was an opportunity which I couldn’t miss.
No rainstorm was going to bound me indoors, keeping away from nature.
The drive didn’t start out with rain. But once south of Turnagain Arm, Seward highway, heavy clouds moved low on the road onto the water and out to sea.
Wet terrain darkened the fall colors causing me to desire a hot drink. After coffee and a treat, I drove us back home to Anchorage.
With the rain pouring down and on coming cars lifting rainwater to my windshield, the view hid from my sight.
Therefore, I had to stop now and then.
Once out the car, I not only enjoyed the beautiful scenic view, but the weather bath me as I engulfed myself with its refreshing wind and cold rain, allowing it to run down my face and wet hair on to my raincoat.
Then, I remembered a photographed of a leafless bush.
I ponder about deleting it as I drove.
Once home, I reviewed the photos and something told me to keep the photo of the lonely bush.
It wasn’t until a week later, that I understand why it caught my attention.
A message waited there, captured in the photo just for me only to be released at an appointed time.
My heart not only had to understand the message, but comprehend its importance in my life.
I posted the messages on the actual photo on Instagram, Facebook and here, on WordPress, as a journal to remind me where I’ve been and what life’s circumstance I’ve overcome.
Nature speaks to my soul.
In time, I’m able to write what I’ve seen, felt or heard. Many time I don’t under stand why I felt compelled to take a picture. But I’ve learned, to rust the nudge and the reason will gurgle up from my own life experience.
I hope you enjoy this short outdoors exploration. I sure did.
Blessings, Lidia.😊
Cloudy With a Chance of Change
Which clouds do your eyes focus on when you travel?
Is it the darkest ones in the far distance gathering for a storm, or the ones above you ready to release their showers, or the one drifting above the grown, soon to vanish before you draw near?
For me? It was the whitest one of all. It drifted low, rapidly changing, becoming smaller the closer my husband drove around the bend.
Clouds fascinate me. They deliver more than destruction or harm when they release the rain. They provide what’s needed for change to occur.
One day, maybe tomorrow or next spring, change will be seen. Not just by the new growth, but by the maturity and strength of how the tree, the bush or the vine endured the dark, heavy clouds that soon would appear.
Pray, Seek, Knock and Find
Troubles? Take Timeouts.
Remember, as children when we got in trouble, we were sent to timeout?
As a parent, I would tell my kids to think about what they did wrong. While the child sat, they would have to stay there until they, themselves, identified their error and understood the correct manner of behavior. Which I had already explain to them, but they had to own their choice and decide to make better choices in the future.
Without knowing why, today, my soul was troubled, I had the urge to go for a drive and have a timeout. Expecting to learn the error of my ways I desired to find a place out in nature to listen to what God had taught me and seem to be trying to remind me. Eagle River, Alaska came to mind. Being a place where bears are cited, I invited a friend and off we went. (We didn’t see any bears, which we were thankful after learning that this was the time for brown bears and grizzlies to be passing through to feed from the salmon runs.)
Before leaving my place, I took time to read my devotional. As soon as I read the verses, I had the urge to leave, now. Without reading any further, I left with three questions packed in my heart. What should I be asking? What should I be seeking? And where should I be knocking? Eagerly I drove, expecting to hear definite answers from God at some point on the hike but, none came.
For those of you who know the passage, the verses were from Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” They’re familiar verses in the Christian community, but for me this time they had something new to teach me. I just didn’t know exactly what that lesson was, because I hadn’t identify where I stood with God.
Seating and pondering on my day in Eagle River, which I didn’t receive answers or clarity of these verses or my errored ways, I read the rest of the devotional. It reminded me to be persistent in asking and that Jesus doesn’t recommend for us to ask, He commands for us to ask. Now that’s something to think about for my future timeout from my day.
The devotional also said, that asking isn’t quite sufficient from Jesus’ point of view. He wants us to take it up a notch. We should seek out what we need from God and we will find it. Well asking is much less work than seeking, because one doesn’t have to do anything. While seeking takes our effort not just God’s. There are times, I just want the answer without much work on my part.
Do you remember asking your mom for something you know she could easily give you, but she sent you out to find it yourself and then get it on your own? Well I’m wondering if that’s what God was trying to tell me, when I rather for Him to just hand it to me. I still wonder, what is it that I truly want? I sense I must go on to the third question maybe I will receive clarity.
Knocking on the door is the final step. Well the devotional reference that the door is heaven’s door. It also mention that our asking and seeking takes us to the very doorsteps of heaven. Once there, we shouldn’t just stand there and wait, we should knock on the door. Well to tell you the truth, I’ve been afraid to knock on the door. Why? Because of what God has to offer.
What if God gives me my heart desire only to be taken away. Maybe, I don’t want to feel that pain again, so I will not knock, then I keep what I long for in the longing place of my heart. No wonder I felt like a timeout. I needed to see the error of my thinking and correct it with truth. It is better to have had it for a short while than not to have it at all. Besides, who told me that it will be taken again and why bother having it in the first place? Who have I been listening to? Whom have I followed? I’ve listen to the voices of Doubt, Disappointment and Fear.
They misguided me because of the troubles that have come and taken the good things my husband and I have been blessed with in Vancouver. We placed our house on the market and sold within twelve hours. We had to leave quickly that we didn’t have time to say good-bye to our friends. The move-out happened in less than two weeks from our return of our working travels. Our belongings were stuffed in storage and off we flew to Alaska to work again.
Now, we are homeless and have no idea where to plant our life and allow roots to grow. You see, I have lived in almost twenty places in thirty-five years of marriage which includes less than ten city moves and seven states covering from Texas to Maryland to Montana to Washington and now Alaska.
Do you see why I’m shy to knock and ask where should I be seeking residency? At the moment, we’re staying in an Airbnb in Alaska provided by my husband’s work. When he’s not working we’ll be staying with my daughter in Seattle, Washington.
I know once I knock on the door of heaven, it will be open. God will meet me and He will provide the answer. But, will it be the answer I seek? Or will He offer me the answer which is best to produce the fruits that are needed? I also know, that God will hand my husband and I not only what we need but gift us with more, with the purpose of sharing. All things do come from his storehouse and he will place the gifts into our hands for us and for us to share.
I understand. It’s not about finding residency, a house to call home or having a dwelling place. It’s about asking and seeking where does God want us, my husband and I to bear fruit. Like the devotional said, all of our persistent asking, seeking and knocking shows God that we are serious and sincere about our desire to bear fruits like John teaches.
John 15:16 “You have not chosen Me, I have chosen you. I have set you apart for the work of bringing in fruit. Your fruit should last. And whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.”
Am I ready to ask, seek and knock? I am. I’ve recognize the error of my ways, listening and believing the voices of Doubt, Disappointment and Fear instead of the voice of my Shepard, Jesus himself. I should trust Him with our future, my husbands and mine as a couple and mine as an individual.
Father, In Jesus name I come and ask to show me the way my husband and I should go and where to plant our lives to bear fruit, so that you can feed those who hunger after your precepts and desire to draw closer to you plus, to learn about your Son, the one who saves, died and rose again, Jesus, who conquered our sins, who forgives without our cost. for He paid it all. Thank you for choosing me. In Jesus name I ask, seek and knock. And in His name I wait to find a home to share of what God has in store for my husband and me.
Enchanted I Dreamed
ENCHANTED I DREAMED
From as far as the cloud cover mountains tops,
to the grass below my feet,
I desire to not only see,
but to embrace every part of thee,
Alaska, you’ve enchanted me.
Earthquake Park, Anchorage Alaska 8-13-18
Life Through Lidia’s Eyes
Have a Wonderful Week
THROUGH OUT YOUR WEEK
May the Lord refresh your spirit like the morning rain does to the air we breath.
~~~~~~~
Que el Señor refresque su espíritu como lo hace la lluvia de la mañana en el aire que respiramos.
Saved by The Road Rail
WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE
Blessings come and go and so do the trials and hardships. But, the Lord remains steadily faithful like an unmovable majestic mountain
Let me tell you the story behind the picture.
There I stood, with my eyes fixed on the distant mountains the breeze refreshed my skin. I stepped back to leave when movement on the grown caught my attention.
A dandelion swayed below my feet. I sensed it wanted me to see what it saw.
Holding to the road rail, down on my rump I went. But, to witness the picturesque view of the weed, I had to lay down by the side of the road.
I was so glad I did.
Now, getting up was a bit challenging, for the gravel and the inclined made my feet slipped.
Thank-goodness for road rails.
In The End
️IN THE END️
May your last
Moments of today
Be filled with
Passionate colors
Of emotions
Leaving a hunger
To wake again
corazon181 